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Brazil declares crop emergency bracing for a biblical plague of locusts


Sputnik International
Fri, 26 Jun 2020 10:14 UTC
Locusts
The invasion of insects has already devastated India, Pakistan, Africa and some parts of the Middle East, causing billions of dollars in damages. In Somalia locusts destroyed 500 acres of cropland and plunged one million people into a food crisis.

Brazil's Agriculture Ministry declared a crop emergency on Thursday as the country braces for a plague of locusts of biblical proportions. The move will help authorities to implement steps to suppress the invasion of voracious insects and take other emergency measures should the locusts reach the fertile southern states Rio Grande do Sul and Santa Catarina. However, the ministry noted that such a scenario is unlikely.

The swarm of locusts, which consists of 40 million insects, first hit Paraguay and then travelled to Argentina and is now 100 kilometres from Brazil's border. Argentina and Brazil are some of the largest producers of corn and soy. Officials in Buenos Aires say so far the crop-munching insects have not caused as much damage as they did in Pakistan and India (the latter saw 600,000 hectares of the crops destroyed). Officials say low temperatures prevent insects from moving and reproducing.

Comment: 450 billion locusts have been killed this year, but devastating swarms still ravage Africa, India and the Middle East

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Doberman

Two pit bulls kill 72-year-old owner in Mandeville, Louisiana


wafb.com
Fri, 26 Jun 2020 11:07 UTC
PIT BULL ATTACK
A 72-year-old woman was attacked by her two pit bulls on Thursday at her home near Mandeville. She died later from her injuries.

St. Tammany Parish Sheriff's Office responded to the call at around 2: 15 p.m. in the 600 block of Chereuil Street.

"This is very sad," Sheriff Randy Smith said. "My thoughts and prayers go out the victim's family and to the neighbor who was injured trying to help her. I also thank the deputies who responded and provided medical care in an effort to try and save this woman's life."

After neighbors reported the attack, police arrived on the scene, where the attack was still happening.
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Cloud Precipitation

Summer hailstorm blankets Colorado, creates "hail river"

Michael Mason
newcountry991.com
Fri, 26 Jun 2020 10:48 UTC
hail river
A summer hailstorm rolled through Colorado Friday (June 26) causing cars to slide off the road, flooding streets and creating a "river of hail."

A stormy Friday afternoon led to some amazing footage of a road flooding with hail in Castle Rock. The footage, caught by Stan Gilliland and shared by Denver 7 was right outside Gilliland's front door. The intense storm set off national weather alerts, caused damage and sent cars sliding off the road.

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Windsock

Saharan dust cloud cloaks U.S. Gulf Coast in choking haze

Jeff Berardelli
CBS News
Sat, 27 Jun 2020 10:11 UTC
HOUSTON DUST
What's been called the most significant dust cloud in 50 years has now shrouded the U.S. Gulf Coast in a thick, dusty haze. The dust layer, which originated in the Sahara desert and drifted across the Atlantic, is forecast to continue moving north and east through the weekend, impacting areas from Texas and Florida all the way up to as far north as the Canadian border.

For most people, the dust will merely be a nuisance, but for many who have breathing issues the extra particulates in the atmosphere can cause complications. The timing couldn't be much worse, considering that a recent Harvard study shows that long-term exposure to fine particles of pollution in the air, much like dust, may be linked to higher rates of hospitalization and death due to COVID-19.

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Health

Boy recovering from shark attack off Homestead, Florida


whsv.com
Thu, 25 Jun 2020 18:56 UTC
When 7-year-old Jacob was bitten by what his mother believes was a bull shark, he didn’t shed a tear, despite wounds that required 19 stitches.
© WSVN/CNN
When 7-year-old Jacob was bitten by what his mother believes was a bull shark, he didn’t shed a tear, despite wounds that required 19 stitches.
A 7-year-old Florida boy received 19 stitches after he was bitten in the leg by what his mother believes may have been a bull shark on a trip to the beach.

The 7-year-old, only identified as Jacob, sustained three wounds to his leg Monday after he says he went into the water at Homestead Bayfront Park in Homestead, Florida, and an animal bit him.

"All we saw was the blood coming down," said Jacob's mother, only identified as Ethel.

Ethel says when Jacob was attacked, he didn't shed a tear. Lifeguards quickly gave him medical attention, and he was then taken to the hospital, where he got 19 stitches.

"He was cool, calm and collect[ed]. I, on the other hand, was a mess," Ethel said.
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Attention

Rare Right Whale found dead off New Jersey coast


Maine Public
Fri, 26 Jun 2020 18:49 UTC
Federal authorities say the carcass of a critically endangered species of whale was found floating off the coast of New Jersey.

A dead North Atlantic right whale is seen off the coast of Long Island, New York in Sept. 2019.
© NY DEPARTMENT OF ENVIRONMENTAL CONSERVATION
A dead North Atlantic right whale is seen off the coast of Long Island, New York in Sept. 2019.
The whale was a North Atlantic right whale and it was found on Thursday.

The whales number only about 400, and have suffered high mortality and poor reproduction in recent years.

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration says the whale was found floating off the coast of Elberon, N.J.

The agency and the Marine Mammal Stranding Center are working on performing a necropsy of the animal to determine how it died.

Source: AP
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Question

Bearded seal from the Arctic is the Montreal area's latest unusual visitor

Katelyn Thomas
CTV News
Thu, 25 Jun 2020 18:25 UTC
A bearded seal is the latest marine mammal to be spotted in the St-Lawrence River

A bearded seal is the latest marine mammal to be spotted in the St-Lawrence River
Just a few weeks after the death of the stray humpback whale who enchanted Montrealers, a bearded seal has made its way to the area.

Originally from the arctic, the mammal was spotted Tuesday at the Bo-Bi-No marina in Laval, the city directly north of Montreal.

"We see them every year in Trois-Rivières but in Montreal, not for this species," said Marie-Ève Muller from the province's marine mammal research group (GREMM). "This is the first time."

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Tornado2

2 tornadoes hit East Baton Rouge, Louisiana


wbrz.com
Thu, 25 Jun 2020 18:12 UTC
The vehicle that went missing from a parking lot along One Calais Avenue was found in the middle of I-10 following severe storms Wednesday morning.

The vehicle that went missing from a parking lot along One Calais Avenue was found in the middle of I-10 following severe storms Wednesday morning.
The National Weather Service says two confirmed twisters touched down in East Baton Rouge Wednesday.

Along I-10 near Essen Lane, the National Weather Service found damage consistent with high end EF-1 with estimated winds at 110 mph. The path length is believed to have been 3.5 miles in length and 100 yards wide.

The most significant damage was in the vicinity of Ammon Staffing Building along I-10, where there was partial roof collapse and a vehicle tossed onto the interstate.

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Windsock

Sahara dust storm hits Torreón, Mexico

Infotainment
YouTube
Thu, 25 Jun 2020 12:16 UTC
dust storm
Sahara dust storm hits Torreón, Coahuila - Mexico, June 24, 2020.


Comment: Related: Most intense Saharan dust cloud in 50 years hits the Caribbean

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Boat

At least 5 killed by more floods in Abidjan, Cote D'Ivoire - 9 inches of rainfall in 5 hours


Floodlist
Fri, 26 Jun 2020 10:33 UTC
Floods in Abidjan District, Cote D’Ivoire, 25 June 2020.
© ONPC Cote D’Ivoire
Floods in Abidjan District, Cote D’Ivoire, 25 June 2020.
At least 5 people have died and one is missing after flash flooding in Abidjan District, Cote D'Ivoire (Ivory Coast), 25 June 2020 after 240mm of rain fell in a few hours. More heavy rain is forecast over the next 2 days.

Civil Protection said several roads have been cut and houses damaged. Images shared on Social Media showed upturned cars that had been dragged through streets and residents taking refuge on roofs or clinging to walls and trees.

Firefighters responded to several calls for assistance, mostly in the suburb of Cocody which was among the worst hit areas. Police reported they rescued or evacuated 36 people in several areas of the Abidjan district.

According to figures from the country's meteorological office SODEXAM, Cocody recorded 240.8 mm of rain and Abobo 146.4 in a period 24 to 25 June.

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