A five-year-old boy drowned in a swimming pool at a residence in the Parkview, Johannesburg, this evening.
The cause of the incident and the series of events preceding it remain uncertain and will form the subject of a South African Police Force investigation.
Common cause information suggests that the boy had fallen into the water and was immersed for an unknown period of time. He was pulled from the water by his mother who started CPR.
Netcare911 Paramedics arrived at the scene to find the child fighting for his life, and took over care of the boy. Despite their best efforts to revive the child, he was declared dead at the scene.
Jeffrey Wicks
Media Liaison Officer - Gauteng
Netcare Limited
Netcare 911
Monday, 2 July 2012
Man injured after fall from off road bike in Cato Ridge
A man sustained serious injuries this afternoon following a motorcycle accident on a farm in Cato Ridge.
The man, aged 25, was riding his off road motorcycle on the farm when he allegedly collided with a piece of concrete hidden by long grass. The man was catapulted through the air before falling in the veld.
When ER24 paramedics arrived at the scene they found the man in severe pain. He had sustained suspected back and neck injuries as well as a broken right leg. The patient received Advanced Life Support treatment at the scene before being transported to Hillcrest private hospital for further care.
- ER24
The man, aged 25, was riding his off road motorcycle on the farm when he allegedly collided with a piece of concrete hidden by long grass. The man was catapulted through the air before falling in the veld.
When ER24 paramedics arrived at the scene they found the man in severe pain. He had sustained suspected back and neck injuries as well as a broken right leg. The patient received Advanced Life Support treatment at the scene before being transported to Hillcrest private hospital for further care.
- ER24
4 drown in underwater cave
Rome - Four scuba divers drowned after becoming trapped in a cave on Italy's southwest coast, authorities said on Saturday.
The three men and one woman were part of a larger group that had set off to explore Blood Cave, one of a series of underwater caves popular with amateur divers.
Several members of the group managed to get out of the cave in the Salerno Gulf near the small port of Palinuro, authorities said, but the four others - three Italians and one Greek - were left behind.
Police named the Italians as Andrea Pedroni and Douglas Rizzo, both 40 and from Rome, and 36-year-old Susy Covaccini from Salerno.
Rizzo, the group leader, was the father of a seven-month-old baby.
Panaghiotis Telios, a 23-year-old Greek man living in southern Calabria, also died.
No official explanation was given for the tragedy but rescuers and members of the group who escaped unhurt believed the divers could have caused large quantities of sand to shift as they swam through the cave's many passages, which then blocked their visibility, causing them to lose their way.
The group's diving instructor survived.
The string of 35 underwater caves include the Blood Cave - so-called for the red colouring of its walls caused by bacteria - and the Blue Cave, a favourite with scuba divers.
- SAPA/News24
The three men and one woman were part of a larger group that had set off to explore Blood Cave, one of a series of underwater caves popular with amateur divers.
Several members of the group managed to get out of the cave in the Salerno Gulf near the small port of Palinuro, authorities said, but the four others - three Italians and one Greek - were left behind.
Police named the Italians as Andrea Pedroni and Douglas Rizzo, both 40 and from Rome, and 36-year-old Susy Covaccini from Salerno.
Rizzo, the group leader, was the father of a seven-month-old baby.
Panaghiotis Telios, a 23-year-old Greek man living in southern Calabria, also died.
No official explanation was given for the tragedy but rescuers and members of the group who escaped unhurt believed the divers could have caused large quantities of sand to shift as they swam through the cave's many passages, which then blocked their visibility, causing them to lose their way.
The group's diving instructor survived.
The string of 35 underwater caves include the Blood Cave - so-called for the red colouring of its walls caused by bacteria - and the Blue Cave, a favourite with scuba divers.
- SAPA/News24
Spanish forest fires rage out of control near Valencia
Flames engulf a hillside during a wildfire in Llombai near Valencia, July 1, 2012. More than fifty thousand hectares had been burnt in wildfires in the Valencia region since Thursday, according to local media.
Credit: Reuters/Heino Kalis
MADRID (Reuters) - At least two thousand people have been evacuated from Spain's popular tourist region of Valencia as the worst forest fires in more than a decade raged out of control, causing a huge cloud of ash to pour into the country's third-largest city.
Media reports on Sunday said between 20,000 and 45,000 hectares (49,400 to 111,200 acres) of land had been destroyed in two forest fires around 30 kilometers (18 miles) to the west of Valencia on Spain's eastern coast.
No official estimates have been given of how much land has been destroyed by the fires, but NASA images show smoke covering a vast area of the region famous for its beaches.
The majority of people in the Valencia region were not at risk, according to emergency services. The city's airport was still operating and it was not known how many tourists were affected by the fires.
Spain's tourism sector represents around 10 percent of the country's economic output, and has been one of the few drivers of growth as the economy slides back into a heavy recession.
Authorities in the Valencia region told Reuters that in the three days since the fires started around 2,000 people have been forced to leave their homes, though many have since been able to return.
The fires, which are still not under control, began after a week in which temperatures in many parts of Spain soared to close to 40 degrees Celsius (104 degrees Fahrenheit), leading authorities to raise to maximum the level of forest fire risk in the Valencia region.
Authorities said preliminary investigations showed one of the fires had been accidentally started by workers in the hillsides around Valencia, and the other by agricultural burning that could not be controlled.
The country has seen 10 big forest fires this year, and around 50,000 hectares of land destroyed in the first five months of 2012, the worst since 2002, according to data from the Environment Ministry.
- Reuters
Code Red at NASA Goddard
From the NASA Goddard web site: "From Saturday, June 30, 2012 the Goddard Greenbelt facility will be operating under a Code Red due to a center-wide power outage because of the recent storm. Non-emergency employees are excused from duty unless the day is an employee's Maxiflex day. When power is restored this message will be updated and also an email with be blasted to all employees."
"Code Red: Non-emergency employees are excused from duty for the entire day unless the day is an employee's Maxiflex day. Due to the poor road conditions on Center, all non-essential employees should refrain from coming on Center for the day. 2nd and 3rd shift road conditions: Call 301-286-6397 to plan your commute to the Center."
- NASA Goddard
"Code Red: Non-emergency employees are excused from duty for the entire day unless the day is an employee's Maxiflex day. Due to the poor road conditions on Center, all non-essential employees should refrain from coming on Center for the day. 2nd and 3rd shift road conditions: Call 301-286-6397 to plan your commute to the Center."
- NASA Goddard
Sunday, 1 July 2012
VIDEO: KLERKSDORP AIR SHOW CRASH (30 June 2012)
SAWDOS: Video showing the impact. This is really sad. I attended an airshow at Swartkops in the 1990's where an aerobatic pilot crashed into the ground. His fiancee at the time ran up to the accident scene which was engulfed in flame and smoke. He died the next day in hospital of severe burns and other complications. Looking at the above video I relived that day at Swartkops. It is really sad to witness such an incident especially if it is someone you know. However memories live on and the only conciliation is the fact that he died while doing something he loved most, flying an aircraft that he loved and adored! RIP - Gianfranco
SA National Severe Weather Warnings: 1 July 2012 16h00 SAST
Eastern Cape Province - Warning: Take action
Subject: Heavy swellDetail: Valid: 01 to 02-07-2012 Heavy swell with wave heights in excess of 4.0m is expected between Plettenberg Bay and East London, subsiding in the afternoon.
Western Cape Province - Warning: Take action
Subject: Heavy swellDetail: Valid: 01 to 02-07-2012 Heavy swell with wave heights in excess of 4.0m is expected between Cape Point and Plettenberg, subsiding in the afternoon.
All other Provinces - No warnings nor advisories in effect
Subject: No AlertsDetail: No Alerts
- SAWS
SA Weather Satellite Image: 1 July 2012 16h00 SAST
Image: Eumetsat (Click on image for larger view.)
SAWS: Heavy Thunderstorm Warning for Johannesburg - 1 July 2012 16h09 SAST
Yet again the SAWS has forecast a heavy thunderstorm at around 16h09 SAST for Johannesburg. With no cloud in sight this seems highly impossible.
Norwood Johannesburg 1 July 12. Another phantom storm for Johannesburg - this time the SAWS making sure it's a 'heavy'one. Laughable. Obs. Brett
Norwood Johannesburg 1 July 12. Another phantom storm for Johannesburg - this time the SAWS making sure it's a 'heavy'one. Laughable. Obs. Brett
Five miners die at Gold Fields mine
Five miners died from smoke inhalation at a Gold Fields Kloof-Driefontein mine complex on the West Rand on Saturday as they worked underground, the company said on Sunday.
The deaths are a setback for the government and the industry as they try to improve safety and reduce fatalities in South Africa’s mines, which are the deepest in the world.
In 2011, for the first time in living memory, the country’s mining sector recorded no “disaster”, defined as a single incident in which four or more workers die.
Fourteen miners were admitted to hospital after Saturday’s incident at the company’s KDC West mine, Gold Fields said in a statement. The company said the entire mine had been closed until further notice.
“We strongly condemn the company for sending workers on overtime night shift when there is no ventilation,” Frans Baleni, the general secretary of the National Union of Mineworkers, said in a statement.
Gold Fields is the world’s fourth largest gold producer.
- TIMES LIVE
The deaths are a setback for the government and the industry as they try to improve safety and reduce fatalities in South Africa’s mines, which are the deepest in the world.
In 2011, for the first time in living memory, the country’s mining sector recorded no “disaster”, defined as a single incident in which four or more workers die.
Fourteen miners were admitted to hospital after Saturday’s incident at the company’s KDC West mine, Gold Fields said in a statement. The company said the entire mine had been closed until further notice.
“We strongly condemn the company for sending workers on overtime night shift when there is no ventilation,” Frans Baleni, the general secretary of the National Union of Mineworkers, said in a statement.
Gold Fields is the world’s fourth largest gold producer.
- TIMES LIVE
Colombia's Nevado Del Ruiz Volcano Erupts
Colombian officials have ordered the preventative evacuation of some communities around the Nevado del Ruiz volcano after it erupted, spewing smoke and ash.
President Juan Manuel Santos on his Twitter account urged people living near the volcano in western Colombia to follow established contingency plans.
Carlos Ivan Marquez, national director of Colombia's disaster management agency, said late Saturday that the situation is being monitored and "tends toward calm."
Gas and vapor have been rising periodically since earlier this year from the Nevado de Ruiz, a 17,457-foot (5,321-meter) volcano located roughly 90 miles (145 kilometers) west of the country's capital, Bogota.
A 1985 eruption at the volcano brought a river of rocks and mud sweeping across the town of Armero, killing 25,000 people.
- ABC News (AP)
President Juan Manuel Santos on his Twitter account urged people living near the volcano in western Colombia to follow established contingency plans.
Carlos Ivan Marquez, national director of Colombia's disaster management agency, said late Saturday that the situation is being monitored and "tends toward calm."
Gas and vapor have been rising periodically since earlier this year from the Nevado de Ruiz, a 17,457-foot (5,321-meter) volcano located roughly 90 miles (145 kilometers) west of the country's capital, Bogota.
A 1985 eruption at the volcano brought a river of rocks and mud sweeping across the town of Armero, killing 25,000 people.
- ABC News (AP)
SA National Severe Weather Warnings: 1 July 2012 04h00 SAST
Eastern Cape Province - Warning: Take action
Subject: Heavy swellDetail: Valid: 30-06-2012 to 01-07-2012 Heavy swell with wave heights in excess of 4.0m is expected between Plettenberg Bay and East London.
Western Cape Province Warning: Take action
Subject: Heavy swellDetail: Valid: 30-06-2012 to 01-07-2012 Heavy swell with wave heights in excess of 4.0m is expected between Cape Columbine and Plettenberg, subsiding from the west.
All other Provinces - No warnings nor advisories in effect
Subject: No AlertsDetail: No Alerts
- SAWS
SA Weather Satellite Image: 1 July 2012 07h00 SAST
Image: Eumetsat (Click on image for larger view.)
GFS Medium Range Forecasts of Vertical Velocity and Precipitation: 1 - 2 July 2012
Image: U.S. National Center for Environmental Prediction (NCEP) Click on image for larger view.
GFIMS Global Fire Alerts - South Africa
Your Area of Interest (Country) : South Africa
Fires detected over the past 24 hours in your area-of-interest : 200
(NOTE: Cloud cover might obscure active fire detections. The fire points will be listed only when the total number of active fires detected is less than or equal to 50)
This email was generated on 2012-07-01 , 04:03:30 UTC.
- UN-FAO/UMD/NASA
Articles and Photos: SAWDOS Blog
It has become necessary to provide more detail about the publication of articles and photos on the SA Weather and Disaster Observation Service (SAWD0S) Blog.
The impression might be created that media and other articles which include photos are being used indiscriminately and that the SAWDOS claim ownership of these articles and photos. This is not true!!
The SAWDOS is a non profitable community based service with no monetary gain that renders a free weather and disaster observation service to the general public of South Africa. It is a community driven project to better the lives of all citizens; to educate and to inform the general public with regard to weather and disaster related incidents in South Africa and even World Wide . In other words a service by the public for the public.
The SAWDOS has no employees and the writer of this article receive no financial benefits or any other benefit from publishing any article on this blog. Neither are the SAWDOS in competition with any other organization, the news media or any private individual.
The custodian of this blog carries all the monthly expenditure to upkeep this service. No financial contributions has ever been received for the upkeep of this blog or any project of the SAWDOS.
There has been a very good mutual relationship between all roll players, the media, radio amateurs, weather observers etc.. to make the SAWDOS blog the success it is today. The SAWDOS is of the opinion that all involved can continue this good relationship. The SAWDOS therefor invite parties that are unhappy about the content on this site to contact the SAWDOS in this regard.
The SAWDOS would once again like to thank each and everyone who contributes directly or indirectly to the SAWDOS to better the lives of all citizens in South Africa.
Let's all work together to discover the true meaning of UBUNTU!!
Johan Terblanche
Founder: SA Weather and Disaster Observation Service
Mossel Bay
1 January 2012
Helicopter Crashes Outside Of Kimberley
A helicopter pilot believed to be in his late twenties had a narrow escape after crashing on a farm about 8km outside of Kimberly this afternoon.
ER24 paramedics arrived on the scene and found the pilot some distance from his helicopter which was now on fire. They assessed him and found that he had sustained very minor injuries. The paramedics transported the patient to a hospital in Kimberley for a general medical check up.
It is believed that the pilot was on his way to a farm to teach students how to fly when he started having problems with the helicopter. He was able to do an emergency landing and get out in time before the helicopter caught a light. The necessary authorities were called to the scene to investigate the incident further.
- ER24
ER24 paramedics arrived on the scene and found the pilot some distance from his helicopter which was now on fire. They assessed him and found that he had sustained very minor injuries. The paramedics transported the patient to a hospital in Kimberley for a general medical check up.
It is believed that the pilot was on his way to a farm to teach students how to fly when he started having problems with the helicopter. He was able to do an emergency landing and get out in time before the helicopter caught a light. The necessary authorities were called to the scene to investigate the incident further.
- ER24
1st Japan reactor goes online since nuclear crisis
TOKYO (AP) – Dozens of demonstrators in Japan are protesting the restarting of a nuclear power plant — the first to go back online since all reactors were shut down for safety checks following the Fukushima nuclear disaster.
Ohi nuclear plant's reactor No. 3 is set to go online Sunday despite a deep divide in public opinion. Protesters shouted and danced outside it.
Last month, Prime Minister Yoshihiko Noda ordered the restarts of reactors No. 3 and nearby No. 4, saying living standards can't be maintained without nuclear energy.
All 50 of Japan's working reactors have been turned off. Last year's earthquake and tsunami sent the Fukushima Dai-ichi plant into multiple meltdowns, setting off the worst nuclear disaster since Chernobyl. Worries about a power crunch over the hot summer months have been growing.
- USA TODAY (AP)
Ohi nuclear plant's reactor No. 3 is set to go online Sunday despite a deep divide in public opinion. Protesters shouted and danced outside it.
Last month, Prime Minister Yoshihiko Noda ordered the restarts of reactors No. 3 and nearby No. 4, saying living standards can't be maintained without nuclear energy.
All 50 of Japan's working reactors have been turned off. Last year's earthquake and tsunami sent the Fukushima Dai-ichi plant into multiple meltdowns, setting off the worst nuclear disaster since Chernobyl. Worries about a power crunch over the hot summer months have been growing.
- USA TODAY (AP)
US Power outages after storm could last for days
Hundreds of thousands of Washington area residents, facing the prospect of days without electricity, spent Saturday dragging fallen trees from yards and streets, keeping cool in swimming pools and movie theaters, and searching in vain for open gas stations or outlets to charge their cellphones.
A string of ferocious summer storms whipped across the heat-scorched region Friday night, leaving 1.3 million homes and businesses without power and causing at least five deaths. Two elderly women were crushed by trees that fell through their roofs, two drivers were killed in their cars by fallen trees, and a man was electrocuted by a downed power line. An Alexandria man whose boat capsized in the Chesapeake Bay was missing and believed to have drowned.
With more thunderstorms predicted for Saturday night and more intense heat on the way Sunday, states of emergency were declared in Maryland, Virginia and the District of Columbia. Emergency vehicles and crews raced to clear debris from hundreds of roadways, secure downed power lines, and restore electricity to hospitals, nursing homes and other critical facilities.
As the region suffered through a second day of 100-degree-plus heat, power companies said it could take up to a week before everyone has electricity again. State and local officials opened community pools, public libraries and special cooling centers. They also advised people to conserve water and help neighbors who might be especially vulnerable to heat. Temperatures on Sunday were expected to reach the upper 90s.
In Virginia, Gov. Robert F. McDonnell (R) authorized the National Guard to assist with clearing trees and directing traffic. “This is a very dangerous situation for Virginia,” he said.
Maryland Gov. Martin O’Malley (D) called Friday’s calamitous weather a “historic event.” “Take care of yourself, and if your house has power and air conditioning, take care of a neighbor,” he said.
Obama in contact
Federal emergency officials said the storms also caused damage in Ohio, Kentucky, Pennsylvania and West Virginia, and the Associated Press reported 13 storm-related deaths across the eastern United States. The White House said President Obama spoke with O'Malley, McDonnell, and the governors of Ohio and West Virginia to receive updates.
Because of storm damage to local water-filtering plants, the Washington Suburban Sanitary Commission issued mandatory water-use restrictions Saturday for all homes and businesses in Montgomery and Prince George’s counties. It asked residents to postpone watering lawns, washing cars and clothes, and even flushing toilets when possible.
The Falls Church water utility advised customers in parts of Tyson’s Corner, Vienna, Dunn Loring and Merrifield to use boiled tap water or for drinking or cooking as a precaution.
The swift-moving, unpredictable storms raced out of northwest Virginia and Maryland after night fell Friday, and they swept southeast toward the Chesapeake Bay. Dozens of communities across the region were engulfed by howling wind gusts, driving rains and lightning that flashed eerily.
Then, just as suddenly, the powerful storms passed and darkness returned. Residents groped for flashlights as they realized they had lost power or peered out at yards and driveways littered with branches. For many homes, the damage was much worse. For at least five local people, it was fatal.
In Silver Spring, a 71-year-old woman, who police have not identified, was killed when a maple tree crashed through the roof of her house and onto her bed as she slept, Montgomery County police reported.
In Springfield, police said an elderly woman was killed in bed when a tree fell on her house. One neighbor said Saturday that he had rushed outside to help but that part of her house was instantly crushed. Police did not identify the woman, who was 90. Nearby, a man was killed when a tree fell on his car on Old Keene Mill Road.
In the District, Pepco officials said an unidentified man was killed in Northwest after he touched a live electrical wire. In Anne Arundel County, a 25-year-old man from Edgewater was killed when a tree fell on his car.
In Chesapeake Beach, a small boat capsized in the Chesapeake Bay late Friday, and five people were swept overboard. Rescue teams found four of them alive, but the fifth person, identified as Angel Ayala Cerros 28, of Alexandria could not be found. Search and rescue operations were continuing Saturday, but state police said he probably drowned.
There were miraculous saves as well. A tractor-trailer truck was blown against the rails on the Chesapeake Bay Bridge on Friday night but did not fall over, although the bridge was closed for four hours.
Mario Grande, 43, felt the wind coming and rushed upstairs where his two children were asleep at home in Garrett Park. He grabbed his 10-year-old daughter and then went to fetch 8-year-old Sam, but the boy didn’t want to leave his bed.
“I lay down next to him for a minute, trying to talk to him. At that moment, a piece of tree about 10 inches in diameter speared right through the ceiling, through his bed, pierced his pillow and stuffed animals and landed right behind me. It missed me by a whisker,” Grande said. The boy was not hurt, he said, and the family ran downstairs and “hunkered down until the storm passed.”
Television and radio broadcasts were interrupted Friday evening with public-safety warnings of heavy rains and winds, but many people were outside when the storms struck.
Tricia Berman was walking her dogs in Springfield when the wind abruptly picked up. “All of a sudden it was just like, woo-woo-woo,” she recounted, her arms waving wildly. Weather services recorded gusts as high as 80 mph near Fredericksburg and 76 mph in Seat Pleasant.
Transit problems
The storms caused widespread harm to regional transportation. Metrorail service was delayed on many routes into Saturday morning. Amtrak service was suspended between Washington and Philadelphia until Saturday afternoon, and only one track was open between the District and Baltimore by the evening.
On Saturday morning, under sunny skies, residents ventured out to inspect dented carports and patios and to drag limbs out of roads. As they realized that their refrigerators, phone chargers and air conditioners were not going to start working anytime soon, they began searching for alternatives.
Power company officials estimated that 1.3 million homes and businesses were without power early Saturday morning, and many outages were expected to last several days. By Saturday night, Baltimore Gas and Electric reported about 379,000 customers without power, Dominion Virginia Power reported about 349,000, and Pepco reported more than 387,000.
“We’re looking at approximately a week before we get our last customer restored,” said Pepco spokesman Marcus Beal. He said crews first focused on public-safety buildings, hospitals and similar priorities, then turned to areas where repairs would affect large numbers of customers.
“Everything is just a mess out here. None of the phones are working, people are trying to leave but gas stations are closed, and there isn’t even any place to get a shower,” said Jessica McCullough, a financial administrator who was visiting relatives in Stafford.
In one Northwest Washington neighborhood, Ivor Pritchard, 60, hauled away branches. He said his wife, a lawyer, had stored their frozen meats in her office fridge.
Some movie theaters reported larger than expected crowds for Saturday matinees. The owners of Wagshal’s Market in Northwest, with no power for its refrigerators and freezers, started cooking food and giving it away.
Gas stations that were open reported long lines of cars. Gayle Day, 42, stood outside a Rockville gas station waiting to fill two five-gallon plastic jugs for her home generator. She said she had driven from Silver Spring.
In Springfield, Bill Callaghan, 59, surveyed two 50-foot oak trees that had crashed into his back yard, at least one striking a corner of his house.
Callaghan said he had been outside around 11 p.m. checking on his dogs when he felt the wind rising and saw trees tossing dangerously. He ran inside and shepherded his wife and their dogs into the basement. “That’s when I heard the big snap and crunch,” he said. “We felt the house shudder.”
Jeremy Borden, Emma Brown, Mike DeBonis, Margaret Ely, Anita Kumar, Luz Lazo, Annys Shin, Donna St. George, Joe Stephens, Patricia Sullivan, Ted Trautman, John Wagner and Mihir Zaveri contributed to this report.
- Washington Post
Hamnet Weekly Report for 1 July 2012.
Much discussion on changing weather patterns is taking place on various Forums and one is left in no doubt that something is not what it used to be – alternatively, weather information has become so rapid these days that one forgets that many years ago, it took much longer for one to hear or read about strange phenomena!
Be that as it may, the fact is that the reports of disasters due to floods are definitely on the increase and the last week or so is no exception!
Looking at Global Disaster Alert and Coordination System, GDACS, during the past 4 days we had the following around the globe – starting with weather related items first:-
Tropical Cyclones:-
‘Twentyone’ – situated north of Australia and East of Papua New Guinea.
‘Doksuri’ – off the East coast of China – more specifically near Hong Kong.
‘’Debby’ – which caused a tremendous amount of rain over North Florida and Alabama!
Flooding:-
Bangladesh – Afghanistan, Florida (USA), Canada and India!
Earthquakes:-
China – as recent as Friday afternoon, Vanuatu, Greece, Indonesia and Iran!
But it is the weather that is cause for concern. As mentioned before, it appears that storms or downpours are becoming more severe and intense and in South Africa, the appearance of ‘twisters’, tornado's or funnel type wind formations, is also a cause for concern.
We do occasionally see the odd picture of a minor tornado but during the past few weeks, some have actually caused severe damage and death among citizens. Informal settlements are the most vulnerable to these types of strong winds and can cause a severe amount of damage as seen earlier this week in Bethlehem.
With the summer season still a few months away, it will be interesting to see if this phenomenon of mini or minor tornadoes is on the increase and what precaution we should take.
Again, like in the USA, should we not consider reporting such incidents so we can ascertain if this is on the increase!
Reporting for Hamnet, this is Francois Botha – ZS6BUU.
Firefighters make gains in Colorado, evacuees return home
Nearly every home in a neighborhood are seen destroyed in the aftermath of the Waldo Canyon Fire in Colorado Springs, Colorado June 28, 2012. REUTERS/Rick Wilking
(Reuters) - Crews battling a deadly Colorado wildfire ranked the most destructive in state history have made enough headway to allow most evacuees home, but concerns remain about rogue bears and burglaries in vacant houses, officials said on Saturday.
The so-called Waldo Canyon Fire, stoked earlier this week by strong, erratic winds, is now 45 percent contained, although the damage wrought by the blaze has devastated the communities around Colorado Springs, the state's second-largest city.
The wildfire has been blamed for two deaths and the destruction of 346 homes, while 35,000 residents were forced to evacuate to escape the threat of flames and heavy smoke.
Colorado Springs Police Chief Pete Carey said all the people unaccounted for in the fire zones have now been located.
The fire has scorched nearly 17,000 acres of timber and brush, much of it in the Pike National Forest west of Colorado Springs, a city of more than 400,000 about 50 miles south of Denver. The cost of battling the blaze stands at $8.8 million, officials said.
Many of the evacuees are being allowed back to their homes, but officials said residents should be alert for bears displaced by the flames. Also, Carey said his department had received 22 reports of burglaries in homes that had been evacuated.
About 10,000 people remain under mandatory evacuation orders.
President Barack Obama, who toured the area on Friday and promised federal assistance, used his weekly radio address on Saturday to ask Americans to contribute to the American Red Cross to help residents displaced by the wildfires.
"We've got to make sure that we are there with them every step of the way, even after this fire is put out," he said.
In another sign that crews are gaining the upper ground battling some of the 11 active wildfires raging in the state, officials on Saturday declared the High Park fire, the largest of them, 100 percent contained and lifted all evacuation orders.
That fire charred 259 homes west of Fort Collins and north of Denver, and torched 87,000 acres of grass, brush and timber.
FAVORABLE WEATHER
Relatively cooler temperatures and lighter winds on Thursday and Friday allowed crews to carve more containment lines.
On Saturday, weather was slightly cooler than forecast so "crews made good progress," said incident commander Rich Harvey.
First reported one week ago, the fire turned deadly and destructive on Tuesday when 65 mile-an-hour winds blew flames across several ridgelines and into the Mountain Shadows subdivision, where the remains of two people were found and the bulk of the property losses occurred.
The number of homes destroyed in the blaze could go up as assessment teams work their way through the charred areas, officials said.
The Waldo Canyon Fire has burned close to the southern edge of the U.S. Air Force Academy, where crews launched an air and ground assault to hold off the flames earlier in the week.
The two deaths brings to six the number of deaths in Colorado wildfires this year, in what Governor John Hickenlooper said was the worst fire season the state has experienced.
The governor signed an executive order allowing the deployment of 160 National Guard troops to help police staff checkpoints and patrol evacuated areas, Carey said.
Lieutenant Jeff Kramer of the El Paso County Sheriff's Office said investigators with the U.S. Forest Service are on site to probe the cause of the blaze.
Despite gains made by firefighters, Harvey warned that with tinder-dry conditions in the region, things could change quickly. "The fire potential in this state and other Western states has the potential to become extreme," Harvey said.
- Reuters
Italian man killed in air show crash
Johannesburg - An Italian national was identified as the pilot who was killed when the L-39 he was flying at the Klerksdorp Air Show crashed on Saturday, North West police said.
"Two planes were flying parallel to each other when Gian Franco Cigione, 49, lost control and crashed into the ground," said Captain Amanda Funani.
She said the planes were showcasing flying acts close to the ground when Cigione crashed.
His plane crashed next to the Klerksdorp cemetery and burst into flames.
Nobody else was injured in the accident.
Police were investigating the cause of the crash.
- SAPA/News24
"Two planes were flying parallel to each other when Gian Franco Cigione, 49, lost control and crashed into the ground," said Captain Amanda Funani.
She said the planes were showcasing flying acts close to the ground when Cigione crashed.
His plane crashed next to the Klerksdorp cemetery and burst into flames.
Nobody else was injured in the accident.
Police were investigating the cause of the crash.
- SAPA/News24
12 dead, millions powerless after storms during intense heat spell in US
(CNN) -- Large swaths of the Midwest and Mid-Atlantic dug out Saturday hours after killer thunderstorms barreled through, a recovery made more complicated -- and dangerous -- by intense summer heat.
At least 12 people, from Ohio to New Jersey, were killed as a result of downed trees and power lines. The destruction prompted the governors of Virginia, West Virginia and Ohio to declare states of emergency, with Maryland indicating it would do the same.
"This is on par with Hurricane Irene," said Maryland Gov. Martin O'Malley, referring to last year's storm that was blamed for at least 20 deaths across eight states.
Neighboring Virginia was particularly hard hit, with six deaths. At one point, the Old Dominion State had about 1 million power outages -- more than any other state and, according to its governor, the most caused by any weather event that wasn't a hurricane.
"This is not a one-day situation; it is a multi-day challenge," Gov. Bob McDonnell said.
Joseph Rigby, president of the electric company Pepco, said it could be a week before power is back up in some areas of Washington.
"Given the damage, you can understand this is going to take some time," he said. "The wild card is the weather."
The storms raced east Friday and into Saturday from Indiana through Ohio and into West Virginia and the nation's capital, carrying winds gusting as strong as 80 miles per hour.
They left behind hundreds of downed power lines and trees that littered roads and damaged homes.
"This was a storm that obviously came upon us very quickly, without a great deal of notice, and the devastation that was caused is very significant," New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie said, noting there's a particular need for fuel, generators and communications equipment in light of the storms.
Nearly 4 million people were without power across the affected states at one point Saturday, a number that dropped by the end of the night to around 3 million.
Those killed included two cousins in New Jersey, ages 2 and 7, who'd huddled with their families in a tent in Parvin State Park when strong winds felled a pine tree, crushing them. Their relatives all survived relatively unscathed, said Larry Ragonese, a spokesman for New Jersey's Department of Environmental Protection.
A 30-year-old Kentucky man driving in Clark County late Friday came across downed limbs. When Michael Martin left his vehicle to clear the road, county coroner Robert Gayheart said, a tree fell, killing him.
In Washington, where 19 intersections were without working traffic lights at one point Saturday, a couple was electrocuted after they went outside to check on downed power lines. The husband was killed while the wife -- who is in critical condition at a local hospital with burns -- is expected to survive, said police spokesman Araz Alali.
The storm affected Amtrak service, including shutting down service between Washington and Philadelphia on Saturday morning. But those most inconvenienced were aboard a train that left New York early Friday morning ended up grinding to a halt at 11 p.m. that night in Prince, West Virginia, after trees blocked tracks both in front of and behind it, Amtrak spokesman Steve Kulm said.
Finally by 8:20 p.m. Saturday, the 232 passengers -- who'd stayed aboard the Chicago-bound train, which had air conditioning and food -- had been taken off and put on buses so they could reach their final destinations, according to Kulm.
CSX, which is clearing the debris from the tracks, on Saturday night was "working as hard as we can to get service restored on our lines," company spokesman Bob Sullivan said.
The storm's fury was felt online, as well, when digital clouds were knocked out by real ones. Power outages temporarily knocked out some Amazon Cloud services in Virginia, taking down sites that rely on them, including Netflix, Pinterest and Instagram.
The aftermath of the storm was compounded by a forecast of another sweltering summer day.
One in three Americans baked Saturday in an area of nearly 600,000 square miles experiencing unusually hot weather. That included record-breaking conditions in many locales, with temperatures above 100 degrees Fahrenheit dangerously common.
Excessive heat warnings were issued in 14 states, indicating dangerous conditions for those unable to find refuge in a cool locale. And while there may be some cooling in some spots early next week, temperatures still are expected to remain at least in the 90s.
In storm-affected areas, many people had no electricity to run fans, air-conditioning and refrigerators.
Emergency rooms in Prince George's County, Maryland, filled up Saturday by people looking to escape the heat, said Fran Phillips, deputy secretary for the state's Department of Health and Mental Hygiene. She noted that libraries and community centers across the state would stay open late, to act as cooling center.
And at the Congressional Country Club in Bethesda, just north of Washington, third round play of the AT&T National was delayed as trees and tents came crashing down and the PGA venue was left without power.
By Saturday afternoon, the course was eerily quiet -- still closed to fans and volunteers -- even after play resumed.
Even in places where power was not disrupted, people with no air-conditioning were advised to spend the day in a library, a cooling center or some other such place to avoid heat exhaustion.
The U.S. Centers of Disease Control and Prevention was among many government agencies trying to keep people informed -- from knowing when the food in your suddenly inoperable freezer can't be eaten to taking a cool bath if you don't have AC.
The Jackson County medical examiner in western Missouri, for instance, was investigating three deaths that may be related to the heat, according to the Kansas City Health Department.
"Current indications are that this heat wave will continue well into next week, though there is still some uncertainty in the forecast," the National Weather Service said in its warning around St. Louis. "The effects of excessive heat are cumulative... Take action to protect your health."
- CNN
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