Studying Weather on Venus

While this article does not talk about hazards I thought it was pretty interesting to find out more about unknown weather on another planet. They have found that the wind on the planet blows in the same direction that the planet rotates in, but they blow at a speed 60 times faster than that!  With this devise they will be able to see if theres lightning, any active volcanoes, and hopefully be able to see the actualy surface of the planet.  I think it will be interesting to see their findings because it is all unknown to us at the moment, and we will be able to compare its weather to ours.

http://news.blogs.cnn.com/2010/12/07/craft-will-study-weather-on-venus/?iref=storysearch

Freezing Temperatures Hit Florida

While here in the midwest we are use to seeing freezing temperatures during this time of year, the people in Florida are not use to this at all.  It was reported that the middle of the state could have reached as low as 20 degrees! The citrus farm owners sprayed the citrus with water hoping that a thin sheet of ice would insulate the fruit.  I have learned about that processes helping fruits in a biology class.  While it seems a little backwards it actually helps and could possibly really help these farmers.  On the up side they we predicting that if we have a cold Dec. then we may have a warm Jan. and Feb. which I am not too sure how I feel about that.  I would really like to see snow staying on the ground until March.

http://www.cnn.com/2010/US/12/07/winter.weather/index.html?hpt=T2

Minnesota's First Snow

I know that this story is a bit old but when I found it I was very surprised.  I knew that Minnesota got more snow then we did but I did not realize how much more they got than us.  They saw as much as 11 inches of snow while our ground has barely been covered by snow! I am very surprised by this figure because Minnesota is not very far away.  The most shocking highlight was that there was 401 accidents reported! While there were only 45 with injuries.  I could not beleive that there were 400 accidents.  A girl that I work with said that she had to go to the airport to get a friend and said that there were a lot of vehicles in the ditch but she did not say it was to this extreme.  I think there were that many accidents because it was the first snow and everyone has to get use to driving in snow again, but I do not think it took them long to clean up because we are use to dealing with these kind of conditions in this area.

http://www.cnn.com/2010/US/11/13/minnesota.snow/index.html

Tornado in Mississippi

Severe weather has been hitting Mississppi the past few days and they have reported tornadoes that have touched down.  The tornadoes have caused a lot of distruction and have left 30% of the effected area without power.  This causes a lot of problems in mitigation because without power it is hard to communicate and and get things done.  Also, there are 17 people that are injured, and there are already emergancy crews that are trying to determine the amount of damage that the tornadoes have caused.  While there has been a lot of damage I think this area will be very resilient because they already have help which is important in the "Golden Hours".

http://www.cnn.com/2010/US/11/30/mississippi.tornado/index.html?hpt=Sbin

Snow in Washington

This storm has created a lot of problems in Washinton State.  They have found at lease 57 abandoned cars on the road.  There have been 119 reported collisions and they have helicopters with infra-red cameras that are attempting to find people stranded in their cars.  Usually the first snow of the winter causes problems because people ahve to get use to driving in the bad conditions.  When the first storm is heavy than that causes many more problems.  If this storm would ahve occurred in Feb. I do not think it would have created as many collisions.  The mitigation efforts include getting everyone off teh roads safely, and clearing the roads of the snow as quickly as possible.  I think it will take a lot of time to clear the roads because they have to get all the cars off the roads before they can completely clear them.  It will be a slow process but I think the majority of the people will be ok as long as they are not stuck in their vehicles.

http://www.kirotv.com/weather/25850281/detail.html

Tornadoes in Wisconsin!

There was at lease one tornado that went through the south east corner of the state Monday afternoon.  There are no reported deaths but there are three children injured and 15 homes damaged.  I do not think this would be a very big deal but it is very rare for Wisconsin to have a tornado at the end of Nov. so I am sure that not many people prepared for it to occur.  Also, the temperature has dropped a lot today so hopefully the people's homes that were effected had a place to say or hypothermia would be a huge factor.  Mitigation will have to occur quickly or people in that area will ahve a very rough winter.
http://www.cnn.com/2010/US/11/23/wisconsin.severe.weather/index.html?hpt=T2

Flooding in Pakistan

http://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/NaturalHazards/view.php?id=46983

The flooding in Pakistan is caused from heavy monsoon raining.  The thing i found surprised about this story is that the flooded waters could stick around Pakistan for another 6 months! That is such a long time.  I could not even imagine having to deal with that.  When the Chippewa River it was only for a couple of days and made a big difference, so I could not imagine having to deal with having that extra water around for 6 months.  I have no idea what kind of mitigation can occur or how the people in the immediate area are going to deal with it.  It will be interesting to hear what happens to this area as the 6 months occur because if there is any more rain they will be in even more trouble.

Volcanic Eruption in Indonesia

This volcano has been erupting for the past six days and is said to be increasing in intesity.  The activity is becoming more frequent and more disasterous.  In the video it shows volcanic ash layering the near by city.  I could not image dealing with that much ash.  Around here we have to deal with snow, but that is only for a few months out of the year and then it melts.  Ash does not just melt, so it makes me wonder what they actually do with it.  There are three small craters and a big crater formed from the eruption but I think there will be much more damage before this event is over because the activity is getting strong.  I think the worst is yetot come and I really hope the people in this area take all mitigation steps necessary to protect themselves properly.
http://www.upi.com/Top_News/World-News/2010/11/16/Indonesian-volcano-still-erupting/UPI-98511289927516/

Volcanic Eruption in Indonesia

Jakarta, Indonesia (CNN) -- Deaths in Indonesia mounted on Saturday from the volcanic eruption spewing scorching ash and gas, and the country's leader is stationed near the scene to coordinate relief efforts.
At least 81 people are now dead after the powerful Friday eruption at Mount Merapi, in Central Java, bringing the total number of deaths to about 120 people since the volcano began erupting October 26, hospital officials said.
Friday's flare-up is being called Merapi's largest so far, unleashing ash clouds and gas that have reached villages in areas many thought were safe from the volcano's eruptions.
Volcanic ash has also hindered air travels with delays, cancellations and altered flight paths. International airlines have canceled at least 50 flights on Saturday from the capital, Jakarta, about 280 miles away from the volcano.

 

 

President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono has temporarily moved to the nearby big city of Yogyakarta to help direct relief operations.
"Our burn unit has been working overtime to handle the volcano's victims," Banu Hermawan, a spokesman for Dr. Sardjito Hospital in Yogyakarta. "The forensic team is also working hard to identified bodies with severe burns."
Another hospital official said only 11 people have been identified because many of the victims were severely burned.
Yudhoyono has instructed the military to assist relief efforts by building facilities and field hospitals in the area. He has also ordered the Coordinating Ministry for People's Welfare, which oversees several ministries, to coordinate faster and more efficient relief.
The president announced that residents will receive compensation for livelihoods and animals lost to the eruptions. The government will buy endangered cows on the volcano, he said. Many of those who live on its slopes raise cattle and risked their lives by staying or returning to feed their cows.
The children's charity Plan International has launched an appeal to help 20,000 people fleeing the mountain.
"People were fleeing in panic and only have what they could carry," said Nono Sumarsono, acting country director of Plan International, said Friday.
He said there is an urgent need for food, water, mats, blankets and hygiene kits -- items that the group is already distributing. Workers are also in the process of getting emergency latrines and setting up temporary schools for children.
Mathias Eick, regional information officer with the European Commission's humanitarian aid department, said Friday that many residents were expecting a minor outbreak, but the eruptions had become much worse.
Lava balls have rained down on villages and houses have burned, Eick said. Streets and cars are covered in ash, and people are wearing face masks.
"This is a major humanitarian crisis," he said.
Merapi continues to spill hot ash cloud and rumbles consistently, according to data from the Indonesian Volcanology Technology Development and Assessment Agency.
The data also indicates the hot ash cloud that hit a village near the crater was around 450-600 degrees Celsius (842-1,112 degrees Fahrenheit).
The 3,000-meter (9,800-foot) Merapi is famously unpredictable. An eruption killed two people in 2006 and another killed more than 60 villagers in 1994. About 1,300 people died when Merapi erupted in 1930.

In addition, last week a 7.7-magnitude earthquake hit Indonesia's coast, triggering a tsunami and killing at least 449 people. Hundreds more were injured.

Hurricane Tomas in Haiti

(CNN) -- After dealing a walloping blow to Haiti, where at least six people died and a number of homes were destroyed, Tropical Storm Tomas was weakening rapidly Sunday, the National Hurricane Center said.
Tomas was downgraded to a tropical storm early Sunday. As of 11 a.m. ET, its maximum sustained winds were at 60 mph (95 kph) with higher gusts. It was not posing an immediate threat to land; the center of Tomas was about 525 kilometers southwest of Bermuda and moving north at about 6 mph (9 kph).
"Additional weakening is forecast, and Tomas is expected to lose its tropical characteristics by this evening," the Hurricane Center said.
In Haiti, a nation still grappling with the effects of a killer earthquake and a deadly cholera outbreak this year, Tomas ruined houses and turned some streets into rivers. Six people were also killed by the storm, according to the Haitian Civil Protection Authority.
January's 7.0-magnitude earthquake killed 250,000 people and left 1 million more homeless. Many of those Haitians have been living in tent camps, and aid workers had been working in recent days to move the residents to safer housing, which was difficult to find.

 

 

Aid workers were already struggling to keep up with the cholera outbreak, which has killed 501 people since the first cases were reported in October. An additional 7,000 are hospitalized. The bacterial disease causes diarrhea and vomiting that can lead to deadly dehydration within hours.
In Leogane, west of Haiti's capital of Port-au-Prince, residents waded in knee-deep water after Tomas. Box trucks got stuck in water, said relief worker Roseann Dennery of Samaritan's Purse.
While the flooding receded somewhat over the weekend, the threat of waterborne disease remained a concern.
"Samaritan's Purse is moving quickly to set up cholera treatment centers in areas where there currently aren't any, and where new cases are appearing as the bacteria continues to spread," Dennery said.
Mudslides also remain a risk because many of the nation's mountains have been stripped of vegetation, which means rain can flow downhill relatively unimpeded, said CNN meteorologist Reynolds Wolf.
"We could see mudslides a week after the storm has passed," Wolf said.

Tomas has also dumped more than 10 inches of rain in the Dominican Republic.

-This story makes me feel very bad for the Haitians.  They have had to deal with so many disasters this year that it their spirits are so low.  Most of the people are still trying to recover from the huge earthquake in January and the cholera break out.  Now they were hit by Hurrican Tomas and 10 inches of rain.  They are not going to be able to bounce back from this very quickly because they were still down from the prior disasters.  It is just sad that this country continues to recieve this terrible luck.  Hopefully the new year will bring them more luck.

Hurricane Tomas

Tropical Storm Tomas could re-intensify into rare November hurricane

By the CNN Wire Staff

November 1, 2010 5:08 p.m. EDT

STORY HIGHLIGHTS

• NEW: Storm is slowing and will likely turn to the northeast later in the week
• NEW: No warnings or watches are currently in effect
• Storm could approach Haiti, the Dominican Republic or Cuba

Miami, Florida (CNN) -- A disorganized Tropical Storm Tomas limped toward the central Caribbean Monday, but forecasters said the storm could re-intensify into a rare November hurricane later this week.
As of 5 p.m. Monday, the center of Tomas was about 65 miles (105 kilometers) north-northeast of Aruba and about 400 miles (640 kilometers) south-southeast of Port-au-Prince, Haiti. It had maximum sustained winds of 45 mph (75 kph), with higher gusts, and was moving west at 12 mph (19 kph).
No coastal watches or warnings were in effect associated with Tomas, according to the Miami, Florida-based National Hurricane Center. But the center urged residents of Jamaica, the Dominican Republic and Haiti to keep an eye on the storm, which is expected to continue westward over the next day or two and slow down.
Tracking maps show that Tomas could take a sharp turn to the northeast and approach Haiti later in the week, possibly as a Category 1 hurricane. The storm could deal another blow to the island nation, which is still recovering from a devastating January earthquake and currently battling a cholera outbreak. But "Tomas could still hit anywhere from the Dominican Republic to eastern Cuba," CNN meteorologist Taylor Ward said.

Video: Tomas hits the Caribbean

RELATED TOPICS

• Hurricanes and Cyclones
• Barbados

Tropical storm-force winds extend out 140 miles (220 kilometers) from Tomas' center, mainly to the east, the Hurricane Center said.
Tomas is expected to continue weakening, but "restrengthening could begin by late Tuesday," forecasters said.
The forecast track for Tomas, a storm which formed in late October, is typical for November hurricanes, CNN meteorologist Bonnie Schneider wrote on a blog for HLN's "Morning Express."
Although hurricanes are less likely to form in November, "the month isn't always hurricane-free," Schneider said. "Two fairly recent November hurricanes include Hurricane Lenny in 1999 and Hurricane Michelle in 2001."
September is usually the most likely month for tropical storm formation, according to Schneider. But "often this time of year, the westerly wind is strong enough to steer the storms out to sea into the Atlantic, rather than northwestward into the Gulf of Mexico."
The Atlantic hurricane season ends November 30.
Tomas lashed the Caribbean island of St. Vincent over the weekend, prompting about 1,000 people to enter shelters. Two people were injured, including one critically, when they tried to repair roof damage during the storm, said Michelle Forbes, acting director of National Emergency Management.

Tomas also left downed trees that blocked many roads, Forbes said, and large areas of the island lacked power. More than 100 homes sustained roof damage, she said, and authorities expected the number to rise.

-Although Tomas is small right now they are expecting it to grow as the week continues.  The thing that I thought most interesting it that although it hit Haiti only as a category 1 it was still going to have major effects on the area.  I thought this was very interesting because Haiti deals with many hurricanes annually and at a much higher category but it is still recovering from an earthquake so at the time it is unable to deal with any hazard.  A harzard occurring in this area will increase its complexity and cause many more problems then in normal conditions and will cause the recovery period to become even longer.

Low Pressure System Here!

Low pressure breaks records!

(Wednesday 3:53pm correction: According to the NWS, the previous record we’ve indicated was taken at the Cleveland, Ohio crib over the waters of Lake Erie. Because of this, the low pressure system did break the all-time record for the United States. According to NWS: A new record was set for the lowest pressure in a non-tropical storm in the mainland U.S. The massive storm system barreling across the central U.S. had a minimum central pressure of 28.24″ or 956 mb (equivalent to the minimum pressure of a Category 3 hurricane). This breaks the old record of 28.28″ (958 mb), set on Jan. 26, 1978, during the Blizzard of 1978 (aka the Cleveland Superbomb). This is also lower than the March 1993 Superstorm (aka “The Storm of the Century”), or the “Witch of November” storm that sank the Edmund Fitzgerald in 1975, or even the Columbus Day Storm of Oct. 1962.
(Tuesday 6:46pm correction: Lowest pressure was 28.05″ of mercury, not 28.28″ previously reported)
What a storm! According to reports from Minnesota and Wisconsin late this afternoon, the low pressure system responsible for today’s 15 tornadoes and 200+ reports of wind damage is one for the record books!
The official National Weather Service barometer at Superior, Wisconsin registered a pressure of 28.38 inches or 961.06 millibars at 11:35am today. This breaks the old Wisconsin state record of 28.45 inches set at Green Bay on April 3, 1982.
If that wasn’t enough, a barometer in Northern Minnesota registered an even lower pressure! According to the National Weather Service forecast office in Duluth, Minnesota, the barometer in Big Fork dipped to 28.21 inches of mercury or 955.2 millibars. While this observation is not officially confirmed yet, it puts this storm in a #2 spot for all-time lowest pressure! The lowest barometric pressure recorded in a non-tropical storm was set during the super-snowstorm of January 26, 1978 where Cleveland, Ohio had a pressure of 28.05″ or 949.9 millibars.
The low pressure from today’s storm system would be typical to a category three hurricane on the Saffir-Simpson scale. -ES
-I found this story to be very interesting because I knew that it was windy here but I had no idea that it was setting records.  I also did not know that there were 15 tornados associated with it.  But what really surprised me was that the low pressure zone was compareable to a category 3 hurricane! I really had no idea that could happen here.  It really shows that the weather in this area is very unpredictable.  Also, there were 200+ incidences from the windy.  This area is not resilent to this kind of hazard because tornadoes and high windy weather does not occur here very often.  The weather here has been unpredictable lately and am wondering what will happen next!

7.5 Magnitude Earthquake by Indonesia

A 7.5 earthquake occurred on the 24th at 9:42 p.m. close to Indonesia and the Pacific Tsunami Warning Center has issued a local tsunami watch.  There has been no reports on a tsunami occurring but they want to take the right steps to warn the people with adequate time to prepare.  Since we have learned in class that not all earthquakes cause a tsunami so they can only send out a watch, but this will be helpful so that people will hopefully not run to the shore after the earthquake causing more injuries if a tsunami would occur. I think they have taken the correct steps in reducing the risk, but if the people do not listen then it will not matter.

Texas Tornado

A tornado occurred in northeast Texas which had winds blowing up to 125 mph! It took 11 train cars off the track, blew over an 18-wheeler truck, and took the roof off a school off.  It has reported that 4 people have been injured in this event, but do not include how injured they are.  I think that the low population density in this area is the reason why there were not more injuries.  The tornado was on the ground for 7 miles and if it was in a more dense population it would have had a much larger effect. 

Tropical Storm Richard

This is the projected path of the Tropical Storm Richard that is forming in the Carribean Sea right now.  It is projected to rip right through the lower piece of Mexico by early next week.  I think it is great that they are able to project this as early as they have to give the people in that area time to plan an evacuation route.  I am sure that people in this area have their plan memorized by now because they have to deal with numberous storms yearly.  Although, they have been hit pretty hard lately and if they have not have enough time to rebuild since the last storm than that could cause more damage this time around.  I really hope that the people are ready for it, and are able to flee in time.

Mexico Earthquake

There was an earthquake that occurred between Baja California and Mexico that reached a magnitude of 6.9.  The strongest of the earth shaking was along the Mexico border but they said that they were not very worried about that area because not many people live there since it is mostly swamp. On the other hand, Baja California has Cabo San Lucus right on the border along with a city that has a very dense population of 200,000 people.  There were no sign of a tsunami occurring, but they could still have a lot of damage because they do not have strong buildings built.  Having cement made building with a very dense population means that they are going through more holes in the Swiss Cheese Complexity model.  This means that they could end up having more deaths than expected.

Earthquakes in Alaska

Alaska Region

Skip to earthquake lists

This shows the earthquake activity in Alaska the past week.  I did not see this last week but by the looks of the map they received some stronger earthquakes there last week.  Those were the largest in the world the past few weeks because there has not been much sesmic activity lately.  I did not realize taht Alaska dealt with so many earthquakes but it does make sense because it is right by a tectonic plate boundary.  The people there are probably very resilient to earthquakes and have their homes built to withstand high magnitude seismic waves.

The East Coast

The east coast is projected to receive very high winds today and into the weekend.  They ahve a low pressure system coming from the north with cold temps and warm wind coming up from the south and they are creating this wind storn.  They are forecasting that the winds will be strong enough for power outages so it will be interesting to see what really happens to them and how they handle it.

Tropical Storm Paula

The tropical storm< Paula in the Caribbean has deminished and is no longer a tropical depression.  It was able to create 3-6 inches of rain and has flooded the roads, but I dont think this is a big hazard to the people in this area because they are use to having this storms in their area.  I think they will be very resilient and bounce back quickly.  This is very good because they are forecasting that there will be conditions around Panama next week that could create another tropical storm.  The people that live around the Gulf coast need to be very resilent to tropical storms because they occur so frequently in that area.

Hurricane Otto

This is a picture of Hurricane Otto.  I has actually just been upgraded from a tropical storm to a hurricane.  As you can see in the picture the clouds are making a circular pattern which they talked to us a little about at the weather station.  This is the 8th hurricane of the 2010 season! It makes me wonder how conditioned, the people that live in the gulf and along the border, are to having hurricanes occur.  I am sure they have a system of how to evacuate very quickly and know exactly what needs to be done after the storm.  I could not imagine having to deal with that all the time.  Why would those people want to stay their.  They are obviously very resilient to the hazard by now, but I do not think I could get use to having to evacuate all the time.  They have no idea what will be there when they get back.  I enjoy the stable climate in Wisconsin and probably take it for granted more than I think.

Weather in US

As this figure shows, there is not much activity for weather right now.  While we are not experiencing anything drastic at the moment I think it is notable that we are in October and we are currently reaching temps of 80 degrees during the day while it is still getting cold at night.  It is really crazy that we are receiving this kind of heat this late into the year.  It makes me wonder what kind of winter we will be having.

Earthquakes

This website and class has really opened my eyes to the amount of earthquakes that occur daily.  I think I am ignorant of this because I live in Wisconsin, but I really did not believe that this many earthquakes are occurring constantly.  Granted people are unable to feel the majority of them, but it is still an overwhelming number.  I a previous class they talked about the possibility of a huge earthquake occurring by California.  I really did not think about it much, but now that I know there are earthquakes constantly occurring I think it is very possible that in the near future there could be a massive earthquake that could cause a lot of damage.  I wonder how many people in California are ready for that or if they even think about it?

Eau Claire Flood

This is on 1st Ave.  As you can see that white sign is barely sticking out of the water!

They were blocking off 1st Ave.

The tennis courts on the corner of Water St. and 1st Ave.

Those stairs go to the Water St. sidewalk.

Hundreds Trapped in Mexico Mudslide

There was a hill that was about 650 ft wide that collapsed on a town in Southern Mexico this morning.  They estimated that 300 homes were affected, but they are unsure of the death toll at this point.  They are guessing that it could reach to the 1,000's.  I am not sure of the cause of the mudslide but I am confused on why the people were not alerted earlier because a 1,000 people should not die from a natural hazard like this.  Mudslides are normally triggered by a different event, but they did not say what it was, but the looks of the video it looks like a flood caused it.  This town sits on a hillside so I was amazed to see all the water still tanding, because I figured it would continue down the stream.

Portage

While I have been following the flooding in our area I did not know that there was massive flooding in Portage, WI.  They seem to be having lots of problems because their 120-year-old sand leeve is giving away.  They reported that they are having the inmates repair the leeve, but I think it is too little too late.  The town is already experiencing mass flooding as you can see from the video.  I think this comes to the fact that people do not pay attention to things i.e. sand leeves until it is too late.  This town is going to suffer emensely from the leeve breaking and it is something that probably could have been provented if it was taken care of.

Videos

Book Review

The Great Peshtigo Fire

Flooding

I feel like the flooding in our area will have a very large impact on many different things. I feel like our area knows that flooding is always possible but we really don't think it is going to hit us like it has the past couple of days. In towns like Arcadia where the damage is much higher I think it will take them a very long time to bounce back from this disaster. It is not something that the majority of people plan for so the rebuilding process will be slow. While I feel very sorry for these people, I think it is very interesting that something like this has happened so close to home. Because we hear about so many huge events that happen around the world, but they really become interesting when it is happening in our own back yards.

Local Area Flooding

 

 

Flooding in Eau Claire

Earthquake in NZ

This particular story stood out to me because I am interested in earthquakes but also because I have traveled to New Zealand.  I was actually in Christchurch for a couple of days, and I have a friend that lives in New Zealand.  I was astonished to find that New Zealand has about 14,000 earthquakes a year, but less than 10 of them cause damage.  I was very surprised and happy to figure out that only two people have been injuried.  Especially since Christchurch is one of the bigger cities in the South island of NZ.  I think they did a good job in alerting the NZ residents because a magnitude 7 earthquake could have taken many more lives.  I am not sure how NZ will bounce back from this because they do have 10 earthquakes annually that cause damage but I am not sure how they will deal with this massive distruction.

Hurrican Karl

There have been no deaths or injuries from this disaster, but I feel like that could change quickly.  They have warned the tourists in the area that there would be high winds and rain, but no one left.  I think that they are not telling them the severity of the storm which could have a back lash on them later.  This area in Mexico is very resilient to hurricanes because they occur there frequently.  On the other hand, the tourists are not use to hurricanes and probably do not know how to handle them.  I think they need to do a better job at imforming the tourists in the area before it is too late.

Wildfire

While the wildfire has yet to claim any lives it is destroying all the land and the structures in its way.  I think they are taking affirmative action in making sure that all of the residence are making it out of their homes in plenty of time.  Having an early and urgent alarm is very important in keeping people safe.  While the people are not being harmed, their homes are going up in flames.  I think the rebuilding process will be slow, leaving many people homeless for a long time.  It will be hard for this area to be resilient because the last massive wildfire was in 2002 so they are not conditioned to handle a wildfire of this caliber.  They could have prevented structure loss by not building all or most of the structures with wood.  Using a different product could have helped decrease the amount of homes and structures destroyed.