Storms
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US: Damaging Winds, Heavy Rain Pound Midwest, Move into Southeast

Dave Alsup and Tristan Smith
CNN
Mon, 28 Feb 2011 15:46 UTC

Severe weather descended on the Southeast Monday, killing at least one person, reducing homes to rubble and leaving drivers stranded in flooded streets as the storm system moved northward up the East Coast.

One man was killed in Tennessee after being pinned by a trailer that was lifted by strong winds, said Sgt. Chris Guess, a spokesman for the Franklin County Sheriff's Office. A woman in the home was taken to a hospital with back and leg injuries, he said.

The winds also downed trees and caused significant damage in the northern part of the county, northwest of Chattanooga, Guess said, adding that the sheriff's office could not yet confirm whether the destruction was due to a tornado.

US: Storm brings mix of heavy rain, high wind, and snow to Northwest Oregon

Northwest Cable News
Mon, 28 Feb 2011 15:41 UTC

The National Weather Service issued a Flood Advisory, a Wind Advisory and a Winter Weather Advisory for the Portland and Vancouver Metro areas through 2 p.m., Monday as a powerful storm created heavy rains and winds that transitioned into snow above 500 feet.

The rain was mixed with snow in some parts of the metro area as low as 500 feet - including the West Hills, Gresham and Estacada.

Tens of Houses Flooded Due to Heavy Rains in Indonesia's West Sumatra

BNO News
Mon, 28 Feb 2011 15:32 UTC

Indonesian authorities on Monday informed that tens of houses were flooded due to heavy rains during the weekend in Agam District in West Sumatra, the Antara news agency reported.

"Incessant heavy rains which have fallen since Saturday until early Monday have caused the flood inundating tens of houses in Pasa Durian Manggopoh, Lubung Basung sub district," said Is Faimal, a local official.

In addition, the Batang Antokan River located in Pasa Durian began to overflow on Sunday noon and continued on Monday. The floodwaters reached a height of 50 centimeters.

Magnetic Storm in Progress as Solar Wind Stream Hits Earth

Spaceweather.com
Tue, 01 Mar 2011 14:31 UTC

A solar wind stream hit Earth's magnetic field during the early hours of March 1st, sparking a G2-class geomagnetic storm, in progress. High latitude sky watchers should be alert for auroras.

Michael F. Jones sends this picture from Chugach State Park near Anchorage, Alaska:

Arkansas: Lighting strikes the Capitol Building

The Weather Channel
Thu, 24 Feb 2011 21:28 UTC

Lightning struck the state Capital building twice as the storm passed over Little Rock.

Canada: Snowfall Hits British Columbia South Coast

CBC News
Sun, 27 Feb 2011 01:56 UTC

Several centimetres of snow hit Metro Vancouver and the Fraser Valley on Saturday night, leaving roads packed with snow and ice.

As much as eight centimetres fell in some areas, and Environment Canada said another five centimetres could fall by Monday morning at higher elevations.

However, rain was in the forecast for much of the region Sunday, and officials expected a lot of the snow would be washed away by evening.

By Sunday morning, most major arteries were cleared, but motorists were advised to drive cautiously since many back roads and side streets had not been plowed.

Lahore, Pakistan gets rare hailstorm

Dawn.com
Sun, 27 Feb 2011 15:43 UTC

The storm struck the city at 4.45pm, concentrating its intensity downtown and in areas around Gulberg. Hailstones the size of small strawberries soon carpeted streets and rooftops.

People watched the freak turn of weather with a pleasant surprise. At some places some people panicked and started giving "azans".

A traffic gridlock followed the hailstorm, making driving a misery on roads awash with a hail of stones.

But on the other hand, motorists were seen relishing the happening instead of fuming over the traffic jam and the young made the most of the opportunity by playing with hailstones. Mobile phones were taken out to take stills and make movies of the falling hailstones.

Reports from different parts of the city indicated the storm was partial as many localities like Faisal Town merely received a light shower.

Fears for Guyana's rice crop as heavy rains, floods hit during dry season

Bloomberg
Sun, 27 Feb 2011 15:37 UTC

Authorities in Guyana are pumping water from flooded coastal villages following heavy rains during what is usually one of the driest months of the year.

Officials say about 10 inches (25 centimeters) of rain fell in a 24-hour period this week. That's more than the South American nation normally sees in the entire month of February.

Rice farmers fear they may have lost their crops in the middle of harvest season.

Guyana is the region's largest rice producer.

Agriculture Minister Robert Persaud said Saturday he was sending drainage equipment to hard-hit areas.

Authorities blame the rains on the weather phenomenon known as La Nina. The wet weather is expected to continue into March.

Philippines: Heavy rains push Bulusan lahar, huge rocks into Irosin river

Joey A. Gabieta & Rey M. Nasol
Inquirer Southern Luzon
Sun, 27 Feb 2011 15:27 UTC

Sorsogon City, Philippines - Despite a relatively calm Mt. Bulusan, lahar started to flow down its slopes into a river in Irosin town on Sunday, hours after the rain that began Saturday night.

Close to 100,000 residents in slopes around the volcano, particularly in Irosin and Juban, feared flash floods in case torrential rains followed.

But Crispulo Diolita Jr., volcanologist at the Bulusan Observatory Center based in Cabid-an, Sorsogon City, told the Inquirer on the phone on Sunday that the lahar flows were still confined to the Rangas River channel.

Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (Phivolcs) and local officials rushed to Rangas River in Barangay Cogon, Irosin, on Sunday morning due to reports of heavy lahar flow triggered by the rain.

Hillside collapses in Bolivian capital after heavy rains, destroying 400 houses

Carlos Valdez
The Canadian Press
Sun, 27 Feb 2011 15:24 UTC

© AP Photo/Juan KaritaPeople walk next to an area where around 100 houses were destroyed after a landslide was triggered by heavy rains at the Valle de Flores neighborhood in La Paz, Bolivia, Sunday, Feb. 27, 2011.

La Paz, Bolivia - Heavy rains caused a hilltop to collapse in a poor neighbourhood of the Bolivian capital Sunday, cracking roads, destroying at least 400 homes and burying people's belongings under mud and debris.

There were no fatalities but significant damage from the landslide in the barrio of Callapa, La Paz Mayor Luis Revilla said.

Edwin Herrera, a city government spokesman, called Sunday's slide the worst that La Paz has ever seen - and he said the earth was still moving downhill.

"So far we are talking about 5,000 (people) affected, but the slide is affecting neighbourhoods in lower areas," he said.

Residents began evacuating late Saturday when the hill, saturated after prolonged rains, began sliding and cracks appeared in streets and homes.