Tungurahua volcano awakens

     Three local towns have been evacuated due to the awakening of the Tungurahua volcano last night. The National Secretary of Risk Management declared an orange alert today following the the explosions last night. The increased activity provoked a giant as cloud reaching eight kilometers in height.
      The recent eruptions have provoked a declared state of emergency in Ecuador. The Institute of Geophysics at Ecuador's Polytechnic School, which controls the volcano's activity, recorded increased activity from April 20, with ash and pyroclastic material blasting from the cone. So far, there have been six moderate-great explosions.

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http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-latin-america-13204095

Northern NY hit by severe flooding

     Dozens of roads are closed in northern New York after severe storms dumped more than 2.9 inches of rain, causing extensive flooding and washing out at least one bridge. Local media report that heavy rain late Tuesday and early Wednesday caused flooding that has closed nearly 60 roads across the Adirondacks. The storm caused earlier damage to homes, barns and other structures in other neighborhoods in and around Syracuse.

http://www.syracuse.com/news/index.ssf/2011/04/syracuse_park_loses_footbridge.html

Missouri's Black River levee Fails

    Record or near-record flooding is expected along stretched of the Ohio and Mississippi River in the coming days as the central and south-central US struggles to cope with the peak of the 2011 flood season. Poplar Bluff, Mo., which has received some 15 inches of rain over the past four days, levees protecting the town from floods on the Black Rive have been breached or overrtopped in several places, forcing the evautation of some 1,000 people.

http://www.csmonitor.com/USA/2011/0426/Missouri-s-Black-River-levee-fails.-Where-floodwaters-could-hit-next

Columbia Hit by La Nina

    Months of heavy rains, flooding and mudlsides have caused "the worst natural disaster that we can remember," Columbia's president said Monday night. Three million Columbians have been badly affected by heavy rains since the middle of last year. More than 400 people have been killed by the recent bout of rains, flooding and mudslides. 88 have died in 2011 alone.  
     The adverse weather conditions, known as La Nina, have been classified as the strongest in history. La Nina is associated with colder-than-normal water temperatures in the Pacific Ocean, in contrast to El Nino, which refers to unusually warmer waters.

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/42760219/ns/world_news-americas/

Earthquake Jolts Kashmir

    A moderate 5.0 earthquake shook the Indian-controlled Kashmir and its adjoining areas Monday morning, forcing people to run out of their homes. The earthquake's epicenter was located in Pakistan. The earthquake was felt throughout Kashmir, but no damage has been reported. Geologists say Indian-controlled Kkashmir is located in a zone of high seismic activity.
     A high intensity 7.4 earthquake shook the Kashmir region on October 8, 2005, causing large scale destruction and killing over 80,000 people.

http://english.peopledaily.com.cn/90001/90777/90851/7361760.html

Quake Near the Pacific Ring of Fire

     A 6.9 magnitude earthquake struck near the Solomon Islands on Saturday afternoon. There were no reported damages or causalities as a result of the earthquake, but the USGS estimated that some 4,000 people near the epicenter may have felt very strong shaking that may result in moderate damage to infrastructure. Experts said there was no danger of a large tsunami as a result of the tremor.
     The Solomon Islands are on the so-called "pacific Ring of Fire." An arc of fault lines circling the Pacific Basin that is prone to frequent and large earthquakes. Volcanic eruptions also occur frequently in the region.

http://solomontimes.com/news.aspx?nwID=6075

April 26 Marks the 25th Anniversary of the Chernobyl Accident

   A bell tolled 25 times for the number of years that have passed since the Chernobyl disaster as teh world began marking the anniversary Tuesday of the worst nuclear accident in history. Tuesday's service began at 1:23 a.m., the time of the blast on April 26, 1986, that spewed a cloud of radioactive fallout over much of Europe and forced hundreds of thousands from their homes in the most heavily hit areas in Ukraine, Belarus and western Russia.
    The explosion released about 400 times more radiation than the U.S. atomic bomb dropped over Hiroshima. Hundreds of thousands were sickened and once-pristine forests and farmland still remain contaminated. The affects of Chernobyl can still be seen. Children from Chernobyl are unable to have children and many children born to affected people from the accident had mental and physical disabilities. The affects will carry on for many decades.

http://today.msnbc.msn.com/id/42750477/ns/world_news-europe/

Paducah Preparing for Catastrophic Flooding

    Experts at the National Weather Service say people in portions of the Local 6 area need to prepare for "catastrophic" flooding. Flash flooding will continue to impact even those who do not live in the normally flood prone areas. The high rainfall totals have set the stage for potentially catastrophic flooding considering the given forecast for more thunderstorms until Wednesday.
     All the rain could possibly be record breaking for Ohio River flood levels. The lower Ohio River will crest above the 1997 levels and current forecast crests will near or in some cases exceed the flood of record. People in Livingston County living near the Ohio River have been asked to evacuate their home by 10 a.m., Wednesday.

http://www.wpsdlocal6.com/news/local/Prepare-for-catastrophic-flooding-120582579.html

Tornado Swarm Kills More than 40 People

   Severe weather resulting in tornadoes swept the South killing more than 40 people over a three day period. More than 240 tornado reports flowed in between Thursday and Sunday. Several reports indicated EF-3
damage. North Carolina was hit the hardest. Other areas hit included Oklahoma, Alabama, Mississippi and Arkansas.
    A tornado is a violent, dangerous, rotating column of air that is in contact with both the surface of the earth and a cumulonimbus cloud or, in rare cases, the base of a cumulus cloud. Tornado season runs from March to early July. An average of 70 people are killed every year by tornadoes.

http://www.ibtimes.com/articles/135358/20110418/tornado-weather-storm-north-carolina-oklahoma-alabama-mississippi-arkansas.htm

Yellowstone Supervolcaon fed by Bigger Plume

   The underground volcanic plume at Yellowstone in the U.S. may be bigger than previously thought, according to a study by geologists. Researchers used seismic waves from earthquakes to build up an image of the hot spot beneath Yellowstone.
   The volcanic hot spot below Yellowstone feeds the hot springs, mud pots and geysers that bring millions of visitors to the U.S. national park each year. But the Yellowstone "super volcano" has erupted violently in the distant past and could do so again at some point. AN article will be published in Geophysical Research Letters journal later this year.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-13061779

6.7 Earthquake hits off Indonesia's Main Island

   A brief tsunami warning has been issued after a strong earthquake hit off of Indonesia's main island. The epicenter was centered about 200 miles off southern Java, just 15 miles beneath the ocean floor. Just after 90 minutes after the quake, the tsunami threat had passed and people, whom gathered in mosques on high ground, were told to return home.
   Indonesia is prone to seismic upheavel due to its location on the so-called, "Ring of Fire," an arc of volcanoes and fault lines encircling the Pacific Basin. A slightly smaller quake shook Fiji just hours later.

http://www.newser.com/story/115524/indonesia-earthquake-triggers-tsunami-warning.html

Japan Hit with 7.1 Tremor

    The 7.1 magnitude tremor triggered a brief tsunami warning and forced workers to evacuate the crippled Fukushima nuclear plant. The quake came as Japan said it was extending the evacuation zone around the nuclear plant because of radiation concerns.
    The plant's operator, Tepco, said power used to pump water to cool three damaged reactors had been cut briefly, but early indications suggested the plant had not sustained any further damage.
     The official death toll from the disaster is 13,130, while 13,718 remain unaccounted for. More than 150,000 people have been made homeless and many have lost their jobs.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-pacific-13032122

Japan Quake World's Costliest Natural Disaster

The Japanese government says the cost of this month's devastating earthquake and tsunami may reach $309 billion, making it the world's most costly natural disaster. The disaster even tops the vast damage that was caused by Hurricane Katrina. The insurance industry estimates Katrina caused around $125 billion worth of damage. The damage total could actually go higher because the government's estimate did not include the possible wider effects on the country's economy, such as reduced factory production caused by planned power outages, or the effect of nuclear radiation leaks in the nation's food and water supply. There has already been declared a shortage on the iPad 2. The effects on the US are still unknown.

http://www.voanews.com/english/news/asia/east-pacific/Japan-Quake-Is-Worlds-Costliest-Natural-Disaster-118504664.html

Kentucky Restaurant Floats Away

A seafood eatery aboard a barge broke from its moorings on the flood-swollen Ohio River, then drifted downriver during the dinner rush before the 83 patrons were rescued by firefighters using a gangplank of ladders and ropes. The patrons used cell phones to call for help when the restaurant floated 100 feet downstream. Fortunately, the power stayed on and prevented a panic. No one was hurt and everyone was safely rescued from the restaurant. The new destination for the restaurant is still unknown at the moment, but one thing is certain, it will not stay on the Ohio. The Ohio River has been flood-swollen the last couple of weeks due to the amount of rainfall in the area.

http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2011/03/12/national/main20042500.shtml

Tsunami from Japan Quake Hits California and Oregon

The tsunami, caused from the 8.9 earthquake in Japan, hit the West Coast this morning. The 6-to-8 foot waves crashed into the beaches and docks of California and Oregon.  The waves flooded beaches and harbors, splittering docks, crushing scores of boats and triggering evacuations of shoreline residents. One man was swept into the sea, when he was taking photographs with two friends at the mouth of the Klamath River. The two friends were able to swim to safety. A state of an emergency has been declared in the counties along the coast. No fatalities have been recorded and the estimated amount of damage is still unknown. The damages fluctuated with each area. A town in Oregon, the whole bay was destroyed, but in Ventura, Ca.; a man was able to go surfing.

http://www.latimes.com/news/local/la-me-japan-quake-tsunami-pacific-20110312,0,6166213.story?page=2

8.9 Earthquake hits Tokoyo, Japan

A whopping 8.9 earthquake hit Tokoyo, Japan last night. Hours after the quake happened,  fires still blazed and Tokoyo remained paraplyzed with phone and train service halted. The death toll is uncertain, but continues to rise. The earthquake, the fifth largest in recorded history, struck about 2:45 p.m. local time and lasted five minutes. The earthquake  triggered a tsunami that swept objects including ships, cars and homes. A ship with a crew of 50 people was reported missing. It is believed it was swept away during the tsunami. A "nuclear emergency" has been declared and nearly 3,000 people have been evacuated from the region surrounding the plant "Fukushima Daiichi" that lost power during the quake. It is feared that the reactors will melt down if power is not restored soon. The tsunami hit less than 15 minutes after the quake hit allowing little time for the people to evacuate and get to higher ground. The even t is being considered the worst event Japan has seen since World War II.

http://abcnews.go.com/International/japan-stunned-damage-earthquake-tsunami/story?id=13111113&page=3

Four Amish Children die in Flash Flood

February 26, 2011- Four Amish children died Thursday, when a family in a horse-drawn buggy were swept off the road due to a flash flood. Emanuel Wagler, who was steering the buggy, could not tell how deep the water was across the road since the sun had already set. Four out of seven children were thrown out of the buggy and drowned. The weather service had issued a flash flood warning, but the Amish family do not have electricity. The water levels have been high the last couple of weeks due to constant rain.

http://articles.sfgate.com/2011-02-26/news/28632738_1_amish-children-buggy-flash-flood

Earth-sized planets found in Habitable zone

NASA's Kepler mission has discovered its first Earth-sized planet in a habitable zone. Up to 54 new potential planets were found in the habitable zone. Five of the planets are the size of Earth, while the remaining 49 planets are larger than Earth, but smaller than Jupiter. Kepler also found six planets orbiting a sun-like star, Kepler-11.Scientists will conduct follow-up observations to verify they are actual planets. So far Kepler has identified 1,235 planets, of these, 68 are approximately Earth-size.

http://www.zamboangatoday.ph/index.php/inside-stories/3089-earth-sized-planet-candidates-found-in-habitable-zone-.html

Earthquake Swarm strikes near Mount St. Helens

A series of earthquakes, known as an earthquake swarm, struck at 10:35 a.m. on Monday a couple of miles north of the Mount St. Helens.The initial earthquake measured at a 4.3 magnitude and the aftershocks ranging between 1.0 and 2.8 in magnitude. At least 12 small earthquakes were registered in the area since teh first quake on Monday. According to the United States Geological Survey (USGS) swarms are especially common around volcanoes and are often reliable methods of predicting an eruption. The USGS will closely monitor Mount St. Helens in the upcoming weeks.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ac/20110216/sc_ac/7864744_usgs_watching_mount_st_helens_volcano_following_earthquake_swarm

Next big quake to be in Illinois??

Mian Liu, a geologist from the University of Missouri-Columbia, says his research of earthquakes in China could hold clues to the next big quake hitting in Illinois. Although this year marks the bicentennial of the New Madrid Earthquake of 1811, if Liu is correct the next bid quake will not happen in the New Madrid fault system.Using records dating back to 2,000 years ago, Liu discovered that the big earthquakes never have occurred twice in the same place. Liu believes the New Madrid fault earthquake of 1811 added stress to the Wabash valley Seismic fault system. That is where Liu predicts the next big quake. The last major earthquake to occur along the Wabash Seismic Zone was in April of 2008. The 5.2 earthquake was felt across the Tri-State. Researchers are now using GPS to test their theory.

 

http://www.courierpress.com/news/2011/feb/13/geologist-predicts-next-big-quake-spot/ 

700 killed in Brazil mudslide last week

More than 700 people have been killed in flash floods and mudslides last week that swept through the state of Rio de Janeiro. Rescue crews were slow arriving due to the poor weather conditions, leaving survivors to dig for dead family members. More than 14,000 are homeless in one of the worst natural disasters in Brazilian history. The World Bank pledged $485 million that will be used to rebuild the towns and set up a prevention plan for the future. The threat for more mudslides remain high as the average summer rainfall continues. The death toll is expected to rise as mud is slowly removed.

 

A dog keeps watch near his owner's grave

 http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/laplaza/2011/01/brazil-floods-victims-loyal-dog-rousseff-rescue-mudslides.html

Powerful Quake rocks Chile year after disaster

     An 7.0 magnitude earthquake struck the same region on Saturday, nearly a year after a massive temblor and tsunami killed 500 people and totaled $30 billion in damage. The strong quake was followed by several aftershocks with magnitudes of 5.9 and 6.1 in the same area. The epicenter occurred somewhere in the Pacific approximately 70 miles from the city of Concepcion. Some residents evacuated coastal areas as a precaution, but as of now, no causalities have been reported. In 2005, the same area was heavily damaged by an 8.8 magnitude earthquake and on February 27,2010, a tsunami.

http://www.google.com/hostednews/afp/article/ALeqM5g4_fbwhEaCUybi9z6TnuuWx08p8g?docId=CNG.54bce2dbf3391e980f0ec85d38e21e9f.c21

Cyclone Yasi Hits Australia

     A level 5 cyclone named Yasi hit the coast of Australia on Thursday, February 3. The cyclone hit weeks after Australia was hit with substantial flooding that killed 15 people. The people of Australia were forewarned of the massive storm heading their way. Many boarded windows and evacuated to rescue shelters before the storm hit. Although their is severe damage in areas it isn't as bad as what was expected. The storm carried winds over 190 mph. The complete damage is still unknown, because phone lines were cut during the storm. At least 180,000 homes are still without power. As of now, no one was killed in the storm, but two people are missing. The storm was equivalent to Hurricane Katrina that hit New Orleans in 2005.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-pacific-12173846

Mount Shinmore Erupts in Japan

     Mount Shinmore, located in Southwestern Japan, erupted last Thursday for the first time in 52 years! Plumes of smoke and ash were sent 3,000 meters into the air. This volcano wasn't done just yet. The volcano exploded once more on Friday afternoon sending smoke 1,000 meters up into the air and sending debris seven kilometers. A minor pyroclastic flow was spotted on the southwestern side of the volcano. No deaths have been reported, but flights have been canceled in surrounding areas due to possible ash build up on planes.

Interesting Fact: Mount Shinmore was the site of the massive underground rocket launch site in the 1967 James Bond movie, "You Only Live Twice."

http://www.necn.com/01/29/11/Major-eruptions-continue-at-Japans-Mount/landing.html?blockID=400176&feedID=4213

7.2 Earthquake Shakes Pakistan

A 7.2 earthquake hit Pakistan on Tuesday, January 18th. The earthquake hit a remote area and no damages have been reported at this time. The Pakistan and Afghanistan border has a history of being seismically active. The two countries are located near the subduction zones between the Eurasian and Indian plates. These plates are continuously colliding against each other.

http://www.examiner.com/natural-disasters-in-national/massive-magnitude-7-2-earthquake-strikes-pakistan-near-afghanistan-border