British Coast Evacuees Urged to Avoid Contact with Flood Waters

Communities returning to the Coast of Britain after evacuation, as a result of the most devastating tidal surge in 60 years, were urged to avoid contact with floodwater and to be aware of rats that have entered some of the evacuated houses. The thousands of returning evacuees will be assessing damage to their houses for the first time following the tidal surge. Additionally, The Environmental Agency said that 1,400 homes were flooded. Suffolk police warned returning evacuees to prevent children from playing in flooded areas or playing with toys that were contaminated from flood water. Most of the flooding receded during the previous night causing the Environmental Agency to remove some 200 flood warnings. As a result, emergency services downgraded risk levels allowing the majority of evacuees to return home. So far, there have been two confirmed deaths as a result of the Atlantic storm. Despite the destruction and deaths associated with the environmental hazard, improved flood defenses in Britain stopped the North Sea surge from causing even more chaos by protecting at least 800,000 homes. Although the defenses were a vital protection, Environmental Agency teams have plenty of damage to inspect and repair over the coming days. A particular example of the devastation can be seen from residents in Hemsby, Norfolk who watched their cliff-top homes disappear into the sea as the tidal surge hit Thursday night.

Furniture sits in the garden of a house that fell into the sea during a storm surge in Hemsby, U.K.

A resident sits on the stairs of an appartment deep in flood water in Boston, Lincolnshire.

Video of aftermath of storm surge on affected areas in Britain.

Article: http://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2013/dec/07/floodwater-storm-warning-home

Photographs: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/topics/weather/10497522/UK-weather-warning-live.html

Video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YSlQXN2fB1g

Heavy Rains Batter Scotland and Eastern Europe

On Thursday, December 5^th, Scotland and Eastern Europe were hit with strong wind and heavy rain. This disrupted rail and road traffic as a series of significant storms traveled across northwestern Europe from the North Atlantic and North Sea, So far there has only been one death associated with the Storm surges. Police in Scotland said the man was a truck driver whose truck overturned and struck other vehicles. According to the Environmental Agency, England was facing coastal tidal surges that were larger than any recorded in the last sixty years. As a result, Residents in some towns and cities on the Norfolk coast were being evacuated to safety. The Environmental Agency even stated that “In some areas, sea levels could be higher than those during the devastating floods of 1953.” According to the British Met Office, that storm surge killed approximately 1,800 people in the Netherlands and at least 300 people in the UK. The ScotRail train service in Scotland was forced to suspend all services as tracks were flooded or covered with debris. The spokesman for Network Rail in Scotland, stated that Glasgow Cetral Station was evacuated after debris damaged the buildings glass roof. Additionally, motorists and some flights were disrupted. Even though the worst of the storm later passed, a British Train Operator of Network rail was quoted as saying “It will be many hours yet before services return to near normal levels, and so the network in Scotland and the north of England will continue to be severely impacted by today’s storm.”

A man works to remove a tree that was blown over by the wind December 5, in Edinburgh, Scotland.

The tide rushes over a sea wall in Blackpool, England, on December 5.

Article: http://www.cnn.com/2013/12/05/world/europe/europe-weather/

Photographs: http://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2013/dec/06/east-coast-flood-threat-environment-secretary

Powerful Storm Hits the Western United States and Continues Southeastward

A deadly wave of cold temperatures continues its way across the United States as of Monday, November 25th. Approximately 300 flights were canceled, as of Sunday, for Dallas-Fort Worth International Airport, alone. Beyond causing havoc for thanksgiving travel, the storm is blamed for at least eight deaths as it makes its way through California and the Southwest with heavy rains, floods, snow, and sleet. So far the storm has left 1 to 4 feet of recorded snow in the Four Corners area where Colorado, Utah, Arizona, and New Mexico share a border. The storm has caused roofs to collapse and hundreds of rollover car accidents, prompting the closing of roads as well as events. A particularly hard hit area was Flagstaff, Arizona, which saw at least 11 inches of snow. According to meteorologist and satellite imagery, the large storm system is likely to slog through the Southeast while bringing rain and thunderstorms to Georgia and states along the Gulf Coast. Due to the danger of the storm, winter storm warnings and weather advisories were put into effect for much of New Mexico, Texas, and Oklahoma. The National Weather Service stated that “If the storm hugs the coast and develops to its full potential, it could be a nightmare, not only for travelers in the East but also throughout the nation.” The storm is set to spread heavy rain across the South Tuesday through Wednesday, which will further threaten traveling via roads and planes.

Snow and ice created hazardous driving conditions throughout the West, and were a factor in a four-vehicle crash in central Montana.

News Report on the storm with imagery and  further information on its movements.

Article: http://www.usatoday.com/story/weather/2013/11/24/winter-storm/3690877/

Photograph: http://www.theguardian.com/world/2013/dec/04/winter-storm-west-us-safety-warnings-residents

Video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sDZRU8WT6aQ

Struggle to Rebuild After Haiyan

Typhoon Haiyan was not only lethal towards human lives and structures in the Philippines, but also created a huge impact on family farms in the affected area. Family coconut farms received significant damage as a result of the natural disaster wreaking havoc on the livelihoods of many of the eastern Philippine farmers that will be felt long after the disaster fades from attention. The displaced famers have a hard choice to uproot themselves from their province to seek work elsewhere or remain in the hopes that they can return to the fields once the land is capable of being tilled once again. If they remain, tenant farmers will have an arduous task of clearing flattened trees and replanting. Farmers in the region have been quoted as saying that even the still standing trees will most likely have to be uprooted since their cores are damaged. Duma, a Philippine tenant farmer, stated that “If we get seeding, we can plant again next year. We will really go into hard times if the government cannot support us.” Beyond just farming for coconuts, the fronds are used as roofing, husks as flooring, and the flesh for food. The necessity of the tree in the life of people living in the Philippines compounds the disastrous effects of losing so many of the cash crop.

Photograph of downed cocunut trees on tenant farm plot in the eastern Philippines.

Photograph of a decimated coconut famring plot in the eastern Philippines.

Video of Cocunut farmers and their Difficulties.

Article: http://www.theguardian.com/world/2013/nov/29/typhoon-haiyan-philipines-leyte-call-centres

Photographs: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-25104584

Video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cGDTqJemM7o

Cost of Post-Haiyan Rebuilding

The devastated Philippines, post typhoon Haiyan, is appearing to require extremely high rebuilding costs that could reach upwards of $5.8 billion according senior officials. This is not surprising considering the extent of the damage to homes, businesses, public facilities, and infrastructure due to the fierce winds as well as powerful storm surges of the typhoon. This is further exacerbated by the more than 3,974 deaths. 1,186 missing, and approximately four million displaced. Arsenio Balisacan, the economic planning secretary, stated that "I would not be surprised if it can go as high as 250 billion [pesos]." Luckily for the Philippines, The United Nations Development Program pledged $5 million to help clear the debri that is interfering with the relief efforts. However, according to the program’s administrator, it would require four times the amount given to clear all the rubble required in the affected provinces in order to begin the first phase of work. Despite the financial difficulties involved in the process, the United Nations Humanitarian Chief, Valerie Amos, said that "It looks completely different to when I came in last week." Additionally, the government told reporters that nearly 25,000 personnel, 104 ships, and 163 aircraft had been deployed as well as over 90 medical teams. Despite the relief efforts that are in place, remote villages such as those in the Eastern Samar province were still desperate for relief supplies to the point that they waved signs in the air stating “Help us. We need food.”

Corpses are collected and loaded on trucks by workers to be taken to the mass graves on Saturday in the typhoon-ravaged city of Tacloban in the Philippines.

Typhoon survivors walk in a street in Tacloban, Leyte's devasted capital, on Sunday. Towns in the Phillipines are starting to rebuild after the massive Typhoon Haiyan.

Video footage of Post-Haiyan Phillipines.

Article: http://www.theguardian.com/world/2013/nov/19/typhoon-haiyan-rebuilding-cost-philippines

Photographs: http://www.nydailynews.com/news/world/philippine-town-rebuilds-bodies-head-mass-grave-article-1.1519762

Video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EG45HsZoZkA

Typhoon Haiyan Reaches Devastating Records

According to expert meteorologists, Typhoon Haiyan was about as strong as it could theoretically get when it made landfall in the Philippines. The event killed thousands of people and drove hundreds of thousands from their homes due to its record high attributes. Kerry Emanuel, a climate scientist at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, commented on the devastatingly high attributes of the storm, stating that "The tragedy of this particular storm is that it reached its limit just about the time it made landfall.” Based on satellite imagery, the U.S. military's Joint Typhoon Warning Center estimated that Haiyan's winds reached a sustained peak of 195 mph shortly before it made landfall, with strong gusts that reached upwards of 235 mph. Other estimates were reportedly lower, including those from the Philippine weather officials who suggested that the storm had sustained winds of 147 mph and gusts of 170 mph when it hit land. Nevertheless, Typhoon Haiyan ranks among the strongest tropical storms. If the higher estimates are correct, Typhoon Haiyan beats hurricane Camille, which hit the northern Gulf Coast in 1969 with sustained winds of 190 mph. Experts have provided several factors for why the storm reached such record setting highs. For instance, Bryan Norcross, The Weather Channel's hurricane specialist, explained that Haiyan followed an avenue that was outside the traditional "Typhoon Alley" for the Philippines because the high pressure to the north was a little farther south. This pushed the storm track farther to the south towards the central Philippines. When the storm passed over funnel-shaped bay of Tacloban, it turned the storm surge into a 20-foot-high wall of water.

Survivors walk past a ship that lies on top of damaged homes after it was washed ashore in Tacloban city, in the central Philippines, as a result of the typhoon.

A photograph of typoon Haiyan, taken from the International Space Station by US astronaut Karen Nyberg and released by Nasa. Photograph: Karen L. 

Footage of super typhoon Haiyan in Tacloban Philippines, which includes imagery of severe eyewall winds ann rescue of people from flood waters.

Article: http://www.nbcnews.com/science/typhoon-haiyan-pushed-limit-bigger-storms-are-coming-2D11577486

Photographs: http://www.theguardian.com/world/2013/nov/10/typhoon-haiyan-kills-10000-in-philippines-live-updates

Video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ke6ureLcpkk

Mount Sinabung Erupts Yet Again, Forcing Evacuations

Mount Sinabungin, a Pleistocene-to-Holocene stratovolcano of andesite and dacite in the Karo plateau of Karo Regency of Indonesia erupted again on Sunday (November 3, 2013), unleashing volcanic ash high into the sky and forcing the evacuation of villagers living in proximity of its slope. National Disaster Mitigation Agency spokesman, Sutopo Purwo Nugroho, explained that Mount Sinabung's alert status was raised to the second-highest level after the 2,600-meter high mountain erupted early on Sunday morning. Authorities in the area were working to evacuate residents from the province villages located in close proximity to the mountain in the three-kilometer surrounding "danger zone", according to Nugroho. This eruption was the second such event since the previous month. The previous October 24th event had also prompted th evacuation of nearby surrounding villages, numbering more than 3,300 people. Mount Sinabung is among more than 120 active volcanoes in Indonesia that  are prone to seismic activity due to their locations along the Pacific "Ring of Fire," an arc of volcanoes and fault lines encircling the Pacific Basin.

Mount Sinabung spew ash as it is pictured from Simpang Empat village in Karo district, Indonesia's north Sumatra province, November 3, 2013.

A child refugee lies down at temporary shelter as a safety precaution after Sinabung volcano erupted at Tiganderket village in Karo district, Indonesia's north Sumatra province, November 3, 2013. 

Video footage of Mount Sinabungin eruption.

Article: http://abcnews.go.com/International/wireStory/indonesia-volcano-erupts-forces-evacuations-20767994

Photographs: http://www.reuters.com/article/2013/11/04/us-indonesia-volcano-idUSBRE9A30AS20131104

Video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Kphz2CxeEMM

Aftermath of Hurricane Force St. Jude Storm on Britain

The St Jude storm, also known as Cyclone Christian, and other names, was a severe European windstorm that hit Northwestern Europe on 27 and 28 of October 2013. As of the 29th of October, Britain was still facing further disruptions as a result of the storm, which was the strongest storm to hit Britain in years. The storms hurricane force winds battered both England and wales on its route through Britain causing transport disruption on road, rail, air and sea, and power cuts for hundreds of thousands of homes. Authorities continued to clear away debris and fallen trees following the event while engineers worked on restoring power to homes across England that were still without power over Monday night. According to the Energy Networks Association, 459,000 homes suffered power cuts across England, with 166,000 still disconnected. A 17-year-old girl was among the four people killed in the wake of the storm. According to the environmental agency, dozens of areas in southern England remained on flood alert following the storm. Additonal side affects of the storm included the shutting down of the port of Dover in Kent, disruption of train and tube services, cancelation of more than 130 flights at Heathrow airport, and the blockage of many roads due to fallen trees. Furthermore, Debris falling on to powerlines caused a nuclear power station in Kent to automatically close down both its reactors, leaving its own diesel generators to provide power for essential safety systems. Historical weather experts said the gales were relatively weak in comparison to earlier recorded storms in Britains history such as the Great Storm of 1987.

Image of a demolished car in aftermath of St. Jude Storm due to a fallen tree.

Video of both St. Jude storm and aftermath in Britain.

Article: http://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2013/oct/29/natural-disasters

Photograph: http://sjposters.wordpress.com/2013/10/29/st-jude-storm-aftermath/

Video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kRkFUAmLffU

Mount Etna Erupts Over Sicily

Mount Etna erupted on Saturday (10/26/13) in Sicily, the largest island in the Mediterranean Sea. Sicily constitutes an autonomous region of Italy that extends from the tip of the Apennine peninsula, from which it is separated only by the narrow Strait of Messina, towards the North African coast. Mount Etna is its most prominent landmark, which is at 3,320 m (10,890 ft) the tallest active volcano in Europe and one of the most active in the world. Saturday's eruption spewed glowing lava into the air and sent a vast plume of smoke over the southern island of Sicily. According to Catania airport, an international airport near the second largest city in Sicily, The eruption did not require any villages in the proximity of the mountain to be evacuated or cause significant disruption. However, airspace over Sicily was briefly closed as a result of the large plume of smoke sent out from the eruption. Although the last major eruption was in 1992, volcanic activity is a constant occurrence for Mount Etna. This latest eruption was preceded by a series of underground tremors. This incident is the 14th time Mount Etna has erupted this year.

One of a series of tweeted photos that Italian astronaut Luca Parmitano took from the International Space Station.

 

 

Footage of Mount Etna's eruption.

 

 

Article: http://www.theguardian.com/world/2013/oct/26/mount-etna-erupts-airspace-close-sicily

Photograph: http://www.abc.net.au/news/2013-10-27/mount-etna-eruption2c-european-astronaut/5048238

Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pQY_qDt1VO8

Cyclone Phailan Causes Mass Evacuation in Eastern India

Tropical Cyclone Phailan, the strongest storm to hit India in the last 14 years, made landfall in Odisha state on Saturday the 12^th of October. The storm pulverized the eastern coast, causing littered wet streets and huge holes in buildings.  At least 13 people were killed from trees and buildings that collapsed when the storm hit, according to the Chief of Police, Prakash Mishra. The India Disaster Management Authority also confirmed an additional fatality in Andhra Pradesh state. The death toll had been feared to be much larger, but mass evacuations of the affected area prior to the storms arrival, considerably limited the number of deaths, according to officials. Naveen Patnaik, Odisha’s chief minister, commented on the favorable lack of fatalities, stating “It is a huge, huge relief.” One of the downfalls of the precautionary measures instigated before the storm was authorities cutting the electrical systems in the affected districts, which could take several days to restore according to authorities. According to meteorologists, Phailan made landfall as a category 4 hurricane with 140 mph winds. By Sunday it ad depreciated to a level 1 hurricane with winds of about 80 mph. India evacuated nearly a million people before the storm hit, almost 900,000 in Odisha alone. Most of the evacuees were housed in 250 emergency shelters set up in sturdy buildings and government offices. The storm disrupted power and communication as well as affecting rail and roads from flooding. Additionally, crops are expected to suffer from the storms trail of destruction. Before Phailan made landfall, military units and National Disaster Response Force personnel were deployed to provide relief supplies and medical services, according to CNN-IBN.

Photograph of Cyclone Phailan

 Image of established relief operation in Orissa, India.

Image of one of the established storm centers for the evacuees.

Video of Cyclone Phailin with media coverage.

Article: http://www.cnn.com/2013/10/13/world/asia/india-cyclone-phailin-aftermath/

Images: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-india-24487130

Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ak2OQL97xto

Extreme Blizzard Kills Thousands of South Dakota Cattle

A strangely large and untimely snowstorm hit South Dakota from 10/3 to 10/5, which averaged 30 inches of snow, with some areas recording almost 5 feet according to The Weather Channel. Unprepared ranchers and farmers were devastated by the snowstorm that killed tens of thousands of cattle, ravaging the state’s $7 billion dollar industry. According to state and industry officials, approximately 75,000 cattle have died since the record breaking storm hit the western section of the state. The South Dakota Stock Growers Association claimed that an estimated 15 to 20 percent of all the cattle in the state.  Many ranchers reported that they had lost more than half of their cattle. The snow storm came with hurricane-force winds, driving cattle herds miles away from their ranches in search of shelter. Martha Wierzbicki, emergency management director for Butte County, South Dakota, said that trails of dead cattle carcasses were present everywhere after the storm subsided. Many ranchers have no one to assist them for reimbursement because of the lack of new congressional subsidies for agriculture producers that would provide support in such circumstances. State Agriculture Secretary Lucas Lentsch, called the early-season blizzard “devastating to our producers.” The most immediate concern, following the blizzard, is the disposal of all the dead livestock. According to state law they must be burned, buried or rendered within 36 hours in order to prevent the spread of disease to other cattle or people in the surrounding communities. Dustin Oedekoven, South Dakota’s state veterinarian, attested to the importance of disposal, stating that they “can be a significant source of disease spread, so we want to make sure those carcasses are burned, buried or rendered as quickly as possible.” The South Dakota Cattlemen’s Association warned that the effects of the snowstorm would be present years afterwards. The loss of tens of thousands of cattle, including the prospect of calves that would have been delivered by many of those cattle, has caused and will continue to affect the cattle numbers in South Dakota. Additionally, the stress of the storm will leave its mark on surviving herds, according to the South Dakota State University Agricultural Extension Service, from the host of ruinous diseases present from the decaying carcasses.

A shopper wades through a large snow drift in downtown Rapid City SOuth Dakota. 

Photograph: Chris Huber/AP

Radar image of snowfall for South Dakota during the snowstorm.

Frozen Cattle along Highway 34 east of Sturgis, South Dakota.

Video of the snowstorm from 10/5/2013

Article: http://usnews.nbcnews.com/_news/2013/10/08/20876196-shutdown-worsens-historic-blizzard-that-killed-tens-of-thousands-of-south-dakota-cattle?lite

Pictures: http://www.worldmag.com/2013/10/south_dakota_staggers_under_early_blizzard

Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_CRr-Xm516o

Red Alert as Typhoon Fitow Hits Eastern China

Hundreds of thousands of people evacuated from eastern China after Typhoon Fitow made contact with the shore. Winds were recorded at upwards of 151 km/h (93mph). The storm made landfall at 01:15 local time on Monday (17:15 GMT Sunday) in the city of Fuding, China according to Chinese meteorologists. The area received the highest alert status (red) by authorities. At first, the typhoon caused heavy rains and widespread power cuts. Areas of China were hit with up to 8 inches of rain, according to the AFP news agency. The Provincial Flood Control Office issued a statement explaining that the typhoon had affected 3 million people in Zhejiang while causing more than 300 million dollars worth of economic damage. According to Xinhua, the state-run news agency, the Fujian Province evacuated over 177,000 people before the storm hit the coast, while more than 574,000 people had to leave their homes. Additionally, Xinhua has confirmed at least two people killed by the typhoon. State media also reported that 65,000 boats were ordered to harbor for shelter in Zhejiang and Fujian, trains and coach services were suspended in several cities, and dozens of flights were cancelled. The storm is now moving north-west and is expected to weaken quickly. Typhoon Fitow is the 23^rd tropical storm to hit China this year according to Xinhua. Therefore China is used to dealing with extreme weather events but, nonetheless, the risk remains high.

Image of Zhejing and Fujian Provinces that experienced the hardest blow of Typhoon Fitow.

Image of a storm surge in eastern China brought by Typhoon Fitow.

Image of the standstill boats that were order by Chinese authorities to take shelter from Typhoon Fitow.

Video of Typhoon Fitow along with media coverage of the affects of the storm.

Article: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-china-24424336

Pictures: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-china-24424336

Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=12wx-qBL8ZA

Five Hikers Killed by Colorado Rock Slide

A rock slide killed five hikers and seriously injured another in south-central Colorado on September 30, 2013. According to Chaffee County Undersheriff, John Speeze, the boulders from the rock slide were reported as exceeding over 100 tons. The falling rock crashed into a viewing area on a popular day-hike site, which left a 100 yard gash below Mount Princeton. Rescuers located the five bodies and the injured13 year-old with a broken leg within the crash site. The girl was immediately flown to a Denver hospital. According to Speeze "It was totally unexpected. It caught everybody by surprise." Monica Broaddus, the sheriff's department spokeswoman, said rescuers left the mountain Monday afternoon and that the recovery effort would continue only after an engineer could survey the slide area to insure that it was safe to remove the bodies. The slide occurred at approximately 11 a.m. on a San Isabel National Forest trail that led to Agnes Vaille Falls. According to Margaret Dean, a regular hiker in the area, the trail was a highly recommended tourist location for hikers. The rock slides will most likely lead to a decrease in tourism in the area until the rocks can be removed from the trail and safety measures can be introduced to protect future hikers from vulnerability to the natural hazard. 

Image of the aftermath of the rockslide below Mount Princeton, a 14,197- foot mountain.

News Report of the aftermath of the rockslide with images of the affected area and emergency response teams.

Article: http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-201_162-57605367/rock-slide-kills-five-hikers-in-colorado/

Picture: http://www.cnn.com/2013/09/30/us/colorado-hikers-rockslide/index.html

Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pqikcaKNeWk

Pakistan Earthquake Kills Hundreds

On the afternoon of the 24th of Sepetember a 7.7 magnitude earthquake struck in Pakistan's remote south-west province of Balochistan. The quake was so powerful that reports of the tremors were felt as far as India's capital of New Delhi. An island appeared off the coast near the port of Gwadar following the earthquake, which incitited local curosity and scientists alike. Although the island that emerged following the earthquake was a marvel to behold, the quake itself caused awful destruction and death within the Balochistan province. According to the Balochistan government spokesman, Jan Muhammad Buledi, 300,000 people had been affected within the six districts of the Province (Awaran, Kech, Gwadar, Panjgur, Chaghi and Khuzdar). Additionally, Buledi stated that the current deathtoll in the area was 328 with more than 440 injured. Many houses were flattened and thousands of people were forced to spend the night in the open. Noor Ahmed, a 45-year-old farmer in the area, stated that "We have lost everything, even our food is now buried under mud and water from underground channels is now undrinkable because of excessive mud in it due to the earthquake." The regional capitol Quetta has reportedly sent soldiers, medical teams, and supplies, but the mountainous terrain in the province has made communication and rescue attempts difficult. Rescuers are concerned about the easily collapsible mud homes that most of the people in the affected areas reside in. Since they are not strong enough to survive such devastating earthquakes it is a possibility that many of the survivors are stuck underneath the rubble.

Picture of the Balochistan Province with the quackes epicentre indicated.

Picture of a collapsed home within the Balochistan Province.

Video describing the devastation within Pakistan's remote south-west province of Balochistan following the 7.7 - magnitude quake that struck on the afternoon of September 24th.

Article: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-24222760

Pictures: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-24222760

Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CPESTOTOcSc

Tropical storm Ingrid and Manuel's toll on Mexico

A state of emergency was proclaimed by Mexican authorities after Tropical Storm Ingrid and Manuel, almost simultaneously, hit Mexico. According to Minister Osorio Chong, the Secretary of the Interior for Mexico, the two storms combined to affect two-thirds of the country. There have been 42 confirmed deaths associated with the flooding and landslides caused by the two hurricanes. Tropical Storm Manuel first hit Manzanillo, a port city on Mexico's Pacific coast. It continued onward to the Acapulco, a popular resort town, where it caused devastation from flash floods and landslides. At this point, more than four thousand people were still in shelters and 40,000 tourists remained stranded due to airport closure and highway flooding. Hurricane Ingrid was downgraded to a tropical storm before hitting land near the town of La Pesca. Luckily, more than 20,000 people were able to be evacuated from the state of Veracruz before the tropical storm hit.  However, according to the Veracruz civil protection authority, at least 20 highways and 12 bridges were damaged by the storm. 

A man walks through a flooded street during heavy rains caused by Tropical Storm Ingrid in the Gulf port city of Veracruz, Mexico.

These images provided by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) show hurricane Ingrid in the Gulf of Mexico approaching the coast of Mexico and tropical storm Manuel just off the western coast of Mexico. 

Video of the affects of hurricane Ingrid and tropical storm Manuel on areas of Mexico. 

Article: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-latin-america-24124198

Pictures: http://news.yahoo.com/hurricane-ingrid-ts-manuel-threaten-mexico-091349832.html

Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YzKGVyVKDMY

New South Wales bushfires continue burning

Four Emergency level bushfires, west of Sydney, Australia, have been lowered in threat level according to the NSWRFS (New South Wales Rural Fire Service) after temperature and wind intensity lessened. The fires in/around Winmalee, Castlereagh, Windsor and Marsden Park have still been given a watch and act alert as a precautionary measure for residents nearby the fires. So far there have been no human fatalities associated with the bushfires that have raged all over New South Wales. However, according to Richard Davies of ABC, the ambulance services in the area are telling people to take defensive measures against inhalation of the fine particles being emitted from the fires in order to prevent respiratory damage. Although there has yet to be a death toll, reports of damage and destruction of homes by the flames and smoke of the brushfires has been confirmed. Reasoning behind the danger and speed of the brushfires was commented on by Trevor Hay, an ABC helicopter pilot who has observed the brushfires’ movements. Hay stated that “It is a very windy, gusty westerly wind blowing and there are fires everywhere. And this wind is picking up embers and dropping them for about a kilometre along, so there are spotting fires all over the place...”  Despite emergency level reduction for the brushfires  west of Sydney, they will continue to pose a potential risk to surrounding communities  that have already felt the swift, merciless destruction that such fires can bring.

Picture of bushfire near Blacktown Rd, northwest of Sydney,

                                 Smoke from the bushfires picked up by Sydney's weather radar

Video footage and news report audio concerning the the multitude of bushfires that have been present in                                                       areas throughout New South Wales, Australia. 

Article and pictures: http://www.abc.net.au/news/2013-09-10/live-coverage-bushfire-emergency-sydney/4948788

Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tUz7ZcYhdEc

Yosemite's massive wildfire continues to burn

The massive wildfire in Yosemite National Park has entered its fourth week as of September 7th. The park is located in the central eastern portion of the U.S. state of California and is one of the largest and least fragmented habitats in the Sierra Nevada, supporting a variety of plants and animals. So far it has cost an estimated 89 million to fight the wildfire that was the result of an illegal fire started by an unnamed hunter. The burnt areas in Yosemite have the potential of aiding the destruction of its ecosystems through areas such as erosion, mudslides, and flooding. The massive wildfire has also caused 5 square miles of one of the municipal reservoir watersheds, servicing 2.8 million people, to be in danger of contamination from falling ash. This has led to federal officials assembling a team of 50 scientists to assess environmental damage and perform countermeasures to restore damaged habitats and waterways. Alan Gallegos, one of the selected scientists, stated that "We evaluate what the potential for hazard and look at what's at risk --life, property, cultural resources, species habitat. Then we come up with a list of treatments." The burnt habitats and vulnerable water sources will be critical areas for the team to address in order to insure ecosystem reconstruction/preservation and clean water sources for millions of dependent citizens. 

               Visible image of California’s Rim Fire acquired Aug. 23, 2013 by the Multi-angle Imaging                                        SpectroRadiometer (MISR) instrument on NASA’s Terra spacecraft. 

The plume of carbon monoxide pollution from the Rim Fire burning in and near Yosemite National Park, Calif., is visible in this Aug. 26, 2013 image from the Atmospheric Infrared Sounder (AIRS) instrument on NASA’s Aqua spacecraft. 

CBS News broadcast showing video of the Yosemite National Park wildfire and discussing the federally appointed team of 50 scientists. 

Article: http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-201_162-57601864/wildfire-near-yosemite-burns-into-fourth-week/

Pictures: http://www.space.com/22573-nasa-satellites-california-rim-fire-photos.html

Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kLVoSWegvKU