Scientists may have a home remedy for preventing hurricanes

Scientists have developed a method they say could reduce the severity of many hurricanes brewing up in our worlds oceans. Seeding clouds with various chemicals or natural solutions has been around for many years. Most have heard of it because it's been under the radar, however things like this indirectly affect our lives. China for instance used this technique in order to lure clouds and rainy weather away from the 2008 Olympics in Beijing. Researchers such as John Latham of the University Corporation for Atmospheric Research in Boulder, CO are adapting this same seeding technique for use on hurricanes. The idea is to inject marine clouds with tiny sea-spray particles by the equator. This would increase the clouds reflectivity and the suns rays would bounce right back off of them. This would ultimately and in theory cool the earth by limiting the amount of solar rays coming to earth. From a hurricane perspective this would cool ocean temperatures which are the main source of energy for churning hurricanes. This idea is also elaborated on with regard to Global Warming. Scientists argue that it would slow the pace of global warming and allow for regions such as the poles to maintain their current ice content...This idea may be a little far fetched but it is something to think about when politics are involved with the governments. My biggest question is how is it the United States right to pump things into our atmosphere in order to change mother nature?

To gain further understanding of this topic I encourage you to visit this articles source at
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/45676775/ns/technology_and_science-science/

Icelandic Volcano Starts to Show Activity

Katla Volcano

An Icelandic volcano named Katla is starting to be detected by seismic graphs throughout Iceland. Over 500 tremors have been reported within the last month. The last major eruption that Katla experienced was in 1918. Based on historical data this volcano tends to erupt approximately every 40-80 years. Although experts say they don't know exactly when it will erupt they are sure of the impact it could have on the rest of the world. This volcano has a crater 6.2 miles wide and if it does erupt it would be the largest eruption that Iceland has ever seen. With the eruption comes the melting of millions of tons of water into the Atlantic Ocean. Not only would it raise ocean levels but the amount of smog and dust it could create will dwarf that of what occurred earlier this year with Iceland's Eyjafjallajökull volcano blocking European Airways.

Photo source:
http://www.flutrackers.com/forum/showthread.php?p=357553
Source: http://www.news.com.au/world/katla-volcano-threatens-eruption-capable-of-disrupting-air-traffic/story-e6frfkyi-1226212906913

Winds in California Continue

I like this article because it gets into disaster relief and how much certain states are allowed. States that contribute to the economy more are allowed more disaster relief in order to rebuild what they supposedly have going. A place such as Florida or Georgia barely get aid when even a hurricane comes and whips out their cities. But California with it's economic prestige is applying and most likely will get disaster aid. This also comes with the event in which causes the disaster. Here we have a high wind situation that knocked out power to millions of people and caused millions in damage. At the end of the article the interviewed people and asked what they were doing as a result of the damage. Many reported their so bored they go to bed at 6:30pm. REALLY. I guess California needs to be without power for much longer in order to re-instate some sanity. Quote from the article "many are just bored without their computers and TVs." Great, instead of giving aid to people who truly need it, now it's going towards putting the power back on in California.

Source: http://usnews.msnbc.msn.com/_news/2011/12/06/9252329-calif-officials-seek-disaster-declaration-as-winds-continue

Atlantic hurricane season ending with high count.

This years hurricane season tallied 19 tropical storms which is well above the average of 11. Marking this year into the record books it is now the third highest total, tied with 1887, 1995, and 2010. The only hurricane to make landfall however was Hurricane Irene. Amoung the potential threats only 7 of the storms became hurricanes and only three were of category 3 or higher. NOAA reports that although the storms were large it is not only the storm that can create chaos. Flooding is the major cause of over half of the fatalities related to Tropical Storms.

Source: http://usnews.msnbc.msn.com/_news/2011/11/28/9071500-atlantic-hurricane-season-ending-with-high-count

Landslide Susceptability throughout the United States

Above is a portion of the Appalachian Mountains in the Eastern United States. Due to steep slopes, and multitudes of fluvial erosion these slopes on the northwestern side have a large susceptibility to landslides.

Taking a look at the opposite coast along California they have similar issues when it comes to weathering agents, promoting slope failure.

Another for the Rocky Mountains, near Colorado. The large nature of these maps don't mix well with a blogger account. They appear blurry and highly distorted.

US gives $10 milllion dollars to Thai flood relief

Secretary of State Hillary Clinton announed that the US will help Thailand in the damage that is a result of ongoing flooding. The floods have been occuring since late July and are expected to dry up in two weeks. These floods have already caused 564 deaths throughout Thailand and affected over 64 million people. Clintons plan is to help bring back "solidarity" to their nation. On top of the money required to help in this effort the US is also bringing in their military to help in civil assistance. Some of the goals of the United States effort include opening their airport, restoring cultural sites, providing medical attention, and opening dry roads. Clinton informs their leader Yingluck Shinawatra  "during the past century we have stood by each other in times of challenge and we are proud to stand by you now in this time of challenge, as you contend with the worst floods in your nations history."

Source: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/45325071/ns/world_news-asia_pacific/

Deathly storm hits the Southeast

This article highlights a storm that made it's way though Louisiana, Mississippi, and Alabama today. It caused widespread damage including homes and buildings. Winds got to be strong enough that although not officially reported, tornado's were spited through the three states. Many people were injured and there was even one death. What confuses me about this article is that it only gets to the situation at hand for a quarter of the article. It then dives into a story that occurred back in April when 250 people died and damage was even more severe. Yes, it is interesting that this storm occurred but it is neither the time nor the place to bring up tragedies of the past. If your going to write an article about a current storm, keep it to the storm at hand.

Source: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/45326461/ns/weather/

Flooding in Northwest Italy Kill 6 People



Streets in Genoa, Italy have been littered with trash due to flooding

Intense rains have had devastating effects in Genoa, Italy as the rains quickly turned into flash floods rushing into low lying areas. The floods came with almost no notice and citizens reported seeing cars float by them as well as the corpses of subsequent victims. Premier Silvio Berlusconi alluded to the fact that much of the area's in this problem was due to "improper construction in floods plains." This engineering problem resulted in the loss of 6 people and two missing. Although they admitted their fault, the local government of Genoa are looking for ways to correct the problem for the future.



Source: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/45165468/ns/weather/

Decline in Environmental Disaser Reporting

I've noticed within the past week or two there has either been a slight decline in environmental disasters or mainstream news is focusing on other things such as the Wall Street protests and other countries movements as well. This gets into the point that was talked about in class as to weather there are more disasters occurring or are news stations within a period where they don't need to report on the disasters cause they have "better" stories to keep people occupied with.

Premature Snow Storm Does Damage Along The East

A snow storm according to many to be the earliest they have ever seen dropped 30 inches of snow along the Northeast coast from Maryland to Maine. It caused damage including snapped trees, powerlines, and electrical failure to millions of homes. This incident although not clearly stated could be a minor freakout that the East tends to go through when it snows an abnormal amount. People were said to be struggling to get gas and crews were being brought in from Michigan and Canada...Although this storm created the largest amount of power outages per home than any previous records. The damage is also linked to the wet heavy characteristics that the snow exhibited. If you want to see video on the situation you may find a link on the video's page.

Source: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/45100861/ns/weather/

New Zealand Cargo Ship

The Rena slowly taking on water and keeling over.

A cargo ship named The Rena has struck a reef of the coast of New Zealand which caused huge cracks in the hull and is taking on water by the day. The oil used to power the ship is what the current concern is. Over 350 tons of fuel oil have already been spewed into the sea killing thousands of sea birds. The oil will continue to leak without contraint due to the bad weather that is recently been plaguing the area. The Bay of Plenty is popular for its long sandy beaches but with oil now making its way to shore the damage is becoming more widespread.

Dust Storm In Texas

70 mph winds ripped through Lubbock, Texas Monday making visibility almost zero. Texas has been undergoing huge droughts this season which can lead to dust storms such as this. Citizens of Lubbock described the storm as an "8,000 foot high rolling dust cloud." Attached to the article here, is amazing footage of the could making it's way into town. Situations like this have huge health concerns because inhaling dust in large quantities can be deadly. Storms like this go to show the domino effect that droughts can cause.

Source: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/44939529/ns/weather/

Hurricane Jova is about to make Landfall

Hurricane Jova has built to a category 3 hurricane as it swirls off the Pacific Coast of Mexico on Monday. Already with 125 mph winds Jova seems to be growing as it heads towards Barra de Navidad. It is expected to make landfall on Tuesday at the same time it's expected to reach a category 4 storm. To prepare for the hit local hotels and buisness owners are boarding up windows, and cleaning water channels to prepare for the onslaught of water. It's good that they can brace for a storm like this although the nearby hills help protect the port in town. It's about 50/50 as far as locals say. Some are stocking up with supplies while others watch the beast with a beer in hand. The tourists think differently however, and most have checked out of their hotels. The local government has already established areas for citizens to go if they choose. Ballrooms, basements, and schools are all set for shelters in case the storm gets ugly.

Floods in Thailand Ruin Ancient City

Flooding at a World Heritage Site in Thailand

Floods in Thailand continue after starting back in mid-July. The floods have already took the lives of 224 people with the number growing by the day. The ancient city of Ayutthaya is about 400 years old and considered a World Heritage Site. This is just one of 500 temples that are being affected by the on going flooding in this region. If you look at this in the paradigm aspect of engineering you can take into account that these structures although built fairly strong to have survived over 400 years. This is a prime example of an in-tangible loss because they have historical meaning and can no longer be rebuilt with the same thought in mind.  The temples may be strong but the surrounding homes that seem to be made of shanty material are some of the most susceptible buildings to flooding. Not only do they allow water to consume the house they are not built to withstand this onslaught of water. The behavioral paradigm would go about this flooding event in saying that people shouldn't build on a low lying landscape. However, this area is very poor so most of the citizens in the town are forced to live in the more susceptible areas. The development approach gets into what can be done following an event such as this in order to enhance mitigation efforts. In a case such as flooding along the Chao Phraya, once the flood waters reside they may want to look into building higher embankments to prevent future floods of this magnitude. They may also want to look into the clean up of this area afterwards. Since the water is very stagnant it has the potential to foster disease. During or even directly afterwards setting up a hospital or shelter that gives medical attention would quickly decrease the amount of casualties afterwards. Summing this all up in the complexity approach you can quickly see why area's like this tend to take flooding in a more damaging way. If your in an impoverished area you don't have the funding to create higher embankments or flood gates. You also don't have sufficient jobs that would allow the citizens to build better homes or homes in other places. Without proper buildings or location of certain buildings (i.e. hospitals) the area is going to be at a much higher risk for casualties not only during the incident but following the disaster as well.


Information found at: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/44772469/ns/weather/

Massive Chemical Fire Rages in Dallas, Texas

A fire broke out today in a large chemical plant called Magnablend Inc located in Waxahachie, Texas. Residents that lived around the plant were ordered to evacuate due to the toxic compounds that may be in the air. On top of residents the local college and elementary schools were also evacuated. Although they don't currently know what caused the fire to break out, all the employee's had a chance to get out before the fire started to consume the entire building. Due to the chemical nature of the fire the ground crews were trying to contain it with little success. It quickly spread to the parking lot and lit a firetruck on fire as well. The gases in this blaze are what to worry about not only will the fumes become mixed with the air but the explosions and fire will launch volatiles into the air leaving citizens susceptible to skin exposure. The state of Texas is expected to bring in an air-monitoring system to gauge how bad the air quality is, in case further evacuations have to occur. An event like this is out of the norm of environmental hazards but the consequences can often be catastrophic. It would be interesting to see how not only the air quality but water quality will be affected by an incident like this. See the following link for a live video account of the situation.

Typhoon in the Phillipines

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On top of torrential rain Typhoon Nesat hit shore near Manila on Tuesday creating widespread damage. It was raining at a rate of one inch per hour which is relatively little when compared to the 2009 storm that struck here years earlier. The storm surge was the main cause of flooding when it released a wave higher than palm tree's over the protective sea walls. The shanty housing in the area was at severe risk and many people watched as their homes were washed away. The recent heavy rains within the area were already saturated which didn't allow water to soak, instead it spilled out on to the streets adding to the massiving flooding. On top of rain the winds knocked over cars, billboards, and bent signs in half with a wind speed of 75-93 mph. Typhoon Nesat has already taken 16 lives but it's expected to grow as the waters take to the seas and open up the landscape for rescue efforts.

Flooding in India causes dozens of deaths

Monsoon rains have been tearing across Northeastern India causing widespread damage. In Lucknow, India the rains collapsed mud huts killing 48 people as of now. With such low income housing this area is at severe risk to damage. People were actually taking refuge in trees and hills. On top of minimal structural integrity there was also surging floodwaters that wipped out homes and in the midst killed an additional 17 people. Although there is widespread evacuations the heavy rains and flooding roads are making rescue efforts extremely difficult. It's sad to say this is expected to go on for another two days which by the end should allow rescue crews to bring in aid and medical attention.

Source:
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052970204831304576594351907511250.html

1.3 Million Evacuate In Preparation for Typhoon

Flooding due to immense rains as a Typoon looms on Nagoya

A typhoon which is the Pacific Ocean's version of a Hurricane in the Atlantic is about to strike Japan in the following days is already taking it's toll on Kyoto. Floods are the result of horrific rains that is forcing evacuations in the area. 1.3 Million people are encouraged to evacuate their town of Kyoto while another 80,000 people have already evacuated in the town of Moriyama. Those are just the major evacuations others were in surrounding towns and the city of Nagoya. Two people are missing as a result of the flooding rivers, the search is still underway. The acutal typhoon is expected to slam Tokyo at 2-4am this morning, although if it goes far right of the track it could potentially miss Japan altogether.

Flooding is Nagoya

Earthquake hits India and Nepal


Along the India/Nepal border an earthquake of 6.9 magnitude tore through towns and ended up taking the lives of 11 people. It was significant enough to shake houses which seemed to be the largest factor in casualties. Within an hour and fifteen minutes the iniatial 6.9 quake struck with two after shocks of 5.7 and 5.3 magnitude. It was said that the quake was located about 12.2 miles beneath the surface and didn't seem to cause a tsunami. With houses in shambles rescue crews are working through the night to find survivors. Although rescue efforts were slightly affected due to landslides that came down the mountain sides blocking crutial roads. An eye witness located about 80 miles from the epicenter said it lasted a terrifying two minutes. the epicenter was located about 42 miles from Gangtok and 169 miles east of Kathmandu.

Rescue crews gaze at a collapsed section of the British Embassy

Drought Continues throughout Somalia

In Solmalia's Bay Region there has been a below-normal rain causes a major drought that the U.N has announced reached its threshold. It has escalated to a point where the regions livestock have minimal grazing opportunities triggering a series of issues. Without proper food for their animals they can no longer rely on milk for a major aspect of their diet, on top of that the starving animals have altered their migration routes causing loss of their livestock. This issue has put 750,000 Somalian pastoralists at the risk of death within the next 4 months. Assistance is being asked from numerous countries including the United States, China, and Africa. The World Bank and U.N officials are also sitting in on the issue although the process of giving and recieving money is a long teditous process. Droughts are occuring throughout the world and affecting some places more drastically than others. Third World countries such as Somalia already have humanitarian problems that are affecting approximatly 4 million people. When you add drought like conditions to an already unstable community the problems like we see here can be catastrophic.

Substantial rains take a toll on the East Coast

The entire east coast from New York down to Virginia have been experiencing huge floods due to a combination of storms that have recently hit the area. Tropical Storm Irene and Tropical Storm Lee have dumped more than 12 inches of rain. The Susquehanna River in Pennsylvania which has been trying to release this giant influx of water has bloated to a whopping 42.66 feet on Friday. Although the river continues to drop the local governments are still trying to determine whether or not to allow residents to return to their homes after an evacuation order was issued last week. The officials are waiting until the river reaches a level of 30 feet, a level they deem safe in parts of the city. The floods claimed the lives of 3 people in Pennsylvania, two people in Virginia, and one in Maryland.

Derived from: http://www.foxnews.com/us/2011/09/10/pennsylvania-officials-consider-lifting-evacuation-order-as-flood-swollen-river/