The Space Shuttle Challenger exploded moments after lift off on January 28, 1986. CNN takes a look back at that day.
- CNN
Showing posts with label World Disasters. Show all posts
Showing posts with label World Disasters. Show all posts
Tuesday, 29 January 2013
Space Shuttle Challenger Disaster Remembered
The Space Shuttle Challenger exploded moments after lift off on January 28, 1986. CNN takes a look back at that day.
- CNN
Thursday, 3 January 2013
Top five weather and climate stories of 2012
Last year at this time, I wrote up a list of the top five natural disasters of 2011. There were so many negative and depressing things that occurred in 2011, that it was hard to narrow down the list.
I decided to look at 2012 with a different perspective: How about an overall look at the top five weather and climate stories that shaped the year 2012? This list includes not just disasters, but also technological changes, scientific advances, and alarming things that do not necessarily make an immediate impact on our society. As we reflect on the year 2012, do you have an idea of what would make your top five weather and climate stories? Here is my list of the top five weather/climate stories of 2012:
5) Decline in weather satellites
On April 2, 2012, the National Research Council released a report that suggests the number and capability of weather satellites are beginning to hit a steep decline. The number of orbiting satellites from NASA and NOAA is expected to drop significantly from 23 this year to only six by 2020, given today’s budget figures. The projected number of satellites that monitor Earth’s activity is expected to decline from a peak of 110 last year to fewer than 30 by the end of the decade.
The primary reason that this decline in satellites may occur is lack of funding. Less money is going into NASA and NOAA’s satellite programs, and tight budgets are pushing back or eliminating missions to replace older satellites.
Satellites are vital for providing us real time information and helps us determine weather conditions across the globe. They can sample various parts of the atmosphere and receive data that can ultimately be assimilated into our weather models, which in the end, can help us determine how the weather will change over time. In September 2012, the GOES-13 satellite was experiencing an excessive amount of noise which influenced NOAA to make the satellite go offline until they could make repairs to it. The GOES-13 satellite provides regular images every 15 minutes for the eastern U.S. and Atlantic Ocean. Without this satellite, we would not have any meteorological information from this part of the Earth. Since GOES-13 went offline, NOAA decided to use other satellites to replace GOES-13 while it was down during the month of October. GOES-14 was the temporary satellite that replaced GOES-13. In fact, since GOES-13 was offline for such a long time, NOAA decided to provide GOES-14 an East Drift Start Maneuver that would simply drift the satellite to the east to where GOES-13 is located. By October 20, GOES-13 was finally fixed and went back to its original spot.
The bottom line is that we really need to increase funding to ensure that we have properly working satellites in the future. Without these satellites, we will have less data going into our weather models that could help us predict the next severe weather event, hurricane, or nor’easter that could affect a large population.
4) Arctic/Greenland melting
I feel like this subject could actually be ranked #1 on this list because the overall effect of the Arctic is what could be influencing the weather extremes across the Northern Hemisphere. For instance, ridging in Greenland could influence a wet weather pattern across the U.K. or bring about extremes in other parts of the Northern Hemisphere.
In 2012, we saw the largest decline in sea ice extent in the Arctic. The rate of loss of June snow cover extent between 1979 and 2012 (the period of satellite observation) set a new record of -17.6 percent per decade, relative to the 1979-2000 mean. The Arctic does go through cycles where ice grows during the fall and winter months and melts in the spring and summer months. However, the rate of change of melting has been increasing, and 2012 allowed us to see unprecedented melting since we started monitoring the Arctic ice back in 1979.
The other large story that was unprecedented was the unusual amount of surface ice melting across Greenland in the summer of 2012. In July 2012, 97% of Greenland’s surface thawed thanks to incredible ridging that persisted across the region. Throughout late May and through July 2012, the North Atlantic Oscillation, also called the NAO, has been in a negative state. When the NAO is negative, it typically means increased ridging across Greenland. When ridging occurs, pressures rise and thus provides more sunshine and warmer temperatures across the region. This process – which resulted in what climatologists call a heat dome – greatly influenced the melting across Greenland. A series of strong ridges over the region brought weather conducive for ice to melt.
Overall, the rate of melting at the surface was the largest ever recorded in the past 30 years, the time period during which satellites have observed Greenland ice. Scientists have called 2012 as a “Goliath” year for Greenland melting because by August 8, 2012, Greenland had experienced more melting than in the entire melting season of 2010, which previously held the record for the greatest amount of Greenland melting in one year. The overall rate of melting is alarming, and if this trend continues for years to come, it makes you wonder how it will affect the general oscillations that influence our weather across the Northern Hemisphere.
3) Drought/Wildfires in the U.S.
One of the biggest stories that still continues today is the ongoing drought across the United States. The drought was responsible for so many things. First of all, ridging/high pressure over a region influenced drier weather conditions. Because of this, it was difficult for weather systems to bring much needed rain across the country. Many of the significant storm systems stayed further north, and did not push south to provide the country much needed rain.
The dry conditions brought upon large and massive wildfires that developed across the country. Wildfires burned over 9.1 million acres across the U.S. in 2012. This is the 2nd-highest annual total since the year 2000, only exceeded by 2006 when 9.4 million acres burned. With very little moisture in the ground and unusually warm conditions across the country in January through March, summertime temperatures were simply brutal across the country.
From the Great Plains and points east, we saw incredible triple digit heat that lasted for weeks in late June and July. 4,420 daily highest max temperature records were tied and broken for the month of July alone, making July 2012 not only the warmest July ever recorded, but the warmest month ever recorded since record-keeping began in 1895. The ongoing drought across the United States was just as extreme – if not worse – than the drought that brought on the Dust Bowl of the 1930s. Over half the U.S. experienced drought conditions in 2012, with the hardest-hit areas including the U.S. Great Plains, across the Rocky Mountains, and across the U.S. Southeast.
As of today, at least 61% of the country is experiencing some type of drought. The drought conditions are responsible for killing at least 123 people, and the costs for this drought are still unknown and will likely grow over time. Estimated costs for this extreme drought will likely be above $40 billion in damages. The drought is responsible for enhancing our heatwaves, which could have been responsible in making some severe weather events like the June 29, 2012 derecho become more extreme. If there is one good news story about the drought, is that we saw a below average number for tornadoes across the United States in 2012. In fact, 2012 was the complete opposite of 2011, which was one of the most active tornado seasons to occur in the United States. There is no doubt in my mind that the drought in the United States is one of the top weather stories of 2012.
2) Super Typhoon Bopha
Number one and two on this list were hard to determine. I really wanted to make Super Typhoon Bopha my number one weather and climate story of 2012. This is a storm that never really got a lot of attention through news and social media, which is very strange to me. How could a storm like Bopha not make the national news headlines after it has killed over 1,000 people in the Philippines?
According to CNN, Super Typhoon Bopha has killed 1,020 people in the Philippines. Bopha, also known as “Pablo” in the Philippines, made landfall on December 4, 2012 as a Category 5 super typhoon near parts of the Davao Oriental province and Compostela Valley which includes the heavily damaged area of New Bataan. Bopha destroyed 90% of three coastal towns in Davao Oriental province, according to BBC News. The hardest hit area – considered the ground zero of this storm – is New Bataan. The town was nearly wiped out. Over 5.4 million people were affected by this deadly storm, which produced 160 mile per hour winds as it struck the southern Philippines. If you had to choose one of three top weather stories of 2012, you have to choose Super Typhoon Bopha. It really devastated portions of the Philippines with massive landslides/mudslides and flooding.
1) Superstorm Sandy
Hurricane Sandy has to top the list for 2012 in regards to societal impacts, advancements in meteorology, meteorological statistics, and so much more. It did not kill as many people as Super Typhoon Bopha, but the effects from this storm were far reaching.
Hurricane Sandy devastated parts of the Mid-Atlantic and New England on October 28-29, 2012. Sandy made landfall in New Jersey on October 29 as a post-tropical storm with winds estimated around 90 miles per hour and a pressure of 946 millibars (mb.) Sandy caused more than 8.2 million people to lose power, the largest number of people without power in the United States since the Storm of the Century in 1993.
The size of Sandy was unique and large, expanding 943 miles of tropical storm force winds across the eastern United States. According to Jeff Masters of Weather Underground, the total energy of Sandy’s winds of tropical storm-force and higher peaked at 329 terajoules – the highest value for any Atlantic hurricane since at least 1969, and equivalent to five Hiroshima-sized atomic bombs.
Sandy was rare in the fact that it took an immediate left turn into southern New Jersey. Not one single historical storm on record has done that in the United States. Sandy is responsible for killing 131 people in the United States and across the Caribbean. Sandy is ranked as the #11 billion dollar disaster to strike the United States, and will likely be ranked as the second-costliest natural disaster ever to hit the United States, right behind 2005′s Hurricane Katrina ($108 billion dollars in damage that killed 1,833 people). Estimated costs for Sandy are currently over $62 billion, and this number could go up.
Our weather models did an excellent job in forecasting the track and intensity of this storm, and we knew it would cause significant impacts across the Northeast a week before the event occurred. Sandy also sparks major controversy among meteorologists regarding its transition from hurricane to an post-tropical cyclone. Hurricane warnings were NOT issued in New Jersey or New York prior to landfall because the National Hurricane Center thought it would “lose” the characteristics that would help classify it as a warm core low pressure system, or tropical system. This call could have affected people’s insurance that could have been covered if the storm was classified as a “hurricane”. There is question as to whether or not people took this storm seriously since Irene in 2011 was more hype across New Jersey and New York.
Who can forget this image:
So overall, I ranked Sandy as the number one weather/climate story of 2012 because:
1) Size of the storm
2) Impact was large and affected those who lived in the Caribbean and east of the Mississippi River.
3) Debate and conflict on not issuing hurricane warnings across the Northeast.
4) Advancements in science allowed our weather models to nail this storm’s track and intensity down seven days before the event.
5) The unusual track of the storm made Sandy make a direct left turn thanks to ridging to the north.
6) It produced blizzard conditions across West Virginia, and heavy surf across the Great Lakes.
Bottom line: The top five weather and climate stories of 2012 includes the decline in weather satellites, the extreme melting in the Arctic and across Greenland, the ongoing drought and heat in the United States, Super Typhoon Bopha, and Superstorm Sandy. All of these stories can be tied together in a way. Could the weather pattern across the North Pole influence the track of Sandy? How about the wet conditions in the UK/Russia and the hot and dry conditions across the United States? With our satellites and advancements in weather models, we were able to forecast Sandy correctly. However, if we lose our satellites in the next two decades, what will that do to the overall science in meteorology? Sometimes, we have to think about the big picture and how it can affect us globally.
- EarthSky
I decided to look at 2012 with a different perspective: How about an overall look at the top five weather and climate stories that shaped the year 2012? This list includes not just disasters, but also technological changes, scientific advances, and alarming things that do not necessarily make an immediate impact on our society. As we reflect on the year 2012, do you have an idea of what would make your top five weather and climate stories? Here is my list of the top five weather/climate stories of 2012:
5) Decline in weather satellites
When GOES-13 went on standby, it prevented us from looking at satellite
images across the eastern U.S. and across the Atlantic ocean. Image via
CIMSS Satellite Blog
On April 2, 2012, the National Research Council released a report that suggests the number and capability of weather satellites are beginning to hit a steep decline. The number of orbiting satellites from NASA and NOAA is expected to drop significantly from 23 this year to only six by 2020, given today’s budget figures. The projected number of satellites that monitor Earth’s activity is expected to decline from a peak of 110 last year to fewer than 30 by the end of the decade.
The primary reason that this decline in satellites may occur is lack of funding. Less money is going into NASA and NOAA’s satellite programs, and tight budgets are pushing back or eliminating missions to replace older satellites.
Satellites are vital for providing us real time information and helps us determine weather conditions across the globe. They can sample various parts of the atmosphere and receive data that can ultimately be assimilated into our weather models, which in the end, can help us determine how the weather will change over time. In September 2012, the GOES-13 satellite was experiencing an excessive amount of noise which influenced NOAA to make the satellite go offline until they could make repairs to it. The GOES-13 satellite provides regular images every 15 minutes for the eastern U.S. and Atlantic Ocean. Without this satellite, we would not have any meteorological information from this part of the Earth. Since GOES-13 went offline, NOAA decided to use other satellites to replace GOES-13 while it was down during the month of October. GOES-14 was the temporary satellite that replaced GOES-13. In fact, since GOES-13 was offline for such a long time, NOAA decided to provide GOES-14 an East Drift Start Maneuver that would simply drift the satellite to the east to where GOES-13 is located. By October 20, GOES-13 was finally fixed and went back to its original spot.
The bottom line is that we really need to increase funding to ensure that we have properly working satellites in the future. Without these satellites, we will have less data going into our weather models that could help us predict the next severe weather event, hurricane, or nor’easter that could affect a large population.
4) Arctic/Greenland melting
Sea Ice extent shrinks significantly in 2012. Image Credit: Scientific Visualization Studio, NASA Goddard Space Flight Center
I feel like this subject could actually be ranked #1 on this list because the overall effect of the Arctic is what could be influencing the weather extremes across the Northern Hemisphere. For instance, ridging in Greenland could influence a wet weather pattern across the U.K. or bring about extremes in other parts of the Northern Hemisphere.
In 2012, we saw the largest decline in sea ice extent in the Arctic. The rate of loss of June snow cover extent between 1979 and 2012 (the period of satellite observation) set a new record of -17.6 percent per decade, relative to the 1979-2000 mean. The Arctic does go through cycles where ice grows during the fall and winter months and melts in the spring and summer months. However, the rate of change of melting has been increasing, and 2012 allowed us to see unprecedented melting since we started monitoring the Arctic ice back in 1979.
Extent of surface melt over Greenland’s ice sheet on July 8 (left) and
July 12 (right). Within four days, 97 percent of the ice sheet surface
had thawed by July 12, 2012. Image Credit: Nicolo E. DiGirolamo,
SSAI/NASA GSFC, and Jesse Allen, NASA Earth Observatory
The other large story that was unprecedented was the unusual amount of surface ice melting across Greenland in the summer of 2012. In July 2012, 97% of Greenland’s surface thawed thanks to incredible ridging that persisted across the region. Throughout late May and through July 2012, the North Atlantic Oscillation, also called the NAO, has been in a negative state. When the NAO is negative, it typically means increased ridging across Greenland. When ridging occurs, pressures rise and thus provides more sunshine and warmer temperatures across the region. This process – which resulted in what climatologists call a heat dome – greatly influenced the melting across Greenland. A series of strong ridges over the region brought weather conducive for ice to melt.
Overall, the rate of melting at the surface was the largest ever recorded in the past 30 years, the time period during which satellites have observed Greenland ice. Scientists have called 2012 as a “Goliath” year for Greenland melting because by August 8, 2012, Greenland had experienced more melting than in the entire melting season of 2010, which previously held the record for the greatest amount of Greenland melting in one year. The overall rate of melting is alarming, and if this trend continues for years to come, it makes you wonder how it will affect the general oscillations that influence our weather across the Northern Hemisphere.
3) Drought/Wildfires in the U.S.
Wildfire near Colorado Springs, Colorado. Image Credit: Shanell Marie Erps via KOAA 5
One of the biggest stories that still continues today is the ongoing drought across the United States. The drought was responsible for so many things. First of all, ridging/high pressure over a region influenced drier weather conditions. Because of this, it was difficult for weather systems to bring much needed rain across the country. Many of the significant storm systems stayed further north, and did not push south to provide the country much needed rain.
The dry conditions brought upon large and massive wildfires that developed across the country. Wildfires burned over 9.1 million acres across the U.S. in 2012. This is the 2nd-highest annual total since the year 2000, only exceeded by 2006 when 9.4 million acres burned. With very little moisture in the ground and unusually warm conditions across the country in January through March, summertime temperatures were simply brutal across the country.
From the Great Plains and points east, we saw incredible triple digit heat that lasted for weeks in late June and July. 4,420 daily highest max temperature records were tied and broken for the month of July alone, making July 2012 not only the warmest July ever recorded, but the warmest month ever recorded since record-keeping began in 1895. The ongoing drought across the United States was just as extreme – if not worse – than the drought that brought on the Dust Bowl of the 1930s. Over half the U.S. experienced drought conditions in 2012, with the hardest-hit areas including the U.S. Great Plains, across the Rocky Mountains, and across the U.S. Southeast.
As of today, at least 61% of the country is experiencing some type of drought. The drought conditions are responsible for killing at least 123 people, and the costs for this drought are still unknown and will likely grow over time. Estimated costs for this extreme drought will likely be above $40 billion in damages. The drought is responsible for enhancing our heatwaves, which could have been responsible in making some severe weather events like the June 29, 2012 derecho become more extreme. If there is one good news story about the drought, is that we saw a below average number for tornadoes across the United States in 2012. In fact, 2012 was the complete opposite of 2011, which was one of the most active tornado seasons to occur in the United States. There is no doubt in my mind that the drought in the United States is one of the top weather stories of 2012.
2) Super Typhoon Bopha
Super Typhoon Bopha approaching the Philippines on December 3, 2012. via
visible satellite image from the Suomi NPP – VIIRS. Image Credit: NOAA
Number one and two on this list were hard to determine. I really wanted to make Super Typhoon Bopha my number one weather and climate story of 2012. This is a storm that never really got a lot of attention through news and social media, which is very strange to me. How could a storm like Bopha not make the national news headlines after it has killed over 1,000 people in the Philippines?
According to CNN, Super Typhoon Bopha has killed 1,020 people in the Philippines. Bopha, also known as “Pablo” in the Philippines, made landfall on December 4, 2012 as a Category 5 super typhoon near parts of the Davao Oriental province and Compostela Valley which includes the heavily damaged area of New Bataan. Bopha destroyed 90% of three coastal towns in Davao Oriental province, according to BBC News. The hardest hit area – considered the ground zero of this storm – is New Bataan. The town was nearly wiped out. Over 5.4 million people were affected by this deadly storm, which produced 160 mile per hour winds as it struck the southern Philippines. If you had to choose one of three top weather stories of 2012, you have to choose Super Typhoon Bopha. It really devastated portions of the Philippines with massive landslides/mudslides and flooding.
1) Superstorm Sandy
NOAA’s GOES-13 satellite captured this visible image of Hurricane Sandy
battering the U.S. East coast on Monday, Oct. 29 at 9:10 a.m. EDT.
Sandy’s center was about 310 miles south-southeast of New York City.
Tropical Storm force winds are about 1,000 miles in diameter. Image
Credit: NASA GOES Projects.
Hurricane Sandy has to top the list for 2012 in regards to societal impacts, advancements in meteorology, meteorological statistics, and so much more. It did not kill as many people as Super Typhoon Bopha, but the effects from this storm were far reaching.
Hurricane Sandy devastated parts of the Mid-Atlantic and New England on October 28-29, 2012. Sandy made landfall in New Jersey on October 29 as a post-tropical storm with winds estimated around 90 miles per hour and a pressure of 946 millibars (mb.) Sandy caused more than 8.2 million people to lose power, the largest number of people without power in the United States since the Storm of the Century in 1993.
The size of Sandy was unique and large, expanding 943 miles of tropical storm force winds across the eastern United States. According to Jeff Masters of Weather Underground, the total energy of Sandy’s winds of tropical storm-force and higher peaked at 329 terajoules – the highest value for any Atlantic hurricane since at least 1969, and equivalent to five Hiroshima-sized atomic bombs.
Sandy was rare in the fact that it took an immediate left turn into southern New Jersey. Not one single historical storm on record has done that in the United States. Sandy is responsible for killing 131 people in the United States and across the Caribbean. Sandy is ranked as the #11 billion dollar disaster to strike the United States, and will likely be ranked as the second-costliest natural disaster ever to hit the United States, right behind 2005′s Hurricane Katrina ($108 billion dollars in damage that killed 1,833 people). Estimated costs for Sandy are currently over $62 billion, and this number could go up.
Our weather models did an excellent job in forecasting the track and intensity of this storm, and we knew it would cause significant impacts across the Northeast a week before the event occurred. Sandy also sparks major controversy among meteorologists regarding its transition from hurricane to an post-tropical cyclone. Hurricane warnings were NOT issued in New Jersey or New York prior to landfall because the National Hurricane Center thought it would “lose” the characteristics that would help classify it as a warm core low pressure system, or tropical system. This call could have affected people’s insurance that could have been covered if the storm was classified as a “hurricane”. There is question as to whether or not people took this storm seriously since Irene in 2011 was more hype across New Jersey and New York.
Damage at Union Beach in New Jersey from Sandy. Image Credit: Devin Matthew Toperek
Who can forget this image:
This house was destroyed in Jersey Shore, New Jersey. Image Credit: Shayna Marie Meyer
So overall, I ranked Sandy as the number one weather/climate story of 2012 because:
1) Size of the storm
2) Impact was large and affected those who lived in the Caribbean and east of the Mississippi River.
3) Debate and conflict on not issuing hurricane warnings across the Northeast.
4) Advancements in science allowed our weather models to nail this storm’s track and intensity down seven days before the event.
5) The unusual track of the storm made Sandy make a direct left turn thanks to ridging to the north.
6) It produced blizzard conditions across West Virginia, and heavy surf across the Great Lakes.
Bottom line: The top five weather and climate stories of 2012 includes the decline in weather satellites, the extreme melting in the Arctic and across Greenland, the ongoing drought and heat in the United States, Super Typhoon Bopha, and Superstorm Sandy. All of these stories can be tied together in a way. Could the weather pattern across the North Pole influence the track of Sandy? How about the wet conditions in the UK/Russia and the hot and dry conditions across the United States? With our satellites and advancements in weather models, we were able to forecast Sandy correctly. However, if we lose our satellites in the next two decades, what will that do to the overall science in meteorology? Sometimes, we have to think about the big picture and how it can affect us globally.
- EarthSky
Wednesday, 12 September 2012
Victims' families mark 9/11 anniversary
Carrie Bergonia remembers her fiancee, firefighter Joseph Ogren, after reading his engraved name during ceremonies marking the 11th anniversary of the 9/11 attacks on the World Trade Center in New York, September 11, 2012. REUTERS/Todd Maisel/POOL (UNITED STATES - Tags: ANNIVERSARY DISASTER)
Image by: POOL / REUTERS
Memorial ceremonies marking the anniversary of the September 11 attacks began yesterday under clear blue skies that recalled the crisp morning 11 years ago when nearly 3000 people were killed by aircraft hijacked by Islamist militants.
Two of the planes brought down the Twin Towers of New York City's World Trade Centre, another damaged the Pentagon outside Washington and a fourth crashed in a field in rural Pennsylvania when passengers aboard that flight revolted against the hijackers.
At Ground Zero, where the two towers once stood, more than 1000 relatives of those killed and others gathered for the annual reading of the list of 2983 people who died at the three sites. The list excludes the 19 hijackers, who also died.
The reading began at 8.39am with pauses for moments of silence at 8.46am, 9.03am, 9.37am and 10.03am, the time of impact for the four planes, and again at 9.59am and 10.28am, the times the north and then the south tower fell.
As the moment of the reading approached, family members, uniformed police and firefighters milled about the vast, twin reflecting pools that mark the footprints of the two towers, their edges etched with the names of the victims. Many carried or wore pictures of their loved ones.
Alyson Low, 41, of Fayetteville, Arkansas, carried a picture of her sister, Sara Elizabeth Low, who was a flight attendant on American Airlines Flight 11, the first plane to crash, striking the trade centre's north tower.
"I'm tired," Low said, tearfully.
"I am just so tired."
The reading of names began with Patricia Abbott, wife of Alan Jay Richman, who died at the trade centre.
It took more than three hours by 198 people to read the list alphabetically. In previous years, politicians, including US presidents, governors and mayors, have participated in the reading of the names, or have read from the Bible or recited passages from literature.
This year only the families of people who were killed at the World Trade Centre would appear on the podium to read their names.
Under event rules set down in July by the National September 11 Memorial and Museum, chaired by New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg, politicians were not allowed to participate in the reading of names.
President Barack Obama observed a moment of silence for the September 11 victims on the South Lawn of the White House. Flanked by a flag-bearing military honour guard, the president and First Lady Michelle Obama stood solemnly with heads bowed.
- TIMES LIVE
Tuesday, 11 September 2012
9/11 attacks: Obama marks 11th anniversary
President Barack Obama has marked the 11th anniversary of the 9/11 attacks, saying the US emerged "even stronger" from that day's death and horror.
In New York, relatives are reading out the names of those killed when hijacked jets were crashed at the World Trade Center, Washington and Pennsylvania.
Mr Obama laid a wreath at the Pentagon and Vice-President Joe Biden is expected to speak at Shanksville.
For the first time, politicians will not address the ceremony in New York.
At the Pentagon, Mr Obama addressed survivors of the attacks and relatives of those killed. He told them their loved ones would never be forgotten, and that the dead had "helped us make the America we are today".
"The true legacy of 9/11 will not be one of fear or hate or division," Mr Obama said.
"It will be a safer world, a stronger nation, and a people more united than ever before."
The National September 11 Memorial and Museum announced in July that this year's ceremony at Ground Zero would include only relatives reading victims' names.
Memorial President Joe Daniels said that, in an election year, it was "honouring the victims and their families in a way free of politics".
Charles Wolf, whose wife Katherine was killed at the World Trade Center, said the absence of elected officials would make the event more intimate for the families.
"We've gone past that deep, collective public grief," he said.
'Time to reflect'
Tuesday dawned with a clear blue sky over Washington and New York, jogging memories of a similar September morning 11 years ago.
Nearly 3,000 people were killed that day in attacks by al-Qaeda members who had hijacked four airliners.
President Obama and First Lady Michelle Obama observed a moment of silence at the White House at 08:45 (12:45 GMT).
They then headed to the Pentagon to attend a memorial ceremony there, where one of the jets crashed, and then visit wounded soldiers at Walter Reed Army Medical Center.
With a US election looming in November, President Obama and his Republican rival Mitt Romney have set aside campaigning for the day and will not run negative advertisements.
Museum delay
Mr Romney was due to visit Reno, Nevada, to address a National Guard unit whose members were deployed as part of the US response to the attacks.
"On this most sombre day, those who would attack us should know that we are united, one nation under God, in our determination to stop them and to stand tall for peace and freedom at home and across the world," Mr Romney said in a written statement.
Vice-President Biden and Secretary of the Interior Ken Salazar were due to speak at the Flight 93 National Memorial, near Shanksville, where one of the jets crashed as passengers attempted to overpower the hijackers.
A 9/11 museum in New York was due to have been completed for the 11th anniversary but has been plagued by setbacks.
Officials say it will take at least another year to finish.
A new building - the $3.9bn (£2.43bn) One World Trade Center - is due to open in 2014 on the north-west corner of Ground Zero.
Last year an outdoor memorial was opened at the site and has since been visited by almost 4.5 million people.
In the aftermath of the 2001 attacks, the US launched a campaign to destroy the al-Qaeda network headed by Osama Bin Laden.
A team of elite US troops killed the al-Qaeda chief in a raid on his Pakistani compound last year.
On the eve of this year's 9/11 anniversary, the Pakistani doctor who the Americans say helped them to locate Bin Laden said he had been unaware he was involved with the US operation.
Speaking for the first time since his arrest, Shakil Afridi told Fox News he did not think he needed to escape after the killing but was then kidnapped by Pakistan's ISI intelligence agency.
- Timeline: How the day unfolded
- Interactive: Memories from wreckage
- Map: Global effects of 'war on terror'
- Video: Stories from the embers
- Archive: How the towers were built
- BBC
Eleven Years Since 9/11: If You Don't Take Time to Remember, You Forget
Today is the 11-year anniversary of the 9/11 tragedy. On this day11 years ago America suffered the worst terrorist attack on American soil. Taking time to remember is the only way not to forget. So, take some time to remember 11 years ago.
We Remember Them
In the rising of the sun and its going down,
We Remember Them.
In the bowing of the wind and in the chill of winter,
We Remember Them.
In the opening of the buds and in the rebirth of spring.
We Remember Them.
In the blueness of the skies and in the warmth of summer,
We Remember Them.
In the rustling of the leaves and in the beauty of autumn.
We Remember Them.
In the beginning of the year and when it ends,
We Remember Them.
When we are weary and in need of strength,
We Remember Them.
When we are lost and sick of heart,
We Remember Them.
When we have joys and special celebrations we yearn to share,
We Remember Them.
So long as we live, they too shall live, for they are part of us.
We Remember Them.
~From the Jewish Book Of Prayer~
Tuesday, 14 August 2012
Iran Villages in Rubble as Quake Death Toll Rises
Iran Monday raised its earthquake death toll to 306, a day after rescuers called off the search for survivors from the rubble of their homes in the country's northwest, state media reported.
Health Minister Marzieh Vahid Dastjerdi told a session of parliament that the number jumped by about 50 after victims expired in the hospital. More than 3,000 people were injured in the twin earthquakes that struck two days ago, she added in comments broadcast on state radio.
In one hamlet visited by AP Television News near the village of Bajeh Baj, 13 miles west of one of the epicenters, furniture peeked out from under piles of bricks and collapsed roof timbers while men sorted through debris, trying to salvage what little was left of their households.
Residents say the earthquake killed 35 people living in the simple dwellings surrounded by mountains. Dried earth was left split wide open from the force of the shock, which cut some houses in two and left the wall of one standing only where it was propped up by a refrigerator.
The death toll included some 219 women and children, Dastjerdi said, adding that around 2,000 injured people had been released from hospitals soon after the quake since they had only minor injuries.
Dastjerdi said her ministry has deployed scores of ambulances and medics to the region but still needs helicopters to transfer seriously injured people quickly.
Authorities say old, heavy roofs without frames were largely responsible for the death toll in the rural areas.
Scores of aftershocks have coursed through the region since the 6.4 and 6.3 magnitude quakes hit the area, home to some 300,000 people in a 2,300-square-mile (6,000-square-kilometer) borderland near Azerbaijan and Armenia.
The quakes hit the towns of Ahar, Haris and Varzaqan in East Azerbaijan province. At least 12 villages were totally leveled, and 425 others sustained damage ranging from 50 to 80 percent, state TV and news agencies reported.
Many roads and other infrastructure were heavily damaged. State TV showed relief workers distributing tents and helping survivors, mainly in rural areas.
Iran's Red Crescent Society said the country does not need any foreign aid.
Spokesman Pouya Hajian told semiofficial ISNA news agency that the International federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent, UNICEF, Turkey, Taiwan, Singapore, Germany and many embassies in Tehran had offered help but that the Iranian Red Crescent is able to support the quake-stricken areas.
The head of Red Crescent Society of in the quake-struck province also said international aid was not needed.
U.S. State Department spokeswoman Victoria Nuland said Monday that the U.S. has not had "any pickup" from Iran on Washington's offer of assistance, and noted Iranian public statements that it did not need outside aid. "Nonetheless, our offer stands on the table," she told a news conference.
Nuland said despite U.S. economic sanctions on Iran, Americans wishing to provide food and medicine to victims of the disaster could do so without obtaining a special license, and certain noncommercial financial transactions were also possible.
The ISNA report said that Iran has sent back a rescue team from Turkey that had arrived in the region without advance coordination.
Iran is located on seismic fault lines and is prone to earthquakes. In 2003, some 26,000 people were killed by a 6.6 magnitude quake that flattened the historic southeastern city of Bam.
- ABC News (AP)
Health Minister Marzieh Vahid Dastjerdi told a session of parliament that the number jumped by about 50 after victims expired in the hospital. More than 3,000 people were injured in the twin earthquakes that struck two days ago, she added in comments broadcast on state radio.
In one hamlet visited by AP Television News near the village of Bajeh Baj, 13 miles west of one of the epicenters, furniture peeked out from under piles of bricks and collapsed roof timbers while men sorted through debris, trying to salvage what little was left of their households.
Residents say the earthquake killed 35 people living in the simple dwellings surrounded by mountains. Dried earth was left split wide open from the force of the shock, which cut some houses in two and left the wall of one standing only where it was propped up by a refrigerator.
The death toll included some 219 women and children, Dastjerdi said, adding that around 2,000 injured people had been released from hospitals soon after the quake since they had only minor injuries.
Dastjerdi said her ministry has deployed scores of ambulances and medics to the region but still needs helicopters to transfer seriously injured people quickly.
Authorities say old, heavy roofs without frames were largely responsible for the death toll in the rural areas.
Scores of aftershocks have coursed through the region since the 6.4 and 6.3 magnitude quakes hit the area, home to some 300,000 people in a 2,300-square-mile (6,000-square-kilometer) borderland near Azerbaijan and Armenia.
The quakes hit the towns of Ahar, Haris and Varzaqan in East Azerbaijan province. At least 12 villages were totally leveled, and 425 others sustained damage ranging from 50 to 80 percent, state TV and news agencies reported.
Many roads and other infrastructure were heavily damaged. State TV showed relief workers distributing tents and helping survivors, mainly in rural areas.
Iran's Red Crescent Society said the country does not need any foreign aid.
Spokesman Pouya Hajian told semiofficial ISNA news agency that the International federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent, UNICEF, Turkey, Taiwan, Singapore, Germany and many embassies in Tehran had offered help but that the Iranian Red Crescent is able to support the quake-stricken areas.
The head of Red Crescent Society of in the quake-struck province also said international aid was not needed.
U.S. State Department spokeswoman Victoria Nuland said Monday that the U.S. has not had "any pickup" from Iran on Washington's offer of assistance, and noted Iranian public statements that it did not need outside aid. "Nonetheless, our offer stands on the table," she told a news conference.
Nuland said despite U.S. economic sanctions on Iran, Americans wishing to provide food and medicine to victims of the disaster could do so without obtaining a special license, and certain noncommercial financial transactions were also possible.
The ISNA report said that Iran has sent back a rescue team from Turkey that had arrived in the region without advance coordination.
Iran is located on seismic fault lines and is prone to earthquakes. In 2003, some 26,000 people were killed by a 6.6 magnitude quake that flattened the historic southeastern city of Bam.
- ABC News (AP)
Earthquakes near Tabriz, Iran
Earthquakes with magnitudes 6.4 and 6.3 struck northwestern Iran on August 11, 2012. The earthquakes occurred midway between Lake Orumiyeh and the Caspian Sea. Separated by only 11 minutes and 10 kilometers (6 miles), both quakes were shallow, occurring less than 10 kilometers below ground. The quakes leveled mud-brick and concrete homes in about 230 villages, Al Jazeera reported, and by August 13, the death toll had passed 300. More than 3,000 people had been injured, and more than 16,000 people had been left homeless by the disaster.
This image shows the region where the earthquakes struck. Rings mark earthquake locations, and bigger, thicker rings indicate higher magnitudes. Note that this image only shows the large quakes that occurred on August 11, and aftershocks with a magnitude of 4.0 or greater that occurred through the afternoon of August 13. The red lines indicate faults. The earthquake locations and faults are superimposed on a digital elevation map, made from the ASTER Global Digital Elevation Model Version 2 (GDEM2). Lighter colors correspond with higher elevations.
The U.S. Geological Society (USGS) explained that the earthquakes occurred in the crust of the Eurasian Plate. In this region, the Arabian Plate moves roughly northward with respect to the Eurasian Plate, at about 26 millimeters (1 inch) per year, but the USGS stated that these earthquakes occurred about 300 kilometers (200 miles) east of the plate boundary. The event likely occurred as a result of an oblique strike-slip fault, where blocks of the Earth slide past each other, the USGS said, but because of the location was so far from a plate boundary, “precise identification of the causative fault(s) is difficult at this time.”
This image shows the region where the earthquakes struck. Rings mark earthquake locations, and bigger, thicker rings indicate higher magnitudes. Note that this image only shows the large quakes that occurred on August 11, and aftershocks with a magnitude of 4.0 or greater that occurred through the afternoon of August 13. The red lines indicate faults. The earthquake locations and faults are superimposed on a digital elevation map, made from the ASTER Global Digital Elevation Model Version 2 (GDEM2). Lighter colors correspond with higher elevations.
The U.S. Geological Society (USGS) explained that the earthquakes occurred in the crust of the Eurasian Plate. In this region, the Arabian Plate moves roughly northward with respect to the Eurasian Plate, at about 26 millimeters (1 inch) per year, but the USGS stated that these earthquakes occurred about 300 kilometers (200 miles) east of the plate boundary. The event likely occurred as a result of an oblique strike-slip fault, where blocks of the Earth slide past each other, the USGS said, but because of the location was so far from a plate boundary, “precise identification of the causative fault(s) is difficult at this time.”
References
- Al Jazeera. (2012, August 13) Thousands left homeless after Iran quakes. Accessed August 13, 2012.
- Al Jazeera. (2012, August 13) Iran earthquake death toll continues to rise. Accessed August 13, 2012.
- The Big Picture. (2012, August 13) Iran earthquakes. Boston Globe. Accessed August 13, 2012.
- CBS/Associated Press. (2012, August 13) Iran earthquake death toll passes 300 day after search for survivors called off. Accessed August 13, 2012.
- U.S. Geological Survey. (2011, August 11) M6.4 – 23km SW of Ahar, Iran. Accessed August 13, 2012.
- U.S. Geological Survey. (2011, August 11) M6.3 – 32km WSW of Ahar, Iran. Accessed August 13, 2012.
NASA Earth Observatory image by Jesse Allen, using earthquake and plate tectonics data from the USGS Earthquake Hazard Program, and ASTER GDEM2 data from the NASA/GSFC/METI/ERSDAC/JAROS, and U.S./Japan ASTER Science Team. Caption by Michon Scott.
- Instrument:
- Terra - ASTER - NASA
Monday, 13 August 2012
Iran quake survivors flock to hospitals
Dubai - Overcrowded hospitals in north-west Iran struggled to cope with thousands of earthquake victims on Sunday as rescuers raced to reach remote villages after two powerful earthquakes killed nearly 300 people.
Thousands huddled in makeshift camps or slept in the street after Saturday's quakes for fear of more aftershocks, 60 of which had already struck. A lack of tents and other supplies left them exposed to the night chill, one witness told Reuters.
“I saw some people whose entire home was destroyed, and all their livestock killed,” Tahir Sadati, a local photographer, said by telephone. “People need help, they need warm clothes, more tents, blankets and bread.”
The worst damage and most casualties appeared to have been in rural villages around the towns of Ahar, Varzaghan and Harees, near the major city of Tabriz, Iranian media reported.
Tabriz resident Ahmad, 41, told Reuters his cousin living in a village near Ahar was killed and his body found.
“Nobody knows what happened to his wife and two daughters,” aged 4 and 7, Ahmad said. “We fear that if rescuers don't get to them soon, they will lose their lives too if they're still alive.”
But Iranian officials said rescue operations had ended by Sunday afternoon and that all those trapped beneath the rubble had been freed, Iran's English-language Press TV reported.
Many villages are hard to reach by road, hindering rescue efforts. Hospitals in Tabriz, Ardabil and other cities nearby took in many of the injured, residents and Iranian media said, and there were long queues of survivors waiting to be treated.
“I wanted to go there last night to help but heard there was bad traffic and that it wasn't safe enough,” Ahmad said. “People in those villages need help.”
Abbas Falahi, member of parliament for Ahar and Harees, said people in some villages were still “in dire need of food and drinking water”, the semi-official Mehr news agency reported.
“Despite the promises of officials, little first aide has been distributed in the region and most people are left without tents. If the situation continues, the toll will rise,” he said.
Aidin, a Tabriz resident, said he went to give blood at a local hospital on Saturday and saw staff struggling to cope with the influx of patients. Most patients had been taken there by their families, he said, indicating a shortage of ambulances.
Ahar's 120-bed hospital was full, said Arash, a college student in the town. There were traffic jams on the narrow road to Tabriz as victims tried to reach hospitals, he said by telephone.
“People are scared and won't go back into their houses because they fear the buildings aren't safe.”
The US Geological Survey measured Saturday's first quake at 6.4 magnitude and said it struck 60km north-east of the city of Tabriz, a trading hub far from Iran's oil-producing areas and known nuclear facilities.
The second, measuring 6.3, struck 11 minutes later near Varzaghan, 49km north-east of Tabriz.
More than 1 000 villages in the area were affected by the earthquakes, Ahmad Reza Shaji'i, a Red Crescent official, told the Iranian Students' News Agency (ISNA). Some 130 villages suffered more than 70 percent damage, and 20 villages were completely destroyed, he said.
“We saw some villages that were truly destroyed,” said Sadati, the photographer who was documenting the quake aftermath. “One good thing was that the earthquake happened during the day, so many people were not in their homes. If it had happened at night the casualties would have been far worse.”
Close to 300 people were believed to be dead, said Reza Sadighi, Ahar's local governor, Fars news agency said. National emergency head Gholam Reza Masoumi said 5 000 people are believed to be injured, according to ISNA.
Nearly 100 ambulances and 1 100 Red Crescent workers were deployed, Shaji'i said, along with 44 000 food packages and 5 600 tents for shelter. The relief agency had enough supplies and most residents in the area had access to clean water but Shaji'i asked residents to donate cash to the relief effort.
Tehran officials sent condolences to the victims and declared two days of mourning in the province, ISNA reported.
About 36 000 people in the quake-hit area have been given emergency shelter, Masoumi was quoted as saying by ISNA.
Iranian lawmaker Mohammad Hassan-Nejad warned that if relief efforts did not speed up, the death toll would swiftly rise.
“Relief groups have still not reached many villages, because in normal conditions some of these villages are several hours away,” he told ISNA. “Currently the roads are closed and the only way to reach these villages is by air.”
Photographs posted on Iranian news websites showed numerous bodies, including children, lying on the floor of a white-tiled morgue in Ahar and medical staff treating the injured in the open air as dusk fell on Saturday. Other images showed rescue workers digging people out of rubble - some alive, many dead.
Twenty-eight year old Narges in Tehran said she saw dozens of people in a hospital waiting to donate blood for the victims.
Iran is criss-crossed by major fault lines and has suffered several devastating earthquakes in recent years, including a 6.6 magnitude quake in 2003 that reduced the historic south-eastern city of Bam to dust and killed about 31 000 people.
Saturday's quakes struck in East Azerbaijan province, a mountainous region that neighbours Azerbaijan and Armenia to the north. Buildings in Tabriz, the provincial capital, are substantially built and ISNA reported nobody in the city had been killed or hurt.
Homes and business premises in Iranian villages, however, are often made of concrete blocks or mud brick that can crumble and collapse in a strong quake.
Water, electricity, and phone lines in the area of Varzaghan are all down, further hindering rescue efforts, Iran's English-language Press TV reported.
Tabriz residents left their homes and crowded the streets following the two quakes, those in the city said. “Everyone was scared last night,” a resident said by telephone. “They set up tents and were sleeping in the streets and in parks.”
- Reuters/IOL
Thousands huddled in makeshift camps or slept in the street after Saturday's quakes for fear of more aftershocks, 60 of which had already struck. A lack of tents and other supplies left them exposed to the night chill, one witness told Reuters.
“I saw some people whose entire home was destroyed, and all their livestock killed,” Tahir Sadati, a local photographer, said by telephone. “People need help, they need warm clothes, more tents, blankets and bread.”
The worst damage and most casualties appeared to have been in rural villages around the towns of Ahar, Varzaghan and Harees, near the major city of Tabriz, Iranian media reported.
Tabriz resident Ahmad, 41, told Reuters his cousin living in a village near Ahar was killed and his body found.
“Nobody knows what happened to his wife and two daughters,” aged 4 and 7, Ahmad said. “We fear that if rescuers don't get to them soon, they will lose their lives too if they're still alive.”
But Iranian officials said rescue operations had ended by Sunday afternoon and that all those trapped beneath the rubble had been freed, Iran's English-language Press TV reported.
Many villages are hard to reach by road, hindering rescue efforts. Hospitals in Tabriz, Ardabil and other cities nearby took in many of the injured, residents and Iranian media said, and there were long queues of survivors waiting to be treated.
“I wanted to go there last night to help but heard there was bad traffic and that it wasn't safe enough,” Ahmad said. “People in those villages need help.”
Abbas Falahi, member of parliament for Ahar and Harees, said people in some villages were still “in dire need of food and drinking water”, the semi-official Mehr news agency reported.
“Despite the promises of officials, little first aide has been distributed in the region and most people are left without tents. If the situation continues, the toll will rise,” he said.
Aidin, a Tabriz resident, said he went to give blood at a local hospital on Saturday and saw staff struggling to cope with the influx of patients. Most patients had been taken there by their families, he said, indicating a shortage of ambulances.
Ahar's 120-bed hospital was full, said Arash, a college student in the town. There were traffic jams on the narrow road to Tabriz as victims tried to reach hospitals, he said by telephone.
“People are scared and won't go back into their houses because they fear the buildings aren't safe.”
The US Geological Survey measured Saturday's first quake at 6.4 magnitude and said it struck 60km north-east of the city of Tabriz, a trading hub far from Iran's oil-producing areas and known nuclear facilities.
The second, measuring 6.3, struck 11 minutes later near Varzaghan, 49km north-east of Tabriz.
More than 1 000 villages in the area were affected by the earthquakes, Ahmad Reza Shaji'i, a Red Crescent official, told the Iranian Students' News Agency (ISNA). Some 130 villages suffered more than 70 percent damage, and 20 villages were completely destroyed, he said.
“We saw some villages that were truly destroyed,” said Sadati, the photographer who was documenting the quake aftermath. “One good thing was that the earthquake happened during the day, so many people were not in their homes. If it had happened at night the casualties would have been far worse.”
Close to 300 people were believed to be dead, said Reza Sadighi, Ahar's local governor, Fars news agency said. National emergency head Gholam Reza Masoumi said 5 000 people are believed to be injured, according to ISNA.
Nearly 100 ambulances and 1 100 Red Crescent workers were deployed, Shaji'i said, along with 44 000 food packages and 5 600 tents for shelter. The relief agency had enough supplies and most residents in the area had access to clean water but Shaji'i asked residents to donate cash to the relief effort.
Tehran officials sent condolences to the victims and declared two days of mourning in the province, ISNA reported.
About 36 000 people in the quake-hit area have been given emergency shelter, Masoumi was quoted as saying by ISNA.
Iranian lawmaker Mohammad Hassan-Nejad warned that if relief efforts did not speed up, the death toll would swiftly rise.
“Relief groups have still not reached many villages, because in normal conditions some of these villages are several hours away,” he told ISNA. “Currently the roads are closed and the only way to reach these villages is by air.”
Photographs posted on Iranian news websites showed numerous bodies, including children, lying on the floor of a white-tiled morgue in Ahar and medical staff treating the injured in the open air as dusk fell on Saturday. Other images showed rescue workers digging people out of rubble - some alive, many dead.
Twenty-eight year old Narges in Tehran said she saw dozens of people in a hospital waiting to donate blood for the victims.
Iran is criss-crossed by major fault lines and has suffered several devastating earthquakes in recent years, including a 6.6 magnitude quake in 2003 that reduced the historic south-eastern city of Bam to dust and killed about 31 000 people.
Saturday's quakes struck in East Azerbaijan province, a mountainous region that neighbours Azerbaijan and Armenia to the north. Buildings in Tabriz, the provincial capital, are substantially built and ISNA reported nobody in the city had been killed or hurt.
Homes and business premises in Iranian villages, however, are often made of concrete blocks or mud brick that can crumble and collapse in a strong quake.
Water, electricity, and phone lines in the area of Varzaghan are all down, further hindering rescue efforts, Iran's English-language Press TV reported.
Tabriz residents left their homes and crowded the streets following the two quakes, those in the city said. “Everyone was scared last night,” a resident said by telephone. “They set up tents and were sleeping in the streets and in parks.”
- Reuters/IOL
Sunday, 12 August 2012
Rescuers Stop Searches After Iran Quakes Kill 250
Rescuers ended the search on Sunday for survivors of twin earthquakes in northwestern Iran that killed at least 250 people and injured more than 2,600 a day earlier, state television reported.
At least 20 villages were totally leveled, state television reported. Ahmad Reza Shajiei, a senior government official in charge of rescue operations, said more than 5,000 tents have been set up to shelter more than 16,000 homeless. Thousands spent the night outdoors after their villages were leveled and homes damaged in the powerful quakes, which were followed by some 36 aftershocks.
The semiofficial Mehr news agency quoted a local official as saying the death toll was 277.
State TV said 44,000 food packages and thousands of blankets have been distribute in the stricken area.
Television video showed people being evacuated on stretchers, while others were treated for broken limbs and concussions. Dozens of families were sleeping on blankets laid out on the ground in parks. Some were crying, and others shivered from the cold in the mountainous region hit by the quake, near the border with Azerbaijan.
More than 1,100 rescuers worked through the night to pull out those trapped under rubble and to reach some of the more remote villages affected. Some 15 dogs were brought in to search for survivors.
By afternoon, state television reported that search operations had ceased. The government's attention shifted to providing shelter to the homeless and removing debris from the buildings destroyed.
Officials said the search was ended relatively quickly because the remote area is sparsely populated.
"The moment the earthquake hit, it was like a snake biting from underground. It was the worst experience of my life," said resident Morteza Javid.
"The walls were shaking and moving from side to side. It took about a minute before I could run out of the house," he said. "Seconds before the earthquake, crows were making a lot of noise, but I didn't understand why. It was only after the quake that I learned the crows were warning us."
Javid, 47, said he drove more than a dozen injured people to hospitals in his car during the night.
Naimeh Alapour said she ran out of her house without the mandatory Islamic covering when she felt the earthquake. Alapour, 35, lives in Tabriz, the provincial capital, about 50 kilometers (30 miles) from the epicenter of the earthquake.
"I simply took my kid and ran down the steps. The elevator was out of service. I don't know how I walked nine floors down. It felt like this was the end of the world," she said.
The U.S. Geological Survey reported that Saturday's first quake at was magnitude 6.4 and struck 60 kilometers (35 miles) northeast of the city of Tabriz at a depth of 9.9 kilometers (6.2 miles). State TV quoted local Crisis Committee chief Khalil Saei as saying the epicenter was a region between the towns of Ahar and Haris, about 600 kilometers (350 miles) northwest of the capital Tehran.
The second quake was a magnitude 6.3 and struck 11 minutes later, the USGS reported. Its epicenter was 50 kilometers (30 miles) northeast of Tabriz at a depth of 9.8 kilometers (6.1 miles).
The quakes hit the towns of Ahar, Haris and Varzaqan in East Azerbaijan province, state television reported. In addition to 20 villages destroyed, more than 130 others sustained heavy damage, state TV said.
The aftershocks were felt in a wide region near the Caspian Sea, causing panic among the people.
Officials have announced two days of mourning in East Azerbaijan province.
Interior Minister Mostafa Mohammad Najjar said the government will allocate funds to rebuild the houses destroyed in the quake, aiming to complete the construction before the arrival of cold winter temperatures.
Najjar said the plans aim to construct buildings resistant to earthquake. Most of houses in rural areas are built of mud, and they can crumble when even a moderate quake hits.
Iran is located on seismic fault lines and is prone to earthquakes. It experiences at least one earthquake every day on average, although most are so small they go unnoticed. In 2003, some 26,000 people were killed by a magnitude 6.6 quake that flattened the historic southeastern city of Bam.
According to Najjar, several foreign countries have offered assistance, but he said Iran doesn't need outside help and can manage the situation. He did not name the countries.
- ABC News (AP)
At least 20 villages were totally leveled, state television reported. Ahmad Reza Shajiei, a senior government official in charge of rescue operations, said more than 5,000 tents have been set up to shelter more than 16,000 homeless. Thousands spent the night outdoors after their villages were leveled and homes damaged in the powerful quakes, which were followed by some 36 aftershocks.
The semiofficial Mehr news agency quoted a local official as saying the death toll was 277.
State TV said 44,000 food packages and thousands of blankets have been distribute in the stricken area.
Television video showed people being evacuated on stretchers, while others were treated for broken limbs and concussions. Dozens of families were sleeping on blankets laid out on the ground in parks. Some were crying, and others shivered from the cold in the mountainous region hit by the quake, near the border with Azerbaijan.
More than 1,100 rescuers worked through the night to pull out those trapped under rubble and to reach some of the more remote villages affected. Some 15 dogs were brought in to search for survivors.
By afternoon, state television reported that search operations had ceased. The government's attention shifted to providing shelter to the homeless and removing debris from the buildings destroyed.
Officials said the search was ended relatively quickly because the remote area is sparsely populated.
"The moment the earthquake hit, it was like a snake biting from underground. It was the worst experience of my life," said resident Morteza Javid.
"The walls were shaking and moving from side to side. It took about a minute before I could run out of the house," he said. "Seconds before the earthquake, crows were making a lot of noise, but I didn't understand why. It was only after the quake that I learned the crows were warning us."
Javid, 47, said he drove more than a dozen injured people to hospitals in his car during the night.
Naimeh Alapour said she ran out of her house without the mandatory Islamic covering when she felt the earthquake. Alapour, 35, lives in Tabriz, the provincial capital, about 50 kilometers (30 miles) from the epicenter of the earthquake.
"I simply took my kid and ran down the steps. The elevator was out of service. I don't know how I walked nine floors down. It felt like this was the end of the world," she said.
The U.S. Geological Survey reported that Saturday's first quake at was magnitude 6.4 and struck 60 kilometers (35 miles) northeast of the city of Tabriz at a depth of 9.9 kilometers (6.2 miles). State TV quoted local Crisis Committee chief Khalil Saei as saying the epicenter was a region between the towns of Ahar and Haris, about 600 kilometers (350 miles) northwest of the capital Tehran.
The second quake was a magnitude 6.3 and struck 11 minutes later, the USGS reported. Its epicenter was 50 kilometers (30 miles) northeast of Tabriz at a depth of 9.8 kilometers (6.1 miles).
The quakes hit the towns of Ahar, Haris and Varzaqan in East Azerbaijan province, state television reported. In addition to 20 villages destroyed, more than 130 others sustained heavy damage, state TV said.
The aftershocks were felt in a wide region near the Caspian Sea, causing panic among the people.
Officials have announced two days of mourning in East Azerbaijan province.
Interior Minister Mostafa Mohammad Najjar said the government will allocate funds to rebuild the houses destroyed in the quake, aiming to complete the construction before the arrival of cold winter temperatures.
Najjar said the plans aim to construct buildings resistant to earthquake. Most of houses in rural areas are built of mud, and they can crumble when even a moderate quake hits.
Iran is located on seismic fault lines and is prone to earthquakes. It experiences at least one earthquake every day on average, although most are so small they go unnoticed. In 2003, some 26,000 people were killed by a magnitude 6.6 quake that flattened the historic southeastern city of Bam.
According to Najjar, several foreign countries have offered assistance, but he said Iran doesn't need outside help and can manage the situation. He did not name the countries.
- ABC News (AP)
Scores killed in northwest Iran earthquakes
Two strong earthquakes have hit northwestern Iran.
The scale of the disaster was still emerging as rescue operations in the devastated zone northeast of the city of Tabriz pushed through the night after Saturday's quakes.
Earlier, Gholamreza Masoumi, the country's head of emergency services said that the injured were being taken to Tabriz, the biggest city in the region, and Ardebil, a neighouring province.
Panicked residents fled their homes after the earthquakes on Saturday, which the US Geological Survey (USGS) ranked at 6.4 and 6.3 on the Richter scale.
Tehran University's Seismological Centre said the first earthquake hit at 4:53pm local time (12:23 GMT), with an epicentre just 60km from Tabriz, close to the town of Ahar, and a depth of 10km.
The second - a big aftershock - hit 11 minutes later from nearly the same spot. A series of 11 smaller aftershocks rating 4.7 or below rapidly followed.
"We are asking people to not panic," Saie said. "Help is arriving and rescuers are already at the scene."
President's condolences
President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad's office posted a statement on its website expressing condolences to those in the disaster zone and calling on authorities to "mobilise all efforts to help the affected populations".
The disaster zone was located around 90 kilometres from the borders with Armenia and Azerbaijan, and around 190 kilometres from the border with Turkey.
Officials had to use radios because of disrupted telephone communications in the region and dispatched helicopters to remote villages.
An emergency services official said 66 rescue teams were at work, using 40 devices and seven dog squads to detect buried survivors. He said 185 ambulances had been sent to the area.
Those hurt were taken to hospitals in Tabriz and Ardebil, the two biggest nearby cities, both of which escaped relatively unscathed by the earthquakes.
The towns of Ahar and Varzeghan, 60km from Tabriz, were the hardest hit, being closest to the epicentres of the two quakes. Haris, another town close by, was also badly shaken. Scores of villages were decimated.
Ahmad Alireza Beigi, the regional governor, told state television that while the city of Tabriz was relatively free of major damage, he was more concerned about the surrounding villages.
"Sixty villages... have been heavily damaged and are in need of help," Abbas Fallah, a lawmaker in the hard-hit town of Ahar, told the semi-official Mehr news agency.
Lawmaker Abbas Falah said people in the region are in need of bread, tents and drinking water.
"So far 73 bodies from Varzaghan and Ahar have been handed over to the coroner's office," IRNA quoted Bahram Samadirad, a provincial official from the office, as saying.
"Since some people are in a critical condition and rescue workers are still trying to rescue people from under the rubble, unfortunately it is possible for the number of casualties to rise."
Earthquake-prone area
Iran sits astride several major fault lines and is prone to frequent earthquakes, some of which have been devastating.
Tabriz is a major city and trading hub far from Iran's oil producing areas. Though buildings in the city are substantially built, homes and businesses in Iranian villages are often made of concrete blocks or mud brick that can crumble and collapse in a strong quake.
A local provincial official urged people in the region to stay outdoors during the night for fear of aftershocks, according to IRNA.
The deadliest recent tremor in Iran was a 6.6-magnitude quake which struck the southern city of Bam in December 2003, killing 31,000 people - about a quarter of the population - and destroying the city's ancient mud-built citadel.
Ghanbar Naderi, a Tehran-based journalist, told Al Jazeera that the earthquakes had created concern in the capital.
"These particular earthquakes have created a lot of concern in the Iranian capital, Tehran. Because the capital sits on three major faultlines and the last earthquake killed thousands of people," he said.
"We don't know when the next earthquake is going to hit the capital Tehran, and unfortunately some of the houses just like the houses in East Azerbaijan ... are not built based on standard requirements and they don't follow housing codes."
Gavin Hayes, a research geophysicist at the USGS, said that aftershocks were likely.
"It's a region that is fairly prone to earthquakes. It's had a long history of events, it's not far from plate boundaries in the region. It's just about 300km away from an earthquake that happened in eastern Turkey in October of last year that killed upwards of 500 people. So it's a region that's very familiar with these events, unfortunately," he told Al Jazeera.
"There will certainly be aftershocks. We've seen many already. There will continue to be aftershocks in the magnitude four and five range over the coming days and weeks."
Source:
Al Jazeera and agencies
At least 250 killed when strong quakes jolt northwestern Iran
Tehran, Iran (CNN) -- At least 250 people were killed and 2,000 others injured when two strong earthquakes jolted northwestern Iran on Saturday near the city of Tabriz, state-run news agencies said.
Iran's state-run Press TV said 250 people had died. Officials feared the casualties would rise.
The city of Ahar was home to 45 of the deaths and 500 of the injured, a local official told state-run IRNA media.
The first earthquake, a magnitude 6.4, hit at 4:53 p.m. local time 37 miles northeast of Tabriz, according to the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), which measured 11 aftershocks. Just 11 minutes later a second quake, measuring 6.3, struck 30 miles northeast of Tabriz.
Authorities reported 17 aftershocks in the region, state-run IRNA media said. The semi-official Fars News Agency reported 35 aftershocks. Officials asked residents, as a safety precaution, to spend the night outdoors.
The quakes affected Tabriz, the capital of East Azarbaijan province, and nearby cities. It razed four villages and another 60 villages sustained heavy damage, said Fars. It said 40 people died in the city of Varzaqan and 50 were killed in Haris.
Initial reports said some buildings in Tabriz suffered structural damage and power lines were down. Telephone lines were down in Ahar, the quake's epicenter. The extent of the damage was still being assessed.
Many people were in dire need of drinking water, bread and shelter, said Fars, quoting officials.
Authorities dispatched rescue teams to the area.
Press TV broadcast images of collapsed buildings and makeshift medical stations set up in the streets. In scenes broadcast by state-run IRINN, people lying on blankets were administered intravenous fluids.
Iran sits on major fault lines -- the collision of the Arabia and Eurasia plates -- and has been prone to devastating earthquakes.
In 2003, 30,000 people died in an earthquake in Bam in southeastern Kerman province. In 1990, about 50,000 were killed in a quake that hit near the Caspian Sea.
- CNN
Iran's state-run Press TV said 250 people had died. Officials feared the casualties would rise.
The city of Ahar was home to 45 of the deaths and 500 of the injured, a local official told state-run IRNA media.
The first earthquake, a magnitude 6.4, hit at 4:53 p.m. local time 37 miles northeast of Tabriz, according to the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), which measured 11 aftershocks. Just 11 minutes later a second quake, measuring 6.3, struck 30 miles northeast of Tabriz.
Authorities reported 17 aftershocks in the region, state-run IRNA media said. The semi-official Fars News Agency reported 35 aftershocks. Officials asked residents, as a safety precaution, to spend the night outdoors.
The quakes affected Tabriz, the capital of East Azarbaijan province, and nearby cities. It razed four villages and another 60 villages sustained heavy damage, said Fars. It said 40 people died in the city of Varzaqan and 50 were killed in Haris.
Initial reports said some buildings in Tabriz suffered structural damage and power lines were down. Telephone lines were down in Ahar, the quake's epicenter. The extent of the damage was still being assessed.
Many people were in dire need of drinking water, bread and shelter, said Fars, quoting officials.
Authorities dispatched rescue teams to the area.
Press TV broadcast images of collapsed buildings and makeshift medical stations set up in the streets. In scenes broadcast by state-run IRINN, people lying on blankets were administered intravenous fluids.
Iran sits on major fault lines -- the collision of the Arabia and Eurasia plates -- and has been prone to devastating earthquakes.
In 2003, 30,000 people died in an earthquake in Bam in southeastern Kerman province. In 1990, about 50,000 were killed in a quake that hit near the Caspian Sea.
- CNN
Two severe earthquakes jolt Northwestern Iran (11 August 2012)
M 6.4 and 6.3 two severe earthquakes jolt Northwestern Iran today, the U.S. Geological Survey reported.
According to the U.S. Geological Survey, the quake's epicenter was located 60 km ENE of Tabriz. Both the quakes were at very shallow depth of around 6 miles.
Tremors were felt even in Armenia (Yerevan) and Georgia (Tbilisi).
Tabriz is the fifth largest city and one of the historical capitals of Iran and the capital of East Azerbaijan Province.
Iran is straddled by several major fault lines and has suffered several devastating earthquakes in recent times. The deadliest was a 6.6-magnitude quake which struck the southern city of Bam in December 2003, killing 31,000 people - about a quarter of the population.
12:23 UTC (local time Saturday, August 11, 2012 at 03:53 PM @ epicenter )
Epicenter location
20 km (12 miles) WSW of Ahar, Iran
60 km (37 miles) ENE of Tabriz, Iran
95 km (59 miles) E of Marand, Iran
100 km (62 miles) SSE of Kapan, Armenia
-Death toll has risen to 183 with more than 1500 people injured.
-Almost 16,000 people are given emergency shelter.
-Ay least 45 killed in the city of Ahar and 500 of the injured.
-More than 20 moderate aftershocks recorded.
-60 villages sustained 50-70% damage, 6 villages 100% destroyed in Northwestern Iran.
-Earthquake caused more than 800 billion rials damage to rural places. The earthquake in the villages Gvyjhbl, Lylan, Bzqvsh, Kurram Valley, ball Drq have suffered the greatest losses.
- Disaster Report
Thursday, 9 August 2012
Philippine floods a man-made disaster: experts
Houses swamped by floodwaters in Bulacan province, north of Manila is seen in this aerial photograph released by the Department of National Defense August 8, 2012. Image by: HANDOUT / REUTERS
Deadly floods that have swamped nearly all of the Philippine capital are less a natural disaster and more the result of poor planning, lax enforcement and political self-interest, experts say.
Damaged watersheds, massive squatter colonies living in danger zones and the neglect of drainage systems are some of the factors that have made the chaotic city of 15 million people much more vulnerable to enormous floods.
Urban planner Nathaniel Einseidel said the Philippines had enough technical know-how and could find the necessary financing to solve the problem, but there was no vision or political will.
"It's a lack of appreciation for the benefits of long-term plans. It's a vicious cycle when the planning, the policies and enforcement are not very well synchronised," said Einseidel, who was Manila's planning chief from 1979-89.
"I haven't heard of a local government, a town or city that has a comprehensive drainage masterplan."
Eighty percent of the Manila was this week covered in waters that in some parts were nearly two metres (six and a half feet) deep, after more than a normal August's worth of rain was dumped on the city in 48 hours.
Twenty people have died and two million others have been affected, according to the government, which has said the floods will last for days and longer if more monsoon rains fall.
The deluge was similar to one in 2009, a disaster which claimed more than 460 lives and prompted solemn pledges from government leaders to make the city more resistant to floods.
A government report released then called for 2.7 million people in shantytowns to be moved from "danger zones" alongside riverbanks, lakes and sewers.
The plan would affect one in five Manila residents and take 10 years and 130 billion pesos (2.77 billion dollars) to implement.
But Einseidel said that while there had been some efforts to relocate squatters, they never succeeded.
"With the increasing number of people occupying danger zones, it is inevitable there are a lot people who are endangered when these things happen," he said.
Squatters, attracted by economic opportunities in the city, often build shanties on river banks, storm drains and canals, dumping garbage and impeding the flow of waterways.
"The same people who were already told not to return to the rivers and creeks and floodways are back. They are there again and they are the ones who don't want to leave now."
He blamed the phenomenon on poor enforcement of regulations banning building along creeks and floodways, with local politicians often wanting to keep squatters in their communities to secure their votes at election time.
Meanwhile, on the outskirts of Manila, vital forested areas have been destroyed to make way for housing developments catering to a growing middle and upper class, according to architect Paulo Alcazaren.
Alcazeren, who is also an urban planner, said the patchwork political structure of Manila had made things even harder.
The capital is actually made up of 16 cities and towns, each with its own government, and they often carry out infrastructure programmes -- such as drainage and watershed protection -- without coordination.
"The controls of physical development must not be dependent on political boundaries of towns and provinces," he said.
"Individual cities can never solve the problem. They can only mitigate. If you want to govern properly, you must re-draw or overlay existing political boundaries."
Solutions to the flooding will all require massive efforts such as re-planting the watersheds, building low-cost housing for the squatters and clearing drainage systems, the experts said.
"It will cost billions of pesos but we lose billions anyway every time it floods," Alcazeren said.
- Times Live
Friday, 3 August 2012
Tsunami and suicides take toll on longevity in Japan
It has knocked them off the top of the global longevity chart for the first time in 26 years, according to government data.
Japan's health and labour ministry said the average life span of Japanese women fell by 0.4 years to 85.9 years last year, putting it behind that of women in Hong Kong, who live for an average of 86.7 years.
The large number of elderly victims was a defining characteristic of the disaster, which killed almost 16 000 people. Statistics show that more than 56% of those who died were aged 65 or older and almost three-quarters of those missing were older than 60.
More than 90% of the victims drowned or died from injuries sustained in the tsunami, compared with a tiny number who perished in the magnitude-nine earthquake that preceded it.
In small towns and fishing communities with ageing populations, many victims were unable to flee quickly enough before being swept away by the waves. Others were stranded at home and could not be reached in time by younger neighbours.
The high number of suicides also played a role in the drop in women's longevity, the ministry said. Suicide rates have fallen slightly among men in recent years, but have risen among women. The number of suicides in Japan exceeded 30000 last year for the 14th consecutive year.
The average life expectancy among Japanese men fell slightly to 79.44 years, leaving them level with Italians in the global rankings. Swiss men head the chart with an average life expectancy of 80.2 years.
Experts attribute Japan's impressive longevity statistics to a diet low in fat – although high in salt – and to strong relationships with neighbours, universal access to healthcare and a comfortable standard of living after retirement.
Despite the slight drop in life expectancy, the ministry figures show that a large proportion of Japanese will live well into old age: more than 45% of women and 20% of men are expected to celebrate their 90th birthday.
– Guardian News & Media 2012
Thursday, 21 June 2012
Recent Natural Disasters
Floods and landslides in Philippines
-Flash floods and landslides reported over the western parts of Northern Luzon.
-According to The Philippine Atmospheric Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA), a potential cyclone – a low-pressure area (Dindo) may bring rain showers and thunderstorms to Eastern Visayas and Mindanao.
-As of 2 a.m local time, the LPA was located 480 km east of Eastern Visayas.
-Tropical storm Talim (Carina) is expected to affect the seaboards of Northern and Central Luzon.
Colombia/Nevado Del Ruiz Volcano
-Matecana Airport in the city of Pereira closed due to volcani ash clouds from Nevado Del Ruiz. The nearby Nubia airport in Manizales has been closed since the beginning of June due to similar volcanic activity.
-The 17,800-foot Ruiz volcano which is located west of Bogota hasn't erupted since the 1980s.
Flooding in Duluth, USA
-A state of flood emergency declared in Duluth.
-The Red Cross has set up a shelter at First United Methodist Church in Duluth.-Internet and cell-phone service is out in Two Harbors and elsewhere in Lake County.
-Several inbound flight cancelled by Duluth International Airport due to severe weather.
-Minnesota Gov. Mark Dayton will visit Duluth on Thursday to assess the flood damage.
Flooding in Patna, India
-India Meteorological Department (IMD), Patna issued floods forecast for river catchments.
-Flooding is expected nearby Kosi, Kamala, Gandak, Bagmati and Punpun.
Tropical Storm Chris
-As of 03:00 UTC, TS Chris was located 1025 km se of Cape Race Newfoundland.
Tropical Depression Talim
-As of 03:00 UTC, Tropical depression (td) 06w (Talim) was located approximately 100 nm northeast of Taipei, Taiwan.
- Recent Natural Disasters
-Flash floods and landslides reported over the western parts of Northern Luzon.
-According to The Philippine Atmospheric Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA), a potential cyclone – a low-pressure area (Dindo) may bring rain showers and thunderstorms to Eastern Visayas and Mindanao.
-As of 2 a.m local time, the LPA was located 480 km east of Eastern Visayas.
-Tropical storm Talim (Carina) is expected to affect the seaboards of Northern and Central Luzon.
Colombia/Nevado Del Ruiz Volcano
-Matecana Airport in the city of Pereira closed due to volcani ash clouds from Nevado Del Ruiz. The nearby Nubia airport in Manizales has been closed since the beginning of June due to similar volcanic activity.
-The 17,800-foot Ruiz volcano which is located west of Bogota hasn't erupted since the 1980s.
Flooding in Duluth, USA
-A state of flood emergency declared in Duluth.
-The Red Cross has set up a shelter at First United Methodist Church in Duluth.-Internet and cell-phone service is out in Two Harbors and elsewhere in Lake County.
-Several inbound flight cancelled by Duluth International Airport due to severe weather.
-Minnesota Gov. Mark Dayton will visit Duluth on Thursday to assess the flood damage.
Flooding in Patna, India
-India Meteorological Department (IMD), Patna issued floods forecast for river catchments.
-Flooding is expected nearby Kosi, Kamala, Gandak, Bagmati and Punpun.
Tropical Storm Chris
-As of 03:00 UTC, TS Chris was located 1025 km se of Cape Race Newfoundland.
Tropical Depression Talim
-As of 03:00 UTC, Tropical depression (td) 06w (Talim) was located approximately 100 nm northeast of Taipei, Taiwan.
- Recent Natural Disasters
Disasters displace 15 million in 2011
Rio de Janeiro - Floods, storms, earthquakes and a tsunami displaced 14.9 million people last year, 89% of them in Asia, according to an estimate by two Norwegian-backed agencies issued here on Tuesday.
"The 10 largest disasters in terms of the amount of people displaced all took place in Asia, including multiple events in China, the Philippines, Sri Lanka and Japan," said Elisabeth Rasmusson of the Norwegian Refugee Council (NRC).
"The worst were the prolonged flood disasters in China and Thailand, which together displaced over five million people."
The estimate, issued on the sidelines of the UN Conference on Sustainable Development in Rio, applies to people who are internally displaced within a country.
But an accurate total of how many of the 14.9 million remain displaced is unclear because data is so sketchy, its authors said.
In northeastern Japan, 492 000 people fled their homes after the 10 March 2011 mega-quake and tsunami, according to the report, compiled with the Swiss-based Internal Displacement Monitoring Centre (IDMC).
One year on, 344 000 of them still live in temporary accommodation, it said.
In terms of the proportion of national population, Sri Lanka was worst hit, for 685 000 people, or three percent of its populace, were uprooted from their homes by heavy seasonal rains and back-to-back floods.
- AFP/News24
"The 10 largest disasters in terms of the amount of people displaced all took place in Asia, including multiple events in China, the Philippines, Sri Lanka and Japan," said Elisabeth Rasmusson of the Norwegian Refugee Council (NRC).
"The worst were the prolonged flood disasters in China and Thailand, which together displaced over five million people."
The estimate, issued on the sidelines of the UN Conference on Sustainable Development in Rio, applies to people who are internally displaced within a country.
But an accurate total of how many of the 14.9 million remain displaced is unclear because data is so sketchy, its authors said.
In northeastern Japan, 492 000 people fled their homes after the 10 March 2011 mega-quake and tsunami, according to the report, compiled with the Swiss-based Internal Displacement Monitoring Centre (IDMC).
One year on, 344 000 of them still live in temporary accommodation, it said.
In terms of the proportion of national population, Sri Lanka was worst hit, for 685 000 people, or three percent of its populace, were uprooted from their homes by heavy seasonal rains and back-to-back floods.
- AFP/News24
Wednesday, 13 June 2012
RSOE Edis: World Disasters and Emergencies
Flash Flood in United Kingdom on Tuesday, 12 June, 2012 at 19:46 (07:46 PM) UTC.
Torrential downpours and turbulent weather wreaked havoc across the city yet again with power cuts, flooding and traffic chaos. And forecasters at the Met Office have said it is not due to improve any time soon with more "wet weather" expected throughout the week. Roads across the city became water logged yesterday afternoon as the heavens opened and the downpour began. Drivers faced problems with surface water on the A38, The Parkway, Marsh Mills roundabout, Embankment Road, Woodford Avenue in Plympton, Plymouth Road and Outland Road to name just a few. A number of businesses in the city also took a lashing from the rain, with firefighters attending floods at Plymouth Homes estate agents, Crownhill, and Broadway Fruit and Veg in Plymstock. Sarah Holland, a forecaster at the Met Office, said: "There is more heavy rain to come - it's not going to be very pleasant in Plymouth over the next couple of days and people need to be aware of the hazardous driving conditions." The Met Office also said to expect between 10 and 15mm of rain an hour while the showers persist.
Flood alerts have been placed on the River Plym and Tory Brook in Plympton as a precaution, but a spokesperson for the Environment Agency said there was "nothing to worry about". Businessman Chris Russell, who was commuting between the city centre and Plympton yesterday, said: "The Woodford Avenue area was horrendous with flooding. There were even cars getting stuck in the water. There must have been at least two feet of water across the road. I've never seen flooding that bad in 30 years of living in Plymouth." Meanwhile, Western Power Distribution were faced with hundreds of angry football fans as a lightning bolt hit an electricity pole in the area causing 462 customers to lose power in St Mellion and St Dominick. Lindsay Hewison, landlady of the Coryton Arms in St Mellion, said: "The electricity cut out at about 4.50pm, just before kick-off of the UEFA Euro 2012 England vs France game. We lost a lot of trade, probably about 40 customers, due to the power cut and the freaky weather." St Mellion Golf Club, which had organised a special hog roast to accompany the screening of the live football match, also suffered the same fate. Bus services were also affected by the treacherous weather and emergency services were called to a couple of minor car collisions.
Flood in Philippines on Wednesday, 13 June, 2012 at 02:47 (02:47 AM) UTC.
Two days of rain has flooded several villages and towns in southern Philippines and forced nearly 700 people to flee their homes on Tuesday. Benito Ramos, National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council head, said parts of Sarangani, North Cotabato, Maguindanao and Sultan Kudarat provinces were flooded after two days of pounding rain set off by a brewing tropical storm. Two men died while a total of 250 houses were destroyed when a flashflood hit two villages in Glan town, Sarangani province Tuesday. The flashflood struck the villages of Big Margus Proper and Pangyan Cross. The Armed Forces of the Philippines reported 50 families were also displaced by flashfloods. Sarangani Governor Miguel Rene Dominguez identified the victims as Sagapo Cabigding and Rolando Mata. A certain Rani Pregoner is also reported missing. Nineteen fishermen were also rescued by the authorities from the big waves that battered the area for several hours. The governor said that based on the report coming from Ben Solarte of the Provincial Disaster Risk Reduction Management Office, about 139 houses were totally damaged while 111 houses were partially destroyed by the floodwaters.
A flashflood also struck four villages in Kalamansig, Sultan Kudarat on Monday. It started around 9 p.m. and affected barangays Obial, Sta. Clara, Hinalaan, and Himulan. A total of 2,460 families were affected by the flooding, while 23 families were forcibly evacuated by the authorities. In Malaybalay, Bukidnon, a flashflood also struck barangays Cabangahan, Bangkud, Aglayan, and Linabo at 4:45 p.m. after Bugkaon River overflowed due to continuous heavy rains brought about by the shallow low pressure area. Some 44 families whose houses are situated near a riverbank in this city evacuated to higher grounds when floodwaters reached as high as 15 feet at around 1:30 a.m. Tuesday, residents said. Nurkaya Patadon, 42, one of the flood victims in this city, said many of their appliances and valuables were swept out to the Nuangan River, one of the longest rivers in North Cotabato. Patadon's family, including 43 other families, decided to leave their homes for fear the waters might rise again due to torrential rains. Heavy rains started to pour at around 9:30 p.m. on Monday and continued until Tuesday afternoon, said Psalmer Bernalte, head of the Kidapawan City Emergency Response Unit (KidCeru), one of the groups that conducted rescue operations. Kasan Maruhom, one of the displaced residents, said that Tuesday’s flashfloods was the worst since 2000.
"We never thought the floodwaters could rise as high as 15 feet. What happened was the worst. I've lived in this area for more than 30 years," Maruhom said. Maruhom said he would transfer his family to Mundog Subdivision in Poblacion. Others, however, have problems finding areas for their relocation. "We don't know where to go. We have no place to stay other than the riverbank. Our workplace is here in the Poblacion," said Salik Quila, also one of the flood victims. Bernalte said the waters of Nuangan River, already considered a dead river in Kidapawan City, became turbulent as heavy rains continue to fall across North Cotabato due to low pressure area, which brought widespread rain showers and thunderstorms. Mayor Rodolfo Gantuangco has already ordered the immediate evacuation of the families living near the riverbanks, including Lapu-Lapu Street, Cotelco Village, and Licatan Subdivision, all in Poblacion here. "We've already given them orders in the past to leave the place, yet, they won't listen," Gantuangco said. Gantuangco said a relocation site in Barangay Balindog, about five kilometers away from the Poblacion, is set for the victims. He said they will declare this city under state of calamity so they can use a portion of their funds to help the flood victims. He added that he already ordered the City Social Welfare and Development Office and the City Disaster Risk Reduction Management Council to assess and evaluate the situation and immediately conduct relief operations on Wednesday.
Flash Flood in United Kingdom on Wednesday, 13 June, 2012 at 03:03 (03:03 AM) UTC.
Sewers were overwhelmed during the flash-floods on Monday afternoon. NIW said Sicily Park, off Belfast's Upper Lisburn Road, was closed for a time after water blocked the road. Meanwhile in Lisburn there were reports of bad flooding in Ashmount Gardens, Wallace Park and Magheralave Road, and another incident at Greenfield Park in Newry. The water company said it has dealt with eleven reports of blocked sewers and eleven reports of external flooding since 4pm on Monday afternoon. Its staff and contractors have been working on the clean-up operation and trying to assist residents in the affected areas. A spokesperson said: "All our sympathies are with the residents affected in what is clearly a distressing experience for everyone. "Every effort was made to alleviate the flooding in the affected areas as quickly as possible and assist with the clean-up operation." Local MLA Conall McDevitt, who was in Sicily Park during the flooding incident, said an outdated sewage network is to blame.
"It's the second time in under a week residents along this part of Finaghy have been subjected to flash flooding," the SDLP representative told UTV. "It's a consequence of a water and sewage infrastructure that's really past its best and which is not able to cope with the increased number of homes and increase in water. "We need to do something about it." Meanwhile the Public Health Agency has issued a warning about the potential public health risks that can arise from flash-flooding. "The risk of contracting illness is generally low," a statement said. "However, as it is not always clear whether water is contaminated or not, the public are urged to exercise caution and assume that flood water is contaminated." It added that other risks can relate to injuries caused by hidden dangers under the water such as missing manhole covers, or people falling into fast flowing waters.
Environment Pollution in United Kingdom on Wednesday, 13 June, 2012 at 03:10 (03:10 AM) UTC.
Scientists have discovered a third "significantly radioactive" particle at a Fife beach. It was found outside the cordoned-off area at Dalgety Bay where more than 2,000 radioactive objects and particles have been unearthed since October 2011. The latest particle, believed to date from a time when aircraft were scrapped at the bay, was found in April. Radium from wartime aircraft is thought to have been in landfill which was used when the foreshore was reclaimed. The radioactive material was found in front of the headland at Dalgety Bay beach, outwith the section of foreshore which remains cordoned off to the public. The Scottish Environment Protection Agency (Sepa) said the particle was the third one measuring about 2MBq which had been found in the area. The level of activity was "significantly higher" than was usually found at the beach, but lower than the two "very high activity" particles which had previously been discovered. They measured 76MBq and 13MBq. "It was not in the cordoned off area, but was in a section of the beach that is not often used and is covered over at high tide," said Sepa. "The source, which further demonstrates the need for a comprehensive investigation of the contamination, is currently undergoing testing." Sepa informed the Dalgety Bay Forum of the latest finds on Monday. Sepa believes the waste has come from previous Ministry of Defence activities because radium luminised dials with numbers on the back can be traced back to military aircraft. Dalgety Bay beach avoided becoming the first in the UK to be designated radioactive contaminated land after the MoD agreed to carry out a detailed investigation of the area. A report is due next May, after which a plan is to be put in place to clean the beach.
Tornado in Italy on Tuesday, 12 June, 2012 at 18:43 (06:43 PM) UTC.
At around 11am today, a tornado hit Venice in Italy. Initial reports indicate that trees were damaged, market stalls overturned and some buildings were damaged. No injuries have been reported, One of the worst hit areas was the Sant'Elena island where an open air market was in progress. The tornado caused terrified shoppers to dash for cover. A water bus ticket office had its roof ripped off by the tornado which some reports stated was a waterspout. A number of boats were capsized. Around one hundred trees on Certosa Island were knocked down by the tornado and the outdoor dining area of the island's restaurant was completely destroyed. On Sant'Erasmo island, the roofs were removed from around a dozen houses, according to reports from emergency services in the area. In the interests of safety, the cemetery on Sant'Erasmo island has been closed.
Landslide in Italy on Tuesday, 12 June, 2012 at 18:58 (06:58 PM) UTC.
Downpours hit Alto Lario, in the area of the Lake of Como. During the last few hours a mudslide fell towards a group of houses in Porlezza, (Como) and the Local Police immediately evacuated two buildings for precautionary reasons. Six people were evacuated. The mudslide hit the Cima hamlet and the two houses are in Via San Giorgio. One was only just brushed by the river of mud and debris, the other had the whole ground floor flooded. The family was sleeping on the first floor.
- RSOE Edis
Torrential downpours and turbulent weather wreaked havoc across the city yet again with power cuts, flooding and traffic chaos. And forecasters at the Met Office have said it is not due to improve any time soon with more "wet weather" expected throughout the week. Roads across the city became water logged yesterday afternoon as the heavens opened and the downpour began. Drivers faced problems with surface water on the A38, The Parkway, Marsh Mills roundabout, Embankment Road, Woodford Avenue in Plympton, Plymouth Road and Outland Road to name just a few. A number of businesses in the city also took a lashing from the rain, with firefighters attending floods at Plymouth Homes estate agents, Crownhill, and Broadway Fruit and Veg in Plymstock. Sarah Holland, a forecaster at the Met Office, said: "There is more heavy rain to come - it's not going to be very pleasant in Plymouth over the next couple of days and people need to be aware of the hazardous driving conditions." The Met Office also said to expect between 10 and 15mm of rain an hour while the showers persist.
Flood alerts have been placed on the River Plym and Tory Brook in Plympton as a precaution, but a spokesperson for the Environment Agency said there was "nothing to worry about". Businessman Chris Russell, who was commuting between the city centre and Plympton yesterday, said: "The Woodford Avenue area was horrendous with flooding. There were even cars getting stuck in the water. There must have been at least two feet of water across the road. I've never seen flooding that bad in 30 years of living in Plymouth." Meanwhile, Western Power Distribution were faced with hundreds of angry football fans as a lightning bolt hit an electricity pole in the area causing 462 customers to lose power in St Mellion and St Dominick. Lindsay Hewison, landlady of the Coryton Arms in St Mellion, said: "The electricity cut out at about 4.50pm, just before kick-off of the UEFA Euro 2012 England vs France game. We lost a lot of trade, probably about 40 customers, due to the power cut and the freaky weather." St Mellion Golf Club, which had organised a special hog roast to accompany the screening of the live football match, also suffered the same fate. Bus services were also affected by the treacherous weather and emergency services were called to a couple of minor car collisions.
Flood in Philippines on Wednesday, 13 June, 2012 at 02:47 (02:47 AM) UTC.
Two days of rain has flooded several villages and towns in southern Philippines and forced nearly 700 people to flee their homes on Tuesday. Benito Ramos, National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council head, said parts of Sarangani, North Cotabato, Maguindanao and Sultan Kudarat provinces were flooded after two days of pounding rain set off by a brewing tropical storm. Two men died while a total of 250 houses were destroyed when a flashflood hit two villages in Glan town, Sarangani province Tuesday. The flashflood struck the villages of Big Margus Proper and Pangyan Cross. The Armed Forces of the Philippines reported 50 families were also displaced by flashfloods. Sarangani Governor Miguel Rene Dominguez identified the victims as Sagapo Cabigding and Rolando Mata. A certain Rani Pregoner is also reported missing. Nineteen fishermen were also rescued by the authorities from the big waves that battered the area for several hours. The governor said that based on the report coming from Ben Solarte of the Provincial Disaster Risk Reduction Management Office, about 139 houses were totally damaged while 111 houses were partially destroyed by the floodwaters.
A flashflood also struck four villages in Kalamansig, Sultan Kudarat on Monday. It started around 9 p.m. and affected barangays Obial, Sta. Clara, Hinalaan, and Himulan. A total of 2,460 families were affected by the flooding, while 23 families were forcibly evacuated by the authorities. In Malaybalay, Bukidnon, a flashflood also struck barangays Cabangahan, Bangkud, Aglayan, and Linabo at 4:45 p.m. after Bugkaon River overflowed due to continuous heavy rains brought about by the shallow low pressure area. Some 44 families whose houses are situated near a riverbank in this city evacuated to higher grounds when floodwaters reached as high as 15 feet at around 1:30 a.m. Tuesday, residents said. Nurkaya Patadon, 42, one of the flood victims in this city, said many of their appliances and valuables were swept out to the Nuangan River, one of the longest rivers in North Cotabato. Patadon's family, including 43 other families, decided to leave their homes for fear the waters might rise again due to torrential rains. Heavy rains started to pour at around 9:30 p.m. on Monday and continued until Tuesday afternoon, said Psalmer Bernalte, head of the Kidapawan City Emergency Response Unit (KidCeru), one of the groups that conducted rescue operations. Kasan Maruhom, one of the displaced residents, said that Tuesday’s flashfloods was the worst since 2000.
"We never thought the floodwaters could rise as high as 15 feet. What happened was the worst. I've lived in this area for more than 30 years," Maruhom said. Maruhom said he would transfer his family to Mundog Subdivision in Poblacion. Others, however, have problems finding areas for their relocation. "We don't know where to go. We have no place to stay other than the riverbank. Our workplace is here in the Poblacion," said Salik Quila, also one of the flood victims. Bernalte said the waters of Nuangan River, already considered a dead river in Kidapawan City, became turbulent as heavy rains continue to fall across North Cotabato due to low pressure area, which brought widespread rain showers and thunderstorms. Mayor Rodolfo Gantuangco has already ordered the immediate evacuation of the families living near the riverbanks, including Lapu-Lapu Street, Cotelco Village, and Licatan Subdivision, all in Poblacion here. "We've already given them orders in the past to leave the place, yet, they won't listen," Gantuangco said. Gantuangco said a relocation site in Barangay Balindog, about five kilometers away from the Poblacion, is set for the victims. He said they will declare this city under state of calamity so they can use a portion of their funds to help the flood victims. He added that he already ordered the City Social Welfare and Development Office and the City Disaster Risk Reduction Management Council to assess and evaluate the situation and immediately conduct relief operations on Wednesday.
Flash Flood in United Kingdom on Wednesday, 13 June, 2012 at 03:03 (03:03 AM) UTC.
Sewers were overwhelmed during the flash-floods on Monday afternoon. NIW said Sicily Park, off Belfast's Upper Lisburn Road, was closed for a time after water blocked the road. Meanwhile in Lisburn there were reports of bad flooding in Ashmount Gardens, Wallace Park and Magheralave Road, and another incident at Greenfield Park in Newry. The water company said it has dealt with eleven reports of blocked sewers and eleven reports of external flooding since 4pm on Monday afternoon. Its staff and contractors have been working on the clean-up operation and trying to assist residents in the affected areas. A spokesperson said: "All our sympathies are with the residents affected in what is clearly a distressing experience for everyone. "Every effort was made to alleviate the flooding in the affected areas as quickly as possible and assist with the clean-up operation." Local MLA Conall McDevitt, who was in Sicily Park during the flooding incident, said an outdated sewage network is to blame.
"It's the second time in under a week residents along this part of Finaghy have been subjected to flash flooding," the SDLP representative told UTV. "It's a consequence of a water and sewage infrastructure that's really past its best and which is not able to cope with the increased number of homes and increase in water. "We need to do something about it." Meanwhile the Public Health Agency has issued a warning about the potential public health risks that can arise from flash-flooding. "The risk of contracting illness is generally low," a statement said. "However, as it is not always clear whether water is contaminated or not, the public are urged to exercise caution and assume that flood water is contaminated." It added that other risks can relate to injuries caused by hidden dangers under the water such as missing manhole covers, or people falling into fast flowing waters.
Environment Pollution in United Kingdom on Wednesday, 13 June, 2012 at 03:10 (03:10 AM) UTC.
Scientists have discovered a third "significantly radioactive" particle at a Fife beach. It was found outside the cordoned-off area at Dalgety Bay where more than 2,000 radioactive objects and particles have been unearthed since October 2011. The latest particle, believed to date from a time when aircraft were scrapped at the bay, was found in April. Radium from wartime aircraft is thought to have been in landfill which was used when the foreshore was reclaimed. The radioactive material was found in front of the headland at Dalgety Bay beach, outwith the section of foreshore which remains cordoned off to the public. The Scottish Environment Protection Agency (Sepa) said the particle was the third one measuring about 2MBq which had been found in the area. The level of activity was "significantly higher" than was usually found at the beach, but lower than the two "very high activity" particles which had previously been discovered. They measured 76MBq and 13MBq. "It was not in the cordoned off area, but was in a section of the beach that is not often used and is covered over at high tide," said Sepa. "The source, which further demonstrates the need for a comprehensive investigation of the contamination, is currently undergoing testing." Sepa informed the Dalgety Bay Forum of the latest finds on Monday. Sepa believes the waste has come from previous Ministry of Defence activities because radium luminised dials with numbers on the back can be traced back to military aircraft. Dalgety Bay beach avoided becoming the first in the UK to be designated radioactive contaminated land after the MoD agreed to carry out a detailed investigation of the area. A report is due next May, after which a plan is to be put in place to clean the beach.
Tornado in Italy on Tuesday, 12 June, 2012 at 18:43 (06:43 PM) UTC.
At around 11am today, a tornado hit Venice in Italy. Initial reports indicate that trees were damaged, market stalls overturned and some buildings were damaged. No injuries have been reported, One of the worst hit areas was the Sant'Elena island where an open air market was in progress. The tornado caused terrified shoppers to dash for cover. A water bus ticket office had its roof ripped off by the tornado which some reports stated was a waterspout. A number of boats were capsized. Around one hundred trees on Certosa Island were knocked down by the tornado and the outdoor dining area of the island's restaurant was completely destroyed. On Sant'Erasmo island, the roofs were removed from around a dozen houses, according to reports from emergency services in the area. In the interests of safety, the cemetery on Sant'Erasmo island has been closed.
Landslide in Italy on Tuesday, 12 June, 2012 at 18:58 (06:58 PM) UTC.
Downpours hit Alto Lario, in the area of the Lake of Como. During the last few hours a mudslide fell towards a group of houses in Porlezza, (Como) and the Local Police immediately evacuated two buildings for precautionary reasons. Six people were evacuated. The mudslide hit the Cima hamlet and the two houses are in Via San Giorgio. One was only just brushed by the river of mud and debris, the other had the whole ground floor flooded. The family was sleeping on the first floor.
- RSOE Edis
Sunday, 10 June 2012
RSOE EDIS Event Report
Biological Hazard in Nigeria on Wednesday, 06 June, 2012 at 03:25 (03:25 AM) UTC.
Twenty six persons were rushed to the hospital at the weekend for food poisoning in Dan-Sharu village in Kafur Local Government Area of Katsina State. The affected persons were admitted for diarrhoea and vomiting, which began shortly after they ate a meal of Tuwo prepared with corn flour. A medical personnel member at the hospital, Mallam Hamisu Hussamatu Ibrahim, told newsmen that all the victims survived. The coordinator of the state's Primary Health Service in charge of Kafur Local Government Area, Alhaji Shu'aibu Garba Kankara also confirmed that no death was recorded. "The meal was prepared with corn flour suspected to be contaminated with an insecticide. The flour must have been stored for a long time. We are suspecting that the corn flour was contaminated. The affected persons have already been treated and discharged. The only person that was asked to come back to the hospital is the head of the family because he had a minor injury on his tongue," he said.
Epidemic Hazard in Ghana on Wednesday, 06 June, 2012 at 03:12 (03:12 AM) UTC.
TWO PEOPLE have been confirmed dead in the latest outbreak of cholera in Navrongo in the Kasena-Nankana district of the Upper East region with more than 17 on admission. There are fears the figures could rise as reports suggest an increase in the number of cases since the first case was reported late last week at the Navrongo War Government Hospital. Hospital authorities DAILY GUIDE gathered have established an emergency cholera camp within the hospital to enable them contain the situation with reports of Nosignia, a farming community being the worst hit. Over the last three years the district has been bedeviled with cholera epidemics in some rural communities due to inadequate sanitation and water treatment systems. Residents in and around the district have been advised to desist from eating cold food while steps are underway to curtail the activities of food vendors to ensure the outbreak is brought under control. Cholera is an acute filth related epidemic infectious disease caused by the bacterium vibrio cholerae resulting in profuse watery diarrhea, extreme loss of fluid and electrolytes, leading to severe dehydration and death within hours. Worldwide, cholera affects 3-5 million people and causes 100,000 to 130,000 deaths a year as of 2010. Due to severe dehydration, fatality rates are high when untreated, especially among children and infants.
Meanwhile, district directors of the Ghana Health Service (GHS) in the affected areas have asked local health educators and other volunteers to intensify personal hygiene and environmental cleanliness campaigns. The epidemic broke out between May 27 and May 31 with the first fatality recorded on May 29. The deceased is reported to have refused to be admitted at the Navrongo War Memorial Hospital where he sought treatment. His condition worsened when he returned home resulting in his death. However his wife who was also diagnosed with cholera was still on admission as at May 31. In Kassena-Nankana West, the District GHS Director, Vida Abasega said the district recorded 14 cases between May 29 and 31 with one woman, losing her live. Medical Superintendent at the Navrongo War Memorial Hospital, Dr. Abdulai Forgor said the exact cause of the outbreak in the two districts is yet to be known but did not rule out filthy surroundings as a factor. According to him, the hospital and the GHS have started public education in the districts on cholera, personal and environmental hygiene. He believes residents may have taken a cue for the campaign as the number of cases being reported at the hospital had declined. Upper East Regional Minister, Mark Woyongo who visited the hospital has promised that the Regional Coordinating Council will support the two affected districts in their public education efforts.
He has also directed the district assemblies to use their information vans for announcements on the outbreak and the need for people to keep their surroundings clean. One patient, who narrated her ordeal to the regional minister, said she was rushed to the hospital while returning home from church after buying and eating a meal of ‘kenkey’ along the way. She said she started feeling uncomfortable, and then had severe Diarrhoea.
Landslide in India on Saturday, 09 June, 2012 at 18:31 (06:31 PM) UTC.
The Army launched a major rescue operation to save as many as 400 passengers from the Khardung La Pass in Ladakh in Jammu and Kashmir, world's highest motorable road, after they were stuck due to heavy snowfall resulting in landslides. In a statement, the Army said, "The rescue operation lasted whole night and timely action by the Army personnel, ably supported by the state police led to safe evacuation of all tourists and no one suffered any injury." According to the official spokesman of Jammu and Kashmir government, nearly 145 vehicles carrying tourists, labourers and passengers were trapped in sub-zero temperature. The spokesman said the vehicles were stranded between South and North Pullu, 42 kilometres from Leh. This road leads to Siachen glacier and Nurbu valley. "The road axis was finally cleared by 1300 hours on 9 June 2012. Almost 350-400 persons, 70 light vehicles and 35-40 trucks stranded at North Pullu were guided back to Leh safely under Army escort," the Army statement said. The Army provided shelter, warm clothing and food to the stranded tourists; established vehicle based medical aid post to provide basic medical assistance and administered oxygen to over 120 tourists suffering from Acute Mountain Sickness, the statement added. Northern Command Army Spokesperson Rajesh Kalia also said that nearly 120 people were administered oxygen as the area has low oxygen levels.
Epidemic Hazard in India on Saturday, 09 June, 2012 at 11:55 (11:55 AM) UTC.
Four lives have been lost in seven districts of Assam after an attack of Cholera. The Assam health authorities have sounded an alert, officials said Friday. More than 500 people have fallen sick in the state. Sources in the National Rural Health Mission (NRHM) said Sivsagar, Darrang and Cachar districts have been identified as the worst affected. ”We have formed Rapid Response Teams (RRTs) in each district to control the spread of the disease,” said an official. While two people died in Sivsagar, the other two deaths took place in Darrang and Cachar districts. Jorhat, Golaghat, Dibrugarh and Sonitpur districts have been put on alert.
HAZMAT in Israel on Sunday, 10 June, 2012 at 05:18 (05:18 AM) UTC.
A 65-year-old man was hospitalized Saturday night after a chemical was found leaking from containers unloaded from an El Al flight hours earlier at Ben-Gurion International Airport. According to Ynet news, some 800 litres of the chemical compound acrylamide leaked out when they were being stored in a warehouse owned by importer/exporter Maman. Emergency services were called to the scene. The man was taken to Sheba Hospital at Tel Hashomer with light injuries. Some 10 containers of the chemical had been unloaded from an El Al cargo flight originating in Belgium, with four of the containers found to be leaking. El Al attributed the leak to a “malfunction,” according to Ynet, and said the incident was under investigation. They added that there was no damage to the airport or the plane. Acrylamide is used in water purification plants and is also utilized to make glues, paper and cosmetics. According to the World Health Organization, the chemical can be toxic to humans at certain doses. Scientists believe smaller doses of the compound, found in some processed foods, may be a carcinogen and contribute to causing cancer, according to the National Cancer Institute in the US.
Flash Flood in United Kingdom on Saturday, 09 June, 2012 at 18:29 (06:29 PM) UTC.
At least 150 people were rescued from homes and caravan sites yesterday after serious flooding in Wales. Many people have been winched to safety by a Sea King helicopter and others were rescued by boat after a torrent of rain overnight near Aberystwyth in western Wales. An inshore lifeboat team taking part in the rescue operation also had to be airlifted when it got into difficulty after helping to pluck a disabled man from a flooded caravan. Fire crews rescued 35 people from the Riverside Caravan Park in Llandre, 13km northeast of the seaside resort, using inshore life boats. Another 11 people also were rescued from the nearby Millhouse Caravan Park, while rescues also took place at the Searivers and Glanlerry caravan parks near Borth, 3km further north. In the village of Talybont, located 5km northeast of Llandre, 25 properties were evacuated and residents are sheltering at a local community centre and pub as around 1.2m of water flows through its main street. Jason Hughes, who lives nearby, said, "The lower part of my village is completely closed off, people are all in their top bedrooms." A spokesman from the Mid and West Wales Fire and Rescue Service said there was a large amount of water with a heavy current. "Numerous people are surrounded by flood water and are requiring rescue by fire service boats, inshore life boat teams and RAF [Royal Air Force] helicopters," he said.
- RSOE EDIS
Twenty six persons were rushed to the hospital at the weekend for food poisoning in Dan-Sharu village in Kafur Local Government Area of Katsina State. The affected persons were admitted for diarrhoea and vomiting, which began shortly after they ate a meal of Tuwo prepared with corn flour. A medical personnel member at the hospital, Mallam Hamisu Hussamatu Ibrahim, told newsmen that all the victims survived. The coordinator of the state's Primary Health Service in charge of Kafur Local Government Area, Alhaji Shu'aibu Garba Kankara also confirmed that no death was recorded. "The meal was prepared with corn flour suspected to be contaminated with an insecticide. The flour must have been stored for a long time. We are suspecting that the corn flour was contaminated. The affected persons have already been treated and discharged. The only person that was asked to come back to the hospital is the head of the family because he had a minor injury on his tongue," he said.
Epidemic Hazard in Ghana on Wednesday, 06 June, 2012 at 03:12 (03:12 AM) UTC.
TWO PEOPLE have been confirmed dead in the latest outbreak of cholera in Navrongo in the Kasena-Nankana district of the Upper East region with more than 17 on admission. There are fears the figures could rise as reports suggest an increase in the number of cases since the first case was reported late last week at the Navrongo War Government Hospital. Hospital authorities DAILY GUIDE gathered have established an emergency cholera camp within the hospital to enable them contain the situation with reports of Nosignia, a farming community being the worst hit. Over the last three years the district has been bedeviled with cholera epidemics in some rural communities due to inadequate sanitation and water treatment systems. Residents in and around the district have been advised to desist from eating cold food while steps are underway to curtail the activities of food vendors to ensure the outbreak is brought under control. Cholera is an acute filth related epidemic infectious disease caused by the bacterium vibrio cholerae resulting in profuse watery diarrhea, extreme loss of fluid and electrolytes, leading to severe dehydration and death within hours. Worldwide, cholera affects 3-5 million people and causes 100,000 to 130,000 deaths a year as of 2010. Due to severe dehydration, fatality rates are high when untreated, especially among children and infants.
Meanwhile, district directors of the Ghana Health Service (GHS) in the affected areas have asked local health educators and other volunteers to intensify personal hygiene and environmental cleanliness campaigns. The epidemic broke out between May 27 and May 31 with the first fatality recorded on May 29. The deceased is reported to have refused to be admitted at the Navrongo War Memorial Hospital where he sought treatment. His condition worsened when he returned home resulting in his death. However his wife who was also diagnosed with cholera was still on admission as at May 31. In Kassena-Nankana West, the District GHS Director, Vida Abasega said the district recorded 14 cases between May 29 and 31 with one woman, losing her live. Medical Superintendent at the Navrongo War Memorial Hospital, Dr. Abdulai Forgor said the exact cause of the outbreak in the two districts is yet to be known but did not rule out filthy surroundings as a factor. According to him, the hospital and the GHS have started public education in the districts on cholera, personal and environmental hygiene. He believes residents may have taken a cue for the campaign as the number of cases being reported at the hospital had declined. Upper East Regional Minister, Mark Woyongo who visited the hospital has promised that the Regional Coordinating Council will support the two affected districts in their public education efforts.
He has also directed the district assemblies to use their information vans for announcements on the outbreak and the need for people to keep their surroundings clean. One patient, who narrated her ordeal to the regional minister, said she was rushed to the hospital while returning home from church after buying and eating a meal of ‘kenkey’ along the way. She said she started feeling uncomfortable, and then had severe Diarrhoea.
Landslide in India on Saturday, 09 June, 2012 at 18:31 (06:31 PM) UTC.
The Army launched a major rescue operation to save as many as 400 passengers from the Khardung La Pass in Ladakh in Jammu and Kashmir, world's highest motorable road, after they were stuck due to heavy snowfall resulting in landslides. In a statement, the Army said, "The rescue operation lasted whole night and timely action by the Army personnel, ably supported by the state police led to safe evacuation of all tourists and no one suffered any injury." According to the official spokesman of Jammu and Kashmir government, nearly 145 vehicles carrying tourists, labourers and passengers were trapped in sub-zero temperature. The spokesman said the vehicles were stranded between South and North Pullu, 42 kilometres from Leh. This road leads to Siachen glacier and Nurbu valley. "The road axis was finally cleared by 1300 hours on 9 June 2012. Almost 350-400 persons, 70 light vehicles and 35-40 trucks stranded at North Pullu were guided back to Leh safely under Army escort," the Army statement said. The Army provided shelter, warm clothing and food to the stranded tourists; established vehicle based medical aid post to provide basic medical assistance and administered oxygen to over 120 tourists suffering from Acute Mountain Sickness, the statement added. Northern Command Army Spokesperson Rajesh Kalia also said that nearly 120 people were administered oxygen as the area has low oxygen levels.
Epidemic Hazard in India on Saturday, 09 June, 2012 at 11:55 (11:55 AM) UTC.
Four lives have been lost in seven districts of Assam after an attack of Cholera. The Assam health authorities have sounded an alert, officials said Friday. More than 500 people have fallen sick in the state. Sources in the National Rural Health Mission (NRHM) said Sivsagar, Darrang and Cachar districts have been identified as the worst affected. ”We have formed Rapid Response Teams (RRTs) in each district to control the spread of the disease,” said an official. While two people died in Sivsagar, the other two deaths took place in Darrang and Cachar districts. Jorhat, Golaghat, Dibrugarh and Sonitpur districts have been put on alert.
HAZMAT in Israel on Sunday, 10 June, 2012 at 05:18 (05:18 AM) UTC.
A 65-year-old man was hospitalized Saturday night after a chemical was found leaking from containers unloaded from an El Al flight hours earlier at Ben-Gurion International Airport. According to Ynet news, some 800 litres of the chemical compound acrylamide leaked out when they were being stored in a warehouse owned by importer/exporter Maman. Emergency services were called to the scene. The man was taken to Sheba Hospital at Tel Hashomer with light injuries. Some 10 containers of the chemical had been unloaded from an El Al cargo flight originating in Belgium, with four of the containers found to be leaking. El Al attributed the leak to a “malfunction,” according to Ynet, and said the incident was under investigation. They added that there was no damage to the airport or the plane. Acrylamide is used in water purification plants and is also utilized to make glues, paper and cosmetics. According to the World Health Organization, the chemical can be toxic to humans at certain doses. Scientists believe smaller doses of the compound, found in some processed foods, may be a carcinogen and contribute to causing cancer, according to the National Cancer Institute in the US.
Flash Flood in United Kingdom on Saturday, 09 June, 2012 at 18:29 (06:29 PM) UTC.
At least 150 people were rescued from homes and caravan sites yesterday after serious flooding in Wales. Many people have been winched to safety by a Sea King helicopter and others were rescued by boat after a torrent of rain overnight near Aberystwyth in western Wales. An inshore lifeboat team taking part in the rescue operation also had to be airlifted when it got into difficulty after helping to pluck a disabled man from a flooded caravan. Fire crews rescued 35 people from the Riverside Caravan Park in Llandre, 13km northeast of the seaside resort, using inshore life boats. Another 11 people also were rescued from the nearby Millhouse Caravan Park, while rescues also took place at the Searivers and Glanlerry caravan parks near Borth, 3km further north. In the village of Talybont, located 5km northeast of Llandre, 25 properties were evacuated and residents are sheltering at a local community centre and pub as around 1.2m of water flows through its main street. Jason Hughes, who lives nearby, said, "The lower part of my village is completely closed off, people are all in their top bedrooms." A spokesman from the Mid and West Wales Fire and Rescue Service said there was a large amount of water with a heavy current. "Numerous people are surrounded by flood water and are requiring rescue by fire service boats, inshore life boat teams and RAF [Royal Air Force] helicopters," he said.
- RSOE EDIS
Thursday, 7 June 2012
Recent Natural Disasters-Daily List
Disaster Report: This natural disaster list covers important natural disasters in the world with detail update report.
Recent Natural Disasters
Recent Earthquake list
Did you feel it? - Report an Earthquake
Volcanic Activity List
There are no recent volcanic activity/eruptions at this time. Check back later or use search box to find earlier.
Last Volcanic Activity:
Flooding List
Tropical Cyclone List
Natural Disaster News
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Useful information to read this daily natural disaster list
Recent Natural Disasters
- Heavy storms in Peshawar and Lahore, Pakistan
-Eight killed and 60 other injured after heavy dust storms in Lahore, Faisalabad, Quetta and Peshawar city of Pakistan [Recent natural disasters in Pakistan]
Peshawar: Four killed and more than 30 people injured in Peshawar. People were injured after the roof of a hujra (guesthouse) collapsed.
Lahore: Four people killed and around 30 other reported to be injured in Lahore. Injured people were the labourers of the Lahore Textile Mills. Incident happened after the boundary wall of a factory collapsed. - Flooding in Krabi, Thailand
-Flash flood reported in parts of Chumphon, Ranong and Mae Hong Son provinces of Thailand [Recent natural disasters in Thailand]
-At least 500 families affected in two villages of tambon Banna in Muang district and a village in Hin Kaew of Tha Sae district.
-Uttaradit, Sukhothai, Phetchabun, Chanthaburi, Trat, Chumporn, Ranong and Phang Nga province are on high alert as they are likely to be hit by flash flood and landslides.
Recent Earthquake list
Did you feel it? - Report an Earthquake
- M 4.6 moderate shallow earthquake in Southern Iran (@ 10 km depth) with epicenter located 23 km NE Bandar-e gonaveh. Weak shaking will have felt as far as Bushehr.
20:10 UTC (local time 23:40; 2012/06/06@ epicenter) - M 4.8 moderate shallow earthquake in Democratic Republic of the Congo (@ 14 km depth) with epicenter located 186 km NE Kalima. Just a weak shaking will have felt by the people of Goma and Bukavu.
15:38 UTC (local time Wednesday, June 06, 2012 at 05:38 PM @ epicenter) - M 5.1 moderate shallow earthquake in Southwestern Siberia, Russia
(@ 18 km depth) with epicenter located 108 km (67 miles) E of Kyzyl.
Light to weak shaking will have felt by the people of Abakan, Ulaangom
(Mongolia) and Krasnoyarsk.
14:04 UTC (local time Wednesday, June 06, 2012 at 10:04 PM @ epicenter) - M 4.0 light shallow earthquake in Ireland (@ 3 km depth) with
epicenter located 96 km NW Westport. Just a weak shaking will have felt
by the people of Castlebar, Cork, Galway and Sligo.
07:58 UTC (local time Wednesday, June 06, 2012 at 08:58 AM @ epicenter) - M 4.5 moderate shallow earthquake in Northern Italy (@ 10 km
depth) today with epicenter located just 5 km NE Ravenna. Moderate
shaking of MMI V will have felt by the people of Ravenna, Alfonsine,
Cervia, Bertinoro, Faenza, Bellaria, Rimini, Tresigallo. Light to weak
shaking will have felt by the people of Ferrara, Adria, Bologna, Padova
and Vinceza.
04:08 UTC (local time 06:08; 2012/06/06 @ epicenter) - M 3.4 light shallow earthquake in France (@ 2 km depth) with
epicenter located just 2 km NE Roumazières-loubert. Weak shaking will
have felt by the people of Saint-junien and Limoges.
01:45 UTC (Local time 03:45; 2012/06/06 @ epicenter) - M 5.7 very strong earthquake in Taiwan region (@ 8km depth)
with epicenter located 52 km SE of Taitung. Moderate to light shaking
will have felt by the people of Taitung City, Heng-ch'un and Kao-hsiung.
Weakshaking of MMI II-III will have felt by the people of Yue-ching,
Tainan City, Yun-lin, Hualian, Pu-li and T'ai-chung-shih. Click here for detail report on this Taiwan quake.
01:08 UTC (local time Wednesday, June 06, 2012 at 09:08 AM @ epicenter)
Volcanic Activity List
There are no recent volcanic activity/eruptions at this time. Check back later or use search box to find earlier.
Last Volcanic Activity:
Flooding List
- Flooding in Murchison, New Zealand
-Fairfax and Hampden Streets reported to be flooded.
-Isel Park (Nelson) closed because of windy weather. Tahunanui Reserve back beach closed due to storm tide debris.
-Slips reported around Longford and hills in Murchison.
Tropical Cyclone List
- Tropical Cyclone Kuena
-Tropical cyclone Kuena is located approximately 370 NM south-southeast of the Seychelles. - Tropical cyclone Butchoy
-This shallow low-pressure area (SLPA) is expected to become a tropical cyclone.
-The SLPA is located 460 km east of Southern Visayas, Philippines.
Natural Disaster News
- Avalanche in Subei, China
-Three killed and seven reported to be missing in avalanche in Gansu province.
-Ten people are believed to be buried while 11 others managed to escape. - Wildfire in Wyoming, USA
-1,000 acre burned in wildfire [Recent wildfires]in Medicine Bow National Forest in southeast Wyoming.
-About 120 firefighters and a helicopter are controlling the blaze.
-The fire is burning about 20 miles northwest of Wheatland and about 5 miles southeast of Laramie Peak. - Tornado in Alberta, Canada
-A tornado hit eight kilometers south of Taber, Alberta.
-50 to 80 millimetres of rainfall is expected across the region. - 233 villages in Uttarakhand natural disaster sensitive
Over 230 villages in Uttarakhand, India have been declared sensitive for natural disasters. the maximum of 49 sensitive villages have been identified in Chamoli district followed by 42 in Bageshwar.
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Useful information to read this daily natural disaster list
This
natural disaster list contains daily list of recent natural disasters
around the world. The page is break down into various parts as Recent Natural Disasters (real time update report on rolling natural disaster around the world), Recent earthquake List (only earthquakes which are felt by people), Recent Volcanic Activity (active volcanoes), Recent Flooding (ongoing flood event), Tropical Cyclones
(active cyclones) and Natural Disaster News (natural disaster news on
various topics like Tornado, Tsunami, Wildfire, Drought, Hailstorm, Heat
Wave, Hurricane, Epidemic, Famine, Lahar, Limnic Eruption, Mudflow,
Solar Flare and other disasters)
The
major natural disasters are linked to definite page containing update
report on that disaster. The reference for the time zone is UTC
(Coordinated Universal Time, also called GMT).
The natural disaster data are collected from different sources like USGS, EMSC, GDACS, EDIS..
The natural disaster data are collected from different sources like USGS, EMSC, GDACS, EDIS..
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