Storms
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Cloud Lightning

Thirteen Dead in Vietnam Rockslide

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© AFP/Vietnam News AgencyA victim is seen buried in rubble after a rockslide at a stone quarry in Yen Thanh district, north-central province of Nghe An, Vietnam, on April 1. At least 13 people were killed and several others trapped beneath large boulders after the rockslide.
At least 13 people were killed and several others trapped beneath large boulders after a rockslide at a quarry in Vietnam, an official said Friday.

Troops were helping the rescue efforts but the chances of survival for the five missing "is very low," said Ho Duc Phuoc, chairman of the provincial People's Committee, the local government.

"The search is very difficult because there are several huge rocks and we have had to mobilise soldiers to help," Phuoc said.

The accident happened when hundreds of tonnes of rock fell onto workers at Len Co quarry in Nghe An province, north central Vietnam, a district policeman told AFP, refusing to be named.

"Continuous rains over the past few days might have been the reason for the rockslide," he said, adding that hundreds of rescuers had joined the search for the remaining victims.

Cloud Lightning

US: Tornadoes, Storms Bruise Tampa Bay Area

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About 40 planes were damaged at Lakeland Linder Regional Airport.
Small planes in St. Petersburg and Lakeland were flipped and scattered like toys.

Trucks toppled over on roads, and cargo containers at the Port of Tampa fell like a child's set of wooden blocks.

Somehow, a large trampoline from a Riverview home went airborne, snagging on a tree branch and hanging there like a holiday ornament.

Everyone knew about Thursday's forecast: A swath of thunderstorms was bearing down on the Tampa Bay area and the threat of tornadoes would hover over the region for most of the day.

No one expected this.

"I was rattled out of my brains," said Karen Scheidt, who saw sycamores and oaks snap near her Temple Terrace home. "I'm all jiggly all over still."

Damage from Thursday's massive storm was spread over a wide region. No county in West Central Florida was spared from flooding, road closures, downed electrical lines, wind damage and power outages. Dozens of homes and businesses were seriously damaged, particularly along Interbay Boulevard in South Tampa and in a small neighborhood in Progress Village.

Cloud Lightning

US: Winds, floods damage homes

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Dozens of homes were damaged Tuesday and Wednesday following a severe weather system that blasted across the central part of the Mississippi and by Thursday afternoon, residents in central Florida were also picking up the pieces of severe weather there as well.

According the the Mississippi Emergency Management Agency, one Simpson County home was destroyed and at least 40 others were damaged by severe winds. In addition, at least eight homes were flooded in Scott County.

A meteorologist with the National Weather Service said winds of 110 miles per hour were reported near Old Pearl in Simpson County

Cloud Lightning

25 dead in Thai floods; rains finally ease

thai floods
© Associated PressA Buddhist monk paddles through a flooded temple
Bangkok- Heavy rains have finally eased in southern Thailand, where flooding and mudslides over the past week killed 25 people.

Flood relief center official Vittayen Muttamara warned Friday that residents in hillside areas must remain alert, because the flood runoff from the mountains could still inundate villages.

The government disaster agency says nearly 1 million people in eight southern provinces have been affected by the floods.

Vittayen said access to some villages by land was still difficult because of damage to roads and bridges, but rescue workers were able to reach them by helicopter. The state news agency TNA quoted Education Minister Chinnaworn Boonyakiat saying more than 1,246 schools suffered damage.

Cloud Lightning

Wintry Storm Aims April Fool's Day Punch at U.S. Northeast

A winter storm watch has been issued for eastern New York, parts of northern New Jersey and most of New England, where much as 12 inches of snow may fall by week's end, according to the National Weather Service.

The system will be the second to move through the area this week, said Lauren Nash, a weather service meteorologist in Upton, New York. The first will arrive tonight and may bring light snow to areas north of New York City, she said.

Info

Spring storm batters New Orleans area

A powerful spring storm packing hail, heavy rain and strong winds caused extensive damage just south of New Orleans, Tuesday evening, authorities said.

Maj. John Marie with the Plaquemines Parish Sheriff's department said the heaviest damage was reported between Harvey and Belle Chasse. The Belle Chasse Ferry recorded 100-mph winds around 7:30 p.m. (8:30 p.m. ET), he said.

Igloo

US: Near-record Sierra snow good news to parched California

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© unknown
Chris Rivest's father sent him from San Francisco to the family vacation cabin near the Sierra Nevada crest with a seemingly simple chore - clear it and the driveway of snow.

Easy for him to say. When Rivest arrived earlier this week at the cabin near Soda Springs, about 90 miles northeast of Sacramento, the snow was so deep it nearly touched the power lines crossing in front of the cabin. Snow was piled at least 10 feet high on top of the deck of the A-frame home.

"My dad wants me to clear the deck," the ponytailed 21-year-old said Monday, as he labored to clear the driveway with a snow blower. "How do I even begin to do that? Where would I put the snow? This is absurd."

Absurdly deep is how Sierra residents and travelers might describe this season's snowfall, which is setting records at some ski resorts and nearing records at official gauging stations.

The last round of storms that blew across much of the 400-mile-long range during the weekend added several feet to what has become a snowpack of historic proportions, and one that promises an end to California's lingering drought.

After state water officials release the results of their latest snow survey Wednesday afternoon, Gov. Jerry Brown is expected to officially declare the drought over, said Evan Westrup, a spokesman for the governor's office. Former Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger declared a statewide drought in June 2008 and a state of emergency because of low water levels in February 2009.

Cloud Lightning

US: Heavy rains have California farmers more concerned

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© Maggie Creamer/News-SentinelTom Gotelli, plant manager with O-G Packing, holds cherry blossoms in an orchard Friday, March 25, 2011. With the rain and wind during the past weeks, Gotelli is worried bees will not pollinate some of the blossoms and other plants could suffer from blossom rot.
In the past week, Lodi has received three times more rain than normal, causing everyone to pull out their rain coats and farmers to worry about how some of their crops are faring.

From March 18 through 4 p.m. Friday, the Stockton area received 1.8 inches of rain, said John Feerick, a senior meteorologist at AccuWeather.com, a private forecasting service. The average precipitation for that week is usually 0.55 inches.

According to News-Sentinel records, Lodi received even more rain - 3.30 inches during that time period.

Below is a summary of how this is affecting the Lodi area.

Umbrella

US: Huntsville area due day-long rain and possible severe weather

Alabama - It's a good day to clean the closets, watch basketball or shop for a new raincoat, because the wet stuff will fall all day.

It'll fall tonight, too, if that affects your plans.

Having a radio, TV or smart phone nearby is also a good idea, because the National Weather Service says high winds, hail and even tornadoes are possible this afternoon.

The dangerous weather isn't a sure thing, meteorologist Dan Dixon said Friday, but prolonged rain is certain. Look for 1 to 2 inches in most areas and more in some places before the rain ends overnight or early Sunday morning.

"We're not looking for widespread flooding," Dixon said, "but could see some nuisance flooding." Translation: If the road near your house floods when it pours, it may flood today. Be prepared.

Bizarro Earth

Tsunami of Sand Tortures Kuwait

Sandstorm
© Yasser Iqbal AhmedA wall of dust seen rising in the distance before it hit Mangaf coastal area Friday evening.
Kuwait City: A menacing black dust storm hit the country at a speed of over 50 kms per hour Friday evening, plunging the country into complete darkness before sunset. The storm reduced visibility to almost zero in some areas of the country and disrupted mobile phone services for almost 30 minutes as panicked citizens and residents tried to call to check the safety of their loved ones.

The Operations Room of the Interior Ministry received more than 200 calls for assistance; the most urgent among them was from a boat stranded in mid-sea. Nearly 100 female students were onboard and were on their way to Failaka Island when the storm came threatening. Security forces and Coast Guard members sprung into action and managed to bring the boat safely to shore.

To add to all the panic, rumors about an enormous fire near the beach spread like wild fire and subsided only when it became evident that the black cloud was a dust blanket and not smoke from a fire.

The dust storm first entered Jahra and moved towards the Capital area and then to the rest of the areas. Meteorologist at the Weather Forecast Department of the Directorate-General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) Issa Ramadan said northwesterly winds blowing at a speed of more than 50 kms per hour caused the dust storm. He and astronomer Saleh Al-Ojairi confirmed that there was almost zero visibility in some areas of the country.