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