Record-setting heat and tinder dry conditions have brought devastating bushfires to Australia in recent weeks, hitting the island state of Tasmania the hardest. One family’s harrowing escape was captured in terrifying detail with pictures of them fleeing to water to avoid the fast moving flames. Read the rest of this story on Examiner.com and check out the amazing photos.
Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid’s comment last week that those who suffered the effects of Hurricane Katrina had it easy as compared to the aftermath of Hurricane Sandy has sparked a quick and vicious response. Sen. David Vitter called the Democrat leader ‘an idiot’ Monday and Reid was forced to issue an apology. Read the rest of this story and see video of Reid’s comments on Examiner.com
Hurricane Sandy is fast approaching the U.S. East Coast and is on target for landfall in southern New Jersey this evening. The effects of the storm are already being felt across a large part of the Mid-Atlantic region.
The Weather Channel is of course providing 24 / 7 coverage of the historic storm on television and the network now has a live feed of its broadcast available that can be viewed below. You can also view WeatherNation TV here for news from an alternative source.
For more resources to monitor the storm, check out this story from the Natural Disasters Examiner: Hurricane Sandy: Resources for monitoring and preparing for ‘Frankenstorm’.
In a legal verdict that has sent chills through the scientific community across the globe, an Italian court has convicted six scientists and a government official of manslaughter. The court determined this week that the experts failed to adequately warn the populace of a deadly 2009 earthquake. Get complete details on this stunning verdict on Examiner.com.
In an effort to keep up with new technology and improve warnings to residents, the city of Denver began a much-needed upgrade of its outdoor warning sirens yesterday. The system will feature improved reliability and the ability to target warnings. Read about Denver’s new system on Examiner.com.
What about Thornton? The city that was the site of the most destructive tornado ever in the Denver metro area doesn’t have sirens. The city did however implement an email warning system this past spring – click here to read more.
While the start of 2012 saw a number of deadly tornado outbreaks that seemed to portend a disastrous year to come, the number of tornadoes recorded since then has fallen to record low levels. Data from the Storm Prediction Center today shows the tornado count for the year is 400 twisters below average. Read the rest of this story on Examiner.com
Providing a voice of reason to the sometimes hysterical ravings of climate change alarmists, the scientific journal Nature cautions today that connecting global warming to disasters is not so easy. The jury is in fact still out on whether extreme weather events can be attributed to anthropogenic global warming, despite what some may say. As Nature points out, there is no empirical evidence that stands up to scrutiny and claims to the contrary only look foolish. Read the rest of this story on Examiner.com.
While North America has dealt with a deadly and devastating wildfire season, Australia as well has seen many bushfires rage across its wild lands. One fire in recent days burning near Alice Springs spawned a rare fire tornado that whirled through the Outback for 40 minutes. Read the rest of this story on Examiner.com and check out the amazing video.
The most powerful tropical storm on the globe thus far this year is gaining strength and has its sights set on South Korea or Japan. Super Typhoon Sanba has achieved Category 5 strength with the potential to cause catastrophic damage. Read the rest of this story on Examiner.com including the latest forecast tracks and satellite imagery.
A four-month old black bear cub rescued from a raging wildfire in Idaho has achieved celebrity status, much as another famous bear cub did more than 60 years ago. Boo Boo’s recovery from second degree burns moved on to a new stage this week as the Idaho Humane Society takes over its care.
It is great to have a feel good story from the devastation of this year’s wildfires. Read the rest of this story on Examiner.com and check out the pictures of Boo Boo – he looks pretty cute!
