Category Archives: Natural Disasters

Watch: Drone Footage Shows California Fire Devastation Aftermath

Wildfires in Northern California have caused massive devastation, killing at least 26 and destroying people’s homes and businesses. There were still 22 wildfires fires blazing Thursday morning. The fires have burned over 190,000 acres of land and 3,500 structures. Continue reading Watch: Drone Footage Shows California Fire Devastation Aftermath

Fear, Frustration for Those Near California Fire Evacuation Zone

As the sun rose on another day of battling wildfires in Northern California, smoke and haze filled the skies. People are on the move in cars stuffed with belongings. They are either fleeing from a newly announced evacuation zone or returning to a neighborhood that may have been spared, trying to get back to their homes. Continue reading Fear, Frustration for Those Near California Fire Evacuation Zone

Yellowstone Supervolcano Could Erupt Quickly

The supervolcano lurking beneath Yellowstone National Park might be getting ready to explode, an eruption that could be devastating to life on Earth. Scientists reported during a volcanology conference that it could take as little as a human lifetime for a dormant volcano to wake up and prepare itself for a massive eruption, the New York Times says. Continue reading Yellowstone Supervolcano Could Erupt Quickly

Tense battles across Northern California as firestorm grows; 23 dead, hundreds missing

Thousands of firefighters battled through another tense night on the fire lines across Northern California, officials said early Thursday, and increasing winds prompted authorities to evacuate entire towns as flames descended. The massive Atlas Peak fire in Napa and Solano counties grew to 43,000 acres, burning the eastern hills surrounding Napa, Napa County spokeswoman Nikki Lundeen… Continue reading Tense battles across Northern California as firestorm grows; 23 dead, hundreds missing

More than 5,000 homes evacuated as Orange County fire grows to 6,000 acres

LOS ANGELES — A wind-fed wildfire surged over the Anaheim Hills on Monday, burning several homes and forcing thousands to evacuate as fire crews struggled to battle the rapidly growing blaze. The fire broke out around 9:20 a.m. near the 91 Freeway and Gypsum Canyon Road, and quickly leaped the California 241 toll road. It raced… Continue reading More than 5,000 homes evacuated as Orange County fire grows to 6,000 acres

Engineers: Lives Lost in Mexico Quake Could Have Been Saved

Nearly two-thirds of the buildings that collapsed in Mexico City’s monstrous earthquake last month were built using a construction method that is now forbidden in seismic hotspots in the United States, Chile and New Zealand, according to new data compiled by a team of structural engineers at Stanford University. The suspect building technique called flat slab… Continue reading Engineers: Lives Lost in Mexico Quake Could Have Been Saved

More than 120,000 flee rumbling Bali volcano

More than 122,000 people have fled their homes on the resort island of Bali, fearful that a rumbling volcano could erupt at any time, disaster officials said. Mount Agung, 75 kilometres (47 miles) from the resort hub of Kuta, has been shaking since August and threatening to erupt for the first time since 1963 — a… Continue reading More than 120,000 flee rumbling Bali volcano

Trump to visit Puerto Rico amid criticism of storm response

US President Donald Trump, under fire for his response to the storms that ravaged Puerto Rico, announced Tuesday that he will visit the hurricane-battered island next week. “I’m going to Puerto Rico on Tuesday,” Trump told reporters at the White House, signalling that October 3 was the first date he could go without interfering with recovery… Continue reading Trump to visit Puerto Rico amid criticism of storm response

Indonesia ready to divert tourists as Bali volcano rumbles

Indonesian authorities are on standby to divert flights destined for the holiday island of Bali as increasingly frequent tremors from a rumbling volcano stoke fears an eruption could be imminent. Mount Agung, about 75 kilometres (47 miles) from the tourist hub of Kuta, has been shaking since August, threatening to erupt for the first time in… Continue reading Indonesia ready to divert tourists as Bali volcano rumbles

Hurricane Maria unleashes fury on Puerto Rico: ‘The winds are like out of a horror movie’

SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico — A ferocious Hurricane Maria slammed Puerto Rico just before dawn Wednesday as some 3.5 million people girded for a day of vicious winds and drenching rain expected to devastate the American territory. The eye of the storm made official landfall at 6:15 a.m. near Yabucoa, about 45 miles southeast of the… Continue reading Hurricane Maria unleashes fury on Puerto Rico: ‘The winds are like out of a horror movie’