Storms
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Cloud Lightning

Rainstorms in China kill 25 in less than a week


The Associated Press
Tue, 05 Jul 2011 23:31 UTC
Chinese state media say heavy rains across the country have killed at least 25 people in less than a week.

The deaths add to more than 260 people who were killed or left missing last month from seasonal floods in eastern and southern China.

The official Xinhua News Agency reported Wednesday that seven people have died in Sichuan province since new downpours started last Thursday. They included a villager who was killed Tuesday when a wall collapsed while he was removing water from his yard.

It cited rescuers in northwest Shaanxi province as saying a rain-triggered landslide there killed 18 people on Tuesday.
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Cloud Lightning

US; Shoshone floods campgrounds while storms damage radio towers

Martin Kidston
Billings Gazette.
Wed, 06 Jul 2011 16:54 UTC
Image
© Martin Kidston/Gazette StaffPortions of Wapiti Campground and others in the North Fork drainage west of Cody remain closed due to flooding of the Shoshone River.

Wapiti, Wyoming - High winds and lightning knocked out two U.S. Forest Service communication towers and flooding along the Shoshone River prompted the agency to close several campgrounds over the weekend.

Wapiti District Ranger Terry Root of the Shoshone National Forest said the campground closures will last another week, as the Shoshone River continues to flood low-lying areas within the drainage.

"We still have numerous camping sites in Wapiti Campground closed because the sites flood at night," said Root. "We had to close Big Game Campground over the weekend, too. The water is flowing through our horse pasture and into the campground."
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People

Rains to cut Ukraine wheat harvest, USDA says

Caroline Henshaw
Dow Jones Newswires
Wed, 06 Jul 2011 15:49 UTC
Image
© Unknown
London--Ukraine could lose up to 30% of its grain in some regions as heavy rain hammers crops just as the harvest gets underway, according to a report by the U.S. Department of Agriculture Wednesday.

A powerful cyclone--abnormal for this time of year--has hit the center of the country, with some parts receiving 150 millimeters of rain in four days, compared to a monthly average of 80 millimeters, according to Hydrometcenter.

Some industry analysts project a 10% decline and some say the losses may reach 20%-30% in the affected regions if heavy rains continue for another week, as forecasters expect, said the USDA.

"Rains in Ukraine that lasted for over a week in the last part of June will definitely have a negative impact on the production of major winter crops, including wheat and barley," it said in the report.
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Bizarro Earth

US: Apocalyptic Time-Lapse Video of Massive Phoenix Dust Storm

Nancy Atkinson
Universe Today
Wed, 06 Jul 2011 14:16 UTC

The Phoenix Haboob of July 5th, 2011 from Mike Olbinski on Vimeo.

This isn't space and astronomy-related, but this video of the massive dust storm that swept through the Phoenix area yesterday is just amazing, if not apocalyptic! Mike Olbinski, a photographer from the area shot this timelapse, and on his website says, "There are really not many words to describe this dust storm, or what we call it here (and they also do in places like the Sahara Desert)...a haboob. This was a haboob of a lifetime. I've lived in Phoenix for my entire 35 years of existence and have never seen anything like this before. It was incredible."

Olbinski stood on the top of a 4-story parking garage and said people everywhere were snapping photos and video, "like madmen."

Olbinski says he wishes he could have shot five more seconds of video, but the dust was so thick, daytime turned into night instantaneously. He also has an amazing black & white photo of the event posted on his website.
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Bell

Shaanxi Landslide Kills 18 People

Mo Hong'e
Xinhua
Wed, 06 Jul 2011 09:55 UTC

Beijing - The death toll has risen to 18 from a rain-triggered landslide in northwestern China's Shaan-xi Province.

400 rescuers have completed a search mission and pulled out 20 people from the debris.The landslide had a volume of 5-thousand-cubic-meters and engulfed 12 houses when it hit an area near a major highway in Lue-yang County. Authorities have cleared the road and transportation is expected to resume on Wednesday morning.

More heavy rains are expected to hit the southern part of Shaan-xi, according to weather forecasters. Local authorities are on high alert and are evacuating people living in low-lying areas.
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Bizarro Earth

Washington, US: Landslide Cuts Power, Hits Central Avenue in Kent


Seattle Times
Wed, 06 Jul 2011 03:55 UTC
Crews in Kent were clearing the remains of an overnight landslide that brought down trees and shut down a section of busy Central Avenue South, near East Titus Street.

A landslide in July is a little strange, even in the Puget Sound area.

City crews in Kent were clearing the remains of an overnight slide that brought down trees and shut down a section of busy Central Avenue South, near East Titus Street.

Power to about 1,400 Puget Sound Energy customers was temporarily knocked out Tuesday night but had been restored by early Wednesday.

A spokeswoman for the city said officials don't know what caused the mudslide.
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Alarm Clock

Laos: PanAust Says Contract Worker Swept Away in Phu Kham Landslide

Esmarie Swanepoel
Miningweekly.com
Wed, 06 Jul 2011 13:10 UTC
Perth− Gold miner PanAust said on Tuesday a contract worker in Laos was likely killed after heavy rain swept through its Phu Kham operations.

The excavator operator was working on an off-site road clearance when his excavator was swept away in a landslide, the company said.

The Phu Kham gold operations and the surrounding area received significant rainfall from tropical storm Haima between June 24 and June 26, which caused widespread flooding and infrastructure damage across the region, and resulted in the loss of two days of concentrate production.

Further heavy rains also occurred on July 2 and 3, which caused concentrate production to be suspended yet again, and caused further damage to road infrastructure in the region.

Concentrate production resumed on July 4.
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Bizarro Earth

Philippines: 6 Dead, 4 Injured in Northern Mindanao Landslide, Flashfloods

Elaine O. Ratunil
PIA
Wed, 06 Jul 2011 00:00 UTC
Cayagan De Oro City, Misamis Oriental - At least six persons were killed due to flashfloods and landslides that occurred in separate areas in Northern Mindanao caused by the continuous heavy rains, last weekend.

Reports reaching the Regional Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (RDRRMC) said two children were buried alive while playing in the vicinity of Purok 11, Barangay Tongantongan, Valencia City, at about 8:00 a.m. of July 4.

Their parents who were in the city some 20 km. from their homes only knew about their plight when they came home in the afternoon. Immediately, the bodies of the victims: Joy Culamar, 7 yrs. Old, female and Roque Santillan, 6 yr. old, male, were retrieved by their respective families and relatives.

At about 8:45a.m., the same day, another landslide occurred in Sitio Hangaron, Lumbayao, also of Valencia City, more than 20 km. from Tongantongan, Director Carmelito A. Lupo of the Office of Civil Defense (OCD) and Chairperson of the RDRRMC-10, said.
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Alarm Clock

India: Gangortri-Rishikesh highway closed due to landslide


IBNlive.in.com
Wed, 06 Jul 2011 12:24 UTC
Dehradun - Many people were stranded at Gangortri-Rishikesh highway as landslides triggered by heavy rain blocked vehicular traffic at Narendranagar in Tehri district of Uttarakhand. The workers were pressed to clear the landslides at Narendranagar where hundreds of vehicles were waiting for the clearance of the road, an official of disaster management department said.
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Cloud Lightning

US: Heavy rains wash out roads in western Nebraska, officials say it could take a week to repair


Associated Press
Wed, 06 Jul 2011 12:03 UTC
Image
© Unknown
Scottsbluff, Nebraska - It may take up to a week to repair some roads in western Nebraska that were damaged by torrential rain and large hail.

Officials say the area of western Nebraska was hit by severe weather Saturday, with hail nearly 2-inches in diameter damaging vehicles and siding on homes and other buildings.

Scotts Bluff County Director of Public Works Bob Bennett tells KNEB in Scottsbluff it will take a week to get some roads in his county back in shape. Some roads in the western part of the county remained closed Tuesday.

Lyman city officials say high winds knocked down some trees and basements were flooded by the heavy rain. Several roads in Banner County also were flooded and a number of roads were washed out near Torrington in Goshen County.
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