- Jan. 2018 California wildfires are a series of wildfires that have burned across the state of California during the year of 2018. A total of 4,439 fires had burned an area of 262,151.4 acres (1,060.889 km2), according to the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection and the National Interagency Fire Center, as of July 24.
- Jan. 2 2018. Supermoon, moon close approach to earth, looks larger.
- Jan. 9 2018 Southern California Mudslides were a direct result of the Santa Barbara Thomas Fires. When heavy rain follows a serious fire, destroyed foliage and weakened top soil makes land more vulnerable to mudslides. After emergency response workers contained the Thomas Fire, unusually high rainfall raised the risk of mudslides and eventually caused the disaster in Montecito, with 129 homes destroyed and 307 damaged, and 21 deaths seen in the article on 1/11.
- 1/9/2018 U.S. disasters set crippling $306B record in 2017 by Doyle Rice, USA TODAY
AUSTIN – A trio of monster hurricanes and a ferocious wildfire season led to the costliest year for natural disasters on record in the United States in 2017 — nearly a third of a trillion dollars in damage, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration announced Monday.
The USA endured 16 separate weather and climate disasters that each racked up losses that exceeded $1 billion last year for a total cost of about $306 billion. That broke the record set in 2005, when Hurricane Katrina and other disasters caused $215 billion in damage.
Last year’s disasters killed 362 people in the USA, including Puerto Rico, NOAA said. NOAA climatologist Adam Smith said the toll could increase based on information that continues to come from Puerto Rico.
It was the most expensive hurricane season on record at $265 billion and the costliest wildfire season on record at $18 billion, Smith said.
Weeks ago, the House of Representatives passed an $81 billion disaster aid package. The Senate did not take up the bill, working on its own version.
Hurricane Harvey racked up damage of $125 billion, second only to Hurricane Katrina in the 38-year period of recordkeeping for billion-dollar disasters. Rainfall from Harvey caused flooding that displaced more than 30,000 people and damaged or destroyed more than 200,000 homes and businesses, NOAA said.
Hurricanes Maria and Irma caused $90 billion and $50 billion in damage, respectively. Maria now ranks as the nation’s third-costliest weather disaster on record, and Irma ranks as the fifth- costliest.
- 1/9/2018 U.S. disasters set crippling $306B record in 2017 by Doyle Rice, USA TODAY
- 1/10/2018 Flu spreads misery across almost every state by Kim Painter, USA TODAY
With flu season now in full swing — causing widespread illness in 46 states — health officials across the country are reporting waves of misery, rising hospitalizations and some deaths.
It is still too soon to say just how bad this flu season will be, but there are troubling signs in some places:- The Ohio Department of Health on Friday reported 2,104 flu-associated hospitalizations so far, up from 369 by the same time a year ago.
- California Department of Public Health officials said that flu contributed to the deaths of 27 people younger than age 65 across the state by the end of December, up from four deaths a year ago.
- In California’s Santa Barbara County, six people over age 65 died of the flu in just the past two weeks; that’s double the number who died in last year’s entire flu season, officials said.
- A pregnant woman died from the flu in Tennessee, the fourth flu death this year, officials said. The three other deaths were children.
The season began early, and the number of states reporting widespread flu activity jumped from 36 to 46 in the last week of December, the CDC said.
One reason this season could be bad: A majority of patients tested carried a type of influenza virus, H3 N2CQ, that is linked to increased hospitalizations and deaths in children and people over age 65, the CDC said. Vaccines often are less effective against these viruses than other flu viruses. But the CDC and flu experts say vaccination is still the best bet, and it’s not too late for a flu shot. - Jan. 10 2018. Honduras Central America 7.6 earthquake.
- Jan. 11 2018 Mudslides deal California another devastating blow - 15 dead, dozens missing on heels of record fire by John Bacon, USA TODAY.
Search and rescue efforts intensified Wednesday for hundreds of Montecito residents feared trapped in their homes after deadly walls of mud and debris roared down California hillsides stripped of vegetation by ferocious wildfires.
The one-two punch of fire and downpour- fueled debris flows have debilitated the affluent, picturesque community of about 10,000 people. The slides have killed at least 15, destroyed an estimated 100 homes and sent rescuers scrambling through the rubble searching for dozens who are missing. “We have no idea where they’re at,” Santa Barbara County spokeswoman Amber Anderson said. “We think somewhere in the debris field.”
Sheriff Bill Brown said the primary focus of first responders was “to evacuate those who are trapped and need help getting out.” He said residents can shelter in place in their homes.
The county fire department tweeted a photo of a mud-encased 14-year-old girl being rescued from the rubble of a Montecito home. Fire spokesman Mike Eliason said the girl had been trapped for hours.
Scores of homes have been destroyed or severely damaged. Sheriff deputies and other first responders had to cautiously pick through debris to access shattered homes.
Helicopters, rescue dogs and swiftwater rescue teams were aiding the search, which was slowed by closed roads and downed trees and power lines.
Numerous celebrities have homes in the area. Actor Rob Lowe said on social media that Oprah Winfrey’s home was.
- Jan. 11 2018. Burma, 6.0 quake.
- 1/13/2018 ICE CREAM BARS RECALLED OVER LISTERIA CONCERNS
A dairy company voluntarily recalled ice cream bars sold at Kroger, Jewel, Aldi and dozens of other store chains in the USA and Puerto Rico because of possible listeria contamination. At issue are orange cream bars, raspberry cream bars, chocolate-coated vanilla ice cream bars and variety packs including those flavors made in 2017 at Fieldbrook Foods’ Dunkirk, N.Y., plant on the Hoyer 1 Line. Routine testing discovered Listeria monocytogenes in a few ice cream bars and during subsequent sampling, according to the company. Listeria may cause serious or fatal infections in young children, the elderly and people who have weakened immune systems, according to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. - Jan. 14 2018.
- Volcano eruptions: Papua New Guinea volcano eruption on Kadovar Island. Volcano eruption Mount Mayon in Philippines.
- Peru 7.1 earthquake.
- Flu epidemic in United States, H3N2 strain Influenza. Turning into a deadly world Flu pandemic possibly in 2018, Note that 2018 is 100 years since the deadly 1918 Flu epidemic.
- Jan. 16 2018. A meteor hit the ground in Michigan at night causing a 2.0 earthquake.
- 1/19/2018 Flu kills 50 in Kentucky, well above last year’s pace by Thomas Novelly, Louisville Courier Journal USA TODAY NETWORK
At least 50 people, two of them children, have died from the flu in Kentucky, according to the Kentucky Cabinet for Health and Family Services.
In a release last week, when the toll was 36, Acting Department for Public Health Commissioner Dr. Jeffrey D. Howard called the loss of the children a tragedy.
“Of the 36 flu-related deaths reported so far, this season, two of those were children,” Howard said in a statement last week. “These personal losses are a reminder for all of us that flu can be a serious illness, for young and old alike.”
From the start of the flu season through the first week of January, there were 2,109 cases and 24 deaths in Kentucky, according to Beth Crace Fischer, spokeswoman for the Kentucky Cabinet for Health and Family Services.
For the same time period last year, there were 92 cases and four deaths.
Updated comparison statistics through the second week of January were not immediately available Thursday.
The average age of those killed by the flu, excluding the children, was 75 years old. Influenza A, the most common flu strain in Kentucky, has been attributed to the deaths.
Flu season got started early in Kentucky, with two confirmed cases in Jefferson County back in September. There have been at least 49 outbreaks reported in Kentucky so far, many at long-term care facilities.
“Flu vaccination is the most effective protection against flu,” said Dr. Jonathan Ballard, the Department for Public Health’s state epidemiologist. “The flu season typically runs until late spring, so it is not too late to get vaccinated.”
Since 2010, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimates there have been between 9.2 million and 60.8 million flu cases each year, according to USA TODAY.
Between 12,000 and 56,000 deaths nationwide occur in a year, while flu-related hospitalizations range between 140,000 and 710,000 a year, according to the CDC. - Jan. 19 2018. 6.3 quake in Mexico. Earthquake swarm at Oraefajokull Volcano in Iceland, showing increased chance of an eruption at this large volcano that last had a large eruption in 1727.
- 1/20/2018 30 children in USA have died of flu this season, CDC reports
The number of children who died from the flu is up to 30 as public health officials attempt to manage a busy flu season.
Last week, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported 20 pediatric deaths as a result of the flu, which is widespread in 49 states and Puerto Rico.
Dan Jernigan, director of the Influenza Division of the National Center for Immunization and Respiratory Diseases, said this season is very active and was “probably peaking” last week. - Jan. 21 2018. 6.3 quake, Chile, South America.
- Jan. 23 2018. 7.9 quake, Alaska. 6.0 quake, Indonesia.
- 1/24/2018 Tsunami fears jolt Alaska, West Coast after quake by Jane Onyanga-Omara and John Bacon, USA TODAY
Fears that put authorities on edge along the entire West Coast dissipated Tuesday when a tsunami off Alaska failed to generate dangerous waves after a powerful earthquake.
The magnitude-7.9 earthquake, centered deep in the waters off the Gulf of Alaska about 175 miles southeast of Kodiak Island, rocked much of the state and triggered tsunami warnings and watches along the West Coast. Hours later, the National Tsunami Center canceled all warnings and watches, including those for Washington, Oregon, California, Hawaii and British Columbia.
The initial warnings sent Alaskans along hundreds of miles of coastline scurrying to higher ground. Warnings from the National Weather Service sent to cellphones in Alaska soon after the quake read: “Emergency Alert. Tsunami danger on the coast. Go to high ground or move inland.” Authorities in Kodiak told people living under the 100-foot mark to move to higher ground. Kodiak resident Eric Cusson told the Anchorage Daily News that hundreds of cars drove up Pillar Mountain, the site of the town’s wind turbines.
“Pretty much everyone in town went up Pillar Mountain,” he said.
The quake struck at a depth of 6 miles at 12:31 a.m. local time (4:31 a.m. ET) Tuesday, the U.S. Geological Survey reported. There were no immediate reports of damage. Social media users reported the quake was felt hundreds of miles away in Anchorage.
Hours later, the National Tsunami Center said the event was over.
“A tsunami was generated by this event, but no longer poses a threat,” the center said in a statement. “Some areas may continue to see small sea level changes.”
- 1/24/2018 Tsunami fears jolt Alaska, West Coast after quake by Jane Onyanga-Omara and John Bacon, USA TODAY
- Jan. 24 2018. 6.2 quake, Japan.
- Jan. 26 2018. 6.3 quake, Papua New Guinea.
- 1/27/2018 Flu season bad across USA; Boomers hit especially hard by Kim Painter, Special to USA TODAY
The country is in the coast-to-coast grip of a severe flu season, on track to be as bad as the outbreak that caused an estimated 56,000 deaths in 2014-15, federal health officials said Friday.
The flu remains widespread in 49 states, and reports of flu-like illnesses continued to rise through the third week of January, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
“It has been a tough flu season,” and it may be only half over, said Dan Jernigan, director of the CDC’s influenza division.
While the CDC gets reports of flu deaths among children — up to 37 now — the biggest flu impact has been on people over age 65, followed by those ages 50-65, Jernigan said.
Flu trackers do not keep exact counts of adult deaths, but flu hospitalizations are higher among people in their 50s and early 60s this year than among young children, who usually are hospitalized at a rate only surpassed by the over-65 group, he said.
“Baby Boomers have higher rates than their grandchildren right now,” he said. The reason for year-to-year age shifts are complex but can include vaccination rates and the mix of viruses in circulation.
Still, “we expect there will be additional reports of pediatric deaths, similar to what we’ve seen in other severe seasons,” Jernigan said. He noted that in the 2014-15 flu season, 148 child deaths were reported.
Last year, the number was 110, and the year before that it was 92. In 2009-10, the country had a rarer “pandemic,” in which a new flu virus took an especially high toll on children, killing 288.
Jernigan said the current season looks most like 2014-2015, when 34 million people got the flu, 710,000 were hospitalized and an estimated 56,000 died. - Jan. 28 2018. 6.6 quake near Southwest Africa.
- Flooding in Paris France from River Seine.
- 1/30/2018 France sees worst rains in 50 years; Seine floods peak in Paris
Floodwaters reached a peak in Paris on Monday and threatened towns downstream along the Seine River as it winds through Normandy toward the English Channel.
Rivers swollen by France’s heaviest rains in 50 years engulfed romantic quays in Paris, swallowed up gardens and roads, and halted cruises.
The weather service Meteo France said Monday that January has seen nearly double the normal rainfall nationwide.
- 1/30/2018 France sees worst rains in 50 years; Seine floods peak in Paris
- Flooding in Paris France from River Seine.
- Jan. 31 2018.
- Total lunar eclipse seen in western North America. Supermoon, Blue Moon.
- Guatemala Central America volcano eruption.
- 6.1 quake in Afghanistan.
- Feb. 1 2018. Volcano eruption in Mexico.
- Feb. 2 2018. Dow Jones stock market fell 665.
- Feb. 4 2018. 6.1 quake Taiwan.
- Feb. 6 2018. 6.4 quake, Taiwan, or the Hualien Earthquake damaged 40,000 homes who were left without running water and collapsed and damaged buildings led to over $21 million in damage, 17 deaths.
- 2/7/2018 Earthquake strikes Taiwan’s east coast, killing 2, injuring over 200
A magnitude-6.4 earthquake struck Tuesday off the coast of Taiwan, killing two hotel employees and injuring more than 200 others, officials said.
The Central News Agency reported that the ground floor of the Marshal Hotel had caved in and people were believed to be trapped inside.
Taiwanese media reported that a separate hotel known as the Beautiful Life Hotel was tilting.
- 2/8/2018 6 dead, 76 missing after strong earthquake rattles Taiwan
Rescue teams worked Wednesday to free people trapped after a magnitude- 6.4 earthquake near Taiwan’s east coast caused buildings to cave in and tilt dangerously. At least six people were killed and 76 were missing.
The shifting of the buildings after the quake likely was caused by soil liquefaction, when ground beneath a building loses its solidity.
- 2/7/2018 Earthquake strikes Taiwan’s east coast, killing 2, injuring over 200
- 2/7/2018 McDonald’s fries might hold a cure for baldness by Brett Molina, USA TODAY
McDonald’s french fries might lead to a cure for baldness. No, not by eating them.
Researchers at Japan’s Yokohama National University used a chemical found in the fries to grow hair follicles on mice, according to a study published in the peer-reviewed journal Biomaterials.
The study focuses on the largescale transportation of hair follicles to areas where there is no hair.
Researchers used dimethylpolysiloxane as part of an “oxygen permeable” solution to prepare 5,000 hair follicle germs.
“These self-sorted hair follicle germs were shown to be capable of efficient hair-follicle and shaft generation upon intracutaneous transplantation into the backs of nude mice,” reads an excerpt from the study.
Although researchers note more studies are required, the findings could lead to a potential strategy for hair regeneration.
According to nutrition information found on McDonald’s website, dimethylpolysiloxane is employed as an anti-foaming agent in the oil that is used to fry its foods, including french fries, Chicken McNuggets and fried fish sandwiches. - 2/11/2018 OxyContin maker will stop promoting opioids to doctors
The maker of the powerful painkiller OxyContin said it will stop marketing opioid drugs to doctors, bowing to a key demand of lawsuits that blame the company for helping trigger the nation’s latest drug abuse epidemic.
OxyContin has long been the world’s top-selling opioid painkiller, bringing in billions for Purdue Pharma, which said it eliminated more than half its sales staff last week and will no longer send representatives to doctors’ offices to discuss opioid drugs. - 2/11/2018 La Niña winds down, ushering in ‘La Nada’ for spring by Doyle Rice, USA TODAY
Climate troublemaker La Niña, which is partly responsible for the extreme drought now scorching the southwestern U.S., is expected to fade away over the next few months, scientists said.
In its place will be the so-called neutral phase of the Pacific Ocean climate pattern officially known as “ENSO” (El Niño-Southern Oscillation).
The climate pattern, marked by either unusually warm or unusually cool sea water in the central Pacific Ocean, can affect weather in the U.S. and around the world.
The La Niña phase, defined by colder- than-average ocean temperatures in the Pacific, is the opposite of El Niño.
ENSO-neutral, colloquially known as “La Nada,” is the midpoint between El Niño and La Niña and occurs when temperatures are near average in the Pacific Ocean.
The “in between” ocean state of ENSO can be frustrating for long-range forecasters.
“It’s like driving without a decent road map — it makes forecasting difficult,” said climatologist Bill Patzert of Climatologist with NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory.
As for what all this means for spring weather in the United States, the outlook from the Climate Prediction Center generally favors dry, warm weather across the southern tier of the nation and cooler, wetter weather across the northern tier. - 2/13/2018 Anti-flu drug may have odd side effects by Shari Rudavsky, Indianapolis Star USA TODAY NETWORK
INDIANAPOLIS – In the throes of one of the most severe flu seasons in recent years, renewed attention is being paid to the suggestion that one of the few medications to treat the virus may not be right for every patient — especially healthy children and young adults.
For the past decade, reports have surfaced that Tamiflu may have “neuropsychiatric side effects” in some patients, particularly children and young adults.
The drug’s warning label notes that people with influenza, including those taking Tamiflu, may be at an increased risk of confusion or abnormal behavior. The Food and Drug Administration also mentions this as a potential serious side effect, saying that people who have the flu or take Tamiflu should be watched for signs of unusual behavior.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention also notes there have been reports of delirium and self-injury in teenagers on Tamiflu, adding most of the reports came in Japan, where it was not clear whether the flu itself or the drug was to blame.
It is not clear just how often this rare side effect occurs, but this flu season, as more people develop the virus and seek medical help for it, a number of anecdotal reports have surfaced from around the country about side effects in children who have taken Tamiflu. Charlie Harp, an Indiana teen, took his own life, two weeks ago, an act his family attributed in part to the drug. A six-year-old girl in Texas taking Tamiflu tried to jump out the window.
Genentech, the company that sells Tamiflu, declined to comment on specific cases in an email. But Bob Purcell, the director of corporate relations for the company, said that the most common side effects associated with the drug are nausea, vomiting, headache and pain.
The email also said that “neuropsychiatric events” have been reported while using Tamiflu for patients with influenza, especially children and teens, but they have also been observed in patients with influenza who have not taken the drug.
“We take all such reports very seriously and undertake thorough investigations,” the email said. “Data is provided to regulatory authorities for their independent review and to date there is no data suggesting a link with antiviral treatment.”
Experts say that deciding whether to prescribe Tamiflu always requires an analysis of the potential benefits compared with the potential risks.
“It’s used because it’s an effective medicine against influenza,” said Dr. Christopher Belcher, St. Vincent Director of Infection Control. “It is a valuable medicine in treating the flu in people at high risk. But you always need to take into consideration the side effects.”
Just as stories have swirled about those who had side effects from the flu, there have been those about the deaths of young, healthy people from the flu. A second-grade teacher in Texas delayed taking Tamiflu because of its cost and then died.
Across the country, this has been one of the most severe seasons in recent years and so far, it shows little sign of easing.
The percentage of patients complaining of influenza-like illness visiting the state’s emergency departments continues to rise, according to the weekly surveillance report from the Indiana State Department of Health. This flu season has claimed 167 lives so far, 128 of whom were over age 65, more than the entire season last year.
As of Friday, 14 people in Marion County have died of the flu, according to the Marion County Public Health Department. Last week, 4.5 percent of visits to emergency departments were for influenza-like illness, the highest percentage since the 2014-2015 flu season.
Other than supportive care — think plenty of fluids, over-the-counter drugs for fever and pain, and rest — doctors have few drugs that work against the flu.
Tamiflu, an antiviral, ideally is taken within 48 hours of symptom onset and does not cure the flu immediately but may lessen the length and severity of symptoms.
Sufficient data now exists to suggest the neuropsychiatric effects can occur with Tamiflu and they’re most likely to happen in males under 20, Peak said. It is not known why that group appears to be more susceptible or if it’s more likely to happen when a patient is taking other medicine as well.
A 2017 Japanese study of 386 that medical staffers who had taken Tamiflu preventively after being exposed to influenza found that 22 percent of those surveyed experience some side effects, including stomach distress, and 0.5 percent had a neuropsychiatric reaction.
Still, those who have underlying conditions stand a greater risk from the flu than they do the antidote to it, Peak said.
“There is sufficient data that the benefits are likely to be more pronounced,” she said.
“I don’t want the message to be don’t ever take Tamiflu.” - 2/14/2018 Unsafe water still is a problem for millions by Doyle Rice, USA TODAY
The problem of contaminated drinking water extends far beyond Flint, Mich. A study found tens of millions of Americans could be exposed to unsafe drinking water in any given year, consuming a wide spectrum of contaminants, including fecal coliform, lead and arsenic.
In 2015, nearly 21 million people relied on community water systems that violated health-based quality standards, according to the study, published Monday in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.
The research, led by Maura Allaire at the University of California-Irvine, looked at 17,900 community water systems from 1982 to 2015.
Drinking water contaminants can cause illnesses such as gastroenteritis, as well as chronic conditions including cancer and neurological disorders.
“We felt in the aftermath of the Flint lead crisis, there was an urgent need to assess the current state of drinking water in the U.S.,” Allaire said.
The authors wrote that water quality was particularly poor in Oklahoma, Texas and Idaho. Violations were more frequent in rural areas than in urban areas, and low-income, rural areas were hit hardest.
Contaminated water runs toward the Grand Calumet River and Lake Michigan. MICHAEL M. SANTIAGO/NEW21 - 2/15/2018 Even in best case, extreme weather could rise by Doyle Rice, USA TODAY
The landmark Paris Agreement, signed by nearly every nation on Earth except the U.S., aims to keep the world’s temperature from rising to dangerous, climate-shifting levels of 2 degrees Celsius above pre-industrial levels.
Now, a new study finds that even the best-case scenario of “only” a 1-degree rise could increase the likelihood of extreme weather — including floods, droughts and heat waves — in the U.S. and around the world.
The frequency of extreme climate and weather events already is increasing, and many experts say man-made climate change is an important factor.
“Damages from extreme weather and climate events have been increasing, and 2017 was the costliest year on record,” said study lead author Noah Diffenbaugh of Stanford University. “These rising costs are one of many signs that we are not prepared for today’s climate, let alone for another degree of global warming.”
Keeping the world’s temperature to a 1-degree Celsius (1.8 degrees Fahrenheit) rise is informally known as an “aspirational” target of the Paris Agreement, compared with the actual commitment of a 2-degree Celsius (3.6 degrees Fahrenheit) rise.
The research appeared Wednesday in the peer-reviewed journal Science Advances, a publication of the American Association for the Advancement of Science.
“Damages from extreme weather and climate events have been increasing.” Noah Diffenbaugh the study’s lead author. - 2/16/2018 Flu vaccines 25% effective vs. worst strain -This year’s model more effective on children by Kim Painter, USA TODAY
This year’s flu vaccines reduce the chance of getting the flu by about one-third but are just 25% effective against the nasty strain causing the most misery, according to preliminary estimates released Thursday by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
In a typical season, vaccines prevent 40% to 60% of flu cases serious enough to send people to doctors’ offices. This year, vaccines are preventing 36% of those illnesses, the report said. But they are preventing just 25% of illnesses caused by a type of influenza A called H3N2. That strain, always a vaccine challenge, is behind three-quarters of verified flu cases this season, CDC said.
Flu experts were quick to say the vaccines remain worthwhile.
“We’ve got a good vaccine but not a great vaccine. It is modestly effective,” said Arnold Monto, a University of Michigan professor of epidemiology and a co-author of the report, which is based on data from 4,562 patients.
Monto noted that the 25% effectiveness against H3N2 is higher than the 10% reported earlier from Australia.
Canadian researchers estimated a 17% effectiveness rate. All of the numbers come with statistical hedging because they are based on fairly small groups.
The new data also contain a bright spot: among children ages 6 months to 8 years old, vaccine effectiveness was higher, 59% overall.
The worst recent year for vaccines was 2014-15, when the CDC reported a 19% flu prevention rate and blamed a mismatch between the strains in the vaccine and the ones causing illness. - Feb. 16 2018. 7.2 quake in Mexico in Oaxaca.
- 2/18/2018 Helicopter crash in Mexico kills 13 after powerful earthquake
A military helicopter carrying officials assessing damage from a powerful earthquake crashed Friday in southern Mexico, killing 13 people and injuring 15, all of them on the ground.
The Oaxaca state prosecutor’s office said five women, four men and three children were killed at the crash site, and another person died later.
A state government official said the chopper crashed into a group of people who had been spending the night outside after a powerful 7.2 magnitude earthquake hit the area. People had fled their homes for fear they would collapse in aftershocks.
- 2/18/2018 Helicopter crash in Mexico kills 13 after powerful earthquake
- 2/17/2018 Flu kills 22 more kids as worst season in a decade continues
The worst flu season in a decade continues to take a grim toll, with 22 more child deaths reported Friday, bringing the total to 84.
The latest update by the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention also shows that the flu remained widespread in 48 states.
Friday’s report showed one inkling of hope: The rate at which people visited doctors for flu-like illness stopped rising. Such visits made up 7.5% of trips to doctors, down from 7.7% the week before. - Feb. 19 2018. Indonesia volcano large ash eruption.
- 2/21/2018 Study: Sea levels could rise 3 feet globally by 2300 by Doyle Rice, USA TODAY
Time to head for the hills?
Even under a best-case scenario, seas will rise about 3 feet worldwide by 2300, scientists announced in a study Tuesday. Delays in reducing carbon emissions would cause oceans to rise more.
“For millions of people around the world living in coastal areas, every centimeter can make a huge difference — to limit sea-level rise risks, immediate carbon dioxide reduction is key,” said study co-author Carl-Friedrich Schleussner from Germany’s Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research.
Rising seas are a threat to cities from Shanghai to London, to low-lying parts of Florida or Bangladesh and to entire nations such as Kiribati in the Pacific, Reuters reported. Overall, tens of millions of people live where a 3-foot rise would submerge their homes.
Scientists say global warming will be the primary cause of sea-level rise. “Large ice loss from Antarctica seems possible even under modest warming in line with the Paris (climate) agreement,” said study lead author Matthias Mengel of the Potsdam Institute.
The mouth of the Miami River runs out to Biscayne Bay as it exits downtown Miami. Southeast Florida is especially vulnerable to sea-level rise. ALLISON DIAZ FOR USA TODAY - 2/22/2018 Plastics are harming the deepest fish in the ocean by Doyle Rice, USA TODAY
Our trash has reached the stomachs of some of the deepest fish in the ocean.
Researchers said 73% of deep-water fish in the North Atlantic Ocean had eaten particles of plastic, known as microplastics. This is among the highest percentages ever found in fish on Earth, according to a study released this week.
Microplastics are small plastic fragments that typically come from the breakdown of larger pieces of plastic that eventually end up in our oceans.
These fragments can cause significant issues for marine organisms that eat them, including reduced feeding and weight loss, the study said.
“These seemingly remote fishes located thousands of kilometers from land and 600 meters (2,000 feet) down in our ocean are not isolated from our pollution,” said study co-author Tom Doyle, a marine biologist at the National University of Ireland in Galway.
Using fish nets, scientists picked up more than 200 fish while on a cruise across the North Atlantic. Upon return to Ireland, the fish were inspected for microplastics in their stomach.
A spotted lanternfish, which was less than 2 inches long, had 13 pieces of microplastic extracted from its stomach, said lead author Alina Wieczorek.
The study was published in Frontiers in Marine Science.
One of the deep-water fishes analyzed in the study, the Gonostoma denudatum, is only 5 inches long. ALINA WIECZOREK/NUI GALWAY - 2/22/2018 Brazil officials report 545 cases of yellow fever and 164 deaths
Brazil’s Health Ministry recorded 545 cases of yellow fever in an expanding outbreak.
The ministry said Wednesday that 164 people have died.
Swaths of Brazil have long been at risk for yellow fever. The previous outbreak in 2016-17 affected places that hadn’t been considered at risk. - 2/24/2018 Vapers could be inhaling lead and arsenic by Ashley May, USA TODAY
Potentially unsafe levels of toxins were found in e-cigarette vapers, according to a new study. Researchers at Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health tested liquids in vapers’ refilling dispensers from 56 Baltimore-area daily e-cigarette users for a study published Wednesday in the peer-reviewed journal Environmental Health Perspectives.
After testing for the presence of 15 metals, researchers found significant levels of highly toxic arsenic in 10 of the samples. Significant levels (nearing or exceeding health-based limits) of chromium, manganese, nickel and lead were found in about half of the samples. Aerosol metal concentrations were highest for e-cigarettes with more frequently changed coils, study authors found.
“It’s important for the FDA, the e-cigarette companies and vapers themselves to know that these heating coils, as currently made, seem to be leaking toxic metals — which then get into the aerosols that vapers inhale,” said study senior author Ana María Rule, assistant scientist in the Bloomberg School’s Department of Environmental Health and Engineering. The Food and Drug Administration has the authority to regulate e-cigarettes and e-liquids.
Scientists found toxic metals in e-cigarette heating coils. - Feb. 25 2018. 7.5 Papua New Guinea earthquake.
- 2/27/2018 Doomsday seed vault beefed up due to global warming by Matthew Diebel, USA TODAY
Global warming has prompted Norway to invest about $13 million to strengthen its 10-year-old doomsday seed vault, in which about a million crop varieties are stored on a remote ice-covered island.
The update at Svalbard, an archipelago near the Arctic Circle, would cover “construction of a new, concrete- built access tunnel, as well as a service building to house emergency power and refrigerating units and other electrical equipment,” according to Norway’s Ministry of Agriculture and Food, A thaw of permafrost in 2016 caused some water to flow into the vault’s entrance. No seeds were damaged, but the Norwegian government decided the store, designed to withstand nuclear war and earthquakes, needed an upgrade.
Norway built the vault in an abandoned coal mine to ensure that plant species affected by rising global temperatures and other disasters could be preserved. The BBC reports that more than 70,000 crops are to be added this week to the storage chambers.
The entrance of the Svalbard Global Seed Vault. JUNGE AFP/GETTY IMAGES
- 3/1/2018 Flood could have fingerprints of climate change - Expert: Communities have to adapt by James Bruggers, Louisville Courier Journal USA TODAY NETWORK
It was just last year when a new report from the Army Corps of Engineers warned that climate change would push the Ohio River and its tributaries into uncharted waters, setting off economic and environmental crises like never before across a 13-state region.
Flooding, drought and power failures in the decades to come could become more frequent in Kentucky and Indiana — and the rest of the Ohio River basin, the report out of the Department of Defense concluded.
So it may be natural to wonder whether there are any fingerprints of climate change on February’s record setting rainfall for Louisville. Or the rising of the Ohio River to its highest level in 20 years.
Without some kind of “attribution” study, that’s hard to say.
Many scientists will say the fingerprints of climate change are found all over weather these days. The atmosphere in our warmer world contains more moisture, and that’s producing storms that drop more rain, said Scott Denning, a professor of atmospheric science at Colorado State University who has dozens of peer-reviewed publications under his belt. “There’s no way you can say this (rain event and flooding) would not have happened were it not for climate change,” Denning said, who did not participate in the Army study.
But he added: “The statistics of storm events (in the Ohio River Valley) are changing, and those statistics show the frequency of heavy rain has increased a lot.”
That means communities have to adapt, he said.
“There’s no way you can say this (rain event and flooding) would not have happened were it not for climate change. The statistics of storm events (in the Ohio River Valley) are changing, and those statistics show the frequency of heavy rain has increased a lot.” Scott Denning Professor of atmospheric science at Colorado State University. - Mar. 2 2018 severe weather were between Massachusetts and DC, the bomb cyclones affected New England, Maine, Vermont, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, New Hampshire, and Connecticut, which was natural weather patterns, massive flooding caused damage to an unknown number of structures; forced more than 2 million to lose power in the days surrounding the disaster; and grounded over 4,000 flights, and 9 deaths.
- 3/6/2018 UN chief appoints Bloomberg as envoy for climate action
UNITED NATIONS – U.N. Secretary- General Antonio Guterres has appointed former New York mayor and billionaire businessman Michael Bloomberg as his special envoy for climate action. Guterres said Bloomberg will support a planned U.N. Climate Summit next year to mobilize more ambitious action to implement the landmark 2015 Paris climate agreement aimed at curbing production of greenhouse gases.
A longtime activist for clean energy, Bloomberg was appointed U.N. special envoy on cities and climate change by former U.N. chief Ban Ki-moon in January 2014. - Mar. 6 2018. 6.7 quake New Guinea. Eruption volcano in Japan, Mount Shinmoedake.
- 3/6/2018 Hepatitis A outbreak in county confirmed by Beth Warren, Louisville Courier Journal USA TODAY NETWORK
An outbreak of hepatitis A has been confirmed in Jefferson County. Health officials noted 115 cases from November through Friday, said Dave Langdon, spokesman for the Louisville Metro Department of Public Health and Wellness. One of those cases is an employee at a Kroger store at 4915 Dixie Highway, which prompted the grocery chain to issue an alert Friday to shoppers who bought produce there from Feb. 4-28.
There are typically four or fewer cases in an entire year, Langdon said. “We don’t know the exact cause.”
Hepatitis A is a disease of the liver caused by a virus. It tends to hit adults hardest, with symptoms including yellowing of the skin and whites of the eyes; fever and body aches; stomach pain, nausea and vomiting; and darker urine and lighter-colored stools, said Dr. Lori Caloia, the health department’s medical director.
Symptoms usually last less than two months, but between 10 percent and 15 percent of victims remain sick for up to six months, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s website.
“It is usually transmitted person-to-person through the fecal-oral route or consumption of contaminated food or water,” according to the CDC’s website.
Caloia said Kroger acted quickly, contacting customers who bought produce during the dates of possible contamination.
Kroger spokesman Tim McGurk said the company sent a recorded message to thousands using phone numbers associated with their Kroger Plus cards. And, knowing some customers might not have kept their their phone number updated, a message will be printed on their receipt the next time they shop using their loyalty program cards.
The Kroger associate had followed safety procedures, wearing gloves while handling produce before knowing he contracted the disease, McGurk said.
This greatly reduced — but didn’t totally eliminate — the risks of contaminating others, the doctor said.
Symptoms usually don’t show up until four weeks after exposure, but they can take seven weeks to surface, according to the CDC.
The Kroger employee has not returned to work while he is being treated, McGurk said.
Epidemiologists with the CDC, based in Atlanta, came to Louisville recently to meet with Caloia and state health officials.
The agency also provided thousands of vaccines for distribution to the poor and to the highest-risk populations — drug users and the homeless or transient.
More than 5,700 people, mostly those considered at highest risk, have been vaccinated across the city since the outbreak began, Langdon said.
Health officials took shots to homeless camps, shelters and centers that offer services. They also offered the vaccine to drug users gathered at needle exchange sites.
Starting in August, all students in Jefferson County Public Schools must get two doses of the vaccine to attend school.
Some local inmates have tested positive for hepatitis A, prompting a series of immunizations at the jail for staff and inmates. Steve Durham, assistant director of Louisville Metro Department of Corrections, said it’s not an outbreak due to the jail’s ongoing cooperation with health officials.
There have been small outbreaks in other areas of the commonwealth.
“The vast majority of the cases have been in Jefferson County,” Langdon said.
He said that’s because Louisville is the biggest city and has the largest number of homeless, an at-risk population, in Kentucky.
There have been similar hepatitis A outbreaks in San Diego and parts of Utah, Michigan and Colorado, the doctor said.
Langdon said the CDC reviewed Louisville’s plan of action, lauding it as a possible model for other cities facing the same outbreak.
For more information about the disease, go to cdc.gov and search for hepatitis A.
(Hepatitis A) “is usually transmitted person-to-person through the fecal-oral route or consumption of contaminated food or water,” according to the CDC’s website. - 3/7/2018
Tens of thousands of dead sea creatures wash up on British beach by Jennifer Earl, Fox News 
Maiklem described the scene as "shocking" and "sad," but at the same time, she had to admit it was an "incredible" sight. In fact, it was "almost biblical in scale," she added.
"There were thousands upon thousands of starfish, with crabs, sea urchins, fish and sea anenomies mixed in with them," Maiklem told Fox News. "Someone even found a lobster."
The creatures covered the sandy beach like a thick blanket. Maiklem and her two kids tried to rescue as many fish as they could, tossing them one by one back into the sea.
The animals were the victims of a cold spell – what Maiklem called a "beast from the east" – that hit the U.K. last week. Similar scenes were reported down the coast, Yorkshire Wildlife Trust, a wildlife conservation charity, said in a news release on Wednesday.
“There was a three degree drop in sea temperature last week which will have caused animals to hunker down and reduce their activity levels," Bex Lynam, North Sea marine advocacy officer for Yorkshire Wildlife Trust, said in a statement provided to Fox News. "This makes them vulnerable to rough seas – they became dislodged by large waves and washed ashore when the rough weather kicked in."
Crabs, starfish and mussels were "ankle-deep" in some places, though at least two lucky marine species seemed to survive the freeze: lobsters and crabs.
“Lobsters and crabs can survive out of water, unlike the majority of the other creatures washed up," Lynam told Fox News. "Also, they have a hard exoskeleton, which offers them a certain level of protection when being thrown around by the sea.”
Maiklem said she also found several dead sea birds washed up along the same stretch.
"I understand it is a natural phenomena," Maiklem said. "I'm pleased I went to see it, but I wouldn't like to see it again."
Wildlife officials also hope they won't see a repeat of the disaster.
Yorkshire Wildlife Trust is working with local fisherman to clear the beach and rescue any remaining species that are still alive.
"This area is very important for shellfish and we work alongside fishermen to promote sustainable fisheries and protect reproductive stocks," Lynam said. "It’s worth saving them so that they can be put back into the sea and continue to breed."
Dr. Lissa Batey, senior living seas officer with The Wildlife Trusts, an organization made up of 47 local wildlife trusts in the U.K., said the government can help the creatures by designating more marine conservation zones.
“We can’t prevent natural disasters like this – but we can mitigate against declining marine life and the problems that humans cause by creating enough protected areas at sea and by ensuring that these sites are large enough and close enough to offer fish, crustaceans, dolphins and other marine life the protection they require to withstand natural events such as this," Batey said in a statement. - 3/8/2018 Medical pot bill remains ‘alive’ - Panel passes over plan, but could rule in session by Morgan Watkins, Louisville Courier Journal USA TODAY NETWORK
Some Republicans and Democrats in the legislature are calling for Kentucky to legalize medical marijuana this year and permit people to use the drug to treat a variety of health problems.
House Bill 166, which is sponsored by a bipartisan group of state lawmakers, would let qualifying patients diagnosed with a debilitating medical condition use the drug.
To legally use medical marijuana, people would need a recommendation from a health practitioner who meets certain requirements and would have to obtain an identification card from the state. They also would have to adhere to some restrictions, including limits on how much cannabis they can have at one time.
Jaime Montalvo, of the nonprofit organization Kentuckians for Medicinal Marijuana, provided Courier Journal with a list of conditions that could be treated with medical marijuana under a substitute version of HB 166. State Rep. John Sims Jr., a Flemingsburg Democrat sponsoring the bill, said the substitute has been drafted but hasn’t officially been introduced yet.
Here are many of the conditions that could be treated with medical marijuana in Kentucky if this legislation wins the approval of enough state lawmakers:- AIDS (Acquired immune deficiency syndrome)
- ALS (Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis) (Lou Gehrig’s disease)
- Cancer
- Chronic or debilitating disease
- Cognitive disorders
- Crohn’s disease
- Cognitive
- Fibromyalgia
- Glaucoma
- Hepatitis C
- Irritable bowel syndrome
- Movement disorder
- Multiple sclerosis
- Neurodevelopmental disorders
- Peripheral neuropathy
- PTSD (Post-traumatic stress disorder)
- Seizures
- Severe, debilitating pain
- Severe nausea
- Terminal illness
- Traumatic brain injury
- Wasting syndrome
Rep. Jason Nemes, R-Louisville, said the measure would have been defeated if the committee voted on it Wednesday afternoon. “This way it keeps it alive,” he said.
Nemes said he supports medical marijuana but has concerns about some provisions in HB 166 and hopes to make changes that could help the measure move forward before the session ends. Points of contention include how many cannabis plants a patient should be allowed to grow at home.
“I don’t think we’re dead,” Montalvo said of HB 166’s chances.
“We’ve never had this momentum before,” he said, noting that the Judiciary Committee spent three consecutive days this week hearing testimony on the proposal as Kentuckians who support medical marijuana flood the legislature with calls.
Under HB 166, the production, sale and use of medical marijuana would be regulated.
Publicly smoking the substance would be prohibited, and any person or business that wants to cultivate, distribute or sell it would need state-approved licenses. Local governments would have a say in whether cannabis-centric dispensaries and businesses could operate within their jurisdictions, and participating governments would receive some of the revenue from an excise tax that would be levied on the production and distribution of the drug.
Proponents say HB 166 would give people struggling with pain a new, legal alternative to opioid prescriptions amid a growing addiction crisis laying waste to too many lives across the commonwealth.
Opponents of the bill who testified this week said medical marijuana would end up in the hands of citizens who don’t need it for health reasons and would be detrimental to public safety. They also cautioned that more research is needed on the drug’s long-term effects and questioned whether legalization actually would reduce opioid use in. - Mar. 8 2018. 6.8 quake New Guinea.
- Mar. 14 2018. Eruption of underwater volcano near Grenada in the Caribbean.
- 3/14/2018 Blame warming Arctic for extreme weather in USA - Jet stream roars south to chill North America by Doyle Rice, USA TODAY
What happens in the Arctic doesn’t stay in the Arctic.
Extreme winter weather across the U.S. is linked to unusual warmth in the Arctic, according to a study published Tuesday.
That is especially true in the heavily populated eastern U.S., the study said, where extreme winter weather is two to four times more likely when Arctic temperatures are unusually warm.
The research comes out as the wild winter of 2017-18 comes to its (hopefully) merciful close with yet another nor’easter blasting the Northeast.
In addition to the onslaught of powerful storms, the winter also included a record-breaking cold snap over the eastern U.S. in late December and early January. At the same time, the Arctic was record warm, said Judah Cohen, director of seasonal forecasting at Atmospheric and Environmental Research and lead author of the study.
The theory is that when weird warmth invades the Arctic, some of the cold that’s supposed to stay up there instead sloshes south into North America and Europe.
“Warm temperatures in the Arctic cause the jet stream to take these wild swings, and when it swings farther south, that causes cold air to reach farther south,” said study co-author Jennifer Francis at Rutgers University.
“Five of the past six winters have brought persistent cold to the eastern U.S. and warm, dry conditions to the West, while the Arctic has been off-the-charts warm,” she added. "Our study suggests that this is no coincidence.” - 3/17/2018 Hep A outbreak spreads to Indiana - Clark County reports more than 20 cases, 3 schools close by Darcy Costello, Louisville Courier Journal USA TODAY NETWORK
An outbreak of hepatitis A in Kentucky, centered in Jefferson County, has spread to more than 100 people — a significant increase in a state that typically sees about 20 cases per year.
Confirmed cases have continued to grow since the outbreak was declared in November when there were 19 cases in Louisville. At the time, officials said common risk factors included homelessness or drug use.
Since then, at least two employees in the food service industry have been added to the city’s list of victims and more than 20 cases identified in Southern Indiana prompted the closure of at least one school district’s campus — which includes three Henryville schools.
Here’s what you need to know about the virus:
There are more than 140 cases reported in Jefferson County
Jefferson County is ground zero for the highly contagious liver infection, with more than 130 of the state’s cases and the first death linked to the virus.
There are typically four or fewer Louisville cases of hepatitis A in an entire year, according to a spokesman for the Louisville Metro Department of Public Health. But officials said Friday there are 143 confirmed cases in Jefferson County, up from 120 the week before — and it’s possible the outbreak still may not have crested.
The city health spokesman, Dave Langdon, told Courier Journal more than 5,700 people, mostly those considered at highest risk, have been vaccinated across the city since the outbreak began late last year.
Cases are being found across the river, in Clark County, Indiana
Clark County’s health officer Dr. Eric Yazel said Friday the county has 25 hepatitis A cases, with two more that are pending.
Of those, most have been connected to the Louisville outbreak, which makes sense given the “migration of population” between the two regions, Yazel said.
“It’s almost like one big general outbreak in Kentuckiana,” he said, adding that the county is treating the number of cases with the highest level of precaution.
Several cases were confirmed among jail inmates, as well as among two workers at Henryville Elementary School, the health department announced on Thursday. West Clark Community Schools’ Henryville campus was closed Friday as a health precaution, the district said. That campus includes Henryville’s elementary school and junior and senior high schools. School is expected to resume as scheduled Monday, according to a letter sent home by the district.
Health officials have focused on vaccinating targeted populations, primarily people living in close quarters like in a jail or at a homeless shelter, Yazel said. Since the first cases began to appear in early December, more than 500 vaccinations have been administered in Clark County.
Yazel recommends anyone who interacts with a large amount of people, such as those in the food industry, to get vaccinated. And anyone with symptoms is advised to stay home to prevent spreading the virus.
Floyd County did not immediately respond to a request for comment on Friday.
Since November of 2017, Indiana has confirmed 37 cases statewide, a spokeswoman for the Indiana Department of Health said on Friday. Of those, 14 people reported visiting Kentucky before their illness onset, spokeswoman Megan Wade-Taxter wrote in an email.
The hepatitis A cases in the Clark County jail were considered to be an outbreak, she said, but there has not been an outbreak declared for Clark County or Indiana.
Across the country, outbreaks have been identified in California, Michigan, Wyoming and Utah.
Some cases have been identified in the food service industry
An employee at the Kroger store on Dixie Highway was diagnosed earlier this month, prompting an alert from the store warning customers to look out for possible symptoms.
Roughly a week later, city health officials said a former employee of the Denny’s restaurant in St. Matthews had also been diagnosed, after having potentially exposed customers to the virus.
A news release from the city last week advised that people can become ill two to six weeks after being exposed to the virus.
Symptoms include vomiting and a fever, but disease outlasts them
The disease, caused by a virus, tends to hit adults hardest.
According to Dr. Lori Caloia, the city health department’s medical director, common symptoms include:
- Yellowing of the skin and whites of the eyes
- Fever and body aches
- Stomach pain, nausea and vomiting
Darker urine and lighter-colored stools Symptoms usually last less than two months, but between 10 and 15 percent of victims remain sick for up to six months, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
An outbreak tore through the Louisville area in 1988, killing one and infecting more than 200 others.
One victim, Rick Hancock, remembered several weeks of vomiting that left him exhausted and dehydrated. At one point, he couldn’t even drink water.
“I can remember laying there in my bed when I was sickest, thinking, ‘Gosh, I’m glad I don’t have a gun in this house,’” he said.
A study of the outbreak published in the American Journal of Public Health in 1990 found that in nearly three out of every four cases, the victims ate at one of three Louisville restaurants. It did not identify the eateries.
The outbreak was later traced back to produce that had been contaminated before it was distributed to restaurants — the first known contamination of its kind in the United States, the report stated. All of those restaurants had purchased produce from the same distributors.
Hancock’s illness was seven years before a vaccine for the liver virus was made available in 1995, according to Dr. Paul Schulz, an infectious diseases specialist and system epidemiologist for Norton Healthcare.
Louisville officials urge people to consider getting the vaccine, which is covered by most insurance plans and offered at Kroger and Walgreen pharmacies.
Reporter Beth Warren contributed to this report.
An outbreak of hepatitis A has spread from Louisville to Clark County, Ind., which has more than 20 cases. GETTY IMAGES - 3/23/2018 Ocean garbage dump dwarfs Lone Star State by Doyle Rice, USA TODAY
The world’s largest collection of ocean garbage is growing.
The Great Pacific Garbage Patch, a collection of plastic, floating trash halfway between Hawaii and California, has grown to more than 600,000 square miles — twice the size of Texas, a study published Thursday found.
Winds and converging ocean currents funnel the garbage into a central location, said study lead author Laurent Lebreton of the Ocean Cleanup Foundation, a non-profit organization that spearheaded the research.
First discovered in the early 1990s, the trash in the patch comes from around the Pacific Rim, including nations in Asia and North and South America, Lebreton said.
The patch includes about 1.8 trillion pieces and weighs 88,000 tons — the equivalent of 500 jumbo jets.
The research was published Thursday in Nature Scientific Reports.
“We were surprised by the amount of large plastic objects we encountered,” said Julia Reisser of the foundation. “We used to think most of the debris consists of small fragments, but this new analysis shines a new light on the scope of the debris.”
No governments have stepped up to clean the trash, which is in international waters, so privately funded groups such as the Ocean Cleanup Foundation took the lead.
“It’s a ticking time bomb. ... We’ve got to get it before it breaks down into a size that’s too small to collect and also dangerous for marine life.” Joost Dubois, Ocean Cleanup Foundation.
- Mar. 24 2018. 6.3 quake Southeast India Ridge. 6.3 quake Papua New Guinea.
- Mar. 25-26 2018. 6.6 quake, Papua New Guinea. 6.4 quake, Indonesia.
- 3/27/2018 Blowing sand brings orange snow to Eastern Europe by Doyle Rice, USA TODAY
Sure, we’ve all been warned about yellow snow, but what about orange snow?
Thanks to dust blowing in from the Sahara Desert, folks in several Eastern European countries this weekend were surprised to see their snow turn a weird orange color.
Skiers and snowboarders saw orange snow in at least four countries, including Russia, Bulgaria, Ukraine and Romania “We’re skiing on Mars today,” exclaimed one social media user as he skied down the slopes, according to CNN.
The freak weather phenomenon was brought about by sand being blown from the Sahara Desert in northern Africa. In a NASA satellite image, the dust was visible as a light brown streak staining the white clouds above Eastern Europe, the Weather Channel said.
AccuWeather meteorologist Eric Leister said “the jet stream dipped southward across Europe and into northern Africa.” The phenomenon occurs roughly once every five years.
Contributing: The Associated Press.
Orange snow blankets the mountains Friday at a ski resort outside Sochi, Russia. MARGARITA ALSHINA VIA AP - Mar. 29 2018. 6.9 quake Papua New Guinea.
- Mar. 31 2018. Cyclone Josie in Fiji, tropical storm became a cyclone with flooding damage caused 1,873 evacuations and 74 closed roads, 4 deaths.
- April 2 2018. 6.8 quake, Bolivia.
- 4/6/2018 Magnitude 5.3 earthquake shakes buildings in Los Angeles
A magnitude 5.3 earthquake rattled Southern California on Thursday, shaking buildings in the Los Angeles area.
There were no immediate reports of damage or injuries.
At the USA TODAY bureau in west Los Angeles, the quake wasn’t strong enough to cause items to fall off desks. - April 7 2018. 6.3 quake, Papua New Guinea.
- 4/9/2018 Could the Arctic summer be ice free by 2050? By Doyle Rice, USA TODAY
One of the big questions about global warming is when — or if — the Arctic will be ice-free each summer.
A study published last week said if the world warms 7.2 degrees this century, the Arctic will likely have a three-month, ice-free period each summer by 2050. It would be a worst-case scenario never seen in recorded history.
By the end of the century, the ice free summer could jump to five months a year, the study said.
The shrinking sea ice is caused by rising global temperatures that stem from the burning of fossil fuels, such as oil, gas and coal, according to the National Snow and Ice Data Center.
Sea ice floats on the ocean and has an annual cycle of freezing in the winter and melting each summer.
Why does it matter? Arctic ice not only is important to polar bears and other wildlife, but it also helps regulate the planet’s temperature. Recent studies also said that Arctic sea ice — and the lack of it — can wreak havoc with weather patterns as far away as the United States.
A visible sign of climate change is the drastic decline in Arctic sea ice. Since 1979, the minimum annual area of sea ice in the Arctic has dropped by about 40%, as measured each September.
This study, which used computer models to estimate future warming and melting, outlined a range of possibilities for Arctic sea ice, depending on how much Earth’s temperature rises.
If the world warms only 2.7 degrees, the goal set by the Paris Climate Agreement, the probability of ice-free summers drops dramatically. The study was published in the peer-reviewed British journal Nature Climate Change. - April 10 2018. 6.2 quake, Chile.
- 4/10/2018 2 more earthquakes strike area of northwestern Oklahoma
Earthquakes are rattling part of northwest Oklahoma where more than a dozen temblors have struck since Friday.
The U.S. Geological Survey recorded an earthquake of preliminary magnitude 4.3 at 5:22 a.m. Monday, nearly an hour after a magnitude-3.3 quake struck the area near Covington, about 55 miles north of Oklahoma City. - 4/11/2018 Strawberries top ‘Dirty Dozen’ pesticides list by Sean Rossman, USA TODAY
If you’re wary of the promises of organic produce, maybe you should at least start eating organic strawberries, recent research suggests.
For the third consecutive year, strawberries top the Environmental Working Group’s Dirty Dozen list of fruits and vegetables with the most pesticide residues.
About a third of all strawberry samples had at least 10 pesticides, the study found. One sample had an “astounding” 22 pesticide residues, notes the EWG, a nonprofit group.
Following strawberries on the list was spinach, in which 97% of samples contained residues. Rounding out the top five: Nectarines, apples and grapes.
The report bases findings on nearly 39,000 Department of Agriculture tests of 47 fruits and vegetables. It found nearly 70% of “conventionally grown produce” has pesticides and 98% of strawberries, peaches, nectarines, cherries and apples contained at least one pesticide.
The Environmental Protection Agency says fruits and vegetables are “safer than ever.” The Alliance for Food and Farming points to USDA and Food and Drug Administration data showing 99% of residues are “well below safety levels” set by the EPA. - 4/12/2018 Glacier melting at fastest pace in centuries by Doyle Rice, USA TODAY
One of the USA’s tallest glaciers is melting at the fastest pace in 400 years, a new study reports.
The study said melting on Mount Hunter in Alaska’s Denali National Park can be linked mainly to rising summer temperatures in the region.
“We have not seen snow melt like this in at least four centuries,” said study lead author Dominic Winski, a glaciologist at Dartmouth College.
New ice cores taken from the top of Mount Hunter show summers there now are least 2 to 3 degrees Fahrenheit warmer than they were during the 18th, 19th and early 20th centuries. Specifically, the ice core record shows 60 times more snow melt occurs today than did 150 years ago.
Ice cores are good records of past climate because the water, snow and air in the ice contain evidence of atmospheric conditions over hundreds to thousands of years, the Byrd Polar Research Center said. The seasonal snowfall and its gradual change to ice provide an annual record of snowfall amounts and atmospheric conditions throughout the year.
The scientists drilled two ice cores that gave a record of the climate there going back to the mid-17th century.
The warming in Alaska coincides with warming in the tropical Pacific Ocean, according to the study.
“We suggest that warming of the tropical Pacific Ocean has contributed to the rapid warming on Mount Hunter by enhancing high-pressure systems over Alaska,” the study authors said.
Deke Arndt, the head of NOAA’s Climate Monitoring Branch, said that “in the context of a changing climate, the Arctic is changing more rapidly than the rest of the planet.” - April 14 2018. U.S., U.K. and France missile strikes on chemical weapons production in Syria, after Syria used chemical weapons on people there. Putin said there will be "consequences" for this. Could Putin launch a missile attack against NATO countries? A 200-foot-wide asteroid passed by earth on April 15, missing earth by about 120,000 miles.
- 4/15/2018 Climate boundary shifts 140 miles to east by Doyle Rice, USA TODAY
A boundary that divides the humid eastern U.S. and the dry western Plains appears to have shifted 140 miles to the east over the past century due to global warming, new research suggests.
Scientists say it will almost certainly continue shifting in coming decades, expanding the arid climate of the western Plains into what we think of as the Midwest. The implications for farming could be huge.
The boundary line was first identified in 1878 by the American geologist and explorer John Wesley Powell. At that time, it was at 100 degrees west longitude, also known as the 100th meridian.
“Powell talked eloquently about the 100th meridian, and this concept of a boundary line has stayed with us down to the current day,” said Richard Seager, a climate scientist at Columbia University’s Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory and lead author of two new studies about the shifting climate boundary.
Running south to north, the 100th meridian cuts through Texas, Oklahoma, Kansas, Nebraska and the Dakotas. It’s considered the beginning of the Great Plains.
Both population and development are sparse west of the 100th meridian, where farms are larger and primarily depend on crops like wheat that do well in arid climates, the Yale School of Forestry & Environmental Studies said. To the more humid east, more people and infrastructure exist. A large portion of the harvest is moisture-loving corn.
The studies appeared in the journal Earth Interactions, a publication of the American Meteorological Society. - 4/23/2018 Alaska sea ice at lowest since at least 1850 by Doyle Rice, USA TODAY
The Arctic had a winter fever: The amount of sea ice in the Bering Sea west of Alaska was less this winter than any year since written records of commercial whalers started in 1850, before the Civil War. The part of the Bering Sea covered by ice in February was about 150,000 square miles less than average, an area nearly the size of California.
The data come from a report from the International Arctic Research Center at the University of Alaska-Fairbanks. The lack of sea ice was a hardship for the people living in communities along the Bering Sea.
“Travel between communities via boat or snow machine was difficult and limited due to thin, unstable sea ice,” the report said. “At times there was not enough ice to harvest marine mammals, fish, or crabs."
“As a result of increased open water, storm surf flooded homes and pushed ice rubble onto shore,” the report added.
A combination of global climate change and naturally occurring weather patterns caused the ice loss, scientists said.
John Walsh, chief scientist with the research center, said there was clearly an element of natural variability in the form of frequent storms and strong winds, “but the magnitude of the ice loss in response to winds and air temperatures was greater than it would have been in the past, without global climate change.”
Scientists said the lack of ice can affect seals, walruses and whales. But the impacts of low sea ice “on marine mammal movements and timing are not yet understood,” the report said. - 4/24/2018 California’s weather extremes may get worse by Doyle Rice, USA TODAY
Over the past couple of years, California lurched from its worst drought ever to disastrous, record flooding.
Now, a study suggests the frequency of these rapid, year-to-year swings from extreme dry to wet conditions — which the study authors dub “precipitation whiplash events” — may become more common in California’s future as a consequence of global warming.
The study authors say the frequency of whiplash events — in which the region transitions from dry to wet conditions — “will double in southern California by the end of the century.”
That would mean such events would occur around eight times per century in a warmer climate vs. four times per century in a more stable climate, said UCLA climate scientist Daniel Swain, lead author of the study.
Swain and his team used computer model simulations to predict the future climate patterns in California.
Of concern would be a repeat of the 1862 flood that likely killed thousands and left much of the state’s central valley underwater: A repeat “would probably lead to considerable loss of life and economic damages approaching a trillion dollars,” the study said.
That’s about a third of the state’s annual gross domestic product, which is the most of any U.S. state.
Here’s the science behind how it works: The amount of water vapor in the atmosphere increases rapidly as the atmosphere warms. This increase in water vapor can lift the “ceiling” on extreme rainstorms and snowstorm.
And climate change is likely to change prevailing wind and storm track patterns over the Pacific, Swain said. - 4/26/2018 Plastics choke Arctic ice in record amount by John Bacon, USA TODAY
If you are wondering what happens to all those cigarette butts flicked on sidewalks and plastic packing peanuts on the street, researchers have found an alarming amount of particles from them in the ice of the Arctic Ocean.
The record amount of microplastic appears to be courtesy of the Great Pacific Garbage Patch and increased fishing and shipping in the Arctic, researchers at the Alfred Wegener Institute of the Helmholtz Center for Polar and Marine Research report.
The study raises concerns about the impact on human and sea life.
Ice samples from five regions across the Arctic Ocean contained up to 12,000 of the particles per liter of sea ice, researchers say. More than half the particles trapped in the ice were less than 1/500th of an inch wide — less than one-tenth the thickness of a credit card.
“They could easily be ingested by arctic microorganisms,” said biologist and report author Ilka Peeken. “No one can say for certain how harmful these tiny plastic particles are for marine life, or ultimately also for human beings.”
Microplastic refers to plastic particles, fibers, pellets and other fragments with a length, width or diameter from microscopic to two-tenths of an inch.
The types of plastic showed a “unique footprint” in the ice. Some can be traced to the Great Pacific Garbage Patch, a collection of plastic, floating trash halfway between Hawaii and California, that has grown to more than 600,000 square miles, the report says.
Researchers determined that ice floes contain particularly high concentrations of polyethylene, used primarily in packaging material.
The study was released in the journal Nature Communications. - 4/28/2018 Europeans move toward full ban on pesticides that harm bees
The European Union made a breakthrough Friday to completely ban pesticides that harm bees and their crop pollination.
The 28-member states got a large majority backing the ban on the three neonicotinoid pesticides that will take effect at the end of the year. - 4/29/2018 Atoll islands might be uninhabitable within decades by Doyle Rice, USA TODAY
This isn’t the sort of beachfront property you’d want to own.
By the middle of the century, many low-lying atoll islands around the world could become uninhabitable because of sea-level rise from human caused climate change, according to a study published Wednesday.
The rising seas would lead to frequent flooding, lack of fresh water and widespread damage to island infrastructure.
Most of the planet’s low-lying islands are in the Indian and Pacific oceans. Island chains including uninhabited areas in northwestern Hawaii would be susceptible to ocean flooding.
The study focused on Roi-Namur on Kwajalein Atoll, in the Marshall Islands.
“The tipping point when potable groundwater on the majority of atoll islands will be unavailable is projected to be reached no later than the middle of the 21st century,” said Curt Storlazzi, a geologist with the U.S. Geological Survey and lead author of the report.
Sea-level rise, one of the clearest signals of global warming, is driven by warming and expanding ocean water, as well as the melting of mountain glaciers, ice caps, and the Greenland and Antarctic ice sheets.
Seas have risen nearly 8inches worldwide since 1880, but unlike water in a bathtub, they don’t rise evenly. Scientists said global warming will be the primary cause. The greatest uncertainty is how quickly the massive West Antarctic ice sheet will melt.
The study was prepared by scientists from the U.S. Geological Survey and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, along with several other groups. It appeared in the journal Science Advances.
- May 2, 2018. India severe dust storms caused 125 deaths and affected Western and Northern India, and caused abnormally high temperatures that may have contributed to the storms, but meteorologists have also called it a freak accident.
Damages from high winds and lightning generated by the storms destroyed houses and livestock, as well as uprooted trees and shut down electricity for many. - May 3 2018. Mount Kilauea eruption in Hawaii and three days before the eruption, a volcanic crater collapsed which caused lava to pour down the volcano's slopes. This set off a chain of small fissures and earthquakes, eventually leading to a massive eruption. The governor of Hawaii quickly declared a state of emergency.
- On May 25, 2018, a 4.4-magnitude earthquake struck Hawaii near the base of Mount Kilauea, which sent ash from the erupting volcano up to 10,000 feet in the air.
- Another earthquake, one with a 5.5 magnitude, shook the Kilauea summit on June 3, 2018. It was one of 500 quakes in the summit area of the active volcano in a 24-hour period. The 5.5-magnitude quake sent ash up in the air over 8,000 feet. Officials also announced some residents became stranded in an area cut off by lava. Authorities attempted to evacuate them before the lava spread, but some opted to stay in their homes and were left without power, cell reception, landlines, or county water. Authorities plan to airlift the trapped citizens if the lava spreads. More than 1,700 evacuations, 82 structures destroyed, 279 homes destroyed, with no deaths.
- 5/4/2018 Most sunscreens might soon face ban in Hawaii by Ashley May, USA TODAY
Hawaii could become the first state to ban sunscreens with chemicals that may harm the environment. So you might want to pack a sunhat and long sleeves for that trip to Waikiki.
State lawmakers passed a bill Tuesday banning sunscreens containing oxybenzone and octinoxate, chemicals believed to cause harm to marine life and coral reefs. Those are active ingredients in a host of popular sunscreens, including top-rated brands.
The bill, introduced by Democratic Sen. Mike Gabbard, would prohibit the sale and distribution of sunscreen with those chemicals on the island “without prescription from a licensed health care provider.”
“Amazingly, this is a first-in-the-world law,” Gabbard told the Honolulu Star- Advertiser.
“When you think about it, our island paradise, surrounded by coral reefs, is the perfect place to set the gold standard for the world to follow. This will make a huge difference in protecting our coral reefs, marine life and human health.”
The bill would go into effect Jan. 1, 2021, if signed by Democratic Gov. David Ige.
Critics of the bill question studies linking the chemicals to coral reef decay and say banning sunscreen could discourage people from wearing skin protection altogether, increasing skin cancer cases. Henry Lim, former president of the American Academy of Dermatology Association, told USA TODAY this could “create significant confusion” about why wearing sunscreen is important. Plus, there aren’t many effective sunscreen options on the market without these chemicals, he said. - May 4 2018. 6.9 quake, Hawaii.
- May 5 2018. 6.1 quake, Philippines. Volcano eruption on Hawaii, and in Alaska.
- 5/5/2018 Extremely high levels of sulfur dioxide gas detected in volcano - Eruption in Hawaii brings evacuation orders by Doug Stanglin and Jane Onyanga-Omara, USA TODAY
Hawaii officials who ordered the evacuation of hundreds in the path of the erupting Kilauea volcano warned Friday that seniors, young people and those with respiratory problems should leave nearby areas immediately because of extremely high levels of sulfur dioxide gas.
Some 1,500 people fled late Thursday from a small residential area on the island after the initial eruption sent lava snaking through a forest, spurting from a 500-foot crack and flowing down a residential street.
Hawaii Gov. David Ige issued the mandatory evacuation order for the Leilani Estates and Lanipuna Gardens subdivisions and activated the National Guard to help with evacuations and security.
Hawaii civil defense officials said Friday that the volcano is still erupting and driving up sulfur dioxide gas to extremely high levels. Exposure can cause irritation, burns, sore throats, runny noses, burning eyes and coughing.
There were no immediate reports of injuries.
At one point, lava fountains were shooting 150 feet in the air, and molten lava spread across an area about 200 yards wide behind one house in Leilani Estates, Big Island resident Ikaika Marzo told the Honolulu Star-Advertiser.
“It sounds like a jet engine. It’s going hard,” he said.
The evacuees were sheltering at two community centers near the town of Pahoa on the Big Island.
“The danger is of such magnitude that it warrants pre-emptive and protective action in order to provide for the safety, health and welfare of the residents of Leilani Estates and surrounding areas,” Ige tweeted.
Resident Jeremiah Osuna captured drone footage of the lava burning through the trees, a scene he described as a “curtain of fire.”
“It sounded like if you were to put a bunch of rocks into a dryer and turn it on as high as you could. You could just smell sulfur and burning trees and underbrush and stuff,” he told Honolulu television station KHON.
The eruption is not an unusual event there.
“This eruption is typical of Kilauea,” said Jessica Johnson, a geophysicist at the University of East Anglia, who worked for two years at the Hawaiian Volcano Observatory. She said Kilauea is one of the most active and well-monitored volcanoes in the world.
Officials said there is no way to predict how long the eruption will continue or what shape it will take.
“This eruption could be finished or could go on for a long time,” Johnson said.
After the 500-foot fissure appeared in Leilani Estates, it generated mostly spatter and intermittent bubble bursts for about two hours, with lava stopping after only a few yards, according to the Hawaiian Volcano Observatory, but could start again at any moment.
The eruption came after days of earthquakes that rattled the area’s Puna district.
A nearby school was closed due to the ongoing seismic activity, and several roadways cracked under the strain of the constant temblors.
A magnitude 5.0 earthquake was recorded hours before the eruption began Thursday.
The Pu’u ’O’o crater floor began to collapse Monday, triggering a series of earthquakes and pushing the lava into new underground chambers.
The collapse caused magma to push more than 10 miles downslope toward the populated southeast coastline of the island.
USGS geologist Janet Babb said the magma crossed under Highway 130, which leads to a popular volcano access point, on Tuesday night.
“It sounded like if you were to put a bunch of rocks into a dryer and turn it on as high as you could. You could just smell sulfur and burning trees and underbrush and stuff.” Jeremiah Osuna, Resident of Hawaii’s Big Island.
A plume of ash rises from the Pu’u ’O’o vent on Hawaii’s Mount Kilauea. AP - 5/6/2018 CO2 levels hit highest point in 800,000 years by Doyle Rice, USA TODAY
Carbon dioxide — the gas scientists say is most responsible for global warming — reached its highest level in recorded history last month, at 410 parts per million.
This amount is the highest in at least the past 800,000 years, according to the Scripps Institute of Oceanography. Prior to the Industrial Revolution, carbon dioxide levels had fluctuated over the millennia but had never exceeded 300 parts per million.
“We keep burning fossil fuels. Carbon dioxide keeps building up in the air,” said Scripps scientist Ralph Keeling, who maintains the longest continuous record of atmospheric carbon dioxide on Earth. “It’s essentially as simple as that.”
Keeling and his late father have kept carbon dioxide measurements at the Mauna Loa Observatory in Hawaii since 1958.
The average concentration of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere in April was 410.31 parts per million, according to the Keeling Curve measurement series.
This marks the first time in the history of the Mauna Loa record a monthly average has exceeded 410 ppm. It’s also a 30% increase in carbon dioxide concentration in the global atmosphere since the Keeling Curve began in 1958.
- 5/5/2018 Extremely high levels of sulfur dioxide gas detected in volcano - Eruption in Hawaii brings evacuation orders by Doug Stanglin and Jane Onyanga-Omara, USA TODAY
- 5/7/2018 Lava leaves fiery trail of destruction in Hawaii - More quakes, eruptions likely as volcano rages by Trevor Hughes, USA TODAY
PAHOA, Hawaii – The massive lava flow oozes like fiery molasses, gobbling up everything in its path: homes, power poles, roads and trees.
The boiling vents roar like ocean waves, throwing lava hundreds of feet into the air and igniting nearby vegetation.
Flames creep across what were once lush green yards, leaving a smoldering trail of destruction.
Trees and utility poles crash to the ground dozens of feet from where the crackling flow surfaced.
It was a scene dramatic — and dangerous — as a menacing new lava flow from the Kilauea volcano was on a collision course with homes in the Leilani Estates neighborhood of the Big Island.
Twenty-one homes were destroyed, and levels of sulfur dioxide — which can cause respiratory distress and irritation of the eyes, nose and throat — were elevated, Hawaii County Mayor Harry Kim tweeted Sunday.
About 1,700 people and hundreds of animals evacuated the Leilani Estates area near Hilo on Thursday, but some refused to leave.
“How can I walk away from this?” Greg Chunn said. “It’s a once-in-a-lifetime experience.”
Two fissures appeared overnight, bringing the total to nine that opened in the neighborhood since Thursday.
Fire officials conducted another safety sweep of homes Sunday and watched helplessly as the lava engulfed a green, single-story house.
Greg Webber, another resident who refused to evacuate, said he watched eight of his neighbors’ homes burn.
“I won’t leave until it’s an inch from my house,” he said. “I’ve been through this a million times.”
Hundreds of small earthquakes rumbled through the area after Friday’s magnitude-6.9 temblor hit — the largest earthquake to jolt Hawaii in more than 40 years. Magma moving through Kilauea set off the quakes, and geologists warned of aftershocks.
The U.S. Geological Survey said the event is far from over. More earthquakes and eruptions could cover the area with plumes of ash. The agency said it measured a jarring 477 earthquakes on the island over the prior 24 hours, though many were small and probably not felt by residents.
Kilauea is one of five volcanoes on the island, an attraction for the 8.9 million visitors the state sees annually. One of the world’s most active volcanoes, it has been erupting since 1983.
One of the biggest attractions, Volcanoes National Park, is closed because of quake damage.
Airport officials monitored the runways in Hilo for earthquake damage, and jetliners coming from the mainland carried extra fuel so that they could divert to Honolulu if the volcano became more active.
More than 100 people stayed at a Red Cross shelter for a third night Saturday, trying to keep their spirits up. Evacuee Ellie Garnett fretted about her four dogs and cat, whom she left Thursday during the evacuation.
Garnett said she took a carload of belongings to a storage unit but wasn’t allowed to make a second trip back to get her animals. Police and the National Guard blocked entrances to the area to prevent looting and gas exposure. Garnett said she left the animals water but worried they might die from the poison gases that often accompany this kind of lava flow.
At the shelter, evacuees huddled in small groups to discuss their options and trade rumors about which houses were destroyed. Kids played on a jungle gym alongside more than a dozen dogs, chickens, two parrots and a goose. Because their homes are built near a volcano, few residents have replacement insurance.
Evacuee Sammy Walton said he wasn’t in a hurry to get home. He, his wife and their dog, Sugar, were welcomed with open arms at the Red Cross shelter. “This beats working,” joked Walton, a homebuilder who imports tiny homes to the islands.
Above left flames started by lava consume a house Sunday morning near Pahoa, Hawaii. PHOTOS BY TREVOR HUGHES/USA TODAY.
Above right is Don Yokohama, a forester for Hawaii, watches lava advance through the Leilani Estates neighborhood. - 5/7/2018 Taj Mahal going green — but not in a good way by Jane Onyanga-Omara, USA TODAY
India’s iconic Taj Mahal has become peppered with green and brown spots from pollution, and the country’s Supreme Court ordered the government to find a way to restore the famous white marble building.
Justices Madan Lokur and Deepak Gupta were shocked when they saw images of spots in a hearing Tuesday. They ordered officials to consult with experts to prevent further damage to the UNESCO World Heritage Site.
“Earlier it was turning yellow, and now it is becoming brown and green. It is very serious. It seems you are helpless. It has to be saved,” the justices said, according to The Times of India.
Pollution, construction and insect droppings likely caused the damage.
Lokur and Gupta said they wanted a plan to restore the building, located in the northern city of Agra.
The Taj Mahal was commissioned in 1632 by the Mughal Emperor Shah Jahan as a tomb for his favorite wife, Mumtaz Mahal. The building attracts up to 50,000 tourists a day and about 7 million people a year. The Archaeological Survey of India limited visits last month to three hours per person.
In the 1990s, the Supreme Court ordered the closure of factories near the Taj Mahal to protect it from pollution.
The Taj Mahal GETTY IMAGES - 5/9/2018 Study: Jupiter and Venus orbits affect our climate by Doyle Rice, USA TODAY
Who knew? The orbits of planets hundreds of millions of miles away can change weather patterns here on Earth.
Every 405,000 years, gravitational tugs from the planets Jupiter and Venus gradually affect Earth’s climate and life forms, according to a new study published Monday.
This pattern has been going on for at least 215 million years and allows scientists to more precisely date geological events like the spread of dinosaurs.
“Scientists can now link changes in the climate, environment, dinosaurs, mammals and fossils around the world to this 405,000-year cycle in a very precise way,” said study lead author Dennis Kent, an expert in paleomagnetism at Columbia University’s Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory and Rutgers University.
The cycle has been happening for hundreds of millions of years, from before the rise of dinosaurs, and is still active today, scientists say.
“The climate cycles are directly related to how the Earth orbits the sun and slight variations in sunlight reaching Earth lead to climate and ecological changes,” said Kent, who studies Earth’s magnetic field.
Jupiter and Venus are such strong influences because of their size and proximity. Venus is the nearest planet to us — at its farthest, only about 162 million miles — and roughly similar in mass. Jupiter is much farther away but is the Solar System’s largest planet.
The study says that every 405,000 years, due to wobbles in our orbit caused by the gravitational pulls of the two planets, seasonal differences on Earth become more intense. Summers are hotter and winters colder; dry times drier, wet times wetter. - May 12 2018. Volcano eruption on Hawaii continues.
- 5/12/2018 WHO chief: Ebola vaccines to be shipped to Congo amid outbreak
Ebola vaccines will be shipped as quickly as possible to Congo as the number of suspected cases in the latest outbreak grows, the head of the World Health Organization said Friday as the agency prepared for a “worst case scenario.”
WHO Director-General Tedros Ghebreyesus said in a Twitter post that the agreement was made in a phone call with Congo’s health minister.
Two cases of Ebola have been confirmed in the latest outbreak in a remote northwestern part of Congo. There is no specific treatment for Ebola. A new experimental vaccine has been shown to be highly effective, though quantities are limited. - May 14 2018. U.S. Embassy in Jerusalem opened today, 70 years after the creation of the State of Israel on May 14 1948. Very significant in Bible prophecy! More than 50 dead in Palestinian Gaza riots.
- 5/15/2018 WHO: Congo approves use of experimental Ebola vaccine
Congo has agreed to allow the World Health Organization to use an experimental Ebola vaccine to combat an outbreak announced last week, the WHO director-general said Monday.
The aim is for health officials to start using the vaccine by the end of the week, said WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.
The outbreak was announced last week in Bikoro, in Congo’s northwest.
As of Sunday, Congo had 39 suspected, probable and confirmed cases of Ebola since April, including 19 deaths, WHO reported. - May 17 2018. Major eruption 30,000 feet high in Hawaii volcano. A case of Ebola virus in Congo in Africa.
- 5/18/2018 ‘Major game changer’: Ebola spreads to Congo city Mbandaka
Congo’s Ebola outbreak has spread to a crossroads city of more than 1 million people. “This is a major, major game-changer,” Peter Salama, a World Health Organization emergency response official, warned Thursday. One case of Ebola was confirmed in Mbandaka, a provincial capital. - 5/18/2018 Earth marks 400 warmer-than-usual months by Doyle Rice, USA TODAY
It was December 1984, and President Reagan had just been elected to his second term, Dynasty was the top show on TV, and Madonna’s Like a Virgin topped the musical charts.
It also was the last time the Earth had a cooler-than-average month.
Last month marked the planet’s 400th consecutive month with above average temperatures, federal scientists from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration announced Thursday.
The cause for the streak is unquestionably climate change from humanity’s burning of fossil fuels.
“We live in and share a world that is unequivocally, appreciably and consequentially warmer than just a few decades ago, and our world continues to warm,” said NOAA climate scientist Deke Arndt. “Speeding by a ‘400’ sign only underscores that, but it does not prove anything new.” Climate scientists use the 20th-century average as a benchmark for global temperature measurements because it’s fixed in time, allowing for consistent “goal posts” when reviewing climate data. It also is a sufficiently long period to include several cycles of climate variability.
“The thing that really matters is that, by whatever metric, we’ve spent every month for several decades on the warm side of any reasonable baseline,” Arndt said.
NOAA’s analysis found last month was the third-warmest April on record globally. The unusual heat was most noteworthy in Europe, which had its warmest April on record, and Australia, which had its second-warmest. Portions of Asia also experienced some extreme heat. - 5/21/2018 Congo to start giving out experimental Ebola vaccine
Congo will begin administering an experimental Ebola vaccine Monday in Mbandaka, the northwestern city of 1.2 million where the deadly disease has infected some residents, Congo’s health minister announced.
“The vaccination campaign ... will target, first, the health staff, the contacts of the sick and the contacts of the contacts,” Minister of Health Oly Ilunga said Sunday. The death toll of the current Ebola outbreak has risen to 26. - 5/21/2018 In Hawaii, lava pouring into ocean is a threat by Chris Woodyard, USA TODAY
After destroying dozens of houses, lava from the Kilauea volcano has now reached the ocean, presenting a new health threat to Hawaii residents.
Civil defense authorities on Hawaii posted a warning to stay clear of any lava stream that is flowing into the Pacific Ocean. When the super-hot lava hits the cooler sea water, it produces what is called “laze,” hydrochloric acid steam that pours into the air along with fine particles of glass.
“Health hazards of laze include lung, eye and skin irritation,” the agency said in a message to residents. “Be aware that the laze plume travels with the wind and can change direction without warning.”
A dispatch Sunday from Civil Defense said two lava flows have reached the ocean, including at least one near MacKenzie State Park.
As a result of the lava flows, Highway 137 is closed between Kamaili Road and Pohoiki Road.
The threat comes as one of the first injuries as a direct result of lava flows was reported.
A man suffered a “serious” injury from lava splatter while sitting on the porch of his home, according to a report in the Honolulu Star Advertiser.
“I heard the injury was quite bad, serious to his leg,” the newspaper quoted Civil Defense Administrator Talmadge Magno as saying.
More than 20 fissures have opened since the volcano’s latest activity began May 3 and are being tracked.
Yet, with more than 2,000 residents under evacuation, life largely goes on as normal on much of the Big Island. The tourism industry is still in full swing and the island’s airports remain open. - 5/26/2018 Study: Humans destroyed 83% of all wild mammals by Josh Hafner, USA TODAY
Imagine all the animals on Earth: lions and giraffes, monkeys, penguins and bears. All those exist, sure, but you’re far more likely to come across cows, chickens, cows and more cows.
That’s how Ron Milo, a biologist at Israel’s Weizmann Institute of Science, broke down a new study for The Guardian. The work, a census of life on Earth, found 83% of all wild mammals have vanished amid the rise of human civilization.
With more humans came demand for more livestock, which now make up 60% of all mammals as measured by biomass, the study found. And farmed poultry now makes up 70% of all birds on Earth. Just 4% of all mammals today live in the wild.
The study, which highlights humanity’s “radical ecological effects,” was published this week in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.
While humanity boomed over a short time through farming, livestock and the Industrial Revolution, authors note, humans now make up a relatively measly 0.01% of all life.
But that speck of humanity has an outsized impact: Intense whaling helped decimate 80% of all marine animals, and half of all plants on Earth have been lost.
Domesticated livestock, like cattle, are most of Earth’s mammals. GETTY IMAGES - May 28 2018. Subtropical Storm Alberto affected Southeastern United States, Florida Panhandle. The first named storm of the Atlantic hurricane season - which officially starts June 1 - is Alberto. The storm received a downgrade from a tropical to a subtropical depression, which is a blend of a tropical storm and a low-pressure system typical of higher latitudes. It made landfall in the western section of the Florida Panhandle in the afternoon. Nearly 13,000 Floridians were without power on May 28, and an additional 20,000 homes and businesses lost electricity on May 29. Emergency officials in North Carolina had concerns about flash floods due to the heavy rains and high winds. Franklin County, FL, issued mandatory evacuations for residents of the barrier islands.The states of Florida, Alabama, and Mississippi all declared states of emergency. Only 2 deaths.
- 5/29/2018 Storm Alberto maintains strength as heads to Gulf Coast
Subtropical Storm Alberto headed toward landfall Monday on the northern Gulf Coast, where white sandy beaches were emptied of their usual Memorial Day crowds.
The National Hurricane Center in Miami said Alberto was maintaining its strength as it approached the Florida Panhandle and had maximum sustained winds of 60 mph.
Forecasters warned of life-threatening surf conditions and the possibility of tornadoes in Florida and parts of Georgia, South Carolina and Alabama.
- 5/29/2018 Storm Alberto maintains strength as heads to Gulf Coast
- 5/31/2018 Great Barrier Reef has survived 5 near-death events by David Carrig, USA TODAY
The Great Barrier Reef off Australia’s northeastern coast has proved to be extremely resilient as a new study reveals that the world’s largest reef system has survived five events in the past 30,000 years.
But scientists are not sure that the reef is resilient enough to survive the current crisis caused by rising ocean temperatures and coral bleaching.
The study published in Nature Geo-Science reconstructed the evolution of the reef as it has adapted to environmental changes in sea levels and temperatures by migrating.
“Our study shows the reef has been able to bounce back from past death events during the last glaciation and deglaciation,” University of Sydney’s Jody Webster and lead author of the study said to Science Daily.
The first two near-death events — the first one occurring about 30,000 years ago during a glacial period — were due to low sea levels that caused the killing of coral from air exposure. The reef adjusted by migrating seaward which allowed the system to recover.
The next two events occurred during deglaciation that saw rising sea levels and the drowning of the reef, which then adjusted by migrating landward.
The final event occurred about 10,000 years ago which saw rising sea levels and an influx of sediment.
The study found the reef has been sensitive to sediment fluxes and more research is needed on how current practices are affecting sediment input and water quality, Webster said.
“I have grave concerns about the ability of the reef ... to survive the pace of change caused by the many current stresses and those projected into the near future,” he said.
- 5/31/2018 Lava flow destroys a dozen more homes in Hawaii by Trevor Hughes, USA TODAY
A fast-moving lava flow appears to have destroyed at least 12 more homes on Hawaii’s Big Island as lava fountains blast more than 200 feet into the air, authorities said.
The flow near the Leilani Estates neighborhood about 35 miles from Hilo had already destroyed at least 82 structures, including 41 homes, since it began early this month, and at least a dozen more are believed to have been destroyed Sunday and Monday night, authorities confirmed Tuesday.
They were still awaiting official confirmation because the area is so dangerous. The flow also appeared to have cut off access to a geothermal electricity plant, which has been evacuated.
Petra Wiesenbauer is among those who lost homes late Sunday and early Monday.
Evacuated since earlier this month, Wiesenbauer had weeks to close down her house, where she also ran the four unit Hale Moana bed and breakfast. Saturday, as her concerns about the nearing lava rose, she moved out her daughter’s baby grand piano, and then on Sunday morning took out all the linens and bedding from the bed and breakfast to donate to other evacuees.
For weeks, she grieved the pending loss of her home while moving into a rental house nearby, doing her best to provide stability for her two teenage daughters, their two cats and dog.
And then her neighbor called at midnight Sunday.
“He said his house was on fire and mine was next. They stood on my roof and watched his house burn down,” Wiesenbauer said Tuesday. “A week ago, I mowed the grass. There was this hope things would normalize, stabilize, and we’d be able to move back.”
She finally got back to her home early Monday morning: “The house was just a pile of rubble. There was nothing left.”
Wiesenbauer said perhaps as many as eight homes close to hers burned down that night.Early Tuesday, a small explosion shook the nearby summit of Kilauea. The National Weather Service recorded an ash plume reaching nearly three miles high, and authorities warned of ash fall in the area.
Although I feel for those who have lost their homes and even love ones due to the volcano, I have a joke that I made up due to it.
I quote myself, "When I was young and we used to watch movies in the 1960's that showed volcanoes in Hawaii and they always ended with some tribe cheiftain attempting to offer a virgin to the volcano god. That was my thought at first should they do that in this case? Then I discovered that people in Hawaii have been having trouble finding any virgins on the islands to sacrifice lately. The reason for the shortage of virgins is that as anyone that goes to Hawaii today gets off the plane or boat, and the first thing they wanted to go do is 'GET LAID'."
- 6/1/2018 Drug to ease opioid withdrawal gets OK from FDA - Local company to push Lucemyra onto market by Grace Schneider, Louisville Courier Journal USA TODAY NETWORK
Late this month as the news from Washington, D.C., arrived in P. Breckinridge Jones’ east Louisville office, nobody popped a champagne cork.
Instead, an email blast broadcasting the word to employees, investors and early partners in England brought a flood of congratulations to company founder and CEO Jones’ inbox.
US WorldMeds, a specialty pharmaceutical company located in Louisville, hit a huge milestone after spending several years and tens of millions of dollars to win federal Food and Drug Administration approval for Lucemyra, a drug used to ease opioid withdrawal symptoms. The FDA announced May 16 that Lucemyra, a non-narcotic, was shown in clinical trials to reduce the severity of side effects in easing off drugs that doctors and scientists say prevent many from kicking their painkiller habit. Vomiting, nausea, stomach cramps, anxiety and agitation afflict people going without opioid drugs after their bodies become dependent on regular doses. Consequently, “withdrawal is one of the reasons people relapse,” said James Patrick Murphy, a pain and addiction medicine specialist and former president of the Greater Louisville Medical Society.
For US WorldMeds, the FDA’s stamp of approval could trigger a new wave of growth at an already fast-growing company. Headquartered at 4441 Springdale Drive, it has 120 employees in Louisville and another 60 across the country. It plans to hire 40 more in coming months to push Lucemyra onto the market.
Lucemyra will join five others under the company banner, including Xadago for treating Parkinson’s symptoms. Another five are in the pipeline.
Unlike industry giants Eli Lilly and Merck, US WorldMeds doesn’t develop drugs from scratch. It buys the rights and with FDA’s approval, the company holds exclusive market authorization over all facets of the drug in the U.S. and Canada, said H. Lee Warren Jr., the company’s chief operating officer.
Jones, who goes by Breck, had just launched US WorldMeds in 2001 and was one of two employees when he met with founders of the British-based Britannia Pharmaceuticals, which sold Lucemyra in the United Kingdom starting in the 1990s. He’d read a Washington Post article about a drug in Great Britain that helps with opioid withdrawal and thought it might be of use treating what was then a rising problem with opioids in Eastern Kentucky, Jones said.
He pledged to Britannia executive Alex Duckworth that he’d do everything he could to get the drug approved for North America, if they’d give him the license. They reached an agreement in 2003.
Now, 15 years later, a giddy email from Duckworth arrived late after the FDA news broke. He praised the company’s perseverance and recalled the chat he and Jones had, sitting on a park bench outside an English pub.
“I had no idea what I was getting myself into,” said Jones, 59, a Louisville native who earned an engineering degree at Vanderbilt University and graduate business degree from University of Pennsylvania’s Wharton School of Business.
Manufacturing is done by a contractor in Winchester, Kentucky, and drugs are packaged and shipped from a warehouse in Brooks, south of Louisville. The business is privately held and doesn’t disclose details on sales or revenues. Some 150 family members and friends have provided the cash to start and sustain the venture. The company disclosed to securities regulators in April that it’s seeking to raise $30 million and had raised about $12.2 million.
All told, Jones has raised between $50 million and $70 million, and that’s no small feat in Louisville, Tommy Hewitt, a family friend and mentor to Jones, said in a phone interview.
Hewitt, 72, a retired business consultant and mayor of the city of Anchorage, said he warned Jones two decades ago that he had about a 5 percent chance at making it in the specialty pharmaceutical business.
“He was convinced he was going to be successful,” recalled Hewitt of Jones. Hewitt didn’t toss in on the bet, figuring he’d never see any of his money. “I told him (Jones) I’d be retired or dead before he got anywhere with this. I was right.”
“It’s just a torturous road that they have to go down ... Breck knew he was getting ready to go walk on hot coals for a long time.”
One of those moments came in February 2009, when Jones and other executives met with the FDA after completing two phase-three clinical trials (usually the last step in the trial stages) on Lucemyra.
Regulators informed them that they’d need to do more — after going $20 million in debt and spending six years on the preliminary stages, Jones said.
In the years since, the company chipped away at the approval and bought other drugs to make and market. They also watched with rising frustration how the use and abuse of opioids exploded into a national epidemic.
Estimates are that 92 million Americans are using prescription opioids, with about 12 million dependent on the drugs. Of that category, 2.1 million are hardcore addicts. Opioids have killed more than 60,000 people a year as the crisis has mounted.
All who’ve developed physical dependency on painkillers risk pain and severe discomfort when they taper off or drop the drugs altogether. Lucemyra blocks receptors in the brain to ease the discomfort, Jones said. “We’re not the cure, but we can take them through the withdrawal phase.”
Pain management doctors have tried “off-label” drugs, or those intended to treat other problems, to help a patient through withdrawals, Murphy said. He’s found muscle relaxants and a blood pressure medicine Clonidine work for some people.
But Lucemyra, he said, “may be a little bit better…I’m glad we have another drug we can use.” - 6/3/2018 Flow of lava is threatening escape route on Big Island by Doug Stanglin, USA TODAY
Authorities on Hawaii’s Big Island warn that a new eruption of molten rock from a 220-foot-high fountain of lava is channeling its way within 100 yards of a key escape-route intersection on the most threatened part of the island.
The Big Island, also known as the island of Hawaii, is about 200 miles southeast of Oahu, where the capital, Honolulu is located.
The U.S. Geological Survey reported Saturday that a 900-foot wide band of molten rock had pushed to within 100 yards of the intersection of highways 132 and 137 in an area known as Four Corners on the island’s southeast side.
The lava, which the USGS said has covered a 5.5-square-mile area, has burned at least 400 power poles, cutting power to most of the area, according to Hawaii Electric Light Co.
Hawaii Civil Defense spokesman Talmadge Mango said Friday that at least 87 buildings have been destroyed since the Kilauea volcano erupted May 3.
With the threat of lava blocking planned escape routes, contractors have been bulldozing an alternative route through the Hawaii Volcanoes National Park.
Lava from Kilauea covers a 5.5square-mile area on the island of Hawaii. GETTY IMAGES - June 3 2018. Mount Fuego eruption in Guatemala, namely the village of San Miguel Los Lotes, was an unexpected eruption affecting over 2 million people. Mount Fuego is one of the most active volcanoes on the continent and had erupted a few months prior, but not to this extent. In the aftermath of the initial eruption, ash covered buildings, cars, and trees. The pyroclastic flow of the eruption destroyed streets, bridges, and the quick flow ended people's lives. Over 33 dead from that one.
- 6/4/2018 Congress hopes to revive Yucca Mountain nuke dump - Stalled plan for Nevada waste site gets new life by Michael Collins, USA TODAY
WASHINGTON – The federal government’s dormant plan to store nuclear waste in Nevada’s Yucca Mountain is showing signs of life amid a new push by the Trump administration and some members of Congress to revive the long-delayed project.
But opponents, including Nevada’s two senators, already are mobilizing to halt the project’s momentum, again casting doubts on the nation’s efforts to establish a nuclear waste repository.
“Nevada does not want to turn into a nuclear waste dump, and as long as I’m in the U.S. Senate, I’ll make sure that Yucca Mountain remains dead,” said Sen. Dean Heller, a Nevada Republican who is facing a tough re-election challenge this fall.
The House voted 340-72 last month to direct the Department of Energy to resume the licensing process for a nuclear waste facility in Yucca Mountain, a remote section of the Mojave Desert about 90 miles northwest of Las Vegas.
Congress selected Yucca Mountain in 1987 to become the nation’s permanent repository for nuclear waste generated by utility power plants and the military.
The government already has spent $15 billion studying the location, and the Energy Department began pursuing a license for the facility in 2008. But the Obama administration abandoned the project three years later amid intense opposition from residents and political leaders in Nevada, including then-Sen. Harry Reid, who at the time was the Senate’s top Democrat.
Not only would the House-passed bill resume the licensing process, it would for the first time set in motion a plan for developing a temporary, private storage site in New Mexico or Texas for tons of nuclear waste currently stored at nuclear facilities across the country.
Supporters of the Yucca Mountain project view that as a significant development. Interim storage is needed, they say, because the licensing process for a permanent site at Yucca Mountain could take up to five years.
Some 80,000 metric tons of spent fuel are currently being stored at nuclear power plants in 121 communities in 39 states because no repository has been developed for its permanent disposal.
The Trump administration favors storing the waste in Yucca Mountain, and the president’s proposed budget includes $120 million to revive the project.
The top of Yucca Mountain, a proposed nuclear waste dump in Nevada, overlooks vast expanses of vacant land. FILE PHOTO BY BOB RIHA JR./GANNETT NEWS SERVICE - 6/5/2018 Bayer abandons Monsanto brand after $66B merger by Nathan Bomey, USA TODAY
The name Monsanto is no more but not necessarily for reasons that would satisfy the seed and pesticide company’s many critics.
Monsanto, often assailed for its impact on the earth and on human health, will shed its moniker after German giant Bayer officially acquires the company on Thursday.
While health and agricultural firm Bayer had been considering axing the Monsanto brand for some time, the decision to abandon the name was made official Monday.
“Bayer will remain the company name,” Bayer said in a statement. “Monsanto will no longer be a company name. The acquired products will retain their brand names and become part of the Bayer portfolio.”
The deal was set in motion in September 2016, when Bayer agreed to pay $66 billion for Monsanto amid a global shakeup fueled by sluggish crop prices.
The agribusiness merger won conditional U.S. antitrust approval in May after the companies agreed to sell off $9 billion in assets to preserve competition.
Monsanto long has been a lightning rod for what critics say is its role in environmental degradation and perpetuation of harmful chemicals.
Bayer signaled Monday that it would take steps to “strengthen its commitment in the area of sustainability” after the Monsanto deal is complete.
“We aim to deepen our dialogue with society,” Bayer Chairman Werner Baumann said in a statement. “We will listen to our critics and work together where we find common ground. Agriculture is too important to allow ideological differences to bring progress to a standstill."
“We have to talk to each other. We need to listen to each other. It’s the only way to build bridges.” - June 6 2018. The Trail Mountain Fire is a wildfire burning in Manti-La Sal National Forest fifteen miles northwest of Orangeville, Utah in the United States. The fire was started on June 6, 2018, after the Trail Mountain Prescribed Fire escaped due to high winds. As of June 27, the fire has burned 17,767 acres (72 km2) and is 80 percent contained.
- 6/8/2018 ‘Clear-sky’ flooding worsens in U.S. as sea levels rise by Doyle Rice, USA TODAY
High-tide flooding is happening across the USA at twice the rate it was just 30 years ago, according to a report released this week.
And this flooding is caused by rising seas, not necessarily by a storm. As ocean levels rise because of global warming, flooding can now occur with high tides in many locations.
The situation also is called “sunny day,” “clear-sky” or “nuisance” flooding, and 27 locations across the nation set or tied records for most days with floods from May 2017 to April 2018, the report said.
William Sweet, an oceanographer with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration and co-author of the report, said Wednesday that “what used to be uncommon is now becoming fairly common.”
Ben Horton, a Rutgers University researcher who was not involved in the study, called it “a warning, a shot across the bow. Across the whole of the U.S. coastline, we are in dire need of action.”
The report found tidal flooding was at record levels last year along parts of the southeast Atlantic and eastern Gulf coasts. It examined only coastal flooding, not inundation brought on by sudden, heavy rain or overflowing rivers.
“As they examine their risk, communities can use this information to help better mitigate and prepare for high tide flooding from long-term sea-level rise,” according to NOAA.
These floods are seldom life-threatening. They’re mostly caused by climate- related sea-level rise, NOAA said.
The effects of rising sea levels along most of the continental U.S. coastline are expected to become more severe in the coming decades, NOAA said.
- 6/8/2018 Cardboard overruns landfills - Online shopping has boosted use of boxes as recycling declines by Elizabeth Weise, USA TODAY
SAN FRANCISCO – Walk down the street on garbage day in many towns, and evidence of our love affair with online shopping is plain to see. Recycling bins overflow with boxes from Amazon, eBay, Walmart and others.
All those folded and flattened corrugated cardboard boxes are a testament to Americans’ diligent recycling efforts — to a degree.
A USA TODAY analysis of several industry studies on cardboard use and recycling paints a different story. Americans are sending more corrugated cardboard to the landfill than to recycling plants compared with past years.
Online sales have surged in the past five years, and cardboard use jumped 8% in the same period, according to the American Forest & Paper Association. Yet cardboard recycling has dropped.
Last year, 300,000 fewer tons of corrugated paper were recycled in the USA than in the year before, even as domestic consumption increased 3.5%, according to the AF& PA.
Without enough cardboard sent to recycling centers to be used to create new boxes, manufacturers may need more timber. Recycled content and timber each make up about half of what’s in a corrugated box.
“We need those boxes to come back. The alternative is trees,” said Bill Moore of Moore & Associates, a recycling industry consultant in Atlanta.
From box-store baler to the curb
For all our efforts to flatten boxes into recycling bins, consumers aren’t that good at recycling cardboard.
Many of the cardboard shipping boxes used to go to retail stores. Workers at your local Kmart, Sears or Target would load the flattened boxes into a machine that bound them into bales that the stores could resell for $74 or more a ton. Grocery and big-box stores recycled 90% to 100% of their cardboard, Moore estimated.
Consumers aren’t as efficient at it. About 40% of Americans either don’t have access to or don’t sign up for curbside recycling, said Betsy Dorn, director of RSE USA, a sustainable-packaging consulting firm in Orlando.
Few recycle all their cardboard, often because it’s a hassle. The city of Charlotte asks residents to tear or cut it into pieces that fit loosely into recycling carts and tells people not to fold it.
Nationally, consumers send back 25% of their cardboard for reuse, Dorn estimated.
China — a big buyer of U.S. corrugated boxes — is being pickier about what it buys. It will no longer accept bales of cardboard that are contaminated.
“China has stopped buying, and the recyclers in the United States can’t find enough buyers, so some of that goes to landfill. And that’s not eco-friendly at all,” said Hanna Zhao, a senior economist who follows global recovered-paper markets for RISI, a forestry consulting firm in Bedford, Mass.
Online shopping’s ripple effect
Online retailers are dealing with the problem. Ten years ago, Amazon introduced 100% recyclable packing, so products can ship in their original packaging. That reduced the number of boxes by 500 million over the decade.
Walmart increased its number of box sizes from 11 to 27, to use the least amount of cardboard.
Those moves haven’t help improve recycling rates.
The problem is expected to become more urgent. E-commerce will make up 25% of all retail sales by 2025, according to ABIresearch, suggesting more boxes could go from doorstep to trash.
Garbage companies are starting to rethink the size of their recycling bins. - 6/9/2018 Carbon dioxide in atmosphere sets another record by Doyle Rice, USA TODAY
Carbon dioxide — the gas scientists say is most responsible for global warming — peaked again at record levels last month, federal scientists announced Thursday. Levels at NOAA’s Mauna Loa Observatory averaged more than 410 parts per million in April and May, surging past yet another climate milestone.
The Scripps Institution for Oceanography found a similar increase.
The concentration of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere increases every year, and the rate of increase is accelerating.
“The emissions that we are causing today will still be in the atmosphere ocean system thousands of years from now,” said Pieter Tans, a NOAA scientist. “Carbon dioxide levels are continuing to grow at an all-time record rate because emissions from coal, oil and natural gas are also at record high levels.”
“We are as a global society making an extremely long climate-change commitment,” Tans added.
The increase in gases such as carbon dioxide, methane and nitrous oxide is fueling climate change and making “the planet more dangerous and inhospitable for future generations,” the World Meteorological Organization has said.
Carbon dioxide levels peak in May and go down in the fall. UNITED NATIONS - 6/9/2018 Flu season was one of the deadliest for U.S. children
The past flu season was the deadliest for U.S. children in nearly a decade, health officials said Friday.
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention officials said they had received reports of 172 pediatric flu deaths since October. That surpasses the 2012-13 flu season, when there were 171. The average is about 110. - 6/10/2018 Magnitude 4.4 earthquake shakes part of northern Okla.
The U.S. Geological Survey says a 4.4 magnitude earthquake shook parts of northern Oklahoma and neighboring Kansas. Geologists say the earthquake was recorded at 8:59 a.m. Saturday about 100 miles northwest of Oklahoma City at a depth of 5 miles.
No injuries or damage was reported.
Thousands of recent earthquakes in Oklahoma have been linked to the underground injection of wastewater from oil and natural gas production.
- 6/11/2018 Pope: Energy use putting civilization at risk by Eric J. Lyman, Special to USA TODAY
VATICAN CITY – Pope Francis warned leading oil executives that without their help climate change could put human civilization at risk.
Francis spoke Saturday, on the second day of a two-day conference that included the CEOs from ExxonMobil, BP, Equinor of Norway and Italy’s Eni, as well as scientists and managers of major investment funds.
“Civilization requires energy, but energy use must not destroy civilization,” Francis told the more than two dozen leaders.
Francis said protecting the environment and helping the poor were the “two great needs” of the world. “I invite you to be the core group of leaders who envision the global energy transition in a way that will take into account all the peoples of the Earth, as well as future generations and all species and ecosystems.”
The papal conference comes a little more than a year after President Trump announced the United States would pull out of the 2015 Paris Agreement, the global pact to address climate change. It also builds on Francis’ “Laudato Si” encyclical three years ago to protect the environment.
Since that encyclical, dozens of Catholic institutions and some dioceses have announced plans to divest from fossil fuels, according to the Global Catholic Climate Movement.
The pope at the conference reiterated that action is urgently needed.
“Progress has indeed been made,” Francis said. “But is it enough? Will we turn the corner in time? No one can answer that with certainty, but with each month that passes, the challenge of energy transition becomes more pressing.”
- 6/14/2018 Study: Melted Antarctic ice drowning coasts by Doyle Rice, USA TODAY
Global warming has caused over 3 trillion tons of ice to melt from Antarctica in the past quarter-century and tripled ice loss there in the past decade, a new study finds.
The total is equivalent to over 4 quintillion gallons of water added to the world’s oceans, making Antarctica’s melting ice sheets one of the largest contributors to rising sea levels. That amount of water is enough to fill over a billion swimming pools and cover Texas to a depth of nearly 13 feet.
“Even though Antarctica is far from most human civilization, its ice sheet is losing mass to the ocean, and is an increasing contribution to sea-level rise,” said study co-author Helen Amanda Fricker, a glaciologist at Scripps Institution of Oceanography. This “will have large impacts on coastlines all around all the world."
“The future we choose could determine when we need to rebuild airports, cities and infrastructure so that we can become resilient to such changes.”
Overall, scientists say, the melting ice in Antarctica is responsible for about one-third of all sea-level rise around the world.
The cause is clearly due to the warming world, with temperatures boosted by the increased amount of carbon dioxide humanity emits from the burning of fossil fuels such as gas, oil and coal.
“We are able to say that the increased ice loss is mainly due to ocean driven melting in West Antarctica,” Shepherd said. “The ocean is about 1 degree (F) too warm for the ice, and it is melting and retreating as a result.” He said this matches the temperature changes our planet has experienced, on average, during the industrial era. - 6/16/2018 McDonald’s to test straw alternatives at US sites by Zlati Meyer, USA TODAY
Under pressure by environmentalists, McDonald’s said Friday that it will start testing alternatives to plastic straws at select locations in the U.S. later this year.
The burger giant also announced it will adopt more eco-friendly paper straws across all its 1,361 restaurants in the United Kingdom and Ireland, where the company started testing the alternative to plastic earlier this year. The regional rollout begins in September.
Single-use straws are the scourge of the packaging-waste world because they don’t easily biodegrade.
The activist group SumOfUs estimates that every day, McDonald’s alone dispenses millions of plastic straws that customers soon discard, leaving them to litter beaches, clog waterways and fill trash dumps.
“McDonald’s is committed to using our scale for good and working to find sustainable solutions for plastic straws globally,” Francesca DeBiase, the company’s executive vice president for global supply chain and sustainability, said in a statement. “We hope this work will support industry-wide change.”
The Chicago-based fast-food chain said it has been dabbling in disposable straw alternatives in Belgium, too. Later this year, it will also begin trying them in France, Sweden and Norway. And in Malaysia, McDonald’s will try giving straws only if a customer requests one.
McDonald’s move is a “significant contribution to help our natural environment,” Michael Gove, secretary of state for environment, food and rural affairs in the U.K., said in a statement. “We want more companies to say no to unnecessary single-use plastics.”
McDonald’s isn’t the only major straw user to start tossing them aside. Royal Caribbean has promised to nix them by the end of this year, joining fellow cruise companies Hurtigruten and Peregrine Adventures. Alaska Airlines is getting rid of plastic drink stirrers next month. And the food service company Bon Appetit Management, with 1,000-plus locations in 33 states, will stop using plastic straws and stirrers by September 2019.
Straws are also coming under attack in government. California and New York City are considering bans.
Eric Goldstein, senior attorney for the Natural Resources Defense Council, said the announcement from as big a company as McDonald’s reflects the growing tide of concern about single use plastics worldwide.
“The drive to eliminate plastic straws is a good step and it’s symbolic – and symbols are important,” he said. “You could say it should’ve been done earlier, but it’s certainly better late than never.” - June 17 2018. The Upper Colony Fire was a wildfire in Smith Valley, Nevada in the United States. The fire was started on June 17, 2018 and was contained on June 22. It burned a total of 1,202 acres (5 km2). The fire was started by truck brakes that overheated and caught dry grass on fire.
- 6/17/2018 FOUNTAIN OF YOUTH OR FAUX FAD? - HORMONE THERAPY UNDER ATTACK - Patients say ‘25 Again’ makes them feel better; officials wonder by Andrew Wolfson Louisville Courier Journal USA TODAY NETWORK
Its ads are slapped over every urinal in the KFC Yum Center, and inside the stalls of every women’s restroom. Its commercials on sports talk radio promise you’ll “Look younger, become healthier and feel 25 Again.”
The pitch has been so successful that Body Shapes Medical, which has eight locations serving as many as 4,000 patients in Louisville, Lexington, Cincinnati and Southern Indiana, has changed its name to just that – “25 Again.”
Patients swear by it – and by its medical director, Dr. Elizabeth Veeneman Bates.
Gina Helms in a written statement said she was “nearly suicidal” before she enrolled as a member and now “feels human again.” Lauralee.
Q. What is the thyroid?
A. A gland about 2-inches long that lies below the Adam’s apple.
Q. What does it do? A. Using iodine from the food you eat, it makes hormones known as T4 (thyroxine) and T3 (triiodothyronine). You have far more T4 in your body, but T3 is what does the work, affecting your heart rate, temperature, growth and feelings of well-being.
Q. What is testosterone?
A. A hormone made primarily in the testicles.
Q. What does it do?
It promotes sex drive and sperm production, helps maintain bone density, fat distribution, muscle strength and mass, facial and body hair and red cell production.
Rubsch said she was lethargic and depressed before she saw Bates but now feels her best in a decade.
But the Kentucky Board of Medical Licensure could revoke Bates’ license or permanently bar her from practicing hormone medicine.
It says her practice of so-called “hormone optimization therapy” — giving thyroid and testosterone to people with normal levels of both, to make them feel better — violates acceptable and prevailing standards of medicine.
The agency says the practice is not taught in medical schools or recognized as a specialty, nor are there guidelines for it.
“If this medicine were the cure for all ills as it has been presented … every physician in the country would use it,” Sara Farmer, an attorney for the board, said at a hearing on Bates’ case.
But advocates for the 47-yearold physician, a longtime internist who started offering hormone therapy in 2014, say she’s what one called a victim of “medical fascism.”
They say the medical establishment doesn’t understand that the goal of clinics like 25 Again is to achieve “wellness” for patients, not to fight disease, and outdated “cookbook” guidelines for doing so shouldn’t apply.
“This is like the Inquisition,” said Dr. Ashok Kadambi, who has a hormone practice in Fort Wayne, Indiana, and calls the prosecution of Bates a travesty. “It’s like they’re saying either you belong to the Church or you are a heretic.”
25 Again CEO Ted Ennenbach, a CPA, said in an email that the company has treated “tens of thousands of patients” since it was founded in 2011, without a single complaint. He says patient safety is paramount and the clinic uses “protocols deployed throughout the hormone therapy industry.” Records show 25 Again has never been sued for negligence.
“Dr. Bates has a better way,” said Carole Christian, one of her attorneys. “Her patients are healthier and more active and able to enjoy life.”
Pending the outcome of her disciplinary case, the medical licensure board already has suspended Bates, who has about 600 of her own patients, from practicing hormone medicine. It is scheduled to meet June 21 to determine if she should be sanctioned. It could suspend, restrict, limit or revoked her license.
The board doesn’t allege that any of Bates’ patients were harmed, but Farmer said Kentucky law doesn’t require it to do so before taking action if safety is at risk. Hormone treatment — especially for what’s known as “low T” — has mushroomed in recent years, as both men and women seek the latest elixir from the fountain of youth. More than 1 million men have smeared testosterone gels with brand names like AndroGel and Testim on their bodies, hoping it would rejuvenate them and increase their libido. Nobody knows exactly how many hormone prescriptions are written nationally because care at most clinics, including 25 Again, is not covered by private insurance, Medicaid or Medicare. But a University of Utah study found that testosterone use among men quadrupled between 2003 and 2013, and Kaiser Health News has described hormone clinics as the biggest health craze since Rogaine and Viagra.
Part of the growth has come because profits are huge, according to Urology Times, a trade publication, which says clinics can charge $400 per month for testosterone that costs less than $50.
Patients at 25 Again must enroll for one year, at a cost of $2,388, which does not include lab tests, Bates testified at a four-day licensure board hearing in January. The company says on its website that it treats women for everything from Alzheimer’s disease to vaginal dryness and men for everything from declining memory to sagging pecs. Bates continues to train staff, and 25 Again remains open, Ennenbach said. He said it employs other doctors, but he wouldn’t say how many or identify them, saying he fears they also might come under board scrutiny.
No other hormone clinics in Kentucky are currently the subject of complaints, said the board’s general counsel, Leanne Diakov.
Last year, however, it indefinitely barred a physician at Louisville Men’s Clinic, Dr. Bart Goldman, from providing testosterone therapy or treating sexual dysfunction after a complaint that he treated most patients without an exam; treated patients who do not have low testosterone with the hormone; and conducted such cursory exams that cancerous tumors might not have been identified.
Goldman no longer practices at the Louisville Men’s Clinic, which did not respond to messages or questions posed through its lawyer.
The hormone industry also is facing attacks on other battlegrounds.
In Owensboro, the widows of two men who died of heart attacks about a month after they were treated with testosterone pellets have sued the nurse practitioner, Karla King, who treated them; one of the suits was settled for a confidential sum; the other is pending. King, who no longer practices in Kentucky, denied negligence in both cases, said her lawyer, Craig Johnson.
Also, about 6,000 men have joined in a class action suit alleging that AbbVie Inc. the maker of AndroGel, misrepresented the risks of its testosterone replacement drug. In October, a federal jury in Chicago ordered the company to pay more than $140 million in damages to a Tennessee man who claimed the drug caused him to suffer a heart attack about two months after he took it. The trial was the second in a series of test cases aimed at helping both sides assess potential damages and work out a settlement. Another bellwether trial produced a $150 million verdict, but it was thrown out and a second jury awarded only $3.2 million.
The safety and effectiveness of giving thyroid and testosterone to people already within normal ranges for both is disputed.
John Morris, a professor of endocrinology at the Mayo Clinic medical school and immediate past president of the American Thyroid Association, says patients should never be given thyroid if their level is normal.
Mainstream endocrinologists say there is no benefit to such patients and some risk, including bone loss and an irregular heartbeat that increases the chance for strokes.
“If your thyroid is normal, why would you give somebody more?” said Dr. Philip Kern, a professor of endocrinology at University of Kentucky who also warned that too much thyroid also can give you a bad case of the shakes.
Dr. James Hennessey, who teaches endocrinology at Harvard Medical School, said giving more to normal patients also isn’t effective. He cited a 2007 study, reported in the British Medical Journal, that found patients with symptoms of low thyroid, such as fatigue and dull-mindedness, but who also have thyroid within normal ranges, felt and performed no better when they were given a placebo than extra thyroid.
But Bates and other hormone optimization advocates say there is a wide gap between the lower and upper limits of what is considered normal, so that even if someone is within that range, it doesn’t mean they feel optimal.
Testosterone treatment for healthy men is even more fiercely disputed.unequivocally and consistently low.”
And in 2015 the U.S. Food and Drug Administration required a “black box” on prescription testosterone products, saying they are approved only for men with low testosterone caused by specific medical conditions, and warning of an increased risk of heart attacks and strokes.
But Bates and other hormone providers cite a 2016 report from an array of international experts who found that a review of the “best available scientific evidence” showed testosterone therapy does not increase risk of cardiovascular harm.
In their unanimous report, published in the Mayo Clinic Proceedings, the experts also said testosterone therapy is “effective, rational and evidence based and that patients may benefit even if they have no underlying disease.” The group also said there is no reliable way to distinguish between those who will benefit from those who will not – meaning there is no way to define a normal level.
The case against Bates began with an anonymous complaint from a pharmacist who said he was concerned she had written a “slew” of prescriptions for a hormone called Armour Thyroid. The board assigned two experts to review charts of 15 of her patients selected at random.
One reviewer, Dr. Ahsen Ali, a Pike County internist, found that all had normal thyroid levels. And he alleged Bates was using the hormone to help patients lose weight, which he said is dangerous and unethical.
Ali later said Bates’ practice of given hormones to healthy patients was like “giving oxycontin for back pain when Motrin would do.”
But at Bates’ hearing, Ali was forced to admit that he had assumed Bates was prescribing thyroid for weight loss – and ultimately concede she had not done so. The other expert, Dr. Sathya Krishnasamy, an associate professor of endocrinology at the University of Louisville, found that Bates was giving both testosterone and thyroid to patients who didn’t need it, in violation of Endocrine Society standards. Krishnasamy also said Bates failed to conduct physical exams for 14 of the 15 patients; conducted testosterone tests at the wrong time a day; and failed to rule out serious illnesses for male patients, such as pituitary tumors.
Testifying for Bates, Dr. Neal Rouzier, a former emergency room doctor who operates a hormone clinic in Palm Springs, California, admitted Bates doesn’t follow establishment guidelines. But Rouzier, a leading proponent of hormone therapy, said the guidelines are wrong and need to be changed because the “old standard of care is not what works best.”
Bates testified that the guidelines shouldn’t apply to her because she doesn’t treat disease — she treats symptoms, to try to make patients feel better. She conceded her only training in hormone medicine is “self-study” and attending four conferences put on by hormone therapy advocates.
Her patients described her as a caring, conscientious and thorough doctor who spends an extraordinary amount of time with them and carefully monitors their health.
Eleanor Poynter testified that her chronic fatigue and “brain fog” was so bad she had to nap most of the weekend.
“I was just kind of missing out on life,” Poynter said. She chalked it up to aging, but said after being treated by Bates, “I feel more energy, more clarity. I just started to feel healthier.”
Helms told the board in a letter that she started seeing Bates in 2015, after a family tragedy. “I was at wit’s end and was begging God to die,” she wrote. “I tell everyone that it is because of my Lord, Dr. Bates and my hormone treatment that I can wake up every morning now and have joy and a happier life ...it’s very scary to even think about not having her and this treatment in the future.”
Eight other patients who were solicited by Bates’ office wrote emails to the Courier Journal praising her care. They included Betty Oliver, who said that she was like “an old fixer up car,” before she saw Bates and is now like “a vintage shiny Jaguar.”
In a closing statement, Christian said that if the state wants to regulate hormone therapy it can do so without revoking the licenses of conscientious physicians like Bates.
And she said doctors are attacking Bates because “she is not a member of their club.”
Farmer, the board’s lawyer, said the board is not accusing Bates of bad motives but is tasked with protecting the public.
“Patients trust their physicians,” Farmer said. “They trust their advice.”- 6/18/2018 El Nino expected to return for a wild winter by Doyle Rice, USA TODAY
Climate troublemaker El Nino is forecast for this coming fall and winter, according to the Climate Prediction Center.
The agency said there’s a 65 percent chance it will form by the winter, prompting it to issue an El Nino watch. In the U.S., a strong El Nino can result in a stormy winter along the West Coast, a wet winter across the South, and a warmer-than-average winter in the Pacific Northwest and northern Rocky Mountains.
“Conditions are now favorable for the emergence of El Nino sometime in the next six months,” Michelle L’Heureux, a forecaster with the prediction center, told Bloomberg News. “The watch hinges on that word, ‘favorable.’” El Nino is a periodic natural warming of ocean water in the tropical Pacific that affects weather in the U.S. and around the world. Globally, the climate pattern can bring dry conditions to Indonesia, the Philippines and Australia.
In South America, Brazil can get drought, while Argentina may get more rain, Bloomberg said.
Its effects typically peak between January and March in the U.S.
During an El Nino, water temperatures in the central and eastern tropical Pacific Ocean warm up a few degrees for an extended time – typically at least three to five months.
Forecasters say there’s a 50 percent chance El Nino will develop during the late summer or early autumn. If it forms by then, it could help suppress the number of hurricanes that form in the Atlantic during that time.
However, El Ninos tend to increase hurricane activity in the eastern Pacific Ocean, which can affect Mexico, the U.S. Southwest and Hawaii.- 6/19/2018 Rising seas threaten 311K US coastal homes by Doyle Rice, USA TODAY
Hundreds of thousands of homes along U.S. coasts are at risk of devastating coastal flooding over the next 30 years as climate change causes oceans to rise, according to a new study.
About 311,000 coastal homes, worth about $120 billion, are at risk of chronic flooding, science advocacy group Union of Concerned Scientists said in the report released Monday.
By the end of the century, homes and businesses currently worth more than $1 trillion – including those in Miami, New York’s Long Island and the San Francisco Bay area – could be at risk.
“This risk is relatively near-term, well before places go underwater completely, and even in the absence of storms,” Rachel Cleetus, lead economist with the group, told Agence France-Presse. “This is a slow-moving disaster.”
States with the most homes at risk by the end of the century are Florida, New Jersey and New York.
The seas are rising as greenhouse gases from burning fossil fuels cause glaciers and ice sheets in Greenland and Antarctica to melt. Warmer water takes up more space than cooler water or ice, causing sea levels to rise.- 6/19/2018 Panel: Nuclear contamination found on worker at weapons lab
An independent safety panel discovered radioactive contamination on a worker’s hands and other places at a nuclear weapons lab in New Mexico – the latest safety lapse at the facility.
All pipefitting work was paused after a crew had to be stripped and decontaminated May 16 because of the discovery at Los Alamos National Laboratory, birthplace of the atomic bomb, according to briefings from the Defense Nuclear Facilities Safety Board.- 6/24/2018 Cleanup underway after oil spill in Iowa derailment; size unclear
Crews are working to clean up a BNSF oil train derailment in Iowa that dumped crude into floodwaters, while officials seek to get a handle on the extent of the spill and its cause.
BNSF spokesman Andy Williams said 33 oil tanker cars derailed Friday just south of Doon, leaking oil into surrounding floodwaters from the swollen Little Rock River.
The train was carrying tar sands oil from Canada. ConocoPhillips spokesman Daren Beaudo says each tanker can hold more than 25,000 gallons.- June 27 2018. The West Valley Fire is wildfire burning in Dixie National Forest, approximately ten miles north of St. George, Utah in the United States. The fire was started by an abandoned campfire and was first reported on June 27. The fire has burned 11,771 acres (48 km2) and is 55 percent contained.
- June 28 2018. Volcano eruption in Indonesia, closed airport on Bali.
- 6/28/2018 Antarctica is even colder than we thought by Doyle Rice, USA TODAY
The world’s coldest place is even colder than previously thought, scientists reported this week in a new study.
Temperatures in one region in Antarctica can drop as low as 144 degrees below zero during the southern polar night, mostly during July and August, the study found. The readings were not official measurements made with a thermometer but were estimates made by instruments aboard an orbiting satellite.
Previously, scientists had thought that temperatures there could “only” drop to about 135 below.
The East Antarctic Plateau, is so cold because of its high elevation and its proximity to the South Pole. It’s the coldest climate of any region on Earth.
The lowest air temperature ever measured on the planet Earth by an official weather instrument, 128.6 degrees below zero, was recorded in that area, at what was then the Soviet Union’s Vostok Station in July 1983.
“In this area, we see periods of incredibly dry air, and this allows the heat from the surface of the snow to radiate into space more easily,” said Ted Scambos, a senior research scientist at the National Snow and Ice Data Center and lead author of the study, which appeared in Geophysical Research Letters.
Snow blows at a campsite near Vostok Station during the Antarctic summer. NSIDC/UNIVERSITY OF COLORADO-BOULDER. - 6/28/2018 HEALTH CRISIS HAMMERS KENTUCKY - Hep A outbreak worst in nation - CDC: Indiana, Ohio among 8 other states hit by virus by Beth Warren, Louisville Courier Journal USA TODAY NETWORK
The deadly hepatitis A outbreak in Louisville and other parts of Kentucky is now the worst in the nation.
And the crisis hasn’t crested.
Statewide, at least 969 people have contracted the liver disease, state health officials confirmed Wednesday.
“It’s the worst on record across the nation and in Kentucky,” said Dr. Jeff Howard, Kentucky Commissioner of Public Health.
Kentucky’s confirmed cases have surpassed those in Michigan, which had 846 reported cases as of June 20, according to data from state health departments and the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Kentucky’s current outbreak already has targeted four times more victims than the state’s last epidemic in 1988. Only one died then.
The current crisis has killed six. Three of those deaths were in Louisville.
Louisville health officials confirmed 482 cases, history.
“Sharing a home, a cigarette, marijuana joint, a drink, or sex with someone who has the virus puts you at high risk,” according an advisory on the city’s website.
The eight other states that have reported outbreaks include: Indiana, California, Missouri, Ohio, Tennessee, Arkansas, Utah and West Virginia, CDC spokeswoman Donnica Smalls said.
The virus was first detected in Louisville last fall and mostly impacts drug users and adults who are homeless or people who work with them. It can be spread through contact with objects, surfaces, food or drinks contaminated by feces or stool from an infected person.
So why get vaccinated?
About 10 percent of Louisville’s victims weren’t in a high-risk category.
One example is Angela Glotzbach, a medical sales rep who was among Louisville’s earliest victims. She was baffled by her diagnosis. She described missing work for three months due to virus symptoms that felt “1,000 times worse than the flu.”
Dehydration from vomiting and diarrhea sent her to the hospital three times and she suffered tremors, joint and back pain, fatigue and trouble forming sentences.
Glotzbach spoke with a local epidemiologist in November, when there were just 20 local victims.
She was diagnosed in October but believes she contracted the disease in late August or early September from one of the many restaurants she frequents.
Louisville and Kentucky health officials say they haven’t found one confirmed case linked to a patron eating at a restaurant despite some restaurant workers contracting the virus. Regardless, many restaurant workers have been vaccinated as a precaution.
“The risk of contamination is extremely low” if contaminated food-handlers wash their hands or wear gloves, Howard said.
Symptoms can take one to two weeks — even up to seven weeks — to surface and include darker urine, lighter stools, flu-like symptoms and yellowing of the eyes and skin.
CDC epidemiologists have been studying Kentucky’s outbreak for months, with trips and calls to Louisville.
“This is occurring in many, many states,” Howard said, with Louisville considered one of the ground zeroes. “Most of our cases are linked to the San Diego-Utah outbreak.”
He also said there have been cases in Kentucky of the same strain as some, but not all, of the cases in Indiana as well as cases in the Detroit, Michigan, area and Arkansas.
Kentucky’s drug epidemic has played a role in fueling the hepatitis A outbreak, with more than half of the state’s cases linked to illicit drug use.
Less than one percent of the Kentucky cases have been fatal, considered a low rate, Howard said.
That’s not simply luck.
Kentucky health officials identified the outbreak early and developed a plan of attack that included securing vaccines, notifying the public and the CDC and vaccinating people at homeless shelters and camps, needle exchange sites and at jails.
Also, 59 percent of the victims in Kentucky have been hospitalized with acute abdominal pain, jaundice and other symptoms — likely preventing more deaths, Howard said.
The 11 other counties reporting five or more cases are: Ballard, Grayson, Ohio, Rowan, Shelby, Whitley, Fayette, Powell, Lincoln, Grant and Bourbon. State health officials are working to get them funding for vaccines and to coordinate with local jails and agencies providing services to people who are homeless or abusing drugs. The other deaths were in Ballard, Meade and Greenup counties.
Rui Zhao, communicable disease supervisor for Louisville Metro’s health department, said 63 percent of Jefferson County’s victims reported illicit drug use, but that percentage is likely higher.
“There’s a lot of fear they will get in trouble. But if they tell us about drug use, we don’t share that information with law enforcement,” he said.
Zhao also said people can be hesitant to share personal details such as sexual encounters between men, which is a risk factor. He cautioned residents who don’t have these risk factors against feeling immune because the virus is “indiscriminate.”
Langdon said he’s optimistic that Hep A cases are beginning to drop in Louisville. “However, the community shouldn’t be falsely secure. It can start to trend up again.”
Some residents may wonder if they had the vaccine as a child and didn’t know it.
Dr. Paul Schulz, infectious diseases specialist and system epidemiologist for Norton Healthcare, said that’s unlikely unless they traveled abroad or were in a high-risk population. That’s because the vaccine wasn’t available until 1995 and wasn’t added to the child immunization schedule until 1999, he said.
Only a small number of children have contracted the virus in Kentucky and all survived, Howard said.
Public schools across Kentucky are requiring students to get the vaccine before starting school this year.
Some people may have had very mild symptoms and not have known they were suffering from hepatitis A, Schultz said. Symptoms tend to be much more severe for adults.
A primary care provider or infectious disease specialist can perform a simple blood test to see if someone has been vaccinated or has immunity, the doctor said.
But if you unknowingly got the vaccine twice, it won’t harm you, said Lori Caloia, medical director for the health department.
Kroger and Walgreen pharmacies are among those offering the vaccine, with most insurance plans covering the cost.
Nearly 77,000 people have gotten the shot in Jefferson County.
Passport Health Plan members don’t have to get prior authorization and more than 20,000 have gotten the shot across Kentucky this year at pharmacies or from their healthcare providers, spokesman Michael Rabkin said.
Concerns that there could soon be a vaccine shortage are unfounded, Howard said. He and Dr. Sarah Moyer, Louisville’s health director, teamed to secure more of the vaccine from Merck — and at a discount.
Louisville’s health department put together an online resource page at LouisvilleKy.gov — search for “hepatitis” — that lists many places offering the shot. The first shot is up to 95 percent effective and a second shot is recommended after six months.
When Louisville suffered its last outbreak in 1988, more than 200 victims contracted the virus, including Rick Hancock, then a Louisville firefighter. Contaminated lettuce on a ham sandwich from a downtown lunch spot that is no longer open caused him to miss three months of work.
“I can remember laying in there in my bed when I was sickest, thinking, ‘Gosh, I’m glad I don’t have a gun in this house,’” he said.
It took three more months of fatigue before he felt semi-normal.
He urges everyone to get the shot, a measure of protection that could have saved him a lot of suffering.- 6/29/2018 National drug raid nets 10 Ky. doctors - Suspects include city psychiatrist by Beth Warren, Louisville Courier Journal USA TODAY NETWORK
The nation’s largest crackdown on health care fraud netted 56 doctors – including a Louisville psychiatrist accused of prescribing a patient fentanyl, a drug blamed for more Jefferson County deaths than heroin or homicides.
“We will not tolerate drug dealers in lab coats,” said D. Christopher Evans, special agent in charge of the Drug Enforcement Administration’s newly created Louisville Field Division.
“If you’re a doctor and you’re prescribing dangerous narcotics in a reckless or irresponsible manner, we’re coming after you.”
The crackdown in Louisville and across the nation involved more than 600 defendants – some accused of running pill mills – and more than $2 billion in medical fraud.
The role medical professionals played in the deadly opioid crisis is “staggering in scope,” U.S. Attorney Russell Coleman, top federal prosecutor for Jefferson County and the Western District of Kentucky, told reporters during a news conference Thursday.
One Louisville defendant, Dr. Peter Steiner, a psychiatrist who ran a Suboxone clinic, faces the most serious charge: drug trafficking. In a federal indictment, investigators accuse the doctor of dolling out opioids that weren’t needed – and even prescribing fentanyl, a man-made drug about 100 times more potent than heroin.
“Healthcare fraud is nothing more than theft and drug dealing, though using complex techniques on a large scale,” Coleman said.
Kimberly Wright, a Northern Kentucky advocate for people battling addiction, said charges against rogue doctors and others are “long overdue.”
“It’s just disgusting that we have doctors who have sworn to protect life ... taking advantage of people that are sick,” said Wright, who has lost a nephew to an opioid overdose.
Another defendant, Osmaro Ruiz, is charged with opening a fake pharmacy in Louisville and paying an actual pharmacist to run it. He paid a businessman to sign the lease for New Life Pharmacy on Preston Highway, set up bank accounts, and then paid the businessman to leave the country, investigators allege.
The pharmacy billed for prescriptions totaling about $858,000, according to the indictment. A grand jury in Louisville indicted Ruiz on a host of charges, including money laundering, health care fraud and aggravated identity theft. Ruiz remained at-large Thursday and is believed to be in another country.
The indictments are based on testimony from prosecution witnesses and tell only one side. Defendants are presumed innocent unless they are convicted.
Coleman said he can’t release the identities of the pharmacist or the businessman as the case is pending in federal court.
In another case, two of the defendants didn’t live in Kentucky but set up two “virtual office spaces” and billed about $4.7 million to health care benefit programs for services never rendered, according to the indictment.
Florida residents Eduardo Chinea-Martinez and Yesdel Acosta Perez allegedly set up the fake Louisville businesses – Romero Rehabilitation Physical Therapy, Inc. and Empire USA, Inc. – and were paid about $258,000 by insurance companies, investigators allege. Both are charged with conspiracy to commit health care fraud and other counts.
They also are accused of stealing the identities of several doctors and patients to file the fraudulent claims. Then, checks from health care benefit programs were sent to the virtual office addresses in Louisville and forwarded to a P.O. box in Miami under Perez’s name, according to the indictment.
In another case, an Outer Loop chiropractor and his “runner/marketer” are charged with conspiracy to commit health care fraud – and offering kickbacks.
Louisville chiropractor Bingston Crosby is accused of paying his assistant and marketer, Lacy Black, to recruit patients, including those on Medicaid. The doctor, owner of Crosby Chiropractic Center, Inc., then billed Passport Health Plan and others for services that were never provided, according to allegations in the indictment.
Black promised to pay the patients, driving them to and from the center, investigators allege.
Crosby is accused of billing health care benefit programs for medical services never administered. The indictment charges the doctor with filing claims for the fraudulent services using patient names, dates of birth, insurance/policy numbers, addresses and social security numbers – without patients’ knowledge.
When one patient caught on, the doctor offered to pay the patient not to report, according to allegations in the indictment.
In a separate case, a Cave City, Kentucky, doctor was netted in a health care fraud conspiracy that also ensnared his wife, medical assistant and even a patient. In that case, highly addictive opioids ended up on the streets, according to allegations in the indictments.
Dr. Chandra Dundumalla Reddy, who ran a private practice in his name in Cave City, Kentucky, is charged with conspiracy for allowing his nurse practitioners to prescribe drugs.
His medical assistant, Monica Berry, and patient Brandon Gordon are charged with conspiracy to unlawfully distribute controlled substances, aggravated identity theft and conspiracy to commit health care fraud. Investigators allege that Berry prescribed drugs to Gordon, using Reddy’s authority to prescribe. Gordon is accused of diverting a large amount of addictive pills to the streets, including 17,750 units of Hydrocodone and 2,580 units of oxycodone.
Other patients used their insurance to pay for medically unnecessary drugs, the indictment alleges.
Reddy’s practice is accused of falsely billing Medicare and other health care benefit programs by submitting claims for office visits at a higher cost than the services that they actually provided. They also are accused of altering patient medical charts to cover up and conceal fraudulent billings for future health care audits.
It’s part of a billing scheme totaling about $390,000, the indictment alleges.
Agents with the DEA and FBI teamed with Louisville Metro Police and others during the last two weeks to conduct a series of raids on medical practices, Coleman said.
He wouldn’t elaborate on the ongoing investigations except to say they involve a pediatrician, an oncologist and pain clinics mostly in Jefferson County. - 6/18/2018 El Nino expected to return for a wild winter by Doyle Rice, USA TODAY
- July. Wildfires in the U.S. state of Oregon in 2018 include the Boxcar Fire, Graham Fire, and Jack Knife Fire. In July, one person was killed by the Substation Fire, which also destroyed the Charles E. Nelson House.
- July 4, 2018. The Boone Springs Fire was a wildfire in Elko County, Nevada in the United States. The fire was first reported on July 4, 2018. The fire was contained on July 9 at 3,073 acres (12 km2). During its height, the fire threatened ranch facilities, traffic on U.S. Route 93 Alternate, and Boone Springs Station.
- July 7 2018. Heavy rain and floods in Hiroshima Japan, where the A-Bomb was dropped during World War 2. Also, in July in Southwestern Japan in the first week of July 2018, heavy rains led to devastating floods and mudslides. The region reportedly experienced three times the amount of normal rain for all of July in a matter of days. The torrential downpours caused flooding and mudslides, which destroyed buildings, caked the land with mud, and left thousands stranded and displaced. Some residents remained trapped in their cars, caught off-guard by the fast pace of the mudslides. Roughly two million people had to abandon their homes and retreat to safety. Over 70,000 emergency response workers are out helping people trapped. Over a 100 died.
- 7/8/2018 Dire forecast for long-term global warming by Doyle Rice, USA TODAY
Collapsing polar ice caps, a green Sahara Desert, a 20-foot sea-level rise.
That’s the potential future of Earth, a new study suggests, noting that global warming could be twice as warm as current models predict.
The rate of warming is also remarkable. “The changes we see today are much faster than anything encountered in Earth’s history. In terms of rate of change, we are in uncharted waters,” said study co-author Katrin Meissner of the University of New South Wales in Australia.
This could mean the landmark Paris Climate Agreement – which seeks to limit global warming to 2 degrees Celsius (3.6 degrees Fahrenheit) above preindustrial levels – may not be enough to ward off catastrophe.
“Even with just 2 degrees of warming – and potentially just 1.5 degrees – significant impacts on the Earth system are profound,” said study co-author Alan Mix, from Oregon State University. “We can expect that sea-level rise could become unstoppable for millennia.”
Meissner said that “climate models appear to be trustworthy for small changes, such as for low-emission scenarios over short periods, say over the next few decades out to 2100. But as the change gets larger or more persistent ...it appears they underestimate climate change.”
The research also revealed how large areas of the polar ice caps could collapse and significant changes to ecosystems could see the Sahara Desert become green and the edges of tropical forests turn into fire-dominated savanna.
The study, conducted by dozens of researchers from 17 countries, was published last week in Nature Geoscience, a peer-reviewed British journal. - 7/8/2018 New wildfires sweep through California, burning homes
Firefighters battling blazes throughout the West that have torched hundreds of homes got some help from the weather Saturday, even as they tallied damage from new fires that erupted amid a heat wave.
A fire on the California-Oregon border that destroyed 40 buildings and claimed at least one life remained virtually out of control. In the south, a wind-driven fire that erupted Friday burned an estimated 20 structures and forced evacuations in the Santa Barbara County community of Goleta. - 7/8/2018 Beryl weakens to tropical storm as it nears eastern Caribbean
Beryl weakened to a tropical storm Saturday but is still expected to dump heavy rain over the Lesser Antilles on its way to the eastern Caribbean, bringing a new threat to islands still rebuilding from last year’s storms. A tropical storm warning was issued for Dominica, which was battered by Hurricane Maria in September. - 7/8/2018 38 dead, nearly 50 missing as heavy rain hits southwest Japan
Torrents of rain and flooding battered southwestern Japan on Saturday, with casualty reports climbing quickly. Public broadcaster NHK said 38 people were dead, four injured seriously and 47 missing. - 7/10/2018 Yum! Birds eat up to 550M tons of bugs a year by Doyle Rice, USA TODAY
Just in case you were curious: Scientists have determined that the world’s birds eat 450 to 550 million tons of insects each year.
That’s as many as 20 quadrillion individual bugs, a scientific study report.
The study highlights the role birds play in keeping plant-eating insects under control, researchers say.
Study lead author Martin Nyffeler, a zoologist at the University of Basel in Switzerland, said birds – along with other natural enemies such as spiders and ants – contribute greatly to natural pest suppression.
“Our motivation to publish this paper was to raise public awareness and increase the level of appreciation for birds – a class of highly beneficial, endangered animals,” he said.
Other predator groups such as bats, primates, shrews, hedgehogs, frogs, salamanders and lizards also seem to be valuable bug eaters but are less effective natural enemies of plant-eating insects. Put another way, Nyffeler said, “the global population of birds annually consumes as much energy as a megacity the size of New York. They get this energy by capturing billions of potentially harmful herbivorous insects and other arthropods.”
Some of the most popular items on birds’ menus: beetles, flies, ants, moths, grasshoppers and crickets.
And when compared with our diets, the amount of food consumed by birds is similar to that of the human world population, which, according to the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, consumes about 450 million tons of meat and fish a year.
The study was published in the journal The Science of Nature. - 7/11/2018 Judge will let experts testify that Roundup linked to cancer
A judge in San Francisco says evidence seems weak that Roundup weed killer causes cancer, but experts can still make that claim at trial.
The ruling Tuesday by U.S. District Judge Vince Chhabria allows hundreds of lawsuits against Roundup’s manufacturer, Monsanto, to move forward. The lawsuits by cancer victims and their families say the agrochemical giant long knew about Roundup’s cancer risk but failed to warn them. Monsanto has vehemently denied such a connection. - 7/12/2018 Report: E. coli causes illness in 550 zipliners - Investigation finds those sickened visited Tennessee attraction by Brittany Crocker, Knoxville News Sentinel USA TODAY NETWORK – TENNESSEE
KNOXVILLE, Tenn. – An investigation by the Tennessee Department of Health has found E. coli bacteria was the cause of sickness that affected at least 550 people at a Gatlinburg, Tennessee-area attraction.
Nearly 550 people have reported illness after visiting the CLIMB Works Zip Line Canopy Tour in Gatlinburg.
East Tennessee Region Health Department Assistant Director Gail Harmon said well water samples are en route to Nashville for advanced tests because initial tests showed E. coli bacteria and total coliforms were present in CLIMB Works’ water. Advanced tests will show whether the strain of E. coli in the water is contagious.
Certain strains of E. coli that cause gastrointestinal problems can be spread from person to person, according to the Mayo Clinic, especially when affected children and adults don’t wash their hands properly.
The Tennessee Department of Health used CLIMB Works online sales records to email 2,901 surveys asking patrons of the business if they became ill after visiting the attraction.
Nearly 808 people have responded to the survey, 548 of whom reported illness.
Online reviews of the business indicate many ill patrons booked and visited CLIMB Works in groups, so, the number of sick people may be much greater than that.
Harmon said of the 548 people who reported illness, 505 said they were traveling as part of a group that ranged from two to 30 people.
“But that doesn’t mean they were all ill,” she said. “We will never have an accurate number of people.”
The Health Department said respondents are located in multiple states and visited CLIMB Works between mid-June and early July.
The Health Department is awaiting test results of the facility’s well water, which Harmon said the department believes may be the culprit.
CLIMB Works took ‘appropriate steps’
“CLIMB Works Zipline Canopy Tour has fully cooperated with public health officials and has taken appropriate steps to remediate immediate health concerns,” the Health Department said.
Those steps include using bottled water and adding more filtration to their water wells, Harmon said. The facility also closed its doors Sunday to sanitize everything.
“The facility was closed temporarily but has resumed routine operation with ongoing consultation from local public health authorities,” according to the Health Department.
Nearly 550 people have reported illness after visiting an attraction in Tennessee. UNIVERSITY OF OKLAHOMA - 7/13/2018 Indiana sees its first death in hepatitis A outbreak by Darcy Costello, Louisville Courier Journal USA TODAY NETWORK
Indiana health officials reported the state’s first death connected to the hepatitis A outbreak Wednesday as the multistate outbreak continues.
Officials did not release the location of the person who died but said Indiana has seen 214 outbreak- related cases of the highly contagious liver disease. Across the river, Kentucky officials say the state has seen more than 960 cases, in the worst outbreak in the nation.
“This heartbreaking loss of life illustrates how serious this outbreak is, and I urge Hoosiers to practice good handwashing and to get vaccinated, especially if they fall into a high-risk population,” Indiana State Health Commissioner Kris Box said in a release.
The deadly outbreak in Kentucky has killed six. Three of those deaths were in Louisville, where health officials say there have been 482 cases.
The virus was first detected in Louisville last fall and mostly impacts drug users and adults who are homeless or people who work with them. It can be spread through contact with objects, surfaces, food or drinks contaminated by feces or stool from person with the virus. Louisville’s health department put together an online resource page at LouisvilleKy.gov — search for “hepatitis” — that lists many places offering the shot. The first shot is up to 95 percent effective and a second shot is recommended after six months.- July 13 2018. Partial solar eclipse seen in Australia and Antarctica. 6.4 quake Vanuatu in Pacific.
- 7/15/2018 Conservation tragedy: Bid to help rare rhinos kills 8 by Joel Shannon, USA TODAY
Eight black rhinoceroses died in a botched attempt to start a new population of the critically endangered species, the Kenyan Ministry of Tourism announced Thursday.
The eight animals likely died of salt poisoning, a release says. The rhinos were unaccustomed to the level of salt in water in their new environment and could not adapt.
In salt poisoning, high salt levels in the water lead animals to become dehydrated. They then begin to drink more salty water – a cycle that can eventually kill them.
“This is a major conservation tragedy, not just for Kenya but for all rhinos. It’s surprising because Kenya has conducted many successful large-scale translocations of rhinos before,” Paula Kahumbu, CEO of Wildlife Direct, a conservation group with a focus on Africa’s critically endangered species, wrote on Facebook.
“I dread to think of the suffering that these poor animals endured before they died. We need to know what went wrong so that it never happens again.”
The eight rhinos were among 11 that had been moved between national parks in Kenya — a process known as translocation. In their new home at Tsavo East National Park, they were meant to start a rhino population in a newly created sanctuary.
Translocation is a common conservation tactic, The Washington Post reports. The practice allows endangered species to start new populations in remote areas where they will be insulated from danger and are more likely to thrive.
It’s a process Kahumbu likened to moving gold bullion — it’s difficult, expensive, risky and requires careful planning.
The Ministry of Tourism says the three remaining rhinos at the sanctuary are being provided with fresh water as authorities investigate the incident.
Originally, a total of 14 rhinos were to be moved to the sanctuary. Those plans are now on hold, as are all black rhinoceros translocations, the release says.
Fewer than 5,400 of the species are alive, according to the World Wildlife Fund. It reports that the deadliest threat to the species is poaching — rhino horns are a lucrative and illegal trade.
Overall, translocating rhinos has been a successful effort, the Ministry of Tourism said.
It said that between 2005 and 2017 nearly 150 rhinos had been translocated with only eight deaths, excluding the most recent incident.
A black rhino male and calf in Mkuze, South Africa. KARL STROMAYER/AP - 7/21/2018 Human ‘fingerprints’ detected in temp changes by Doyle Rice, USA TODAY
Now there’s proof we’re messing around with the seasons. For the first time, scientists have shown that human-caused climate change is affecting seasonal temperature cycles, a study released Thursday suggests.
The study shows that summers are warming more rapidly than the other three seasons as the planet’s temperature rises, especially in portions of the Northern Hemisphere.
It concludes there’s no “natural” way the temperatures could have changed this way without the influence of rising atmospheric greenhouse-gas concentrations. Human-inflicted climate change is caused by the burning of fossil fuels such as coal, oil and gas.
In fact, the study says the seasonal “heartbeat” of frigid winters and hot summers is becoming stronger with human emissions of greenhouse gases.
The study also represents the first-time scientists have identified a human “fingerprint” on Earth’s atmosphere in a new place: the troposphere, the lowest region of the atmosphere where weather occurs.
The findings provide “powerful and novel evidence for a significant human effect on Earth’s climate,” said study lead author Benjamin Santer, a climate scientist at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory.
The study is solid but unsurprising, Andrew Dessler, an atmospheric scientist at Texas A&M University, told Nature. “I don’t think this solves a major problem in atmospheric sciences, nor does it change anything that I think about the climate system,” he said. “But it does provide even more evidence that humans are altering the climate.”
The study was published in the peer reviewed journal Science.- 7/21/2018 Iowa hammered by at least 5 tornadoes, weather service says
Forecasters say at least five tornadoes touched down as an unexpected swarm of destructive storms hit central Iowa on Thursday afternoon.
The storms injured at least 17 people, flattened buildings and forced the evacuation of a hospital.- 7/21/2018 Soaring temperatures, humidity bring danger across the South
Scorching heat spread Friday across much of the South, where temperatures were expected to soar over 100 degrees and persist into next week. The National Weather Service posted heat advisories and warnings from the New Mexico-Texas border eastward to parts of Alabama.
Texas, Oklahoma, Arkansas, Louisiana, Mississippi, west Tennessee and parts of Kansas, Missouri and Kentucky were all under heat advisories or warnings Friday.- 7/22/2018 New Alzheimer’s drug trial showing promise by Karen Weintraub, Special to USA TODAY
No effective treatment for Alzheimer’s is yet in sight, but better diagnostics, deeper scientific understanding and an encouraging drug trial are all leading to a positive mood, as the largest Alzheimer’s research conference of the year begins Sunday in Chicago.
“There have been plenty of disappointments, and sadly I’m an expert in those disappointments,” said Stephen Salloway, director of the Memory and Aging Program at Butler Hospital in Rhode Island and a professor of neurology at the Alpert Medical School of Brown University. “(But) I’m quite bullish and think we’re making significant progress.”
Much of the recent optimism surrounds a drug trial that will report more details at the Alzheimer’s Association International Conference.
In that small trial, a drug seems to have removed a protein called amyloid, the hallmark of Alzheimer’s. All previous trials attacking amyloid, including some costing hundreds of millions of dollars, have failed in patients. The new study suggests it’s because they were given too little, too late.
“You’re going to have to move early and be very aggressive,” said Reisa Sperling, who directs the Center for Alzheimer Research and Treatment at Boston’s Brigham and Women’s Hospital.
Eighteen months after they began taking the experimental drug – called BAN2401 – patients who received the highest dose saw a dramatic drop in the amyloid in their brains, as well as signs that disease progression had slowed, according to Biogen, which is developing the drug along with Japanese company Essai. Detailed results and more recent findings are expected to be presented at the conference.- 7/22/2018 Study links teen ADHD to digital media use - Results have ramifications for parents, teachers, tech by Ryan Suppe, USA TODAY
SAN FRANCISCO – Teenagers who frequently use digital media are more likely to develop attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder, a new study says.
In 2014, scientists at the University of Southern California embarked on a two-year study to discover whether the amount and frequency of digital media usage among teens was associated with the occurrence of ADHD.
They found that teens who used digital media the most were twice as likely to develop new ADHD symptoms over two years than teens who used social media the least.
“This study raises concern whether the proliferation of high-performance digital media technologies may be putting a new generation of youth at risk for ADHD,” said Adam Leventhal, a professor of preventive medicine and psychology and director of the USC Health, Emotion and Addiction Laboratory at the Keck School of Medicine of USC, who led the study.
ADHD is a condition involving persistent difficulty sustaining attention, hyperactivity and impulsivity, according to the study. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimates 6.1 million, or nearly 1 in 10, children in the U.S. have ADHD.
Past research has looked at whether television and video games have an effect on ADHD occurrence, but new research was necessary with the advent of new digital media, which are “constantly available via mobile devices, and capable of providing rapid high-intensity stimulation,” the scientists wrote.
The results have ramifications for parents, teachers, doctors and tech companies. A recent survey from Common Sense Media found teens spend nearly nine hours per day using online media, and a separate survey published last month by the CDC found 43 percent of teens use digital media three or more hours a day.
Over a two-year period, the USC scientists studied 2,587 high school students ages 15 to 16 in Los Angeles County from schools of varied demographic and socioeconomic status. Only students who didn’t show ADHD symptoms were selected for the survey. They found 9.5 percent of the 114 children who used half the digital media platforms frequently and 10.5 percent of the 51 who used all 14 platforms frequently showed new ADHD symptoms. By contrast, 4.6 percent of the 495 students who lacked frequent digital activity showed ADHD symptoms, about the background rate of the disorder in the general population.
The results appeared Tuesday in the Journal of the American Medical Association. Researchers concluded that “among adolescents followed up over 2 years, there was a statistically significant but modest association between higher frequency of digital media use and subsequent symptoms of ADHD.”
It’s not clear, however, whether digital media use causes ADHD or if teens who develop ADHD are using digital media more than those without ADHD.
Scientists surveyed the eligible students in the fall of 2014 for a baseline of results, then conducted follow-up surveys every six months over a 24-month period hoping to discover whether digital media use in 10th grade was associated with ADHD symptoms tracked through 12th grade.
Students were asked how often they use 14 popular digital platforms including social media, streaming video, text messaging, music downloads and chatrooms, among others. They also were asked questions related to common ADHD symptoms.
It’s not clear if digital media use causes ADHD or if teens who develop ADHD are using digital media more than those without ADHD. GETTY IMAGES - July 23, 2018. California Wildfires were all over the state, from Redding in Northern California to Riverside County in Southern California. It was caused by record-high temperatures combined with dry vegetation led to 17 active fires across the Golden State. The Carr fire is the most ruinous of the wildfires, and experts say it's the seventh most destructive fire in California history–and it's still growing. Firefighters from 16 states joined the containment efforts, making the total amount of firefighting personnel 12,000.
Police charged Brandon N. McGlover for arson. Authorities believe he started the Cranston Fire and several other small fires. Over 103,000 acres of land burned at and around Redding. The Ferguson Fire scorched 57,846 acres. In addition, the Mendocino Complex Fire has already burned tens of thousands of acres, but an exact calculation has not been made. Experts estimate fires destroyed 300,000 total acres across the state.
The Carr Fire destroyed 657 homes in and around Redding. The Mendocino Complex Fire burned down six homes. Officials shut down the southern section of Yosemite Park due to the Ferguson Fire. There were 6 deaths from Carr Fire and 2 in the Ferguson Fire.- 7/24/2018 3,500 structures at risk as wildfire rages near Yosemite
Firefighters near Yosemite National Park are racing to contain the deadly Ferguson Fire as higher temperatures raise the danger for thousands of homes potentially in its path.
Six firefighters have been injured and one killed battling the 51-squaremile fire in rugged terrain near the national park’s west side. Evacuation orders are in place for the small communities dotting the area.- 7/25/2018 Japan’s heat wave called a natural disaster by Marina Pitofsky, USA TODAY
Japanese officials classified the country’s historic heat wave as a natural disaster, warning citizens Tuesday to stay inside and avoid life-threatening temperatures of 104 degrees in some areas.
At least 65 people have died in the blistering heat since early July, but the actual figure is thought to be much higher.
“AccuWeather estimates the death toll from the Japan heat wave is likely already in the hundreds despite the official toll, and we predict the number will climb into the thousands before the heat wave ends,” said Joel Myers, the company’s president and founder.
More than 22,000 people have been taken to hospitals with heat-stroke symptoms, Japanese officials said. In the city of Kumagaya, temperatures soared to 106 degrees on Monday, the highest temperature ever reported in the country. In Tokyo, the heat reached 104 degrees.
“We are observing unprecedented levels of heat in some areas,” weather agency spokesman Motoaki Takekawa said, according to the BBC.
Officials are especially concerned about children because less than half of Japan’s public schools have air conditioning. Summer break from school may be extended to keep children from overheated conditions, Yoshihide Suga, a government spokesman, said Tuesday.
“As a record heat wave continues to blanket the country, urgent measures are required to protect the lives of schoolchildren,” he said.
The Japan Meteorological Agency predicts temperatures will be 95 degrees and higher into August. It advised people to drink plenty of water, avoid direct sunlight and use air conditioning.- 7/25/2018 Wildfires in Greece kill 74 in deadliest blazes in decades
The death toll from Greece’s deadliest wildfires in decades climbed to 74 Tuesday as rescue crews searched on land and sea for those who sought to escape the blazes that engulfed popular summer resort spots near Athens.
The number of victims appeared set to go even higher, with crews checking charred homes and vehicles and the coast guard scouring beaches and deeper waters. There was no definitive count of the missing.
- 7/25/2018 Yosemite Valley to close for days as firefighters battle huge blaze
The heart of Yosemite National Park, where throngs of tourists are awestruck by cascading waterfalls and towering granite features like El Capitan and Half Dome, will be closed for four days as firefighters try to corral a wildfire that has cast a smoky pall and threatened the park’s forest, park spokesman Scott Gediman said Tuesday.- 7/27/2018 July’s heat wave is one for the books all across the globe - Temperature records shatter by the thousands by Marina Pitofsky, USA TODAY
This summer is shaping up to be a record sizzler from Algeria’s deserts to Japan’s bustling cities.
With the United Kingdom poised for historic heat Friday, countries across four continents smashed their own temperature marks this month.
In the past 30 days, there have been 3,092 new daily high temperatures, 159 new monthly heat records and 55 all-time highs worldwide, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.
In the U.S. alone, there have been 1,542 new daily high temperatures, 85 new monthly heat records and 23 all-time highs during the same period, most recorded in Texas, New Mexico and Louisiana.
United Kingdom
The temperature reached 95.2 degrees Thursday at Wisley, Surrey, making it the hottest day of the year, according to the Met Office, which provides weather predictions and warnings for the U.K. The United Kingdom’s all-time heat record of 101.3 degrees could be broken Friday, the Met Office said in a statement.
Particularly concerning for the U.K. is that heat-related deaths could spike to 7,000 a year by 2050 unless lawmakers create a plan to help people at risk of dehydration and heatstroke, Parliament’s Environmental Audit Committee warned.
Japan and the Korean Peninsula
Japan recorded its highest temperature ever Monday with a reading of 106 degrees in Kumagaya. More than 65 people have died in the heat wave and more than 22,000 hospitalized.
Officials have called the heat a natural disaster, and the Japanese Meteorological Agency predicts temperatures will continue at 95 degrees or higher into August.
In South Korea, 10 people died from heat-related health complications, the Korea Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said Monday. Officials said more than 1,040 people reported dehydration and other heat-related illnesses from May 20 to July 21, a 61 percent increase over the same period last year.
Temperatures this week reached up to 103.8 in Hayang, South Korea, the highest in the country this year. And in North Korea, temperatures reached up to 104 degrees.
“It is so hot these days that I cannot figure out whether I am in (South Korea) or in Southeast Asiaa,” Kim Sung-hee, a student in Seoul, told ABC News.
Canada
More than 70 people died from blistering heat in late June and early July in central and eastern Canada. Thirty-four of these deaths occurred in Montreal from June 29 to July 7 alone, NPR said. Most of the victims were elderly and lived in apartments with no air conditioning, David Kaiser, a physician manager at the Montreal Regional Department of Public Health, told NPR.
Algeria
Ouargla, Algeria, in the Saraha Desert, experienced the hottest reliably measured temperature ever in Africa at 124.3 on July 5. Temperatures of 131 hit Kebili, Tunisia, in 1931, but historians have doubts about the record.
Scandinavia
In Sweden, temperatures caused at least 50 forest fires in different parts of the country – some north of the Arctic Circle.
Temperatures in Kvikkjokk soared to 90.5 on Tuesday, an all-time high for the city and nearly 20 degrees higher than the nation’s normal July temperatures. In southern Sweden, Uppsala hit 93.9 degrees Monday, its highest since 1975.
In Norway, all-time records were reached Tuesday in Namsskogan and Mo I Rana. The small town of Snasa smashed its own mark with a temperature of 88.9 degrees Monday.
In southern Finland, Turku hit 91.9, the hottest day since 1914.- July 27 2018. Total Lunar Eclipse seen in Europe, Africa, Asia.
- July 28 2018. Ash eruption at Vanuatu volcano in the Pacific. 6.4 earthquake Indonesia.
- 7/30/2018 Six are killed as thousands flee California wildfire by David Benda, Amber Sandhu and John Bacon, USA TODAY
REDDING, Calif. – A wildfire roaring out of control Sunday in Northern California has claimed at least six lives, burned hundreds of homes and driven more than 30,000 stunned, mourning residents from their communities.
More than 3,000 firefighters were battling the blaze, which had grown to 140 square miles. High temperatures and heavy winds conspired to complicate the effort backed by more than 300 fire engines and 17 helicopters.
The fire remained only 5percent contained Sunday despite “aggressive” efforts, the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection.
“Extreme fire conditions continue to challenge firefighters,” Cal Fire said.
Redding sits on the Sacramento River about 170 miles north of the capital.
Wayne and Laura Rathe say they took all the defensive measures they could and evacuated Thursday.
On Saturday, they learned that their home of almost 20 years was gone.
“We did everything right,” Laura Rathe said. “It’s crazy; it’s unbelievable.”
Bendu and Sandhu reported from Redding and Bacon from McLean, Virginia. Contributing: Christal Hayes.
Firefighters douse a hot spot as the Carr Fire continues to burn Saturday near Redding, Calif. AFP/GETTY IMAGES - 7/30/2016 Strong earthquake hits Indonesia, killing at least 14
A strong, shallow earthquake early Sunday killed at least 14 people and injured more than 160 on Indonesia’s Lombok island, a popular tourist destination next to Bali, officials said.- 7/31/2016 Raging heat and wind whip up ‘firenadoes’ - Some evacuees return home amid progress by Damon Arthur and John Bacon, USA TODAY
REDDING, Calif. – Firefighters battling intense heat and strong winds struggled Monday to gain control of a deadly Northern California wildfire that has killed at least six people and destroyed more than 700 homes.
The fire had burned through 150 square miles and was growing, but Cal Fire Incident Commander Bret Gouvea said it was not moving deeper into this town of 92,000.
“We’re feeling a lot more optimistic today as we are starting to gain some ground rather than be in the defensive mode all the time,” Gouvea said. “You’re going to see repopulation in the city of Redding very soon.”
Some residents were allowed to return to their homes Monday, and the Win-River Resort & Casino south of the city reopened after being evacuated Saturday. Its 84-room hotel quickly filled. “UPDATE! Our hotel is fully booked #ReddingStrong #winriver,” the resort tweeted.
More than 30,000 people remained evacuated, and seven people were missing. The so-called Carr Fire, sprawling over a swath of land seven times the size of Manhattan, was just 20 percent contained. There was no end in sight to the blazing heat blamed for “firenadoes” – twisting whirlwinds of flame and ash.
AccuWeather’s Evan Duffey said temperatures have consistently exceeded 100 degrees in Redding the past several days, reaching as high as 113. The area might not see a break in the heat until the middle of next week, he said. Low humidity added to the problem.
“The dryness and extreme heat have led to the extreme fire weather,” Duffey said.
He said a relatively wet winter literally added fuel to the fire by creating more vegetation. When summer heated up, all that vegetation began to die – and kindling was born.
Duffey said the high surface temperatures force air to rise and grow unstable. When air with fire underneath it rises, it brings the fire with it, he said.
“The air pulls in the fire and creates its own wind,” he said. “That’s how you get fire vortex, the ‘firenadoes’ that we have been seeing.”
All that heat can mean misery for firefighters. The firefighter’s gear pack includes a bottle for water or a sports drink, or they wear a separate backpack filled with water, said Jessica Gardetto, spokeswoman for the National Inter- agency Fire Center.
“They often work 15-hour shifts or more, and they are a focused bunch that might have to be consistently reminded to drink,” Gardetto said. “Heat exhaustion is always an issue.”
While the firefighters struggle with the blaze, evacuees such as Donna and Billy Gill wait and wonder whether they will still have a home when they return to their Redding neighborhood.
“Just the not knowing is probably the hardest part,” Donna Gill said. “This is just unbelievable. I don’t know – you don’t know what to say. We’re all in it together, that’s for sure.”
The fire was one of more than a dozen raging across California. A “complex” of fires in Mendicino and Lake Counties, about 100 miles southwest of Redding, burned more than 50 square miles and forced thousands to evacuate, Cal Fire said.
Near Yosemite National Park, the Ferguson Fire has killed two people and forced the park’s top tourist attractions to close. The fire has burned 85 square miles and is 30 percent contained.
Elsewhere in the West, the Mesa Fire 120 miles north of Boise had scorched 40 square miles and was one of several in Idaho. “There are a lot of fires in the area, and everybody is competing for the same resources,” said Jeff Knudson, Mesa incident commander.
In Redding, almost 3,400 fire personnel battled the Carr Fire, some of them on 36-hour rotations, with 17 helicopters, 334 fire engines, 68 bulldozers and 59 fire crews, according to Cal Fire.
“I can tell you we are making great strides every day,” Gouvea said. “We are very encouraged.”
Arthur reported from Redding, Bacon from McLean, Va. Contributing: Alayna Shulman, Redding Record Searchlight; KTVB-TV in Boise.
“The air pulls in the fire and creates its own wind. That’s how you get fire vortex, the ‘firenadoes’ that we have been seeing.” Evan Duffey AccuWeather.
Wildfires obscure the view Monday near Whiskeytown Lake outside Redding, Calif. KELLY JORDAN/USA TODAY - July 31 2018. Mars closest approach to earth in 15 years. New Ebola cases in the Congo.
- 7/13/2018 Indiana sees its first death in hepatitis A outbreak by Darcy Costello, Louisville Courier Journal USA TODAY NETWORK
- 8/1/2018 Purdue report: Changing climate may hurt farmers by Emily Hopkins Indianapolis Star USA TODAY NETWORK
INDIANAPOLIS – Nothing says fall like taking a bite out of a fresh Honeycrisp apple, handpicked from one of Indiana’s you-pick orchards.
But this autumn staple – along with the $31.2 billion contribution agriculture provides to the state’s gross domestic product – faces an uncertain future because of the effects of climate change.
A report released Tuesday by Purdue University’s Climate Change Research Center details some of the challenges Hoosier farmers may face in the coming decades.
Among the findings:- Corn and soybeans – the state’s top commodities – will have declining yields.
- Warming may change which crops are able to grow in the state.
- Indiana’s livestock will be put at an increased risk of heat stress, which may add costs to production.
- The positives of higher carbon dioxide concentrations and a warmer climate are largely offset by the negatives.
Specialty crops will also be jeopardized by warming temperatures, according to the report.
“People who have apple orchards may need to consider planting different varieties going forward,” said Jeff Dukes, director of the Purdue Climate Change Research Center.
“They’ve got to be thinking about future climate, not just today’s climate, because it’s going to shift during the lifespan of those trees.”
Livestock will experience more instances of heat stress, and farmers will likely face increased costs associated with keeping animals cool with ventilation systems.
Even the perceived benefits of a warming climate and higher carbon dioxide concentrations come with significant downsides, said Laura Bowling, a professor at Purdue and lead author on the report.
Springs will get warmer earlier, potentially lengthening the growing season. But wetter springs may actually keep farmers from getting on the field.
Changing weather patterns associated with an earlier growing season might also affect Indiana’s specialty crops. Perennial plants such as apple trees and vines require cool, but not freezing, periods to bloom. If the plants bud before the last frost, the crop could be in danger of being lost for the year.
And while more carbon dioxide means plants will grow more efficiently, higher temperatures may “temper or negate those gains altogether.”
There’s also evidence that exposure to higher carbon dioxide levels leads to a decrease in plant protein and mineral content, the report said, making food less nutritious. The exact effects of this phenomenon on livestock and humans are still not well understood.
These effects could have a substantial effect on the sector that provides 5 percent of the state’s gross domestic product. The intense drought of 2012 led to huge losses in corn yields and federal crop insurance payouts that totaled more than $1 billion. Three years later, heavy rains destroyed 5 percent of Indiana’s corn and soybean crop, a monetary loss of $300 million.
While no single weather event can be attributed to climate change, research suggests that a warming climate will result in an increased frequency of these types of events.
One possible solution lies in soil health. A movement around adopting practices, particularly planting cover crops, that help prevent soil erosion and nutrient runoff has been gaining traction in the U.S.
“So much of our agriculture relies on our soil,” said Dukes from Purdue. “There are going to be some major challenges for Indiana producers in the next few decades. One of the ways we can start preparing for them now is to make sure our soil is in good shape.”
Indiana farmers are leading the country in some soil conservation techniques, a factor that could be important as rainfalls become more intense in the early spring. Intense rain increases nutrient loss and erosion on farm fields. In turn, conditions become drier toward the end of the growing season, which could lead to drought-like conditions, according to the report. - 8/1/2018 Climate change-fueled heat waves may be the norm by Doyle Rice, USA TODAY
The fierce July that saw monstrous wildfires, record heat and unprecedented flooding across the globe was fueled by man-made climate change, scientists said – and these extremes are likely to become a fact of life.
“Globally, what we’ve been seeing is exactly what has been predicted for decades,” said Noah Diffenbaugh, a Stanford University geoscientist. Climate change is “upping the odds that when these heat waves happen that they’re hotter and more severe.”
Record-breaking heat waves and extreme rainfall are likely to become more common because the buildup of greenhouse gases is altering the atmosphere, according to the British journal Nature.
UCLA climate scientist Daniel Swain said about half of the increase can be blamed on the extreme warmth fueled by climate change.
“It’s not rocket science,” Penn State University’s Michael Mann said. “You make the Earth hotter, you’re going to have more extreme heat. You’re going to have longer periods of extreme heat ... and that’s what we’re seeing.”
Contributing: The Associated Press
Scientists warn that if climate change isn’t arrested, extreme weather will become common. LARRY W. SMITH/EPA-EFE - 8/4/2018 McDonald’s tainted salads have sickened 395 people in 15 states by Zlati Meyer, USA TODAY
Some 395 people have become sick from eating tainted McDonald’s salads, according to an updated count from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
The illnesses have been linked to salad mix contaminated with the Cyclospora parasite, which is spread through fecal matter. Sixteen have been hospitalized, the CDC said.
Fifteen states have confirmed cases, primarily in the Midwest. Illinois, where McDonald’s is headquartered, has the most: 202. Shortly after people began getting sick last month, McDonald’s voluntarily stopped selling salads at affected restaurants and switched salad suppliers.
On July 26, a U.S. Food and Drug Administration analysis confirmed that McDonald’s supplier Fresh Express was the source of the problem. The analysis found Cyclospora in a sample from an unused package of salad mix with romaine lettuce and carrots. The package’s expiration date had already passed.
“Fresh Express committed to using recall procedures to inform those companies that received this romaine about the sample result,” the FDA said. “Fresh Express also reported that carrots used in the mix were only sent to McDonald’s locations.” Fresh Express said in a statement on its website Thursday that none of the packages were for retail sale to consumers and that the company continues to work with food safety experts and federal and state government officials on their investigations.
“At Fresh Express, our top priority is providing consumers with the highest quality and safest fresh lettuce and leafy greens products available,” the company said. “As of now, there is no clear understanding about the contamination pathway or the definitive source of infection.”
Watery diarrhea is the most common symptom of Cyclosporiasis, according to the CDC. Symptoms may also include loss of appetite, weight loss, stomach cramps and pain, bloating, increased gas, nausea, fatigue, vomiting, body aches, headache and fever. It usually takes about a week to get sick after getting infected.
The victims in Connecticut, Tennessee, and Virginia bought salads while traveling in Illinois. And the Floridian was visiting Kentucky, the CDC said.
“We addressed it very quickly. Customers always appreciate (that),” CEO Steve Easterbrook told USA TODAY on July 26.
There are problems with Cyclospora elsewhere. The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Food Safety and Inspection Service issued a public health alert on Caito Foods beef, pork and poultry salad and wraps, due to concern that they’d been contaminated with Cyclospora, too. Fresh Express supplies the chopped romaine lettuce the Indianapolis-based distributor uses for its foods sold at Kroger, Trader Joe’s and Walgreen’s.
McDonald’s has stopped selling salads at affected restaurants and switched salad suppliers. ROGELIO V. SOLIS/AP - August 5 2018. 6.9 quake, Indonesia.
- 8/6/2018 Dozens dead as powerful earthquake hits Indonesia by John Bacon, USA TODAY
The death toll rose to 39 after a magnitude 7.0 earthquake rocked the Indonesian island of Lombok and nearby Bali on Sunday, damaging buildings, sending terrified residents and tourists running into the streets and triggering a brief tsunami warning. The head of disaster management in Indonesia’s West Nusa Tenggara province, Muhammad Rum, announced the death toll – which could rise as search-and-rescue operations continue.
Social media posts from the scene showed debris piled on streets and sidewalks. Hospital patients, many still in their beds, were rolled out onto streets as a safeguard against structural damage to the hospital buildings.
“Back in the house now. That was an attention getter,” tweeted @Bali_ chris. “Strongest quake we’ve felt in the 13 years we’ve been here. Much stronger than the last one in Lombok that we felt in Bali. Hope everyone in Lombok is safe.”
Lombok, about 50 miles east of Bali, was rocked by a magnitude 6.4 quake less than a week ago that killed 16 people. That quake injured more than 150 people, damaged thousands of homes and cut off power to many more.
The Meteorology, Climatology and Geophysics Agency for Indonesia reported scores of aftershocks in the hours after last week’s quake – and warned that another major quake could be imminent.Iwan Asmara, an official from the Disaster Mitigation Agency, said panicked residents and tourists ran from their homes and hotels to move to higher ground. Model Chrissy Teigen, vacationing in Bali with husband John Legend and their children, said she fled to the streets. “Oh my god. Bali. Trembling. So long,” Teigen tweeted. “Oh man. We are on stilts. It felt like a ride. 15 solid seconds.”
Minutes later, Teigen tweeted, “I’m either still trembling or these little quakes won’t stop IM TRYING TO BE NORMAL HERE” The quake struck at 6:46 p.m. local time Sunday. The epicenter was 12 miles southwest of East Lombok. Lombok is known for its beaches, surfing, diving and snorkeling, and it’s home to a sea turtle hatchery.
Contributing: The Associated Press
Debris from a magnitude 7.0 earthquake on Indonesia’s Lombok Island crushed motorcycles at a shopping mall. SONNY TUMBELAKA/AFP/GETTY IMAGES - 8/7/2018 Scientists warn that Earth’s ‘habitability’ at risk by Doyle Rice, USA TODAY
We’ve been warned.
Runaway global warming on our planet remains a distinct possibility in the decades and centuries ahead, scientists reported Monday in a new study, warning that a “hothouse Earth” threatens the very “habitability of the planet for human beings.”
Such a hothouse climate would see global average temperatures some 6 to 8 degrees Fahrenheit higher than they are now, with sea levels 30 to 200 feet higher than today, the paper said.
Even if the carbon emission reductions called for in the Paris Agreement are met – meaning a rise of no more than 3.6 degrees above preindustrial levels – that still may not be enough.
Scientists at the Stockholm Resilience Centre, the Australian National University and other institutions made their forecast by reviewing past reports on tipping points for climate change.
Global warming is caused by the burning of fossil fuels such as oil, gas and coal, which release greenhouse gases like carbon dioxide into the atmosphere and oceans.
The paper said that a hothouse Earth trajectory almost certainly would cause widespread river flooding, increase the risk of damage from coastal storms, and eliminate coral reefs by the end of this century or earlier.
Study lead author Will Steffen said “our study suggests that human-induced global warming of (3.6 degrees) may trigger other Earth system processes, often called ‘feedbacks,’ that can drive further warming – even if we stop emitting greenhouse gases.”
“These tipping elements can potentially act like a row of dominoes,” said study co-author Johan Rockstrom of the Stockholm Resilience Centre.
- 8/8/2018 Ocean water heats up to all-time high in San Diego by Doyle Rice, USA TODAY
By East Coast standards, a water temperature of 78.8 degrees isn’t all that toasty. But it was an all-time record for the Pacific Ocean near San Diego last week.
Scientists at the Scripps Institution of Oceanography have measured the ocean temperature at a pier in San Diego for 102 years.
On Friday, it was warmer than any other time on record.
It was yet another extreme temperature record for a planet that’s seen a slew of them this summer, from 90 degrees north of the Arctic Circle in Finland to a possible all-time record high for Africa of 124 degrees, among many others.
Researchers at Scripps said the record warm water is consistent with similar records for high temperatures set on land this year.
It’s also how global warming will play out, they said. Records related to heat and intense weather will become easier to break, having been given a boost from man-made climate change, which has added about 1.8 degrees to ocean temperatures over the past century, according to Scripps.
“Like other climate change trends, background warming enhances the probability and magnitude of extreme events,” said Scripps oceanographer Reinhard Flick.
It’s not only the water near San Diego that’s been warm: The ocean region off Southern California has been experiencing unusually warm temperatures for the past week and other stations farther off the coast have also reported record or near-record temperatures.
And we can’t blame El Niño. The natural El Niño climate pattern typically inflates near-shore ocean temperatures, but the most recent one ended in 2016, and the sea water has remained warm.- August 10 2018. Vice President Pence announced that a new Space Force will be created by 2020.
The Lira currency fell to a new low in Turkey after new tariffs announced by the U.S. on Turkey's steel and aluminum.
A Horizon Air Q400 turboprop airliner was taken for a "joyride" by an airline employee in Washington State.- August 11 2018. Partial solar eclipse seen in Canada, Greenland.
- 8/14/2018 Blue light from your phone may hasten blindness by Brett Molina, USA TODAY
The blue light beaming from smartphones and tablets is changing cells in our eyes that could accelerate blindness, according to a study.
Researchers from The University of Toledo studied the impact of blue light — which comes from the sun as well as digital devices — on our eyes.
The study found blue light triggers “toxic” reactions in retinal molecules that sense light and signal the brain. The retinal used by photoreceptors in our eyes is what allows people to see.
Results showed blue light helps generate poisonous chemical reactions killing photoreceptors, which cannot be restored once they die off.
This leads to macular degeneration, an incurable eye disease that causes blindness starting in your 50s or 60s, researchers said.
“It’s no secret that blue light harms our vision by damaging the eye’s retina,” Ajith Karunarathne, assistant professor in the University of Toledo’s department of chemistry and biochemistry and one of the study’s authors, said in a statement. “Our experiments explain how this happens, and we hope this leads to therapies that slow macular degeneration, such as a new kind of eye drop.”
The study was published July 5 in the journal Scientific Reports.
Researchers are studying blue light coming from TVs, smartphones and tablets to figure out what impact it has during everyday exposure. They advise people wear sunglasses filtering UV and blue light and avoid using their digital devices in the dark.
“By learning more about the mechanisms of blindness in search of a method to intercept toxic reactions caused by the combination of retinal and blue light, we hope to find a way to protect the vision of children growing up in a high-tech world,” Karunarathne said.
Blue light can also affect your sleep, suppressing your body’s ability to create melatonin, according to the National Sleep Foundation. It suggests staying away from devices at least 30 minutes before bed.- 8/15/2018 At least 20 die, others trapped as bridge falls - Collapse sets off frantic search for survivors in Genoa, Italy by Jane Onyanga-Omara, USA TODAY
A huge stretch of a highway bridge collapsed in a sudden midday storm Tuesday in the northwestern Italian city of Genoa, crushing vehicles and sending others plunging close to 150 feet. At least 20 people were killed, though the death toll fluctuated throughout the day. Some people were found alive in the debris.
Thirty-five cars and three heavy trucks were on the 260-foot section of the Morandi Bridge that collapsed under torrential rain, said Angelo Borrelli, head of Italy’s civil protection agency.
Some ended up in the Polvecera River, the Italian news agency ANSA reported.
A witness identified only as Pietro M. told ANSA the bridge was struck by lightning about 11:30 a.m. local time, and he watched it go down.
The 147-foot-tall bridge was built in the 1960s, the BBC reported. It runs over homes, shopping centers, factories, a railway line and a river, according to ANSA. Video captured the sound of a man screaming, “Oh God, oh God,” as part of the bridge crumbled. Other images showed a green truck that had stopped on the bridge yards short of a gaping hole.
Hundreds of firefighters and emergency officials searched for survivors in the rubble with heavy equipment. At least two people were pulled alive from vehicles and taken by helicopter to a hospital.
Borrelli said highway engineers were checking other parts of the bridge, and some areas were evacuated as a precaution. He said they were still trying to find the reason for the collapse.
“We need to remove all of the rubble to ascertain that all of the people have been reached,” he said.
“Operations are ongoing to extract people imprisoned below parts of the bridge and twisted metal.”
Firefighters told the Associated Press there are concerns about gas lines exploding in the area from the collapse.
The Morandi Bridge is a main thoroughfare connecting the A10 highway that goes toward France and the A7 highway that continues north toward Milan and the beaches of Liguria.
Thirty-five cars and three heavy trucks were on the 260-foot section of a bridge that fell Tuesday. LUCA ZENNARO/EPA-EFE. Rescuers search the rubble of the bridge in Genoa, Italy, on Tuesday. ANDREA LEONI AFP/GETTY IMAGES. Firefighters using heavy equipment pulled survivors from the rubble. Some cars plunged into the Polvecera River. LUCA ZENNARO/ANSA VIA AP - 8/15/2018 Dozens in New York trapped in homes by flash floods, damage
Dozens of people were trapped in their homes Tuesday by flash floods caused by heavy predawn downpours that drenched New York’s Finger Lakes region, inundating roads and sweeping trees, debris and a camper with a woman trapped inside into one of the lakes, authorities said.
The woman was rescued by a boater, and crews were rescuing about 50 people trapped in their homes and evacuating others by boat on Seneca Lake, Seneca County officials and New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo said.- 8/16/2018 Smoke from California fires drifting far east by Doyle Rice, USA TODAY
What happens in California doesn’t stay in California.
Smoke from the massive wildfires scorching the Golden State is drifting across the USA and has been reported as far east as New England, NASA said.
In addition to ash and smoke, the fires release carbon monoxide into the atmosphere. Carbon monoxide is a dangerous pollutant that can persist in the air for about a month and travel great distances.
NASA said that in recent weeks, carbon monoxide has been reported high in the atmosphere across the country; one branch is moving south toward Texas, and the other is forking to the Northeast.
Fortunately, because it’s so high in the atmosphere, it has little effect on the air we breathe. The smoke hangs about a mile above East Coast cities, too high to cause concern, AccuWeather confirmed.
A shift in winds or movement from the jet stream, however, could pull that smoke closer to the ground. Though those possibilities are unlikely, they would increase the risk of respiratory problems, AccuWeather said.
“Many people may have respiratory symptoms when breathing smoky air. The good news is that most symptoms are short-lived and resolve as smoke dissipates,” said Karin Pacheco of National Jewish Health in Denver.
Nearly 5,000 wildfires have scorched almost 1,500 square miles across California this year, fire officials said, an area about the size of Rhode Island.
The typical peak of the fire season is still to come.
For residents of California and other parts of the fire-ravaged West, little relief from the poor air quality is in sight – and that remains a serious health concern. “Exposure to particle pollution can cause serious health problems, aggravate lung disease, cause asthma attacks and acute bronchitis, and increase risk of respiratory infections,” the National Weather Service said.
Light winds and relentless high heat in California continue to trap the smoke near the ground.
One highlight from all the smoke: stunning red and orange sunrises and sunsets across the country. The reason, according to AccuWeather, is that smoke particles work as a sunlight filter to allow more orange and red colors of the light spectrum to pass through.
Evacuees from Lucerne, Calif., watch the sunset through the smoke at Austin Park Beach in Clearlake. Mount Konocti is in the background. AP - 8/17/2018 Florida urges vaccinations after 3 measles cases reported
Health officials are urging parents to make sure their children are vaccinated against measles after three cases of the disease were reported in a Florida county, among more than 100 cases throughout the U.S. this year.
The cases in Florida’s Gulf coast county of Pinellas are the first there in 10 years.
Federal officials declared the contagious virus had been eliminated in the U.S. in 2000; however, the virus is still common in many other parts of the world.- 8/18/2018 People plucked from rooftops as Indian floods kill over 320
Rescuers used helicopters and boats Friday to evacuate thousands of people stranded on rooftops after flooding in the southern Indian state of Kerala killed more than 320 people.
“Kerala state is facing its worst flood in 100 years,” tweeted the office of the top state elected official, Pinarayi Vijayan.- 8/20/2018 Quakes cut power, topple buildings on Indonesian island
A strong earthquake has cut power across the Indonesian island of Lombok and destroyed buildings as the tourist hotspot tries to recover from a temblor earlier this month that killed hundreds of people.
The shallow magnitude 6.9 quake that hit just after 10 p.m. Sunday was one of multiple powerful earthquakes in the northeast of the island that also caused landslides.- 8/21/2018 Massive endangered whale washes up on Mass. beach by Josh Hafner, USA TODAY
A massive whale had washed up near the seaside town of Duxbury, Massachusetts, on Monday morning, setting off an investigation as police asked the public to stay away from the area.
The deceased whale, shown in a photograph published online by the Duxbury Police Department, dwarfed a large pickup parked alongside it on Duxbury Beach. “Please stay away so Marine Biologists and Duxbury officials tend to the matter,” police said in a series of tweets. Staffers from Boston’s New England Aquarium also arrived on scene, the department added.
Aquarium spokesman Tony La-Casse identified the whale as a fin whale, known also as a finback, estimated to be about 55 feet in length, Boston.com reported. The whale will be buried on site by Duxbury officials after exams and samples, Lacasse said, though the whale showed no immediate signs of trauma.
Flyover images from CBS Boston showed staffers measuring and photographing the creature. The fin whale is “in danger of extinction throughout all or much of its range,” according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, and is listed under the Endangered Species Act.- 8/22/2018 Trump’s coal plan to ease EPA rules - Obama’s power-plant proposal to be replaced by Alfred Miller, Louisville Courier Journal USA TODAY NETWORK
An EPA proposal to ease regulations on coal-fired power plants would allow Kentucky to set some of its own standards for greenhouse gas emissions.
The Affordable Clean Energy rule released Tuesday would replace an Obama-era proposal designed to shift the energy industry away from coal. Instead, the rule would leave much of the regulation up to states, which could choose from a list of “candidate technologies” to upgrade plants.
On Tuesday, state Energy and Environment Cabinet spokesman John Mura said it was still too early to say what strategies Kentucky might follow under the proposed rule, but that it would allow the commonwealth to “responsibly use its energy assets in a way that would provide low-cost energy to consumers and industry.”
Ashok Gupta, senior energy economist for the Natural Resources Defense Council, an environmental group, told the Courier Journal that the proposal likely won’t reverse market trends. In Kentucky and elsewhere energy producers have shifted toward natural gas and wind, and away from coal.
“It’ll be like putting your foot on the break while driving,” Gupta said.
Tom FitzGerald, director of the Kentucky Resources Council, agreed, saying it may allow some “dirtier production” at the margins, but won’t materially change the direction in which Kentucky is headed.
“This will potentially put at risk public health, but won’t materially change the fortunes of the coal industry,” FitzGerald told the Courier Journal.
Kentucky’s largest utilities, Louisville Gas & Electric and Kentucky Utilities — together a subsidiary of Pennsylvania- based PPL Corporation — said they were still analyzing the proposal, but that they remained committed to cutting carbon emissions. In January, the utilities, which still derive most of their energy from coal, said they planned to cut carbon dioxide emissions 70 percent by 2050.
“That’s our plan and we’re sticking to it,” said spokesman Daniel Lowry, adding that it was still “too early to predict” how the proposed rule would affect operations in the long term. LG& E serves 407,000 electric customers and 324,000 natural gas customers in Louisville and 16 surrounding counties. KU serves 549,000 electric customers in Lexington and 77 Kentucky counties.
In a news release, the Environmental Protection Agency called the previous administration’s Clean Power Plan “overly prescriptive and burdensome” whereas the proposal signed by EPA Acting Administrator Andrew Wheeler “empowers states, promotes energy independence, and facilitates economic growth and job creation.”
Coal jobs have continued to decline sharply in Kentucky this decade. Coal mines employ 6,238 people, down 64 percent from 2010, according to the latest data from the Kentucky Energy and Environment Cabinet. Last year, Kentucky produced 42 million tons of coal, down 60 percent from 2010.
Since Trump took office in 2017, coal jobs are down 5 percent, according to the same data. Production last quarter also fell 7 percent compared to the same period last year.
President Donald Trump is expected to address the proposed rollback in regulations when he visits Charleston, West Virginia, on Tuesday evening.
In a regulatory impact analysis released with the proposal, the EPA says that compared to Obama-era policies, “implementing the proposed rule is expected to increase emissions of carbon dioxide (CO2) and increase the level of emissions of certain pollutants in the atmosphere that adversely affect human health.” The rule would still, however, reduce carbon dioxide emissions from their current level, the EPA said in its news release.
According to a Washington Post report citing administration officials, that decrease in carbon dioxide emissions from 2005 levels would be just 0.7 to 1.5 percent by 2030. By contrast, the Obama era proposal would have cut emissions by 19 percent over the same period, the Washington Post reported.
Kentucky’s carbon dioxide emissions dropped 23 percent in the decade since 2006, according to a fact sheet the EPA released with the proposal. Coal, however, still accounted for 84 percent of the state’s energy in 2016, second only to West Virginia’s 95 percent share. Natural gas meanwhile accounted for 10 percent of Kentucky’s energy.
The state Energy and Environment Cabinet says that Kentucky was already on pace to be within 5 percent of the Obama-era goals.
“Even under the old standards we’re doing pretty well,” said cabinet spokesman Mura.
In remarks on the Senate floor Tuesday morning Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., applauded the end of regulations around which former President Barack Obama’s “war on coal” was centered.
“The Obama Administration’s so-called ‘Clean Power Plan’ offered a typical story from that era,” McConnell said. “An innocent- seeming name. A pleasant-sounding objective. But underneath, an intrusive regulatory regime — built not on effective policy, but on far-left ideology. That’s why I am so grateful that, today, the Trump administration is unveiling its plan to pare back this unfair, unworkable, and likely illegal policy.”
But U.S. Rep. John Yarmuth, D-Louisville, called the proposal a “dangerous step” in the Trump administration’s “continued assault on clean air, clean water, and a healthy future for Americans.”
“Replacing the Clean Power Plan with this irresponsible plan is a complete giveaway to large corporate polluters and fossil fuel special interests at the expense of American families,” Yarmuth said in a statement. “It will compromise our environment and the health and well-being of future generations, which the EPA’s own analysis confirms. I will fight this plan every step of the way.”
Compliance costs also are expected to drop, the White House said, noting the EPA projects that the rule could reduce compliance costs by up to $6.4 billion compared to the Clean Power Plan.
“We’re ending intrusive EPA regulations that kill jobs … and raise the price of energy so quickly and so substantially,” Trump said in a news release.
“We’re ending intrusive EPA regulations that kill jobs.” President Donald Trump, in a news release.- 8/23/2018 Aftershock hits Venezuela after biggest quake since 1900
A strong aftershock jolted Venezuela’s northeastern coast Wednesday following the most powerful earthquake to hit the area in more than a century, though officials said neither caused major damage or deaths, apparently because of their depth. The magnitude 7.3 quake Tuesday was the largest to strike Venezuela since 1900, the U.S. Geological Survey said.- August 23 2018. Tropical Storm Lane affected the big Island of Hawaii. It started as a hurricane but was later downgraded, and after five days, over 51 inches of torrential rain hit the Big Island. This island was hit hardest, and families were forced to evacuate to dodge mudslides and other collateral damage. Dozens of people needed to be rescued from heavily-flooded areas. The downpour washed out streets, damaged homes, and sparked wildfires. The heavy rainfall also combined with lava from the rift zone created steamy white-out conditions. Even though Tropical Storm Lane has passed, Hawaii is not in the clear yet. Tropical Storm Miriam may turn into a hurricane, and as of August 27, officials say the storm could increase in intensity and present more problems for the islands. There were no deaths.
- 8/24/2018 Volcano calms as Hawaii preps for hurricane - Experts don’t expect big 1-2 punch from weather by Jorge L. Ortiz, USA TODAY
As Hawaii braces for Hurricane Lane, island residents can at least feel comforted they won’t be hit by a double- whammy of natural phenomena.
The Kilauea volcano in the Big Island has settled down in the past two weeks, and it doesn’t figure to interact much with the approaching storm.
The U.S. Geological Survey said in its update Wednesday that “Hurricane Lane is forecast to pass to the west of the (Big Island) and should not have a significant effect on the eruption aside from minor rockfalls at the summit and increased” steaming.
That’s good news for the thousands of Hawaiians who were affected in numerous ways by the volcanic eruptions that began May 3. An estimated 700 homes were destroyed by lava as Kilauea shook with eruptions over several weeks, with a 5.3 magnitude earthquake during one of the bursts further unnerving the locals.
In addition, toxic gas and volcanic smog, or “vog,” plagued residents and visitors from islands near and far for weeks. And in mid-July, 23 passengers were injured when a “lava bomb’’ crashed through the roof of a tourist boat off the Big Island.
No one-two punch from Mother Nature is expected to slug the Aloha State even if Hurricane Lane makes landfall, which appears unlikely. Projections called for the storm, which strengthened to Category 5 early Wednesday morning, to dwindle into a Category 2 by the time it gets closest to the islands late Thursday and early Friday.
Volcanoes are unpredictable, but experts say they don’t get activated by changes in the air pressure from an incoming storm, as has been speculated.
“The forces that drive eruptions aren’t usually at the surface. Eruptions are driven by forces much deeper, whether or not magma is actually moving toward the surface,” said Janine Krippner, a volcanologist at Concord University in Athens, West Virginia. “So because those are quite deep, it’s unlikely they’re going to be affected by something above the surface like air pressure.”
On the other hand, an active volcano could have an effect on a major storm, exacerbating it to some extent. That was the case when Tropical Cyclone Flossie slammed into Hawaii in 2013, as particles spewed out by Kilauea contributed to intensifying a lightning storm.
“The physics does allow for more smaller droplets to form and get blown higher in the storm, which promotes lightning as it gets above the freezing level rather than raining out,” said Steven Businger, a professor and chair of the atmospheric sciences department at the University of Hawaii.
The most impactful interaction of volcano and major storm on record came with the 1991 eruption of Mount Pinatubo in the Philippines. The second-largest volcanic explosion of the 20th century coincided with the arrival of Typhoon Yunya, and they combined to bring volcanic ash with heavy rains, killing 250 to 300 people.
Major flooding is likely with the amount of rain predicted from Hurricane Lane. Meteorologist Chevy Chevalier of the Central Pacific Hurricane Center said that’s the biggest concern with this storm, unless it changes course and veers closer to land.
“The forces that drive eruptions aren’t usually at the surface. Eruptions are driven by forces much deeper.” Janine Krippner, a volcanologist at Concord University in Athens, West Virginia.- 8/25/2018 Hurricane Lane weakens, but Hawaii not out of danger by Elizabeth Weise and Doug Stanglin, USA TODAY
HONOLULU – It’s still too early to say with certainty, but Hawaii may have dodged a bullet as Hurricane Lane weakens from what was a Category 5 to what could be a tropical storm within 24 hours.
That doesn’t mean the island chain isn’t being hit with extremely high winds and rains that have caused flooding and damage, but by Friday morning it appeared unlikely Hawaii would be struck by the full fury of a massive hurricane.
“By Saturday morning we’re looking in a lot better shape as far as even lower wind speeds and diminishing intensity,” said Jerome Saucier, a meteorologist at the Central Pacific Hurricane Center at the University of Hawaii in Honolulu.
Officials caution that the danger is not over and residents and visitors still need to pay attention and stay safe, with high winds and extremely heavy rains still to come.
“There’s a lot of uncertainty in this forecast,” warned Federal Emergency Management Administrator Brock Long, explaining that the rain would continue for the next two to three days. “We hope all citizens are heeding the warning that local officials are putting out.”
While the storm is weakening dramatically, “this is really big storm, there’s a lot of momentum. I don’t think it will be catastrophic but there will certainly be an impact,” said Jeff Weber, an atmospheric scientist at the University Corporation for Atmospheric Research, a nonprofit consortium of more than 100 universities focusing on the atmospheric sciences.
The storm has been moving toward the islands from the east but is expected to make a turn to the west by mid-day Friday local time.
That westward turn comes because Lane will run into the trade winds that blow from the east to the west “and those trade winds are pushing it to the west,” and away from the islands," Saucier said.
“It’s on a good track right now, it shouldn’t be too much of a problem for the rest of the islands,” he said.
The closest it is projected to get to Honolulu will be just after midnight and into the early in the morning of Saturday, when Lane will be about 150 miles south-southwest of Hawaii’s capitol.
“By Saturday morning we’re looking in a lot better shape as far as even lower wind speeds and diminishing intensity,” he said. It seems likely that the hurricane, currently a Category 2, could be downgraded to a tropical storm anywhere from Saturday evening to Sunday morning, he said. While not an easy ride, that intensity is comparable to the wallop some winter storms on Hawaii can pack, said Saucier.
This is good news for Honolulu and the island of Oahu, home to 69% of the state’s population. But the islands of Hawaii and Maui have had considerable wind and rain, which have caused flooding and damage.
Severe flooding hit some areas of the Big Island of Hawaii Thursday due to heavy rains making some roads impassable.
On Maui, heavy rains hit some areas, while an overnight brush fire forced some residents of the resort area of Lahaina to evacuate. The first burned about four acres, according to Maui county emergency alerts. No injuries were reported.
Visitors to the islands were taking things in stride. At 4 p.m. Thursday, officials activated emergency siren systems on Oahu to provide an additional hurricane warning.
Five people, on vacation from Los Angeles, were rescued from a flooded house in Hilo on the east side of the island of Hawaii on Thursday. Two campers who were trapped overnight in the Waipio Valley had to be rescued by helicopter.
- 8/25/2018 US taking aim at HIV, hepatitis -Senate passes $854 billion measure targeting diseases by Laura Ungar, Louisville Courier Journal USA TODAY NETWORK
The U.S. Senate is taking aim at the next wave of the opioid crisis: drug fueled infections like HIV and hepatitis that plague Kentucky, Indiana and the nation.
The $854 billion funding measure passed by the Senate this week contains $5 million for the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to improve tracking, treatment and education efforts targeting HIV and hepatitis B and C, which can be spread by shooting up drugs.
“I was proud to secure” the money to control drug-fueled infections, Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Kentucky, said on the Senate floor Wednesday. “The CDC is directed to prioritize high-risk areas, including 54 counties in Kentucky.”
Those counties were among 220 across the nation that the CDC identified as most vulnerable to an HIV outbreak like the one that hit Scott County, Indiana, in 2015, which ultimately sickened 233 people. The epicenter was the struggling city of Austin, which had a population of around 4,200 and an HIV rate comparable to many countries in Africa.
The Courier Journal has extensively covered the emergence and spread of drug-fueled disease, and McConnell spokesman Robert Steurer said the office has closely followed that coverage.
“Senator McConnell should be commended for what he’s trying to do,” Nancy Hale, president and CEO of the Eastern Kentucky anti-drug organization Operation UNITE, said in an interview. “We’re dealing with the consequences of the opioid epidemic, and we have to do something. We welcome any legislation that’s going to help us address the problem in Kentucky.”
Public health experts say the next wave of the epidemic puts all Americans at risk.
Drug-fueled HIV is on the rise after a decade-long decline, with more than 3,400 infections diagnosed among IV drug users in 2016 nationally. And hep C kills 20,000 Americans each year, more than any other infectious disease reported to CDC.
Stacy Usher, chairwoman of the Wolfe County Coalition UNITED Against Drugs, said these diseases pose a serious threat in her Appalachian county, which the CDC deemed the most vulnerable in the nation to a severe outbreak similar to the one that struck Austin.
“Needle use is through the roof,” she said.
One way the community hopes to curb the problem, she said, is with a new needle exchange that allows IV drug users to trade dirty syringes for clean ones.
Wolfe County approved the exchange last fall but couldn’t find the money to launch it. They were finally able to do so after the R.C. Durr Foundation in Northern Kentucky saw a Courier Journal story focused on Wolfe County’s plight and was inspired to give $5,000 to the Kentucky River District Health Department to help fund it.
Usher said her county will also soon have a “one stop shop” to provide resources, information and support for people dealing with addiction.
She hopes the legislation in Washington goes further and ultimately brings more resources and healing to Appalachia. The bill would provide more than $3 billion in national opioid-related funding, including $145 million for the treatment of opioid addiction. After passing the Senate 85-7, it must now go to a conference committee to finalize the differences between the Senate and House versions.
“Obviously, (addiction is) such a big problem for us,” Usher said. “So being able to get more resources out in our community is going to be a game-changer.”- 8/29/2018 STD rates surge for fourth year, CDC says by Ken Alltucker, USA TODAY
New cases of chlamydia, gonorrhea and syphilis spiked nearly 10 percent in 2017, continuing a four-year trend of rising sexually transmitted diseases fueled by a lack of awareness and changing sexual behavior, federal health officials said Tuesday.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said 2.29 million new cases of these three common sexually transmitted diseases were diagnosed in 2017.
The number of new STD cases continued a “steep, sustained increase” since 2013, the CDC reported. The rise in cases is at record levels, but the federal budget has not increased STD program funding since 2013.
“There is a shocking increase in STDs in America,” said David Harvey, executive director of the National Coalition of STD Directors. “We think there is a direct correlation between the increase in the number of STDs” and the lack of federal funding increases.
From 2016 to 2017, cases of primary and secondary syphilis grew more than 10 percent, chlamydia rose nearly 7 percent, and gonorrhea surged nearly 19 percent, preliminary CDC figures show.
Left untreated, these infections can result in infertility or pregnancy complications or increase the risk of HIV transmission. - 8/7/2018 Scientists warn that Earth’s ‘habitability’ at risk by Doyle Rice, USA TODAY
- 9/2/2018 Strongest storm of year heads toward Japan by Doyle Rice, USA TODAY
Super Typhoon Jebi – at 170 mph, the Earth’s strongest storm of 2018 – continues to roar in the western Pacific Ocean.
Though forecast to weaken over the next few days, it’s still expected to make a direct hit on Japan early next week as a dangerous storm.
According to the Joint Typhoon Warning Center, as Jebi approaches Japan on Monday, the typhoon should have winds of 120 mph, gusting to nearly 150 mph. That would be equivalent to a Category 3 hurricane.
Rainfall flooding, high winds, battering waves and coastal flooding are all expected as Jebi pushes ashore Tuesday into Wednesday, the Weather Channel predicts.
AccuWeather meteorologist Adam Douty said that “damaging winds and coastal flooding may be the most significant impacts with this storm.”
Japan has already been hit hard by other tropical systems, historic flooding and a deadly heat wave this year, AccuWeather said.
“Jebi would be the seventh named storm to impact Japan this year and comes on the heels of Cimaron, which slammed into Japan late last week,” according to AccuWeather meteorologist Jason Nicholls. - 9/6/2018 Typhoon leaves major airport closed and destruction in Japan
One of Japan’s busiest airports, Kansai International, remained closed indefinitely on Wednesday, a day after the strongest typhoon to hit Japan in 25years flooded a runway, toppled cranes, damaged shrines and caused at least 11 deaths as it swept across Japan’s main island. Typhoon Jebi came ashore with sustained winds of 100 mph. - 9/7/2018 People who were sick on flight from Dubai test positive for flu
Ten passengers and crew members who got sick on Emirates Flight 203 from Dubai to New York on Wednesday tested positive for the flu and other common viruses including the common cold, authorities said Thursday.
Tests for other viruses were inconclusive and will be readministered, according to the New York City Department of Health & Mental Hygiene. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said patients were being treated with antivirals. - 9/7/2018 Hospitals start company to sell cheaper drugs by Brett Molina, USA TODAY
Several leading hospital groups have launched a nonprofit drug company aimed at offering patients’ better access to low-cost medications.
Governing members of the company, called Civica Rx, will include seven hospital groups representing about 500 U.S. hospitals, according to a statement.
The seven groups are Catholic Health Initiatives, HCA Healthcare, Intermountain Healthcare, Mayo Clinic, Providence St. Joseph Health, SSM Health and Trinity Health.
The company said more than 120 health groups representing a third of U.S. hospitals have expressed interest or committed to participating in the endeavor.
The company’s goal is to combat drug shortages and higher drug prices by making generic medications that are more accessible and affordable. Civica plans to start with 14 hospital administered generic drugs but did not specify which medications.
“The fact that a third of the country’s hospitals have either expressed interest or committed to participate with Civica Rx shows a great need for this initiative,” Martin VanTrieste, CEO of Civica Rx and a former chief quality officer at pharmaceutical company Amgen, said in a statement. “This will improve the situation for patients by bringing much needed competition to the generic drug market.” Civica Rx expects its first products to arrive as soon as next year.
In July, the Food and Drug Administration created a task force aimed at curbing drug shortages. The agency said shortages have steadily declined since a peak in 2011.
“While we’ve made progress to mitigate individual shortages, we haven’t firmly impacted the underlying structural concerns that give rise to these recurring challenges,” FDA Commissioner Scott Gottlieb said in a statement.
Last year, top law enforcement officials in 45 states accused 18 pharmaceutical companies of conspiring to fix prices on certain medications to avoid competing with each other and boost their profits. - 9/8/2018 Great Pacific Garbage Patch won’t fix itself - Another cleanup effort begins, but experts say focus should be on prevention by Doyle Rice, USA TODAY
The water bottle could be from Los Angeles, the food container from Manila, the plastic bag from Shanghai.
But whatever its source, almost all of the trash in the infamous Great Pacific Garbage Patch comes from countries around the Pacific Rim.
Concerned about the millions of tons of garbage in the patch – a floating blob halfway between California and Hawaii that’s twice the size of Texas – the Ocean Cleanup project is sending out a giant floating trash collector to try to scoop it up. The first of its cleanup systems launches Saturday near San Francisco.
It’s a daunting task: The patch includes about 1.8 trillion pieces of trash and weighs 88,000 tons – the equivalent of 500 jumbo jets.
And while many scientists say it’s great that people are trying to clean up the patch, others say most of the efforts should instead go toward stopping the out-of-control flow of plastic garbage into the ocean.
Try putting 95 percent of the efforts on stopping plastic from entering the ocean and only 5 percent on cleanup, said Richard Thompson, head of the International Marine Litter Research Unit at the University of Plymouth in the United Kingdom. Thompson said a global-scale effort is needed to combat the problem, including contributions from individuals, policymakers and industry. “The way we use plastics – from design to use to disposal – must be done more efficiently and in a more environmentally friendly manner.”
First discovered in the early 1990s, the garbage patch’s trash comes mostly from nations in Asia and North and South America, said Laurent Lebreton of the Ocean Cleanup Foundation.
But specifically, scientists say, the bulk of the trash comes from China and other Asian countries.
This shouldn’t be a surprise: Overall, worldwide, most of the plastic trash in the ocean comes from Asia. In fact, the top six countries for ocean garbage are China, Indonesia, the Philippines, Vietnam, Sri Lanka and Thailand, according to a 2015 study in the journal Science.
The United States contributes as much as 242 million pounds of plastic trash to the oceans every year, according to that study.
China has begun to take steps to stem the tide of trash floating from its shores. The country recently banned the import of most plastic waste, according to a study published in June in Science Advances.
China has imported about 45 percent of the world’s plastic waste since 1992 for recycling, the study found. In the U.S. alone, nearly 4,000 shipping containers full of plastic recyclables a day had been shipped to Chinese recycling plants.“It’s hard to predict what will happen to the plastic waste that was once destined for Chinese processing facilities,” said Jenna Jambeck, associate professor at the University of Georgia’s College of Engineering and co-author of the study. “Some of it could be diverted to other countries, but most of them lack the infrastructure to manage their own waste, let alone the waste produced by the rest of the world.”
That decision means the U.S. and other industrialized countries that have been exporting their plastic waste to China for recycling will need to find new ways to handle the disposal of their trash because much of it is already starting to pile up in landfills.
The trash in the ocean could be around for a very long time: “Most plastics don’t biodegrade in any meaningful sense, so the plastic waste humans have generated could be with us for hundreds or even thousands of years,” Jambeck said.
Because plastic has been around only since the 1950s, there’s no way of knowing exactly how long it will last in the ocean. If left alone, the plastic could remain there for decades, centuries or even longer, Jambeck said.
And we’re talking a lot of trash.
Every year, an estimated 8 million to 12 million metric tons of plastics enter the oceans on top of the estimated 150 million metric tons already in our marine environments, according to the Ocean Conservancy. That’s like dumping one New York City garbage truck full of plastic into the ocean every minute of every day for an entire year.
- 9/9/2018 California governor signs bill to block drilling expansion
California’s Gov. Jerry Brown has signed legislation to block new offshore oil drilling in federal waters off the state’s coast.
Democratic state Sen. Hannah Beth Jackson of Santa Barbara introduced the legislation after President Donald Trump’s administration announced plans to allow oil and gas drilling off most of the nation’s coastline.- September 9 2018. Super Typhoon Mangkhut and affected Guam, the Marshall Islands, the Philippines, and southern China and was a natural occurring weather pattern.
The typhoon caused massive flooding and power loss throughout Guam and Marshall. Residents of the Philippines started evacuating on September 14 in anticipation of the Category 5 hurricane. On September 16, the typhoon made landfall in Guangdong, China, killing four people. Winds reached up to 107 mph and prompted emergency officials to evacuate more than three million people. Hundreds of houses went powerless, and extensive flooding plagued coastal areas. In the Phillipines, 54 people were confirmed dead from the storms, and even more were reported missing. So, the deaths could be as high as 69 plus.- September 13 2018. Hurricane Florence affected the US East Coast, primary the Carolinas, and it was a naturally occurring weather pattern. Within 24 hours of landfall, the massive hurricane flooded homes and streets in North Carolina, prompting evacuations. The Category 1 hurricane slowed to 2-3 mph, which means the Carolinas suffered a 24-hour cycle of torrential rain and hurricane winds up to 90 mph. Up to 40 inches of rain flooded areas of the Carolinas. Over 620,000 people lost power in North and South Carolina. On Monday, September 17, the storm was downgraded to a tropical depression, but it still had winds up to 30 mph. Several rivers, including Cape Fear, Little, Neuse, and Rocky Rivers, hit major flood stage in only two days.
A week after the hurricane, major highways remained flooded and closed. A dam at the LV Sutton Power Station failed, and officials are worried that the 400,000 cubic yards of coal ash - which contains toxic substances like mercury, arsenic, and lead - could contaminate nearby Cape Fear River. Deaths are at 42 and counting.- 9/15/2018 4 dead as slowing system inundates NC - Heavy rains, winds ‘wreaking havoc’ on coast by Doug Stanglin, Daniel J. Gross and Sean Rossman, USA TODAY
SWAN QUARTER, N.C. – Having punished the Carolinas with winds, heavy rains and record flooding, Hurricane Florence was downgraded Friday afternoon to a tropical storm, still packing a punch with 70 mph winds.
Those who didn’t flee the deadly storm were seeking shelter in attics or the upper floors of homes after the hurricane marched ashore earlier in North Carolina.
In the first report of storm-related fatalities, a mother and infant died after a tree fell on a house in Wilmington, North Carolina, according to local police. The father was hospitalized with injuries. In addition, a woman in Hampstead suffered a heart attack Friday morning, but emergency crews could not reach her before she died because of downed trees in the road, ABC News reported.
A fourth person was killed while plugging in a generator in Lenoir County, north of Wilmington, according to WITN-TV, quoting the governor’s office.
WITN said county authorities were also investigating the death of a fifth person, a 78-year-old man whose body was found on a street outside Kinston. He apparently was blown down after he went outside to check on his hunting dogs.
As the storm moves inland, forecasters warned, the surge could cover all but a sliver of the Carolina coast under as much as 11 feet of ocean water, and days of downpours could unload more than 3 feet of rain, touching off severe flooding.
The National Weather Service said 16 inches of rain had already fallen in parts of North Carolina.
North Carolina Gov. Roy Cooper said the hurricane was “wreaking havoc” on the coast and could wipe out entire communities as it makes its “violent grind across our state for days.” He called the rain an event that comes along only once every 1,000 years.
“Hurricane Florence is powerful, slow and relentless,” he said. “It’s an uninvited brute who doesn’t want to leave.”
In New Bern, North Carolina, where the Neuse and Trent rivers intersect, about 200 people were rescued after being stranded in their homes overnight, according to Mayor Dana Outlaw.
Another 150, including some trapped in second floors of houses or in attics, awaited rescue.
The mayor said at least 4,200 homes and 300 businesses sustained damage from flooding.
“Things here are very, very serious,” Outlaw said. “If you’ve ever doubted the destructiveness of a hurricane, what’s happening here will make you a believer.”
Authorities advised residents who have not evacuated to go to the highest point in their homes, call 911 for help, keep their cell batteries charged as best they can and wait for help to arrive.
At 2 p.m. EDT, Florence, weakening as it moves inland at 5 mph, was 35 miles west-southwest of Wilmington and 35 miles east northeast of Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, packing sustained hurricane-force winds of 75 mph, the National Hurricane Center said.
National Weather Service forecasters said the storm would roam along the coast for at least two more days before reaching Columbia, South Carolina, early Sunday. It was also expected to slip briefly back into the open water during the journey.
The NHC said Florence went ashore near Wrightsville Beach, North Carolina, at 7:15 a.m. EDT with estimated maximum winds of 90 mph.
“It’s an uninvited brute who doesn’t want to leave.” North Carolina Gov. Roy Cooper after Hurricane Florence came ashore in his state.
- 9/16/2018 TROPICAL STORM FLORENCE 11 dead, nearly 1 million in the dark in Carolinas Water rescues take priority as flooding intensifies along coasts, near rivers by Doug Stanglin and Daniel J. Gross, USA TODAY NETWORK
WILMINGTON, N.C. – A weakened Florence slowed to a crawl over South Carolina on Saturday after leaving at least 11 people dead, and the storm’s relentless rains fueled fears of devastating inland flooding in the days ahead.
More than 2 feet of rain has fallen in some places, and flooding has led to scores of water rescues. With rivers rising to record levels, officials warned another deadly chapter of the disaster could soon unfold.
“I cannot overstate it: Floodwaters are rising, and if you aren’t watching for them, you are risking your life,” North Carolina Gov. Roy Cooper said.
Since marching ashore Friday near Wilmington as a hurricane, Florence has knocked out power to nearly 900,000 homes in the Carolinas, according to poweroutage.us.
Now, as a tropical storm, Florence is expected to dump an additional 10 to 15 inches of rain in parts of North and South Carolina; storm totals could reach 30 to 40 inches along the North Carolina coastal area south of Cape Hatteras.
As of 5 p.m. EDT, Florence was centered about 60 miles west of Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, inching west at 2 mph with winds down to 45 mph. With half of the storm still out over the Atlantic, Florence continued to collect warm ocean water and dump it on land.
The National Hurricane Center warned Florence will continue to produce “catastrophic flash flooding and prolonged significant river flooding.”
North Carolina’s Harnett County declared a mandatory evacuation Saturday along the Lower Little River, which is expected to rise to more than 17 feet above flood stage. The National Weather Service forecasts the river to reach flood stage at Manchester after 2 a.m. EDT Sunday and crest Monday morning at 35.4 feet. Flood stage is 18 feet.
Cooper said Florence could wipe out entire communities as it grinds its way across land.
“The fact is this storm is deadly, and we know we are days away from an ending,” he said.
In Washington, President Donald Trump issued a disaster declaration for North Carolina on Saturday that will make federal money available to people in eight counties, the White House said.
Government aid can include grants for temporary housing and home repairs, low-cost loans to cover uninsured property losses, and other programs to help individuals and business owners recover from the hurricane’s effect.
About 9,700 National Guard troops and civilians have been deployed with high-water vehicles, helicopters and boats. Throughout the Carolinas, a major focus was plucking people from rising waters.
In eastern North Carolina alone, eight National Guard helicopters were in action Saturday to help with rescues.
Petty Officer Charlotte Fritts said helicopters were sent from Coast Guard Air Station Elizabeth City to an area near Jacksonville, North Carolina, to rescue 13 people stranded in two cars.
In New Bern, where the Neuse and Trent rivers intersect, about 200 people were rescued after being stranded in their homes, according to Mayor Dana Outlaw. Another 150, including some trapped in second floors of houses or in attics, awaited rescue.
“What happens is that we rescue some people, and then we find out there are still more who need it,” Outlaw said. “People who live in New Bern have experienced hurricanes before, but it has been a long time since we have experienced something like this.”“Things here are very, very serious,” the mayor said. “If you’ve ever doubted the destructiveness of a hurricane, what’s happening here will make you a believer.”
More than 60 people, including an infant, children and pets, were rescued from a collapsing hotel in Jacksonville at the height of the storm, according to WITN-TV.
In Newport, North Carolina, rescuers were able to reach a flooded animal shelter after the Carteret County Humane Society put out a call for help on Facebook. The Cajun Navy, a group of volunteers in boats, brought two stranded shelter workers, 43 dogs, 80 cats and roughly 15 chickens to safety.
Floodwaters inundate the Inner Banks town of Belhaven, N.C. JOHN MEORE AND TARIQ ZEHARI/USA TODAY NETWORK
A car passes under a fallen tree Saturday in Lumberton, N.C. ANDREW NELLES/USA TODAY NETWORK - 9/16/2018 NASA satellite launched in effort to measure Earth’s ice changes
A NASA satellite designed to precisely measure changes in Earth’s ice sheets, glaciers, sea ice and vegetation was launched into polar orbit from California early Saturday.
NASA Earth Science Division director Michael Freilich said the mission will advance knowledge of how the ice sheets of Greenland and Antarctica contribute to sea level rise.
The melt from those ice sheets alone has raised global sea level by more than 1 millimeter a year recently, according to NASA.- 9/16/2018 Monster typhoon slams into northeastern Philippines - Typhoon Mangkhut slammed into the Philippines’ northeastern coast early Saturday.
More than 5 million people are at risk from the storm, with powerful winds and gusts equivalent to a Category 5 Atlantic hurricane.- 9/16/218 Typhoon kills 12 in Philippines, heads toward southern China
Typhoon Mangkhut lashed the northern Philippines with destructive winds and heavy rain that set off landslides and destroyed homes Saturday, leaving at least 12 people dead.
Hong Kong and other parts of southern China braced for the powerful storm.
The most ferocious typhoon to hit the disaster-prone Philippines this year slammed ashore before dawn in Cagayan province on the northeastern tip of Luzon island.- 9/17/2018 Typhoon pounds south China after killing 64 in Philippines
Typhoon Mangkhut barreled into southern China on Sunday, killing two people after lashing the Philippines with strong winds and heavy rain that left at least 64 dead and dozens more feared buried in a landslide.
More than 2.4 million people had been evacuated in southern China’s Guangdong province by Sunday evening to flee the massive typhoon, and nearly 50,000 fishing boats were called back to port, state media reported. It threatened to be the strongest typhoon to hit Hong Kong in nearly two decades. “Prepare for the worst,” Hong Kong Security Minister John Lee Kachiu urged residents.- 9/18/2018 Federal lawyers: 2004 Gulf oil leak spills far more than thought
Federal government lawyers say a 14-year-old leak is releasing much more oil each day into the Gulf of Mexico than officials previously claimed, and it may be getting worse.
A Friday court filing in a case involving Taylor Energy Co. says 10,000 to 30,000 gallons are leaking daily from wells around a drilling platform toppled by 2004’s Hurricane Ivan.- 9/24/2018 Storms set Oklahoma rain record, cause one death in Texas
A storm system dumped record amounts of rain in parts of Oklahoma and caused flooding in Texas, including in the Dallas area, where floodwaters swept a man from a bridge to his death near the University of Texas’ campus in nearby Arlington.
A record 14 inches of rain fell Friday at the Oklahoma Climatological Survey’s site in Fittstown, about 75 miles southeast of Oklahoma City, and more than 2 additional inches fell before noon Saturday, said meteorologist Forrest Mitchell.- September 24 2018. Storms set Oklahoma rain record, cause one death in Texas - A storm system dumped record amounts of rain in parts of Oklahoma and caused flooding in Texas, including in the Dallas area, where floodwaters swept a man from a bridge to his death near the University of Texas’ campus in nearby Arlington. A record 14 inches of rain fell Friday at the Oklahoma Climatological Survey’s site in Fittstown, about 75 miles southeast of Oklahoma City, and more than 2 additional inches fell before noon Saturday, said meteorologist Forrest Mitchell.
- 9/26/2018 CDC: Babies born with syphilis soar since 2013 by Ken Alltucker, USA TODAY
The number of babies born with syphilis has surged 154 percent since 2013, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, a trend that medical professionals said shows the need to be vigilant about testing and treating the potentially deadly disease.
The number of babies born with syphilis rose from 362 in 2013 to 918 in 2017, the CDC reported Tuesday. Cases of congenital syphilis occurred in 37 states, mostly in the South and West.
If passed to a newborn, syphilis can cause miscarriage, stillbirth or death. Among survivors, it can lead to an assortment of physical and mental health problems for the baby. The disease can be cured with antibiotics, but pregnant women with untreated syphilis face a significant risk of passing the infection to their newborn.
David Harvey, executive director of the National Coalition of STD Directors, called the surge “a systemic failure.”
“We are seeing almost 1,000 babies born with syphilis that can easily be prevented,” he said.
Harvey said the USA has virtually eradicated HIV transmission from mothers to newborns, in part through the federal Ryan White Part D program, which funds community programs that provide care to pregnant women with HIV.
His organization wants a similar program to prevent the mother-tonewborn transmission of syphilis.
Harvey said pregnant women should be tested for syphilis as early as possible and throughout their pregnancies. According to the CDC, mothers of one in three babies born with syphilis in 2016 were tested during pregnancy. However, those moms either were infected after getting tested or did not get treated in time to prevent passing the infection to the baby.- 9/27/2018 Rains spur flooding, rescues in NYC area, New England
Authorities rescued motorists and residents and at least two people were missing as flooding gripped the New York City region and southern New England after Tuesday’s heavy rains.
In Bergen County, New Jersey, a driver and elderly passenger were rescued from a car. More than 100 people were rescued from an industrial park in Fairview.
More than 8 inches of rain fell in some places in Connecticut.- 9/28/2018 Florence death toll rises to 48; 1,500 remain in shelters in NC
The death toll from Hurricane Florence has increased again, nearly two weeks after the eye of the storm reached the Carolinas.
North Carolina Emergency Operations Center spokeswoman Sonja Bennett- Bellamy said Thursday that an 85-year-old man from New Hanover County died Tuesday from an infection he got while cleaning up storm debris. The death toll now stands at 48 in three states, 37 in North Carolina.
Gov. Roy Cooper said Thursday that 1,500 people still remain in shelters. More than 550 have enrolled in a program to stay in hotels while longer-term housing is arranged.
- 9/28/2018 Nigerian authorities say nearly 200 killed in bout of flooding
Nigerian authorities say the death toll from large-scale flooding in recent weeks has jumped to nearly 200 people. The National Emergency Management Agency said Thursday the toll is up from the 100 reported last week.
- 9/29/2018 Warm sea water fueled 2017 hurricane season by Doyle Rice, USA TODAY
The catastrophic 2017 hurricane season – which included such monsters as Harvey, Irma and Maria – was fueled in part by unusually warm ocean water, a new study suggests.
And because of human-caused global warming, the study said, similar favorable conditions for fierce hurricanes will be present in the years and decades to come.
“We will see more active hurricane seasons like 2017 in the future,” said lead author Hiro Murakami, climate scientist and hurricane expert at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.
Last year, six major hurricanes formed, twice the recent average. By 2100, that average could soar to five to eight major hurricanes a year, according to the study published Thursday in the journal Science. Sea water in the main hurricane development region of the Atlantic Ocean averaged 0.7 degrees warmer than normal for the entire 2017 season, which is unusual for a full six-month period, Murakami said.
“We show that the increase in 2017 major hurricanes was not primarily caused by La Nina conditions in the Pacific Ocean, but mainly by pronounced warm sea surface conditions in the tropical North Atlantic,” the study said.
La Nina, a periodic natural cooling of the tropical Pacific Ocean, tends to increase hurricane activity in the Atlantic.
The key factor controlling Atlantic major hurricane activity appears to be how much the tropical Atlantic warms relative to the rest of the global ocean, according to the study.
The three big hurricanes in 2017 caused an estimated $265billion in damage during a year that shattered all records for U.S. economic losses due to extreme weather, NOAA said.
- 9/29/2018 5 cases of West Nile virus confirmed in Louisville by Thomas Novelly Louisville Courier Journal USA TODAY NETWORK
Five cases of West Nile virus have been found in Louisville, according to Kentucky’s Department of Public Health.
Dr. Sarah Moyer, the director of Louisville’s Metro Public Department of Health and Wellness, said the cases come, in part, from the rain this month.
“The massive amounts of rain we have seen over the last several days are causing mosquito populations to multiply and we know that West Nile infected mosquitoes are present throughout the community,” Moyer said.
Four of the West Nile cases were neuroinvasive, meaning it attacks the brain, brain tissues and spinal cord. That can lead to encephalitis or meningitis, according to the statement from public health.
In most instances, however, people infected with West Nile virus either show no symptoms or relatively mild symptoms. Less than 1 percent of infected people develop a serious neurologic illness, the public health statement said.
There have been no deaths from West Nile this year. In 2017, there was one non-fatal case in Louisville. In 2016, there were two cases in people and one death. In 2015, there were three cases with no deaths.
Tips to deter the spread of the virus.- Use insect repellents when you go outdoors. Repellents containing DEET, picaridin, IR3535, and some oil of lemon eucalyptus and para-methane-diol products provide longer-lasting protection. To optimize safety and effectiveness, repellents should be used according to the label instructions.
- When weather permits, wear long sleeves, long pants and socks when outdoors. Mosquitoes may bite through thin clothing, so spraying clothes with repellent containing permethrin or another EPA-registered repellent will give extra protection. Don’t apply repellents containing permethrin directly to skin. Do not spray repellent on the skin under your clothing.
- Take extra care during peak mosquito biting hours. Take extra care from dusk to dawn or consider avoiding outdoor activities during these times.
- Install or repair screens on windows and doors to keep mosquitoes outside. Use your air conditioning, if you have it.
- Help reduce the number of mosquitoes around your home by emptying standing water from flower pots, gutters, buckets, pool covers, pet water dishes, discarded tires and birdbaths on a regular basis.
West Nile is spread by mosquitoes. AP - 9/29/2018 Hundreds killed by Indonesian quake, tsunami, with toll seen rising
A shopping center heavily damaged following an earthquake in Palu, Central Sulawesi, Indonesia in this handout photo made available by Antara Foto. Antara Foto/BNBP/ via REUTERS PALU, Indonesia (Reuters) – At least 384 people were killed, many swept away as giant waves crashed onto beaches, when a major earthquake and tsunami hit the Indonesian island of Sulawesi, authorities said on Saturday.
Hundreds of people had gathered for a festival on the beach in the city of Palu on Friday when waves as high as six meters (18 feet) smashed onshore at dusk, sweeping many to their deaths and destroying anything in their path. The tsunami followed a 7.5 magnitude earthquake.
“When the (tsunami) threat arose yesterday, people were still doing their activities on the beach and did not immediately run and they became victims,” Sutopo Purwo Nugroho, the spokesman for Indonesia’s disaster mitigation agency BNPB said in a briefing in Jakarta.
“The tsunami didn’t come by itself, it dragged cars, logs, houses, it hit everything on land,” Nugroho said, adding that the tsunami had traveled across the open sea at speeds of 800 kph (497 mph) before striking the shoreline.
Some people climbed trees to escape the tsunami and survived, he said.
Amateur footage shown by local TV stations showed waves crashing into houses along Palu’s shoreline, scattering shipping containers and flooding into a mosque in the city.
Photos confirmed by authorities showed bodies being lined up along the street on Saturday, some in bags and some with their faces covered with clothes. Around 16,700 people were evacuated to 24 centers in Palu.
Aerial photographs released by the disaster agency showed many buildings and shops destroyed, bridges twisted and collapsed and a mosque surrounded by water.
Graphic: Sulawesi map – https://tmsnrt.rs/2OYa4YD as seen above DEATH TOLL SEEN RISING
Aftershocks continued to rock the coastal city on Saturday. The series of earthquakes were felt in an area with 2.4 million people.
Indonesia’s Agency for the Assessment and Application of Technology (BPPT) said in statement the energy released by Friday’s massive quake was around 200 times the power of the atomic bomb dropped on Hiroshima in World War Two.
The geography of the city, which sits at the end of a long, narrow bay, could have magnified the size of the tsunami, it said.
Nugroho described the damage as “extensive” and said thousands of houses, hospitals, shopping malls and hotels had collapsed. A bridge was washed away and the main highway to Palu was cut off due to a landslide.
Bodies of some victims were found trapped under the rubble of collapsed buildings, he said, adding 540 people were injured and 29 were missing. Dozens of injured people were being treated in makeshift medical tents set up outdoors, TV images showed.
Nugroho said the casualties and the damage could be greater along the coastline 300 km (190 miles) north of Palu, an area called Donggala, which is closer to the epicenter of the quake.
Communications “were totally crippled with no information” from Donggala, Nugroho said. More than 600,000 people live in Donggala and Palu.
“We’re now getting limited communications about the destruction in Palu city, but we have heard nothing from Donggala and this is extremely worrying. There are more than 300,000 people living there,” the Red Cross said in a statement, adding that its staff and volunteers were heading to the affected areas.
“This is already a tragedy, but it could get much worse,” it said.
Vice President Jusuf Kalla said the death toll could rise to thousands.
PRESIDENT TO VISIT DISASTER AREA
Indonesia’s meteorological and geophysics agency BMKG issued a tsunami warning after the quake, but lifted it 34 minutes later.
The agency on Saturday was widely criticized for not informing that a tsunami had hit Palu, though officials said waves had come within the time the warning was issued.
In amateur footage shared on social media a man on the upper floor of a building can be heard shouting frantic warnings of the approaching tsunami to people on the street below. Within minutes a wall of water crashes onto the shore, carrying away buildings and cars. Reuters was not able to immediately authenticate the footage.
The quake and tsunami caused a major power outage that cut communications around Palu making it difficult for authorities to coordinate rescue efforts.
The military has started sending in cargo planes with aid from Jakarta and other cities, authorities said, but evacuees still badly need food and other basic necessities.
The city’s airport has been reopened only for relief efforts and will remain closed until Oct. 4 for commercial flights, Nugroho said. The airport’s runway and air traffic control tower were damaged in the quake, authorities said.
President Joko Widodo was scheduled to visit evacuation centers in Palu on Sunday.
Indonesia sits on the Pacific Ring of Fire and is regularly hit by earthquakes.
In August, a series of major quakes killed more than 500 people in the tourist island of Lombok and destroyed dozens of villages along its northern coast.
Palu was hit by tsunami in 1927 and 1968, according to BNPB.
(Reporting by Reuters stringer in PALU, Agustinus Beo Da Costa and Gayatri Suroyo, Fransiska Nangoy and Kanupriya Kapoor in JAKARTA; Editing by Michael Perry and Alex Richardson)- 9/30/2018 384 dead in Indonesia tsunami, quake; survivors camp outside
Residents too afraid to sleep indoors camped out in the darkness Saturday, a day after a powerful earthquake triggered a tsunami that unleashed waves as high as 20 feet, killing hundreds on the Indonesian island of Sulawesi.
The official death toll stood at 384, with all fatalities in the hard-hit city of Palu, but it was expected to rise, said disaster agency spokesman Sutopo Purwo Nugroho.- 9/30/2018 Toll of dead from Indonesian quake jumps to 832 dead as rescuers struggle
The damage after an earthquake is seen in Palu, Central Sulawesi Province, Indonesia PALU, Indonesia (Reuters) – The toll from an earthquake and tsunami in Indonesia soared on Sunday to 832 confirmed dead, with authorities fearing it will only climb as rescuers struggle to reach outlying communities cut off from communications and help.
in this still image taken from a video obtained from social media. DRONE PILOT TEZAR KODONGAN/via REUTERS
Dozens of people were reported to be trapped in the rubble of two hotels and a mall in the city of Palu, which was hit by waves as high as six meters (20 feet) following the 7.5 magnitude earthquake on Friday.
A woman was pulled alive from the debris of the city’s Roa Roa Hotel, where up to 60 people were believed trapped. Hundreds of people gathered at the wrecked mall searching for loved ones.
With most of the confirmed deaths from Palu, authorities are bracing for much worse as reports filter in from outlying areas, in particular, Donggala, a region of 300,000 people north of Palu and close to the epicenter of the quake, and two other districts.
Vice President Jusuf Kalla said the toll could rise into the thousands.
President Joko Widodo visited a housing complex flattened when the quake liquefied the soil it stood on, and called for patience.
“I know there are many problems that need to be solved in a short time, including communications,” he said.
The ruins would be rebuilt, he said, as aftershocks rattled the region 48 hours after the quake.
Scores of residents shouted “we’re hungry, we need food” as soldiers distributed rations from a truck in one neighborhood, while elsewhere television showed pictures of people making off with clothes and other items from a wrecked mall.
Internal Affairs Minister Tjahjo Kumolo, asked about reports of sporadic looting, said he had ordered authorities to help people get food and drink and businesses would be compensated.
A spokesman for the National disaster mitigation agency, Sutopo Purwo Nugroho, told a news conference that the affected area was bigger than initially thought, and rescuers only had good access to one of four affected districts – Palu.
“We haven’t received reports from the three other areas. Communication is still down, power is still out. We don’t know for sure what is the impact,” he said.
“There are many areas where the search and rescue teams haven’t been able to reach,” Nugroho said, adding that teams needed heavy equipment to move broken concrete and debris.
Donggala town has been damaged badly, according to a reporter on the scene.
Five foreigners – three French, one South Korean and one Malaysian – were among the missing, Nugroho said. The 832 dead included people crushed in the quake and swept away by the tsunami.
About 16,000 displaced people needed clean water, Nugroho said, while 540 were injured, many getting treatment in tents.
Finance Minister Sri Mulyani Indrawati said the government had allocated 560 billion rupiah ($37.58 million) for disaster recovery, media reported.
QUESTIONS ABOUT WARNINGS
Indonesia, which sits on the seismically active Pacific Ring of Fire, is all too familiar with deadly earthquakes and tsunamis. In 2004, a quake off Sumatra island triggered a tsunami across the Indian Ocean, killing 226,000 people in 13 countries, including more than 120,000 in Indonesia.
Questions are sure to be asked why warning systems set up after that disaster appear to have failed on Friday. Nugroho, bemoaning a fall in funding, said no tsunami buoys, one type of instrument used to detect the waves, in Indonesia had been operating since 2012.
The meteorological and geophysics agency BMKG issued a tsunami warning after the quake but lifted it 34 minutes later, drawing criticism it had been too hasty. But officials estimated the waves had hit while the warning was in force.
Hundreds of people had gathered for a festival on Palu’s beach when the water surged. A disaster official said the tsunami traveled across the sea at speeds of 800 kph (500 mph).
Video on social media showed water bearing whirls of debris rushing in as people shouted in alarm and scattered. Palu is at the head of a bay, about 10 km long and 2 km wide, which had “amplified” the wave as it was funneled toward the city, a geophysics agency official said.
Questions have been raised about what caused the tsunami, with speculation an underwater landslide was to blame.
The BMKG said its closest tidal gauge sensor, about 200 km (125 miles) from Palu, had only recorded an “insignificant”, 6 cm (2.5 inches) wave, while researchers said it was surprising the “strike-slip” quake, when tectonic plates move horizontally rather than vertically, had generated a tsunami.
“It may be that the shock of the quake triggered a landslide underwater,” Abdul Muhari, who heads a research team advising the government, told Reuters.
Palu’s airport was damaged in the quake, but had reopened for limited commercial flights, authorities said.
Neighbors including Australia, Thailand and China offered help and Pope Francis, speaking to thousands in St. Peter’s Square, said he was praying for the victims.
Indonesia has the world’s largest Muslim population but also significant pockets of Christians, including on Sulawesi.
(Reporting by Reuters stringer in PALU, Fergus Jensen, Fanny Potkin, Tabita Diela, Agustinus Beo Da Costa, Gayatri Suroyo, Fransiska Nangoy and Kanupriya Kapoor in JAKARTA. Steve Scherer in ROME, Ben Blanchard in BEIJING and Patpicha Tanakasempipat in BANGKOK; Writing by Robert Birsel; Editing by Michael Perry, Alex Richardson and Neil Fullick)- 9/30/2018 Risk of Ebola’s spread from Congo now ‘very high,’ WHO says
The risk of the deadly Ebola virus spreading from Congo is now “very high” after two confirmed cases were discovered near the Uganda border, the World Health Organization says.
The outbreak of the hemorrhagic fever in northeastern Congo is now larger than the previous one in the northwest and more complicated to contain because of a dense, highly mobile population and a rebel threat so serious that some health workers say they’re operating in a war zone.- 9/30/2018 Mosquito plague taking over the skies in N. Carolina after flooding in Florence by Dalvin Brown, USA TODAY
Cassie Vadovsky returned home after picking up her 4-year-old daughter from school on Tuesday evening and was greeted by a swarm of blood-thirsty mosquitoes.
Not just any mosquitoes. Aggressive, monstrous pests with stripes on their legs.
“It was like a flurry – like it was snowing mosquitoes,” the stay-at-home mother of two said. “I think my car agitated them. I waited for them to calm down before I grabbed the kids and then ran into the house.”
Vadovsky is just one of the many people in North Carolina who is fighting against a monster mosquito outbreak, the result of flooding caused by Hurricane Florence.
“It didn’t hit automatically. It was more gradual. It took maybe three or four days after the storm passed before it got to this epidemic level,” she said. “And I’m not even on the side of town that had the major flooding. Imagine how bad it could be over on that end.”
Mosquito experts say floodwaters can cause eggs that would have otherwise laid dormant for over a year to hatch – sending billions of the vicious parasites into the air.
The ones plaguing the Carolinas are called “Gallinippers,” or “Psorophora ciliata,” according to entomologist Michael Waldvogel of North Carolina State University. The species can be three times as large as average mosquitoes, and the larvae are known to prey on aquatic animals that are as large as tadpoles. The females grow up to feed on large mammals, humans included.
“There’s 61 species of mosquitoes in North Carolina, and, of those, probably 15 to 20 would be highly responsive to floodwaters in this way,” said Michael Reiskind, associate professor of the Department of Entomology and Plant Pathology at NCSU. “When you have major flooding, a lot of these eggs hatch, and you can see rapid population growth.”
Just how much growth?
Reiskind, an entomologist, surveyed an area in Raleigh, the state’s capital, around the time of Hurricane Florence to monitor mosquito populations.
“Before the storm, I went out for five minutes and counted just three mosquitoes in that time. A week after the storm, in those five minutes I had eight of them. Then after two weeks, (I counted) 50 in that time, and our area didn’t get hit the hardest,” Reiskind said.
Vadovsky posted a video on Facebook of the swarm around her home, generating over 76,000 views and counting. In the video, her daughter can be heard asking, “Why are you doing that – taking pictures of the wasps?” To which Vadovsky responds, “They’re not wasps. They’re mosquitoes.”
One commenter on thevideo, Pennie Thomas, said the mosquitoes “bit me through my shoe over here in Fayetteville.” Reiskind said larger species could bite through one or two layers of cotton “pretty easily.”
Vadovsky said the bloodsuckers rest on the windows outside her family’s home in large numbers, waiting to attack. When she or a relative goes outside, the mosquitoes swarm.
So what’s the good news?
Most mosquito species don’t do well once the weather gets cold, so the experts suspect this plague will die down in the coming weeks.
Until then, Reiskind suggests people in areas ravaged by the storm wear long sleeves and spray insecticides.
In the wake of the mosquito outbreak, North Carolina Gov. Roy Cooper ordered $4 million in control efforts to help counties hit by Florence.
“FEMA provides reimbursement for local agencies to spray for mosquitoes. So it is possible for a county health department to do aerial spraying, but not every county does it,” Reiskind said.
If your area doesn’t spray, experts say Mosquito Dunks, doughnutshaped products that attack mosquitoes in their developmental stages, can help stop the spread of mosquitoes. They can be found at local hardware stores.
“These small disks of freeze-dried bacteria dissipate in water and inhibit the reproductive cycle of mosquitoes. It’s not an insecticide. It’s a more natural solution that really works,” said Rachel Noble, a professor at the UNC Institute of Marine Sciences.
She warned that the mosquito species in the Carolinas are capable of carrying West Nile virus and encephalitis.
Mosquitoes are pests no matter their species, but North Carolina is dealing with some particularly big ones after Hurricane Florence. GETTY IMAGES - 9/9/2018 California governor signs bill to block drilling expansion
- 10/1/2018 Rescuers work amid rubble in Indonesia - Scramble to find victims as death toll from quake, tsunami passes 800 by Susan Miller, USA TODAY
Amid the horror of a magnitude 7.5 earthquake that triggered a tsunami in Indonesia, leaving more than 800 dead, came word Sunday of heroic rescue attempts in the rubble of a ravaged city.
A 25-year-old woman was pulled alive from the ruins of the Roa-Roa Hotel in Palu, a coastal community on Sulawesi Island devastated by the disaster and the focus of rescue efforts, Indonesia’s National Search and Rescue Agency said.
Rescuers scrambled to free a 15year-old girl trapped for two days next to her dead mother under concrete when her house collapsed.
Dramatic photos show a girl with dazed eyes, identified as Nurul Istikharah, reaching out to an emergency responder in an orange jumpsuit as another rescuer tries to lift her from the muddied water. Fearing the girl could drown, crews desperately tried to stop water from a nearby leaking pipe.
The rescue of the woman from the Roa-Roa was a bright spot for anguished rescuers. Some, who were awaiting heavy equipment, have been picking through the rubble by hand.
Officials said they could hear voices begging for help Saturday from the remnants of the collapsed hotel and estimated 50 people were trapped inside. By Sunday, there was only silence.
“We are trying our best. Time is so important here to save people,” said Muhammad Syaugi, head of the national search-and-rescue team. “Heavy equipment is on the way.”
The death toll has more than doubled to 832 from the twin disasters that struck Friday evening, crumbling buildings, sweeping away homes and flattening communities. Most of the deaths are from Palu. The regencies of Donggala, Sigi and Parigi Moutong – which have a combined population of 1.2 million – had yet to be completely assessed.
“The death toll is believed to be still increasing since many bodies were still under the wreckage, while many have not been reached,” rescue agency spokesman Sutopo Purwo Nugroho said. He said a mass burial would be held Sunday for health reasons.
Heartbroken family members peered into yellow and blue body bags lining the streets of Palu, a city of 380,000, in a search of loved ones. The community is built around a narrow bay that may have intensified the power of the tsunami waters as they hit. Waves were reported as high as 20 feet in some places.
Residents said dozens of people could still be buried under collapsed homes.
“The ground rose up like a spine and suddenly fell,” Nur Indah said. “Many people were trapped and buried under collapsed houses. I could do nothing to help. In the evening, some of them turned on their cellphones just to give a sign that they were there. But the lights were off later and the next day.”
Aid and supplies were sent to the area via military and commercial aircraft, including helicopters. The area lacked medical supplies, fuel and fresh water.
Humanitarian aid agency World Vision was one of several groups moving to respond. The group, which has nearly 40 staff members based in Palu, was already responding to an earlier earthquake when the latest disaster unfolded.
“Ensuring that survivors have their immediate needs met with adequate shelter, food and water will be critical over the coming days,” said Doseba Sinay, national director in Indonesia. “It will also be crucial to ensure children are cared for.”
Indonesian President Joko “Jokowi” Widodo, who toured Palu on Sunday, said the challenges were staggering. “We have to do many things soon, but conditions do not allow us to do so,” he said.
The tragedy is the latest natural disaster to hit Indonesia, which is frequently struck by earthquakes, volcanic eruptions and tsunamis because of its location on the “Ring of Fire,” an arc of volcanoes and fault lines in the Pacific Basin.
In December 2004, a massive magnitude 9.1 earthquake off Sumatra island in western Indonesia triggered a tsunami that killed 230,000 people in a dozen countries. Last month, a powerful quake on the island of Lombok killed 505 people.
Contributing: The Associated Press
People survey the damage Sunday following a massive earthquake and tsunami in Palu, Central Sulawesi, Indonesia. RIFKI RIFKI/AP “Many people were trapped and buried under collapsed houses. I could do nothing to help.” Nur Indah, Resident of Palu, Indonesia.
Rescuers hold Nurul Istikharah, 15, above water while trying to free her from the ruins of her home Sunday in Palu, Indonesia.
An earthquake sent a tsunami racing ashore Friday night. ARIMACS WILANDER/AP - 10/1/2018 Hurricane Rosa on track to soak Baja coast, parts of 4 US states
Hurricane Rosa was on track Sunday to drench northwest Mexico and parts of the U.S. Southwest, prompting tropical storm warnings for the Baja California coast and flash-flood watches for parts of four U.S. states.
The U.S. National Hurricane Center said Rosa should still be at tropical storm force when it hits the Baja California peninsula and Sonora state Monday with flooding rains. It’s then expected to bring 2 to 4 inches of rain to the Mogollon Rim of Arizona and 1 to 2 inches to the rest of the desert Southwest, Central Rockies and Great Basin. - 10/2/2018 Indonesian leader says all quake victims must be found as toll rises above 1,200 by Kanupriya Kapoor and Fathin Ungku
A ship is seen stranded on the shore after an earthquake and tsunami hit the area in Wani, Donggala, Central Sulawesi, Indonesia PALU, Indonesia (Reuters) – Indonesian President Joko Widodo ordered more rescuers to be sent in to find victims of a devastating earthquake and tsunami on Tuesday as the official death toll rose above 1,200 and looting raised fears of growing lawlessness.
October 1, 2018 in this photo taken by Antara Foto. Antara Foto/Muhammad Adimaja/ via REUTERS
Most of the dead have been from the small city of Palu, 1,500 km (930 miles) northeast of Jakarta, but some remote areas have been cut off since Friday’s 7.5 magnitude quake triggered tsunami waves, leading to fears the toll could soar.
“There are some main priorities that we must tackle and the first is to evacuate, find and save victims who’ve not yet been found,” Widodo told a government meeting to coordinate disaster recovery efforts on the west coast of Sulawesi island.
He said he had ordered the national search and rescue agency to send more police and soldiers into the affected districts, some cut off by destroyed roads, landslides and downed bridges.
The official death toll surged to 1,234, the national disaster agency said.
The Red Cross said the situation was “nightmarish” and reports from its workers venturing into one cut-off area, Donggala, a region of 300,000 people north of Palu and close to the epicenter, indicated it had been hit “extremely hard.”
Four badly hit districts have a combined population of about 1.4 million.
In Palu, tsunami waves as high as six meters (20 feet) smashed into the beachfront, while hotels and shopping malls collapsed in ruins and some neighborhoods were swallowed up by ground liquefaction.
Among those killed were 34 children at a Christian bible study camp, a Red Cross official said.
The government has ordered aid supplies to be airlifted in but there’s little sign of help on Palu’s shattered streets and survivors appeared increasingly desperate.
A Reuters news team saw a shop cleared by about 100 people, shouting, scrambling and fighting each other for items including clothes, toiletries, blankets and water.
Many people grabbed diapers while one man clutched a rice cooker as he headed for the door. Non-essential goods were scattered on the floor amid shards of broken glass.
At least 20 police were at the scene but did not intervene. The government has played down fears of looting saying disaster victims could take essential goods and shops would be compensated later.
Indonesia is all too familiar with earthquakes and tsunamis. A quake in 2004 triggered a tsunami across the Indian Ocean that killed 226,000 people in 13 countries, including more than 120,000 in Indonesia.
It has said it would accept offers of international aid, having shunned outside help earlier this year when an earthquake struck the island of Lombok.
‘BURIED FAST’
Rescuers in Palu held out hope they could still save lives.
“We suspect there are still some survivors trapped inside,” the head of one rescue team, Agus Haryono, told Reuters at the collapsed seven-storey Hotel Roa Roa.
About 50 people were believed to have been caught inside the hotel when it was brought down. About nine bodies have been recovered from the ruins and three rescued alive.
Haryono pored over the hotel’s blueprints, searching for possible pockets and a way through to them. A faint smell of decomposition hung in the air.
Power has yet to be restored and aftershocks have rattled jangled nerves.
A particular horror in several areas in and around Palu was liquefaction, which happens when soil shaken by an earthquake behaves like a liquid.
About 1,700 houses in one neighborhood were swallowed up, with hundreds of people believed buried, the national disaster agency said.
Before-and-after satellite pictures show a largely built-up neighborhood just south of Palu’s airport seemingly wiped clean of all signs of life by liquefaction.
Elsewhere, on the outskirts of Palu, trucks brought 54 bodies to a mass grave dug in sandy soil.
Most of the bodies had not been claimed, a policeman said, but some relatives turned up to pay respects to loved ones at the 50-metre (165 ft) trench, where the smell of decomposition was overpowering.
“It’s OK if he’s buried in the mass grave, it’s better to have him buried fast,” said Rosmawati Binti Yahya, 52, whose husband was among those placed in the grave, before heading off to look for her missing daughter.
More than 65,000 homes were damaged and more than 60,000 people have been displaced and are in need of emergency help, while thousands have been streaming out of stricken areas.
Commercial airlines have struggled to restore operations at Palu’s damaged airport but military aircraft have taken some survivors out.
But thousands of people have been thronging the airport hoping for any flight out, and authorities have said a navy vessel capable of taking 1,000 people at a time would be deployed to help with the evacuation.
Sulawesi is one of the archipelago nation’s five main islands.
(Writing by Robert Birsel; Editing by Lincoln Feast, Paul Tait and Nick Macfie)
- 10/2/2018 James Allison, Tasuku Honjo win Nobel for cancer research
Researchers from the United States and Japan won the Nobel Prize in medicine Monday for discoveries that help the body marshal its cellular troops to attack invading cancers. One cancer doctor said that “an untold number of lives … have been saved by the science that they pioneered.”
James Allison of the University of Texas and Tasuku Honjo of Kyoto University will share the prize, worth just more than $1 million, for 2018. Their parallel work concerned proteins that act as brakes on the immune system. - 10/3/2018 Indonesian quake survivors say scavenging in ‘zombie town’; president visits by Kanupriya Kapoor and Fathin Ungku
Indonesian police and military personnel secure a shopping center in Palu, Central Sulawesi, Indonesia, October 2, 2018 PALU, Indonesia (Reuters) – Hungry survivors of an earthquake and tsunami in Indonesia said on Wednesday they were scavenging for food in farms as President Joko Widodo made a second visit to the area to ramp up aid efforts five days after disaster struck.
in this photo taken by Antara Foto. Picture taken October 2, 2018. Antara Foto/Hafidz Mubarak A/ via REUTERS
The official death toll from the 7.5 magnitude quake that hit the west coast of Sulawesi island last Friday rose to 1,407, many killed by tsunami waves it triggered.
(GRAPHIC: Catastrophe in Sulawesi – https://tmsnrt.rs/2OqQlUo)
But officials fear the toll could soar, as most of the confirmed dead have come from Palu, a small city 1,500 km (930 miles) northeast of Jakarta, and losses in remote areas remain unknown, as communications are down, and bridges and roads have been destroyed or blocked by landslides.
National disaster mitigation agency spokesman Sutopo Purwo Nugroho said most of the aid effort had been concentrated in Palu, where electricity supply has yet to be restored.
But rescue workers have begun to reach more remote areas in a disaster zone that encompasses 1.4 million people.
Johnny Lim, a restaurant owner reached by telephone in Donggala town, said he was surviving on coconuts.
“It’s a zombie town. Everything’s destroyed. Nothing’s left,” Lim said over a crackling line.
“We’re on our last legs. There’s no food, no water.”
In another part of Donggala district, which has a population of 300,000 people, Ahmad Derajat, said survivors were scavenging for food in fields and orchards.
“What we’re relying on right now is food from farms and sharing whatever we find like sweet potatoes or bananas,” said Derajat whose house was swept away by the tsunami leaving a jumble of furniture, collapsed tin roofs and wooden beams.
“Why aren’t they dropping aid by helicopter?” he asked.
Aid worker Lian Gogali described a perilous situation in Donggala, which includes a string of cut-off, small towns along a coast road north of Palu close to the quake’s epicenter.
“Everyone is desperate for food and water. There’s no food, water, or gasoline. The government is missing,” Gogali said, adding that her aid group had only been able to send in a trickle of rations by motorbike.
Underlining a growing sense of urgency, President Widodo made his second visit to the disaster zone, putting on an orange hard hat to talk to rescue workers at a collapsed hotel in Palu.
“What I’ve observed after returning now is heavy equipment has arrived, logistics have started to arrive although it’s not at maximum yet, fuel has partly arrived,” Widodo told reporters.
‘PRESIDENT NOT HEARING’
Widodo, who will seek re-election next year, called on Tuesday for reinforcements in the search for victims, saying everyone had to be found. He repeated that on Wednesday, after inspecting what he called an “evacuation” effort at the Hotel Roa Roa, where he said some 30 people lay buried in the ruins.
Yahdi Basma, a leader from a village south of Palu hoping to get his family on a cargo plane out, said Widodo had no idea of the extent of the suffering.
“The president is not hearing about the remote areas, only about the tsunami and about Palu,” he said.
“There are hundreds of people still buried under the mud in my village … There is no aid whatsoever which is why we’re leaving.”
At least seven cargo planes arrived at Palu airport earlier on Wednesday carrying tonnes of aid, some bedecked in the red and white national colors and stamped with the presidential office seal declaring: “Assistance from the President of Republic of Indonesia.”
The quake brought down hotels, shopping malls and thousands of houses in Palu, while tsunami waves as high as six meters (20 feet) scoured its beachfront shortly afterwards.
About 1,700 houses in one neighborhood were swallowed up by ground liquefaction, which happens when soil shaken by an earthquake behaves like a liquid, and hundreds of people are believed to have perished, the disaster agency said.
Adding to Sulawesi’s woes, the Soputan volcano in the north of the island, about 600 km (375 miles) northeast of Palu, erupted early on Wednesday but there were no reports of any casualties or damage.
Nugroho said aircraft, tents, water treatment facilities and generators were the main needs for survivors including more than 70,000 displaced people.
The government has said it would accept offers of international aid, after shunning outside help this year when two major earthquakes struck Lombok island, south of Sulawesi.
Sitting on the seismically active Pacific Ring of Fire, Indonesia is one of the world’s most vulnerable countries to quakes and tsunamis. A quake in 2004 triggered a tsunami across the Indian Ocean that killed 226,000 people in 13 countries, including more than 120,000 in Indonesia.
(Additional reporting by Agustinus Beo Da Costa, Maikel Jefriando, Tabita Diela, Gayatri Suroyo, Fransiska Nangoy, Fanny Potkin, Ed Davies and Fergus Jensen in JAKARTA, Stephanie Ulmer-Nebehay in GENEVA and Matt Spetalnick in WASHINGTON; Writing by Robert Birsel; Editing by Simon Cameron-Moore)
- 10/3/2018 Yemen cholera outbreak increases to 10K cases per week by OAN Newsroom
The cholera outbreak in Yemen seems to be accelerating at an alarming rate with about 10,000 reported cases showing up each week.
Reports released from the World Health Organization (WHO) on Tuesday indicated there have been over 150,000 suspected cholera cases in the first eight months of this year, which is double the average rate.
In this Sept. 22, 2018 photo, Amna Ali, right, mother of 3-year-old Zaifa Shouib, who was the fifth child Nearly two million malnourished Yemeni children are particularly vulnerable to cholera and health advisers are doing their best to educate parents on how to battle the disease.
known to have died in the district this year of malnutrition-related illness,
sits in her hut holding a baby in Khayran al-Maharq, Hajjah, Yemen. (AP Photo/Hammadi Issa)
“We enter people’s houses to educate them about hygiene, and to tell them if there is a case of cholera, they have to come to the hospital to be cured,” said health adviser Jamel Abdu Mohamed Abu Bakir. “If you keep them an hour, two hours at home, this hour may be fatal for him — an hour leads to death, half an hour can lead to death.”
The WHO plans on administering over 500,000 vaccinations in the three most vulnerable districts, with over 300,000 receiving the initial dose so far. - 10/5/2018 Bodies of mother clutching baby found as Indonesia quake toll rises above 1,500 by Kanupriya Kapoor and Fathin Ungku
Search and rescue officers search an area hit by the earthquake and tsunami in Palu, PALU, Indonesia (Reuters) – A week after a major earthquake brought devastation to Indonesia’s Sulawesi island, Ichsan Hidayat told how the bodies of his sister and her 43-day-old daughter were found under a sea of mud and debris, the mother clutching her baby to her chest.
Central Sulawesi, Indonesia, October 5, 2018. REUTERS/Athit Perawongmetha
Hidayat was not on Sulawesi last Friday when the 7.5 magnitude earthquake struck, triggering a phenomenon called soil liquefaction, which turns the ground into a roiling quagmire.
(GRAPHIC: Catastrophe in Sulawesi – https://tmsnrt.rs/2OqQlUo)
The neighborhood of Petobo, in the south of the city of Palu, where his sister, Husnul Hidayat, lived with her daughter, Aisah, was wiped out.
Rescuers who recovered the bodies told Hidayat his sister was found holding Aisah close.
“Today, I prayed that they are in a better place. They deserve better,” Hidayat told Reuters as he left Friday prayers at a mosque in the center of Palu, 1,500 km (930 miles) northeast of Indonesia’s capital, Jakarta.
(GRAPHIC: Destruction in Palu – https://tmsnrt.rs/2IDFukK)
Worshippers knelt to pray on red carpets put down outside the mosque as the building is unsafe due to quake damage.
Indonesia has the world’s biggest Muslim population but also pockets of Christians, including on Sulawesi, and other religions.
The official death toll from the quake and the tsunami it triggered stands at 1,571, but it will certainly rise.
Most of the dead have been found in Palu. Figures for more remote areas, some still cut off by destroyed roads and landslides, are only trickling in, if at all.
No one knows how many people were dragged to their deaths when the ground under Petobo and nearby areas south of Palu, dissolved so violently.
The national disaster agency says 1,700 homes in one neighborhood alone were swallowed up and hundreds of people killed.
Hasnah, 44, also a resident of Petobo, has trouble remembering all of the relatives she’s trying to find in the tangled expanse of mud and debris.
“More than half of my family are gone,” Hasnah said as she sobbed. “I can’t even count how many. Two of my children are gone, my cousins, my sister, my brother in law and their children. All gone.”
Homes were sucked into the earth, torn apart and shunted hundreds of meters by the churning mud.
“The earth was like a blender, blending everything in its way,” said Hasnah, who like many Indonesians goes by only one name.
‘THEY LIED’
Hasnah said she has enough food and water but she’s furious that a search and rescue operation in her area only began on Thursday.
“They said they would come with the heavy machines but they didn’t,” she said. “They lied.”
Sick of waiting for help, villagers themselves have been searching, Hasnah said.
“We’ve marked the possible bodies with sticks. You can see a foot sticking out, but there’s no one here to dig them out.”
Rescue workers retrieved several bodies later on Friday.
As the sun set, a mass prayer ceremony was held by Palu’s seafront that was scoured by the tsunami.
“We pray for the ones who have died and for those yet to be found,” the imam said. “Allahu Akbar,” or God is Greatest, responded the congregation.
The first signs of recovery are evident in Palu. Electricity has been restored and some shops and banks have reopened and aid and fuel are arriving.
Vice President Jusuf Kalla, visiting the disaster zone, said recovery would be completed in two years, beginning with a two-month emergency response phase when everyone who lost their house would get temporary shelter.
Doctors have been flocking to help from other parts of Indonesia.
The Budi Agung hospital has 134 beds with about 20 more set up in a tent outside, all full. A hospital ship is also due to arrive.
Doctors said many patients have been at high risk of infection because they were buried in mud.
Rescue workers are pushing into outlying districts cut off for days. Villagers rushed a Red Cross helicopter that landed at Sirenja village near the quake’s epicenter, about 75 km (45 miles) north of Palu, to drop off supplies.
Some quake damage was evident but the coast did not appear to have been battered by the tsunami, a Reuters photographer said.
Sulawesi is one of the archipelago nation’s five main islands, and like the others, is exposed to frequent earthquakes and tsunami.
In 2004, a quake off Sumatra island triggered a tsunami across the Indian Ocean that killed 226,000 people in 13 countries, including more than 120,000 in Indonesia.
(Additional reporting by Tom Allard, Ronn Bautista in PALU, Darren Whiteside in SIRENJA, Agustinus Beo Da Costa, Maikel Jefriando, Tabita Diela, Gayatri Suroyo, Fransiska Nangoy, Fanny Potkin, Ed Davies in JAKARTA; Writing by Robert Birsel; Editing by Lincoln Feast and Nick Macfie.) - 10/5/2018 Disaster relief efforts ramp up after Indonesia earthquake by OAN Newsroom
The death toll in Indonesia rises to nearly 1,600, following a major earthquake and tsunami that devastated the country.
The National Disaster Mitigation Agency confirmed the death toll Friday as rescuers continue to search and evaluate victims in Palu City.
The agency said the city’s electricity has been restored, which has allowed shops and banks to reopen.
A man walks past remains of toppled homes and structures at the earthquake and tsunami-hit Palu, Central Sulawesi, Indonesia on Friday Oct. 5, 2018. (AP Photo/Aaron Favila) Foreign aircraft carrying aid have also been deployed to the affected areas to distribute both food and clothing.
“There are ten planes with foreign aid from Singapore, Malaysia, Australia, India, New Zealand and also 12 more planes will arrive from various countries, which we had identified with their international offer for aid,” said Sutopo Purwo Nugroho, spokesman for the National Disaster Mitigation Agency.
The United Nations announced it will seek over $50 million for “immediate relief” to provide help to nearly 200,000 people over the next three months.
Indonesia expects the death toll to continue to rise as more bodies are recovered in the worst hit areas. - 10/7/2018 No siren, no warning: Indonesians caught unawares by devastating tsunami by Gayatri Suroyo and Fathin Ungku
An aerial view of the destruction caused by an earthquake and liquefaction in the Petabo neighbourhood in Palu, Central Sulawesi, Indonesia, October 7, 2018. REUTERS/Athit Perawongmetha JAKARTA/PALU, Indonesia (Reuters) – When up to six-meter (20-foot) tsunami waves crashed into the Indonesian city of Palu last month, Didiek Wahyudi Kurniawan’s house near the beach was quickly engulfed with water, leaving his wife and two daughters barely any time to escape.
“I know there is supposed to be a tsunami warning alarm, but maybe it was outdated? I have no idea. We never get any warning from it,” said Kurniawan, 46.
He said he was out at the time but his family escaped by wading through chest-high water to a neighbor’s three-storey building.
While his family was spared, scores attending a beach festival in Palu were among those swept away, adding to the more than 1,600 deaths from the 7.5 magnitude quake and tsunami that have been confirmed so far.
Other survivors also said they heard no sirens, even though a tsunami warning was issued and then lifted 34 minutes after the quake, based on data available from the closest tidal sensor, around 200 km (125 miles) from Palu, which is on Sulawesi island.
As Indonesia struggles with the aftermath of the devastating quake, the spotlight has again been shone on the apparent lack of preparedness in a sprawling archipelago that suffers regular tremors, lying on the seismically active so-called Pacific Ring of Fire.
There was a major push in the region to improve warning systems after the 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami killed more than 120,000 in Indonesia alone, including establishing a network of 22 warning buoys to detect tsunamis that was put in place with German and U.S. help.
International agencies and countries poured $4.6 billion into the reconstruction of Indonesia’s devastated Aceh province on Sumatra island, with new infrastructure such as strategically placed evacuation centers.
Still, with the first waves in Palu arriving within around four minutes and power and communications knocked out by the quake, text message alerts or sirens would probably not have been enough, even if they were working.
Denis McClean, a spokesman of the U.N. Disaster Risk Reduction agency, told a briefing only public awareness would have saved people under these circumstances.
“It happened very quickly. There wasn’t much time for warnings to be disseminated, so it was very much dependent on the level of public awareness in order to save lives.”
“THE EARTHQUAKE IS THE WARNING”
Indonesia’s national disaster mitigation agency spokesman Sutopo Purwo Nugroho said people still often did not know what to do when a disaster strikes.
Unlike in quake-prone countries like Japan and New Zealand, earthquake education and drills are conducted only sporadically in Indonesia.
“The problem in tsunami early warning systems is not the structure, not its tools, but the culture in our communities,” Nugroho told reporters.
Palu has some tsunami evacuation route signs, but Mokhtar, a resident, said while he was aware of government sponsored simulations shown on television on what to do in an earthquake, he had not seen any on the ground.
“There is a warning system but on that day there was none. No siren or anything,” said the 51-year-old civil servant, adding that he has never heard the warning system ever.
Nugroho of the disaster agency said communities sometimes vandalize early warning tools like tsunami buoys.
The network of 22 buoys in Indonesia, which are connected to seabed sensors, have been inoperable since 2012, often due to neglect or vandalism.
Fishermen often used buoys to tie their boats, sometimes damaging sensors, while in one case a buoy was towed by fishermen from its original mooring to another part of the sea off Sulawesi.
Indonesian President Joko Widodo called this week for the buoys to be repaired or replaced, but experts and officials say investment has also been neglected in other areas.
According to data from the disaster agency, out of about 1,000 tsunami sirens needed across Indonesia, only 56 are in place.
Only about 3,100 km (1,920 miles) of evacuation routes have been established against a need for 11,900 km (7,390 miles), while there are only 50 evacuation shelters compared with estimates of 2,200 needed, the data showed.
The speaker of Indonesia’s parliament, Bambang Soesatyo, pledged in a statement that at least in the case of buoys, parliament would support the budget for this.
Adam Switzer, a tsunami expert at the Earth Observatory of Singapore, said from evidence so far it appeared the tsunami in Palu was generated by a submarine landslide, something most warning systems would not pick up.
“The earthquake is the warning. The first thing you need to do is take cover in a safe space until the shaking stops and then get yourself away from the coast. It’s about education,” said Switzer, stressing that this needed “to be ingrained in every child in Asia, especially in Southeast Asia.”
Even putting aside the human cost, there are powerful economic arguments for doing more to prepare for disasters.
Udrekh, a disaster expert at Indonesia’s Agency for the Assessment and Application of Technology (BPPT), said Indonesia is discussing with Japan whether to invest in seabed cables with sensors that could detect tsunami and earthquakes, similar to a system in Japan. Such cables would be less vulnerable and quicker than buoys and cost 300 billion rupiah ($19.8 million) a year for every 200 km (125 miles), he said.
“We always say for disaster infrastructure that you save $7 for every $1 investment you make, so this is needed and the cost is nothing compared to other infrastructure,” he said.
He estimated Indonesia lost about 30 trillion rupiah ($2 billion) each year from disasters, but spent too little on disaster mitigation infrastructure and education.
“It’s like we never learned from 2004,” he told Reuters.
($1 = 15,185.0000 rupiah)
(Additional reporting by Fanny Potkin in JAKARTA and Stephanie Ulmer-Nebehay in GENEVA; Writing by Ed Davies; Editing by Raju Gopalakrishnan)
- 10/7/2018 Wildfire rages near Lisbon, hundreds evacuated
View of a fire in Sintra mountain, Portugal October 7, 2018. REUTERS/Pedro Nunes October 7, 2018 LISBON (Reuters) – More than 700 firefighters backed by six aircraft battled a large wildfire in the hills around the resort areas of Cascais and Sintra near Portugal’s capital Lisbon on Sunday after the blaze forced the evacuation of several hundred people overnight.
Officials said 18 people, mostly firefighters, had been lightly injured in the blaze that broke out late on Saturday, fanned by strong winds amid unusually hot weather for October.
“There are still two active fronts that worry us,” a civil protection spokesman told a briefing, explaining that the arrival of water-bombing aircraft and more favorable weather had helped to control the flames after a difficult night.
As a precaution, the authorities removed 300 people from a local campsite during the night as well as nearly 50 residents of nearby villages.
Portugal suffered its deadliest wildfires in history last year, when 114 people were killed in two huge blazes.
In an effort to ensure the tragedy is not repeated, the government has hired hundreds of firefighters, stepping up controls to ensure landowners clear undergrowth that stokes fires and preemptively removing residents from risky areas.
(Reporting By Andrei Khalip; Editing by Dale Hudson) - 10/8/2018 Magnitude 5.9 earthquake in Haiti kills at least 11 people
Emergency teams worked to provide relief in Haiti on Sunday after a magnitude 5.9 earthquake killed 11 people and left 135 injured.
The country’s civil protection agency said at least seven people died in Port-de-Paix and three died in Gros-Morne. The U.S. Geological Survey said the quake hit at 8:11 p.m. Saturday and was centered 12 miles northwest of Port-de-Paix, 136 miles from Portau- Prince. - 10/8/2018 Study: Pot worse than alcohol for teen brains by Joel Shannon, USA TODAY
Marijuana use may pose a greater risk to the developing brains of teenagers than alcohol consumption, according to a new study. The analysis, published Wednesday in the American Journal of Psychiatry, found that cannabis had greater short and long-term consequences than alcohol on four key components of teens’ memory.
The finding surprised researchers.
“We initially suspected alcohol would have a bigger effect,” Patricia Conrod, lead author and professor of psychiatry at the University of Montreal told USA TODAY.
Researchers looked at four cognitive functions: Problem solving, long-term memory, short-term memory manipulation and the ability to stop a habitual behavior when needed.
Marijuana had “significant” negative effects on all four, while the study could not tie alcohol to negative effects, Conrod said.
However, alcohol’s effects may be greater as teens drink more later in life, Conrod said.
Authors examined nearly 4,000 students in the Montreal region over four years, starting when the average participant was about 13 years old.
The students took yearly memory tests and self-reported their alcohol and marijuana use. Those reports were kept confidential “unless such information indicated imminent risk of harm,” authors wrote.
By the fourth year, three-quarters of the students had consumed alcohol at least occasionally, while only about 30 percent of participants had used marijuana. But the study observed more daily marijuana users than alcohol users, Conrod said. - 10/9/2018 6 small tornadoes confirmed in Oklahoma and Texas
The National Weather Service reported that six small tornadoes from a single storm system hit Texas and Oklahoma overnight, including one that forced the closure of a state highway in northeastern Oklahoma for more than six hours.
The Oklahoma Highway Patrol said minor injuries and downed power lines were reported Sunday night after a tornado struck the town of Fairfax, leading to the closing of Highway 18 until early Monday morning. - 10/9/2018 ‘Monstrous’ Michael heads for Gulf Coast by Doyle Rice, USA TODAY
With Hurricane Michael rapidly intensifying and threatening to smash Florida’s Panhandle with dangerous storm surge, flooding and winds, Gov. Rick Scott didn’t mince words on Monday night: “Making decisions tomorrow might be too late.”
Described by Scott as both “monstrous” and “massive,” Michael could make landfall as a Category 3 hurricane with sustained winds of at least 111 mph, according to current projections. It’s forecast to become a major hurricane sometime Tuesday and should make landfall Wednesday afternoon or evening, likely between Pensacola in the far western Panhandle and Apalachicola, directly south of Tallahassee on the coast.
“Michael could be one of the worst hurricanes to ever strike the Florida Big Bend and Florida Panhandle region,” warned Weather Channel hurricane expert Rick Knabb.
Michael’s maximum sustained winds increased to 85 mph with higher gusts on Monday, the National Hurricane Center said.
“Michael could produce three life-threatening hazards along portions of the northeastern Gulf Coast: storm surge, heavy rainfall and hurricane-force winds,” according to the hurricane center.
Because of the storm surge threat, three Florida Panhandle counties issued mandatory evacuation orders.
A hurricane warning was posted for the Florida Gulf Coast, all the way from the Alabama-Florida border to the Suwannee River in Florida. A storm surge of up to 12 feet is forecast for a large section of the Florida coast.
According to the hurricane center, one potential impact from a Category 3 hurricane is that “electricity and water will be unavailable for several days to weeks after the storm passes.”
A major hurricane is a Category 5, 4 or 3 hurricane, which has winds of at least 111 mph. If the forecast is correct, Michael would be the 11th major hurricane to hit Florida in October since records began in 1851, Colorado State University meteorologist Phil Klotzbach said.
Scott declared an emergency in 35 counties and asked President Donald Trump for help. Florida State University announced it will close from Tuesday through Friday this week.
“Take this seriously and keep your family safe,” Scott said from Bay County on Monday. “We know that a storm like Michael can be devastating and deadly.”
Scott said 500 Florida National Guard members were activated for planning, logistics and response, and 5,000 stood at the ready.
Contributing: Karl Etters, Tallahassee Democrat; Amber Roberson, USA TODAY Network; Melissa Nelson Gabriel, Pensacola News Journal.
“Michael could be one of the worst hurricanes to ever strike the Florida Big Bend and Florida Panhandle region.” Rick Knabb, Weather Channel hurricane expert.
Florida Gov. Rick Scott said Hurricane Michael could devastate the Florida Panhandle. NATIONAL HURRICANE CENTER - 10/8/2018 Category 1 Hurricane Michael Barrels Toward Fla. by OAN Newsroom
In this Sept. 12, 2018 photo provided by NASA, Hurricane Florence churns over the Atlantic Ocean heading Hurricane Michael is barreling toward the Florida Panhandle and is expected to make landfall as early as Tuesday.
for the U.S. east coast as seen from the International Space Station. (Alexander Gerst/ESA/NASA via AP)
Michael was upgraded from a tropical storm to a hurricane Monday, with officials saying it could reach Category 3 status before landfall.
The hurricane has sustained winds of 75 miles-per-hour and is churning about 90 miles east of Cozumel, Mexico.
Governor Rick Scott has declared a state of emergency for 26 counties and urged those in the path of the storm to heed evacuation orders.
Scott warned this storm could bring up to 12 inches of rain to the Panhandle with life threatening storm surges and winds as high as 125 miles-per-hour.
President Trump met with governor Rick Scott in Florida Monday and said the federal government is working closely with state and local officials to ensure all necessary precautions are taken ahead of the storm.
- 10/9/2018 Indonesians step up search for quake victims to beat deadline as toll exceeds 2,000 by Rozanna Latiff and Kanupriya Kapoor
Aid for earthquake and tusnami victims is unloaded from a ship in Palu, Central Sulawesi, Indonesia October 9, 2018. REUTERS/Darren Whiteside PALU, Indonesia (Reuters) – Rescue workers in Indonesia stepped up their search for victims of an earthquake and tsunami on Tuesday, hoping to find as many bodies as they can before this week’s deadline for their work to halt, as the official death toll rose to 2,010.
The national disaster mitigation agency has called off the search from Thursday, citing concern about the spread of disease. Debris would be cleared and areas where bodies lie would eventually be turned into parks, sports venues and memorials.
Perhaps as many as 5,000 victims of the 7.5 magnitude quake and tsunami on Sept. 28 have yet to be found, most of them entombed in flows of mud flows that surged from the ground when the quake agitated the soil into a liquid mire.
Most of the bodies have been found in the seaside city of Palu, on the west coast of Sulawesi island, 1,500 km (930 miles) northeast of the capital, Jakarta.
More than 10,000 rescue workers are scouring expanses of debris, especially in three areas obliterated by soil liquefaction in the south of the small city.
“We’re not sure what will happen afterwards, so we’re trying to work as fast as possible,” said rescue worker Ahmad Amin, 29, referring to the deadline, as he took a break in the badly hit Balaroa neighborhood.
At least nine excavators were working through the rubble of Balaroa on Tuesday, picking their way through smashed buildings and pummeled vehicles. At least a dozen bodies were recovered, a Reuters photographer said.
“There are so many children still missing, we want to find them quickly,” said Amin, who is from Balaroa and has relatives unaccounted for. “It doesn’t matter if it’s my family or not, the important thing is that we find as many as we can.”
The state disaster mitigation agency said the search was being stepped up and focused more intensely on areas where many people are believed to be buried.
The decision to end the search has angered some relatives of the missing but taxi driver Rudy Rahman, 40, said he had to accept it.
“As long as they keep searching, I will be here every day looking for my son,” said Rahman, who said he had lost three sons in the disaster. The bodies of two were found, the youngest is missing.
“This is the only thing I can do, otherwise I would go insane,” he said, choking back tears. “If they stop, what can I do? There are four meters of soil here. I couldn’t do it on my own.”
‘POLITICAL SENSITIVITIES’
While Indonesian workers searched, the disaster agency ordered independent foreign aid workers to leave the quake zone.
Indonesia has traditionally been reluctant to be seen as relying on outside help to cope with disasters, and the government shunned foreign aid this year when earthquakes struck the island of Lombok.
But it has accepted help from abroad to cope with the Sulawesi disaster.
The disaster agency, in a notice posted on Twitter, set the rules out for foreign non-governmental organizations (NGOs), saying they were not allowed to “go directly to the field” and could only work with “local partners.”
“Foreign citizens who are working with foreign NGOs are not allowed to conduct any activity on the sites,” it said, adding that foreign NGOs with people deployed should withdraw them immediately.
A few foreign aid workers have been in the disaster zone, including a team from the group Pompiers Humanitaires Francais that searched for survivors, but they have spoken of difficulties in getting entry permits and authorization.
“This is the first time we encountered such difficulty in actually getting to do our work,” team leader Arnaud Allibert told Reuters, adding they were leaving on Wednesday as their help was no longer needed.
Indonesian governments are wary of being too open to outside help because they could face criticism from political opponents and there is particular resistance to the presence of foreign military personnel, as it could be seen as an infringement of sovereignty.
“There are political sensitivities, especially with an election coming up, and sovereignty is another issue,” said Keith Loveard, a senior analyst with advisory and risk firm Concord Consulting, referring to polls due next year.
Sulawesi is one of Indonesia’s five main islands. The archipelago sees frequent earthquakes and occasional tsunami.
In 2004, a quake off Sumatra island triggered a tsunami across the Indian Ocean that killed 226,000 people in 13 countries, including more than 120,000 in Indonesia.
Foreign governments and groups played a big role in aid efforts in 2004.
(Additional reporting by John Chalmers, Agustinus Beo Da Costa, and Tabita Diela in JAKARTA; Writing by Robert Birsel; Editing by Nick Macfie and Clarence Fernandez) - 10/10/2018 Heavy rains, floods kill at least six on Spain’s Mallorca by Robert Hetz
People walk along the damaged waterfront after a storm on the island of Mallorca, Spain October 10, MADRID (Reuters) – At least six people including two Britons were killed as heavy rain and flash floods hit the Spanish island of Mallorca late on Tuesday, authorities said.
2018 in this image obtained from social media. Joan Camacho via REUTERS
Torrents of brown water swept cars along narrow streets in the eastern town of Sant Llorenc. Rivers burst their banks and swamped roads and people’s homes – forcing some to take shelter in a sports center in the nearby town of Manacor.
At least another nine people were still missing after the downpours, El Pais and other media reported, though emergency services said they could not confirm that figure.
Two of the victims were British, a senior official from the San Llorenc mayor’s office, Antonia Bauza, told radio station Cadena Ser.
“It’s been a huge storm. In just two hours, some 180 liters of rain fell and we realized that we could not control the water,” Bauza said.
“The situation is a disaster and we’re trying to locate survivors and help people but everything is flooded and people cannot leave their homes,” she added.
Residents swept water and mud out of those houses as the floods subsided early on Wednesday, leaving roadsides strewn with wrecked vehicles and beaches covered in debris.
The regional government called an emergency meeting and authorities said rescue workers and military units had been sent to the area to help.
“My solidarity and support goes out to the families and friends of victims and all those affected by these tragic floods,” Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez said on Twitter.
Sanchez’s office said the prime minister was traveling to the area.
Lawmakers held a minute’s silence before the weekly prime minister’s question time on Wednesday morning.
(Additional reporting by Paul Day; Editing by Andrew Heavens) - 10/10/2018 Haiti says 17 killed in quake, more than 2,000 homes damaged by Joseph Guyler Delva
People injured in an earthquake that hit northern Haiti late on Saturday, are being looked after in a tent, PORT-DE-PAIX (Reuters) – The weekend earthquake which battered Haiti killed 17 people, authorities said on Tuesday, and damaged or destroyed nearly 2,500 houses, sparking fears that many buildings are in a precarious state in the impoverished Caribbean country.
in Port-de-Paix, Haiti, October 7, 2018. REUTERS/Ricardo Rojas
The shallow, magnitude 5.9 earthquake struck northern Haiti on Saturday, spreading panic, particularly around Port-de-Paix, a coastal town that absorbed the brunt of the shockwave.
Two more people were confirmed dead on Tuesday, taking the death toll to 17, according to Haiti’s civil protection agency. Another 333 people were injured, it said. Prime Minister Jean Henry Ceant said 2,280 houses were damaged and 168 destroyed.
The quake, centered just off the north coast, was one of the strongest to hit Haiti since a 7.0-magnitude earthquake near Port-au-Prince killed tens of thousands of people in 2010.
There have been several aftershocks, causing alarm around Port-de-Paix, particularly inside the local prison.
“The prison walls are all cracked by the earthquake, and the building may collapse and kill all of us any time,” inmate Dosty Pierre, 30, said from his prison cell.
He and other prisoners urged authorities to move them.
The national administrative police chief, Carl-Henry Boucher, told Reuters that the penitentiary authorities in the capital were working on the issue, but could not say when the prisoners would be moved to a different jail.
On Sunday, prisoners organized a riot to escape and got out of their cells, but guards and riot police foiled the jail break, said Jackson Hilaire, police chief for the northwest region.
(Additional reporting by Cheslie Jean Baptiste in Port-au-Prince; Editing by Christine Murray and Nick Zieminski) - 10/11/2018 ‘Historic’ hurricane hits
Florida Panhandle battered by heavy winds and rains as Michael hits Category 4 status.
Hurricane Michael made landfall Wednesday near Mexico Beach, Florida, becoming the strongest ever to reach the state’s Panhandle.
“It’s historic, it’s extremely life-threatening,” said Kenneth Graham, director of the National Hurricane Center. “This storm surge is coming with a vengeance.”
High winds and heavy rains lashed the coast, bringing down trees and power lines. Almost a quarter of a million homes and businesses already were without power, and the number was rising rapidly.
It could reach into the millions from the “potentially catastrophic” Category 4 storm, which brought winds of 155 mph – just 2 mph short of Category 5 status.
A beachgoer takes photos of the waves Wednesday on Okaloosa Island in Fort Walton Beach, Florida, as Hurricane Michael impacts the coast. NICK TOMECEK/AP - 10/11/2018 Devastating Michael a ‘nightmare’ in Florida - Hurricane packs historic ferocity as it strikes, heads up Southeast coast Rick Neale, Doyle Rice and John Bacon, USA TODAY
PANAMA CITY BEACH, Fla. – A historic Hurricane Michael made landfall Wednesday near Mexico Beach, pulverizing homes, snapping trees and sending debris flying.
At landfall, it was nearly a Category 5 storm that smashed records as the strongest ever to roar onto the state's exposed Panhandle.
High winds and heavy rains lashed the coast. A quarter of a million homes and businesses already were without power, and the number was rising rapidly. It could reach into the millions from the 'potentially catastrophic' Category 4 storm with sustained winds of 155 mph – just 2 mph short of Cat 5 status.
By 8 p.m. EDT, the storm’s winds had dropped to Category 1 strength at 90 mph and it was moving northeast at 17 mph. It was centered about 20 miles southwest of Albany, Georgia.
So far, one death has been linked to the storm. Authorities say a Florida Panhandle man was killed by a falling tree that crashed into his home in Greensboro.
Gadsden County Sheriff’s Office spokeswoman Anglie Hightower says they received a call around 6 p.m. Wednesday, saying a tree smashed through the roof of the house and trapped the victim, whose name was not released. Emergency crews were heading to the home, but downed power lines and blocked roads were making the trip difficult.
The National Weather Service in Tallahassee said a hurricane 'of this strength has NEVER made landfall in this region and thus this is an event that will have unprecedented impacts.'
The high winds were knocking down trees and power lines. Storm surge, with forecasts of up to 14 feet in some areas, remained a major concern.
“It’s historic, it’s extremely lifethreatening,” said Kenneth Graham, director of the National Hurricane Center. “This storm surge is coming with a vengeance.”
Brock Long, administrator at the Federal Emergency Management Agency, warned that the storm would stay intact as a hurricane as it roars through the Florida Panhandle and parts of Alabama and Georgia. The storm could leave wide swaths of the region powerless for weeks, he said.
Florida’s Big Bend, a loosely defined area of the eastern Panhandle where the coastline bends to the south, was bracing for the worst. Graham said storm surge will inundate the Aucilla River there to a point where it will “flow backward.”
“This is a nightmare hurricane for the Big Bend,” said Ryan Truchelut, chief meteorologist at WeatherTiger. “Michael will be of a landfall intensity not seen for at least 100 years, and perhaps more.”
In Panama City, about 20 miles northwest of Mexico Beach, the power went out at Country Inn Suites. The wind howled and rainwater leaked through the ceiling. A light pole toppled onto an SUV in the parking lot.
Betty Wexler, 86, lost a beach house to a storm more than 20 years ago. She remembers finding her bed frame in the sand, her neighbor’s bathtub sitting inside it. She and her daughter booked a hotel room through Friday.
“I’ve already lost one house to a hurricane, and I’m scared to death of this one,” she said.
Perry and Mollie Williams were riding out the storm in their “fortress” home a block from the beach with their three cats and Rottweiler.
“It’s our first storm (forecast) to be on top of us,” Mollie Williams, a 17-year resident, said warily. “We’ve had a number of them come into the gulf, and either come to the left or the right of us. But never on top of us.”
Hours before the storm hit, it was too late for many to flee.
“The time to evacuate coastal areas has come and gone,” Florida Gov. Rick Scott said Wednesday.
Bacon and Rice reported from McLean, Va. Contributing: Steve Kiggins, Wayne Price and Nada Hassanein, USA TODAY Network; The Associated Press
A storm chaser retrieves equipment from his car during the eye of the storm Wednesday after a hotel canopy fell in Panama City Beach, Fla. GERALD HERBERT/AP - 10/11/2018 UN report warns of extreme heat and deluges by Josh Hafner, USA TODAY
A United Nations report this week outlined the water scarcity, flooding and extreme heat risks possible within decades due to global warming.
Though the U.N. Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change focused on “rapid, far-reaching” actions needed to avert calamity the world over, it spelled out specific dangers for North America.
Heavy rainfall, extreme heat and economic fallout could worsen in North America if the atmosphere rises another degree Celsius above preindustrial levels, the report said.
The Earth already is 1 degree Celsius (1.8 degrees Fahrenheit) above, and whether it jumps to 1.5- or 2-degrees C (2.7 to 3.6 F) in coming years could make a big difference.- Extreme heat gets worse: The highest levels of warming for extremely hot days would occur in the eastern and central USA – from the Dakotas south to Texas and toward the East – as well as parts of Asia, Africa, Europe and the Mediterranean. Soil in those regions tends to dry out. The Earth’s surface uses available water to cool off, just like humans do with sweat, said Natalie Mahowald, a Cornell University climate scientist who helped author the report. “If there is no water to evaporate, then there is more increase in temperature, since the surface can’t cool by evaporating water,” she said.
- Heavy rain more likely: Topping 2 degrees Celsius would risk increasing heavy rainfall from Ohio to Georgia and toward the East, one of several regions where the largest increases in extreme rain and snow would occur.
- Economic tolls: A study led by Solomon Hsiang at the University of California- Berkeley said America’s economic damage equates to about 1.2 percent of the U.S. gross domestic product for every 1 degree increase in warming.
- 10/11/2018 194 cases of Ebola reported in the Congo as infected avoid treatment by OAN Newsroom
Another 194 people fall ill with Ebola in the Congo despite an international effort to contain the latest outbreak of the disease.
According to the Congolese Health Ministry, the newest Ebola cases were reported this week along the border with Uganda.
The region is an important trading hub and has been the site of several Islamic State terror attacks. As a result, health officials say many infected people are afraid to come forward and seek medical treatment.
FILE – In this Sunday, Sept 9, 2018 file photo, health workers walk with a boy suspected of having the By this point in the response to an Ebola outbreak, health officials are claiming there should be no new cases. 122 people have died so far from this latest outbreak of the disease, which has a 60-percent mortality rate.
Ebola virus at an Ebola treatment centre in Beni, Eastern Congo. (AP Photo/Al-hadji Kudra Maliro, file) - 10/11/2018 Officials working to restore critical services after Storm Michael by OAN Newsroom
Tropical Storm Michael has ,b>claimed the lives of at least five people and is now moving toward the Carolinas. This comes as officials are working to restore communications, transportation and other services.
FEMA administrator Brock Long spoke at a briefing Thursday and said power will be out for some time, however, over 30,000 personnel are ready to assist.
Long also said several hospitals were impacted, but the Department of Health and Human Services has been able to help set up triage centers.
People walk amidst destruction on the main street of Mexico Beach, Fla., Officials at the briefing also warned Michael will continue to dump rain as it moves over the Carolinas, which will create an enhanced risk for tornadoes.
in the aftermath of Hurricane Michael on Thursday, Oct. 11, 2018. (AP Photo/Gerald Herbert)
“We are looking at widespread moderate to locally major river flooding to once again resurface over North Carolina likely beginning today, continuing for the next several days,” stated Ken Widelski of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. “Fortunately, the system is moving rather quickly, so it will be off the coast tomorrow, so we don’t expect this flooding to hang around as long as it did during Florence.”
Meanwhile, Florida Governor Rick Scott said search and rescue efforts are underway with the National Guard performing 10 rescue missions overnight. He said he will be surveying the damage in Panama City and Mexico Beach Thursday, which were the areas hardest hit by the storm.
- 10/12/2018 Michael ‘like a bomb’ - Storm leaves 7 dead after delivering historic wallop to Fla. by Trevor Hughes and John Bacon, USA TODAY
PANAMA CITY, Fla. – The most powerful hurricane on record to hit Florida’s Panhandle left destruction and death in its path Thursday as it weakened to tropical storm status but still brought havoc to Georgia, the Carolinas and Virginia.
Hurricane Michael made landfall Wednesday about 20 miles southeast of here with historic, 155-mph sustained winds, violent waves and sideways rain. Seven people were reported killed from the storm: five in Florida, one in Georgia and one in North Carolina. Authorities expected the number to rise.
Thursday, the extent of damage to this picturesque seaside town was revealed. The sugar-sand beaches were littered with debris when the storm’s rage – and the turquoise waters of the Gulf of Mexico – finally receded. Two hospitals were evacuated. Swaths of homes were destroyed, power lines snapped like toothpicks, cars and trucks flipped and smashed.
It will probably be weeks before roads are cleared and electricity is fully restored.
“It got tore up. It looks like a bomb went off,” Chris Allen, 48, said as he surveyed the damage downtown.
In Panama City, the Forest Park neighborhood’s pine trees turned into sledgehammers during the storm, crushing cars, roofs and outbuildings.
“This was the scariest experience I’ve ever had in my entire life,” Panama City resident Peter Muller said. “The scope of the damage is absolutely mind-boggling. It’s like a war zone or something out of a horror movie.”
Thousands of homes and businesses were blown apart as the storm slammed across the Florida Panhandle and roared with hurricane force into Georgia. Entire neighborhoods were wiped out. An 80-mile stretch of debris-strewn Interstate 10 west of Tallahassee was shut down. Beaches disappeared, military bases were damaged, boats were slammed into houses and trees were mowed down like lawns. More than 600,000 customers in the two states lost power. Alabama, South Carolina and North Carolina reported 170,000 more.
The Federal Emergency Management Agency warned that some areas could be without power for weeks.
“So many lives have been changed forever,” Florida Gov. Rick Scott said. “So many families have lost everything. … This hurricane was an absolute monster.”
The region was in search-and-rescue mode as thousands of first responders and National Guard members fanned out to help. A helicopter crew pulled nine people from a bathroom of a home here after the roof collapsed, the Coast Guard said. The rescue was among dozens by the agency.
By late afternoon Thursday, the National Hurricane Center said, Michael was centered about 20 miles northnorthwest of Raleigh, North Carolina, still blasting sustained winds of 50 mph as it swept northeast at 24 mph.
Bacon reported from McLean, Va. Contributing: The Associated Press; Kevin Robinson, The Pensacola News-Journal.
“This was the scariest experience I’ve ever had in my entire life,” Peter Muller, Panama City, Florida, resident.
Hurricane Michael inflicted heavy damage in Panama City, Fla. ANDREW WEST/USA TODAY NETWORK - 10/12/2018 Landslide kills 31 in eastern Uganda
Damaged housing is seen after a landslide in Bududa, Uganda, in this still image taken from video on October 12, 2018. Reuters TV/via REUTERS KAMPALA (Reuters) – At least 31 people were killed when a floodwaters triggered by a landslide swept debris through a town in eastern Uganda, destroying homes and burying livestock, a government official said on Friday.
The landslide, which followed heavy rains, struck Bukalasi, situated on the slopes of Mount Elgon, on Thursday afternoon.
“Most of the people were caught at the market, the landslide pushed huge boulders into a river which burst its banks and the water swept away the people,” said Commissioner for Disaster Preparedness and Management Martin Owor.
A picture tweeted by Uganda Red Cross showed uprooted and twisted trees. The aid agency said both “animals and people were swept away in this disaster.”
Relief teams were combing the area to search and rescue survivors, Owor said.
“There are people who were displaced and they need shelter, food and all other support and we’re moving that relief to the area,” he said.
The rainy season in that part of Uganda, about 250 km (155 miles) from the capital Kampala and close to the Kenyan border, runs from September to December.
An avalanche in the same area in 2010 killed at least 80 people.
Large swaths on the slopes of Ugandan mountains have been denuded of their forests and other vegetation cover for cultivable land, increasing the risk of landslides.
Officials have previously said there were plans to move people away from some of the most vulnerable areas, but those relocations have yet to be carried out.
Many of the East African country’s mountainous regions, also including areas in the southwest and west near the borders with Rwanda and Democratic Republic of Congo, often experience landslides at this time of the year if rains are unusually heavy.
(Reporting by Elias Biryabarema; Editing by Paul Tait and Clarence Fernandez) - 10/13/2018 Hurricane Michael leaves chaos in its wake -14 dead as historic storm moves back to Atlantic from Staff Reports, USA TODAY
One of the most powerful hurricanes in American history has moved off land, leaving a trail of destruction.
Michael made landfall Wednesday in the Florida Panhandle as a Category 4 hurricane with 155mph winds. When measured by its barometric pressure, Michael was the third strongest hurricane to make landfall in the USA. High winds, rains and flash flooding were felt across multiple states, as far north as Virginia.
“So many lives have been changed forever. So many families have lost everything,” Florida Gov. Rick Scott said, calling it “unimaginable destruction.”
Here’s what we know Friday:- Where the storm is now: Michael moved off the East Coast early Friday morning and into the Atlantic Ocean as a post-tropical storm.
- Power outages: Nearly 1.1 million customers across five states were without power at 5:30 p.m. Friday, according to PowerOutage.US.
- Damage: In Panama City, most homes were still standing, but no property was left undamaged. Downed power lines and twisted street signs lay all around. Aluminum siding was shredded, and homes were split by fallen trees. The hurricane damaged four hospitals and 11 nursing homes in Florida, and officials worked to evacuate hundreds of patients. All hospitals and nursing homes remained open in Georgia.
An insurance company that produces models for catastrophes estimated Michael caused about $8 billion in damage. Boston-based Karen Clark & Company released that estimate Thursday, which includes privately insured wind and storm-surge damage to residential, commercial and industrial properties and vehicles. It doesn’t include losses covered by the National Flood Insurance Program.
Officials warned Friday that it was not safe for residents of Bay County and Mexico Beach, Florida, to return home. Tyndall Air Force Base sustained significant damage; Col. Brian Laidlaw told the 3,600 men and women stationed there not to come back. - Death toll: Fourteen people have been reported killed across five states.
Steve Sweet, 44, was killed in Gadsden County, Florida, near the state border with Georgia, when a tree fell into his home. Authorities announced four total fatalities in Gadsden County on Thursday.
Sarah Radney, 11, who was visiting her grandparents in Seminole County, Georgia, was killed when a portable carport broke through the house and struck her in the head. Georgia authorities confirmed there was one other death in the state.
The Hanover County Fire-EMS Department said Fire Lt. Brad Clark died responding to a crash north of Richmond, Virginia, as Michael lashed the state. Four other victims in Virginia died by drowning, according to the Department of Emergency Management.
A driver in Iredell County, North Carolina, was killed Thursday when a tree fell on his car. A man and a woman also died in McDowell County, North Carolina, when their car crashed into a fallen tree. - Rescues and recovery: The U.S. Coast Guard had rescued about 129 people and one animal as of 2 p.m. Friday and assisted 232 others, including 142 nursing home patients, according to a statement. The Red Cross sent 1,000 trained disaster personnel to help victims of the storm, with 48 mobile feeding units that can each provide 1,500 meals a day.
A bicyclist rides past a downed traffic light in Panama City, Fla., after Hurricane Michael tore through. CRAIG BAILEY/USA TODAY NETWORK
- 10/13/2018 Pres. Trump declares state of emergency in Alabama after Hurricane Michael by OAN Newsroom
President Trump declares a state of emergency in Alabama, due to the devastation left in the wake of Hurricane Michael.
The announcement was made Saturday, and authorizes FEMA and the DHS to provide assistance to areas affected by the storm.
Alabama Governor Kay Ivey responded to the news, expressing his gratitude to the president.
President Donald Trump pauses during his meeting to discuss potential damage from Hurricane Michael, He said the declaration will be a huge benefit to the smaller communities, which were damaged during the hurricane.
in the Oval Office of the White House in Washington, Wednesday, Oct. 10, 2018. (AP Photo/Pablo Martinez Monsivais)
Alabama FEMA Director Brian Hastings, says working with federal agencies, will be an important part of helping Alabamans move back to a sense of normalcy.
The death toll from Michael has climbed to at least 17 people and is expected to rise, as search and rescue efforts continue.
On Friday, Florida officials confirmed the storm claimed the lives of three more people in Jackson county.
So far, a total of eight have died in Florida, five in Virginia, three in North Carolina, and one in Georgia.
Homes destroyed by Hurricane Michael are shown in this aerial photo Thursday, Oct. 11, 2018, in Mexico Beach, Fla. At least one of those deaths are said to be caused by debris, flooding, or a storm-related crash.
The devastation inflicted by Hurricane Michael came into focus Thursday with rows upon rows of homes found smashed to pieces,
and rescue crews began making their way into the stricken areas in hopes of accounting for hundreds of people who may have stayed behind. (AP Photo/Chris O’Meara)
Officials said, thousands of people are being reported missing to local authorities.
This comes as more than one million people remain without electricity in seven states. - 10/13/2018 Companies work to restore power to areas hit by Hurricane Michael by OAN Newsroom
Power companies are working to restore electricity lost in the path of Hurricane Michael.
Local power companies claim more than 940,000 homes and businesses on the East Coast were without power on Friday, after Hurricane Michael swept through Florida to Virginia.
FILE – In this Oct. 11, 2018 file photo, a boat sits amidst debris in the aftermath of Hurricane Michael in Mexico Beach, Fla. Southern Company’s Gulf Power unit said it could take weeks to restore power in parts of Florida including the Panama City area.
Hurricane Michael has shown that President Donald Trump can’t be counted on to give accurate information
to the public when a natural disaster unfolds. (AP Photo/Gerald Herbert, File)
Meanwhile, Georgia is expected to have most of its electricity restored by October 16th.
Hurricane Michael caused over 2.6 million outages total since hitting the Florida panhandle last Wednesday.
Currently the death toll stands at 17 from areas slammed by the storm, but the number is expected rise.
President Trump released a video message Saturday to assure the victims of Hurricane Michael the nation is with them and outlines relief efforts. - 10/13/2018 Indonesia flash floods, landslides kill at least 21, destroy hundreds of homes by Agustinus Beo Da Costa
Villagers stand on top of tree trunks after floods hit at Muara Saladi village, in Mandailing Natal, JAKARTA (Reuters) – Flash floods and landslides triggered by torrential rains in Indonesia have killed at least 21 people, including 11 schoolchildren, left 15 missing, and destroyed hundreds of homes, authorities said on Saturday.
North Sumatra province, Indonesia October 13, 2018. Antara Foto/Holik Mandailing via REUTERS
More than 500 homes in the provinces of North and West Sumatra have been flooded or damaged, with some swept away by the floods, which also destroyed three suspension bridges, said a disaster relief official.
“Evacuation as well as search and rescue operations are underway,” said Sutopo Purwo Nugroho, a spokesman for disaster mitigation agency BNPB. “But the affected villages are in the mountains and access is difficult, due to damaged roads.”
In North Sumatra, 11 children studying at an Islamic village school died after their classroom wall collapsed when a nearby river overflowed on Friday.
“The victims were buried in a torrent of mud and wall debris,” Sutopo added.
Rescuers are hunting for one student still missing from the 29 in the class at the time, but have accounted for all the rest, regional police chief Irsan Sinuhaji told Reuters, adding that authorities were checking for other people who may have gone missing.
Two people were found dead on Saturday after their vehicles were swept away by the river.
Four people died in landslides in the city of Sibolga in North Sumatra, while flash floods in West Sumatra killed four more, including two children.(Reporting by Agustinus Beo Da Costa; Writing by Fanny Potkin; Editing by Clarence Fernandez) - 10/14/2018 Storm Leslie hits Portugal, leaves thousands without power
Branches of trees are seen on a street at Benfica neigborhood as hurricane Leslie LISBON (Reuters) – At least 300,000 homes were without power on Sunday after tropical storm Leslie hit Portugal’s Atlantic coast, bringing with it heavy rain, strong winds and surging seas.,
goes past in Lisbon, Portugal October 14, 2018. REUTERS/Rafael Marchante
Leslie was downgraded from a hurricane before it reached Portugal late on Saturday. Authorities had urged people to stay indoors and keep away from coastal areas.
At least 1,000 trees were uprooted, mainly in coastal towns north of Lisbon where the storm first reached land, hitting power lines and blocking roads.
The A1, the main motorway running through Portugal, was temporarily blocked by a fallen tree, authorities said.
More than 300,000 homes lost electricity as the storm passed, said Belo Costa, commander at the Civil Protection Agency.
The storm, carrying winds of up 100 km/h (60 mph), was most intense during the night. By Sunday morning the powerful winds and heavy rains had mostly subsided.
In Spain, winds of up to 100 km/h uprooted trees in the center of the country early on Sunday morning. Emergency services issued flood warnings for the north and northwest of the country for Sunday afternoon and evening, advising Spaniards to avoid driving in the storm.
Earlier this week, 12 people were killed in flash floods on the Mediterranean island of Mallorca.
(Reporting by Axel Bugge; Additional reporting by Sam Edwards in Barcelona; Editing by Raissa Kasolowsky and Mark Potter)- 10/15/2018 Flash floods in southern France kill at least 10 people by Jean-Paul PELISSIER
Rescue workers evacuate residents from a neighborhood after flash floods hit the southwestern Aude district of France VILLEGAILHENC, France (Reuters) – At least 10 people died in southwestern France on Monday when some of the worst flash floods in a century turned rivers into raging torrents that engulfed homes and swept away cars.
after several months' worth of rain fell in just a few hours overnight, in Trebes, France, October 15, 2018. REUTERS/Jean-Paul Pelissier
Up to seven months’ rain fell in just a few hours overnight, local officials said, catching sleeping residents by surprise and isolating villages.
Several deaths were in the town of Trebes, which sits between a canal and two rivers, including the Aude.
As the death toll rose and the extent of the damage became clear, President Emmanuel Macron decided to hold off on an already-delayed reshuffle of his cabinet.
“It’s like a war zone. The village is more or less cut off from the outside world,” said Jean-Jacques Garros, a resident of Villegailhenc, one of the hardest hit areas.
The Interior Ministry initially put the number of deaths at 13 before revising the toll downwards. An official blamed double-counting for the error. Macron told a joint news conference with South Korean leader Moon Jae-in in Paris that the thoughts of a nation lay with the victims and their families.
Prime Minister Edouard Philippe flew to the disaster zone to meet with emergency service personnel. Some 350 firefighters were involved in rescue operations, a number which will double as more are drafted in to deal with the aftermath.
Television pictures showed churning, muddy rivers that had uprooted trees, knocked over concrete power pylons and tore up roads in the southern region of Aude, near the medieval hilltop city of Carcassonne.
Nine helicopters were scrambled to rescue people from the roofs of their homes as rough weather complicated operations earlier in the day. Thousands of people have been evacuated from the area.
Among the worst hit were the villages of Conques-sur-Orbiel, Villegailhenc and Villardonnel, where the water rose as high as the first-floor windows of some houses. The Aude region is a popular tourist destination with old towns and villages in its hilly peaks and land stretching down to the Mediterranean.
The flash floods struck without warning. At least one victim was carried away by raging waters while sleeping, according to Alain Thirion, the prefect of Aude.
Schools were shut and residents told to stay at home.
The Vigicrues agency, which tracks water levels in France, said the flooding was nearing a peak last seen in 1891.
Torrential downpours are not uncommon in France at this time of year, but meteorologists have said that exceptionally warm sea water along the Mediterranean coast may have intensified the rains.
The year so far is France’s warmest since 1900, according to the state meteorological service.
(Reporting by Richard Lough, Simon Carraud and Brian Love; Editing by Mark Heinrich)- 10/16/2018 Beer fear: Climate change threatens barley by Doyle Rice, USA TODAY
Now this is getting serious.
Worldwide, over the next few decades, beer could become more scarce and thus more expensive because of human-caused global warming, a study reported Monday. The production of barley, the main ingredient in most beer, probably will drop substantially because severe droughts and heat extremes will become more frequent as the climate changes, the study says. “Average yield losses (of barley) range from 3 percent to 17 percent, depending on the severity of the conditions,” the study says.
Beer shortages could reduce the amount Americans consume each year by as much as 900 million gallons.
That’s (gulp) about 9 billion bottles.
“Future climate and pricing conditions could put beer out of reach for hundreds of millions of people around the world,” said study co-author Nathan Mueller of the University of California-Irvine.
On average, beer prices are likely to double as less barley becomes available, according to the study. One of the most affected countries would be Ireland – where beer prices could increase by as much as 338 percent by 2099 under the most severe scenario.
Contributing: The Associated Press
A farmer harvests barley at a field in the administrative city of Sejong, South Korea. YONHAP VIA EPA-EFE - 10/16/2018 France: 12 die in largest floods seen in more than a century
Flash floods that tore through several towns in southwest France after an overnight storm killed at least 12 people. The River Aude was among the waterways that overflowed from the exceptional rainfall, and the flooding was the region’s worst in more than a century, according to Vigicrues, the French agency that monitors flood risks.- 10/16/2018 At least three still missing after deadly French flash floods
A man and a woman walk near damaged cars as clean-up operations continue the day after some of the worst PARIS (Reuters) – At least three people still missing on Tuesday after some of the worst flash floods in a century devastated towns and villages in France’s southwestern Aude region, authorities said.
flash floods in a century turned rivers into raging torrents that engulfed homes and swept away cars
hit the southwestern Aude district of France, in Conques, France, October 16, 2018. REUTERS/Jean-Paul Pelissier
The government said it was spending millions of euros to revamp technology at the state weather forecasting agency, after some residents were quoted in the media raising questions about the speed of its alerts.
Officials originally said 13 people died in the floods that raged from Sunday night to Monday morning. On Tuesday they revised the figures to 11 dead and three people missing.
The downpours and floods hit a region near the medieval hilltop city of Carcassonne and dotted with stone villages on a sweep of land wedged between two mountain ranges and the Mediterranean.
Mud-swamped village streets were strewn with upended cars and debris after raging rivers broke their banks.
Water rose to the first floor of some dwellings.
One of the worst-hit spots was the remote village of Trebes, where an Islamist attacker killed a gendarme and three people from the area at a supermarket in March.
The equivalent of seven months of rain fell in a matter of hours while most people were asleep.
Justice Minister Nicole Belloubet said the state would fund a new supercalculator that would help to “fine-tune” weather predictions and would be on line in a year and a half.
She did not respond directly to residents’ questions in the media about whether the Meteo France forecasting agency could have issued its red-alert warning earlier on Monday, and whether that would have made any difference. There was no immediate statement from the agency.
Environment Minister Francois de Rugy told Europe 1 radio station on Tuesday that there would be no cover-up if there were any shortcomings in the system, but that perfect prediction of such violent weather bursts was extremely difficult.
“Weather forecasting is not an exact science,” he said.
(Reporting By Brian Love and Simon Carraud; Editing by Andrew Heavens)- 10/16/2018 Uganda says landslide death toll rises to 43, begins relocations
FILE PHOTO: A man crosses the Sume river carrying an empty coffin on his head after a landslide rolled down the slopes KAMPALA (Reuters) – The death toll from a landslide in Uganda last week has risen to 43 and displaced residents deemed most at risk in the disaster-prone region will be resettled immediately, the government said on Tuesday.
of Mt. Elgon through their village of Wanjenwa in Bududa district, Uganda, October 13, 2018. REUTERS/Newton Nambwaya/File Photo
Torrential rains unleashed a deluge of boulders, mud and water down Mount Elgon near the border with Kenya, uprooting trees, pulverizing homes and burying residents in the town of Bukalasi and some nearby villages.
Landslides have become more common in mountainous parts of the East African country in recent years because of expanding settlement and cultivation that have denuded mountainsides of forest cover and other vegetation.
A government statement put the final death toll at 43, up from an initial figure of 31, and said a further 21 people were injured with around 800 left homeless.
It said the cabinet had “directed resettlement of persons at risk of (further) landslides to begin immediately.” Around 32.7 billion shillings ($8.66 million) had been allocated to finance emergency relocations of the most vulnerable people.
A 2,800-acre plot had been procured for relocations, with a further 5,500 people also vulnerable to landslides to follow the initial 800. In all, some 100,000 people deemed to be living in the likely path of landslides will be resettled in coming years.
A 2010 avalanche on Mount Elgon killed 150 people.
($1 = 3,774.0000 Ugandan shillings) (Reporting by Elias Biryabarema; Editing by George Obulutsa and Mark Heinrich)- 10/17/2018 HURRICANE MICHAEL - Death toll rises in hard-hit Fla. county by Doyle Rice, USA TODAY
Almost a week after Hurricane Michael smashed into the Florida Panhandle with winds of 155 mph, authorities Tuesday reported that 12 people have been found dead in Bay County, the hardest-hit area that includes Panama City and Mexico Beach.
This announcement from Bay County Sheriff Tommy Ford will potentially increase the storm’s national death total to 26 people. But officials have warned that getting a concrete number of fatalities is difficult because of rescue efforts, spotty cell reception and rapid pace of recovery operations.
Prior to Tuesday morning, the death toll stood at eight in Florida, three in North Carolina, one in Georgia and six in Virginia, for a total of 18 at that time.
At least two of the fatalities were in the small beach town of Mexico Beach, which was nearly destroyed as Michael roared through the region last Wednesday.
In Bay County, authorities on Tuesday morning said that Urban Search and Rescue teams have completed 99 percent of their first “rapid” search of Bay County.
Reports Monday said six people remained missing in Bay County. That number had previously been 285, but officials think many left right before the storm hit.
Residents also received word on Monday that they could begin to return home to survey the damage.
Overall, in the Florida counties most battered by Hurricane Michael, nearly 16,000 single residences have been damaged and more than 4,000 have been destroyed.
Contributing: The Associated Press; The Pensacola News Journal
Drone photos show the damage in Panama City, Fla. Residents have been told they can start returning home. PHOTOS BY SCOTT CLAUSE/USA TODAY NETWORK 
Firefighters from Jefferson Parish, La., search in Panama City. The initial search is 99 percent complete, authorities say. - 10/17/2018 Secretary Mattis pledges to help vietnam recover from effects of Agent Orange by OAN Newsroom
U.S. Defense Secretary Jim Mattis, third right, talks with Vietnamese military officials while he visits Defense Secretary James Mattis vowed that the U.S. will keep its promise to clean up Agent Orange from the soil in Vietnam.
Bien Hoa air base in Bien Hoa, outside Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam Wednesday, Oct. 17, 2018. (Kham/Pool Photo via AP)
Mattis arrived at an airbase north of Ho Chi Minh City Wednesday to examine the damage left behind by the chemical.
The U.S. dropped 21 million gallons of Agent Orange during the Vietnam War to destroy roads, farmland and trees used for cover by the enemy.
An estimated one million Vietnamese now suffer from cancer or severe birth defects caused by the chemical, which has now seeped into the groundwater.
The U.S. has pledged over $390 million for a soil restoration project scheduled to begin next year.- 10/18/2018 ‘Mystery illness’ confirmed in city - Polio-like condition AFM extremely rare; officials urge vigilance, not panic by Deborah Yetter, Louisville Courier Journal USA TODAY NETWORK
A “mystery illness” with symptoms similar to polio is affecting mostly children around the country — with three cases confirmed this year in patients at Norton Children’s Hospital in Louisville.
Indiana reported one case of the condition known as Acute Flaccid Myelitis, or AFM, according to public health officials.
And while the symptoms of sudden muscle weakness — and in some cases, paralysis — are alarming, the condition is extremely rare, affecting about one in a million people in the United States every year.
“This is still a very rare thing,” said Dr. Michael Sweeney, a pediatric neurologist with Norton and the University of Louisville. “Obviously, because of how severe the symptoms can be, people are quite worried about it.”
Sweeney said the children treated at Norton — all within the last month — ranged in age from 3 to 8. Two had experienced a common respiratory virus associated with but not proved to cause AFM, he said.
And while two had relatively mild symptoms, such as weakness of an arm or leg, one child was much sicker, with weakness of all limbs and breathing difficulties, Sweeney said.
Many patients recover from the condition, which has no known cause but can be linked to other viruses, including respiratory illnesses or West Nile, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
In some cases recovery can be slow, Sweeney said.
“They continue to get better over time, but it’s a very slow and gradual improvement,” Sweeney said.
Public health officials are cautioning people to be vigilant but not to panic.
“As a parent myself, I know what it is like to be scared for your child,” Dr. Nancy Messonnier, a CDC official, said at a briefing Tuesday. “Parents need to know that AFM is extremely rare, even with the increase in cases we are seeing now.”
The CDC has confirmed 62 cases in 22 states this year of AFM, according to a its briefing Tuesday. It has received 127 total reports of suspected cases, with some still under investigation.
While this year’s numbers are higher, the number of cases has fluctuated since the CDC began tracking the condition in 2014. In 2016, the CDC confirmed 149 cases and last year, just 33.
It is aware of one death from AFM in 2017, said Messonnier, director of the CDC’s National Center for Immunization and Respiratory Diseases.
AFM is a neurological condition that affects the spinal cord, causing muscles and reflexes to become weak.
Symptoms tend to be sudden and “dramatic,” with a rapid onset of muscle weakness, Messonnier said.
“We know this can be frightening for parents,” she said. “I encourage parents to seek medical care right away if you or your child develop sudden weakness or loss of muscle tone in the arms or legs.”
Cases tend to spike in August and September, though officials aren’t sure why.
“I am frustrated that despite all of our efforts, we haven’t been able to identify the cause of this mystery illness,” Messonnier said. “We don’t know who may be at higher risk for developing AFM or the reasons why they may be at risk.”
Sweeney said all three children treated at Norton developed the condition within the past month.
While the symptoms are similar to polio, the dreaded viral infection that may result in paralysis — which is now eradicated in the United States through vaccination — has not been detected in any of the of 386 cases the CDC has identified since 2014, Messonnier said.
Officials are urging people to take routine precautions for themselves and their children, including getting a flu shot, staying up to date on immunizations, washing hands frequently and using insect repellent outdoors to avoid illness associated with the condition.
And parents with any questions or concerns should contact their medical providers, they said.
Information about AFM is available on the CDC website and on the website of the Transverse Myelitis Association, a group for people with conditions including AFM.
“I am frustrated that despite all of our efforts, we haven’t been able to identify the cause of this mystery illness. We don’t know who may be at higher risk for developing AFM or the reasons why they may be at risk.” Dr. Nancy Messonnier
“As a parent myself, I know what it is like to be scared for your child. Parents need to know that AFM is extremely rare, even with the increase in cases we are seeing now.” Dr. Nancy Messonnier, CDC official.- 10/18/2018 Potentially deadly infection hits California sea lions
A rescue center says California sea lions are coming down with a potentially fatal bacterial infection in near record numbers.
The Marine Mammal Center in Sausalito says more than 220 sea lions rescued this year have been diagnosed with leptospirosis. It’s the second largest outbreak recorded by the rescue center.
The center says outbreaks aren’t uncommon but the last major one was in 2011. It involved nearly 200 sea lions. The bacterial infection affects the kidneys and can be lethal if untreated.- 10/19/2018 Officials say Hurricane Michael killed at least 30 in four states
More than a week after Hurricane Michael slammed into the Florida Panhandle, the death toll rose to at least 30. Authorities in Florida on Thursday confirmed 20 deaths related to the storm. Six deaths were reported in Virginia. North Carolina had three, and Georgia had one.- 10/21/2018 Floods kill firefighter in southern Spain
A firefighter checks a destroyed firefighter truck on a road where a firefighter died CAMPILLOS, Spain (Reuters) – A firefighter was found dead in the southern Spanish province of Malaga on Sunday, the fire service said, after heavy overnight rain swept through streets and forced hundreds of people from their homes.
as heavy rain and flash floods hit Campillos, southern Spain, October 21, 2018. REUTERS/Jon Nazca
In the town of Campillos, cars were borne along the streets by the water and left in wrecked piles after the flood subsided.
Almost 400 millimeters of rain fell in 24 hours in the town of Ardales – around 62 km (40 miles) from the main city of Malaga – alone, according to the regional government’s environmental department.
Firefighter Jose Gil disappeared when the truck he was traveling in with two others overturned, the local fire service said on Twitter. His companions were rescued, but Gil was later found dead.
(Reporting by Jon Nazca, writing by Isla Binnie; Editing by Richard Balmforth)- 10/22/2018 Hurricane Willa growing rapidly off Mexico’s Pacific coast
A newly formed hurricane rapidly gained force off Mexico’s Pacific coast Sunday, and forecasters said it could reach Category 4 status before hitting land by midweek. A hurricane watch was posted for a stretch of shore between San Blas and Mazatlan.
Hurricane Willa was about 270 miles south-southwest of Cabo Corrientes on Sunday morning with maximum sustained winds of 100 mph.
The U.S. National Hurricane Center said Willa could become a major hurricane by Monday morning and near the coast by Tuesday night. It said the storm could produce dangerous storm surge, while dumping 5 to 10 inches of rain across parts of western Jalisco, western Nayarit and southern Sinaloa states, with lesser amounts falling as it moves inland.- 10/23/2018 Zika virus outbreak in northern India state exceeds 100 cases
The number of Zika virus cases has crossed 100 in Rajasthan, a state in northern India where palaces and forts draw large numbers of tourists each year. Zika symptoms include fever, rashes and joint pain, and the disease has been linked to birth deformities.- 10/23/2018 Thousands evacuated as Hurricane Willa descends on Mexico by David Alire Garcia
People board up windows of a store as Hurricane Willa approaches the Pacific beach resort of Mazatlan, Mexico October 22, 2018. REUTERS/Henry Romero MAZATLAN, Mexico (Reuters) – Thousands of people were evacuated, buildings boarded up and classes canceled on Mexico’s Pacific coast as Hurricane Willa threatened to batter tourist resorts with high winds and heavy rains on Tuesday.
Residents on Monday night sealed off windows and doors with large wooden planks on hotels facing the historic downtown boardwalk of Mazatlan, a popular coastal city in the state of Sinaloa, as tourists strolled nearby and palm trees swayed in a light breeze.
Forecast to be one of the most powerful hurricanes to enter Mexico from the Pacific in recent years, Willa is expected to strike a few miles south of Mazatlan as soon as Tuesday afternoon.br> At a gas station on the city’s outskirts, a steady line of cars queued up to refuel and shop at the neighboring convenience store.
Station attendant Zulema Pardo said residents had been streaming through for hours to stock up on basic items, buying enormous jugs of water and gasoline, and leaving the bread shelf completely empty.
“People are really scared,” she said. “People are crazy and worked up.”
Late on Monday the storm was advancing about 175 miles (280 km) south-southwest of Mazatlan, Mexico, according to the Miami-based National Hurricane Center (NHC).
Several other tourist getaways in Nayarit, as well as the beach resort of Puerto Vallarta in Jalisco state, also lie near the path of the storm, which is forecast to bring a “life-threatening storm surge, wind and rainfall,” the NHC said.
Willa, which was a Category 4 on the five-step Saffir-Simpson scale, was blowing maximum sustained winds of near 130 miles per hour (215 kph) on Monday night with higher gusts, the NHC said.
Headed northward, Willa is forecast to weaken after hitting the coast, the hurricane center said.
Antonio Echevarria, governor of Nayarit, said more than 10,000 people were being evacuated and schools would be closed. He warned locals not to defy the storm.
“Let’s not play the macho. Let’s not act like superheroes,” he said. “It’s a very strong hurricane, very potent, and we don’t want any tragedies.”
Sinaloa also canceled classes in much of the state.
Up to 18 inches (45 cm) of rainfall could pummel the storm zone, the NHC said. Even buildings up to 500 meters (1,640 feet) from the coastline could lose power and suffer physical damage, Mexico’s National Meteorological Service (SMN) said.
Despite the looming threat, some tourists appeared unfazed.
“It doesn’t ruin the pleasure of being here,” said vacationer Angel Avelar, popping open a beer while dangling his feet off the boardwalk.
“Maybe things will be different tomorrow.”
(Reporting by Dave Graham, David Alire Garcia and Brendan O’Brien; Writing by Daina Beth Solomon; Editing by Andrew Heavens and Raissa Kasolowsky)- 10/24/2018 Hurricane Willa weakens while hurtling inland from Mexico’s Pacific coast by David Alire Garcia
MAZATLAN, Mexico (Reuters) – Hurricane Willa’s fierce winds began to ease as the powerful storm barreled inland over Mexico early on Wednesday, leaving power outages and toppled trees on the coast but no deaths, an official said.
Willa, a Category 3 storm on the five-step Saffir-Simpson scale, hit late on Tuesday near the town of Isla del Bosque in the northwestern state of Sinaloa with winds of 120 mph (195 kph), thrashing buildings with rain in the coastal towns and resorts where thousands of people moved to safety.
“The population took cover in time, and this is the result,” said Luis Felipe Puente, head of the country’s Civil Protection agency, adding that roads would be open on Wednesday.
“Rapid weakening should begin soon,” the National Hurricane Center said late on Tuesday, as the eye of the storm moved toward the capital of Durango state.
The storm was one of the most powerful hurricanes to hit Mexico from the Pacific in recent years.
“It was really strong,” said Cecilia Crespo, a police spokeswoman in Escuinapa, a seaside town near to where the storm plowed inland. “It knocked down trees, lamps, poles, walls,” she added by telephone. “There’s no electricity.”
The storm drove into Mexico about 50 miles (80 km) south of Mazatlan, a major city and tourist resort in Sinaloa. Willa had reached rare Category 5 status on Monday with winds near 160 mph (260 kph) before it began to lose power.
Willa weakened as it moved inland but was still blowing winds of 115 mph (185 kph) more than an hour after it struck the coast.
Speaking by telephone, Jose Garcia, another resident of the hardest-hit area, said he had hunkered down with others in an Escuinapa hotel waiting for the storm to pass, listening to it rattle buildings as it drove onwards.
“People were very alarmed,” the 60-year-old said.
The storm did not strike hard in Mazatlan’s historic city center, which was nearly deserted ahead of its arrival.
“My house is made of sheet metal, wood and cardboard, and I’m scared it will fall on top of me,” said Rosa Maria Carrillo, 36, at a city shelter with her five children.
(Reporting by David Alire Garcia, Dave Graham and Brendan O’Brien; Writing by Daina Beth Solomon; Editing by Robert Birsel)- 10/26/2018 More weed killer in cereal, new study shows by Meira Gebel Detroit Free Press USA TODAY NETWORK
DETROIT – A cancer-linked herbicide has been found in more than two dozen popular breakfast cereals and snack bars according to a new report released Wednesday.
Glyphosate, the main ingredient in Roundup, was found in 26 of the 28 products the Environmental Working Group (EWG) tested, in levels “higher than what EWG scientists consider protective of children’s health.”
An earlier report by EGW, an environmental advocacy organization, found similar results.
Glyphosate is the active ingredient in Monsanto’s Roundup, the most heavily used herbicide in the United States. Every year, according to the EWG, more than 250 million pounds of glyphosate is sprayed on American crops.
Quaker and General Mills, though, conclude the products are safe and there is no reason for concern. “EWG report artificially creates a ‘safe level’ for glyphosate that is detached from those that have been established by responsible regulatory bodies in an effort to grab headlines,” Quaker said in a statement.
The International Agency for Research on Cancer has determined that glyphosate is “probably carcinogenic to humans” and the Environmental Protection Agency has set a safety level for the potentially dangerous chemical.
Monsanto, the manufacturer of Roundup, strongly disputes the finding that glyphosate is a probable carcinogen and notes that over four decades, the EPA has consistently supported the safe and effective use of glyphosate.
Last week, Monsanto was ordered by a court to pay nearly $78 million to a man who claims his terminal cancer was caused by exposure to Roundup.
Contributing: Marc Daalder- 10/26/2018 18 killed in Jordan as flash flood sweeps away students on trip
At least 18 people were killed Thursday when flash floods unleashed by sudden torrential rains swept away a group of teachers and students visiting hot springs near the Dead Sea, Jordan’s state media said.- 10/26/2018 Search for survivors after Jordan floods kill 20 people, many school children
A member of the civil defense stands near an ambulance as they search for survivors after AMMAN (Reuters) – Rescuers combed the shores of Jordan’s Dead Sea resort area early on Friday to find survivors after rain storms unleashed flash floods that killed at least 20 people, most of them school children on a school outing.
rain storms unleashed flash floods, near the Dead Sea, Jordan October 26, 2018. REUTERS/Muhammad Hamed
Thirty seven people were rescued in a major operation involving helicopters and army and divers searching for survivors of the floods which swept through valleys to the shores of the area, the lowest point on earth, civil defense sources said.
Police chief Brigadier General Farid al Sharaa told state television the torrential rains swept away a bus carrying 44 children and teachers who were on a school trip picnicking in the popular destination.
The national flag was lowered to half mast in mourning as public opinion and politicians began raising questions in local media outlets about the preparedness of national emergencies services to cope with such a disaster.
Prime Minister Omar Razzaz said it appeared the school had broken regulations by going ahead with the trip which had been banned in the Dead Sea area because of bad weather.
An unknown number of people were still missing, hospital sources said.
A bridge on one of the cliffs of the Dead Sea had collapsed under the force of the rains, the first such after the end of the summer season.
Families of victims were searching the rugged area after search teams suspended operations overnight for a few hours, a witness said.
Neighboring Israel sent search-and-rescue helicopters to assist, an Israeli military statement said, adding the team dispatched at Amman’s request was operating on the Jordanian side of the Dead Sea.
(Reporting by Suleiman Al-Khalidi; Editing by Michael Perry, Richard Balmforth)- 10/26/2018 Flood kills six people near Russian Black Sea resorts: agencies
A still image taken from a video footage shows a settlement affected by floodwaters in Krasnodar Region, MOSCOW (Reuters) – Floods have killed at least six people near Russia’s southern Black Sea coast, Interfax and other news agencies reported on Friday.
Russia October 25, 2018. Video footage taken October 25, 2018. REUTERS/Reuters TV
At least one other person was still missing after floodwaters, unleashed by torrential rain on Wednesday, hit more than a dozen towns and settlements near the coastal city of Tuapse, Interfax added.
“Six people were found during a search operation,” an Emergency Ministry official told the agency.
(Reporting by Maria Tsvetkova; Editing by Andrew Heavens)- 10/26/2018 Powerful quake shakes western Greece, no major injuries by Angeliki Koutantou and Michele Kambas
A child looks at the damaged pier of the port of Zakynthos, following an earthquake ATHENS (Reuters) – A powerful earthquake shook western Greece early on Friday, damaging a port and a 15th century monastery, but causing no major injuries, officials and local media said.
off the Zakynthos Island, Greece, October 26, 2018. REUTERS/Costas Baltas
The quake sent out tremors felt as far afield as Libya, Italy, Malta and Albania. Greek authorities initially issued a tsunami warning then withdrew the alert.
The magnitude 6.4 quake struck in the Ionian Sea, 50 km (31 miles) south of the island of Zakynthos, also known as Zante, Greece’s Geodynamic Institute reported. The U.S. Geological Survey rated the magnitude at 6.8.
Three people were taken to hospital on the island, two of them slightly injured, a spokesman for Greece’s civil protection agency said. A series of aftershocks, the highest at 5.6, rattled the island and power was briefly disrupted.
Tremors damaged a 15th-century monastery on the nearby islands of Strofades, local media in Zakynthos reported. They also left large cracks in the port of Zakynthos, though authorities there said operations would continue as usual.
“We are not facing any particular problems,” Zakynthos Mayor Pavlos Kolokotsas told Greek state broadcaster ERT. “Calm is being restored.”
Extensive damage was avoided because quake-prone Zakynthos had adopted seismic protection codes in construction, said Efthymios Lekkas, head of Greece’s Earthquake Planning and Protection Organisation.
“The energy unleashed, based on the angle of the faultline, fanned out towards Italy,” he added.
Italy’s Il Messaggero online news site said the quake was felt hundreds of kilometers away in southern Italy. Firefighters in Calabria, Puglia and Sicily received thousands of telephone calls from worried locals.
Zakynthos was all but destroyed in a 6.8 tremor in 1953. More than 140 people were killed in an earthquake north of Athens in 1999.
The quake was fairly shallow, according to the USGS, just 14 km (8.7 miles) below the seabed, which would have amplified shaking.
It struck at 1:54 a.m. (2254 GMT, Thursday). Greece straddles two tectonic plates and often suffers earthquakes.
The EMSC European quake agency said sea levels had risen slightly, by about 20 cm (7.87 inches), but the increase could be higher locally. It later tweeted sea level changes were also observed in Italy.
(Reporting by Angeliki Koutantou; Additional reporting by Sandra Maler in Washington; Writing by Michele Kambas; Editing by Peter Cooney, Toni Reinhold and Sanda Maler and Andrew Heavens)- 10/27/2018 18 US volcanoes considered ‘very high threat’ by Doyle Rice, USA TODAY
The West may not have to worry much about hurricanes, but volcanoes remain a top threat in that part of the United States.
The U.S. has 161 active volcanoes – all in the western U.S. – but only 18 are classified as a “very high threat,” the U.S. Geological Survey said in a new report released this week.
Those 18 are considered a “very high” threat because of what’s been happening inside them and how close they are to people.
“Eleven of the 18 volcanoes are located in Washington, Oregon, or California, where explosive and often snow- and ice-covered edifices can project hazards long distances to densely populated and highly developed areas,” the report said.
Five of the 18 very high threat volcanoes are in Alaska near important population centers, economic infrastructure or below busy air traffic corridors. The other two are in Hawaii.
The most dangerous volcano in the nation is Hawaii’s Kilauea, the Big Island volcano that’s been erupting this year. The others in the top five are Mount St. Helens and Mount Rainier in Washington, Alaska’s Redoubt Volcano and California’s Mount Shasta.
Contributing: Associated Press
Lava flows from Hawaii’s Kilauea volcano. U.S. GEOLOGICAL SURVEY VIA AP - 10/27/2018 Death toll in Jordan flooding rises to 21, mostly children
The death toll from flash floods near Jordan’s shore of the Dead Sea rose to 21 on Friday in what Civil Defense officials said was one of the deadliest incidents in the kingdom involving schoolchildren. The search for survivors continued after daybreak.
Thirteen of the dead and 26 of about three dozen people injured in Thursday’s flash floods were middle school children, officials said.- 10/28/2018 Indiana struggles to ditch coal ash New lawsuit says EPA is putting health, environment at risk with toxic substance by Sarah Bowman Indianapolis Star USA TODAY NETWORK
In an environmental showdown with high stakes for Indiana, the Hoosier Environmental Council and five other groups filed suit last week to force the Trump administration to uphold rules ordering utilities to clean up toxic coal ash ponds by April.
The move is being watched closely here because Indiana has more of the toxic dumps than any other state, leeching carcinogens into groundwater, some of which is used for drinking water.
So when the Trump administration this summer weakened a law that regulated the heavy metal-laden waste - thereby allowing the pits to keep spewing dangerous chemicals for nearly two more years - Hoosiers were particularly at risk.
The environmental groups say that is unacceptable.
“The notion that we would leave ash sitting in groundwater where it already is or is likely to be used as drinking water supply is as far from good policy as you can get,” said Tim Maloney, the Hoosier Environmental Council’s Senior Policy Director.
“These unlined impoundments pose a very significant health and environmental risk, and the preponderance of the pits are leaking,” he added. “So any efforts to reduce oversight simply are not justified.”
The original cleanup order, implemented in 2015 under the Obama administration, was the first federal regulation of the disposal of coal ash, which contains concentrated levels of cancer-causing chemicals such as arsenic and chromium. That law said that ash ponds meeting certain conditions - being that they are a known source of contamination or are within five feet of groundwater - must close and be cleaned up by April 2019.
In Indiana, that means nearly all of the roughly 85 pits in the state - storing more than 60 million cubic yards of coal ash - would need to close within six months.
Two main closure methods are accepted by the EPA: to cap the ash and leave it where it is or to remove it to a dry, lined landfill. Utilities say removal is more costly, though estimates are hard to come by. Environmental advocates and scientists argue it is the cleaner and safer option to protect against further contamination.
In March, monitoring results were released, proving that nearly all coal ash ponds around the nation are leaking toxic pollutants into groundwater.
But the amendments, rolled out in July, give coal plant owners more time to clean up certain ash ponds that are leaking: until October 2020. In other words, the ash could keep polluting the waters around it for two additional years.
“Any extension of the deadline that lets the pits operate longer clearly doesn’t meet the protectiveness requirements and certainly is an important part of our petition in this case,” said Jenny Cassel, an attorney for Earthjustice, which filed the lawsuit in the U.S. Court of Appeals for D.C. on the group’s behalf.
Other amendments to the 2015 rule include weakening drinking water protections by removing some contamination limits, allowing state officials to judge site compliance instead of professional engineers, and allowing state officials to end groundwater monitoring.
In its announcement of the Trump Administration’s new rule, EPA said the revisions would provide utilities and states more flexibility in how coal ash is managed, and saves between $28 million and $31 million a year in regulatory costs.
Utilities, which have not yet responded to this latest petition, strongly supported the July revisions.
But the possibility they could be exempt from certain pollution monitoring requirements – the same monitoring that revealed evidence of contamination – is also being challenged in last week’s petition.
Coal ash contamination is the subject of another court case being played out in Tennessee, where 30 workers are dead and 250 more are sick or dying after cleaning up a spill, all from illnesses linked to toxins found in coal ash.
In that case, workers are suing the utility and firm that oversaw the cleanup, claiming they were misled about the dangers of long-term exposure to the ash and were denied protective gear. The firm, through its attorney, contends that the workers are lying and – even if they’re not – that it had no duty to protect them.
That spill, which happened 10 years ago at the Tennessee Valley Authority Kingston plant, set in motion a chain of events that led to the Obama Administration’s 2015 coal ash rule.
That original rule has also been the subject of lawsuits. In fact, just one month after Trump’s EPA finalized its rollback plan, the same U.S. Court of Appeals in Washington, D.C., ruled that the Obama-era regulations did not go far enough to protect the public.
One of the ways it fell short, according to the court, was that some ash pits had been improperly exempted from regulations. These pits are known as “legacy ponds,” the remnants of closed and retired power plants.
Roughly a quarter of Indiana’s legacy ponds, as many as 20, will now need to be appropriately closed, as well, according to Maloney.
“Federal agencies should be held accountable when they adopt arbitrary rules that don’t reflect the evidence and the environmental and health risks that coal ash poses,” he said, adding that the Hoosier Environmental Council was on the initial 2015 suit, too. “We think these recent rollbacks will be vulnerable in the same way the others were under the original rule.”
Maloney said he also hopes any potential future rollbacks – which the EPA has said could be expected next year – will be deterred by the court’s August decision.
Given the federal uncertainty surrounding the coal ash rule, Maloney said he thinks it would be prudent for the state not to rule on any proposed closure plans, as he expects the latest rollbacks will likely be overturned.
That said, Maloney added, the states could take it upon themselves to impose stricter restrictions.
“The state can act on its own authority to have a program that gets the job done no matter what the federal agency does, and in our view that is to excavate the ash at these pits unless there is clear and convincing evidence it is not and will not cause contamination,” he said.
The Indiana Department of Environmental Management has already received several closure proposals from utilities around the state, including Duke Energy and Indianapolis Power & Light.
The vast majority of those plans would cap the ash in place, or leave the ash in the unlined pits with an impermeable barrier over the top. That does nothing, however, to prevent the ash from coming in contact with groundwater and seeping toxins into it.
Instead, according to Cassel, environmental groups and public health officials recommend excavating the ash to a lined and dry enclosure.
IDEM officials have been reviewing the submitted closure plans, scrutinizing them, asking questions and raising issues. No determinations have been made on the proposals, and the agency did not respond to IndyStar questions on how the court ruling or lawsuit might impact its decisions.
“The real question is in the end, will IDEM feel empowered to make the right decision?” Maloney asked. “A policy that would put our health, environment and drinking water supply at risk is just wholly irresponsible and flawed, and that needs to change and the ash to be removed from those sites.”
Call IndyStar reporter Sarah Bowman at 317-4446129 or email at sarah.bowman@indystar.com. Follow her on Twitter and Facebook: @IndyStarSarah. Connect with IndyStar’s environmental reporters: Join the Scrub on Facebook.
IndyStar’s environmental reporting project is made possible through the generous support of the nonprofit Nina Mason Pulliam Charitable Trust.
Upper left image is a coal ash pit at Duke’s Cayuga Generating Station can be seen at top right. KELLY WILKINSON/INDYSTAR.
Upper right is Duke’s Cayuga Generating Station along the Wabash River is seen from the air.
Two coal ash pits can be seen, including the one behind the smoke stacks, photos by kelly wilkinson/indystar
This coal ash pit is found at Duke’s Cayuga Generating Station. - 10/29/2018 Philippines evacuates coastal areas ahead of typhoon Yutu
A general view of the damage after Super Typhoon Yutu hit Saipan, Northern Mariana Islands, U.S., MANILA (Reuters) – The Philippines raised storm warning levels on Monday and began evacuating some coastal communities in the path of a typhoon that threatened storm surges, landslides and floods triggered by heavy winds and rain.
October 25, 2018 in this picture taken through a cracked vehicle window, obtained from social media. Brad Ruszala via REUTERS
Typhoon Yutu, which caused havoc last week with a direct hit on the U.S. Northern Mariana islands, was set to make landfall on Tuesday morning and move across the main island of Luzon before leaving the Philippines 24 hours later, the state weather agency PAGASA said.
By mid-morning on Monday, Yutu was about 400 km (249 miles)east of the mainland and had weakened to sustained wind speeds of 150 km per hour (93 mph), with gusts of 185 kph, from 170 kph recorded a few hours earlier.
That was less intense than four days ago, when as a super typhoon with wind speeds of over 270 kph barreled through the Marianas, a U.S. Western Pacific archipelago of 52,000 people, tearing off roofs, overturning vehicles and cutting off power and water.
Authorities in Isabela and Cagayan provinces started moving residents in coastal towns to evacuation centers while the mountainous Cordillera region was put on red alert for landslides.
Three provinces in north Luzon were elevated to warning signal 3 on the severity scale of 5, and 28 more put on the earliest warnings of 1 and 2, with strong winds and rains expected later on Monday.
Known locally as Rosita, the typhoon will be the 18th to hit the Philippines this year and comes six weeks after super typhoon Mangkhut tore across Luzon, triggering landslides that killed dozens of people and damaged about $180 million of crops.
School classes were suspended in at least five provinces and fishermen in Luzon and the eastern seaboard advised not to go to sea, with warnings of storm surges of up to three metres in six provinces.
All boat services in the port city of Batangas, about 83 km (52 miles) south of Manila, were suspended on Monday.
About half of the Philippines’ 105 million population live in the Luzon region. The country is hit by an average 20 typhoons each year.
(Reporting by Martin Petty and Karen Lema; editing by Darren Schuettler)- 10/30/2018 Death toll rises to nine as storms hammer Italy
People walk in a flooded Saint Mark Square during a period of seasonal high water in Venice, Italy October 29, 2018 Reuters/Manuel Silvestri ROME (Reuters) – Nine people have been killed in Italy as violent storms batter the country for a third day, with several regions on high alert.
The breakwater walls in the chic seaside resort of Rapallo, in northeast Italy, were destroyed by fierce winds overnight, allowing in a surge of water that toppled yachts over and inflicted heavy damage on the port area.
“The exceptional wave of bad weather leaves us with a dramatic toll: nine dead, four serious injuries and one person missing,” said Interior Minister Matteo Salvini.
Italy’s Civil Protection agency said the last person to have been found dead was a surfer in the Adriatic sea town of Cattolica.
The agency on Tuesday declared the highest level of alert on several regions, mainly in the north, where storms were expected to continue all day.
An orange alert, the second highest on the scale, was issued for the central regions of Abruzzo and Lazio – which includes the capital Rome – where gale-force winds topped 100 kph on Monday.
Authorities in the lagoon city of Venice had barred access on Monday to the central St Mark’s Square, which was heavily flooded.
The national fire brigade said it had intervened in 7,000 cases across the country and that one of its staff had died, crushed by a tree during a rescue operation in a small town in South Tyrol.
Nonetheless, the main highways across the country were open, with closures only on secondary roads.
The weather was expected to improve from the late afternoon, “giving the country a truce” an official from the civil protection agency told Reuters.
Meanwhile, heavy snowfall across south-central France, with up to 40 cm (16 inches) falling in some towns and villages, has caused chaos on the roads and knocked out electricity to nearly 200,000 homes, authorities said on Tuesday.
(Reporting by Giulia Segreti and Massimiliano Di Giorgio; Editing by Alison Williams)- 10/31/2018 60% of world animal population lost since 1970, report says
Global wildlife population shrank by 60 percent between 1970 and 2014, according to the World Wildlife Fund’s 2018 Living Planet report.
“Earth is losing biodiversity at a rate seen only during mass extinctions,” the report warns. The Living Planet Report, which publishes every two years, tracked more than 4,000 species of mammals, birds, fish, reptiles and amphibians.- 10/31/2018 Philippines races to free 23 trapped under landslide by Neil Jerome Morales
FILE PHOTO: Damages caused by Typhoon Yutu in Isabela province where the typhoon MANILA (Reuters) – Philippine rescuers worked with bare hands and shovels to try to free 23 people trapped under earth and rubble on Wednesday, after Typhoon Yutu dumped heavy rains on the northern mountainous region, triggering floods and deadly landslides.
first made landfall in Philippines are seen in this October 30, 2018 still image obtained from social media. Eivron del Rosario/via REUTERS
Six people were rescued and two bodies pulled out from a building that collapsed in northern Mountain province, part of the Cordillera region where authorities said 11 people were killed on Tuesday, all but one of them in landslides.
Typhoon Yutu swept across the main island of Luzon on Tuesday with winds of 140 km per hour (87 miles per hour) and gusts of up to 230 kph (142 mph). It came six weeks after Super Typhoon Mangkhut caused nearly 50 landslides in the Cordilleras, killing more than 70 people.
Some 360 police, soldiers, firefighters and public works personnel were digging through the mud that engulfed the building where 20 laborers, an engineer, three security guards and six or seven residents had taken shelter.
Twenty-three were believed to still be trapped.
“It was completely buried,” Edgar Posadas, spokesman for the Office of Civil Defence, told reporters. “Time is of the essence. The problem is not the personnel, but access.”
Among those killed were four children aged between five and 11, and a man who drowned in an overflowing river. Radio reported a man was electrocuted in Isabela province, where Yutu made landfall.
Thousands of people in the typhoon’s path were evacuated before the storm hit, mostly in mountainous, coastal and river areas at risk of floods, storm surges and mudslides.
When it struck the Philippines, Yutu’s winds were half the strength of those it packed five days earlier, when as a super typhoon it piled into the U.S. Northern Mariana islands, about 6,000 km (3,700 miles) west of Hawaii, killing one person, wounding more than 130 and damaging critical infrastructure.
Yutu, the 18th typhoon to hit the Philippines this year, was moving toward southern China on Wednesday and had weakened to a tropical storm with winds of 102 kph (63 mph), according to the U.S. Joint Typhoon Warning Center in Hawaii.
(Additional Reporting by Manuel Mogato; Writing by Martin Petty and Neil Jerome Morales; Editing by Neil Fullick and Nick Macfie)- 10/31/2018 Storms in Italy kill 11, flood cities by OAN Newsroom
Severe storms have claimed the lives of nearly a dozen people in Italy. Strong winds and heavy rains have battered the country over the last two days as reports out of Europe say 11 people have been killed.
In the coastal town of Rapallo firefighters rescued 19 people, while storms damaged docked yachts. Almost 6,000 firefighters worked to clear trees and debris from roads across the country as Prime Minister Guiseppe Conte mobilized the National Guard to assist.
Water levels in Venice reached their highest since 2008, where restaurants and shops worked to clear rising water.
“The problem for us was the wooden floors which suffered serious damages, but we are working and we will try to reopen as soon as possible — Venice is an amphibious civilization, we need to get used to this,” stated Stefano Stipitivich, art director at Florian Cafe.
A woman removes water from a shop in a flooded street of Venice, Italy, Monday, Oct. 29, 2018, as, Local news agencies reported damage to the famed Saint Mark’s Basilica, where water reportedly reached 35 inches.
according to city officials, 70-percent of the lagoon city has been flooded by waters rising 149 centimeters (more than 58 1/2 inches)
above sea level. Venice frequently floods when high winds push in water from the lagoon, but Monday’s levels
are exceptional and forecast to rise even higher, to 160 centimeters (nearly 63 inches) by mid-afternoon. (Andrea Merola/ANSA via AP)
Much of the flooding has been blamed on lack of maintenance to the country’s numerous river beds.
Many parts of the country remain under alert for flooding from the heavy rains. - 10/14/2018 Storm Leslie hits Portugal, leaves thousands without power
- 11/2/2018 Jordan ministers resign over Dead Sea flood deaths
FILE PHOTO: Relatives of victims look for survivors after rain storms AMMAN (Reuters) – Jordan’s education and tourism ministers resigned on Thursday after an investigation into the deaths of 21 people, mainly school children who were swept away in flash floods on a school outing in the Dead Sea region, state media said.
unleashed flash floods, near the Dead Sea, Jordan October 26, 2018. REUTERS/Muhammad Hamed
A parliamentary committee formed to investigate the Oct. 25 disaster found negligence by some ministries, prompting questions over the state of preparedness by government agencies to handle such emergencies.
State media said the minister of education Azmi Mahafza and tourism minister Lina Annab had tendered their resignations.
King Abdullah who described the disaster as a “huge tragedy” also called on Thursday for an independent committee to be set up to investigate what happened and establish who was to blame.
The floods, which followed torrential rain, poured through valleys and deep ravines sweeping people, vehicles and livestock to the shores of the Dead Sea.
Thirty-seven people were rescued in a major operation involving helicopters and divers in which neighboring Israel contributed search-and-rescue helicopters.
(Reporting by Suleiman Al-Khalidi; Editing by Richard Balmforth) - 11/3/2018 Study: Cellphones raise risk of cancer in rats by Ashley May, USA TODAY
A government-funded study trying to understand the link between cellphones and cancer determined radiation from the devices causes cancer in male rats.
The National Toxicology Program, nominated by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, observed thousands of rodents over 10 years for the $30 million project, released Thursday.
Male rats exposed to radio frequency radiation like that used on 2G and 3G cellphones made in the 1990s developed cancerous tumors in their hearts. Some also had cancerous brain and adrenal gland tumors.
“We believe that the link between radio frequency radiation and tumors in male rats is real, and the external experts agreed,” John Bucher, NTP senior scientist, said in a statement.
Any link between the radiation and tumors in female rats and mice was unclear, researchers said. Aside from cancer, the NTP reported the risk of lower body weights among newborn rats and their moms increased when exposed to high levels of the radiation during pregnancy and lactation.
Still, the rodents grew to normal size, according to the data.
But the findings don’t tell us much, if anything, about any possible cancer risk for humans.
“The exposures used in the studies cannot be compared directly to the exposure that humans experience when using a cellphone,” Bucher said. The American Cancer Society cast doubt on the study’s implications for people, and the FDA released a statement following the findings, assuring Americans that current recommendations for cellphone radiation limits keep the public safe. - 11/3/2018 Italian storms claim 17th life, and 14 million trees
Fallen trees are seen in the mountain near Belluno, Italy, November 3, 2018. Vigili del Fuoco/Handout via REUTERS MILAN (Reuters) – Heavy rain and gales devastating parts of Italy have claimed two more lives, taking the overall death toll to at least 17, and laid waste to vast swathes of forest.
A German tourist died on Friday when hit by lightning on the island of Sardinia while another person struck by lightning several days ago died in hospital, Italy’s Civil Protection Agency said on Saturday.
A spokeswoman said 17 deaths related to the severe weather had been reported to the Agency so far.
Many of the victims to date have been killed by falling trees. Coldiretti, the association of Italian agricultural companies, said in a statement that gales had destroyed around 14 million trees, many in the far north.
Areas from the far northeast to Sicily in the southwest have been affected by the storms, with the worst damage in the northern regions of Trentino and Veneto – the region around Venice – where villages and roads have been cut off by landslides.
In the Alps near Belluno, 100 km (60 miles) north of Venice, pine trees and red spruces were snapped wholesale like matchsticks.
The surface of the Comelico Superiore dam, farther north near the Austrian border, was covered with the trunks of trees that had fallen into the Piave river.
“We’ll need at least a century to return to normality,” Coldiretti said.
Many of the squares and walkways of Venice itself have been submerged in the highest floods the canal city has seen in a decade.
The governor of Veneto, Luca Zaia, said the region’s storm damage amounted to at least a billion euros ($1.1 billion).
Angelo?Borrelli, head of the Civil Protection agency, said Veneto had seen winds of up to 180 kph (112 mph), and that the situation there was “apocalyptic.”
Deputy Prime Minister Matteo Salvini was due to visit the region on Sunday.
(Reporting by Stephen Jewkes; Editing by Kevin Liffey) - 11/4/2018 Italian storms wipe out two families in Sicily as death toll rises
A general view shows a partially submerged house, where according to local media nine people died in, MILAN (Reuters) – Two families were killed in the same house in Sicily when the torrential rains and high winds lashing Italy caused a river to burst its banks, drowning the nine people inside.
due to the flood-affected river Milicia, in Casteldaccia, near Palermo, Italy, November 4, 2018. REUTERS/Guglielmo Mangiapane
Rushing water filled the villa in Casteldaccia in the province of Palermo in moments, wiping out the families who were spending Saturday night there.
A father and his daughter escaped harm because they had left the house to do some shopping while a third person climbed a tree to survive.
The tragedy brings the number of people killed in Sicily this weekend to at least 12 after three other people died in their cars when hit by torrents of water.
Italian Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte spoke of “an immense tragedy” during a visit on Sunday to affected areas in Sicily.
He said a cabinet meeting would be convened this week to declare a state of emergency and come up with the first package of aid for areas affected.
Heavy rains and gale-force winds have battered Italy for several days, uprooting millions of trees and cutting off villages and roads.
Italy’s Civil Protection Agency said deaths caused by the wave of bad weather stood at 17, excluding the fatalities in Sicily. Some of the worst damage has been recorded in the northern regions of Trentino and Veneto.
On Saturday the governor of Veneto, Luca Zaia, said storm damage in the region amounted to at least a billion euros.
During a visit on Sunday to badly-hit areas in the north, Italy’s Interior Minister Matteo Salvini said 250 million euros ($285 million) had already been earmarked for relief.
He said the government would be asking to use special EU funds.
Salvini, who is also deputy prime minister, said a rough estimate of how much it would cost to safeguard Italy against such events was 40 billion euros.
(Reporting by Stephen Jewkes; Editing by Catherine Evans and Adrian Croft) - 11/5/2018 Storms, floods in Sicily kill at least 12; 2 people missing
Storms lashing Sicily have killed at least 12 people with torrential floods, Italian authorities said Sunday, including nine members of two families who were spending a long weekend in a country home near Palermo that was overrun by water from a rapidly swelling river.
- 11/5/2018 Giant ‘waves’ in sky wreak havoc on weather by Doyle Rice, USA TODAY
Giant waves up there in the atmosphere have a huge influence on our weather down here.
The waves aren’t water, they’re strong “jet stream” winds that a new study says act strangely because of human- caused global warming. This, in turn, appears to cause more extreme summertime weather for us Earthlings – and could increase in the decades ahead.
In summer 2018, for instance, impacts on extreme weather due to the weird behavior of jet stream winds were felt worldwide, according to study lead author Michael Mann of Penn State University.
“It played out in real time on our television screens and newspaper headlines in the form of an unprecedented hemisphere-wide pattern of extreme floods, droughts, heat waves and wildfires,” Mann said.
What’s happening is that unusual warmth in the Arctic causes jet streams – the rivers of air in the atmosphere that push and pull our weather – to slow down, stall or meander in strange ways.
When the undulations of the jet stream lock in place, weather systems can be trapped and cause havoc.
“If the same weather persists for weeks on end in one region, then sunny days can turn into a serious heat wave and drought, and lasting rains can lead to flooding,” said study co-author Stefan Rahmstorf of the Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research.
The extreme and unusual jet stream patterns – known as “quasi-resonant amplification” – could increase by as much as 50 percent by 2100, the study said.
The study appeared in the journal Science Advances.
[My comment: Is it possible that the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob is telling us what is coming for the sins of the nations for as seen in the Bible in Revelation?]
- 11/5/2018 Israel sees desalination as Sea of Galilee’s savior by Dan Williams
Israel's Minister of Energy and Water Resources, Yuval Steinitz, walks in the DEGANIA DAM, Israel (Reuters) – Some 2,000 years ago, Jesus walked across the Sea of Galilee, according to the Bible. Today, that doesn’t require a miracle.
Sea of Galilee in northern Israel November 1, 2018. Picture taken November 1, 2018. REUTERS/Ronen Zvulun
Long periods of drought and over-pumping have brought the lake low. A reedy island has materialized at its southern edge, and will soon be a peninsula. Holiday-makers and fishermen teeter over expanding boggy beaches to reach the waterline.
The depletion imperils Israel’s biggest reservoir, starving the River Jordan and Dead Sea. It also diminishes a landmark that rivals Jerusalem as a major draw for Christian pilgrims.
Israel sees a solution in desalination, in which it is a world leader. It plans to double the amount of Mediterranean seawater it processes and pipe half of it 75 kilometers (47 miles) to the Galilee.
“We are doing this in order to save our nature, to fight global warming, to prevent the effect, the devastating effect, of global warming on the Sea of Galilee, and also to create a very significant water storage for the State of Israel,” Energy Minister Yuval Steinitz, who holds the cabinet water portfolio, told Reuters.
Noting the lake’s significance to Christians given the Gospel accounts of Jesus’ miracle-working there, Steinitz joked: “If he is coming back, we will make sure that he will have to make a real effort to walk on the water once more.”
Environmentalists welcome the move. Last full in 2004, the Galilee has dropped six meters (18 feet). It may be just weeks away from hitting a “black line” – 214.87 meters below global sea level – where it risk permanent contamination and pressure change from sediment.
Israelis hope winter rains will hold that off until the first desalinated water is piped in, next year.
PRESSURE
Preserving the lake would free Israel to offer Jordan more water under a 1994 peace treaty.
“If there is irreversible damage done to the Sea of Galilee, to the Jordan, to this whole ecosystem, Israel’s enemies could use it against her,” said David Parsons, vice president of the International Christian Embassy in Jerusalem, which oversees evangelical outreach to Israel.
“It could also affect Christian tourism to the land. It’s very good to see Israel taking responsible steps now to address this, finally.”
Israel’s plan provides for piping in 120 million cubic meters annually. Steinitz hopes to see that almost tripled in a cabinet vote next month. Such capacity, he said, would replenish the Galilee by 2026.
He predicted a small bump to consumers’ water tariffs, to help defray the $622 million infrastructure cost.
Still, with a national election due in 2019 and an unusually wet winter looming, some worry the Galilee could be again neglected.
“The vulnerability of this program is that the Water Authority has to continue to commit to maximizing desalination production,” said Gidon Bromberg, Israel director for the environmental group EcoPeace/Friends of the Earth Middle East. “And that is a commitment that could change every year.”
The authority’s director, Giora Shaham, sounded reassuring.
“We need this water, not only for us but also for the Jordanians, because they are in very, very tough conditions now from the water problem point of view,” he said.
(The story restores missing word in 10th paragraph.)
(Writing by Dan Williams; editing by Jeffrey Heller, Larry King)
- 11/6/2018 Good news from UN: Ozone layer is healing by Doyle Rice, USA TODAY
Finally, some good news from the environment.
The ozone layer – which protects us from the sun’s harmful radiation – is slowly healing, the United Nations announced Monday. “It’s really good news,” said NASA’s Paul Newman, co-author of the report.
Over the northern half of the world, the layer should be completely repaired by the 2030s, the report said. The good news is due to decades of global cooperation to phase out ozone-depleting chemicals.
“If ozone-depleting substances had continued to increase, we would have seen huge effects. We stopped that,” Newman said.
The ozone hole over Antarctica also is recovering, although it will continue to occur each year until the 2060s.
The ozone layer is located up in the stratosphere some 7 to 25 miles above Earth’s surface, according to NASA. It acts like sunscreen, shielding the planet from ultraviolet radiation that can cause skin cancer, suppress immune systems and damage plants.
The natural ozone high up in the atmosphere is the “good” ozone in contrast to “bad” ozone near the surface, which is man-made pollution.
Scientists say the way the ozone problem was tackled provides a template for how we can counteract human- caused global warming.
“Carbon dioxide emissions remain by far the most important greenhouse gases,” said World Meteorological Organization Secretary-General Petteri Taalas. “But we can also help tackle climate change by reducing our commitment to other gases. Every bit of warming matters,” he said. - 11/9/2018 Thousands flee from fast-moving northern California wildfire
A fast-growing wildfire forced tens of thousands of residents from their northern California homes Thursday.
The Camp Fire has scorched almost 8 square miles in Butte County, which is about 90 miles north of Sacramento, according to Cal Fire. The fire is burning about 80 acres per minute, according to UCLA climate scientist Daniel Swain. That’s equal to about 60 football fields per minute. - 11/9/2018 Calif. firefighters battle multiple wildfires by OAN
Fire crews are calling for more evacuations as several wildfires rage throughout Northern and Southern California.
The “Hill Fire” was sparked Thursday in the Newbury Park Area, which is roughly one mile away from Wednesday’s deadly mass shooting in Thousand Oaks. So far, it has burned about 10,000 acres, destroyed multiple structures, and forced the closure of a major highway.
A separate blaze north of Thousand Oaks has burned about 750 acres in Simi Valley.
Firefighters are also working to contain a northern California fire — dubbed the ‘Camp Fire’ — as it threatens thousands of homes and forced an emergency declaration to be placed in the city of Paradise. The blaze is located just 87 miles northeast of Sacramento.
Cal Fire Captain — John Gaddie — said the town of just 27,000 was “destroyed” by the flames. Gaddie explained how his team was able to evacuate Paradise city residents in a short amount of time.
“I know there was a plan put in place. They used the Walgreens up in Paradise as a temporary refuge area and why we do that is to get civilians or people that are out in the elements, meaning the fire and the smoke, we try to get them into an area that is safe and away from the fire and smoke until that fire front pushes through — we did have fire personnel with them, so once they deem it safe we were able get them out of there, ” he explained.
The brush fire was first reported around 6:30 AM Thursday morning and burned roughly 18,000 acres by midday Thursday.
The California Highway Patrol reversed traffic lanes along Interstates 99 and 149 throughout the day to allow evacuees to flee the ‘Camp Fire.’
A home burns as the Camp Fire rages through Paradise, Calif., on Thursday, Nov. 8, 2018. Butte County Sheriff Kory Honea said all available officers in the area are mobilizing to conduct home-checks.
Tens of thousands of people fled a fast-moving wildfire Thursday in Northern California, some clutching babies and pets as they abandoned vehicles
and struck out on foot ahead of the flames that forced the evacuation of an entire town.(AP Photo/Noah Berger)
“Cal-Fire is working very hard to protect structures, my deputies and law enforcement officers have come in with to assist us with mutual aid the California Highway Patrol, law enforcement from all over NorCal are working to not only make sure the areas that are evacuated that we’re getting people out, we’ve got around 400 requests to go out and check on people or attempt to contact people who haven’t been able to check-in with their loved ones, so we’re in the process of doing that,” explained the sheriff.
No fatalities have been reported as of Thursday evening and 15,000 homes remain under threat.
The National Weather Service now predicts heavy winds throughout Friday morning could potentially help spread the blaze. - 11/10/2018 Five dead as wildfires race across California - Rocklin police: ‘A whole town was wiped out in 24 hours’ by Doug Stanglin and Chris Woodyard, USA TODAY
MALIBU, Calif. – Raging wildfires across California have killed at least five people and driven 157,000 people from their homes, fire officials said Friday.
Near Los Angeles, the affluent beachside town of Malibu was ordered evacuated as a wind-driven blaze jumped the U.S. 101 Freeway and raced toward the sea.
In Northern California’s Butte County, the sheriff’s office said investigators found five people dead in vehicles that were torched by the flames of a ferocious wildfire that roared through the town of Paradise. The victims were found in the same area of the devastated retirement community that also lost some 2,000 structures.
“A whole town was wiped out in 24 hours,” Rocklin Police officer Jon Gee said. “It’s crazy.”
Mark Ghilarducci, director of the California Governor’s Office of Emergency Services, said 157,000 people had been forced from their homes in three major fires in the Golden State, including the Camp Fire that destroyed Paradise.
The blaze, which erupted 80 miles north of Sacramento, quadrupled overnight to nearly 110 square miles, according to fire officials.
In Southern California, some 75,000 homes were ordered evacuated in Ventura and Los Angeles counties, with the Los Angeles County Fire Department tweeting: “imminent threat.”
Ventura County Fire Department Captain Scott Dettorre warned that as the Woolsey Fire crossed the famous Highway 101, a major transportation artery, “it will make its historic and typical run all the way down Pacific Coast Highway, threatening more homes, more property, more lives,” KTLA-TV reported.
Fire officials ordered the evacuation of all 13,000 residents of the community, which stretches 21 miles along the coastline.
By midday, Los Angeles County fire officials said the fire had consumed 22 square miles and was “zero contained.”
The Woolsey Fire had exploded to more than 5 square miles Friday morning and was continuing to grow.
Homeowners fleeing the winddriven blaze around Malibu jammed roadways as the fire crept closer to the wealthy, surfside community, home to numerous movie and TV stars.
As cars snarled Pacific Coast Highway, some residents lined up five deep at a gas station for a last chance to get fuel. All were being directed south toward the safety of Santa Monica. At the Point Dume Village shopping Center north of the famed Malibu pier, business was brisk at a coffee bar, the Cafe De La Plage.
“I am just very unhappy,“ said James Collins, 48, from the small community of Cornell. He said he had been evacuated at 4 a.m. but he was taking it in stride, noting the rest of the nation has had its share of natural disasters recently. “Other people have rain. We have fire.”
The fire also destroyed Western Town, a mock Wild West town on the Paramount Ranch that has been used as a movie set since 1927, the National Park Service said. Television shows such as the “The Cisco Kid” and “Dr. Quinn” were also filmed there.
The Woolsey fire was one of three ravaging the state, with the northern California town of Paradise largely destroyed overnight.
Contributing: Ventura County Star; The Redding Record Searchlight; The (Palm Springs, Calif.) Desert Sun; Jessica Davis, for the USA Today Network; The Associated Press
Tina Weeks evacuates after her neighbors’ house became fully engulfed by the Woolsey Fire
in Oak Park, Calif., early Friday. JAY CALDERON/USA TODAY NETWORK
A firefighter works at a burning home in Oak Park, Calif., Friday. JAY CALDERON/USA TODAY NETWORK
- 11/10/2018 El Nino likely to create weather mischief soon by Doyle Rice, USA TODAY
Climate troublemaker El Nino has an 80 percent chance of developing this winter, federal scientists announced Thursday. “The official forecast favors the formation of a weak El Nino,” NOAA’s Climate Prediction Center said in its monthly forecast. The center gives it an 80 percent chance of continuing through the winter.
The chances have increased since early October, when climate scientists gave it a 70 to 75 percent chance of forming.
El Nino is a natural climate pattern that’s defined as unusually warm seawater in the central Pacific Ocean. It affects weather patterns in the USA and around the world.
Although forecast to be on the weak side, El Nino “may still influence the winter season by bringing wetter conditions across the southern United States and warmer, drier conditions to parts of the North,” Mike Halpert, deputy director of the prediction center, said in a statement last month.
This episode has a 55 to 60 percent chance of lasting into the spring, the CPC said.
The entire natural climate cycle is officially known as El Nino – Southern Oscillation (ENSO), which swings between warmer and cooler seawater in the tropical Pacific. The cycle is the primary factor government scientists consider when announcing their winter weather forecast.
The cooler pattern, known as La Niña, was dominant the past two winters. The most recent El Nino occurred during the winter of 2015-16. That was a particularly strong episode, which led to weather-related crop damage, fires and flash floods, Reuters said.
- 11/10/2018 Current Ebola outbreak is worst in Congo’s history: ministry
FILE PHOTO: A Congolese health worker prepares to administer Ebola vaccine, outside the house of a victim who died from Ebola in the village KINSHASA (Reuters) – The current Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo is the most severe in the country’s history with 319 confirmed and probable cases, the health ministry said late on Friday.
of Mangina in North Kivu province of the Democratic Republic of Congo, August 18, 2018. REUTERS/Olivia Acland/File Photo
The hemorrhagic fever is believed to have killed 198 people in North Kivu and Ituri provinces, where attacks by armed groups and community resistance to health officials have complicated the response.
Congo has suffered 10 Ebola outbreaks since the virus was discovered near the eponymous Ebola River in 1976.
“The current epidemic is the worst in the history of DRC,” Jessica Ilunga, a spokeswoman for the ministry told Reuters.
With over 300 cases the epidemic also ranks as third worst in the history of the continent, following the 2013-2016 outbreak in West Africa where over 28,000 cases were confirmed and an outbreak in Uganda in 2000 involving 425 cases.
World Health Organization Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said on Thursday that security represented the primary challenge in the current epidemic, followed by community mistrust.
“When there is an attack, the operation actually freezes. So we hold the operation. And when the operation stops, the virus gets advantage and it affects us in two ways,” he told reporters in Kinshasa.
“And one is catching up on the backload. Because when operations are stopped, there is always a backload of vaccinations, or contact tracing. And the other, the second problem, is that more cases are generated because we can’t vaccinate them,” he said.
The confirmation of new cases has accelerated in the last month and an emergency committee of World Health Organization experts said in October that the outbreak was likely to worsen significantly unless the response was stepped up.
(Reporting by Giulia Paravicini; Additional reporting by Fiston Mahamba; Editing by Alessandra Prentice and Hugh Lawson) - 11/10/2018 Rains and floods kill eight in Jordan, force tourists to flee Petra
People watch civil defense members as they look for missing persons after rain storms unleashed flash floods, AMMAN (Reuters) – Heavy rains and flooding killed at least eight people in Jordan and forced authorities to evacuate more then 3,700 tourists from the ancient city of Petra on Friday, officials said.
in Madaba city, near Amman, Jordan, November 10, 2018. REUTERS/Muhammad Hamed
The visitors were taken to safe areas before flash floods inundated parts of the mountainous city famed for its carved rock ruins, government spokeswoman Jumana Ghunaimat said.
Authorities declared a state of emergency in the Red Sea port city of Aqaba further south as downpours started in the afternoon.
Civil defense divers searched for five people whose car was swept away by floods in the Madaba area, southwest of the capital, state news agency Petra said.
A major highway that links Amman with the south was also closed. The government announced the closure of universities and schools on Saturday and mosques were opened to shelter civilians in areas hit by the floods.
Two weeks ago, 21 people, mainly children, died after they were swept away in flash floods on a school outing in the Dead Sea region, in one of the country’s worst natural disasters in decades.
Politicians and members of the public criticized the emergency services at the time, saying crews had been unprepared, and two ministers were forced to resign after a parliamentary committee found negligence.
(Reporting by Suleiman Al-Khalidi; Editing by Toby Chopra) - 11/10/2018 A window into the deadly pollution in India’s capital
Vehicles drive through smog in New Delhi, India, November 8, 2018. REUTERS/Anushree Fadnavis NEW DELHI (Reuters) – Air quality has been deteriorating over recent weeks in India’s capital New Delhi as farmers burn crop residue in neighboring states and the smoke combines with industrial and vehicular emissions.
The festival of Diwali on Wednesday, when revelers set off firecrackers late into the night, pushed pollution to levels that federal government agencies call “very poor” or “severe,” and hazardous to health.
Reuters set up a camera on top of the Delhi bureau to capture the deterioration in air quality over the past few weeks in the city of 20 million, described the World Health Organisation as the sixth-most polluted city in the world.
The photographs, taken with a fixed camera, are matched with air quality data to illustrate the scale of the problem. Another series of photographs shows air quality at 11 a.m. each day from Oct 20 to Nov 8.
To see the interactive graphic click on https://tmsnrt.rs/2PiM0Ut
(Writing by Raju Gopalakrishnan; Editing by Neil Fullick) - 11/10/2018 Heavy rains, flooding kill 12 people in Jordan: government
An excavator is partially submerged in a stream as civil defense members look for missing persons after AMMAN (Reuters) – Twelve people died in heavy rains and flooding in parts of Jordan on Friday and authorities evacuated foreign tourists from the ancient city of Petra and other popular destinations, officials said on Saturday.
rain storms unleashed flash floods, in Madaba city, near Amman, Jordan, November 10, 2018. REUTERS/Muhammad Hamed
The country has recently been hit by flash floods and heavy downpours. In the worst incident, 21 people – mostly school children on an outing to the Dead Sea – were killed as torrential rains poured through valleys and deep ravines.
Over 3,500 visitors were taken to safe areas on Friday before flash floods inundated parts of the southern mountainous city of Petra famous for its carved rock ruins, government spokeswoman Jumana Ghunaimat said.
Authorities banned all tourist trips and declared a state of emergency in the Red Sea port city of Aqaba further south as downpours continued for a few hours before subsiding overnight.
The authorities said on Saturday they had evacuated hundreds of families living in makeshift tents in outlying rural and desert areas and scattered settlements in villages in the southern parts of the country that were hardest hit.
They included families of Syrian refugees who work as shepherds and farmers, officials said.
(Reporting by Suleiman Al-Khalidi; Editing by Hugh Lawson) - 11/10/2018 As Delhi smog hits ‘severe’ level, city chief under fire after reports he is abroad by Neha Dasgupta
FILE PHOTO - A man wearing a protective mask walks amidst smog in the NEW DELHI (Reuters) – As pollution in India’s capital hit “severe” on the air quality scale on Saturday, the New Delhi chief minister came under fire following reports he had left the city for an overseas family trip.
early morning in New Delhi, India, November 8, 2018. REUTERS/Anushree Fadnavis
For a second year the chief minister, Arvind Kejriwal, has likened Delhi to a “gas chamber” because of the pollution.
Seasonal burning of crop stubble and smoke from fireworks let off to celebrate the Hindu festival of Diwali on Nov. 7 have aggravated already high smog levels in the past few days from vehicle emissions, industrial gases and construction work.
(Graphic: For a window into Delhi’s pollution click https://tmsnrt.rs/2PiM0Ut)
Local television news channels said Kejriwal had left the country on a private family trip to Dubai, triggering a backlash on social media and finger pointing on Twitter by the Delhi arm of India’s governing Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), the party of Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
“Arvind Kejriwal cares about his family so much that he urgently booked tickets and ran away to Dubai with them as soon as Delhi started choking with pollution,” said one Twitter user.
A member of Kejriwal’s party, the Aam Aadmi (Common Man) Party (AAP), told Reuters that the chief minister was not in the city. He declined to elaborate or be identified because he is not authorized to speak to the media. A city government spokesman did not respond to telephone calls seeking comment.
Neither the governing party at federal level nor the main opposition are in power in the capital, giving them little incentive to co-operate with city authorities.
Environmental activists say residents need to be more vocal about holding political leaders to account over the pollution.
“Public pressure has to be much sharper and demand compliance. Directions, policies have been issued but stringent implementation is needed,” said Anumita Roychowdhury, an executive director at the Centre for Science and Environment, a think-tank.
Still, there is little sign in Delhi that residents are doing much to protect themselves from the smog. Activists say the apparent lack of concern about the pollution gives federal and local politicians the cover they need for failing to adequately address the problem.
The Environment Pollution (Prevention and Control) Authority has banned all construction activity and ordered use of sprinklers in the city until Nov. 10, among other measures. On Saturday, it indicated the measures would be extended until Monday.
The city government has banned heavy vehicles from entering Delhi until Sunday and it was not clear if that order would be extended. It had also urged drivers to avoid using private diesel-powered vehicles until Saturday, but there has been no ban.
Measures of tiny poisonous particulate matter, or PM 2.5 particles less than 2.5 microns in diameter, reached an average of 401 across Delhi at 1600 IST (1030 GMT), the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) said.
That touches the “severe” category between 401-500, defined by the CPCB as bad air that can seriously impact those with existing health conditions, such as asthma, and can affect healthy people.
The capital’s pollution hit emergency levels on Thursday, according to the U.S. embassy. It followed Wednesday’s Diwali celebrations, when revelers let off fireworks.
(Reporting by Neha Dasgupta; Editing by Martin Howell and Neil Fullick) - 11/10/2018 PG&E Says It Will Fully Cooperate With Probe Into Cause Of The ‘Camp Fire’ by OAN Newsroom
Firefighter Jose Corona sprays water as flames consume from the Camp Fire Electric company Pacific Gas & Electric Co. says it will fully cooperate with any investigations, as the deadly Camp fire ravages parts of Northern California.
consume a home in Magalia, Calif., on Friday, Nov. 9, 2018. (AP Photo/Noah Berger)
The utility company reportedly told state regulators Friday, it experienced a problem with a major electrical transmission line at one of its sites just moments before the fire broke out.
The blaze completely destroyed the city of Paradise, which had the population of roughly 26,000 people.
The company says it later observed damage to a transmission tower near that city.
A company spokesperson says these reports are preliminary and the cause of the fire remains under investigation.
President Trump has suggested that poor management from California’s forestry service was to blame for the disasters and threatened pull funding if changes are not made.
[Trump tweeted: “There is no reason for these massive, deadly and costly forest fires in California except that forest management is so poor. Billions of dollars are given each year, with so many lives lost, all because of gross mismanagement of the forests. Remedy now, or no more Fed payments!”] - 11/11/2018 Raging wildfires in Calif. largely uncontained - Resident: ‘It was a hairy experience’ by Doug Stanglin, Chris Woodyard and Trevor Hughes, USA TODAY
MALIBU, Calif. – Firefighters hoped that a brief lull in howling winds would give them a chance Saturday to block, or at least slow, one of two California wildfires that have left at least nine people dead and driven a quarter-million people from their homes.
Cal Fire officials said the Woolsey Fire, which destroyed at least 150 homes, 109 square miles and forced residents to evacuate the entire seaside town of Malibu, was still listed as “zero contained.”
Two additional fatalities reported in Malibu may have been related to the fire that swept the area Friday night, according to Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department Chief John Benedict.
The Camp Fire, which wiped out the town of Paradise in Butte County, 80 miles north of Sacramento, has consumed 156 square miles and was only 20 percent contained.
Officials say more than 3,000 firefighters are battling the blaze, which is California’s most destructive wildfire since record-keeping began.
The brief respite in the high winds Saturday could give firefighters a chance to control the edges of the blazes and to swap crews, replacing firefighters who had worked for two days without rest, said Los Angeles County Fire Chief Daryl Osby.
Still, some treacherous winds were expected to return Saturday night and drive the blaze south across Lake Oroville, threatening Oroville, a town of 19,000 people.
Ventura Fire Chief Mark Lorenzen said the devastating Santa Ana winds could last through Tuesday.
Osby said Saturday that his firefighters were reporting “conditions they have never seen in their lives.”
“We did lose a lot of homes,” he said. “But we saved thousands of homes.”
Benedict said that he had 200 officers on patrol for “looting suppression.” He warned that his department would have “zero tolerance” for stealing.
At Pepperdine University in Malibu, classes were canceled Saturday after a tense Friday evening. When the all clear order was given around 9 a.m. Saturday, many students drove away from the area, many equipped with face masks.
Despite the evacuation order for Malibu, Hassen Masri, who lives in the Malibu Country Estates neighborhood that abuts the university, stayed in his house Friday night and watched the hills rage with fire around him.
Around midnight, he saw nearly 20 trucks pull onto the Pepperdine University campus once officials learned the students wouldn’t be evacuating.
“It was a hairy experience; it was bad, it was really bad,” Masri said. “When the fire came over the ridge around midnight, I thought I should leave, but I didn’t. Maybe it was crazy that the university didn’t remove the students, but I am thankful for the extra resources that brought. I felt protected by those extra trucks.”
The exotic animals at Ronnie Semler’s Saddlerock Ranch, including zebras and water buffalo, were roaming their corrals Saturday even though a structure that appeared to be a barn, several vehicles and fences burned. The Malibu ranch’s biggest attraction, Stanley the giraffe, appeared happy and curious. Except for one worker, the ranch appeared empty.
In Paris, President Donald Trump issued an emergency declaration providing federal funds for Butte, Ventura and Los Angeles counties but later threatened on Twitter to withhold federal payments to California, claiming its forest management is “so poor.”
“Billions of dollars are given each year, with so many lives lost, all because of gross mismanagement of the forests,” he wrote. “Remedy now, or no more Fed payments!”
The attempt by thousands of residents to flee the flames has been hampered by clogged roads. In addition, power has been cut off in many parts of Malibu, causing gas pumps not to work.
Paul Bancroft said he was not about to lose his house, which took him three years to build, in a nearby area known as Old Agoura. He managed to douse it with a garden hose.
Woodyard reported from Malibu, Hughes from Paradise, California.
Contributing: Nicole Hayden, of the Desert Sun; The Associated Press
“We did lose a lot of homes. But we saved thousands of homes.” Daryl Osby, Los Angeles County fire chief.
A burned-out truck and a building lie on the Saddlerock Ranch property in Malibu, Calif., Saturday. ROBERT HANASHIRO/USA TODAY NETWORK - 11/12/2018 ‘IT LOOKED LIKE DANTE’S INFERNO’ - Fire consumes California community; toll could rise by Trevor Hughes and John Bacon, USA TODAY
PARADISE, Calif. – Firefighters battled heavy winds and parched conditions Sunday in their herculean struggle against blazes that have killed at least 25 people, destroyed thousands of homes and forced 250,000 to flee.
Thousands of firefighters fought to protect homes and lives while President Donald Trump pressed his contentious case that proper forest management can alter the pattern of historic wildfires.
Gov. Jerry Brown asked the White House to issue a major disaster declaration “to bolster the ongoing emergency response and help residents recover” from the devastation.
“To those who have lost friends and family members, homes and businesses, know that the entire state is with you,” Brown said. “As Californians, we are strong and resilient, and together we will recover.”
In Northern California, the statewide fire protection agency Cal Fire said the Camp Fire in Butte County had expanded Sunday to 170 square miles and was 25 percent contained. The agency confirmed that at least 23 people have died in the inferno, the third most deadly fire in state history behind a 1933 blaze that killed 29 and a 1991 fire that killed 25.
A mobile DNA lab was set up to aid the heartbreaking task of identifying victims. The Camp Fire also razed more than 6,400 homes, which makes it the most destructive in state history.
Cal Fire spokesman Bill Murphy warned that gusty winds could spark “explosive fire behavior.”
“The fire conditions were moderate to extreme due to the wind,” Murphy said. “Crews continued to protect structures and fight fire aggressively.”
The fire has laid waste to the town of Paradise, a community of 30,000 people 90 miles north of Sacramento. The fire burned so hot it peeled the paint off firetrucks, melted tires and blew out windows.
The fire roared out as quickly as it roared in. Rescuers picking through the ruins found some victims in their cars, others in their burned-out homes. Butte County Sheriff Kory Honea warned that the death toll could rise.
“It’s surreal,” said Deputy Brian Evans, 42, whose house burned down. “The fire was moving very, very, very, very, very rapidly.”
Starting next year, a statewide emergency alert system will allow counties to automatically enroll residents in notification systems using the phone numbers attached to their utility accounts. In Paradise, many residents said they had no idea what was going on until the fire roared into town.
“It just looked like Dante’s Inferno,” said evacuee John Yates, 65. “Black and red was all you could see.”
In Southern California, the Woolsey Fire had killed at least two people and burned at least 177 residences, businesses and other structures while threatening more than 50,000 homes. Gusty Santa Ana winds were forecast through Tuesday.
Much of glitzy, picturesque Malibu was evacuated, and Hollywood stars were not spared the fire’s ferocity.
Shannen Doherty and Robin Thicke were among residents whose homes were destroyed.
“Thank you to the firefighters, police, first and emergency responders for doing above and beyond everything you can do to help us,” Lady Gaga tweeted. “You are true heroes.”
More than 250,000 have been chased from their homes by the Woolsey and Hill fires. The Woolsey Fire had burned 130 square miles and was 10 percent contained Sunday. The Hill Fire had burned 7 square miles and was 70 percent contained.
More than 8,000 firefighters were battling the blazes, and Trump gave them a nod late Saturday.
“Our hearts are with those fighting the fires, the 52,000 who have evacuated, and the families of the 11 who have died,” he tweeted. “The destruction is catastrophic. God Bless them all.”
Trump also urged residents to follow evacuation orders. Earlier, however, the president drew the ire of multiple professional firefighters’ associations when he tweeted that “gross mismanagement of the forests” is to blame for devastating fires. He threatened to withhold “billions of dollars” in federal money.
Garold Schaitberger, president of the International Association of Fire Fighters, said the comments were “reckless and insulting.” California Professional Firefighters President Brian Rice called the president’s words “ill-informed, illtimed and demeaning.”
“Nearly 60 percent of California forests are under federal management, and another two-thirds under private control,” Rice said. “It is the federal government that has chosen to divert resources away from forest management, not California.”
Trump appeared unmoved by the challenges. On Sunday he tweeted that “At least With proper Forest Management, we can stop the devastation constantly going on in California. Get Smart!”
Bacon reported from McLean, Va. Contributing: Cydney Henderson, Joel Shannon and Chris Woodyard, USA TODAY; The Associated Press
Much of Malibu, California, was evacuated after wildfires overran entire neighborhoods. ROBERT HANASHIRO/USA TODAY - 11/13/2018 CALIFORNIA FIRES - ‘Extreme fire danger’: Stiff winds stymie efforts by John Bacon and Jorge L. Ortiz, USA TODAY
Santa Ana winds roaring across Southern California and similarly stiff gusts to the north conspired with low humidity and parched terrain Monday to hinder the efforts of firefighters combating historically devastating wildfires.
The death toll stood at 31, and more than 6,500 homes have been destroyed. More than 8,000 firefighters were battling the wind and flames.
The weather prognosis was not good.
“The latest rounds of Santa Ana winds are going strong in Southern California,” AccuWeather senior meteorologist Dave Samuhel told USA TODAY. “We are seeing gusts near 50 mph. It’s an extreme fire danger, the upper end of the scale.”
The winds drive down the humidity, helping turn vegetation to tinder in an area that hasn’t seen rain in a month, Samuhel said. Relief in the form of precipitation remains a week away, and the winds probably will remain a force into Wednesday, he said.
In Northern California, the Camp Fire 90 miles north of Sacramento had killed 29 people and scorched more than 6,400 homes. Butte County Sheriff Kory Honea warned the death toll could rise. He said 228 people were unaccounted for.
The Camp Fire is the most destructive in state history, and the death toll matches the 1933 Griffith Park Fire in Los Angeles as the deadliest wildfire in state history.
Samuhel said firefighters could get a modest break from the winds Tuesday but added that the humidity will remain low.
“Relief might be an overstatement, but at least the wind won’t be as bad,” he said.
Cal Fire, the statewide fire protection agency, said Monday that the Camp Fire had grown to 176 square miles and was 25 percent contained. Search teams were hunting through the fire-swept city of Paradise, population 27,000, looking for more victims. A mobile DNA lab was set up to help identify victims.
“This is truly a tragedy that all Californians can understand and respond to,” Gov. Jerry Brown said at a news briefing. “It’s a time to pull together and work through these tragedies.”
While the cause of the fire was being investigated, Pacific Gas & Electric Co. came under scrutiny after telling state regulators that it had been having a problem with an electrical transmission line in the area before the fire broke out. Cal Fire investigators were at the scene of the transmission line Monday. PG& E had no comment.
In Southern California, the estimate of homes destroyed by the Woolsey Fire west of Los Angeles rose sharply. At least two people have died and at least 370 residences, businesses and other structures have been destroyed by a blaze that threatens more than 50,000 homes, Cal Fire said.
“Due to extreme fire behavior, firefighting efforts have been focused, and will remain focused, on the protection of life and structures,” Cal Fire said.
The Woolsey Fire had burned 143 square miles and was 20 percent contained Monday, according to Cal Fire. But there were some positive signs. Some of the evacuation zones were being reopened, and thousands of residents were headed home.
Roger Kelly, 69, was thrilled to see that his lakeside mobile home in the Santa Monica Mountains north of Malibu had survived. But some homes nearby were destroyed.
“I just start weeping,” he said. “Your first view of it, man, it just gets you.”
Comic Kevin Hart thanked firefighters on Instagram.
“You men & women are true heroes & me and my family thank you,” Hart posted. “My heart & prayers go out to all families in the affected areas. ... God have mercy on us all.”
Bacon reported from McLean, Va. Contributing: Cydney Henderson, USA TODAY; Christian Martinez, Ventura County Star; The Associated Press
Flames approach a house on Friday during the Woolsey Fire on in Malibu, Calif. DAVID MCNEW/GETTY IMAGES “It’s a time to pull together and work through these tragedies.” California Gov. Jerry Brown, who by the way blamed the fires on Climate Change.
The Camp Fire has swept through Paradise, Calif., destroying thousands of homes. SCOTT CLAUSE/USA TODAY NETWORK - 11/12/2018 Multi-state effort being made to fight deadly Calif. wildfires by OAN Newsroom
Fire crews from across Texas are joining the fight against the devastating wildfires in California.
Firefighter Jose Corona sprays water as flames consume from the Camp Fire Roughly 200 firefighters were deployed to the Golden State today, along with fifty-five fire engines.
consume a home in Magalia, Calif., on Friday, Nov. 9, 2018. (AP Photo/Noah Berger)
Governor Greg Abbot made the announcement over the weekend, and said Texas will “continue to offer any resources” to aid in the recovery process.
The crew, consisting of firefighters from 11 departments, will be battling the Woolsey fire in southern California.
Chief Carter Johnson of the Porter, Texas Fire Department expressed gratitude for being able to help those who “came to help us during the hurricanes,” and added “we’re here to help them.”
Dozens of other firefighters from multiple states have also joined in the efforts, including Oregon, New Mexico, and Utah. - 11/13/2018 Scientists predict a 'dark matter hurricane' will collide with the Earth by Jackson Ryan
© CNET NASA's Hubble Space has peered nearly 5 billion light-years away to resolve intricate details in the galaxy cluster Abell Don't panic.
370. This object is one of the very first galaxy clusters where astronomers observed the phenomenon of gravitational
lensing, where the warping of space by the cluster's gravitational field distorts the light from galaxies lying far behind it.
Yes, astronomers suggest that it's very likely that a "dark matter hurricane" will slam into the Earth as it speeds through the Milky Way -- but it shouldn't cause any damage. In fact, in the hunt for the mysterious particle (or particles) that makes up dark matter, the "hurricane" may provide our best chance at detection.
Throughout the Milky Way there are a number of stellar streams, gatherings of stars that were once dwarf galaxies or clusters. In ancient history they collided with the Milky Way and were torn apart -- leaving a stream of orbiting stars that circle the galactic centre. One such stellar stream, dubbed S1 and discovered last year by scientists examining data from the European Space Agency's Gaia satellite, passes directly through the path of our sun.
As our solar system speeds through the outer reaches of the Milky Way, it flies through dark matter at around 230 kilometres per second ( around 143 miles per second). A study, published Nov. 7 and led by researchers at the University of Zaragoza, suggests that the dark matter present in the stream may be travelling at double that speed -- roughly 500km/s (around 310 miles per second) -- giving us a much better chance at detecting dark matter.
Of course, we're not quite sure what makes up dark matter, but there are a number of candidates including weakly-interacting massive particles (WIMPs), gravitationally-interacting massive particles (GIMPs) and axions -- hypothetical elementary particles posited by physicists.
Because the S1 steller stream travels directly through the solar system, the dark matter hurricane is likely to cross the path of various detectors spread across the globe set up to detect these hypothetical particles. The study concedes that current iterations of WIMP detectors will likely not see dark matter from the S1 stream. However, those are geared to detect "axionic dark matter," based on a hypothetical particle known as an axion.
As dark matter is theorized to make up around 85 percent of the matter in the universe, detection of the particle or particles that make it up would fundamentally change how we look at the universe. So, really, there's no cause for concern when you hear the term "dark matter hurricane" -- in fact, its a good thing.
The only thing it'll blow is your mind.
- 11/13/2018 ‘Camp Fire’ kills at least 42 people in Calif. by OAN Newsroom
According to fire officials, the wildfire dubbed the ‘Camp Fire’ in Northern California has killed 42 people, making it the deadliest blaze in the state’s history.,br> President Trump signed a major disaster declaration to allow more federal aid to the state on Monday after the fire scorched around 117,000 acres and destroyed over 7,000 structures.
As of now the inferno is reported to be 30-percent contained.
Cal Fire officials said they recovered the remains of an additional 13 victims during a press conference late Monday. The death toll is expected to climb even higher as more than 200 people are still missing.
A bag containing human remains lies on the ground as officials continue to search “As of today an additional 13 human remains have been recovered, which brings the total number to 42,” announced Butte Country Sheriff Kory Honea. “If I understand that makes this the deadliest fire in the history of the United States…wildland fire in the history United States.”
at a burned out home at the Camp Fire, Sunday, Nov. 11, 2018, in Paradise, Calif. (AP Photo/John Locher)
Moving to Los Angeles, the ‘Woolsey Fire’ is reported to be 30-percent contained after scorching more than 93,000 acres and killing two people last week.
Meanwhile in neighboring Ventura County, firefighters are also making progress with the ‘Cal Fire,’ which has burned over 4,500 acres so far and is now 85-percent contained.
Authorities again raised the total number of people killed in the fires to 44 on Tuesday, from their previous report of 42 people.
- 11/14/2018 In the ashes, decisions await - Residents must decide: ‘Would you want to live in a war zone?’ by Trevor Hughes, USA TODAY
PARADISE, Calif. – Thousands of wildfire-weary Californians face financially and emotionally difficult years ahead as they begin rebuilding their homes and communities destroyed by the rampaging flames.
In Northern California where the Camp Fire still burns, 6,543 homes have been destroyed, along with hundreds of businesses. Near Malibu, the Woolsey Fire has destroyed about 370 structures.
Most evacuees have no idea how their homes fared because evacuation orders keep the public from the dangerous, unhealthy conditions caused by the Camp and Woolsey fires. Though a few people know – including actor Gerard Butler and singer Robin Thicke – most evacuees are stuck waiting for information, begging reporters for updates and trying to finagle their way past road closures.
Matt McNeill, 53, knows his house is gone. It burned down in Paradise as he desperately fled in his car from the flames, scooping up neighbors on the way. He has homeowner’s insurance but isn’t sure he’ll rebuild. A general contractor, McNeill has been building homes in Paradise since 1990. He faces the thought of returning to a community vastly different from the one he fled.
The commercial district lies in ruins, dozens of business and municipal facilities are destroyed. Thousands of burned trees will have to be cut down for safety, changing how Paradise looks for years to come.
“Would you want to live in a war zone for a decade or more?” McNeill said by text. “But then, our kids grew up there – great, great memories, beautiful people.”
From thousands of feet in the sky, specialists working for the nation’s insurance companies take photos that building inspectors, assessors and firefighters can use to help. “Underneath that smoke are people’s lives that have come unraveled,” said Jim Schweitzer, senior vice president and chief operating officer of the National Insurance Crime Bureau.
The NICB works with insurance companies to fight insurance-related fraud and crime, including vehicle thefts, but also to combat disaster-related fraud. In some cases, unscrupulous contractors perform shoddy work or conspire to get insurance companies to pay for extra work not caused by a disaster, which can bring felony charges and void a homeowner’s coverage.
The stakes are high in the fires, which threaten nearly 50,000 homes valued at about $18 billion, according to propertydata company CoreLogic. The value of the destroyed homes has not been compiled because authorities don’t have a complete assessment of the damage.
For others, the routine of work provides some level of normality. Butte County sheriff’s Deputy Brian Evans, 42, is still on the job even though his house burned down before he could grab anything from it. Wearing his uniform, which is pretty much the only clothing he owns, he spent the weekend helping search for those missing.
Disasters such as the Paradise and Woolsey fires inevitably change the face of a community for decades. Some evacuees will never return. Some homeowners will choose to rebuild elsewhere. Small businesses may go under, and employment may be hard to come by for the thousands of people whose cars were destroyed. Evans said he’s committed to seeing it through. This is his home, after all.
“It will take a while. But it will get better. It always does,” he said.
Thousand Oaks, Calif., faces a long road to recovery. GEOSPATIAL INTELLIGENCE CENTER - 11/15/2018 Utility outage may be linked to Camp Fire - Pacific Gas & Electric stock plunges on news by Ryan Randazzo and Nathan Bomey, USA TODAY NETWORK
California utility Pacific Gas & Electric acknowledged it may be found liable for causing the state’s Camp Fire and could face “significant” costs if investigators blame it for the subsequent devastation.
PG& E investors are panicking after the utility admitted that an outage on a 115-kilovolt transmission line near the fire’s origin occurred around the time the blaze started.
The company’s stock plunged 22 percent Wednesday to close at $25.59, reflecting extraordinary volatility for a utility stock and suggesting investors believe the company could face massive losses. The blaze has killed at least 42 people, destroyed at least 6,522 homes and 260 businesses and wrecked the town of Paradise.
PG&E has wildfire liability insurance that would cover up to $1.4 billion in damages from Aug. 1, 2018, through July 31, 2019, according to a Securities and Exchange Commission filing.
But “while the cause of the Camp Fire is still under investigation, if the Utility’s equipment is determined to be the cause, the Utility could be subject to significant liability in excess of insurance coverage,” PG& E acknowledged in the filing.
Those losses could seriously undermine the company’s “financial condition, results of operations, liquidity and cash flows.” The company, which serves 16 million people from Bakersfield to Eureka, first sent an incident notice to the California Public Utilities Commission on Nov. 8 noting the proximity of its transmission outage to the fire’s origin.
Consumer advocates are concerned that ratepayers could face higher bills to pay for the damages.
Because of a new law passed by the California Legislature to limit the damages PG& E might pay for 2017’s wildfires, some think those protections might be extended to the current blazes.
Senate Bill 901, signed by Gov. Jerry Brown in September, will allow companies like PG&E to raise utility rates if the liability payments threaten them with bankruptcy.
The utility raised concerns, and lawmakers agreed, that a bankruptcy would lead to steep rate hikes, and sharing the liability would be a better way to manage the risk to utility customers.
Company spokesman Paul Moreno declined Tuesday to discuss liability issues.
“The cause of the Camp Fire has not been determined. (The California Department of Fire and Forestry) is investigating the cause of the fire,” Moreno said.
SB 901 applies to 2017 fires where PG& E is determined to be liable for damages.
State fire investigators found the company was to blame for several fires in Napa and Sonoma counties, and beyond, in October last year.
Wolfe Research analyst Steven Fleishman wrote in a Sunday research report that “we do not believe the utilities would absorb all the fire damages” due to the new law.
But Bank of America research analyst Julien Dumoulin-Smith said Monday in a research report that “the fire will still result in a growing deficit to be borne by shareholders if ratepayer recovery is not granted.”
PG&E already stopped paying a quarterly dividend to stockholders in December 2017 because of the potential liabilities from that year’s fires.
Contributing: Damon Arthur, Redding Record Searchlight
[We'll I guess Jerry Brown can not blame this one on Climate Change afterall.]. - 11/15/2018 At least 59 dead in Calif. Wildfires by OAN Newsroom
Devastation continues to impact the Golden State as the death toll continues to rise as a result of the ‘Camp Fire.’
On Wednesday, officials announced the human remains of eight more people were found in the city of Paradise, bringing the total dead across the state to 59. That deadly blaze has scorched 138,000 acres. and destroyed more than 10,000 structures.
FILE- In this Friday, Nov. 9, 2018, file photo firefighters work to keep flames from spreading through the Shadowbrook apartment Governor Jerry Brown toured the city of Paradise on Wednesday and commented on the destruction during a press conference.
complex as a wildfire burns through Paradise, Calif. California wildfires have been so frequent that the state government
recently passed a spate of laws intended to help victims of wildfires, but experts say it can still sometimes
take years for a home to be rebuilt. (AP Photo/Noah Berger, File)
“This is so devastating that I don’t really have the words to describe it,” he stated. “It looks like a war zone, it is, it’s the devastation only fires of this kind could bring about — nobody’s really expecting it, but it happens.”
Though the fire is only 35-percent contained, officials have brought in more reinforcements to aid in search efforts as about 130 people remain unaccounted for.
President Trump has offered his full support to California Governor Brown and the people of the ravaged Golden State during this time of devastation.
- 11/15/2018 Exclusive: At U.N. climate talks, Trump team plans sideshow on coal by Timothy Gardner
FILE PHOTO: U.S. President Donald Trump refers to amounts of temperature change as he announces WASHINGTON (Reuters) – The Trump administration plans to set up a side-event promoting fossil fuels at the annual U.N. climate talks next month, repeating a strategy that infuriated global-warming activists during last year’s talks, according to three people with knowledge of the matter.
his decision that the United States will withdraw from the landmark Paris Climate Agreement,
in the Rose Garden of the White House in Washington, U.S., June 1, 2017. REUTERS/Kevin Lamarque/File Photo
As with the 2017 gathering in Bonn, Germany, the administration plans to highlight the benefits of technologies that more efficiently burn fuels including coal, the sources said.
This year’s talks in Katowice, Poland – located in a mining region that is among the most polluted in Europe – are intended to hammer out a rule book to the 2015 Paris agreement on climate change, which set a sweeping goal of ending the fossil-fuel era this century by spurring a trillion-dollar transition to cleaner energy sources such as solar and wind power.
Even as the Trump administration aims to promote energy strategies that could detract from those international goals, it also plans to let State Department officials continue negotiating the climate accord – a recognition that the next U.S. president may drop the nation’s opposition to the pact.
“The White House seems to have taken the view that it’s important to let technocrats complete the work of the rule book. It’s in the U.S. national interest to be at the table and see an outcome that emphasizes transparency, holds countries accountable,” said one of the sources, who is familiar with State Department plans.
The White House and the State Department did not respond to requests for comment.
The United States, the world’s top oil and gas producer, is the only country to have announced its intention to formally withdraw from the Paris accord.
The administration’s resistance has come against a backdrop of increasingly urgent warnings from scientists about the threats posed by greenhouse gas emissions from fossil fuels. The panel will come less than two months after the U.N.’s Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change warned in a report that the world’s use of coal for generating power will need to be nearly eliminated by mid-century – to between 1 and 7 percent of the global mix, from around 40 percent now – to help prevent deadly droughts, storms and floods brought on by climate change.
“Quite frankly, the U.S. is the only party to the convention that appears to be willing to push a rational discussion on the role of cleaner, more efficient fossil (fuels) and the role of civilian nuclear energy,” said one of the sources, who is involved in the planning of the event for Katowice, likely to be held on Dec. 10.
The source, who did not want to be named due to the sensitive nature of the issue, said the event will be dominated by proponents of coal and natural gas and likely advanced nuclear power, too. The panel will also likely feature a U.S. Energy Department representative. At this point plans do not include a renewable power industry representative, the source said.
The event is expected to be led by Wells Griffith, Trump’s international energy and climate adviser, the sources added. Griffith’s main energy policy experience involves a year at a political job at the Department of Energy and helping to set up a deal last year to supply Ukraine with U.S. coal after the country lost control of mines to Russian-backed separatists.
TWO-TIERED APPROACH
Trump last year announced his intent to leave the Paris agreement, calling it harmful to the U.S. economy and casting doubt on the climate science underpinning the accord.
As per U.N. rules, Trump’s administration will not be able to leave the pact until a day after the 2020 presidential election, and U.S. officials recognize that finishing the rule book and making sure developing countries such as China are held to verifiable emissions cuts are in the national interest.
Last year, the fossil fuels event set up by the White House drew widespread protest and condemnation from climate activists. Former New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg wrote on Twitter that “Promoting coal at a climate summit is like promoting tobacco at a cancer summit.”
At the same time, 40 career officials from the State Department and other agencies continued their work on the Paris pact’s rule book. U.S. envoys to the Bonn talks were viewed by their counterparts as constructive and helpful, feeding hopes that the United States could eventually be drawn back into the accord, a possibility that Trump has held open.
But much has changed since last year.
Several Trump administration officials who supported keeping the United States in the Paris pact, although under different terms, have left the administration. They include top economic adviser Gary Cohn, national security adviser H.R. McMaster, and climate and energy adviser George David Banks. Now, economic adviser Larry Kudlow and national security adviser John Bolton are opponents of the Paris agreement, and Banks has been replaced by Griffith.
Ex-CIA director Mike Pompeo, a vocal critic of efforts to combat global warming by past U.S. administrations, has become Secretary of State, replacing former Exxon Mobil CEO Rex Tillerson, who supported U.S. participation in the Paris agreement.
That places Trump’s team more squarely behind his “energy dominance” agenda of boosting U.S. fossil fuel output and exports, in part by promoting low-emission technology for fossil fuels to other nations.
The Energy Department has touted technologies including small scale “modular” coal plants that could burn the fuel more efficiently and step in when clouds and calm weather limit solar and wind power.
Environmentalists should not get excited that any State Department cooperation in Poland signals the Trump administration is eyeing a return to the Paris agreement, one of the sources said.
“It’s making sure U.S. interests are paramount, nothing more, nothing less.”
(Reporting by Timothy Gardner; Editing by Richard Valdmanis and Brian Thevenot) - 11/16/2018 CALIFORNIA WILDFIRES - Identifying Camp Fire victims takes toll on recovery teams - 130 still missing as a sad, delicate process plays out by Sam Gross and Elizabeth Weise, Reno Gazette Journal USA TODAY NETWORK
PARADISE, Calif. – The roving teams of forensic anthropologists have come from across the region to find the dead. They wear boots and masks, and use gloved hands and trowels to carefully pick through the ash of the quickmoving inferno.
Their task is complex, delicate and harrowing – find those who were unable to escape the flames, identify them and give closure to families desperately searching for reunification or at least certainty.
It is unlike anything anyone here has ever seen before. At least 56 people have been found dead in recent days, making the 215-square-mile Camp Fire the deadliest in California history.
“We’re all human. … No matter how many (recoveries) you do and how good you get at keeping your composure, it takes a toll on you,” Butte County Sheriff Kory Honea said. “It has an impact.”
Hundreds of acres of devastation, with only piles of rubble in some places to identify where structures once stood, face the dozens of teams slowly and painfully searching the area of the Camp Fire to identify the bodies. The fire was only 35 percent contained as of Wednesday.
The task ahead is daunting. Approximately 8,756 homes have burned – thousands more than any other fire in state history – and the list of those unaccounted for stood at 130 as of Wednesday.
In a charred landscape filled with the mangled remains of buildings and vehicles, the specially-trained eyes of forensic anthropologists have become crucial. “We’re skilled at telling the difference between burnt wood and burnt bones, and if they’re bones, we can tell if they are human or animal,” explained Marin Pilloud, a forensic anthropologist with the University of Nevada, Reno.
In Paradise, where most of the search operation is centered, the streets are dotted with hundreds of search personnel and teams of forensic anthropologists who have volunteered to help from sometimes hundreds of miles away.
So far, just three of the 56 people found dead have been publicly identified – Ernest Foss, 65, of Paradise; Jesus Fernandez, 48, of Concow; and Carl Wiley, 77, of Magalia.
The search
Pilloud and another forensic anthropologist from Nevada, Kyra Stull, led a team of 10 students tasked with identifying remains in the rubble of Paradise and other communities. Their process is systematic, and every house presents a new challenge. Buildings don’t collapse the same way, and the forensic experts are assisted by firefighters who often must cut apart large sheets of metal roofing that have “pancaked” on top of rubble and reinforce partially-collapsed structures.
Both Pilloud and Stull are accustomed to identifying burn victims, but what they experienced in Paradise was unparalleled. “At this scale and size of the damage, I’ve never experienced anything like that before,” Stull said.
Search crews are also sifting through the rubble of commercial buildings where people fleeing the flames may have attempted to take refuge.
Identifying those who died
As they are found, the remains are first cataloged at the site, noting where they were discovered, the movement of the fire and the surroundings.
Once all the information that can be gleaned from the site is noted down, the bodies are transported to the Sacramento County Morgue for autopsy.
There, investigators will first attempt more traditional means of identification, such as using fingerprints. If fingerprints aren’t an option, they will attempt to identify victims through dental records.
However, there is concern that some of those records may have been lost in the blaze. The town of Paradise is a near-complete loss. Among the destroyed buildings are many dentist’s offices. At that point, investigators would turn to dentists the victims might have seen previously.
Because so many of the bodies are believed to have been burned beyond recognition, officials are asking family members of those missing to submit DNA samples to see if they match any of the still-unidentified dead.
Making a plea for DNA samples even before all the victims had been recovered is “unprecedented,” said Honea. “Nobody has ever had to do this before.”
Teams comb through rubble looking for the remains of victims killed in the Camp Fire in Paradise. USA TODAY NETWORK - 11/16/2018 Cyclone ‘Gaja’ makes landfall in south India, kills 11 people
A fallen pole and a damaged motorbike are seen in a road after cyclone Gaja hit NEW DELHI (Reuters) – A cyclone made landfall in the southern Indian state of Tamil Nadu on Friday, killing at least 11 people, uprooting trees and knocking down electricity poles after more than 80,000 people were moved out of its path to safety, officials said.
Velankanni, in Nagapattinam district in the southern state of Tamil Nadu, India, November 16, 2018. REUTERS/Stringer
Cyclone “Gaja” made landfall in the early hours of Friday but then weakened as it moved inland, K. J. Ramesh, director general of the state-run India Meteorological Department, told Reuters.
Eleven people were known to have been killed, said an official from the Tamil Nadu State Disaster Management Authority.
The state government has set up more than 470 relief camps and had evacuated more than 80,000 people from their homes in vulnerable areas, said the official who declined to be identified as he is not authorized to speak to media.
Tamil Nadu Chief Minister Edappadi K Palaniswami announced compensation of 1 million rupees ($14,000) for the families of those killed.
(Reporting by Mayank Bhardwaj; Editing by Robert Birsel) - 11/17/2018 Too soon: Wintry blast a nightmare for many by T. Sudore, Doug Stanglin and Curtis Tate, USA TODAY
An early winter storm that dumped more than 6 inches of snow on New York City’s Central Park spread chaos and misery from the Midwest to New England to the Deep South on Thursday, caused at least seven deaths and triggered a New York-area commuter nightmare with jammed roadways and fuming travelers.
At one point, the weather service had issued winter storm warnings from western North Carolina to northern Maine, a distance of almost 1,000 miles.
Off the Virginia coast, NASA even had to postpone a planned supply mission to the international space station.
The wintry weather was moving quickly across New England on Friday but could linger in some parts through Saturday morning.
The early winter blast was blamed for at least seven deaths. In Mississippi on Wednesday, a tour bus bound for a casino overturned, leaving two people dead and 44 others injured. And in the Little Rock, Arkansas, area, three people were killed in separate crashes on icy roads Wednesday night.
Contributing: USA TODAY Network, The Associated Press
A car runs off Interstate 684 in New York. FRANK BECERRA JR./USA TODAY NETWORK - 11/17/2018 California firefighters rely on helicopters to contain wildfires by OAN Newsroom
Firefighters are now relying on helicopters to battle California’s wildfires, which have killed at-least 74 people, and left thousands unaccounted-for.
A bag containing human remains lies on the ground as officials continue to search at a burned Cal Fire Chief Chris Anthony said it’s becoming harder for fire crews to access steep and rocky terrain, during an interview Thursday.
out home at the Camp Fire, Sunday, Nov. 11, 2018, in Paradise, Calif. (AP Photo/John Locher)
He added the helicopters are becoming increasingly relied-upon to reach those areas and contain the wildfires.
A number of companies have sent aircraft to help with the efforts, including Columbia Helicopters, PJ Helicopters, and Erickson.
Anthony says the copters can “actually change those coverage levels,” speaking about the amount of water dropped. He added they are also able to determine “how much water drops, and [the] amount of time” needed, based on the fire’s severity.
This comes as the deadliest and most destructive wildfire in California’s history, the Camp Fire, reaches 50 percent containment after scorching 146,000+ acres of land. - 11/17/2018 San Francisco air quality worst level on its record by OAN Newsroom
The air quality index in San Francisco, California reaches its worst level on record, amid the smoke from the devastating Camp Fire in Butte County.
Officials on Friday said the air is now “very unhealthy” throughout most of the Bay area.
Residents are advised to stay indoors, and to keep their pets inside.
Air resources board officials are also recommending people in the area should wear respirators if they do go outside.
The conditions have been getting worse since the fire began last week, but some relief is in sight with the air expected to improve right before Thanksgiving. - 11/18/2018 INVESTIGATING CALIFORNIA’S WILDFIRES - They find the needle in a burned haystack - It’s not like CSI: Finding cause takes diligence by Jorge L. Ortiz, USA TODAY
SAN FRANCISCO – The increasing loss of life and property brought about by the Camp and Woolsey wildfires in California has been followed by questions regarding what ignited those catastrophes.
Investigators were trying to find the answers even before they were asked.
Cal Fire, the agency that responds to state wildfires, has people on call around the clock and they typically rush to the scene at the same time or right after firefighters, looking for early clues and trying to preserve evidence.
That’s just the initial step in a meticulous, painstaking process that renders a determination of the cause in more than 70 percent of the cases, a remarkable figure considering California agents usually encounter a charred landscape and perilous conditions.
Shane Cunningham, a Cal Fire staff chief who has been scrutinizing blazes since 2005, said he has narrowed the source of a fire down to something as small as a match head.
“It’s amazing what you can find,” he said. “You start with that general area of origin, work it with more intensity, looking at much smaller vector indicators, to get it down to your specific area of origin, then you stretch a grid line out and you get down on your hands and knees and you tediously go through each grid line you have out."
“And if you do that in that pattern, you can actually pick a match head that’s black and burnt out of a sea of other black and burnt stuff. I don’t think people believe it until the first time they do it.”
The cause of California’s two largest current fires is still being investigated.
Electricity provider PG& E has acknowledged reports of a power failure and damage to a transmission tower near the time and area where the Camp Fire was first spotted in northern California Nov. 8, though no direct link has been officially established. PG&E’s counterpart, Southern California Edison, also reported a power outage near the spot where the Woolsey Fire ignited northwest of Los Angeles on Nov. 8.
Whatever the actual sources of the blazes, chances are they will be discovered. Last year, Cal Fire found the cause of 73 percent of the wildfires in the state, including a determination that PG&E’s equipment was responsible for starting 16 of the 18 fires that broke out on Oct. 8 and 9 in the Wine Country and resulted in more than 40 deaths.
Data gathering needs to be done with the same attention to detail as in a crime scene, in part because the evidence could be used to prove charges of arson.
“It’s not like CSI on TV. Everybody looks at that and goes, ‘Oh, this is how everything’s done,’” said Tom Wieczorek, a former fire chief who is now a spokesman for the International City/ County Management Association.
“It’s really a lot of boots on the ground. You’re looking for signs, you’re looking for evidence. Were there flammable liquids used? Is there evidence of that? Because all those things do leave residual telltale signs. And you may have to bring in a trained dog that can sniff out that kind of thing."
Search and rescue personnel comb through debris searching for remains in Paradise, Calif. KELLY JORDAN/USA TODAY NETWORK “I think hopefully this will be the last of these, this was a really, really bad one.” President Donald Trump
Firefighters battle the Camp Fire north of Oroville, Calif. SCOTT CLAUSE/USA TODAY NETWORK 
President Donald Trump views wildfire damage in Paradise, Calif., on Saturday. SAUL LOEB/AFP/GETTY IMAGES [I think the California voters voted for the wrong party at the Midterms so maybe they will wake up in 2020.].
- 11/19/2018 California has the world’s worst air quality by Doyle Rice, USA TODAY
The flames from the devastating wildfires in northern California may be slowly diminishing, but the noxious smoke from the blazes continues to choke the air for millions of people in both Sacramento and the San Francisco Bay area.
In fact, air quality in northern California on Thursday was the worst in the world, even worse than notoriously smoggy cities in India and China, according to Purple Air, an air quality monitoring network.
The National Weather Service has posted an “air quality alert” for a large chunk of the state, which will be in effect until the fires are extinguished.
The smoke has canceled classes for tens of university students in the region, forced school recesses to be held indoors and spurred a record number of internet searches for smoke masks.
Wildfire smoke can cause or worsen health problems, including infectious bronchitis, asthma and heart failure, according to the EPA.
The weather service said Thursday that “a more significant pattern change appears likely during the latter half of next week with the potential for widespread rainfall.” Contributing: The Associated Press
Smoke and haze from wildfires obscure the San Francisco skyline. AP - 11/19/2018 Death toll rises to 11 in adenovirus outbreak by OAN Newsroom
The death toll rises to 11 from an outbreak of adenovirus at a New Jersey pediatric center. According to officials, the child was a resident at the Wanaque Center for Nursing and Rehabilitation and passed away Thursday night at an area hospital.
The death is the latest in a string of 34 reported pediatric cases, which began back in September, although, was not reported to authorities until the following month.
According to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention, the respiratory virus has multiple cold-like symptoms, including pneumonia or a sore throat.
Adenovirus can easily spread through close contact with those infected or touching contaminated objects.
Although it poses a mild threat to those it infects, all of the children who became ill were said to have had compromised immune systems from other medical conditions.
“This an extremely severe strain of adenovirus that couldn’t have occurred in a worse place given the medically fragile patients that live at the Wanaque facility,” stated Shereef Elnahal, commissioner for the New Jersey Health Department.
Shereef Elnahal, commissioner of the New Jersey Department of Health, Another case of the virus was confirmed late Thursday. One staff member also tested positive for adenovirus, but has since recovered.
speaks during a news conference announcing the 11th death in a viral outbreak at the Wanaque Center for Nursing and Rehabilitation,
Friday, Nov. 16, 2018, in Woodbridge, N.J. T (AP Photo/Julio Cortez)
According to local reports, workers at the facility claim it was understaffed to save money. Suggesting that cutting corners may have contributed to the spread of the virus.
Additionally, employees said the pediatric center also had a policy of keeping beds filled as long as possible or risk losing Medicaid funding.
It’s unclear how the virus started in the facility, though state health officials reported a lack of hand-washing may have played a role.
Staff are also separating those infected with the adenovirus from those without symptoms to stop it from spreading.
As of now, there is no vaccine available in the U.S. In the meantime, the pediatric center has since halted accepting any new patients, so the facility can get the viral outbreak under control. - 11/19/2018 At least 80 dead in Calif. wildfires, 993 people remain unaccounted for by OAN Newsroom
There has been slight progress in California as the number of missing persons went down amid several deadly fires.
As of Monday morning, 993 people remain unaccounted for. This has dropped by 300 as raw data changed when duplicate names were removed from official lists and some people got in contact with their families.
80 people have been confirmed dead, however, officials said the true death toll may never be known.
FILE – In this Friday, Nov. 16, 2018 file photo, a recovery dog searches for human remains in Paradise, Calif. Search and rescue teams are still on the ground in Butte County with a new sense of urgency as rain is predicted later this week.
Searchers are in a race against time with long-awaited rains expected in the Northern California fire zone where
dozens bodies have been recovered so far. While the rain is good for tamping down the still-burning Camp fire, it will turn the
fire zone into a muddy mess and make it more difficult for crews to search.(AP Photo/John Locher, File)
The rain is good news for the the thousands of fire personnel who are fighting the ‘Camp Fire,’ which is now 60-percent contained.
Meanwhile in Southern California, the ‘Woolsey Fire’ is 91-percent contained, but high winds are causing problems for firefighters. - 11/19/2018 Thousands evacuated as Guatemala’s Fuego volcano erupts
FILE PHOTO: The Fuego volcano spews smoke and ash as seen from San Miguel GUATEMALA CITY (Reuters) – Nearly 4,000 people were evacuated on Monday from areas around Guatemala’s Fuego volcano, which began violently erupting overnight, the country’s disaster agency Conred said.
Los Lotes in Escuintla, Guatemala, June 12, 2018. REUTERS/Carlos Jasso
The volcano spewed out dangerous flows of fast-moving clouds of hot ash, lava and gas early Monday and more than 2,000 people had taken refuge in shelters so far, officials from the agency told reporters. There were no immediate reports of injuries.
More dangerous flows of hot ash and lava could be expelled, said Juan Pablo Oliva, the head of the country’s seismological, volcanic and meteorological institute Insivumeh.
In June, explosive flows from Fuego killed more than 190 people.
This is the fifth eruption so far this year of the 3,763-meter (12,346-feet) volcano, one of the most active in Central America, about 19 miles (30 km) south of Guatemala City.
(Reporting by Enrique Garcia; Editing by David Gregorio) - 11/21/2018 Crews using cadaver dogs to search for missing persons in Calif. fires by OAN Newsroom
FILE – In this Friday, Nov. 16, 2018 file photo, A search and rescue dog searches Crews are using cadaver dogs to locate missing persons in the wake of the devastating Camp Fire in northern California.
for human remains at the Camp Fire, in Paradise, Calif. (AP Photo/John Locher, File)
“If there’s any evidence they can get confirmation with a canine and we’ll come in and also do their search,” said Captain Rick Crawford, Public Information Officer for Cal Fire. “If the canine senses something, they will either bark or give some type of signal.”
Recovery operations are underway in the town of Paradise, which was completely destroyed by the blaze. More than 80 people are confirmed dead, but more than 800 people are still unaccounted for.
FILE – In this Tuesday, Nov. 13, 2018 file photo, messages are shown on a bulletin board at The Neighborhood Church “You’re approaching cremation style temperatures and so hopefully, if they were in a protected area and they will remain intact,” said Capt. Crawford. “However, if not, we’re looking for any type of bone fragments, skeletal remains, things of that nature, that will survive the incident.”
in Chico, Calif. Numerous postings fill the message board as evacuees, family and friends search for people missing from
the northern California wildfire. Officials say the search to find the missing and identify victims could take months
given the size and scope of the deadly wildfire that swept Northern California’s Gold Rush country. (AP Photo/Gillian Flaccus, File)
Fire officials say the dogs may be able to help crews find even the smallest amount of human remains and help give some families closure.
A contingent of the California National Guard is also on scene, assisting coroners and forensic anthropologists with locating and identifying remains. - 11/22/2018 ‘Desperate’ low-lying Vanuatu seeks to sue climate change culprits by Praveen Menon and Charlotte Greenfield
FILE PHOTO: Protesters march to urge politicians to act against climate change WELLINGTON (Reuters) – Low-lying Vanuatu is considering suing fossil fuel companies and industrialized countries that use them for their role in creating catastrophic climate change, the foreign minister of the Pacific island nation said on Thursday.
in Paris, France, October 13, 2018. REUTERS/Philippe Wojazer/File Photo
Vanuatu, with an estimated population of 280,000 people spread across roughly 80 islands, is among more than a dozen Pacific island nations that already face rising sea levels and more regular storms that can wipe out much of their economies.
Foreign Minister Ralph Regenvanu said it was time that some of the billions of dollars of profits fossil fuel companies generate every year goes toward the damage they cause in countries like “desperate” Vanuatu.
“This is really about claiming for the damages,” he told Reuters in an interview.
Speaking at the Climate Vulnerable Forum’s Virtual Summit earlier in the day, Regenvanu announced the legal options Vanuatu was considering.
“My government is now exploring all avenues to utilize the judicial system in various jurisdictions – including under international law – to shift the costs of climate protection back on to fossil fuel companies, the financial institutions and the governments that actively and knowingly created this existential threat to my country,” he said.
About 64 percent of Vanuatu’s GDP was wiped out in a single cyclone in 2015, causing economic losses of $449.4 million, he said.
Samoa, on behalf of the 18 Pacific island forum members, including Vanuatu, on Saturday called on leaders of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) to pay more attention to climate change.
Regenvanu said Vanuatu was also pursuing the idea of joining hands with other nations to pursue legal action.
“We are looking for climate vulnerable countries who are willing to step up and be involved in such a case,” he told Reuters.
He said Vanuatu would discuss it with other countries at the 24th Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), known as COP24, next month.
“Vanuatu’s brave announcement today is part of a global wave of legal action against oil, gas, and coal companies and laggard governments,” Jennifer Morgan, executive director of Greenpeace International, said in a statement.
Climate change lawsuits against big corporations and governments are on the rise.
The U.S. city of Baltimore filed a lawsuit in June against 26 oil and gas companies and entities, including BP Plc, Chevron Corp and Exxon Mobil Corp, for knowingly contributing to what the city called the catastrophic consequences of climate change.
(Editing by Nick Macfie) - 11/23/2018 Study: Heat waves put damper on male fertility by Doyle Rice, USA TODAY
The latest problem to be linked to global warming: male sperm counts.
It’s not good news. According to a new study published Tuesday, male fertility appears to decline as temperatures soar. The study showed “clear evidence” that stress from heat waves reduces “sperm number and viability” in bugs.
The scientists used beetles to test their theory. Researchers say the insects can be used as a proxy for people.
Beetles are one of the most common species, “so these results are very important for understanding how species react to climate change,” said study coauthor Matt Gage, an ecologist at the University of East Anglia in the U.K.
Heat waves are predicted to be more frequent and more extreme as humancaused climate change continues.
“Research has also shown that heat shock can damage male reproduction in warm-blooded animals too, and past work has shown that this leads to infertility in mammals,” added lead author Kirs Sales, of the same university.
“Our research shows that heat waves halve male reproductive fitness, and it was surprising how consistent the effect was,” he added.
In human males, the testicles make sperm and, to do this, the temperature of the testicles needs to be cooler than the inside of the body, according to the University of Rochester Medical Center.
In the study published Tuesday, the researchers found “that heat wave conditions (9 to 13 degrees above the typical high temperature for five days) damaged male, but not female, reproduction. Heat waves reduce male fertility and sperm competitiveness, and successive heat waves almost sterilize males,” the study said.
[They never stop trying to come up with a way that Climate Change is going to get us.]. - 11/23/2018 Camp Fire death toll rises to 84 people by OAN Newsroom
Another person has been reported dead in California’s Camp Fire, bringing the death toll to 84 people. Fire officials updated the death toll late Thursday, and said the number could still rise as more than 560 people remain missing.
FILE – In this Friday, Nov. 16, 2018 file photo, search and rescue personnel search a home for human remains So far, the fire has burned upwards of 153,000 acres of land, and has destroyed more than 13,000 homes.
in the aftermath of the Camp Fire, in Paradise, Calif. Authorities say the fire is 95 percent contained Thursday, Nov. 22.
Rain is hampering teams searching for remains of people in rubble left by the devastating fire that destroyed Paradise. (AP Photo/John Locher, File)
Rainfall from Wednesday into Thursday helped fire containment efforts, and officials say the blaze is now 95% contained.
Meantime, the hunt for missing people is still ongoing, as authorities worry mudslides from the holiday rain could hamper rescue and recovery efforts. - 11/24/2018 Rain helps put Camp Fire at 95 percent containment by Doug Stanglin, USA TODAY
After 15 days of a runaway inferno, the raging Camp Fire that has killed 84 people and destroyed more than 13,000 homes in Northern California was 95 percent contained Friday, with rain helping extinguish hot spots and smoldering blazes.
Cal Fire, which tracks the state’s wildfires, said all containment lines “continued to hold” late Thursday and that tactical patrols in the area are responding to calls around the fire area. The blaze is no longer threatening any structures, fire officials say.
The National Weather Service forecasts rain over the next few days in the lower elevations of Northern California, which should help bring the blaze to an end by Nov. 30. But forecasters also warn that heavy rain on dry, burn scars could create flash flooding and debris slides.
With the fire threat receding, teams in hard-hit populated areas focused on the search for additional victims, particularly in Paradise, a retirement community with a population of 27,000. Paradise suffered the bulk of the deaths when the swift-moving fire, which broke out Nov. 8, swept through the town with little advance warning.
The Butte County Sheriff’s Office says more than 560 names remain on the missing list, but authorities emphasize that many of them may be safe and unaware they have been reported missing.
Since it erupted two weeks ago, the Camp Fire has blackened 239 square miles northeast of Sacramento, or an area more than twice the size of Detroit.
Noah Fisher looks over the remains of his home on Thursday in Paradise, California. JUSTIN SULLIVAN/GETTY IMAGES - 11/26/2018 Magnitude 6.3 earthquake hits western Iran; more than 400 hurt
A magnitude 6.3 earthquake struck western Iran near its border with Iraq on Sunday night, injuring more than 400 people and sending fearful residents running into the street, authorities said.
The temblor hit near Sarpol-e Zahab in Iran’s Kermanshah province, which was the epicenter of an earthquake last year that killed over 600 people.
Houshang Bazvand, governor of Kermanshah province, told Iranian state television that 411 people were hurt, though he said only 15 people were hospitalized.
- 11/27/2018 Climate change tops list for Dems - Policies could carry risks when the House changes hands by Ledyard King, USA TODAY
WASHINGTON – Capitol Hill Democrats who soon will run the House of Representatives are prioritizing climate change nearly a decade after their attempts to slow global warming helped whisk them out of power.
Party leaders vowed to hold hearings on President Donald Trump’s aggressive efforts to undo Obama-era climate rules and demanded internal documents on administration decisions to scale back restrictions on fossil fuels that contribute to global warming.
Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., who is vying to regain her role as House speaker, said she planned to revive a special congressional panel designed to examine climate change. The Select Committee on Energy Independence & Global Warming was shelved after Republicans took over the House in 2010.
That urgency grew after the release Friday of a dire government report that climate change poses an increasing risk to the planet in the form of extreme weather, worsening health conditions, the spread of new diseases, increasing drought and famine and economic decline.
Trump said Monday that he’s not buying the National Climate Assessment’s warning that the effects of global warming could reduce the nation’s GDP by as much as 10 percent by 2100. “I don’t believe it,” he said when asked about the conclusions of the report, which was written by dozens of top scientists from 13 federal agencies in the Trump administration. Though they won back the House during the midterm elections by campaigning largely on health care, Democrats got the backing of environmental groups that poured tens of millions of dollars into their campaigns and registered liberal voters.
The quandary for the party leaders when they take back power Jan. 3 is how aggressively to pursue an issue that contributed to the tea party wave that fueled the Republican takeover of the House in 2010. How prepared are they to address arguments that “alarmist” climate change policies would increase energy prices and reduce consumer choice? How willing are they to take on a president who was elected two years ago on an America First platform that promised to “bring back coal” as part of an energy independence agenda?
For now, Democrats are content to build a case through fierce congressional oversight and the power to subpoena administration records, knowing that any major legislation they could pass probably would be vetoed by the president even if it got past the Republican- controlled Senate.
Lawmakers led by incoming Energy and Commerce Committee Chairman Frank Pallone, D-N.J., demanded documents related to Environmental Protection Agency proposals to let states regulate their power plants, freeze fuel-efficiency standards for cars and light trucks and roll back requirements on the power industry to check and repair methane leaks.
“The tragic and human and financial costs of unchecked climate change are high and increasing fast, and unfortunately the administration’s actions for the last two years are only exacerbating these conditions,” Pallone wrote in a letter Nov. 20 to EPA Administrator Andrew Wheeler.
The emphasis on climate change – which Trump has labeled a “hoax” perpetrated by China – comes amid a cascade of scientific reports, including from the United Nations, that portend catastrophic social, economic and environmental consequences within decades if global temperatures keep rising.
Effects are already being felt through stronger hurricanes, more intense wildfires, melting glaciers and loss of habitat, researchers say.
The Trump administration has made expansion of fossil fuels, including more offshore oil and gas drilling and mining, a centerpiece of its energy and economic agenda. The president also pushed to undo Obama-era steps aimed at addressing climate change: proposing a new Clean Power Plan rule to give states more authority to regulate the industry; recommending a freeze on mile per gallon standards for cars and light trucks after the 2020 model year; and withdrawing from the Paris Agreement, the international accord to gradually reduce emissions of greenhouse gases such as carbon dioxide and methane.
“This agreement is less about the climate and more about other countries gaining a financial advantage over the United States,” Trump said June 1, 2017, when he announced the withdrawal from the Paris accord.
An EPA spokeswoman said the agency was reviewing Pallone’s letter.
David Doniger, a climate change expert with the Natural Resources Defense Council, said forcing records into the light of day could pressure the EPA to withdraw rules or Congress to pass laws if they show the agency selectively used information or improperly skewed cost-benefits analyses to favor the fossil fuels industry.
“It’s always important to know ... more about the real influence and the real reasons and the real beneficiaries of these decisions,” he said.
Pelosi was speaker in 2009 when the chamber narrowly passed a “cap and trade” bill to address climate change. The measure never came up for a vote in the Democratic-controlled Senate and helped fuel the tea party wave that propelled Republicans to take control of the House in 2010.
This is a postcard containing messages aiming to fight climate change made on the Aletsch glacier in Switzerland. VALENTIN FLAURAUD/EPA-EFE 
Frank Pallone - 11/28/2018 Australia storms turn Sydney streets into rivers, causing commuter chaos by Paulina Duran
Vehicles drive on a flooded street in Sydney, New South Wales, Australia November 28, 2018 SYDNEY (Reuters) – Torrential rain triggered flash flooding that turned streets into rivers in Sydney, Australia’s biggest city, on Wednesday, causing major disruptions to the morning commute.
in this still image taken from a video obtained from social media. @DeeCee451/via REUTERS
A spokesman for Ausgrid, the nation’s biggest electricity network, said the storm had so far left 8,100 homes without power around Sydney and the central coast.
There was chaos on the roads, with at least five stranded motorists needing to be plucked from rising floodwaters, the Australian Broadcasting Corporation reported.
“The storm is pretty intense in and around the airport,” a Sydney airport spokesperson said. “We are operating from a single runway so that means that there are delays and likely some flights will be canceled.”
The central Sydney area had received 90 millimeters of rain, according to the Bureau of Meteorology, and state emergency services received dozens of calls for help.
A series of storms was forecast to last through most of the day and ease in the evening, with strong winds continuing.
(Reporting by Paulina Duran; Editing by Mark Heinrich) - 11/28/2018 EU’s climate chief calls for net-zero emissions by 2050 by Alissa de Carbonnel
FILE PHOTO: EU Energy Commissioner Miguel Arias Canete attends a joint news conference with BRUSSELS (Reuters) – The European Union’s climate chief called for the bloc to take the lead and aim for net-zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2050 in its climate strategy published on Wednesday, ahead of key U.N. talks on curbing global warming.
Iran's nuclear chief Ali Akbar Salehi attends at the EC headquarters in Brussels, Belgium November 26, 2018. REUTERS/Yves Herman
As President Donald Trump pulls the United States out of the Paris climate accord, European Commission climate chief Miguel Arias Canete said the bloc had to lead by example at next week’s climate talks in Poland.
The EU executive published its strategy on Wednesday, setting out eight pathways to reducing emissions – two of which chart a course for Europe to becoming climate neutral by absorbing as much greenhouse gas as it emits.
“It’s worth becoming the first major economy to fully decarbonise, to fully reach net zero emissions,” Canete told Reuters on Tuesday. “It will require lots of effort, but it is doable.”
Under a package of climate legislation adopted since the 2015 Paris Agreement on containing global warming, the EU is on track to overshoot its pledge to reduce emissions by 40 percent from 1990 levels by 2030.
New targets on energy saving, renewables and transport emissions have helped set the bloc on course to cut emissions by 45 percent by 2030 and 60 percent by 2050.
“That’s okay, but we need to do more,” Canete said, arguing that investment in clean energy would help grow the economy and save money on fossil fuel imports.
Upcoming U.N. talks are the most important since the Paris Agreement, with delegates from 195 nations set to haggle over the details of the pact, which Washington has said it will quit.
The 2015 pact aims to shift the world economy away from fossil fuels and limit the rise in global temperatures to 2 degrees Celsius to avert more extreme weather, rising sea levels and the loss of plant and animal species.
By publishing its ambitious plan, EU officials hope to pull more weight at what are expected to be tough talks amid division among world powers.
“The role of the United States is less relevant and that puts more burden on our shoulders,” Canete said. “It will not be an easy conference, but the European Union arrives with lots of credibility.”
While Trump rejects projections that climate change will cause severe economic harm, a U.N. report detailing the dangers last month has spurred ministers from some EU nations to call for emissions to be cut at a faster rate than planned.
DIVISION WITHIN EU
However, European governments are also divided over how to strike a balance between climate policy and protecting high-employment sectors such as automakers and coal mining. Some, including economic powerhouse Germany, are struggling to meet their targets.
All of the pathways presented on Wednesday chart a rise in electricity consumption but some rely more heavily on storage while others more on alternative fuels like hydrogen.
In five scenarios the EU, responsible for some 10 percent of global greenhouse gas emissions, achieves reductions of about 85 percent by 2050 compared to 1990. Some sectors like agriculture still account for high emissions.
To achieve net negative emissions, the bloc will have to invest more in carbon capture and sustainable advanced biofuels but also encourage consumers to change their habits, the EU’s modeling shows.
The European Commission hopes that the publication of its long-term strategy will inspire national governments to greater ambition when they draft their own plans by the end of 2019 for meeting the bloc’s current climate goals.
(Reporting by Alissa de Carbonnel; Editing by Elaine Hardcastle) - 11/29/2018 Villagers fear for survival on India’s disappearing island by Rupak De Chowdhuri and Sunil Kataria
Children play on a banyan tree which was uprooted by high tide on GHORAMARA ISLAND, India (Reuters) – Residents of India’s Ghoramara Island want to leave their home as it shrinks each year due to rising seas, but many say they can’t afford it.
Ghoramara Island, India, September 7, 2018. REUTERS/Rupak De Chowdhuri
The 4.6 sq km (1.8 sq mile) island, part of the Sundarbans delta on the Bay of Bengal, has nearly halved in size over the past two decades, according to village elders.
The tiny island is home to 4,800 people, down from 7,000 a decade ago.
“If a tsunami or a big cyclone hits this island we will be finished,” said Sanjib Sagar, village leader on the island 150 km (93 miles) south of the Indian city of Kolkata.
(To see picture package, click on https://reut.rs/2TRX5dZ)
The Sundarbans, shared by India and Bangladesh, include the world’s largest mangrove forest as well as rare or endangered tigers, dolphins, birds and reptiles.
Ghoramara is among many islands in the delta affected by rising sea levels and soil erosion experts say is caused by climate change.
Residents say the flood waters are getting worse, threatening their homes and livelihoods.
“If government gives rehabilitation I will leave,” said Sheikh Aftab Uddin, sitting outside his new mud house with his wife, after his previous home was destroyed by flood waters.
Half of the villagers are ready to move if the government provided free land in a safer area, Sagar said, but there has been no response to their request for compensation or to move people off the island.
Two people in the office of Javed Ahmed Khan, the minister in charge of disaster management in the state government of West Bengal, declined to comment on whether it had any plans to relocate inhabitants.
Floods have churned the island’s shoreline into mud fringed with broken coconut palms. Fishermen cast their nets to try to take advantage of the rising waters.
As well as damaging homes, floods destroy valuable betel leaf crops that many islanders have depended on for a living.
“Every year, high-tide salt water enters my farm and destroys my cultivation, so I have to face a big loss,” said Mihir Kumar Mondal, a betel leaf farmer.
Climate change experts say the entire island population will have to be relocated one day.
“There has to be some planning for those people, in terms of relocating them to other areas. Frankly speaking, this has to be in the plan of the government,” said Suruchi Bhadwal, a researcher on climate change at the New Delhi-based Energy and Resources Institute.
(Reporting by Rupak De Chowdhuri and Sunil Kataria; Writing by Alasdair Pal; Editing by Sanjeev Miglani and Darren Schuettler) - 11/29/2018 Ebola outbreak in east Congo now world’s second biggest
FILE PHOTO: A medical worker wears a protective suit as he prepares to KINSHASA (Reuters) – The Ebola outbreak in eastern Congo is now the second biggest in history, with 426 confirmed and probable cases, the health ministry said late on Thursday.
administer Ebola patient care at The Alliance for International Medical Action (ALIMA) treatment center in Beni, North Kivu
province of the Democratic Republic of Congo September 6, 2018. REUTERS/Fiston Mahamba/File Photo
The epidemic in a volatile part of Democratic Republic of Congo is now only surpassed by the 2013-2016 outbreak in West Africa, where more than 28,000 cases where confirmed, and is bigger than an outbreak in 2000 in Uganda involving 425 cases.
Ebola is believed to have killed 245 people in North Kivu and Ituri provinces where attacks by armed groups and community resistance to health officials have hampered the response.
Congo has suffered 10 Ebola outbreaks since the virus was discovered there in 1976. It spreads through contact with bodily fluids and causes hemorrhagic fever with severe vomiting, diarrhoea and bleeding, and in many flare-ups, more than half of cases are fatal.
“This tragic milestone clearly demonstrates the complexity and severity of the outbreak,” Michelle Gayer, Senior Director of Emergency Health at the International Rescue Committee said in a statement. “The dynamics of conflict (mean) … a protracted outbreak is … likely, and the end is not in sight.”
(Reporting by Giulia Paravicini; Editing by Tim Cocks and Andrew Heavens) - 11/30/2018 Team’s work halted after claims it made gene-edited babies
China ordered a halt Thursday to work by a medical team that claimed to have helped make the world’s first gene-edited babies, as a group of leading scientists declared it’s still too soon to try to make permanent changes to DNA that can be inherited by future generations. - 11/30/2018 Australian kids walk out of school to protest climate inaction
Thousands of children hold placards and chant slogans after they walked out of school SYDNEY (Reuters) – Thousands of children walked out of school across Australia on Friday in protest against government inaction on climate change, prompting a rebuke from a minister who said they were setting themselves up for “failure.”
in protest against government inaction on climate change in Sydney, Australia, November 30, 2018. AAP/Dan Himbrechts/via REUTERS
Children, parents and teachers gathered in Sydney’s central business district in the lunch hour, chanting “ScoMo’s got to go,” referring to Prime Minister Scott Morrison.
There were similar protests in Melbourne, Brisbane, Perth and elsewhere after students in the national capital of Canberra held a protest earlier in the week.
“This is just the beginning. This is our first strike, our first movement altogether… We will keep leading more campaigns until something is done,” one of the protest leaders told the screaming, uniform-wearing crowd.
Australia is one of the largest carbon emitters per capita, in part because of its reliance on coal-fired power plants. Earlier this year, the conservative government also weakened its commitment to the U.N. Paris climate accord.
Energy policy has created deep fissures in the conservative coalition and climate change skeptics were a key force in deposing Malcolm Turnbull as prime minister in August.
Morrison has criticized the protests, saying he wanted more learning and less activism in schools, and Resources Minister Matt Canavan said the action was setting the children up for failure.
“Walking off school and protesting, you don’t learn anything from that,” Canavan said in a radio interview. “The best thing you learn about going to a protest is how to join the dole queue because that’s what your future life will look like.”
But teachers and parents at the protest said they believed the protests was significant for children’s learning.
“This is as good an education as being in a classroom… I think this is a good way for kids to learn to be involved, to be active and to take some action for something that affects them directly,” said Maria, a 39-year-old Sydney mother who accompanied her nine year-old son to the protest.
(Reporting by Karishma Luthria; Editng by John Mair and Nick Macfie) - 11/30/2018 USGS: 7.0 magnitude hit Anchorage, Alaska by OAN Newsroom
President Trump has been briefed on the situation in Alaska and a tsunami warning has been canceled after a powerful earthquake rocked the state’s largest city.
According to a statement released by police, there is major infrastructure damage across Anchorage. Many homes and buildings have been affected by the magnitude 7.0 tremor.
The earthquake happened Friday morning with an epicenter about five-miles north of Anchorage.
A car is trapped on a collapsed section of the offramp of Minnesota Drive in Anchorage, Friday, Nov. 30, 2018. Alaska’s governor has issued a disaster declaration, and authorities are urging residents to proceed with caution as roads and bridges have sustained major damage.
Back-to-back earthquakes measuring 7.0 and 5.8 rocked buildings and buckled roads Friday morning in Anchorage, prompting people
to run from their offices or seek shelter under office desks, while a tsunami warning had some seeking higher ground. (AP Photo/Dan Joling)
The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has diverted some planes and grounded several others. A main air traffic tower was evacuated and four airports were closed, following the quake.
- 12/1/2018 Alaska governor declares disaster after 7.0 quake by Chris Woodyard, USA TODAY
A magnitude 7.0 earthquake struck Friday morning near Anchorage, Alaska, causing widespread damage and alarming office workers who plunged under their desks.
Light fixtures fell, glass shattered, roadways collapsed and supermarket aisles were littered with fallen boxes, cans and jars. Video images showed some roadways had collapsed. One man tweeted a photo of his toppled chimney and a local television station showed its studio filled with debris.
Former Alaska governor and vice-presidential candidate Sarah Palin tweeted, saying her family is intact but her “house is not.”
“This is a large earthquake, and there have been numerous aftershocks,” said John Bellini, a geophysicist for the U.S. Geological Survey. He said the largest aftershock was a 5.7 magnitude quake about six minutes after the big one.
The quake struck at 8:29 a.m. local time about 7 miles north of Anchorage, the USGS reported. Officials canceled a tsunami warning for coastal areas of southern Alaska. Gov. Bill Walker said he had issued a disaster declaration.
Besides widespread damage, the earthquake disrupted some communications and electrical service, the state’s Division of Homeland Security and Emergency Management said.
Ted Stevens Anchorage International Airport closed for damage assessment, but was gradually being reopened. As a precaution, the trans-Alaska oil pipeline, which runs 800 miles, was shut.
President Donald Trump, who was briefed on the earthquake, tweeted that the federal government would “spare no expense” in helping Alaska through the quake’s aftermath.br> Contributing: The Associated Press
Books and ceiling tiles litter the floor of The Mat-Su College library
in Anchorage, Alaska, on Friday. HOLLY A. BELL VIA AFP/GETTY IMAGES - 12/1/2018 Two more blood pressure drugs recalled for potential cancer risk
Teva Pharmaceuticals has launched a recall of two drugs used to treat high blood pressure as yet more medications face concerns over a possible cancer risk.
The recall affects all lots of combination tablets featuring the drugs amlodipine and valsartan and another combo drug featuring amlodipine, valsartan and hydrochlorothiazide.
The drugs could contain an impurity called N-nitroso-diethylamine, which has been classified as a possible human carcinogen, the FDA said. Patients taking either drug should contact their doctor or pharmacist.
- 12/1/2018 US urged to send Ebola experts as Congo outbreak worsens
Global health experts are urging the Trump administration to allow U.S. government disease specialists to return to northeastern Congo to help fight the second-largest Ebola outbreak in history.
The U.S. experts have been sidelined for weeks, ordered away because of security concerns amid attacks from dozens of rebel groups. - 12/5/2018 New Caledonia, Vanuatu order evacuations after powerful quake, but suffer little impact
People gather outside during a quake evacuation in Noumea, New Caledonia (Reuters) – New Caledonia and Vanuatu ordered coastal evacuations on Wednesday after a powerful undersea earthquake triggered tsunami warnings in the South Pacific, but appeared to have suffered little damage.
December 5, 2018 in this still image taken from a video obtained from social media. Facebook/Jean Jacques Brunet/via REUTERS
The quake https://tmsnrt.rs/2QdrtkL of magnitude 7.6, which struck east of New Caledonia, was just 10 km (6 miles) deep and about 155 km (95 miles) east-southeast of the Loyalty Islands, the Pacific Tsunami Warning Centre said.
Authorities in the French territory urged people to move to locations more than 300 meters (984 ft) away from the shore, and if possible, to sites higher than 12 meters (39 ft) above sea level.
“The good news is, we have had no injuries or damage,” said Oliver Ciry, a spokesman for New Caledonia’s directorate for civil protection and risk management, adding that abnormal movements of the sea off the east coast and around the Loyalty Islands had been spotted earlier.
Neighboring Vanuatu also issued an evacuation warning.
Production of nickel, New Caledonia’s dominant export, was briefly interrupted by the quake, however.
Eramet, the operator of the Doniambo nickel plant in the main harbor of Noumea, on the west coast, initiated its tsunami alert process, a spokesman for the French mining and metals group said.
“The procedure is to ask people who work near the sea to move higher up,” he said, adding that he had felt the strong quake, although it did not cause prolonged shaking.
(Reporting by Melanie Burton, Swati Pandey, Charlotte Greenfield and Colin Packham; Editing by Paul Tait and Clarence Fernandez)- 12/5/218 Airport flooded in Libya’s Benghazi after heavy rain
Water floods the driveway of Benina airport terminal in Benghazi, Libya December 5, 2018. REUTERS/Ahmed al-Rabiey BENGHAZI, Libya (Reuters) – Heavy rain brought much of Libya’s second city Benghazi to a standstill on Wednesday, closing major roads and shutting its airport, officials said.
Water flooded the passenger terminal, rising up to 1.5 meters (5 feet), the airport’s deputy manager, Usama Ferjani, said. Parts of the parking lot were also under water.
Benghazi’s Benina airport had only been renovated and reopened in 2017 following a three-year closure during which military forces were fighting Islamists
Authorities in eastern Libya announced a two-day holiday as most public workers were unable to reach their offices.
The bad weather also forced the closure of all Libyan oil export ports as high waves made the docking of tankers impossible.
(Reporting by Ayman Warfali; Writing by Ahmed Elumami; Editing by Ulf Laessing and Alison Williams)- 12/6/2018 India’s polluted air claimed 1.24 million lives in 2017: study by Reuters Staff
FILE PHOTO: A man walks in front of India's presidential palace NEW DELHI (Reuters) – India’s toxic air claimed 1.24 million lives in 2017, or 12.5 percent of total deaths recorded that year, according to a study published in Lancet Planetary Health on Thursday.
Rashtrapati Bhavan on a smoggy morning in New Delhi, India, November 12, 2018. REUTERS/Anushree Fadnavis
More than 51 percent of the people who died because of air pollution were younger than 70, said the study conducted by academics and scientists from various institutions in India and around the world.
It was funded by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, the Indian government and the Indian Council of Medical Research.
Of the total, about 670,000 died from air pollution in the wider environment and 480,000 from household pollution related to the use of solid cooking fuels.
The Indian capital, New Delhi, was most exposed to the tiny particulate matter, known as PM 2.5, that can reach deep into the lungs and cause major health problems, the study concluded. Some northern states closer to Delhi were almost as bad.
Average life expectancy in India in 2017 would have been higher by 1.7 years if air quality was at healthy levels, the report said.
That isn’t as gloomy as some other recent studies. For example the University of Chicago’s report released last month said prolonged exposure to pollution reduces the life expectancy of an Indian citizen by over 4 years. (https://bit.ly/2UlIlV2)
Still, the new study shows India has a higher proportion of global health loss due to air pollution – at 26.2 percent of the world’s total when measured in deaths and disability – than its 18.1 percent share of the world’s population.
“The findings of this study suggest that the impact of air pollution on deaths and life expectancy in India might be lower than previously estimated but this impact is still quite substantial,” the study said.
Delhi’s air was “very poor” on Thursday, according to a federal pollution agency. The city’s quality of air has swung between “severe” to “hazardous” levels multiple times in the past two months.
The city residents’ apparent lack of concern about the toxic air – whether through ignorance, apathy or the impact of poverty – gives federal and local politicians the cover they need for failing to vigorously address the problem, pollution activists, social scientists and political experts have said.
Earlier this year, the World Health Organization said India was home to the world’s 14 most polluted cities. SOURCE: https://bit.ly/2RJlIbr The Lancet Planetary Health, online December 5, 2018.- 12/6/2018 At least four killed in Cyprus flooding
Divers search a swollen river in Kyrenia, north Cyprus, December 6, 2018. REUTERS/Yiannis Kourtoglou December 6, 2018 ATHENS (Reuters) – At least four people were killed in flooding in northern Cyprus as hail and rain hammered the island, Turkish Cypriot media reported on Thursday.
The victims died when their car was swept away during heavy rain late on Wednesday, media reported. Cyprus residents have reported virtually uninterrupted rain since early Tuesday, with some saying it was the heaviest in memory.
Flash flooding from an isolated downpour is not uncommon on the island, but sustained floods are rare. Further bad weather was expected on Thursday, with the met office issuing a severe alert warning for the next 24 hours.
“In minutes, it’s gone from beautiful sunshine to freezing cold with rumbles of thunder in the distance,” one northern Cyprus resident said. People were sewing sandbags to prevent water seeping through window seals and under doors, she said.
Images on social media showed cars swept into the sea or submerged in flood water and water gushing through homes.
Rivers burst their banks, causing damage in the Cypriot capital Nicosia and forcing the partial closure of a motorway linking the city to Kyrenia, a historic harbor town on the northern coast.
Many schools were shut. Damage was reported to the road network from torrential rain in the south of the island on Wednesday.
(Reporting By Michele Kambas; Editing by Janet Lawrence)- 12/9/2018 More common blood pressure meds recalled by Ken Alltucker, USA TODAY
A generic drug company has recalled three commonly prescribed blood pressure medications over concerns they could include small amounts of a cancer-causing impurity.
The recalled drugs all include the blood-pressure medication valsartan, the subject of a series of recalls by several drug companies since July.
The generic drug company Mylan Pharmaceuticals recalled 104 lots of three medications: valsartan tablets, combination tablets with the drugs valsartan and amlodipine, and combination tablets with valsartan and hydrochlorothiazide.
Testing revealed that valsartan contained trace amounts of N-nitrosodiethylamine, or NDEA, a possible human carcinogen, the company said. Amlodipine and hydrochlorothiazide in standalone form are not subject to the recall.
Alternative medications are available. Mylan said patients should consult their doctor or pharmacist before stopping their current medication.
Throughout the recalls, doctors have said that stopping a medication without a replacement drug could cause a patient more harm than continuing the drug. People with questions about the recall can call 888-406-9305.
The Food and Drug Administration is investigating the cause of the contaminated drugs, traced to a large factory in China and then to a second factory in India. They used a similar manufacturing process to make and supply valsartan to generic drug companies worldwide.
“We still don’t understand the complete root cause of this,” said Janet Woodcock, director of the FDA’s Center for Drug Evaluation and Research. “We understand part of it. We don’t understand all of the steps that led to this.”
Generic drug maker Mylan has recalled 104 lots of three blood pressure medications
that contain valsartan, some in combination with other drugs. JEFF SWENSEN/GETTY IMAGES- 12/11/2018 Arctic posts second warmest year on record in 2018: U.S. NOAA by Richard Valdmanis
FILE PHOTO: Sami reindeer herder Nils Mathis Sara, 60, drives his ATV (Reuters) – The Arctic had its second-hottest year on record in 2018, part of a warming trend that may be dramatically changing earth’s weather patterns, according to a report released on Tuesday by the U.S. National Oceanographic and Atmospheric Administration.
as he follows a herd of reindeer on the Finnmark Plateau, Norway, June 16, 2018. REUTERS/Stoyan Nenov
“Arctic air temperatures for the past five years have exceeded all previous records since 1900,” according to the annual NOAA study, the 2018 Arctic Report Card, which said the year was second only to 2016 in overall warmth in the region.
It marks the latest in a series of warnings about climate change from U.S. government bodies, even as President Donald Trump has voiced skepticism about the phenomenon and has pushed a pro-fossil fuels agenda.
The study said the Arctic warming continues at about double the rate of the rest of the planet, and that the trend appears to be altering the shape and strength of the jet stream air current that influences weather in the Northern Hemisphere.
“Growing atmospheric warmth in the Arctic results in a sluggish and unusually wavy jet-stream that coincided with abnormal weather events,” it said, noting that the changing patterns have often brought unusually frigid temperatures to areas south of the Arctic Circle.
Some examples are “a swarm of severe winter storms in the eastern United States in 2018, and the extreme cold outbreak in Europe in March 2018 known as ‘the Beast from the East.'”
Environmentalists have long warned of rapid warming in the Arctic, saying it threatens imperiled species like polar bears, and is a harbinger of the broader impacts of climate change on the planet.
Scientists have warned that the region could suffer trillions of dollars worth of climate change-related damage to infrastructure in the coming decades.
But the melting of Arctic ice has piqued the interests of polar nations like the United States, Canada and Russia by opening new shipping routes and expanding access to a region believed to be rich in petroleum and minerals.
The United States and Russia have both expressed an interest in boosting Arctic drilling, and Russia has bolstered its military presence in the north.
The NOAA report comes weeks after more than a dozen U.S. government agencies released a study concluding that climate change is driven by human consumption of fossil fuels and will cost the U.S. economy hundreds of billions of dollars by the end of the century.
Trump, who has been rolling back Obama-era environmental and climate protections to maximize production of domestic fossil fuels, said of the update to the National Climate Assessment: “I don’t believe it.”
Trump last year announced his intention to withdraw the United States from the 2015 Paris Deal agreed by nearly 200 nations to combat climate change, arguing the accord would kill jobs and provide little tangible environmental benefit.
(Writing by Richard Valdmanis; Editing by David Gregorio)- 12/13/2018 Climate change melts oldest, thickest Arctic ice by Doyle Rice, USA TODAY
Earth’s “air conditioner” is going haywire.
Due to climate change, temperatures in the Arctic are among the highest on record, and the amount of sea ice there is close to its all-time lowest level, federal scientists announced Tuesday.
In fact, Arctic air temperatures over the past five years (2014-18) have exceeded all previous records since 1900, and the area is warming at two times the rate of other places on Earth.
The report was prepared by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.
Overall, the Arctic is enduring “its most unprecedented transition in human history,” report lead author Emily Osborne of NOAA said Tuesday.
In addition, the report said wintertime sea ice in the Bering Sea is at its lowest level on record and that overall, almost all of the Arctic Ocean’s oldest, thickest ice has been lost.
While still frigid by our standards down here, “the effects of persistent Arctic warming continue to mount,” the annual “Arctic report card” noted.
The weird heat in the Arctic could be affecting U.S. weather, shoving more powerful winter storms and more intense cold snaps southward.
The Arctic warmth is not occurring naturally, scientists say. The changes “are sufficiently rapid that they cannot be explained without considering our impacts on the chemistry of the atmosphere,” report co-author and University of Georgia scientist Thomas Mote told CNN.
Wildlife is also affected by the warmth, as Arctic caribou and reindeer populations are shrinking. Plastic pollution – which can harm marine life – is also showing up in the water up there.- 12/14/2018 Mexico loses ten-year WTO battle over U.S. tuna labeling by Tom Miles
FILE PHOTO: A worker checks the quality of Mexican tuna displayed GENEVA (Reuters) – The United States won a legal battle over “dolphin safe” tuna-labeling on Friday, when the World Trade Organization’s appeals judges dismissed Mexico’s argument that the U.S. labeling rules violated WTO rules.
at a fish market in Mexico City, Mexico May 18, 2017. REUTERS/Henry Romero/File Photo
More than 10 years after the dispute first came to the WTO in October 2008, the WTO ruling ended Mexico’s claim that U.S. labeling rules unfairly penalized its fishing industry.
Mexico said it had cut dolphin deaths to minimal levels but that it was being discriminated against by U.S. demands for paperwork and sometimes government observers. Tuna catches from other regions did not face the same stringent tests, it said.
The dispute centered on U.S. refusal to grant a “dolphin safe” label to tuna products caught by chasing and encircling dolphins with a purse seine net in order to catch the tuna swimming beneath them. Mexico’s tuna fleet in the eastern tropical Pacific Ocean used such methods almost exclusively.
“Dolphin-safe tuna” could only be used to describe tuna captured in nets where there was no death or serious injury of dolphins. But the WTO found that “setting on” dolphins with a purse seine net was likely to kill or injure them, even if there was not observable evidence of such deaths and injuries.
The United States lost a first round of the legal battle and changed its rules in 2013. The WTO said the rule change was not enough and a second U.S. rule change followed in 2016.
In April last year Mexico won the right to impose $163 million in annual trade sanctions if the WTO ruled that U.S. labeling laws were still not in line with WTO rules. Mexico had said it planned to impose the sanctions on imports of U.S. high-fructose corn syrup.
Six months later the WTO said the U.S. tuna labeling rules were now WTO-compliant, derailing Mexico’s case and its claim for sanctions. Mexico appealed, leading to Friday’s ruling.
(Reporting by Tom Miles, editing by Stephanie Nebehay, Richard Balmforth)- 12/17/2018 Indonesia’s Soputan volcano erupts, ejecting thick ash
A volcano in central Indonesia erupted, ejecting columns of thick ash more than 24,000 feet.
Mount Soputan, on the northern part of Sulawesi island, erupted twice Sunday morning, according to the national disaster agency’s spokesman, Sutopo Purwo Nugroho.- 12/19/2018 Louisiana declares an outbreak of 25 hepatitis A cases by Janet McConaughey, ASSOCIATED PRESS
NEW ORLEANS – Louisiana’s Department of Health has declared an outbreak of hepatitis A, hoping to keep numbers low for the highly contagious liver disease.
Twenty-five of the 28 cases reported this year are counted in the outbreak, said Dr. Joe Kanter, the assistant state health officer.
“Compared to what some other states are experiencing, we’re quite fortunate and want to keep it that way,” Kanter said Tuesday, noting that Kentucky is reporting 3,122 cases, Tennessee 561, Florida 413 and Arkansas 217.
Arkansas, California, Indiana, Massachusetts, Michigan, Missouri, New Mexico, North Carolina, Ohio, Utah and West Virginia also have reported outbreaks, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. From January 2017 to October 2018, 12 states had reported more than 7,500 infections, it said in October.
see a handful of hepatitis A cases every year,” Kanter said. “What has made this year different is the increased number, and the number specifically linked to outbreaks in the Baton Rouge area and the Morehouse Parish area.”
Kanter said officials hope to convince people most at risk to get vaccinated, and want to best coordinate federal, state and community resources to fight the disease.
“It’s easily preventable; the vaccine is great,” Kanter said.
Risk groups include illegal drug users and people who are homeless, jailed or in transient housing. A national advisory committee voted in October to recommend routine vaccinations for homeless people. Most of Louisiana’s patients have used illegal drugs or been in contact with someone else who had the disease, Kanter said.
The Office of Public Health has bought 3,000 doses of vaccine, plans to buy 1,600 more and is working with partner organizations to reach homeless people and drug users, according to a statement from the Louisiana Department of Health.
The department said five to 10 cases have been reported in Morehouse Parish, with fewer than five in neighboring Ouachita Parish, according to the department’s website. East and West Baton Rouge parishes also have reported fewer than five each, along with neighboring Pointe Coupee, Ascension and Livingston parishes. New Orleans and St. Tammany parishes also reported fewer than five each, as have Allen Parish in southwest Louisiana and Lafayette Parish in Cajun country.
The illness is spread by eating or drinking something that’s contaminated, during sex or through close contact such as living with an infected person.
It can make people sick for weeks, even months. The CDC said in October that about 74 people had died and more than 4,300 have been hospitalized.
Some infected people never show symptoms, which can include nausea and vomiting, abdominal pain, diarrhea, feeling tired, fever, loss of appetite, yellowing of the skin and eyes (jaundice), dark urine, pale-colored feces and joint pain.- 12/19/2018 Scary statistic: 90.5 percent of plastic is not recycled
The world’s burgeoning plastic waste crisis has won the attention of Britain’s Royal Statistical Society, which chose 90.5 percent – the proportion of plastic waste that has never been recycled – as its international statistic of the year.
The society chooses a winner from nominations made by the public.- 12/23/2018 Volcano-triggered tsunami kills at least 43 in Indonesia, injures hundreds by Jessica Damiana
Residents sit inside a mosque as they evacuated following high waves and the eruption of JAKARTA (Reuters) – A tsunami killed at least 43 people on the Indonesian islands of Java and Sumatra and injured hundreds following an underwater landslide caused by a volcanic eruption, the disaster mitigation agency said on Sunday.
Anak Krakatau volcano at Labuan district in Pandeglang regency, Banten province, Indonesia, December 22, 2018
in this photo taken by Antara Foto. Picture taken December 22, 2018. Antara Foto/Muhammad Bagus Khoirunas/ via REUTERS
Some 584 people were injured and hundreds of homes and other buildings were “heavily damaged” in the tsunami which struck late on Saturday.
On Dec. 26 in 2004, an Indian Ocean tsunami triggered by an earthquake killed 226,000 people in 13 countries, including more than 120,000 in Indonesia.
Endan Permana, head of the agency in Pandeglang, told Metro TV police were providing immediate assistance to victims in Tanjung Lesung in Banten province, a popular tourist getaway not far from the capital, Jakarta, as emergency workers had not arrived in the area yet.
“Many are missing,” Permana said.
The agency said it was still compiling information and there was a “possibility that data on the victims and damage will increase.”
The tsunami was caused by “an undersea landslide resulting from volcanic activity on Anak Krakatau” and was exacerbated by abnormally high tide because of the current full moon, disaster agency spokesman Sutopo Purwo Nugroho said.
According to a statement from the Meteorology, Climatology and Geophysics Agency (BMKG), Krakatau erupted at just after 9 p.m. and the tsunami struck at around 9.30 p.m. on Saturday.
“The tsunami hit several areas of the Sunda Strait, including beaches in Pandeglang regency, Serang, and South Lampung,” the agency said.
Nugroho told Metro TV that tsunamis triggered by volcanic eruptions were “rare” and that the Sunda Strait tsunami had not resulted from an earthquake.
“There was no earthquake, and the Anak Krakatau eruption also wasn’t that big,” Nugroho told Metro TV, noting there were no “significant” seismic tremors to indicate a tsunami was coming.
The Krakatau eruption created a column of volcanic ash estimated to be up 500 meters high.
(Reporting by Gayatri Suroyo, Tabita Diela and Jessica Damiana; Writing by Fergus Jensen; Editing by Nick Macfie)- 12/23/2018 At least 20 killed, 165 wounded after tsunami hits Indonesia
A tsunami apparently caused by undersea landslides from a volcanic island killed at least 20 people after the waves hit the coast around Indonesia’s Sunda Strait, the government reported.
Another 165 people were hurt and dozens of buildings damaged Saturday night.
The Meteorology and Geophysics agency said it could have been caused by undersea landslides from Anak Krakatau, a volcanic island formed over years from the Krakatau volcano.
[As seen above on 12/17/2018 Indonesia’s Soputan volcano erupts, ejecting thick ash. A volcano in central Indonesia erupted, ejecting columns of thick ash more than 24,000 feet. Mount Soputan, on the northern part of Sulawesi island, erupted twice Sunday morning, according to the national disaster agency’s spokesman, Sutopo Purwo Nugroho.]
- 12/23/2018 Tsunami from erupting Krakatau kills at least 222 in Indonesia by Johan Purnomo and Adi Kurniawan
A local walks near her damaged house hit by tsunami at Tanjung Lesung district in Pandeglang, Banten province, PANDEGLANG, Indonesia (Reuters) – A tsunami killed at least 222 people and injured hundreds on the Indonesian islands of Java and Sumatra following an underwater landslide believed caused by the erupting Anak Krakatau volcano, officials and media said on Sunday.
Indonesia, December 23, 2018 in this photo taken by Antara Foto. Antara Foto/Muhammad Bagus Khoirunas/ via REUTERS
Hundreds of homes and other buildings were “heavily damaged” when the tsunami struck, almost without warning, along the rim of the Sunda Strait late on Saturday, Sutopo Purwo Nugroho, spokesman for the disaster mitigation agency, said.
Thousands of residents were forced to evacuate to higher ground. By 1040 GMT, the disaster agency had raised the death toll to 222 from 168, with 843 injured and 28 missing.
TV images showed the seconds when the tsunami hit the beach and residential areas in Pandeglang on Java island, dragging with it victims, debris, and large chunks of wood and metal.
Coastal residents reported not seeing or feeling any warning signs, such as receding water or an earthquake, before waves of 2-3 meters (6-10 feet) washed ashore, according to media.
Authorities said a warning siren went off in some areas.
The timing of the tsunami, over the Christmas holiday season, evoked memories of the Indian Ocean tsunami triggered by an earthquake on Dec. 26 in 2004, which killed 226,000 people in 13 countries, including more than 120,000 in Indonesia.
Oystein Lund Andersen, a Norwegian holidaymaker, was in Anyer town with his family when Saturday’s tsunami struck.
“I had to run, as the wave passed the beach and landed 15-20 meters inland. Next wave entered the hotel area where I was staying and downed cars on the road behind it,” he said on Facebook. “Managed to evacuate with my family to higher ground through forest paths and villages, where we are taken care of by the locals.”
Graphic of disaster zone https://tmsnrt.rs/2RdjsMd
EVACUATION WARNING
Authorities warned residents and tourists in coastal areas around the Sunda Strait to stay away from beaches and a high-tide warning remained in place through until Dec. 25.
“Those who have evacuated, please do not return yet,” said Rahmat Triyono, an official at the Meteorology, Climatology and Geophysics Agency (BMKG).
President Joko Widodo, who is running for re-election in April, said on Twitter that he had “ordered all relevant government agencies to immediately take emergency response steps, find victims and care for the injured.”
Vice President Jusuf Kalla told a news conference the death toll would “likely increase.”
Saturday’s tsunami was the latest in a series of tragedies that have struck Indonesia, a vast archipelago, this year.
Successive earthquakes flattened parts of the tourist island of Lombok, and a double quake-and-tsunami killed thousands on Sulawesi island. Nearly 200 people died when a Lion Air passenger plane crashed into the Java Sea in October.
Rescue workers and ambulances were finding it difficult to reach affected areas because some roads were blocked by debris from damaged houses, overturned cars and fallen trees.
The western coast of Banten province in Java was the worst-hit area, Nugroho told reporters in Yogyakarta. He said at least 35 people were reported dead in Lampung in southern Sumatra.
The waves washed away an outdoor stage where a local rock band was performing in Tanjung Lesung in Banten province, a popular tourist getaway not far from the capital, Jakarta, killing at least one musician. Others were missing.
Around 250 employees of the state utility company PLN had gathered in Tanjung Lesung for an end-of-year event, company spokesman I Made Suprateka told Reuters. At least seven people were killed, and around 89 are missing, he said.
Dramatic TV footage showed the seconds when the tsunami hit a concert at the event and washed away the stage where the band, Seventeen, was performing.
“WASHED AWAY”
“The water washed away the stage which was located very close to the sea,” the band said in a statement. “The water rose and dragged away everyone at the location. We have lost loved ones, including our bassist and manager … and others are missing.”
Police officers rescued a young boy who was trapped in a car buried under fallen trees and rubble, according to a video of his rescue posted on Twitter by the Indonesian National Police, who did not give any information as to the boy’s identity.
Officials were trying to determine the exact cause of the disaster.
Anak Krakatau, an active volcano roughly halfway between Java and Sumatra, has been spewing ash and lava for months. It erupted again just after 9 p.m. on Saturday and the tsunami struck at around 9.30 p.m., according to BMKG.
The tsunami was caused by “an undersea landslide resulting from volcanic activity on Anak Krakatau” and was exacerbated by abnormally high tide because of the full moon, Nugroho said.
Ben van der Pluijm, an earthquake geologist and a professor in the University of Michigan, said the tsunami may have been caused by a “partial collapse” of Anak Krakatau.
“Instability of the slope of an active volcano can create a rock slide that moves a large volume of water, creating local tsunami waves that can be very powerful. This is like suddenly dropping a bag of sand in a tub filled with water,” he said.
The eruption of Krakatau, previously known as Krakatoa, in 1883 killed more than 36,000 people in a series of tsunamis.
Anak Krakatau is the island that emerged from the area once occupied by Krakatau, which was destroyed in 1883. It first appeared in 1927 and has been growing ever since.
Neighboring Malaysia and Australia both said they were ready to provide assistance if needed.
(Editing by Alison Williams)- 12/24/2018 Indonesia searches for survivors after volcano triggers tsunami, kills 281 by Fergus Jensen
A local resident affected by the tsunami stands next to debris in Carita beach in LABUAN, Indonesia (Reuters) – The death toll from a tsunami triggered by a massive underwater landslide on an Indonesian volcano rose to 281 on Monday, as rescuers using heavy machinery and their bare hands searched through debris in the hope of finding survivors.
Pandeglang, Banten province, Indonesia, December 24, 2018. REUTERS/Jorge Silva
Indonesia’s meteorological agency confirmed the collapse of part of Anak Krakatau, a volcano midway between Java and Sumatra, caused a tsunami 2-3 meters (6-10 feet) high that hit the rim of the Sunda Strait late on Saturday.
At least 1,000 people were injured and nearly 12,000 coastal residents forcibly evacuated to higher ground, with a high-tide warning extended to Wednesday.
Anak Krakatau, which means child of Krakatau, has been spewing ash and lava for months. Sixty-four hectares (0.64 square km) of the southwest side of the volcano collapsed.
“This caused an underwater landslide and eventually caused the tsunami,” said Dwikorita Karnawati, head of the meteorological agency.
Aid trickled in to Pandeglang, the worst-affected area on Java’s west coast, and hundreds of soldiers and volunteers picked through piles of wreckage looking for bodies along a 100 km (60 mile) stretch of beach.
The vast archipelago, which sits on the Pacific “Ring of Fire,” has suffered its worst annual death toll from disasters in more than a decade. Earthquakes flattened parts of the tourist island of Lombok in July and August, and a double quake-and-tsunami killed more than 2,000 people on Sulawesi island in September.
Saturday’s tsunami came with almost no warning and destroyed more than 700 buildings, from small shops and houses to villas and hotels.
Disaster mitigation agency spokesman Sutopo Purwo Nugroho said Indonesia had no warning system for volcanoes and underwater landslides.
President Joko Widodo visited the area on Monday and said an alert system was needed.
“I’ve instructed the Meteorology, Climatology, and Geophysical Agency to buy a detection device or a system that would provide an early warning so that the residents can be spared,” he told reporters.
Several scientists said earlier the most likely cause of the tsunami was the collapse of part of the volcano.
Indonesia tsunami disaster zone: https://tmsnrt.rs/2RdjsMd
ROADS JAMMED
Families continued to stream out of the area on Monday for fear of further tsunamis, jamming roads already blocked by debris.
Britain, Australia and Canada advised nationals to monitor the situation closely and the United States embassy said it was ready to assist if needed.
The timing of the tsunami over the Christmas season evoked memories of the Indian Ocean tsunami triggered by an earthquake on Dec. 26, 2004, which killed 226,000 people in 14 countries, including more than 120,000 in Indonesia.
Witnesses recalled how a light breeze was followed by a huge wave that smashed together wooden fishing boats moored off the coast.
Dented vehicles were shunted together by a wave that carried chunks of metal, felled trees and left roof tiles, wooden beams and household items strewn across roads. Some cars ended up in rice fields.
Nurjana, 20, ran for half an hour to the mountains after the tsunami hit. Her beachside stall, where she sold snacks to tourists, was washed away.
“I opened the door straight away and saved myself. I jumped over the wall,” she told Reuters.
“Everything is destroyed.”
Heavy equipment was being used to help with rescue efforts. Medics were sent in with the military, while groups of police and soldiers reached remote areas.
One team of volunteers who worked on disasters in Lombok and Palu was looking for victims at Villa Stephanie, one of dozens of beachside retreats, where eight people were missing.
“It’s difficult here because it’s piled with debris,” said West Jakarta Tagana chairman Muhammad Idris, who led the team.
“This year has been pretty busy. The disasters have been more severe,” he said.
At least five bodies were found in that area on Monday. Military and other rescuers used an excavator to remove cars and debris, including piles of steel roofing tangled like spaghetti.
MASS BURIAL
The western coast of Banten province in Java, Indonesia’s most populated island, was also badly hit and at least 60 people were killed in Lampung in southern Sumatra, the disaster agency said.Television footage showed how the tsunami washed away an outdoor stage where Indonesian rock band Seventeen was performing for hundreds of guests at a party for utility company Perusahaan Listrik Negara (PLN).
At least four band members and support crew were killed, lead singer Riefian “Ifan” Fajarsyah told followers in a tearful Instagram account. The band’s drummer was among the missing.
Another 29 PLN employees and relatives were also killed.
Anak Krakatau erupted again just after 9 p.m. on Saturday and the tsunami struck 24 minutes later. Earthquake geologist Ben van der Pluijm said an underwater landslide would be “like suddenly dropping a bag of sand in a tub filled with water.”
The eruption of Krakatau in 1883 killed more than 36,000 people in a series of tsunamis. Anak Krakatau is the island that emerged from the area in 1927 and has been growing ever since.
(Additional reporting by Johan Purnomo and Adi Kurniawan in PANDEGLANG and Fanny Potkin, Tabita Diela and Wilda Asmarni in JAKARTA; Writing by Kanupriya Kapoor and Martin Petty; Editing by Paul Tait)- 12/24/2018 Tsunami kills hundreds along Indonesian coast -Beach crowds swelled by holiday tourism, increasing toll by John Bacon, USA TODAY
The death toll surpassed 200 and was rising Sunday after a tsunami rocked a coastal area of Indonesia, sweeping away hundreds of homes and hotels.
The hardest hit area, the Pandeglang District on the island of Java, reported 164 deaths, 624 people injured and two people missing, according to the Indonesia Disaster Mitigation Agency. The agency said the number of dead and the breadth of the destruction were likely to rise as searchers descend on the damaged parts of the country.
The area is a tourist mecca, and the agency said many of the victims were visiting beaches for the holidays. The equatorial Southeast Asian nation, the world’s fourth-most populated, is made up of thousands of volcanic islands.
Natasya Phebe, a health specialist with humanitarian aid group World Vision, was at a restaurant on the beach minutes before the tsunami hit. She said she noticed a rise in the sea level and a lot of garbage floating in the water.
“Then I heard the ocean rumbling and felt an odd vibration, so we decided to leave,” she said. “Ten minutes later the tsunami hit, and now that restaurant is gone.”
She said her medical team was seeing numerous trauma injuries, some the result of motorbike crashes and other collisions amid the chaos and panic as vacationers fled the roaring water.
The disaster agency said 222 people were known to have died. Another 843 people were injured and 30 people were missing. All the fatalities in the initial counts were Indonesian, the agency said. The government was setting up food and water distribution stations and mobile medical facilities.
“We are preparing an air survey and mapping with the help of the Indonesian military,” agency spokesman Sutopo Purwo Nugroho said.
Indonesian President Joko Widodo said he ordered all government agencies to conduct emergency response measures aimed at rescuing survivors and saving lives.
“My deep condolences to the victims in Banten and Lumpung provinces,” he said. “Hopefully, those who are left have patience.”
Footage posted on social media from an outdoor concert by the band Seventeen shows a raucous audience clapping and dancing moments before the stage collapses as the tsunami hits.
The band’s lead singer, Riefian Fajarsyah, later posted on Instagram that some band members had died and others were missing. His wife was also among those unaccounted for.
“Please pray that my wife Dylan (Sahara) will be found soon,” he said.
The band later announced a second death. At least one other band member and another member of the band’s crew also were missing.
“The tide rose to the surface and dragged all the people on site,” the band’s statement said. “Unfortunately, when the current receded our members are unable to save themselves while some did not find a place to hold on.”
The international aid organization Oxfam said it was coordinating with Indonesian authorities and other humanitarian agencies in order to assess the needs.
“We know affected communities will need food and access to clean water,” Oxfam Australia’s Humanitarian Manager Meg Quartermaine said.
The tsunami is the second to hit Indonesia in three months. A tsunami triggered by an earthquake killed more than 2,000 people in September.
This time, Indonesia’s Meteorology and Geophysics Agency said it recorded a series of tremors and an eruption of Mount Anak Krakatau, a volcanic island in the Sunda Strait near Java. But the agency said it was not certain the eruption triggered the tsunami.
Last week, the agency had warned that at least 20 volcanoes in the country were experiencing higher than normal levels of activity. Volcanoes are popular tourist destinations during the holiday season.
Most major telecommunications companies in the region said their networks were holding up well.
XL Axiata group spokesman Tri Wahyuni told the Antara news agency the network was “safe and normal so far.”
The tsunami struck the area around Sundra Strait, which connects the Java Sea to the Indian Ocean, shortly before 9:30 p.m. Saturday.
“I had to run, as the wave passed the beach and landed (more than 50 feet) inland,” Norwegian Oystein Lund Andersen wrote on Facebook. “Next the wave entered the hotel area where I was staying and downed cars on the road behind it.”
He said he and his family fled to higher ground through a forest, where villagers aided them.
“Kind of crazy having experienced a tsunami,” he said. “And I have now officially even outrun one.”
People inspect the rubble after a tsunami reached more than 50 feet inland and swept away hotels, hundreds of houses and people attending a beach concert. AP 
The Anak Krakatau volcano erupts on Saturday. The island volcano was blamed for generating the tsunami. AP 
Residents inspect a house damaged by a tsunami in Carita, Indonesia, [December 2004, a massive magnitude 9.1 earthquake off Sumatra island in western Indonesia triggered a tsunami that killed 230,000 people in a dozen countries.
on Sunday. The tsunami, apparently caused by the eruption of an island volcano,
killed a number of people around Indonesia’s Sunda Strait. AP
Jan. 23 2018 a 6.0 quake, Indonesia, and on June 28 2018, a volcano eruption in Indonesia, closed airport on Bali, then on July 28 2018, ash eruption at Vanuatu volcano in the Pacific, and a 6.4 earthquake in Indonesia, then on 7/30/2016 a strong earthquake hits Indonesia, killing at least 14, and on August 5 2018 a 6.9 quake in Indonesia, on 8/6/2018 Dozens dead, and by 8/20/2018 quakes cut power, toppled buildings on Indonesian island.
On 9/29/2018 hundreds killed by Indonesian quake, tsunami, with toll seen rising, 9/30/2018 384 dead, jumps to 832 dead as rescuers struggle, and by 10/1/2018 death toll from quake and tsunami passes 800. and by 10/2/2018 as toll rises above 1,200, and 10/5/2018 toll rises above 1,500, and 10/9/2018 toll exceeds 2,000.
On 10/13/2018 Indonesia flash floods, and landslides kill at least 21, destroy hundreds of homes.
And on 12/17/2018 Indonesia’s Soputan volcano erupts, ejecting thick ash, and by 12/23/2018 Volcano-triggered tsunami that kills at least 43 in Indonesia, injures hundreds, and by 12/23/2018 20 killed, 165 wounded, toll, and by 12/24/2018 281 dead.
You would think that this Muslim nation would get the message and move away.].
- 12/24/2018 Italy’s Mount Etna erupts, authorities close airport
FILE PHOTO: Volcano guides stand in front of Italy's Mount Etna, Europe's tallest and most CATANIA, Italy (Reuters) – Italy’s Mount Etna, Europe’s highest and most active volcano, erupted on Monday, sending a huge column of ash into the sky and causing the closure of Catania airport on Sicily’s eastern coast.
active volcano, as it spews lava during an eruption on the southern island
of Sicily, Italy February 28, 2017. REUTERS/Antonio Parrinello/File Photo
A chain of around 130 earth tremors have rocked the volcano since around 0800 GMT on Monday, Italy’s National Institute for Geophysics and Volcanology said, with the strongest posting a magnitude of 4.0.
There were no reports of any injuries.
The 3,330 meter high volcano can burst into spectacular action several times a year, spewing lava and ash high over the Mediterranean island. The last major eruption was in 1992.
(Reporting by Giselda Vagnoni, writing by Gavin Jones; Editing by Toby Chopra)- 12/25/2018 Indonesian rescuers use drones, sniffer dogs as tsunami death toll tops 400 by Fergus Jensen
People rest at an evacuation centre at Sidamukti town hall after a tsunami hit LABUAN, Indonesia (Reuters) – Indonesian rescuers on Tuesday used drones and sniffer dogs to search for survivors along the devastated west coast of Java hit by a tsunami that killed at least 429 people, warning more victims are expected to be uncovered as the search expands.
Banten province, Indonesia December 24, 2018. REUTERS/Jorge Silva
Thick ash clouds continued to spew from Anak Krakatau, a volcanic island where a crater collapse at high tide on Saturday sent waves smashing into coastal areas on both sides of the Sunda Strait between the islands of Sumatra and Java.
At least 154 people remain missing. More than 1,400 people were injured, and thousands of residents had to move to higher ground, with a high-tide warning extended to Wednesday.
Rescuers used heavy machinery, sniffer dogs, and special cameras to detect and dig bodies out of mud and wreckage along a 100-km (60-mile) stretch of Java’s west coast and officials said the search area would be expanded further south.
“There are several locations that we previously thought were not affected,” said Yusuf Latif, spokesman for the national search and rescue agency.
“But now we are reaching more remote areas…and in fact there are many victims there,” he added.
The vast archipelago, which sits on the Pacific “Ring of Fire,” has suffered its worst annual death toll from disasters in more than a decade.
Earthquakes flattened parts of the island of Lombok in July and August, and a double quake-and-tsunami killed more than 2,000 people on a remote part of Sulawesi island in September.
It took just 24 minutes after the landslide for waves to hit land, and there was no early warning for those living on the coast.
Tsunami disaster zone: https://tmsnrt.rs/2Sjd1oa
TEMPORARY SHELTERS
Authorities have warned of further high waves and advised residents to stay away from the shoreline.
“Since Anak Krakatau has been actively erupting for the past several months additional tsunamis cannot be excluded,” said Dr. Prof Hermann Fritz, from the Georgia Institute of Technology in the United States.
Rescue efforts were hampered by heavy rainfall and low visibility. Military and volunteer teams used drones to assess the extent of the damage along the coast.
Food, water, blankets, and medical aid is trickling into remote areas via inland roads that are choked with traffic.
Thousands of people are staying in tents and temporary shelters like mosques or schools, with dozens sleeping on the floor and using public facilities. Many remained traumatized by the disaster.
“We can’t sleep at night, and if we get to sleep a car goes past with sirens and we wake up again, on edge,” said Enah, a 29-year-old woman who managed to survive with her family.
A local official in the city of Labuan, Atmadja Suhara, said he was helping to care for 4,000 refugees, many of whom had been left homeless.
“Everybody is still in a state of panic,” he said. “We often have disasters, but not as bad as this.”
“God willing,” he said, “we will rebuild.”
Destruction was visible along much of the coastline where waves of up to 2 meters (6 feet) crushed vehicles, felled trees, lifted chunks of metal,, wooden beams and household items and deposited them on roads and rice fields.
Out in the strait, Anak Krakatau (Child of Krakatau) was still erupting and authorities imposed a 2-km exclusion zone around it.
The meteorology agency said that an area of about 64 hectares (222 acres), or about 90 soccer pitches, of the volcanic island had collapsed into the sea. In 1883, the volcano, then known as Krakatoa, erupted in one of the biggest blasts in recorded history, killing more than 36,000 people in a series of tsunamis, and lowering the global surface temperature by 1 degree Celsius with its ash. Anak Krakatau is the island that emerged from the area in 1927, and has been growing ever since.
President Joko Widodo, who is running for re-election in April, told disaster agencies to install early warning systems, but experts said that, unlike tsunami caused by earthquakes, little could have been done in time to alert people that waves were coming.
The timing of the disaster over the Christmas season evoked memories of the Indian Ocean tsunami triggered by an earthquake on Dec. 26, 2004, which killed 226,000 people in 14 countries, including more than 120,000 in Indonesia.
(Additional reporting by Wilda Asmarini, Nilufar Rizki, Fanny Potkin in Jakarta; Writing by Kanupriya Kapoor; Editing by Michael Perry and Christian Schmollinger)- 12/25/2018 Global warming could trigger worldwide flood by Doyle Rice, USA TODAY
Tens of thousands of years ago, a giant ice sheet in Antarctic melted, raising sea levels by up to 30 feet around the world. This inundated huge swaths of what had been dry land. Scientists think it could happen again as the world heats up because of man-made global warming, new research suggests.
Such a collapse would again cause seas to rise dramatically, which would lead to a global flood.
Researchers led by geologist Anders Carlson of Oregon State University said the ice sheet disappeared about 125,000 years ago under climate conditions that were similar to today’s. If future research confirms this finding, “the West Antarctic ice sheet might not need a huge nudge to budge,” Jeremy Shakun, a paleoclimatologist at Boston College told Science magazine. That, in turn, means “the big uptick in mass loss observed there is perhaps the start of that process rather than a shortterm blip.”
And once the ancient ice sheet melt got started, things got out of hand rather quickly. Global ocean waters may have risen as fast as 8 feet per century.
To do their research, Carlson’s team examined several marine sediment cores taken offshore of Antarctica. The cores are long cylinders of mud and silt that give clues about past changes in Earth’s climate. Scientists speculate that a slight change in Earth’s orbit and spin axis created warmer temperatures in the Northern Hemisphere, which caused climate changes around the world, Nathaelle Bouttes at the National Centre for Atmospheric Science in the U.K. told Smithsonian magazine.
The research was announced at a meeting of the American Geophysical Union in Washington, D.C.
A massive ice sheet melted and collapsed 125,000 years ago. It could occur again,
new research shows, and lead to a global flood. AFP/GETTY IMAGES- 12/25/2018 Delhi residents spend Christmas indoors as smog emergency reaches fourth day by Manoj Kumar
A residential building is shrouded in smog in New Delhi, India, December 25, 2018. REUTERS/Altaf Hussain NEW DELHI (Reuters) – Many Delhi residents were forced to spend Christmas indoors this year as air quality remained at “severe to emergency” levels for a fourth day, in the Indian capital’s worst smog crisis this year.
Senior officials predicted the severe pollution would last another three days due to unusually stagnant and cold air. They issued a three-day emergency response on Monday that included closing area factories and banning construction works.
“We are preferring to stay at home due to pollution despite Christmas celebrations and a public holiday,” said Amit Azad, a financial consultant. He bought an air purifier this week after developing a cough because of the smog.
A Delhi government official blamed the pollution for lighter-than-usual traffic on already holiday-thinned streets, while a Delhi airport official said some domestic and international flights were delayed for up to two hours due to poor visibility.
Delhi’s air quality index, which measures the concentration of poisonous particulate matter, averaged 420 on Tuesday morning, slightly better than 449-450 the previous two days – the worst this year – data from the government’s Central Pollution Control Board showed. A reading above 100 is considered unhealthy.
Delhi is ranked among the world’s worst cities in air quality, after years of breakneck growth in auto sales and coal-fired power generation.
Environmentalists say the federal and city governments, while focusing on temporary responses, are side-stepping more effective, long-term measures that would hit at the sources of pollution and promote cleaner fuels.
“There is a lack of political will to take required measures on a sustained basis to contain pollution levels,” said Sunil Dahiya, a senior campaigner with Greenpeace India. He called for higher car parking fees and reduced dependence on coal-fired power plants.
Dahiya also said the government should immediately close down schools and urge people to curtail outdoor activities given the serious health effects of the current pollution levels.
(Reporting by Manoj Kumar; Editing by Edmund Klamann)- 12/26/2018 Indonesian rescuers struggle against heavy rain to reach tsunami-hit villages by Fergus Jensen
Debris is seen along a beach after a tsunami, near Sumur, Banten province, Indonesia December 26, 2018. REUTERS/Jorge Silva SUMUR, Indonesia (Reuters) – Indonesian rescue teams on Wednesday struggled to reach remote areas on the western coast of Java amid an “extreme weather” rain warning after a tsunami killed more than 400 people last week.
Heavy rain lashed fishing villages along the coast, muddying roads and holding up convoys delivering heavy machinery and aid to isolated areas while authorities urged residents to stay away from the shore in case of further waves.
Clouds of ash spewed from the nearby Anak Krakatau, or child of Krakatau, almost obscuring the volcanic island where a crater collapse at high tide on Saturday sent waves up to 5 meters (16 feet) high smashing into the coast on the Sunda Strait, between Java and Sumatra islands.
Indonesia’s meteorology agency (BMKG) said the rough weather could make the volcano’s crater more fragile.
“We have developed a monitoring system focused specifically on the volcanic tremors at Anak Krakatau so that we can issue early warnings,” said BMKG head Dwikorita Karnawati, adding that a two-kilometer exclusion zone had been imposed.
The confirmed death toll is 430, with at least 159 people missing. Nearly 1,500 people were injured and over 21,000 people have evacuated to higher ground.
(GRAPHIC: Indonesia tsunami disaster zone – https://tmsnrt.rs/2RdjsMd)
A state of emergency has been declared until Jan. 4, which authorities hope will make it easier to deploy assistance, said Sutopo Purwo Nugroho, spokesman for the national disaster mitigation agency.
Search and rescue teams were focused on the town of Sumur near the southwest tip of Java, but “the roads are damaged and clogged” and helicopters had to be deployed to carry out assessments and evacuations, he added.
Volunteers were having to piece together makeshift bridges out of concrete blocks after the waves washed away infrastructure along the coast.
Indonesia is a vast archipelago that sits on the Pacific “Ring of Fire.” This year, the country has suffered its worst annual death toll from disasters in more than a decade.
The latest disaster, coming during the Christmas season, evoked memories of the Indian Ocean tsunami triggered by an earthquake on Dec. 26, 2004, which killed 226,000 people in 14 countries, including more than 120,000 in Indonesia.
The Saturday evening tsunami followed the collapse of an area of the volcano island of about 64 hectares (222 acres), or about 90 soccer pitches
The waves engulfed fishing villages and holiday resorts, leaving a coast littered with the matchwood of homes, crushed vehicles and fallen trees. Children’s toys and rides at a seaside carnival in Sumur were left scattered along a swampy beach.
The surge of seawater also left dozens of turtles, weighing several kilograms, stranded on land, and some volunteer rescuers worked to carry them back to the sea.
On Sebesi Island in the middle of the Sunda Strait, helicopters had been dispatched to evacuate residents.
Along the coast, thousands of people are staying in tents and temporary shelters like mosques or schools, with dozens sleeping on the floor or in crowded public facilities. Rice and instant noodles have been delivered to many shelters, but clean water, wet weather gear, fresh clothes, and blankets are in short supply, some evacuees said.
Ade Hasanah, 45, staying in an emergency center with her children, said people were being told not to return to their homes.
“It’s safe here,” she said. “We hope if the children are safe and the situation is stable, we can go home quickly. We’re restless.”
In 1883, the volcano then known as Krakatoa erupted in one of the biggest blasts in recorded history, killing more than 36,000 people in a series of tsunamis and lowering the global surface temperature by one degree Celsius with its ash.
Anak Krakatau is the island that emerged from the area in 1927 and has been growing ever since.
(Additional reporting by Bernadette Christina Munthe, Tabita Diela, Fanny Potkin, Nilufar Rizki, Wilda Asmarini in JAKARTA; Writing by Kanupriya Kapoor; Editing by Robert Birsel and Nick Macfie)- 12/26/2018 Magnitude 4.8 earthquake in Sicily causes damage, injuries
An house is seen damaged by an earthquake, measuring magnitude 4.8, at the area north of CATANIA, Italy (Reuters) – An earthquake with a magnitude of 4.8 hit an area north of Catania on the slopes of Mount Etna in Sicily early on Wednesday, damaging buildings and injuring about 30 people, officials said.
Catania on the slopes of Mount Etna in Sicily, Italy, December 26, 2018. REUTERS/Antonio Parrinello
It occurred two days after Etna, Europe’s highest and most active volcano, erupted, sending a huge column of ash into the sky and causing the temporary closure of Catania airport on Sicily’s eastern coast.
The earthquake hit at 3:19 a.m. (0219 GMT), prompting many people to run out of their homes and sleep in cars. It was felt strongly because its epicenter was a relatively shallow one kilometer deep, officials said.
Television footage showed damage to older buildings in the towns of Santa Venerina and Zafferana Etnea. Several of the area’s centuries-old churches appeared to suffer the most damage. They were empty at the time of the quake.
About 30 people suffered injuries, mostly from falling masonry as they fled from their homes, officials said. About 10 were taken to hospital by ambulances, the others were taken by friends and family members. None of the injuries were serious.
(Writing by Philip Pullella; Editing by Robin Pomeroy and Gareth Jones)- 12/26/2018 Indonesia tsunami death toll rises to 430 as government officials search for survivors by OAN Newsroom
The death toll has risen in the aftermath of a devastating tsunami in Indonesia. The country’s National Disaster Management Agency recently held a news conference and said there were now 430 people confirmed dead.
On top of that number, nearly 1,500 people were reported injured, about 160 people were still missing and nearly 22,000 others are now displaced.
Indonesia soldier walks near debris at a tsunami-ravaged area in Carita, Indonesia, Wednesday, Dec. 26, 2018. Indonesian Officials also said the danger level of the volcano, which triggered the tsunami, was increased as well.
authorities asked people to avoid the coast in areas where a tsunami killed hundreds of people last weekend in a fresh warning
issued on the anniversary of the catastrophic 2004 Asian earthquake and tsunami. (AP Photo/Achmad Ibrahim)
“The National Geological Agency has recommended and increased the volcano’s (alert) status to the second highest level,” stated Sutopo Nugroho, spokesman for the National Disaster Management Agency. “The radius of 1.2 miles from the crater peak is dangerous and there should be no activity there.”
This comes as Indonesian officials declare an extreme weather warning in the aftermath of a deadly tsunami.
- 12/26/2018 Indonesian rescuers struggle against heavy rain to reach tsunami-hit villages by Fergus Jensen
Debris is seen along a beach after a tsunami, near Sumur, Banten province, Indonesia, December 26, 2018. REUTERS/Jorge Silva SUMUR, Indonesia (Reuters) – Indonesian rescue teams on Wednesday struggled to reach remote areas on the western coast of Java amid an “extreme weather” rain warning after a tsunami killed more than 400 people last week.
Heavy rain lashed fishing villages along the coast, muddying roads and holding up convoys delivering heavy machinery and aid to isolated areas while authorities urged residents to stay away from the shore in case of further waves.
Clouds of ash spewed from the nearby Anak Krakatau, or child of Krakatau, almost obscuring the volcanic island where a crater collapse at high tide on Saturday sent waves up to 5 meters (16 feet) high smashing into the coast on the Sunda Strait, between Java and Sumatra islands.
Indonesia’s meteorology agency (BMKG) said the rough weather could make the volcano’s crater more fragile.
“We have developed a monitoring system focused specifically on the volcanic tremors at Anak Krakatau so that we can issue early warnings,” said BMKG head Dwikorita Karnawati, adding that a two-kilometer exclusion zone had been imposed.
The confirmed death toll is 430, with at least 159 people missing. Nearly 1,500 people were injured and over 21,000 people have evacuated to higher ground.
(GRAPHIC: Indonesia tsunami disaster zone – https://tmsnrt.rs/2RdjsMd)
A state of emergency has been declared until Jan. 4, which authorities hope will make it easier to deploy assistance, said Sutopo Purwo Nugroho, spokesman for the national disaster mitigation agency.
Search and rescue teams were focused on the town of Sumur near the southwest tip of Java, but “the roads are damaged and clogged” and helicopters had to be deployed to carry out assessments and evacuations, he added.
Volunteers were having to piece together makeshift bridges out of concrete blocks after the waves washed away infrastructure along the coast.
Indonesia is a vast archipelago that sits on the Pacific “Ring of Fire.” This year, the country has suffered its worst annual death toll from disasters in more than a decade.
The latest disaster, coming during the Christmas season, evoked memories of the Indian Ocean tsunami triggered by an earthquake on Dec. 26, 2004, which killed 226,000 people in 14 countries, including more than 120,000 in Indonesia.
The Saturday evening tsunami followed the collapse of an area of the volcano island of about 64 hectares (222 acres), or about 90 soccer fields.
The waves engulfed fishing villages and holiday resorts, leaving a coast littered with the matchwood of homes, crushed vehicles and fallen trees. Children’s toys and rides at a seaside carnival in Sumur were left scattered along a swampy beach.
The surge of seawater also left dozens of turtles, weighing several kilograms, stranded on land, and some volunteer rescuers worked to carry them back to the sea.
On Sebesi Island in the middle of the Sunda Strait, helicopters had been dispatched to evacuate residents.
Along the coast, thousands of people are staying in tents and temporary shelters like mosques or schools, with dozens sleeping on the floor or in crowded public facilities. Rice and instant noodles have been delivered to many shelters, but clean water, wet weather gear, fresh clothes, and blankets are in short supply, some evacuees said.
Ade Hasanah, 45, staying in an emergency center with her children, said people were being told not to return to their homes.
“It’s safe here,” she said. “We hope if the children are safe and the situation is stable, we can go home quickly. We’re restless.”
In 1883, the volcano then known as Krakatoa erupted in one of the biggest blasts in recorded history, killing more than 36,000 people in a series of tsunamis and lowering the global surface temperature by one degree Celsius with its ash.
Anak Krakatau is the island that emerged from the area in 1927 and has been growing ever since.
(Additional reporting by Bernadette Christina Munthe, Tabita Diela, Fanny Potkin, Nilufar Rizki, Wilda Asmarini in JAKARTA; Writing by Kanupriya Kapoor,; Editing by Robert Birsel and Nick Macfie)- 12/27/2018 Indonesia orders flights to steer clear of erupting Anak Krakatau volcano by Fergus Jensen
An aerial view of Anak Krakatau volcano during an eruption at Sunda strait in South Lampung, Indonesia, LABUAN, Indonesia (Reuters) – Indonesia on Thursday raised the alert level for the erupting Anak Krakatau volcano to the second-highest, and ordered all flights to steer clear, days after it triggered a tsunami that killed at least 430 people.
December 23, 2018 in this photo taken by Antara Foto. Antara Foto/Bisnis Indonesia/Nurul Hidayat/ via REUTERS/File Photo
A crater collapse on the volcanic island at high tide on Saturday sent waves up to 5 meters (16 feet) high smashing into the coast on the Sunda Strait, between the islands of Java and Sumatra.
Authorities have warned that the crater of Anak Krakatau, or child of Krakatau, remains fragile, raising fears of another collapse and tsunami, and have urged residents to stay away from the coast.
The volcano has been rumbling on and off since June but has been particularly active since Sunday, spewing lava and rocks, and sending huge clouds of ash up to 3,000 meters into heavily overcast skies.
The national geological agency, in raising the alert level to the second-highest, set a 5-km exclusion zone around the island.
“Since December 23, activity has not stopped … We anticipate a further escalation,” said Antonius Ratdomopurbo, secretary of the geological agency.
A thin layer of volcanic ash has been settling on buildings, vehicles and vegetation along the west coast of Java since late on Wednesday, according to images shared by the national disaster mitigation agency.
Authorities said the ash was not dangerous, but advised residents to wear masks and goggles when outside, while aircraft were ordered away.
“All flights are rerouted due to Krakatau volcano ash on red alert,” Indonesia’s air traffic control agency AirNav said in a release.
AirNav’s corporate secretary, Didiet K.S. Radityo, told Reuters there were no disruptions to any international or domestic flights.
The civil aviation authority said no airports would be affected. The capital, Jakarta, is about 155 km east of the volcano.
Indonesia is a vast archipelago that sits on the Pacific “Ring of Fire.”
In 1883, the volcano then known as Krakatoa erupted in one of the biggest blasts in recorded history, killing more than 36,000 people in a series of tsunami and lowering the global surface temperature by one degree Celsius with its ash.
Anak Krakatau is the island that emerged from the area in 1927 and has been growing ever since.
This year, Indonesia has suffered its worst annual death toll from disasters in more than a decade.
‘NO PREPARATIONS’
The latest tsunami, coming during the Christmas season, evoked memories of the Indian Ocean tsunami triggered by an earthquake on Dec. 26, 2004, which killed 226,000 people in 14 countries, including more than 120,000 in Indonesia.
Tsunami warning systems were set up after 2004 but they have failed to prevent subsequent disasters, often because apparatus has not been maintained, while public education and disaster preparation efforts have been patchy at best.
Ramdi Tualfredi, a teacher in the village of Cigondong, on Java’s west coast, said he had never got any instructions on safety steps and efforts to prepare communities for tsunami had “totally failed.”
“There were no preparations. I didn’t get information from anywhere,” he said, adding there had been little help for residents since disaster struck.br> Nearly 22,000 people were displaced by the tsunami, while 1,495 were injured and 159 are missing.
Thousands of displaced are staying in tents and crowded into public buildings.
Hamad Suhaimi, a teacher working as a volunteer at a school being used as an emergency shelter, said the numbers of displaced needing help had surged as authorities expanded the area deemed unsafe.
Volunteers and displaced villagers told Reuters that conditions in the shelters were getting difficult, especially for new mothers and their babies.
“We’re breastfeeding. We have to eat in the morning but food only comes at midday and there are no vegetables,” said Siti Sayaroh, 24.
The government has declared a state of emergency until Jan. 4, to help with the distribution of aid.
(Additional reporting by Bernadette Christina Munthe, Cindy Silviana, Nilufar Rizki, Jessica Damiana, Tabita Diela; Writing by Kanupriya Kapoor; Editing by Robert Birsel)- 12/30/2018 2018 an all-time record quiet year for tornadoes in USA by Doyle Rice, USA TODAY
Although 2018 was a deadly and devastating year for wildfires, floods and hurricanes, one weather phenomenon was remarkably absent from the news: Tornadoes.
Both the number of Americans killed by tornadoes and the number of violent tornadoes in the U.S. were record lows.
Tornadoes killed only 10 Americans in 2018, the fewest since unofficial records began in 1875 during the administration of President Ulysses S. Grant. The previous record low year for tornado deaths was 1910, when only 12 people died, according to data from NOAA’s National Severe Storms Laboratory.
In an “average” year, 69 Americans are killed by tornadoes, the Weather Channel said. Death tolls can fluctuate wildly year to year. Seven years ago, tornadoes killed 553 Americans, mostly in Alabama and Missouri.
And for the first time since official records began in 1950, there were no “violent” tornadoes in 2018 in the United States, according to NOAA. Violent tornadoes are those with estimated wind speeds of 166 mph or higher — EF4 or EF5 twisters on the Enhanced Fujita Scale of Tornado Intensity.
Oddly, North America’s strongest tornado was in Canada, where an EF4 tornado hit Aug. 10, according to the Weather Channel.
“The causes for 2018’s lack of violent tornadoes are many, but one key factor is high pressure tending to be more dominant than normal throughout peak season this past spring,” Capital Weather Gang forecaster Ian Livingston said.
Better warnings most likely also saved lives. “Accurate and timely watches and warnings – including cellphone alerts – supported in part by improved radar technology play a major role in saving lives throughout the tornado season,” NOAA spokesman Chris Vaccaro said in July.
Several tornadoes hit Texas on Halloween. AP - 12/30/2018 Indonesia’s latest tsunami raises global questions over disaster preparedness by Fergus Jensen and Fanny Potkin
Debris are seen after the tsunami damage at Sunda strait at Kunjir village in CIGONDONG/JAKARTA, Indonesia (Reuters) – As Indonesia reels from the carnage of yet another natural disaster, authorities around the globe are working on how they can prepare for the kind of freak tsunami that battered coasts west of Jakarta this month.
South Lampung, Indonesia, December 28, 2018. Antara Foto/Ardiansyah via REUTERS
The Dec. 23 tsunami killed around 430 people along the coastlines of the Sunda Strait, capping a year of earthquakes and tsunamis in the vast archipelago, which straddles the seismically active Pacific Ring of Fire.
No sirens were heard in those towns and beaches to alert people before the deadly series of waves hit shore.
Seismologists and authorities say a perfect storm of factors caused the tsunami and made early detection near impossible given the equipment in place.
But the disaster should be a wake-up call to step up research on tsunami triggers and preparedness, said several of the experts, some of whom have traveled to the Southeast Asian nation to investigate what happened.
“Indonesia has demonstrated to the rest of the world the huge variety of sources that have the potential to cause tsunamis. More research is needed to understand those less-expected events,” said Stephen Hicks, a seismologist at the University of Southampton.
Most tsunamis on record have been triggered by earthquakes. But this time it was an eruption of Anak Krakatau volcano that caused its crater to partially collapse into the sea at high tide, sending waves up to 5 metres (16 feet) high smashing into densely populated coastal areas on Java and Sumatra islands.
During the eruption, an estimated 180 million cubic metres, or around two-thirds of the less-than-100-year-old volcanic island, collapsed into the sea.
But the eruption didn’t rattle seismic monitors significantly, and the absence of seismic signals normally associated with tsunamis led Indonesia’s geophysics agency (BMKG) initially to tweet there was no tsunami.
Muhamad Sadly, head of geophysics at BMKG, later told Reuters its tidal monitors were not set up to trigger tsunami warnings from non-seismic events.
The head of Japan’s International Research Institute of Disaster, Fumihiko Imamura, told Reuters he did not believe Japan’s current warning system would have detected a tsunami like the one in the Sunda Strait.
“We still have some risks of this in Japan…because there’s 111 active volcanoes and low capacity to monitor eruptions generating a tsunami,” he said in Jakarta.
Scientists have long flagged the collapse of Anak Krakatau, around 155 km (100 miles) west of the capital, as a concern. A 2012 study published by the Geological Society of London deemed it a “tsunami hazard.”
Anak Krakatau has emerged from the Krakatoa volcano, which in 1883 erupted in one of the biggest explosions in recorded history, killing more than 36,000 people in a series of tsunamis and lowering the global surface temperature by one degree Celsius with its ash.
BROKEN WARNING SYSTEM
Some experts believe there was enough time for at least a partial detection of last week’s tsunami in the 24 minutes it took waves to hit land after the landslide on Anak Krakatau.
But a country-wide tsunami warning system of buoys connected to seabed sensors has been out of order since 2012 due to vandalism, neglect and a lack of public funds, authorities say.
“The lack of an early warning system is why Saturday’s tsunami was not detected,” said disaster agency spokesman Sutopo Nugroho, adding that of 1,000 tsunami sirens needed across Indonesia, only 56 are in place.
“Signs that a tsunami was coming weren’t detected and so people did not have time to evacuate.”
President Joko Widodo this week ordered BMKG to purchase new early warning systems, and the agency later said it planned to install three tsunami buoys on the islands surrounding Anak Krakatau.
The cost of covering the country is estimated at 7 trillion rupiah ($481.10 million). That is roughly equivalent to Indonesia’s total disaster response budget of 7.19 trillion rupiah for 2018, according to Nugroho.
But other experts say even if this network had been working, averting disaster would have been difficult.
“The tsunami was very much a worst-case scenario for any hope of a clear tsunami warning: a lack of an obvious earthquake to trigger a warning, shallow water, rough seabed, and the close proximity to nearby coastlines,” said seismologist Hicks.
In the Philippines, Renato Solidum, undersecretary for disaster risk reduction, said eruptions from the country’s Taal volcano had caused tsunami waves before in the surrounding Taal Lake.
He told Reuters that what happened in Indonesia showed the need to “re-emphasize awareness and preparedness” regarding volcanic activity and its potential to trigger tsunamis in the Philippines.
The United States has also suffered several tsunamis caused by volcanic activity, including in Alaska, Hawaii, and Washington, according to the national weather service.
MORE EDUCATION
In Indonesia earlier this year, a double quake-and-tsunami disaster killed over 2,000 people on Sulawesi island, while at least 500 died when an earthquake flattened much of the northern coastline of the holiday island of Lombok.
In a country where, according to government data, 62.4 percent of the population is at risk of being struck by earthquakes and 1.6 percent by tsunamis, attention is now focused on a continued lack of preparedness.
“Given the potential for disasters in the country, it’s time to have disaster education be part of the national curriculum,” Widodo told reporters after the latest tsunami.
For Ramdi Tualfredi, a high school teacher who survived last week’s waves, these improvements cannot come soon enough.
He told Reuters that people in his village of Cigondong on the west coast of Java and close to Krakatau had never received any safety drills or evacuation training.
“I’ve never received education on safety steps,” he said.
“The system…totally failed.”
($1 = 14,550 rupiah)
(Additional reporting by Wilda Asmarini, Tabita Diela, Bernadette Christina Munthe in Jakarta, Linda Sieg and Tanaka Kiyoshi in Tokyo, and Neil Jerome Morales in Manila.; Writing by Kanupriya Kapoor; Editing by Raju Gopalakrishnan) - 12/5/218 Airport flooded in Libya’s Benghazi after heavy rain
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