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Tag Archives: Natural Disasters
Colorado floods extensively damage homes serving the developmentally disabled
The full toll from Colorado’s floods won’t be known for months but for one local Denver area non-profit, the devastation of the waters hit home – nine of them in fact.
The flood waters from Colorado’s floods have destroyed homes and taken lives. In one case, nine homes crucial to serving the needs of the most vulnerable among us were part of the toll.
Nature: Don’t be so quick to blame extreme weather events on climate change
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.
Earthquake swarm hits southern California, most powerful measures 5.5
A swarm of more than 70 earthquakes rocked southern California near the Mexico border Sunday. The most power quake measured 5.5 and damaged buildings in Brawley near the epicenter. Read the rest of this story on Examiner.com including details of the areas ‘shaky’ past and maps of the latest quakes.
To monitor earthquakes closer to Colorado, check out our earthquake activity page.
Second powerful earthquake hits Italy, at least 15 dead in latest temblor
Just nine days after an earthquake claimed the lives of seven people in northern Italy, a second temblor struck the area early Tuesday morning. Rescuers were continuing to comb the rubble as officials confirmed that at least 15…
North Metro firefighters head to Arizona; Crews to battle massive wildfire
Four firefighters from North Metro Fire Rescue will be joining nearly 2,000 others from across the nation in battling a monstrous wildfire in Arizona. In less than two weeks the Wallow Fire has exploded to cover more than 600 square miles and sent smoke as far as the Denver area.
The hometown heroes from North Metro will be taking along a reserve fire engine to help battle the blaze. Two firefighters and a watertender from Eagle River Fire will round out a Colorado contingent of personnel with additional deployments possible.
- Slideshow: Firefighters from across the nation join the battle against the Wallow Fire (Examiner.com)
The fire, believed to have been started by an unattended campfire, has burned 389,000 acres making it the second largest fire in Arizona history. It is burning largely in the Apache National Forest in the eastern part of the state and now threatens to cross into New Mexico.
More than 3,000 firefighters from across the nation, 197 engines, 61 watertenders and 16 helicopters and a number of aerial tankers were battling the blaze as of this morning. Personnel and equipment continue to pour into the area.
Below is the latest on the blaze from Inciweb. For more coverage of the fire, visit the Natural Disasters Examiner.
Wallow Fire Update
For Immediate Release: June 9, 2011 9:00 a.m.
Fire Information: 928-333-3412 (Daily from 7:00 a.m. to 10:00 p.m.)
Website Info: www.inciweb.org Twitter: www.twitter.com/AS NF
Flickr (photos): www.flickr.com/apachesitgreavesnf
Date Started: 5/29/2011
Number of Personnel: Approximately 3,012
Location: south and west of Alpine, Arizona
Including 24 hotshot crews and 79 handcrews
Cause: Human – under investigation
Equipment: 18 dozers, 197 engines, 61 watertenders
Size: 348,235 acres based on last night’s infared flight
Aircraft: 16 helicopters
Percent Contained: 0%
Injuries to Date: 3 minor injuries
Structures:
4,018 threatened; 1 damaged; 16 lost
Area Command Team 3 (Jim Loach, Area Commander) is now managing the Wallow Fire
Media should call 480-331-9554 to coordinate interviews.
There will be media briefings today at 10am and 9pm at the Rest Stop on Hwy 60, north of Springerville.
Current Evacuations
· Full evacuation of Eagar and Springerville. The evacuations were ordered by the Apache County Sheriff’s Office about 4:00 p.m. on June 8.
· Sunrise, Greer, Blue River, Alpine, Nutrioso, and the following subdivisions along highways 180/191: Escudilla Mountain Estates, Bonita, White Mtn. Acres, and the H-V Ranch. This area includes County Road (CR) 4000, CR 4001, and CR 4225.
· The evacuation center is located at Blue Ridge High School, 1200 W. White Mtn. Blvd., Pinetop-Lakeside.
Pre-Evacuation Alert
- A pre-evacuation alert has been issued by Apache County for Greens Peak, Hidden Meadow and the surrounding areas.
· A pre-evacuation alert has been issued by Catron County Sheriff’s Office for Luna, New Mexico.
- Residents in the communities affected by this fire are asked to remain prepared in the event an evacuation order is needed.
Residents with livestock or animals that need care should contact the Apache County Sheriff’s Office (928) 337-4321 or the Greenlee County Sheriff’s Office (928) 865-4149.
Road Closures
· The Arizona Department of Transportation reminds motorists traveling that the following closures on state highways remain in effect:
-more-
· Nearly 20 miles of U.S. 60 has been closed from Springerville to the New Mexico state line due
· to the Wallow Fire in eastern Arizona. This closure stretches from milepost 384 to 401.
· State Route 260 is closed in both directions east of the Hawley Lake turnoff (State Route 473 junction) and Eagar. SR 260 is closed between mileposts 372-398 near Eagar.
· State Route 373, a 4.5 mile-long highway that connects the town of Greer in eastern Arizona with SR 260 west of Eagar, is closed.
· U.S. 191 is closed between Alpine and north of Clifton (mileposts 176-253).
· State routes 261 and 273, the main access roads to Big Lake and Crescent Lake in the White Mountains, are closed. SR 261 is closed starting approximately seven miles south of SR 260 to Crescent Lake (mileposts 395-413) and SR 273 is closed between the SR 260 junction and to the SR 261 junction (mileposts 378-394).
· U.S. 180 is closed between the SR 260 junction near Eagar and the New Mexico state line (mileposts 403-433).
· For current road conditions , please visit http://www.azdot.gov/
Fire Update
Last night, fire crews concentrated their efforts prepping roads and dozer lines for burnout operations south of Route 851 and Circle Flat area that leads into New Mexico. Fire activity increased on the west side of the fire towards the communities of Greer and Eagar due to high wind and low humidity.
Crews are currently stationed at Big Lake to reduce travel times, ensuring firefighter safety. Structural protection is in place in Greer, South Fork, Eagar, Alpine, Nutrioso, and Escudillo Flats. Firefighters will be conducting burnout operations on the northern and eastern portions of the fire to p limit the fire’s spread. Firefighters continue to hold line, mop-up, and patrol other areas of the fire. Creeping, smoldering, and active backing fire with short upslope runs was observed yesterday on the southern portion of fire. Firefighters are constructing indirect line and conducting burnout operations. Today southwest winds of 8-15mph with gusts to 25 mph are expected.
Closures
Due to extreme fire conditions, the Apache National Forest is closed to all public entry. See website for closure order details. Please see the Forest website for more information:http://www.fs.fed.us/r3/asnf/.
Apache-Sitgreaves National Forests Fire Restrictions: A Temporary Emergency Closure Order
was issued effective June 3 at 12:00 p.m. (noon). For more information, please call the Arizona fire restrictions hotline 1-877-864-6985 or visit http://www.publiclands.org/firenews/AZ.php.
Public Information
For Wallow Fire Information, please visit http://www.inciweb.org/, www.twitter.com/AS NF, andwww.flickr.com/apachesitgreavesnf or call (928) 333-3412, (702) 308-3238, (702) 308-3357, or (702) 308-8227. Please let us know if you would like to receive updates via e-mail. Public information officers are also posting information in local communities and the evacuation center located at Blue Ridge High School in Pinetop-Lakeside.
British government rebuked for global warming ads with false warning of extreme weather
Scare tactic newspaper advertisements from Britain’s Department of Energy and Climate Change (DECC) have been banned by a government advertising watchdog agency. Two ads in a series which used child nursery rhymes to warn about the purported dangers of manmade climate change were found to have unsubstantiated claims in them.
The Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) reviewed the ads after receiving more than 900 complaints from British citizens – the most complaints it received on any ad last year.
The two offending ads were based on the nursery rhymes of ‘Jack and Jill’ and ‘Rub a Dub Dub’ and warned of the effects of extreme weather, a claim which has long been disproven.
Without a background in climate science, the ASA relied on the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change’s (IPCC) reports to determine the accuracy of the ads. In its conclusion, the ASA said the ads failed to meet code based on a lack of substantiation, truthfulness and their environmental claims.
It was the definitive statement that the severe weather events will happen that caused the ASA to take action as they are presented as if there is no doubt.
Deaths and cost from natural disasters down significantly in 2009
A distinct lack of major natural catastrophes resulted in lower costs and less of a loss of life in 2009. German reinsurer Munich Re AG said in its annual disaster report that approximately 10,000 people lost their lives and $50 billion in losses was realized during the year. The company warned however that manmade climate change will soon reverse those numbers.
In terms of lives lost, with approximately 10,000 people killed during 2009, the year fell far short of the average of 75,000. This was also significantly less than in 2008 when 220,000 were killed by natural disasters. That year saw two major catastrophes – Cyclone Nargis and an earthquake in China’s Sichuan province – case the vast majority of lives lost.
The insurer’s numbers match closely with a report released last month by the UN International Strategy for Disaster Reduction (UNISDR) which put the annual death toll at 8,919. The most significant events in 2009 were an earthquake in Indonesia in September which killed 1,117, flooding in India in July that killed 992 and a series of typhoons and tropical storms that struck the Philippines.
Economic losses were also below the decadal average of $115 billion per year. 2009’s reported losses fall at less than half of that and far below the $200 billion mark that was seen in 2008. Munich Re said, “Losses were far lower in 2009 than in 2008 due to the absence on the whole of major catastrophes and a very benign North Atlantic hurricane season.”
2009 likely to end with lowest level of natural disasters in a decade
The number of natural disasters in 2009 reached the lowest point in the decade. According to preliminary numbers from the United Nations, there were 245 disasters which is far below any of the past 10 years.
Natural disasters, no matter how many there are, due have a toll in human life and economic impact. The UN International Strategy for Disaster Reduction (UNISDR) said that 8,919 people lost their lives from the events and they affected 58 million. The cost of the damage was put at $19 billion.
Weather-related disasters which exclude geological events like earthquakes and volcanoes were responsible for the lion’s share of the losses. Approximately 7,000 lives our of the total of 8,919 were lost due to weather-related events. Similarly, $15 billion of the $19 billion in damages were weather-related.
Margareta Wahlström, the United Nations Special Representative for UNISDR said, “Statistics this year show lower figures compared to previous years, which is good news for people and countries, however extreme weather disasters remain top of the list and will continue to affect more people in the future as more than half of the world’s population highly exposed is living in coastal regions.”
New movie ‘2012’ adds a new scale to the disaster movie genre
Natural disasters have long been a staple of the big screen and a new movie set to hit theatres this week takes the genre to a new height. “2012” by director Roland Emmerich depicts cataclysmic disasters on a global scale brought about on December 21, 2012 – the mythical end of the Mayan calendar.
Disaster movies have shown tornadoes, hurricanes, earthquakes and tsunamis but rarely has a film been made that included every type of disaster imaginable. “2012” brings all disasters together with scenes of California falling off into the ocean, fireballs raining from the sky, the Sistine Chapel collapsing on devout worshipers and even the aircraft carrier USS John F. Kennedy being dumped ashore on top of the White House by a giant wave.
An all-star cast featuring John Cusack, Danny Glover, Thandie Newton, Woody Harrelson, Chiwetel Ejiofor and Amanda Peet depict man’s struggle to survive the incredible calamity. As one of the movie’s fictional characters says, “Our mission is to ensure the continuity of our species.”