Earth ChangesS

Cloud Lightning

Midwest Flooding Death Toll Reaches 22

GAYS MILLS, Wis. - Water-weary residents across the Midwest began counting their losses Tuesday as damage estimates from this weekend's deadly flash floods climbed into the tens of millions. The rain moved into Ohio, where roads flooded, schools canceled classes and residents were rescued from flooded homes by boats.

Cloud Lightning

Tens of thousands homeless in Myammar floods

ATHOK, Myanmar - Tens of thousands of people have been made homeless in Myanmar's Ayeyawaddy River delta after unusually heavy rains triggered floods in this low-lying region, local officials said Monday.

State media in military-ruled Myanmar have made little mention of the floods, but local officials and residents said that at least 18 villages are under water.

About 10,000 homes have been hit by the floods, according to local officials and residents.

Cloud Lightning

Dean was 3rd-most intense hurricane to make landfall

Hurricane Dean was the third-most intense Atlantic hurricane to make landfall since record keeping began in the 1850s, based on its central atmospheric pressure, forecasters said.

The pressure in a hurricane's eye is often used to compare storms throughout history because in the past, wind gauges were often damaged or destroyed by powerful hurricanes. Now, technology exists to more accurately measure winds, said Jamie Rhome, a hurricane specialist with the National Hurricane Center.

Arrow Down

Arctic Ice at All-Time Low

There is less sea ice in the Arctic than ever before recorded, thanks in part to a warm, sunny summer, a climate scientist said today. And the melting season isn't even over.

On Sunday the sea ice extent was measured at 1.93 million square miles (5.01 million square kilometers).

"It's continuing to go down at a rapid pace," said Mark Serreze, a senior scientist at the National Snow and Ice Data Center in Boulder, Colorado.

The previous minimum record - set on September 21, 2005 - was 2.05 million square miles (5.32 million square kilometers).

Cloud Lightning

Ohio: Storms bring evacuations, warnings, lightning, cancellation

Thunderstorms that hit Ohio on Monday brought flooding, tornado warnings and lightning that apparently struck a 911 center in northwest Ohio.

The 911 center in Defiance County lost use of the equipment that automatically locates where calls are originating. No problems were reported due to the loss of the equipment.

Low-lying roads throughout northwest Ohio were closed because of flooding, including state routes in Defiance, Fulton and Seneca counties.

Toledo officials said some areas received as much as 4 to 5 inches of rain since Saturday.

Cloud Lightning

UK: Kent storms lead to major disruption

Overnight storms led to flooding in Kent, road closures, and major railway disruption for commuters during the morning rush hour.

Kent fire crews received more than 70 calls after the floods. In Canterbury, the council delivered sandbags to 30 homes and pumped water from a car park.



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Kent fire crews received more than 70 calls after the downpours


Southeastern railway services were hit by cancellations after lightning hit a signal box in the Folkestone area.

And roads were closed in Dover, Hawkinge, and Alkham, Kent Police said.

Cloud Lightning

New Jersey: Lightning kills matron of honor before wedding

A woman who was to serve as the matron of honor at her best friend's wedding was struck by lightning and killed during the rehearsal dinner on the eve of the ceremony.

Cindy Osler, 45, had gone outside the restaurant with the best man Friday night to check their car windows when she was hit by a bolt of lightning in this central New Jersey town.

Evil Rays

Quake rocks Atlantic Ocean, north of Brazilian coast - USGS

A 6.6 magnitude earthquake struck hundreds of kilometers off the northern Brazilian coast on Monday in the Atlantic Ocean, the US Geological Survey said.

The quake was located 1,455 kilometers north of Belem, in northern Brazil, at a depth of 10 kilometers, the USGS said in a statement.

Cloud Lightning

Storm warnings issued in regions of Russia's Far East

Authorities in the regions of Russia's Far East have issued storm warnings and placed emergency and rescue forces on alert.

Showers with gale blowing at 18 meters per second to 23 meters per second are expected Tuesday and Wednesday in the Khabarovsk territory, the Jewish autonomous region, the constituent republic of Yakutia-Sakha and the Sakhalin region.

Bizarro Earth

8,200-year-old cooling is analyzed

Canadian scientists studying ice core records are questioning current theories about the rapid cooling of the Northern Hemisphere 8,200 years ago.

Comment: This new information on an earlier date of 8,500-8,350 years ago now fits more in line with the 4,200 year cycle mentioned in the SOTT article on climate cycles.