Earth Changes 2013 - Daily Updates

March 29, 2013 – ENGLAND – They are one of the most iconic symbols of British independence and the inspiration for one of the most famous wartime songs. But walkers have been warned to take care when walking along a stretch of the famous White Cliffs of Dover, after tons of chalk crashed into the English Channel, when part of the cliff-face sheared off. A giant mound of clay was left on the shore near St. Margaret’s Bay after the collapse between Dover and Deal in Kent. Dover Coastguard said a bench and fencing which sat on the cliff-top were also sent tumbling to the base, prompting warnings to coastal walkers. Fortunately, no one was hurt. The collapse is thought to have been caused by a combination of high winds and rain freezing after being absorbed into the chalk and then expanding, causing the cliff to weaken. A similar collapse saw a chunk of the cliff-face slip in March last year. A Dover Coastguard spokesman said: ‘There was a similar fall in 2012 but this one is smaller than that one. A bench and fence have gone down with it. ‘Coastguard rescue officers were tasked to make an assessment of the area and take some pictures which were sent off to the relevant authorities. ‘The cliff-fall extends about 150 yards from the base of the cliff towards the sea at ground level, and the fall is about 15ft to 20ft high.’ The National Trust, which owns the land, were told of the collapse and have put up signs warning walkers to beware. A National Trust spokesman said: ‘This cliff fall is part of a process of natural regeneration that happens on this world famous stretch of the Kent coast, helping to keep this special place, recognized by millions across the world, so distinctive. We’ve installed signs and information to help keep access open to this British icon. Throughout the year we closely monitor how the elements affect the chalk cliffs, helping us to manage the coastal footpath.’ The Kent landmark, immortalized by Dame Vera Lynn’s wartime song The White Cliffs of Dover, has suffered large falls before, and is thought to recede by around half an inch each year. Experts believe that the cliffs could move up to 200 yards further away from France by the end of the century. Parts of the cliffs are now supported by concrete. –Daily Mail

Landslide buries 83 in Tibet: A landslide buried 83 workers in a mining area in the Tibet Autonomous Region on Friday morning, China’s official Xinhua News Agency reported, citing local authorities. The incident occurred about 6 a.m. in Maizhokunggar County, east of Lhasa, the regional capital. The victims, including two Tibetans, were workers from Tibet Huatailong Mining Development Co. Ltd., a subsidiary of the China National Gold Group Corp., the news agency said. The landslide extended three kilometers (almost two miles) and was made up of about 2 million cubic meters (2.6 million cubic yards) of mud, rock and other debris, the regional government said. -CNN

March 29, 2013 – MADAGASCAR – A severe plague of locusts has landed in about half of Madagascar, threatening crops and creating concern over food shortages. According to the UN’s Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), the billions of insects could cause hunger for 60 percent of the country’s population. The FAO called for $41 million to fight the plague, with the first installment of $22 million required by June. Another $19 million will be needed for a three-year strategy. If nothing is done, about two-thirds of Madagascar will be infested by September. In the poorest southern regions of the country, where the locusts first landed, around 70 percent of households are considered food insecure. The plague already threatens 60 percent of Madagascar’s production of rice, which is the main staple in the country, where 80 percent of the population lives on less than a dollar per day. The locusts will also destroy most green vegetation that generally serves as pasture for livestock. The Locust Control Center in Madagascar has had to treat over 74,000 acres of farmland since last October, but the situation worsened when a cyclone hit in February. The last plague of this nature hit Madagascar in the 1950s. –Global Post

The Russian city being 'eaten alive': Cars, buses, and trucks disappear beneath the earth as they are swallowed by giant sinkholes

Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2306085/Samara-The-Russian-city-eaten-alive-giant-sinkholes.html#ixzz2PycYcaV8


SNIP

Citizens of Samara live in daily fear of the ground disappearing beneath them
Dozens of holes have sprung up across the city in recent weeks
The sinkholes have left a trail of devastation and reportedly claimed one life

By Amanda Williams

PUBLISHED: 02:25 GMT, 9 April 2013 | UPDATED: 12:17 GMT, 9 April 2013
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They may look like stills from an apocalyptic horror film, but these images have become a daily reality for residents in a Russian city.

Citizens of Samara, in south east Russia, live in fear of the ground literally disappearing beneath them after huge sinkholes have started to appear all over their city, leaving devastation in their wake.

The yawning underground caverns are all believed to have sprung up in recent weeks swallowing cars, buses and claiming at

Read more:

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2306085/Samara-The-Russian-city-eaten-alive-giant-sinkholes.htmlT

DENVER (AP) -- A storm that toppled trees, whipped up blinding dust storms and may have spawned some tornadoes closed highways in Wyoming Tuesday and was slowing flights at Denver International Airport.

In Wyoming, a 100-mile stretch of Interstate 25 between Cheyenne and Douglas was closed as well as a 125-mile section of I-80 between Laramie and Rawlins. More than a foot of snow had fallen as of midmorning in Lander. In Pine Bluffs, near the Nebraska border, wind has created 1- to 2- foot drifts out of the snow that has fallen there.

Wind gusts up to 71 mph damaged a marina and windows in Sweetwater County.

The storm has so far proved less potent than originally predicted in Colorado because the cold front lingered in Wyoming.

Up to around 10 inches of snow had fallen in Colorado's mountains by dawn Tuesday. Another 5 to 10 inches was possible in some locations but final snowfall amounts would vary quite a bit, National Weather Service forecaster Jim Daniels said.

Up to a foot had been in expected in Denver but forecasters are now calling for around 5 inches.

The storm has canceled 465 flights at Denver International Airport and deicing was causing departing flights to be delayed by as much as a half hour.

Blizzard warnings are also in effect from south of Denver to the New Mexico line and in northwestern Colorado. Winds gusting up to 50 mph were expected there.

As the storm moved in Monday night, spotters reported two tornadoes near Akron in eastern Colorado.

Northern California was first to feel the lashing blasts of the storm Monday, which spread to the Sacramento and San Joaquin valleys.

At least a dozen trees came down in San Francisco, police officer John Tozzini told KGO-TV, which reported that more than 20,000 utility customers lost power in the region. A swath of outages occurred across the Sacramento Municipal Utility District, the Sacramento Bee reported.

A tree smashed into a Sacramento home where four friends were playing bridge, but they didn't stop playing their game Monday, according to KCRA.

Gusts topped 80 mph at some places in Southern California. The blustery system was being fueled by a cold front.

"It's just a cold, really strong upper low," said Carol Smith, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service in Oxnard, Calif.

Whitecaps flecked the Pacific Ocean along the California coast, where gale warnings and small craft advisories were posted. Recreational boaters were warned to stay in port. Wind-driven swells slapped over the tops of breakwaters and turned waves into a churning froth under piers at points such as Redondo Beach and Manhattan Beach on the Los Angeles County coast.

The wind turned small wildfires into big problems in some areas, including a blaze in Fillmore about 50 miles northwest of Los Angeles that burned two homes and forced the evacuation of 84 homes.

Blowing dust forced the closure of state Route 14 in the high desert Antelope Valley north of Los Angeles due to low visibility. Officer Michael Farrell said motorists who stopped on the road were hit from behind by other cars, but no major injuries were reported.

The power went out for more than 13,000 Southern Californians because of the winds and the weather.

The rush of air had an upside: California's main power grid manager, the Independent System Operator, reported that turbines spinning within the ISO grid produced a record of 4,196 megawatts Sunday. The previous record was 3,944 megawatts on March 3.

In Arizona, gusty winds produced by a cold front enveloped Phoenix in a dusty haze and closed 34 miles of Interstate 40 in the northern part of the state for several hours Monday. At least four people were injured in a pileup when two semi-trucks jackknifed in a dust storm on I-10 in southern Arizona. The injuries were not life-threatening.

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Associated Press writers Greg Risling and John Antczak in Los Angeles; Paul Davenport and Walter Berry in Phoenix; and Colleen Slevin and Catherine Tsai in Denver contributed to this story.

8 April 2013 - A succession of storms brought flooding and high winds that ripped off roofs, derailed trains and injured eleven people. The flooding also ripped holes in roads. Parts of Japan have seen over a month's worth of rain already this month. Landslides have been reported and remain a risk following the heavy rainfall. Some flights departing from Sapporo in northern Japan were cancelled while pilots had to abandon landings due to strong cross winds. Gusts of over seventy miles per hour were reported across northern Japan and some areas in Hokkaido picked up to a whopping 50 millimetres of rain in an hour. Although designed to resist flooding, a subway in Tokyo was unable to cope. Elsewhere on public transport - trains on eight rail lines to the north of Japan's main island, Honshu, were cancelled or delayed. The storm also whipped up waves as high as eight meters along northern coasts. BBC Weather's Susan Powell reports.

The Russian city being 'eaten alive': Cars, buses, and trucks disappear beneath the earth as they are swallowed by giant sinkholes

Citizens of Samara live in daily fear of the ground disappearing beneath them Dozens of holes have sprung up across the city in recent weeks The sinkholes have left a trail of devastation and reportedly claimed one life

They may look like stills from an apocalyptic horror film, but these images have become a daily reality for residents in a Russian city.

Citizens of Samara, in south east Russia, live in fear of the ground literally disappearing beneath them after huge sinkholes have started to appear all over their city, leaving devastation in their wake.

The yawning underground caverns are all believed to have sprung up in recent weeks swallowing cars, buses and claiming at least one life.

Photos & Video: http://www.rumormillnews.com/cgi-bin/forum.cgi?read=273666

March 22, 2013 – AUSTRALIA - Two Australian men made a dramatic escape from a tornado in New South Wales after the twister touched down only meters from their car. Daniel Clarke, 24, told Australia’s 7 News channel how he was driving from the town of Mulwala to nearby Barooga when the tornado, which was around 50 meters wide at its base, appeared in a field next to them. Nearby power lines exploded with a blue flash as they were hit by the whirling column of air. With rain and debris hammering the windscreen as the tornado advances towards them, Mr. Clarke reverses at speed before performing a hand-brake turn in the road. But the twister continues to barrel through the adjoining field, travelling almost parallel to their car at a speed of approximately 50mph. -Telegraph


March 22, 2013 – CHINA - Hailstorms battered parts of central and southwestern China Tuesday, smashing windshields on cars and forcing pedestrians to scurry for cover. Some hailstones were over 3 inches in diameter. Heating pipes, water pipes, electricity lines, vehicles and houses were all damaged by the hailstorms. Some could only seek shelter as their cars were smashed up by the hail. Hailstorms struck areas of the Jingzhou Miao and Dong Autonomous County in the city of Huaihua. Wengan County in southwest China's Guizhou Province was also hit by a 30-minute hailstorm. At least 24 people died and scores were injured after a tornado carrying huge hailstones lashed southern China, causing widespread devastation and a ferry to capsize, domestic media reported Thursday. The ferry overturned in a river in the south-eastern province of Fujian, causing the deaths of 11 people with four missing, web portal qq.com reported. Nine people were killed in Dongguan, in Guangdong province in the south, according to the report. It showed images from the city of a car windscreen which appeared to have been smashed by egg-sized hailstones. Many of the dead in Dongguan were trapped in collapsed buildings. Another 148 people were injured, including 11 who were critically ill, the report said. The website put the death toll at 24, as did state-run news agency Xinhua. Other provinces affected by storms and torrential rain on Wednesday were nearby Jiangxi, Hunan in central China and Guizhou in the southwest. A total of 1.53 million residents have been affected by severe weather and 215,000 people were forced to relocate, Xinhua said, citing the Ministry of Civil Affairs. More storms bringing rain, wind and hail are forecast for the south of the country over the next three days, Xinhua reported on Thursday night, citing the National Meteorological Centre. -SD

More extreme weather: Southern China has been warned to brace for more storms after extreme weather lashed southern China. At least 24 people died and more than 100 were injured after heavy rain moved through five provinces and a “super-tornado” carrying huge hailstones hit one city. The China Meteorological Centre says the severe weather is expected to continue until Sunday. “All parts of southern China should take measures to be on guard against the negative influence of thunder and lightning, high wind and hail,” the centre said. The storms reached their peak on Wednesday when local media reported a capsized ferry in the city of Nanping in the south-eastern province of Fujian, causing the deaths of 11 people with four still missing. Gale winds of up to 75 kilometres reportedly blew down 2,000 structures, damaging a further 248,000. Nine people were killed in Dongguan, in Guangdong province in the south. Online reports showed images from the city of a car windscreen which appeared to have been smashed by egg-sized hailstones. Many of the dead in Dongguan were trapped in collapsed buildings. Another 148 people were injured, including 11 who were critically ill, the report said. Other provinces affected by storms and torrential rain on Wednesday were nearby Jiangxi, Hunan in central China and Guizhou in the south-west. A total of 1.53 million residents have been affected by severe weather and 215,000 people were forced to relocate, Xinhua said, citing the Ministry of Civil Affairs. -Radio Australia


http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/U/US_FARGO_FLOOD_OUTLOOK?SITE=AP&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT&CTIME=2013-03-21-11-37-53
FARGO, N.D. (AP) -- Residents along the Red River in Fargo and neighboring Moorhead, Minn., should prepare for one of the top five floods in their history, the National Weather Service said Thursday.

April 11, 2013 – PORTUGAL - Excess water in the soil may be the cause of geological phenomenon occurred in Marvão in Alto Alentejo, which resulted in the opening of a crater about 100 meters deep and 17 meters in diameter. The geologist Victor Lambert explained this Tuesday that this is “a typical phenomenon” of areas where there is limestone and soil conditions exist, though in Portugal nothing has appeared of this size.” The geologist, who develops work for research institutions and ornamental rocks, reported in the local area that has Marvão caves and type of existing rock (limestone) tends to ‘dissolve,’ forming caves. “Here in Marvão, we had lots of rain a year. The water in these structures infiltrates, circulating inside, and in lime, circulates at high speeds, ie, the impact may cause is greater,” explained. However, the geologist pointed out that the crater in Marvão is interesting, because of the size and depth and’ three small holes,” but was keen to stress that this case is not an incident of aliens. The massive hole opened up on private property near the village of Porto da Espada, where another smaller crater has also formed. Authorities have erected barricaded around the massive crater for safety concerns. Speaking to Lusa, Mario Gallego, the tenant of the property where the phenomenon occurred, said he was “surprised” by the situation and considered it “scary.” The Mayor of Marvão, Victor Frutuoso, told Lusa that the council wants to know the ‘impacts’ that the incident will have on the environment. “We have to know the impact this might have in terms of stability with respect to property that is accessed by people. Therefore, we have to control a number of situations in terms of security and realize what the consequences are for transportation concerns,” he said. With a security perimeter created and with elements of the GNR in place, the area has been subject to visits by locals who are curious to see the geological phenomenon firsthand. –TVI24 (translated)


Thunderstorms will be affecting a large portion of the East through tonight as a storm system brings severe weather to areas from Louisiana into Pennsylvania. The biggest threats with this system are high winds, lightning, hail and flash flooding; however, there will also be the potential for tornadoes to touch down from the strongest storms. These conditions can be incredibly dangerous, as well as having the potential to disrupt travel and knock out power lines.

April 13, 2013 – SALT LAKE CITY — Kennecott Utah Copper has suspended mining inside one of the world’s deepest open pits as geologists assess a landslide the company says it anticipated for months. Shovel and haul operators were pulled back earlier Wednesday before the landslide tore loose around 9:30 p.m. inside the nearly mile-deep Brigham Canyon Mine, Kennecott spokesman Kyle Bennett said Thursday. “This slide was self-contained within the mine,” he said. The outside walls of the mining pit, which stretch 2 ½ miles from rim to rim, are holding with no danger to housing developments several miles away, he said. For more than a century, miners have reduced a mountaintop about 20 miles southwest of Salt Lake City to a deep hole. Kennecott, the latest in a succession of owners, is digging into a tooth-shaped volcanic core that has yielded millions of tons of copper and small amounts of gold and silver. Normally, Kennecott operates the mine all day, every day, with electric-powered shovels capable of scooping up 98 tons of crushed rock at a bite. Bennett said the company continues to operate a copper concentrator, refinery and smelter. The landslide tore loose not far from a visitor center on the rim of the pit that was closed earlier this month as a precaution. The first sign of a possible slide was detected in February, when sensors measured ground movement at fractions of an inch. That increased to up to 2 inches a day earlier this week. Then, in rainfall Wednesday night, the slide broke loose. Kennecott couldn’t immediately provide details about its size or dimensions. “We had anticipated this slide and were carefully monitoring that area for some time,” Bennett said. “We re-routed roads, utilities and even buildings out of way.” Mining operations have been suspended indefinitely as geologists assess the stability of the step walls in the pit. “Movement like this slide we saw last night is very infrequent, but it’s something we monitor every day” with special instruments, Bennett said. -TMS

I just saw something very much like this in our sky this afternoon! Anyone ever see anything like this???
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_qQwozKfpvg
I only saw 2 sundogs (not four as in this you tube), my neighbour saw a rainbow, I didn't get out in time to see the rainbow. We have been having very mild, sunny weather, no snow! Daffodils,crocus, and marsh marigolds are out!

April 19, 2013 – RUSSIA – Cameras in Russia seem to capture everything from fiery meteors to crazy crashes. The latest video comes from a camera mounted high above the main square in Smolensk, overlooking a busy parking lot on what appears to be a nice sunny day. It takes but seconds for a small cloud of steam, appearing harmless at first, to erupt into a hot water geyser rivaling Old Faithful. What you don’t see from the video are the brick-sized chunks of pavement and rocks that were launched into the air and onto the surrounding vehicles. Within minutes, a large flow of water has flooded the parking area as the natural geyser continues to spew water and steam hundreds of feet into the air. If this happened in our backyard, we would hightail it out of town fearing another eruption of Vesuvian magnitude – yet the locals in Smolensk seem only slightly disrupted, continuing to seek open spots in the parking lot despite the odd chaos mere yards away. –Auto


April 18, 2013 – CHICAGO, IL – One person was hospitalized after a sinkhole swallowed three cars in the South Deering neighborhood on the Southeast Side this morning. The person was taken to Northwestern Memorial Hospital in serious-to-critical condition, according to the Chicago Fire Department. Witnesses said the hole opened up around 5 a.m. at 9600 South Houston Avenue, quickly growing from about 20 feet to about 40 feet. First two cars slid in, then a third as the hole widened, witnesses said. A fourth vehicle was towed from the edge as it was about to fall inside, witnesses said. The man who was injured was trying to drive his car around the hole when the road gave way, according to witnesses. The man suffered minor head injuries. Ola Oni said she was about to leave for work at 5 a.m. but had not gotten in her car yet when it suddenly fell into the hole. “It could have happened to me, I am lucky, I’m happy,” Oni said. “In this kind of neighborhood, I don’t think this should happen.” She gestured toward the hole. “Look at this, this neighborhood is in danger.” The sinkhole opened up after a water main broke, according to Tom LaPorte, spokesman for the Water Department. The heavy rain could have contributed to the break of the cast iron pipe that dates back to 1915, he said. Officials are looking at the age of the main as well as weather conditions. –Chicago Tribune

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