Global Disaster Watch

Thursday, July 24, 2008 -

A THOUGHT FOR THE DAY -
A good man would prefer to be defeated than to defeat injustice by evil means.
Sallust

QUAKES -
World map of the quakes in the past 7 days.
Quake list.

Quakes so far this morning -
5.5 SICHUAN-GANSU BORDER REG, CHINA
5.1 EASTERN HONSHU, JAPAN
6.4 KURIL ISLANDS

Largest quakes yesterday -
7/23/08 -
5.0 KEPULAUAN TALAUD, INDONESIA
5.6 SICHUAN-GANSU BORDER REG, CHINA
6.8 EASTERN HONSHU, JAPAN
5.3 ANTARCTICA

JAPAN - 91 injured in 6.8 quake - The strong earthquake jolted northern Japan early Wednesday morning, injuring at least 91 people, trapping hundreds in halted trains and temporarily cutting off power to thousands of homes.

VOLCANOES -
ALASKA - The Alaska Volcano Observatory says the six-mile-wide caldera at Okmok volcano has several vents erupting simultaneously. Billowing ash clouds are reaching heights of up to 20,000 feet as seismic activity continues to fluctuate. Scientists are working with the National Weather Service to provide information to the aviation community as to the direction the ash clouds are drifting. Geologists say they have been very busy trying to monitor not only the Okmok eruption, but also the erupting Cleveland Volcano nearby. 'I can't remember the last time we managed two eruptions at once, especially two so closely spaced on the volcanic arc. So it's both a busy and interesting time for us.'

FREAK WAVES / ABNORMAL TIDES / RISING SEA LEVELS -
NEW ZEALAND - Wild weather - Massive waves, like one between Pukerua Bay and Paekakariki, hurled debris over roads and almost dragged a man to his death, while slips and flooding derailed a train in the lower North Island. High winds prevented planes from taking off or landing. Huge waves pounding the foreshore along Centennial Highway earlier were scary for drivers, and roading contractors continuously swept the highway to clear rocks and debris. A Paekakariki resident said he had never seen so much debris cluttering the highway. A long-time Paekakariki resident said storm surges were THE MOST DESTRUCTIVE HE HAD SEEN IN THE AREA SINCE 1976. (photos)

AUSTRALIA - The low pressure system that has caused bleak weather in parts of Queensland is still whipping up large seas on the Gold Coast. Three-metre waves are breaking on some Gold and Sunshine Coast beaches. There are gale force winds offshore from central Queensland to the far north.

FLORIDA - Dangerous surf swells at beach in Pensacola - Six people at a Perdido Key beach were rescued from perilous surf conditions churned up by Hurricane Dolly on Tuesday as the Category 1 storm headed for landfall on the U.S. - Mexico border. A benefit of the waves is the currents pushing jellyfish to the shores. Jellyfish have been a problem this year because some unseasonal winds pushed them into the Gulf at the end of April. The Gulf has had calm water since then, and until this week, there were no winds to move the jellyfish out.

TROPICAL STORMS -
Map.
Projected storm paths .
Tropical storm CRISTOBAL was 328 nmi E of Halifax, Nova Scotia.
Tropical storm DOLLY was 64 nmi NW of Brownsville, Texas. [Even as the winds subside, Dolly continues to produce very heavy rains and significant flooding threats will continue for another day or two.]
Tropical storm GENEVIEVE was 465 nmi SW of Puerto Vallarta, Mexico.

Dolly downgraded to tropical storm - Hurricane Dolly moved inland after tearing into the South Texas coast with 95mph (150kph) winds, pouring torrential rain on the US-Mexico border area before being downgraded to a tropical storm.

HEAVY RAINS / FLOODING / LANDSLIDES / UNUSUAL & OUT-OF-SEASON WEATHER -
ALABAMA - Decatur, Trinity and areas of eastern Lawrence County received more rain in a two-hour period Tuesday than in the previous 21 days of July. Storms also dropped the sweltering temperature 20 degrees in a four-hour span. The storm was called a microburst, with possibly 60 mile per hour winds The storm flooded streets and knocked down power lines and trees.

ETHIOPIA - Army worms, hail and floods are adding to the woes of Ethiopians reeling from high world food prices and a drought that has affected some 4.6 million people. The nation has had the shorter of two annual rainy seasons fail. Nearly 2,000 farmers in the southern regions of Welayeta and Gamo Gofa lost crops due to torrential rains, hailstorms and army worms. Heavy rains also badly affected nearly 24,000 people in Shashego early this month.

EXTREME HEAT / WILDFIRES / DROUGHT / CLIMATE CHANGE-

CANADA - Summer heat that is fairly typical in other parts of Canada is a RARE phenomenon in Iqaluit, which is in the middle of an Arctic heat wave. Residents say daytime temperatures consistently above 20 C HAVE NEVER BEEN FELT BEFORE in the Baffin Island region, where the Nunavut capital is located. The mercury went up to a sizzling 26.8 C Monday, which Environment Canada said is THE WARMEST READING ON RECORD FOR THE CITY. Tuesday's daytime high was 23.1 C. Normal temperatures for this time of year are 12 C during the day and 4 C at night. The soaring temperatures are due to high pressure systems in Ontario and Quebec, as well as wind blowing from the northwest. Unlike in the winter months, winds from the northwest blow in hot air in the summer. Environment Canada is expecting similar temperatures to continue into the weekend.

MYSTERY VIBRATION [perhaps related to the mystery booms?] -
WISCONSIN - A couple claims a mysterious noise plagues their house in Green Bay. The noise has been plaguing them for two years and sounds something like a rumbling motor, with a subtle vibration that won't quit. Then it stops - especially when they try to show city officials or acoustic experts what they're hearing. "It's like there's a semi parked right outside with the engine running, but when you look out, there isn't one." The couple have lived in the same house for 42 years. The problem only developed over the last two years. When they leave, the don't hear the noise, so they know it's not some health problem the two share. City officials hired a company for $1,000 worth of testing in the house this spring, but the tester came up with no noise and no significant vibration. The local alderman has heard the sound. "It's like an engine thing, a low-frequency vibration. I think it would be an annoyance." The immediate neighbors haven't complained, although some people have said they heard the sound.

HEALTH THREATS -
Latest bird flu news from the Center for Infectious Disease Research & Policy.
Global Bird Flu Breaking News - updated every 10 minutes.
HealthMap - Global disease alert map.

Wednesday, July 23, 2008 -

A THOUGHT FOR THE DAY -
Many forms of Government have been tried, and will be tried in this world of sin and woe.
No one pretends that democracy is perfect or all-wise.
Indeed, it has been said that democracy is the worst form of government
except for all those other forms that have been tried from time to time.
Sir Winston Churchill

QUAKES -
World map of the quakes in the past 7 days.
Quake list.

This morning there has been a 5.3 quake in ANTARCTICA
and a 6.8 quake in EASTERN HONSHU, JAPAN.

Largest quakes yesterday -
7/22/08 -
5.1 TONGA
5.3 OFF EAST COAST OF HONSHU, JAPAN

VOLCANOES -
ALASKA - A second volcano in Alaska's Aleutian Islands has erupted in less than a month, shooting steam and ash as high as 6096m into the air. Mount Cleveland, a volcano in the Aleutian Islands about 90 miles west of still-simmering Okmok Caldera, erupted Monday.

MONTSERRAT - Soufriere Hills volcano shot towers of gray ash more than a mile (2 kilometers) into the sky Monday, but scientists said there was no cause for alarm. Two blasts late Sunday and two more early Monday released blistering gases and steam from inside a hardened lava dome topping the volcano. Wind blowing from the east pushed most of the ash from the 3,000-foot (900-meter) high volcano over open water. There was light ashfall overnight in parts of the British island's west coast hamlet of Old Towne. The volcano had a devastating eruption in 1997 that buried the capital. But while a new pyroclastic surge of gas and debris flowed down the volcano's eastern flank, it did not threaten any of the island's 4,500 inhabitants. Scientists said the volcanic activity was preceded by swarms of small earthquakes.

ECUADOR - Tungurahua volcano is spewing ash on nearby highland communities. The volcano in Ecuador's central Andes is 'unstable' and explosions, emissions of ash and booming noises are becoming more frequent. The volcano's behavior has fluctuated widely since the weekend, making it hard for authorities to predict what's next. The volcano has been spitting out ash and gases intermittently since late last year.

TROPICAL STORMS -
Map.
Projected storm paths .
Tropical storm CRISTOBAL was 328 nmi E of Halifax, Nova Scotia.
Hurricane DOLLY was 38 nmi E of Brownsville, Texas.
Tropical depression FAUSTO was 626 nmi W of Cabo San Lucas, Mexico.
Tropical storm GENEVIEVE was 495 nmi S of Cabo San Lucas, Mexico.

Hurricane Dolly strengthened as it approached the Texas-Mexico border and may grow into a Category 2 storm before making landfall today.

HEAVY RAINS / FLOODING / LANDSLIDES / UNUSUAL & OUT-OF-SEASON WEATHER -
AUSTRALIA - FREAK storms batter coast - Heavy surf pounded the Queensland coast today as northern areas of the state received their HIGHEST JULY RAINFALL IN OVER A DECADE.

LIBERIA - Flooding in the Liberian capital, Monrovia, has affected thousands and left hundreds displaced.

NEPAL - Sunday torrential monsoon rains triggered landslides and flash floods across Nepal, killing at least 11 people.

IOWA, NEBRASKA, ILLINOIS - A power-punching, blustery storm that pummeled the Quad-City region Monday was a RARE severe weather event called a �derecho,� according to the National Weather Service. Derechos � from the Spanish word for �direct� or �straight ahead� � are most common in the late spring and summer, especially in the Corn Belt running from the upper Mississippi River valley to the Ohio River valley. The storms, which are rarer than tornadoes, are known for their longevity, incredibly high-sustained wind speeds and fast-moving nature. �We had a 60-mile-wide path of damage from Omaha through the Quad-Cities and on toward Chicago. Storms don�t usually stay that strong, that long. It�s like a 60-mile-wide train barreling across the state.� This is the first derecho to hit Iowa in two years. This one packed winds ranging from 65 to 95 mph. �We had one in the late 1990s that took a whole train off the tracks.� Conditions have to be very precise to create a derecho. There must be certain amounts of dry air aloft and moisture below. When conditions are right, the storm gears up and takes off at a high rate of speed in a �bow� shape. The front edge of the bow packs the heaviest winds, with less damaging winds on the outer edges. The storms are particularly dangerous because they appear quickly, often before sufficient warning can be given.

WILDFIRES / DROUGHT / CLIMATE CHANGE / EXTREME HEAT -

California could face the worst drought in its history next year, that's the sobering assessment from the director of the Department of Water Resources. People in the East Bay are already used to it, but next year, a lot more could be in the water rationing situation. This is the second consecutive year of below average rainfall. The state water officials say they don t have much in storage. The state's second largest reservoir, Lake Oroville, is at 40 percent capacity, and expected to drop to about 20 percent by the end of the year. The state's largest reservoir, Lake Shasta, is at less than half its capacity. There is the possibility of water levels reaching a record low later this year.

Smoke from wildfires may block warming of Arctic - Smoke spreading across the sky from intense wildfires in North America could act temporarily to blunt the effect of global warming in the Arctic, climate researchers said. The Arctic may cool for weeks or months at a time as smoke from northern wildfires drifts into the region. The cooling effect was observed above the snow-free tundra, and to a greater extent over the darker, ice-free ocean. The amount of solar energy prevented from reaching the surface depends on the smoke's thickness, the elevation of the sun above the horizon, and the brightness of the surface.

FOOD / WATER / SUPPLIES-
Food crisis looms in East Africa - More than 14 million people in the Horn of Africa need food aid because of drought and rocketing food and fuel prices. Ethiopia is worst hit, with 10 million people - some 12% of the population - in need of extra food supplies. Somalia, Eritrea and Djibouti are also affected, along with northern parts of Kenya and Uganda. "People are reducing their food intake... we only have months before we go into a major crisis." If rains due in September and October fail, the situation will get even worse. The current food shortages are worse than two years ago, when 11 million people needed food aid.

HEALTH THREATS -
Latest bird flu news from the Center for Infectious Disease Research & Policy.
Global Bird Flu Breaking News - updated every 10 minutes.
HealthMap - Global disease alert map.

CURRENT WORLDWIDE NATURAL DISASTERS