Clipmarks | invictus's 'disasters' clips

The tornado nightmare

Thu, 19 Jun 2008 02:37:44 GMT

clipped by: invictus
clipper's remarks: I wouldn't like to be there to take this photo.

A huge tornado funnel cloud touches down in Orchard, Iowa, Tuesday, June 10, 2008 at 9:04 p.m. The Globe Gazette and Mitchell County Press News reported that Lori Mehmen of Orchard, took the photo from outside her front door. Mehmen said the funnel cloud came near the ground and then went back up into the clouds. Besides tree and crop damage, no human injuries were reported.

Tags: tornado, photography, disasters, iowa

Greece declares state of emergency

Sun, 26 Aug 2007 01:21:48 GMT

clipped by: invictus
clipper's remarks: Reuters reports many people are still trapped in villages surrounded by the flames.

Clip Source: www.alertnet.org

The Greek government declared a state of emergency for the entire country on Saturday after forest fires killed at least 44 people in the southern Peloponnese region.

"All regions of the country are declared in a state of emergency in order to mobilise all means and forces to face this disaster," Greek Prime Minister Costas Karamanlis said in an address to the nation.

Scores of fires have swept through the Peloponnese and other regions since Friday, trapping hundreds in villages. Greece has asked its European Union partners for help.

"So many fire fronts in so many locations in the country can't be a coincidence," Karamanlis said. "The state will do its utmost to find the culprits and punish them.

"No one has the right to take human lives and destroy the environment ... to destroy our country."

Tags: greece, forest fire, disasters, state of emergency

Inferno in Greece

Sat, 25 Aug 2007 16:57:27 GMT

clipped by: invictus
clipper's remarks: Death toll is at least 44. It's like a nightmare.

Clip Source: news.bbc.co.uk

The speed with which the fire spread caught many people unawares

Greek emergency workers continue to find the charred bodies of people burned to death by forest fires that are raging in the south of the country.

Officials raised the death toll from the fires over the past two days to 44.

Searches of burnt cars, houses and fields were still turning up the remains of those who could not escape.

Prime Minister Kostas Karamanlis called the situation "an unspeakable tragedy". The government appealed for EU help and later declared a state of emergency.

Greek newspapers are calling the southern Peloponnese region a "crematorium", says the BBC's Malcolm Brabant in Athens.

The fires have been moving so fast that people have been cut off before they could escape. With emergency services overstretched, desperate residents and local officials called television and radio stations to appeal for help.

Tags: greece, forest fire, disasters

Earthquake in Peru kills hundreds

Thu, 16 Aug 2007 17:47:13 GMT

clipped by: invictus
clipper's remarks: A 7.9 magnitude quake shook Peru today, with aftershocks coming as big as 6.3. News agencies report a high casualty: hundreds were killed and at least 1300 were injured.

Clip Source: news.yahoo.com

CHINCHA, Peru (Reuters) - Powerful aftershocks shook Peru on Thursday as rescuers pulled wounded and dead from collapsed homes and churches a day after a massive earthquake killed hundreds of people.

Hospitals were overwhelmed with injured in the cities of Chincha and Pisco on the Pacific coast, and dead bodies were gathered on street corners in Pisco.

Peru's civil defense agency said at least 337 people perished and 1,300 were injured in the 7.9-magnitude quake and the death toll was expected to rise.

The U.S. Geological Survey reported aftershocks of magnitude 6.0 and 6.3 on Thursday morning near the central Peru coast.

Wounded people lay on the floor in the San Jose hospital in Chincha, south of the capital Lima. Television images showed walls in the hospital destroyed by the quake.

In the San Juan de Dios hospital in Pisco, doctor Ricardo Cabrera said staff was struggling to cope with 200 wounded and more than 40 dead, with no power and a large part of the hospital damaged.

Tags: earthquake, peru, disasters

The wave that may have destroyed Crete

Fri, 11 May 2007 16:30:11 GMT

clipped by: invictus
clipper's remarks: Finally, more evidence comes about the disasters that caused the Minoan civilization to collapse (and many more to be shaken in the Old World) more than 3500 years ago.

Clip Source: www.stonepages.com

The legend of Atlantis may be more than just a myth. Research on the Greek island of Crete suggests Europe's earliest civilisation was destroyed by a giant tsunami. Until about 3,500 years ago, the Minoan civilisation was flourishing in the Eastern Mediterranean. But around 1500 BCE the people who spawned the myths of the Minotaur and the Labyrinth abruptly disappeared. Now the mystery of their cataclysmic end may finally have been solved. A group of scientists have uncovered new evidence that the island of Crete was hit by a massive tsunami at the same time that Minoan culture disappeared.

Tags: archaeology, aegean, minos, minoan, disasters, tsunami, ancient history, minoan collapse, crete, earthquake

Bangladesh: At the mercy of climate change

Tue, 20 Feb 2007 21:30:07 GMT

clipped by: invictus
clipper's remarks: "It is more exposed than any other country to global warming. And a series of unusual events - from dying trees to freak weather - suggest its impact is already being felt." By Justin Huggler of The Independent.

Clip Source: news.independent.co.uk

Bangladesh: At the mercy of climate change

The weather in Bangladesh is going crazy. Last week, a freak tornado struck. Tornadoes occur regularly in Bangladesh - but usually only in the tornado season, in April. A tornado in February is almost unheard of.

Also, there were the strange events of 2004, when the tides in the estuaries of the Ganges, Brahmaputra and Meghna rivers stopped ebbing and flowing. The water level just stayed at high tide. The same year, the capital, Dhaka, was hit by floods so severe the ground floors of most buildings were under water, and a catfish was caught in one of the government buildings.

And in 2005, the country had no winter at all. Westerners tend to assume the whole of the subcontinent is hot all year round; in fact, Bangladesh, like much of northern India, gets quite cold in winter. Except that it didn't last year. Winter never came - with serious effects on the year's potato crop. This year, too, it has not been as cold as usual.

Tags: climate change, disasters, bangladesh

Deadly ice storm hits central US

Mon, 15 Jan 2007 15:28:03 GMT

clipped by: invictus

Clip Source: news.bbc.co.uk

Deadly ice storm hits central US

Ice storms occur when rain falls in temperatures so low it freezes

Ice storms that have killed at least 21 people in the United States are continuing to batter the country.

A state of emergency has been declared and the National Guard called out in Missouri after the storms knocked out power to 200,000 homes.

Churches cancelled Sunday services and businesses closed early or stayed shut.

Weather forecasters say the storm system will head north-east, threatening to bring more than a foot (30cm) of snow to New England.

Ice storms occur when rain falls during very low temperatures, causing it to freeze almost instantly as it hits a surface, resulting in ice layers sometimes several inches thick.

Tags: climate, weather, ice storm, united states, disasters

Hurricane Evacuation Tips

Mon, 07 Aug 2006 12:48:09 GMT

clipped by: invictus
clipper's remarks: A French Quarter resident tells what he learnt from the Katrina experience. Very practical survival tips.

Clip Source: www.nola.com

Hurricane Evacuation Tips

I live in the French Quarter, and my home sustained only minor damage from Hurricane Katrina. I stayed during the storm, and probably would do so again. (Please, no lectures!)

I was prepared for the storm -- gallon per day of drinking water, canned food, candles, extra medication, etc. -- but not for its aftermath. Here's what I learned about surviving a week in the 21st century under conditions just like those faced by the people who first inhabited the French Quarter during the 18th century:

First, get a weather radio that operates on batteries that can be recharged by cranking a handle. Mine also came with an attached flashlight. I have since bought a larger TV/radio/flashlight unit that operates the same way.

Next, get an old-fashioned telephone that plugs directly into the wall. Any type of electrically dependent phone -- cell, cordless, etc. -- will fail after the electricity goes out, but not necessarily a phone that taps directly into telephone lines. Such phones cost only about $10.

If you don't have a gas stove or charcoal grill, buy a portable gas grill or camping stove that runs on those same small, disposable, 1-pound propane tanks used to power hand-held blowtorches. You can find such tanks at hardware stores for about $7. These stoves allow you to cook outdoors without electricity.

Finally, buy some "waterless washcloths," which home health-care aides use to bathe patients. These moist washcloths clean without water, and the moisture evaporates quickly without leaving a residue. You can buy them in the adult-diaper section at most drugstores.

The lesson of Katrina: Being prepared for a hurricane is critical, but being prepared for its aftermath is just as essential.

Tags: disasters, survival, hurricane, katrina, survival kits

Nature's Wrath: The Most Dangerous U.S. Cities

Fri, 04 Aug 2006 23:48:47 GMT

clipped by: invictus

Clip Source: www.livescience.com

Nature's Wrath: The Most Dangerous U.S. Cities

Mother Nature has various ways of reminding us who is in charge. The particular threats and the extent of risk vary greatly based on where you live [See Top 10 US Threats].

While there is no easy way to gauge overall risk of disaster, researchers love to try. One recent study found that in general, the world's population is migrating to coastal areas, where the threat of hurricanes and flooding from rising seas are now well known. Another study found that Americans are following this same deadly trend.

And anyone who lives in California knows that heading for the hills doesn't solve anything, since the very ground under your feet can give way at any time. Residents of the Midwest have their own twisted concerns.

A web site called SustainLane.com each year puts America's 50 largest cities into a natural disaster index with its Sustainable U.S. City Ranking.

Tags: nature, disasters, united states, u.s. cities, risks, science

America Isn't Prepared for Catastrophe

Sun, 06 Aug 2006 00:29:11 GMT

clipped by: invictus

Clip Source: www.npr.org

Grass-Roots America Isn't Prepared for Catastrophe

“Preparing for a disaster is neither rocket science nor brain surgery. It is making sure that people at the grass-roots level know what to do. ”

Morning Edition, August 3, 2006 · Here’s what scares me: One of these days, we’re going to have another catastrophe in this country. I don’t know about you, but I’m not ready.

I hear and read about how the Department of Homeland Security is allocating (or not allocating) money to different communities around the country; but I keep running into cops and firemen who tell me that they still don't have compatible radios that allow for direct communications in the field between a police cruiser and a firetruck; and they still don't have biochemical suits that aren't out of date.

Some cities are further along than others, but in far too many, the changes are just minimal. Never mind minimal. At my level, the changes are nonexistent. And when I say "my level," I mean your level, our level -- grass roots. Believe me, on this issue, we're all grass roots.

Tags: disasters, united states

Top 10 U.S. Disaster Worries

Fri, 04 Aug 2006 23:52:35 GMT

clipped by: invictus

Clip Source: www.livescience.com

Natural Disasters: Top 10 U.S. Threats

Government officials are evaluating and revising disaster plans around the United States in the wake of Hurricane Katrina, just as they did after the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks. While war and automobiles kill more people than nature, find out what natural disasters top scientists’ worry lists.
-- Robert Roy Britt LiveScience Managing Editor

Tags: nature, disasters, united states

Almost 3,000 believed dead, missing in N. Korea

Wed, 26 Jul 2006 11:57:12 GMT

clipped by: invictus

Clip Source: news.yahoo.com

SEOUL (AFP) - Nearly 3,000 North Koreans were believed dead or missing following floods and landslides in the impoverished country, a respected South Korean human rights group has said.

Monsoon rains caused much more damage than the secretive North's state media have claimed, said Good Friends, an independent rights group which in the past has provided accurate information about the isolated communist country.

"North Korea has suffered really severe damage from recent rains, with nearly 3,000 people known to have been recorded dead or missing," the group said in a statement Wednesday.

"Damage and casualties are far heavier than known so far to the outside world," it said.

Tags: monsoon, floods, korea, disasters

China's death toll jumps to 612

Mon, 24 Jul 2006 21:38:41 GMT

clipped by: invictus

Clip Source: news.yahoo.com

China's death toll from Tropical Storm Bilis jumps to 612

BEIJING (AFP) - The death toll in China from Tropical Storm Bilis has risen to 612 with another 208 people missing, state media said, as the country braced for more devastation from Typhoon Kaemi.

In another major reassessment of the impact of devastating floods brought by Bilis, Xinhua news agency said the nation's disaster relief commission raised the death toll by 82 and the number of missing by 78.

The commission gave no reason for the sudden jump in the casualty numbers from Bilis, which first struck south and central China on July 14.

Tags: china, storm, floods, disasters

Robertson: God Says Tsunami Possible For U.S.

Thu, 18 May 2006 19:33:12 GMT

clipped by: invictus

Clip Source: www.wftv.com

Robertson: God Says Tsunami Possible For U.S.

VIRGINIA BEACH, Va. -- The Rev. Pat Robertson says God has told him that storms and possibly a tsunami will hit America's coastline this year.

The founder of the Christian Broadcasting Network has told viewers of "The 700 Club" that the revelations came to him during his annual personal prayer retreat in January.

"If I heard the Lord right about 2006, the coasts of America will be lashed by storms," Robertson said May 8.

He added specifics in Wednesday's show.

"There well may be something as bad as a tsunami in the Pacific Northwest," he said.

Robertson has come under intense criticism in recent months for suggesting that U.S. agents should assassinate Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez and that Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon's stroke was divine retribution for Israel's pullout from the Gaza Strip.

Tags: disasters, prophecy

3 major hurricanes to hit US this year

Tue, 16 May 2006 03:35:20 GMT

clipped by: invictus
clipper's remarks: "This year feature fewer named storms than last year's record of 28, but will still be a season of above-average storm frequency, AccuWeather said in the press release."

Clip Source: news.yahoo.com

3 major hurricanes to hit US this year: AccuWeather

Reuters Photo: A National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration satellite image of Hurricane Katrina on August 29, 2005....

NEW YORK (Reuters) - Three major hurricanes will strike the United States this year, with the storm-battered Gulf Coast most at risk in June and July, forecaster AccuWeather predicted Monday.

The outlook comes after a record-setting hurricane season in 2005 that devastated New Orleans and other coastal cities along the Gulf, and dealt a heavy blow to the U.S. oil industry that sent energy prices to record highs.

"The 2006 storm season will be a creeping threat," said AccuWeather Chief Forecaster Joe Bastardi. He projected that five hurricanes, three of them with winds over 110 miles per hour, would hit the U.S. coastline.

"Early in the season the Texas Gulf Coast faces the highest likelihood of a hurricane strike, possibly putting Gulf energy production in the line of fire," he said. "As early as July, and through much of the rest of the season, the highest level of risk shifts to the Carolinas."

At the tail-end of the season, the Northeast and southern Florida will be most at risk from storms, he said.

This year feature fewer named storms than last year's record of 28, but will still be a season of above-average storm frequency, AccuWeather said in the press release.

Last year, there were eight tropical storm landfalls in the U.S., including two separate strikes by Katrina as the storm crossed the Florida peninsula and then plowed into the central Gulf Coast in late August. Four of these were major hurricanes - with winds over 110 mph: Dennis, Katrina, Rita and Wilma.

Hurricane Katrina was the costliest storm on record, causing more than $80 billion in damage.

Tags: hurricane, gulf coast, tropical storm, weather, disasters