tagged w/ Storms
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CBS News Interactive: 2008 Storm Tracker
HOUSTON (CBS) ― As a gigantic Hurricane Ike steamed through the Gulf of Mexico toward the Texas coast, officials in America's fourth-largest city made a bold decision: Instead of fleeing, residents here would stare down the storm.
Homeowners should board up windows, clear the decks of furniture and stock up on drinking water and non-perishable food. But whatever they do, officials warned, residents should not flock to the roadways en masse, creating the same kind of gridlock that cost lives - and a little political capital - when Hurricane Rita threatened Houston in 2005.
"It will be, in candor, something that people will be scared of," Houston Mayor Bill White warned. "A number of people in this community have not experienced the magnitude of these winds."
The decision is a stark contrast to how emergency management officials responded to Hurricane Rita in 2005. As the storm closed in three years ago, the region implemented its plan: Evacuate the 2 million people in the coastal communities first, past the metropolis of Houston; once they were out of harm's way, Houston would follow in an orderly fashion.
But three days before landfall, Rita bloomed into a Category 5 and tracked toward the city. City and Harris County officials told Houstonians to hit the road, even while the population of Galveston Island was still clogging the freeways. It was a decision that proved tragic: 110 people died during the effort, making the evacuation more deadly than the eventual Category 4 storm, which killed nine.
With the lessons of that disaster, public officials were left with a vexing choice this time. Because Ike's path wasn't clear until just about 48 hours before the storm, officials didn't have a lot of time to make evacuation calls.
"Almost all of them are in a pretty tough spot," said Michael Lindell, a Texas A&M University urban planner and emergency management expert. "The problem is elected officials were not elected to be hurricane experts.
"It's staring into the barrel of a gun. It's a very challenging problem for them and there isn't any easy answer."
Ike was forecast to make landfall early Saturday southwest of Galveston, a barrier island and beach town about 50 miles southeast of downtown Houston and scene of the nation's deadliest hurricane, the great storm of 1900 that left at least 6,000 dead.
Though Houston didn't evacuate, low-lying communities predicted to be the bullseye of the storm did. People on the island were ordered evacuated Thursday, joining residents of at least nine zip codes in flood-prone areas of Harris County, in which Houston is located, along with hundreds of thousands of fellow Texans in counties up and down the coastline.
CBS News Interactive: 2008 Storm Tracker
HOUSTON (CBS) ― As a gigantic Hurricane... more
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People who are to be hit by Ike living in single family homes are strongly urged to leave thier home or face "certain death" if they feal they can survive Ike head on. Texans scramble to prepare as looming doom covers citizens and Americans alike as we wait for the storm to hit land.People who are to be hit by Ike living in single family homes are strongly urged to... more
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Very large Hurricane Ike continues to barrel toward a potentially devastating strike in Galveston and Houston, Texas. The damage could be on a level not seen since Hurricane Alicia tore a path of destruction through the cities in 1983.
The AccuWeather.com Hurricane Center reports that Ike should reach Category 3 strength as it moves northwest through the Gulf of Mexico.
Landfall is forecast early on Saturday between Freeport and Galveston, which puts Houston and surrounding Harris County on the dangerous east side of the storm.
Because of the expected intensity of the hurricane at landfall and the angle at which Ike will approach the upper Texas coast, a storm surge of up to 20 feet may occur in Galveston Bay with a storm surge of 12 to 16 feet expected on the immediate coast. Gulf water will be pushed into the confined area of Galveston Bay. Hence the higher storm surge.
The cloud shield from Hurricane Ike took up nearly half of the Gulf of Mexico Thursday, but as of the late afternoon hours Ike remained at Category 2 strength, with sustained winds of 100 mph. With hurricane force winds extending 115 miles from the center and tropical storm force winds out to 275 miles, Ike remains a massive hurricane and conditions along the Gulf Coast will deteriorate long before landfall late on Friday.
The wind field to the east of the eye, stretches roughly 550 miles from north to south. Outer bands of thunderstorms and gusty winds Thursday moved through the Mississippi Delta and New Orleans, spreading thunderstorms into areas that were hammered by Hurricane Gustav.
The potential for catastrophic damage is extremely high. According to Forecasting Manager Ken Reeves, "In contrast to the major hits in the Gulf over the past several years, including Katrina, Ike will not weaken significantly before landfall. As a result, the damage potential is exponentially higher."
Hurricane and tropical storm watches and warnings are in effect along the Gulf Coast from the Mississippi - Alabama border to south Texas, including New Orleans and Houston.
^^^^^
This storm is huge. If you haven't left, get out now, please.Very large Hurricane Ike continues to barrel toward a potentially devastating strike... more
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(CNN) -- Evacuations were ordered along the Texas coast Wednesday as forecasters predicted that Hurricane Ike could slam into the state as a Category 4 storm on Saturday.
Aransas County, on the eastern coast of Texas, has ordered a mandatory evacuation of all nonessential government employees, becoming the latest county in the state to urge residents to flee.
In Galveston, city officials ordered mandatory evacuations for part of the island town beginning at 7 a.m. Thursday. The rest of the town will be under a voluntary evacuation order. Only residents will be required to evacuate on the western end of the island.
Mayor Lyda Ann Thomas defended that, saying current models call for Galveston to be hit with winds and rain only equivalent to a Category 1 hurricane.
"We do not intend to evacuate Galveston Island," she said. "It's the last thing we want to do. Our job is to protect lives and property, [and] right now we feel that sheltering in place is the best action for our citizens to take."
Farther up the Gulf Coast and closer to where the National Hurricane Center predicts a direct hit, Brazoria County ordered a mandatory evacuation to begin at 8 a.m. Thursday. Some other Texas localities have ordered mandatory evacuations, while others have left the decision to depart up to residents.
Story continued at link...(CNN) -- Evacuations were ordered along the Texas coast Wednesday as forecasters... more
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Preparation continues as Hurricane Ike hits Cuba. Here's a snippet from the AP article:
"More than 770,000 Cubans evacuated to shelters or higher ground ahead of the Category 3 hurricane, which earlier raked the Bahamas and worsened floods in Haiti that have already killed at least 319 people.
"We are preparing for a strong hit," Cuban Vice President Carlos Lage told state television.
On Florida's Key West, tourists and residents alike were ordered to evacuate ahead of Ike's expected arrival Tuesday and a steady stream of traffic filled the highway from the island. Ike was forecast to make landfall later in the week between the Florida Panhandle and the Texas coast — with New Orleans once again in the crosshairs."
Haiti's death toll has already climbed to 600 as a result of Ike, I hope everyone is fully prepared and evacuated if necessary. Stay safe.Preparation continues as Hurricane Ike hits Cuba. Here's a snippet from the AP... more
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According to the Press association "Torrential rains which lashed the country over the weekend have eased off, but forecasters have warned of more floods to come. Clear skies are likely to be the calm before another storm."
Grrrrreat.According to the Press association "Torrential rains which lashed the country... more
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Haiti was reeling last night from a series of tropical storms which devastated crops and infrastructure and left bodies floating in flooded towns. Three storms in three weeks unleashed "catastrophe" and submerged much of the impoverished Caribbean nation, said President Rene Preval. A fourth storm, Ike, was gathering force in the Atlantic and could strike next week.
More than 120 people have died, thousands are homeless and agriculture and transport networks have been washed away, prompting calls for emergency international aid.
"There are a lot of people who have been on top of the roofs of their homes over 24 hours now," the interior minister, Paul Antoine Bien-Aime, told Reuters. "They have no water, no food and we can't even help them."
Haiti, vulnerable because of its flimsy dwellings and soil erosion, has been the worst affected by the tempests that have battered the Caribbean and US Gulf coast. Parts of Cuba have also been devastated, prompting Fidel Castro to compare the impact to a nuclear attack.
Tropical storm Fay started the crisis three weeks ago. Hurricane Gustav wreaked havoc last week by uprooting trees and triggering floods and mudslides that killed dozens.
Tropical storm Hanna struck on Tuesday with 65mph winds, killing at least 61 people and flooding the northern Haitian city of Gonaives with two metres of water. Corpses and the carcasses of donkeys and cows - flies swarming over them - bobbed down streets turned into rivers.
"I saw 10 bodies float in the flooded streets of the city," the police commissioner, Ernst Dorfeuille, told the local Radio Metropole.
Gonaives lies in a flat river plain between the ocean and deforested mountains that run with mud even in light rains.
With roads impassable and winds too strong for helicopters, UN peacekeepers reached the city on inflatable boats. They found hundreds of survivors clinging to rooftops, begging for water and food - women on balconies waved empty pots and spoons.
"I lost everything, even the baby's clothes," Jezula Preval, one of 1,500 people huddled in the a desolate shelter nicknamed the "Haiti Hilton", told the Associated Press. She gave birth to a healthy boy on Tuesday, after floodwaters swallowed her house.
Patients in a flooded hospital had crowded into an upper floor room. At the church about 100 people huddled on a balcony, waiting for the water to recede.
"There is no food, no water, no clothes," said the pastor, Arnaud Dumas. "I want to know what I'm supposed to do ... we haven't found anything to eat in two, three days. Nothing at all.
*CONTINUES*Haiti was reeling last night from a series of tropical storms which devastated crops... more
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Just as Hurricane Gustav was dissipating and three tropical storms were brewing in the Atlantic, forecasters predicted that September hurricane activity would be well above normal for the 2008 Atlantic hurricane season.
Five named storms should form this month, according to Colorado State University forecasters William Gray and Phil Klotzbach. That tally includes newly named tropical storm Josephine but not Hurricane Gustav or tropical storms Hannah and Ike, as they were named in August.
Of the five predicted storms, four are expected to become hurricanes, meaning they would have winds of at least 74 miles (119 kilometers) an hour. Two are forecast to become major hurricanes Category 3 or higher, with winds exceeding 110 miles (177 kilometers) an hour.
Low atmospheric pressure and warm seas encourage storms, and both are present now in the tropical Atlantic Basin which includes the Atlantic Ocean, the Caribbean Sea, and the Gulf of Mexico (map) according to Klotzbach.
"We have seen some of the lowest pressure readings on record in the tropical Atlantic during August," Klotzbach said in a statement. "Water temperatures in the tropical Atlantic remain at above-average values.
"A combination of these two factors typically leads to an active September."
Jeff Masters, director of the private weather forecasting service Weather Underground, said he agrees with the prediction of an active September.
"I don't see any letup over the next two weeks," Masters said. "There could be two to three active named storms all the time in the Atlantic for the next two weeks."
In April, Colorado State's Klotzbach and Gray had forecast a "well above average" 2008 Atlantic hurricane season. They pointed out in the new statement that June and July were also very active, spawning three named storms: Hurricane Bertha, Hurricane Dolly, and tropical storm Cristobal.
Including tropical storm Arthur, which formed in May, ahead of the official season, 10 of the 15 named storms forecast in April have already taken shape.
Hanna, Ike, and Josephine
As Hurricane Gustav wanes, forecasters along with U.S. residents from the eastern Carolinas to the Gulf Coast are warily watching tropical storms Hanna, Ike, and Josephine.
Just as Hurricane Gustav was dissipating and three tropical storms were brewing in the... more
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A new study finds that the strongest of hurricanes and typhoons have become even stronger over the last two and a half decades, adding grist to the contentious debate over whether global warming has already made storms more destructive.
I think we do see a climate signal here, said James B. Elsner, a professor of geography at Florida State University who is the lead author of the paper, being published in Thursday's issue of the journal Nature.
The study, which also found that more typical, less powerful tropical storms had not become stronger over the 26-year period studied, is consistent with other researchers; hurricane models, Dr. Elsner said.
With oceans expected to continue warming, “one would expect more 4s and 5s, he said of Category 4 and Category 5 hurricanes, those with maximum sustained winds of at least 131 miles per hour.
About 90 tropical cyclone storms form each year around the world. In the Atlantic, the stronger ones, with winds of at least 74 m.p.h., are hurricanes; the equivalents in the Pacific and Indian Oceans are typhoons. Ten named storms have formed in the Atlantic this hurricane season, which continues to the end of November.
Heat from the warming oceans will provide more energy to spin up hurricanes and typhoons, but the changing climate could also heighten conditions like wind shear; winds blowing at different speeds and different directions at different altitudes; that tend to tear a storm apart.
Because of these environmental factors, most storms fall far short of their maximum possible intensity. But Dr. Elsner, along with Thomas H. Jagger, a postdoctoral researcher at Florida State, and James P. Kossin, a research scientist at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, reasoned that warmer waters increased the possible intensity and that storms that develop in ideal conditions might have become stronger.
Having examined satellite data from 1981 through 2006, a period in which sea surface temperature rose to 83.3 degrees Fahrenheit from 82.8 degrees, they concluded that the highest wind speeds of the strongest storms averaged 156 m.p.h. in 2006, up from 140 m.p.h. hour in 1981. The increases in cyclone intensity were greatest in the Atlantic and Indian Oceans.
Because the data came from one set of satellites, the scientists avoided some of the calibration difficulties that had troubled earlier studies.
This study offers definitive evidence that there are more of the very strongest hurricanes around the world, even though the total number of storms globally shows hardly any trend, said Kerry A. Emanuel, a professor of atmospheric science at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, who suggested in 2005 that global warming had already intensified cyclones.
A new study finds that the strongest of hurricanes and typhoons have become even... more
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Haiti faces a "catastrophe" after being hit by a series of storms in recent weeks, President Rene Preval has said.
Three storms in less than 21 days have killed 170 people and forced thousands to flee their homes in the Caribbean nation, officials say.
The latest, Tropical Storm Hanna, could prove even more deadly than one that killed more than 3,000 people in 2004, Mr Preval warned.
Haiti faces a "catastrophe" after being hit by a series of storms in recent... more
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Richmond and the Vancouver International Airport are at risk of being washed out as a result of rising sea levels, flooding and more frequent storm patterns, a climate researcher says.
Richmond and the Vancouver International Airport are at risk of being washed out as a... more
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MIAMI (CBS4) ― Tropical Storm Hanna continues to blast the Bahamas, Turks and Caicos and Haiti with gusty wind and torrential rain.
At 2 p.m., the center of Hanna was located about 420 miles southeast of Nassau; at latitude 20.6 north, longitude 72.9 west.
Hanna has drifted to the west-southwest for much of Tuesday. The storm is expected to begin moving to the northwest Tuesday night or Wednesday. On this track it will move over the southeastern Bahamas Tuesday evening and central Bahamas on Wednesday.
Hanna grew into a hurricane Monday but was downgraded Tuesday morning.
Maximum sustained winds have decreased to 70 mph with higher gusts. Hanna could regain hurricane strength Wednesday or Thursday.
Hanna's path is uncertain. One forecaster at the National Hurricane Center says "it could hit anywhere from Miami to the Outer Banks of North Carolina."
A hurricane warning remains in effect for the central and southeastern Bahamas and the Turks and Caicos Islands. A tropical storm warning is in effect for the northern coast of Haiti from Le Mole St. Nichoas to the northern border with the Dominican Republic.
Hanna is expected to produce 4 to 8 inches of rain over the southeastern Bahamas, the Turks and Caicos and eastern Cuba; some isolated areas could receive up to 12 inches. Rainfall of 6 to 10 inches is possible over the Dominican Republic and Haiti which could cause life threatening mud slides and flash floods. Swells from Hanna are expected to increase the risk of dangerous rip currents along portions of the Southeast coast over the next couple of days.
NASA has delayed the move of the space shuttle Atlantis from an assembly building at Florida's Kennedy Space Center to the launch pad by at least one day. The move had been scheduled for Tuesday in preparation for an October mission to the Hubble Space Telescope.
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TS Ike Strengthens In Central Atlantic
MIAMI (CBS4) ― The ninth named storm of the Atlantic hurricane season, Tropical Storm Ike, has strengthened a little over the central Atlantic.
At 11:00 a.m. the center of Tropical Storm Ike was located about 1,110 miles east of the Leeward Islands, near latitude 18.9 North and longitude 45.0 West. The storm is headed west at 18 mph, with maximum sustained winds near 60 mph with higher gusts. This general motion is expected to continue during the next two days.
Some strengthening is forecast in the next few days. Some models show the storm becoming a hurricane on Wednesday.
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Tropical Storm Josephine Forms Off Africa
MIAMI (CBS4) ― Along with Tropical Storms Hanna and Ike, South Florida now has to keep an eye on Tropical Storm Josephine.
The tenth Tropical Depression of this year's hurricane season has formed into Josephine in the far eastern Atlantic.
At 11 a.m., the center of Josephine was about 120 miles south-southwest of the southernmost Cape Verde Islands; latitude 13.2 north, longitude 25.3 west. The system is moving to the west near 15 mph and is expected to track to the west and northwest over the next several days. On this forecast track the center of TD 10 will remain south of the Cape Verde Islands and pass them Tuesday night.
The system's maximum sustained winds are near 40 mph and some strengthening is expected in the next 24 hours.
The next update on Tropical Storm Josephine will be at 5 p.m.
MIAMI (CBS4) ― Tropical Storm Hanna continues to blast the Bahamas, Turks and... more
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Ashland, Wisconsin residents Alissa Weitz, 26, and Brian Castillo, 23, will soon be completing their 1,300 mile journey around Lake Superior.
They are a couple in love with Lake Superior and each other - on a modern day lover's adventure.
They arrived in Marquette in late July and spent Lake Superior Day hiking with friends and swimming including jumping off the tall cliffs at the city’s “black rocks.”
A big part of their quest is educating the public about the environmental value of Lake Superior.
Averaging 25 miles a day - with their longest day over 40 miles.
They encountered water temperatures as low as 38 degrees, fog outside of Marquette, rough waves outside of Houghton, Michigan that prevent them from rounding the tip of the Keweenaw Peninsula - and instead cut through the Keweenaw Waterway.
They left Ashland, Wisconsin on July 1 and hope to complete their two-month journey around the first week of September.
Weitz is a native of Dubuque, IA & Castillo is a native of Madison, WI.
Graduates of the Northland College outdoor education program in Ashland, Wisconsin, the couple were competitors working for different kayak guiding companies when they met two years ago and fell in love.
They are documenting their adventure at:
http://www.sessiononsuperior.blogspot.com
Thanks to Down Wind Sports in Marquette, Brian picked up a new kayak due to problems with the one used during the first part of the trek. Sea Kayak Specialists of Marquette provided tools and space to repair their equipment.
This video was made in cooperation with the Cedar Tree Institute, Earth Keeper Initiative, Earth Healing Initiative and Turtle Island Project, all northern Michigan non-profits protecting Lake Superior.
Special thanks to the Lake Superior Binational Forum for helping make this video possible.
News coverage of Alissa, Brian:
Marquette:
http://www.miningjournal.net
http://www.miningjournal.net/page/content.detail/id/513083.html
BlogsMonroe:
http://www.blogsmonroe.com/expatriate/2008/07/25/pair-attempts-to-circle-lake-superior-in-kayaks
Ashland paper:
Marquette Photo:
http://www.ashlandwi.com/articles/2008/07/24/news/doc4888981f7b087681234763.txt
Story prior to trip:
http://www.ashlandwi.com/articles/2008/07/02/news/doc486b8dfe3df63322933742.txt
WX Channnel:
http://uservideo.weather.com:80/item/GY56YQ4K0TH0B3CS
Lake Superior Binational Forum
Lissa Radke, LSFB US Coordinator
715-682-1489
http://www.superiorforum.info
Northland College in Ashland, WI:
http://www.northland.edu/Northland
Clean Wisconsin:
http://cleanwisconsin.org
Down Wind Sports:
http://www.downwindsports.com/index.html
http://www.downwindsports.com/about.html
http://www.downwindsports.com/paddling.html
Owners: Bill Thompson, Todd King, Jeff Stasser and Arni Ronis
Marquette: 906-226-7112
514 N. Third Street
Marquette, MI
49855
Houghton: 906-482-2500
308 Shelden Ave.
Houghton, MI
49931
Sea Kayak Specialists:
http://www.seakayakspecialists.com
http://www.seakayakspecialists.com/html/about_sks.html
http://www.seakayakspecialists.com/html/contact_us.html
Sea Kayak Specialists
PO Box 94
Marquette, MI
49855
Sam Crowley
http://www.glsks.org/sam_crowleypage.htm
Nancy Uschold
906-250-4238
Other links:
http://caskaorg.typepad.com/caska/2008/07/superior-sessio.html
UM Sea Grant
http://www.seagrant.umn.edu
http://www.seagrant.umn.edu/ais/fieldguide
EcoSuperior Enviro:
http://www.ecosuperior.com
Environment Canada:
http://www.ec.gc.ca
Turtle Island Project official website:
http://www.turtleislandproject.org
Earth Healing Initiative:
http://www.EarthHealingInitiative.org
Cedar Tree Institute: Michigan Earth Keepers, Manoomin Project & 2008 Zaagkii Wings & Seeds project
http://www.cedartreeinstitute.org
Earth Keeper TV
http://www.youtube.com/yoopernewsman
Turtle Island TV (youtube)
http://www.youtube.com/MunisingWhiteHorse
Earth Healing TV
http://www.youtube.com/user/EarthHealingTV
Ashland, Wisconsin residents Alissa Weitz, 26, and Brian Castillo, 23, will soon be... more
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Hurricane Gustav pushed closer toward Haiti's southern coast Tuesday, as the National Hurricane Center said it expected the storm to reach Category 2 status by day's end.
The forecasters warned that Gustav, now a Category 1 hurricane with winds nearing 90 mph (145 kph) and higher gusts, could become stronger before reaching land later Tuesday.
The storm is expected to weaken slightly as it moves over Haiti, the hurricane center said, but it warned that the storm would restrengthen before approaching eastern Cuba on Wednesday.
Earlier, the center said the storm could become a Category 2 hurricane before reaching Haiti on Tuesday. iReport.com: See images of flooding in Dominican Republic
Category 2 hurricanes have sustained winds up to 110 mph, and storm surges are generally 6 to 8 feet above normal.
Gustav may become a "major hurricane," or a storm that has reached at least Category 3 status, over the next few days, forecasters said.Hurricane Gustav pushed closer toward Haiti's southern coast Tuesday, as the... more
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I thought this video was pretty amazing but the guy is said to be in critical condition.
I thought this video was pretty amazing but the guy is said to be in critical... more
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A striking report from the front lines of science suggests we're officially entering a period in which humanity may simply outrun history itself.
Way too long to post here...Click the link to readA striking report from the front lines of science suggests we're officially... more
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At least 100 people have been killed in deadly floods and landslides triggered by a tropical storm which lashed northern Vietnam over the weekend.
Dozens more are still missing and disaster officials expect the toll to rise as rescue workers reach isolated areas two days after Kammuri slammed into the nine provinces.
On Sunday the Storm and Flood Prevention Centre said rescue work was hampered by inaccessibility to the affected areas because roads were either submerged or completely washed away.
The incident has been described as the biggest natural disaster to hit the country this year.
Vietnam's National Meteorology Centre has forecast more severe flash floods and landslides in several northern mountainous provinces including Lao Cai, Yen Bai
and Phu Tho.
Lao Cai, bordering China was the most seriously hit area with more than three dozen killed by landslides and flash floods, provincial officials said.
"This is the deadliest natural disaster to hit Lao Cai in 20 years," said Thao A Tua, a villager in that province.
Phao Duan Seo, a villager in Tung Chi, said the floods swept everything away houses, belongings "and most of my family members".
"My son and I survived, but I have nothing now."
At least 100 people have been killed in deadly floods and landslides triggered by a... more
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Three tornadoes, one with winds up to 135 mph., were confirmed from last night's Midwest storm that raged from Chicago to Indiana, toppling trees, lighting fires and blowing rooftops off as it went. At least one death is blamed on last night’s storm after a tree fell on an Indiana man's car, CBS News 2 said. Fourteen fires, loss of power to 248 blocks, more than a dozen flooded viaducts and 2,000 emergencies related to downed tree branches were confirmed, the Chicago Tribune said. More than 350 flights were canceled Monday night at O’Hare International Airport, NBC5 said. Wrigley Field evacuated after first being paused for delay and then canceled.
Last night was the end of my Midwest vacation, and I was happy to be heading back to the San Francisco Bay Area, flying out of O’Hare Airport in Chicago, IL. Right before we were supposed to board our flight, it started raining hard outside and before long we realized we were in the middle of a huge storm. I took the above picture from the waiting area in front of our United flight. We were delayed 4 hours and even then had one of the most turbulent plane rides I had ever been on.
After I woke up this morning I checked the internet for information about the storm and found out it was even worse than I thought it was. Here are some links with information about this storm.
Chicago Tribune report
This link provides information about the storm, as well as user submitted pictures and videos of storm damages and lighting.
http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/local/chi-chicago-weather-webaug06,0,3572630.story
NBC report
Talks about tornadoes, fires caused by lighting, and airline delays at O’Hare
http://www.nbc5.com/weather/17102554/detail.html
CBS News 2 report
http://www.kgan.com/template/inews_wire/wires.national/37535df8www.kgan.com.shtml
Has information on death in Indiana
Some YouTube Videos
The AP report:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KkzZ8LFg_Z4
This video shows some sweet lightning shots:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xMQ2grfv8gY
This video has funny music, but also a map of the storm:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2TqjyrqHyaw&watch_response
What are some other peoples experiences in this storm?Three tornadoes, one with winds up to 135 mph., were confirmed from last night's... more
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With winds that rip apart buildings and can produce more power than a nuclear bomb, it would seem humans can do little against the devastating force of a hurricane.
The United States government, however, has other ideas and is now attempting to pit some of the world's best minds against these indomitable forces of nature, the Telegraph reports.
Critics say attempts to tinker with such powerful weather systems could have unintended consequences for the climate
The Department of Homeland Security has asked scientists to draw up new plans on how hurricanes and other tropical storms can be weakened before they hit land.
Three years after Hurricane Katrina caused more than $50bn of damage and killed 1,800 people when it blasted through New Orleans, American government officials have asked for a new programme into hurricane modification.
Scientists believe they can weaken the strength of tropical storms and steer them off course using a range of methods that include spraying fine particles into hurricanes or cooling the sea water in areas where they form.
But attempts to tinker with such powerful weather systems will alarm critics who believe modifying hurricanes could have unintended consequences to the climate, and could leave governments open to lawsuits if they fail to prevent storms with the new technology.
William Laska, programme manager of science and technology at the Department of Homeland Security, said it was essential if future loss of life and destruction was to be avoided.
He said: "We do not want to stop hurricanes completely as this could cause other unintended consequences. Hurricanes are part of the world's natural balance and provide a vital source of rainfall for many areas.
"But if we can decrease the intensity of a hurricane from a level five to a level four, then the amount of damage can be dramatically reduced."
The project has been given an estimated price tag of around $64m (£32m) over six years. Scientists will first conduct tests using models and small scale experiments before the most promising idea is developed for large scale testing.
Among the plans is a scheme to seed hurricanes with microscopic particles of salt that have been released into a storm from an aircraft. Research has shown that such seeding can cause hurricanes to dump large quantities of rain over the sea before it reaches land. The rainfall also carries away the heat that powers the hurricane, weakening it.
Other schemes aim to weaken or prevent hurricanes by cooling the sea temperature.
Other scientists have suggested using thousands of floating buoys in the ocean, which would harness wave power to pump warm surface water down and draw cold water from 650 feet below the surface to the top, or spreading a thin film of oil on the surface of the ocean in front of developing storms. This, scienctists believe, would reduce evaporation from the sea's surface and decrease the amount of heat drawn from the sea by the hurricane.
What do you think? Should we just leave this devastating and powerful act of nature to its own devices? Is this a fairly typical 'we're more powerful even than nature!'-type approach from the US government, or a genuinely helpful attempt to protect it's people?
With winds that rip apart buildings and can produce more power than a nuclear bomb, it... more
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(Marquette, Michigan) - It’s a 1,300 mile, two month odyssey - kayaking around the always beautiful and sometimes treacherous Lake Superior
Ashland, Wisconsin residents Alissa Weitz and Brian Castillo are promoting the protection of Lake Superior - the world’s largest freshwater lake.
The twenty somethings departed Bayfield, Wisconsin on July 1 and hope to complete their journey by September.
The kayaking duo left Marquette, Michigan on Tuesday afternoon, July 22, 2008 to continue their journey.
They arrived in Marquette for Lake Superior Day 2008 - this year that was July 20 2008.
Lake Superior Day is sponsored by the Lake Superior Bi-national Forum and is held annually on the third Sunday of July.
Alissa and Brian spent Lake Superior Day hiking with friends and swimming including jumping off the tall cliffs at the city's "black rocks."
A big part of their quest is educating the public about protecting Lake Superior and why the largest of the Great Lakes is so important..
The trek takes them through the Canada and the United States including Michigan, Minnesota and Wisconsin. Averaging 25 miles a day - with their longest day was about 40 miles.
They encountered water temperatures as low as 38 degrees, fog outside of Marquette, rough waves outside of Houghton, Michigan that prevent them from rounding the tip of the Keweenaw Peninsula - and instead cut through the Keweenaw Waterway.
Thanks to Down Wind Sports in Marquette, Brian picked up a new kayak because of problems with the one used during the first part of their trek.
Weitz is a native of Dubuque, Iowa and Castillo is a native of Madison, Wisconsin.
Alissa is 26 years old and Brian is 23 years old.
Graduates of the Northland College outdoor education program in Ashland, Wisconsin, the couple were competitors working for different kayak guiding companies when they met two years ago and fell in love.
The Kayaker's (Alissa Weitz, Brian Castillo) "Session on Superior" blog about trip around the lake:
http://www.sessiononsuperior.blogspot.com
This video was made in cooperation with the Cedar Tree Institute, the Earth Keeper Initiative, the Earth Healing Initiative and the Turtle Island Project – all northern Michigan-based non-profits seeking to protect Lake Superior.
And special thanks to the Lake Superior Binational Forum for helping make this video possible..
Greg Peterson for Earth Keeper, Earth Healing and Turtle Island TV
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News coverage of Alissa, Brian:
Marquette paper:
http://www.miningjournal.net/page/content.detail/id/513083.html
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Ashland paper:
Marquette Photo:
http://www.ashlandwi.com/articles/2008/07/24/news/doc4888981f7b087681234763.txt
Story prior to trip:
http://www.ashlandwi.com/articles/2008/07/02/news/doc486b8dfe3df63322933742.txt
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WX Channnel:
http://uservideo.weather.com:80/item/GY56YQ4K0TH0B3CS
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Lake Superior Binational Forum
Lissa Radke, LSFB US Coordinator
715-682-1489
http://www.superiorforum.info
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Northland College in Ashland, WI:
http://www.northland.edu/Northland
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Down Wind Sports:
http://www.downwindsports.com/index.html
Owners: Bill Thompson, Todd King, Jeff Stasser and Arni Ronis
Marquette: 906-226-7112
Houghton: 906-482-2500
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Sea Kayak Specialists:
http://www.seakayakspecialists.com
Sam Crowley, Nancy Uschold
906-250-4238
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EcoSuperior Enviro:
http://www.ecosuperior.com
Environment Canada:
http://www.ec.gc.ca
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Video made in cooperation with:
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Turtle Island Project official website:
http://www.turtleislandproject.org
Earth Healing Initiative official website:
http://www.EarthHealingInitiative.org
Cedar Tree Institute: (Michigan Earth Keepers, Manoomin Project and the 2008 Zaagkii Wings & Seeds project)
http://www.cedartreeinstitute.org
Earth Keeper TV
http://www.youtube.com/yoopernewsman
Turtle Island TV (youtube)
http://www.youtube.com/MunisingWhiteHorse
Earth Healing TV
http://www.youtube.com/user/EarthHealingTV(Marquette, Michigan) - It’s a 1,300 mile, two month odyssey - kayaking around... more
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