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Sun, 02 Apr 2023
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Cloud Lightning

Video of massive lightning strike on one World Trade Center is incredible

Lightning Strikes One World Trade Center in New York City
© Gary Hershorn
Lightning Strikes One World Trade Center in New York City
New York City was hit by a thunderstorm Saturday night, and the front put on quite a spectacular lightning show. At one point, a bolt struck the top of One World Trade Center and the video and still photos of the incident are absolutely breathtaking.

Check this out:


Tornado2

US tornadoes: At least 26 dead after winds rip through southern and Midwest states (UPDATE)

A car is upturned in a parking lot after the severe
© Andrew DeMillo/AP
A car is upturned in a parking lot after the severe storm swept through Little Rock
At least six people have been killed after a tornado ripped through including US states in Arkansas and Illinois.

One person died while more than two dozen were left injured in the Little Rock area, Arkansas authorities said.

The town of Wynne in northeastern Arkansas was also devastated, and officials reported two people had died, along with destroyed homes and people trapped in the debris. Two other fatalities were reported in Sullivan County Indiana.


Comment: Al Jazeera reports:
Death toll tops 26 as tornadoes tear through US Midwest and South

Survivors recount flying debris, destroyed buildings after storms that spawned several tornadoes hit at least eight states in the US.

At least 26 people have been killed and dozens more injured after storms and tornadoes tore through towns and cities across Southern and Midwestern parts of the United States.

Several tornadoes touched down on Friday night across at least eight states, laying waste to homes and businesses and splintering trees, as part of a sprawling storm system that brought wildfires to the southern plains states and blizzard conditions to the upper Midwest.

Tens of thousands lost power as the storms smothered a swath of the country home to some 85 million people.

The dead included nine in the state of Tennessee, four in neighbouring Arkansas, and four in Illinois. Other deaths were reported in the states of Indiana, Alabama and Mississippi.

In Arkansas, Governor Sarah Huckabee Sanders declared a state of emergency and activated 100 members of the National Guard to help local authorities respond.

Four of the deaths in Arkansas were reported in the town of Wynne, a community of about 8,000 people. Stunned residents of the town woke on Saturday to find the high school's roof shredded and its windows blown out. Huge trees lay on the ground, their stumps reduced to nubs. Broken walls, windows and roofs pocked homes and businesses.

Debris and memories of regular life lay scattered inside the shells of homes and on lawns: clothing, insulation, roofing paper, toys, splintered furniture, a pick-up truck with its windows shattered.

Ashley Macmillan told The Associated Press news agency that she, her husband and their children huddled with their dogs in a small bathroom as a tornado passed, "praying and saying goodbye to each other, because we thought we were dead". A falling tree seriously damaged their home, but no one in the family was hurt.

"We could feel the house shaking, we could hear loud noises, dishes rattling. And then it just got calm," she said.

Recovery was already under way, with workers using chainsaws to cut fallen trees and bulldozers moving material from shattered structures. Utility trucks worked to restore power.

In the Little Rock area in Arkansas, at least one person was killed and more than two dozen were hurt, some critically, authorities said.

Little Rock Mayor Frank Scott said that 2,100 homes and businesses were in the tornado's path, but that no assessment had been done on how many were damaged.

Don Nichols, manager of a piano business in Little Rock, said he took cover under the stairs of his store when the tornado hit.

"We only had a little damage to our store. Just a window was blown out and the ceiling tiles dropped," he told Al Jazeera. "But the restaurant next door to us is closed. The walls were literally pulled out."

In Tennessee, at least seven people died in McNairy County, east of the city of Memphis, along the Mississippi border, said David Leckner, the mayor of Adamsville.

"The majority of the damage has been done to homes and residential areas," Leckner said, adding that although it appeared all people had been accounted for, crews were going door to door to be sure.



Arrow Down

Four die in northern Norway avalanches

Boats from the Norwegian Sea Rescue Society were among those to help in the rescue.
© Redningsselskapet.
Boats from the Norwegian Sea Rescue Society were among those to help in the rescue.
At least four people are known to have died in a series of avalanches at the beginning of Norway's Easter vacation. Authorities are now warning people to stay away.

Following heavy snowfall in recent weeks, a series of avalanches took place in the Troms region of Norway on Friday.

Four the avalanches were considered serious with four people known to have died.

Two people died when an avalanche hit a house on Reinøya, one person from a group of five hikers died in the avalanche in Lyngen, and another person died in the avalanche in Nordreisa.

Boats from Redningsselskapet (Norwegian Sea Rescue Society), other small boats and even a Hurtigruten vessel aided in the search and rescue attempts.


Cloud Precipitation

Heavy rains, flooding destroy homes in Peru

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Peru's northern regions have been hard hit by heavy rains and subsequent floods, leaving streets underwater and causing houses to collapse. Piura resident Brigith Ramirez told local media on Thursday (March 30) she and her two children have been homeless for seven days.


Snowflake

Alta Ski Area in Utah surpasses 800 inches of snowfall this season for first time in recorded history

Alta Ski Area snow report.

Alta Ski Area snow report.
On March 24th, Alta Ski Area broke its all-time season snowfall record of 748″ set in the winter of 1981-82.

Today, after getting 19″ of new snow overnight, the legendary Utah ski area has surpassed 800″ of total season snowfall for the first time in its history.

Wow.

Alta is currently sitting at 801″ with a 226″ base.


Snowflake

Snowbasin resort in Utah has snowiest month on record

March has been Snowbasin’s snowiest month on record with 200” of snowfall.

March has been Snowbasin’s snowiest month on record with 200” of snowfall.
Snowbasin, UT, is soaring past more records thanks to Snowmageddon. With 26 inches falling in the last 48 hours, the Utah resort has received 200 inches in March alone, making this the snowiest month on record. The previous record was 191 inches in December of 1983.

It's not lightening up either, with snow still falling today and an additional 30 inches to come over the next five days.

Snowbasin has received an incredible total of 532 inches of snowfall this season.


Snowbasin will host the annual Snowbasin Spring Showdown this weekend, so grab your snorkel and skis and come make the most of this endless winter! Please remember that the resort is dealing with a massive amount of snow, more than they have ever seen before. Please be patient as staff is busy uncovering signs, digging out lifts, and plowing lots to ensure your safety and make sure you get to enjoy the mountain.


Snowflake

Snowiest March ever recorded for Lake Tahoe area in California - also 3rd snowiest month ever

As of today, March 30th, the Lake Tahoe area has 715″ of total snowfall this season, making it the second snowiest winter in Tahoe’s recorded history.
© Scott Gaffney IG
As of today, March 30th, the Lake Tahoe area has 715″ of total snowfall this season, making it the second snowiest winter in Tahoe’s recorded history.
According to the UC Berkeley Central Snow Laboratory at 6,900′ on Donner Pass, CA, which has been keeping precise snowfall records since 1946, March 2023 is the snowiest March in recorded history for the Lake Tahoe area.

The UCB Snow Lab has recorded 220″ of snowfall this March.
"This just became the snowiest March ever recorded in Tahoe! The Central Sierra Snow Lab has recorded 220" of snow so far this month.

This is also Tahoe's third snowiest month ever, behind only January 2017 and February 2019. The record for Tahoe's biggest winter is only 97 inches away.... will April bring more snow?"

- Tahoe Fund

Snowflake

California hit with heavy rain, snow from 13th atmospheric river of the season

A person walks near snowbanks obscuring condominiums as snow falls in the Sierra Nevada mountains from yet another storm system which is predicted to bring heavy snow to higher elevations on March 28, 2023, in Mammoth Lakes, Calif
© Mario Tama
A person walks near snowbanks obscuring condominiums as snow falls in the Sierra Nevada mountains from yet another storm system which is predicted to bring heavy snow to higher elevations on March 28, 2023, in Mammoth Lakes, Calif
California is experiencing more heavy rain and snow this week as another powerful storm front hits the state. While the nonstop parade of storms has helped alleviate California's drought crisis, it has also caused major flooding and damage. Jonathon Vigliotti has the latest.


Arrow Down

Alabama bridge collapses after heavy rain and flooding

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A portion of County Road 98 in LaFayette, Alabama, was closed after a bridge collapsed into Chatahospee Creek following heavy rain and flooding in the area on March 27.

Myles Welch recorded this video, and told Storyful he and his father were driving around looking at flood damage when they noticed the sign for the bridge had fallen off.

"So we stopped and got out. That's when we saw the ground was gone under the road," he said. "Then the pavement started cracking and that's when I started videoing the road."

In the video, someone can be heard saying "there it goes" as the last piece of road connecting the bridge falls into the muddy water.

The Chambers County Commission issued an "impassable travel advisory" on March 27, advising the public that all roads and bridges "should be considered impassable until further notice." The advisory was later lifted, but a dozen roads remained closed, including a section of County Road 98. Credit: Myles Welch via Storyful


Tornado2

200-foot tornado filmed in Chhattisgarh, India

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This is the shocking moment steel plant workers had to flee a 200-foot tornado. Onlookers were forced to clear a path as the tornado, filmed in Bhilai Steel Plant, in Chhattisgarh, India, headed towards them.

One man had to stop filming as it edged closer - while others audibly panicked. Chhattisgarh had been experiencing temperatures of up to 40 degrees Celsius - which is thought to have brought the small tornado on. Luckily, it died down quickly and no-one was injured.

Scientist HP Chandra, of Raipur Meteorological Department - who filmed the video - believes the tornado was still "powerful" enough to pull "a car" towards it. The incident is reported to have happened on March 29, 2023.