Earth ChangesS


Tsunami

Landslides, floods strike West Java, Indonesia - 10 killed, 2 missing (UPDATE)

Ahmad Fikri
Tempo.co
Fri, 06 Dec 2024 13:35 UTC
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© BPBD Sukabumi RegencyFlood and landslide conditions in Sukabumi Regency, West Java, Wednesday (4/12).
The recent floods and landslides in Sukabumi Regency, West Java, have resulted in a loss of life and infrastructure damage. Acting Governor of West Java, Bey Machmudin, confirmed that three people died and four remain missing in the aftermath of these events.

"Three people died, four people are still unaccounted for," Bey stated in a video recording released by the West Java Provincial Public Relations Department on Thursday, December 5, 2024.

Bey visited the affected areas, including Sukamaju Village in Cikembar District, where he witnessed firsthand the devastating impact of the landslides. "Earlier, we held a coordination meeting inside," he said, emphasizing the immediate need for rescue and recovery efforts.

The primary focus, according to him, is to evacuate affected residents and restore critical infrastructure, particularly roads that have been cut off by landslides. "The first focus is on evacuating residents, and the second focus is on transportation cut off by landslides. Several roads and bridges are also cut off. These are the main focus for now," he said, noting that repairing these damaged roads could take up to 1.5 months.

He attributed the severe flooding and landslides to heavy rainfall, which has exceeded typical levels for this time of year. "The peak of this rainy season was predicted, but this year it is earlier than usual, and we have asked for more intense reminders about high-intensity rainfall which is expected to peak in January, so the safety of residents is the top priority," he emphasized.


Comment: Update December 10

Al Jazeera reports:
Indonesian rescuers have recovered 10 bodies that were swept away in flash floods that hit hilly villages on the country's main island of Java, officials said, adding that two people were still missing.

Torrential rains since last week caused rivers to burst their banks, tearing through more than 170 villages in the Sukabumi district of West Java province, as mud, rocks and trees tumbled down mountainside hamlets, Lieutenant Colonel Yudi Hariyanto, who heads a rescue command post in Sukabumi, said on Monday.

Landslides, flash floods and strong winds devastated 172 villages and forced more than 3,000 people to flee to temporary government shelters, Hariyanto said. Authorities have warned nearly 1,000 people to evacuate as more than 400 houses are threatened by extreme weather.

The disasters also destroyed 31 bridges, 81 roads and 539 hectares (1,332 acres) of rice fields, while 1,170 houses were flooded up to the roof.

Extreme weather has also damaged more than 3,300 other houses and buildings, the local disaster management agency said.

On Monday, rescue workers pulled out 10 bodies in the worst-hit villages of Tegalbuleud, Simpenan and Ciemas, including three children, and rescuers are searching for two villagers who are reportedly still missing, Hariyanto said.


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Cloud Precipitation

Severe hailstorm leaves thick icy covering in Dubrovnik, Croatia - huge waterspout also seen offshore

Mark Thomas
The Dubrovnik Times
Wed, 11 Dec 2024 12:33 UTC
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Dubrovnik experienced an unexpected weather twist today as heavy rain gave way to a hailstorm, transforming parts of the city into a wintry scene. The iconic Stradun, usually bustling with visitors, resembled a snow-covered street straight out of Norway, evoking images of a white Christmas.

The unusual icy spectacle didn't last long, as city workers quickly cleared the hail, restoring the Stradun to its familiar state. While brief, the event was a vivid reminder of how unpredictable weather in Dubrovnik can be, even in December.


Comment: From the same source a day later:
Yesterday was truly a freaky day for weather in Dubrovnik, from a hail storm to torrential rain and even a waterspout over the Adriatic. Today is very much the calm after the storm with blue skies and plenty of sunshine. The forecast for the next seven days looks like being much more settled, apart from Saturday when rain is predicted, with temperatures rising to between 15 and 16 degrees.

Check out this video that a reader sent us of the huge waterspout over the Adriatic near Dubrovnik.



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Doberman

Woman killed in American Bulldog attack in Aberdeen, Scotland


BBC
Mon, 09 Dec 2024 12:22 UTC
Locals said the fatal attack came just six months after Bailey was reported to the city's dog warden and the police after it targeted a collie in the street. Pictured: Michelle walking Bailey close to her home a few months before the tragedy
Locals said the fatal attack came just six months after Bailey was reported to the city's dog warden and the police after it targeted a collie in the street. Pictured: Michelle walking Bailey close to her home a few months before the tragedy
A woman has been killed in a dog attack at a flat in Aberdeen.

Michelle McLeod, 41, died at the scene after emergency services attended the incident in the city's Foresterhill Road on Saturday night.

Police said that the dog - which it is understood was registered as an American Bulldog - had since been destroyed.

Ms McLeod's family in a statement: "She was a much-loved mother, daughter and friend to many and will be sorely missed by all who knew her".

Police Scotland said inquiries into the incident were ongoing.
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Volcano

Mount Kanlaon volcano eruption sends villagers fleeing for safety as homes are blanketed in ash in the Philippines


wfla.com
Mon, 09 Dec 2024 11:47 UTC
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A plume of hot ash and gases up to 3 kilometers (1.8 miles) high forced residents to seek shelter after a volcano in the Philippines erupted on Monday.

There were no immediate reports of casualties in the latest explosion of Mount Kanlaon, on central Negros island, but authorities shut schools and imposed a nighttime curfew after ash falling in several villages clouded the the visibility of motorists and sparked health concerns.

"It sounded like a cannon," Mayor Jose Chubasco Cardenas of Canlaon city, which lies southeast of the volcano, told The Associated Press by telephone. "There have been quiet eruptions before, but this was one very loud."

Disaster-response officials raised the danger level around Kanlaon due to "a greater risk of hazardous volcanic activity" and ordered villagers within a 6-kilometer (3.7-mile) radius of the crater to be evacuated.

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Doberman

Family dogs attack, kill 5-year-old girl in back yard of home in Covina, California


abc13.com
Mon, 09 Dec 2024 11:35 UTC
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A 5-year-old girl is dead after she was attacked by her family dogs at her home in California on Sunday, authorities say.

Los Angeles County Sheriff's deputies were called to a home in a gated community in the 2500 block of Palomino Drive in Covina around noon on Sunday.

They discovered that a 5-year-old girl had been attacked by the two family dogs in the backyard of the home.

Los Angeles County Fire paramedics brought the girl to a local hospital, where she was pronounced dead at 1:23 p.m.

Investigators say the dogs responsible for the attack are a 10-year-old Rottweiler and a 6-year-old Rottweiler mix. Two other dogs live at the home - and all four pets were removed.

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Seismograph

Series of 3 strong earthquakes hits near Alaska's Adak Island on December 8 - two of magnitude 6.3, the other of 6.2


BNO News
Wed, 11 Dec 2024 22:42 UTC
The epicenter of Sunday's earthquakes
The epicenter of Sunday's earthquakes
A series of strong earthquakes - the strongest two measuring 6.3 - has struck the North Pacific Ocean near Alaska's Adak Island, seismologists say. No tsunami warnings were issued and there were no immediate reports of damage.

The first earthquake happened at 9:57 a.m. local time on Sunday when a 6.3-magnitude earthquake struck about 70 miles (113 km) southwest of Adak Island, which is part of the Andreanof Islands group of the Aleutian Islands.

Adak Island, with a population of about 300 people, is nearly 1,200 miles southwest of Anchorage.

After several aftershocks, a second 6.3-magnitude earthquake hit the same area at 3:15 p.m. local time. This was followed by another series of aftershocks, including a 6.1 at 3:38 p.m., according to the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS).
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Seismograph

6.0 magnitude earthquake Kuril Islands on December 8


Earthquake Track
Sun, 08 Dec 2024 22:28 UTC
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6.0 magnitude earthquake 342 km from Severo-Kuril'sk, Sakhalin, Russia

UTC time: Sunday, December 08, 2024 10:24 AM
Your time: Sunday, December 8, 2024 at 10:24 AM GMT
Magnitude Type: mww
USGS page: M 6.0 - Kuril Islands
USGS status: Reviewed by a seismologist
Reports from the public: 2 people
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Seismograph

6.0 magnitude earthquake southern Mid-Atlantic Ridge on December 7


Earthquake Track
Wed, 11 Dec 2024 22:14 UTC
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6.0 magnitude earthquake

UTC time: Saturday, December 07, 2024 17:31 PM
Your time: Saturday, December 7, 2024 at 5:31 PM GMT
Magnitude Type: mww
USGS page: M 6.0 - southern Mid-Atlantic Ridge
USGS status: Reviewed by a seismologist
Reports from the public: 0 people
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Binoculars

Rare Ivory Gull from the high Arctic turns up in Poland on November 23, subsequently found dead


Birdguides.com
Fri, 06 Dec 2024 21:24 UTC
Ivory Gull, Władysławowo, Pomerania
© Zbigniew KajzerIvory Gull, Władysławowo, Pomerania
Poland's second-ever Ivory Gull has been found dead at a coastal town in the north of the country.

The bird, an adult, was found at Władysławowo, Pomerania, on 23 November. It frequented the town harbour, offering point-blank views and attracting plenty of admirers in the process.

However, after the bird was last seen alive on 29 November, it was discovered dead the following day.

Ivory Gull breeds in the High Arctic and has a circumpolar distribution through Greenland, northernmost North America and Eurasia. It is a rare but regular vagrant to Continental Europe. The only previous Polish record was at Rewa, Pomorskie, on 29 September 1989.

Britain's most recent record came in January 2019, when a bird at Loch Ryan, Dumfries and Galloway, was taken into care before being released at Stevenson Point, Ayrshire.

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Attention

Man severely injured in polar bear attack while defending wife in Ontario

Natalie Neysa Alund
USA TODAY
Thu, 05 Dec 2024 13:09 UTC
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A man who jumped onto a polar bear to protect his wife from being mauled in Canada is recovering from serious injuries, local officials said this week.

Nishnawbe Aski Police Service officers responded to a home in a residential area of Ontario following reports of gunfire and, at the scene, said they located a dead polar bear.

Prior to arrival, the department announced in a news release, police also received reports of a possible bear sighting in the same area.

Arriving officers learned a husband and wife at the address left their home at 5 a.m. to look for their dogs.
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