News & Politics - Weather, Nature and Environmental News #1 : all the weather, all the time

**Wildfire Girl** · 06-11-2010, 10:02 AM

I figured I'd start a thread about news related to the weather ... floods, hurricanes, tornadoes, wildfires, etc.

**Wildfire Girl** · 06-11-2010, 10:04 AM

This headline caught my attention this morning on MSN because I live relatively near this area. (100 miles or less away)

12 dead in Arkansas flash floods - Life- msnbc.com

Quote:

CADDO GAP, Ark. - Deadly flash floods triggered by up to a half-foot of rain swamped campgrounds in southwestern Arkansas, drowning at least 12 people that may have included children, officials said.

The normally peaceful Caddo and Little Missouri rivers rose by 20 feet overnight, swamping hikers and campers spending the night in the remote and normally serene Ouachita Mountains. The area also includes second homes, hunting camps and U.S. Forest Service campgrounds.

"We don't know who was in there last night," State Police spokesman Bill Sadler said. "This is a very wide area."

Sadler said officials were moving in a refrigerated truck to set up a temporary morgue. Searchers were working along the Little Missouri River in Montgomery and Pike counties and the National Guard dispatched helicopters to help in the rescue.

Sadler confirmed the dozen deaths, while others remained trapped and missing along the rivers in the rugged Ouachita Mountains of western Arkansas.

Search and rescue efforts were ongoing at the Albert Pike Campground, west of Little Rock.

Montgomery County Deputy Buzz Robins said there were multiple victims and that attempts were being made to rescue others.

Gov. Mike Beebe, in Dumas for an economic develop announcement, said the deaths occurred about 5:30 a.m., when the water hit its peak. He said he did not plan to visit the site immediately.

"I don't want to get in the way," Beebe said. "There is an intense search-and-rescue attempt."

The Little Missouri west of Caddo Gap stood at 3 feet Thursday but after 7.6 inches of rain fell in the area overnight the level jumped to 23.5 feet by Friday morning. At 10 a.m. it had dropped to 11.5 feet.

The damage was centered around the Camp Albert Pike area, 75 miles west of Little Rock.

Flash flooding was reported in the area at 5:58 a.m. CT, according to the National Weather Service. Parts of the state remain under a flash flood watch.

Hikers and campers flock to the area, 75 miles west of Little Rock, for its gorges and scenic views. Others have second homes or cabins in the area.

(I live at about the O or K in the OKLA in the image)

vc318 · 06-11-2010, 12:49 PM

I just heard about the flood! Very sad news. I hope that they are able to find more survivors.

**sunnykerr** · 06-11-2010, 07:32 PM

Quote:

Arkansas floodwaters hit campsites and leave 16 dead

At least 16 people have died in the US state of Arkansas after floodwaters hit campsites in a mountainous national park, state governor Mike Beebe says.

Two dozen people were taken to hospital and some 30 others remained unaccounted for.

Helicopters are taking part in the search in a remote, mountainous area in the state's south-west.

The operation is focused on campsites along the Little Missouri and Caddo rivers in the Ouchita Mountains.

Mr Beebe said the deaths had occurred at about 0530, when the floodwaters reached their peak.

A river gauge at Langley, just south of Albert Pike in the Ouachita National Forest, showed the water rose 8ft (2.4m) in one hour, according to the US Geological Survey.

The National Weather Service said 7.6in (19.3cm) of rain had fallen overnight.

Some campers described how they had to cling to trees for hours to survive.

The remains of destroyed tents and damaged log cabins were later seen lining the banks of the swollen rivers.

The governor said damage to the area was comparable to a strong tornado.

'People trapped'

Police spokesman Bill Sadler told US network CNN: "We believe there are still individuals trapped in the area.

"The primary mission of the Arkansas state police working with the local authorities right now is to get the living out of that area and locate the dead."

Officials were bringing in a refrigerated truck to act as a temporary morgue, he said.

The authorities warned that it could take days to find survivors or recover bodies because of the rugged terrain.

Police originally put the death toll at 12 and later updated it to 20, but the governor's office said the higher figure had been based on an erroneous figure from a rescue worker.

It is not clear whether all those killed were staying at the campsites washed away by the floodwaters.

Brigette Williams, of the American Red Cross in the state capital Little Rock, said between 200 and 300 people were believed to be in the area at the time but it was unclear how many were campers and how many local residents.

Rescue worker Gary Fox said the Albert Pike Recreation Area, a 54-unit campsite in the national forest, was packed with families on holiday when the floodwaters hit.

More than 20 people were taken to hospital and another 60 were rescued from the steep Ouachita Mountains valley.

The region includes a mix of campsites, hunting grounds and private homes.

Marc and Stacy McNeil of Marshall, Texas, survived by hauling their pick-up truck between two trees and standing in waist-deep water.

"It was just like a boat tied to a tree," Mr McNeil said, describing how the truck bobbed up and down.

They said the water kept rising throughout the night. By dawn the rain stopped, the water receded and they were able to walk to safety.

National Guard troops are helping to look for those affected.

BBC News - Arkansas floodwaters hit campsites and leave 16 dead

This is so terrible!

I hope they find the people who are missing. I hope they're just trapped somewhere and not already dead.

**sunnykerr** · 06-11-2010, 07:36 PM

Quote:

Severe weather rakes Midwest; 7 dead

Seven people were killed in Ohio as severe thunderstorms and tornadoes raked the Midwest on Saturday and early Sunday, authorities said.

The deaths came in Wood County when a tornado touched down there overnight, state Emergency Management Agency spokeswoman Kelli Blackwell told CNN. Wood County is about 30 miles south of Toledo.

A 5-year-old child was among the deaths in Millbury, Ohio, according to Wood County dispatchers, who received the information from Lake Township Police Chief Mark Hummer. Four other victims ranged in age from 20 to 56, dispatchers said, and details on the remaining two were not immediately available.

A man was also found dead in the street in Millbury, and two adults died in a van in Lake Township, about five miles from Millbury, Blackwell said.

In Michigan, 11 people were injured when a storm struck Monroe County, and damage to the exterior wall of the Fermi 2 Nuclear Power Plant prompted an automatic shutdown, said Dan Smith, spokesman for the county's emergency management division. The plant will remain closed until crews have assessed the damage, he said.

Ten people were taken to hospitals by ambulance, and one was flown, after the storm struck about 3 a.m. Sunday, Smith said. Field crews were assessing the number of homes and businesses damaged in Dundee Village and Dundee Township, he said.

Up to 500 people staying at a water park resort were evacuated safely to a middle school, Smith said.

Several other communities in Illinois were hard-hit by severe weather. The town of Streator looks "like a war zone," Mayor Jimmie Lansford said. A total of 50 people were triaged, and 17 were transferred to hospitals and later released, he said.

The National Weather Service confirmed Sunday the tornado was an F2, with winds between 113 and 157 mph. Officials report about 30 homes damaged, including three destroyed on the south side of Streator.

"It cut a path from the west side of town all the way through to the east side of town," Lansford said.

Many trees and power lines were downed and a couple of businesses sustained some damage but the extent is unknown, Lansford said.

"If it would have been two blocks farther north, St. Mary's Hospital would have been right in the path and it would have been devastating," Lansford said. "It could have been a lot worse."

iReport: Are you there? Share photos, video

A tornado touched down in Elmwood, Illinois, Saturday night, according to the Peoria County Sheriff's Office. Pictures from CNN affiliate WMBD showed a twisted gas station awning and streets covered with debris, branches and broken glass. The tornado ripped through downtown Elmwood, tearing the second stories off buildings in some cases, WMBD reported.

Footage of storm damage across several states showed buildings with roofs ripped off, other structures reduced to rubble and overturned school buses and RVs.

Severe weather rakes Midwest; 7 dead - CNN.com

Okay, good timing on creating this thread, Kar, because it seems you guys are having very bananas weather at the moment!

**Wildfire Girl** · 06-12-2010, 04:50 PM

Yeah, the midwest is all kinds of fun weather-wise in the summer.

But I've heard some personal stories about the floods. Our AGFC Wildlife Officers have gone to help with some of the rescue effots and one was telling me to today about a buddy who was helping with the efforts and there were two stories of these families ... one the mother and father had a 2 year old and were struggling to stay afloat in the floodwaters and knew they couldn't fight the current and tossed the child to a stranger who'd managed to crawl out. So they saved their child but died. Then another story was a husband and wife and their child struggling and were exhausted and the man was able to get ahold of a tree and climb and was trying to help the child and wife but was too exhausted to hang out and hang on to both them and the wife made him take the child and let herself be swept away to die. It's so heartbreaking to me, how unexpected the flood was in what should have been a family fun place.

**sunnykerr** · 06-13-2010, 01:59 PM

Oh, my God. That is beyond sad...

**Wildfire Girl** · 06-14-2010, 11:42 AM

I know. I can't watch or listen to the coverage on it anymore. It's so ... personal and real and horrifying.

Speaking of which ... Okla. flash floods strand cars, close interstates - Weather- msnbc.com

Quote:

OKLAHOMA CITY - Flash flooding across the Oklahoma City area stranded motorists on their morning commutes Monday, prompting at least a half-dozen rescues and at least three interstate closures, authorities said.

No injuries were immediately reported but drivers were being warned to stay off the roads, Oklahoma Police Lt. Gamille Hardin said. Portions of interstates 35, 44 and 235 were closed, as were numerous smaller thoroughfares in and out of the metro area.

"There are cars where you can see just the rooftops, they're totally submerged in water," Hardin said. Footage from KOCO-TV showed a person bailing water out of the passenger-side window of a half-submerged car before being rescued by crews on a boat.

"There are various swift-water rescues that have occurred and are currently taking place across the city," said Oklahoma City emergency management director Frank Barnes.

One woman was shown live on CNN swimming against the swift current and clinging to tree branches while awaiting rescue.

Fire crews went door-to-door in the northwest neighborhood of Ski Island, asking residents whose homes back up to Spring Creek to voluntarily evacuate while a nearby dam is evaluated. Rising water was creeping toward the top of the dam by late morning, Oklahoma City spokeswoman Kristy Yager said.

Anywhere from 1 to 3 inches of rain an hour were falling on parts of the city, and the National Weather Service said a few spots had received 9 inches of rain in a matter of hours. Lightning knocked out electricity to some areas.

"There's been showers and thunderstorms almost continually for the better part of six hours," said weather service forecaster Forrest Mitchell. "There are road closings too numerous to mention across Oklahoma County.

The main roadway into Will Rogers World Airport was shut down for more than an hour early Monday, and airport officials said several flight delays were reported.

"Downtown is flooded," Yager said. "We have a few traffic lights that are out causing problems. Stalled vehicles are causing problems. Crews are in the same situation that our travelers are in. They are stuck in this traffic as well."

And those rains are headed our way for tonight. Yay .... UGH

**sunnykerr** · 06-14-2010, 06:22 PM

There's been some mud slides up here, but I don't think the casualty rate's been so high.

It really is starting to sound like we're in it for a whackadoodle summer, weather-wise.

**Callace** · 06-15-2010, 10:13 AM

Good idea for a thread

We talk about the weather so much that it deserved an own thread

**sunnykerr** · 06-15-2010, 05:58 PM

Well, like I said, it seems we're headed for a bizarre summer, weather-wise.

I really, really hope there are no more tragedies in Arkansas, though. Seems there's more flooding in Kansas now, though.

Quote:

Flooding closes roads, inspires cleanup

Strong winds combined with torrential rains — some falling as heavy as an inch an hour — prompted a cleanup early Monday and a few road closings as area creeks and rivers overflowed their banks.

Portions of southeast and south-central Kansas were under a flood watch Monday, and that watch was expected to continue through this morning. Affected areas included Cowley, Allen, Chautauqua, Elk, Greenwood, Labette, Montgomery, Neosho, Wilson and Woodson counties. Parts of southeast Kansas also are in a flash flood watch through this morning.

Wichita received 2.06 inches of rain Sunday night, said Ken Cook, meteorologist with the National Weather Service in Wichita.

"There are some areas that have received as much as 6 inches of rain in the last couple of days,'' Cook said. "There are reports that parts of western Kingman County received as much as 8 inches."

So far, the rainfall hasn't broken any records.

In Sedgwick County, officials were keeping a wary eye on the "typical suspects," said deputy director John Crosby of Sedgwick County Emergency Management.

The Little Arkansas River was at flood stage in Sedgwick at the Reno County line, as was the Arkansas River in Mulvane and Cowskin Creek in west Wichita.

"I don't currently think we are going to be overwhelmed, but we are approaching flood stage on all of those," Crosby said.

Monday, Ridge Road from 109th Street North to the town of Sedgwick was closed due to high water. Also, 135th Street West between 21st and 29th was closed because of flooding.

Both roads were still closed Monday night, said Sedgwick County public works officials. They're likely to remain closed until the Little Arkansas and Cowskin Creek drop below flood stage, said John Crosby, deputy director of Sedgwick County Emergency Management.

Earlier Monday, a resident reported water over 45th Street North between Tyler and Ridge.

The Wichita Fire Department was called to assist a person whose vehicle had stalled in high water on 13th between 119th and 135th West.

Bill Guy, director of emergency management in Reno County, said the worst may be to come.

Weekend rains — between 4 and 7 inches — saturated fields and filled streams and creeks northwest of Sedgwick and Reno counties.

All that runoff is moving downstream and feeding into the Cowskin and the Little Arkansas and Arkansas rivers.

Reno County listed more than a dozen road closings Monday night, including sections of Clark, Illinois, Nickerson and Centennial Roads.

"In 24 hours we may have bigger issues," Guy said. "All that water moves in our direction and it comes down from Cheyenne Bottoms in Barton County and drains into Cow Creek. We expect further road closings as the water migrates from Rice County and the fields."

Cow Creek is close to flood stage.

Winds of 60 to 70 mph and, in some cases, hail up to one inch hail slammed through some areas of the state Sunday night.

In Lindsborg, people were cleaning up debris Monday, said resident Ann Parr. The roof of the high school gym was partially torn off by the storm.

Tree limbs were broken and some large trees were overturned, and some houses received structural damage.

The strongest thunderstorms produced 3 to 4 inches per hour Sunday afternoon and evening, according to the National Weather Service.

Today's forecast calls for drier weather and a chance for area creeks and streams to recede.

But because of the flooding potential, Sedgwick County Emergency Management authorities encouraged people to use caution if they encounter water running across roadways.

Drier, warmer weather is expected to return to the rest of the state by midweek.

Flooding closes roads, inspires cleanup | Featured Story | Wichita Eagle

And, realistically, this has only just begun.

vc318 · 06-15-2010, 07:48 PM

Yeah, I hear this is going to be the summer for rain, rain, rain.

More bizarre weather news:

6-story Jesus statue in Ohio struck by lightning - Yahoo! News

6-story Jesus statue in Ohio struck by lightning

MONROE, Ohio – A six-story statue of Jesus Christ was struck by lightning and burned to the ground, leaving only a blackened steel skeleton and pieces of foam that were scooped up by curious onlookers Tuesday.

The "King of Kings" statue, one of southwest Ohio's most familiar landmarks, had stood since 2004 at the evangelical Solid Rock Church along Interstate 75 in Monroe, just north of Cincinnati.

The lightning strike set the statue ablaze around 11:15 p.m. Monday, Monroe police dispatchers said.

The sculpture, about 62 feet tall and 40 feet wide at the base, showed Jesus from the torso up and was nicknamed Touchdown Jesus because of the way the arms were raised, similar to a referee signaling a touchdown. It was made of plastic foam and fiberglass over a steel frame, which is all that remained Tuesday.

The nickname is the same used for a famous mural of the resurrected Jesus that overlooks the Notre Dame football stadium.

The fire spread from the statue to an adjacent amphitheater but was confined to the attic area, and no one was injured, police Chief Mark Neu said.
Estimated damage from the fire was set at $700,000 — $300,000 for the statue and $400,000 for the amphitheater, Fire Capt. Richard Mascarella said Tuesday.

The Ohio State Highway Patrol was at the scene Tuesday to prevent traffic jams and potential accidents from motorists stopping along the highway to take photographs.

The patrol began issuing citations about 4 p.m. Tuesday to motorists for stopping on the side of the highway, dispatcher Adam Brown said. The number of gawkers coupled with construction had slowed I-75 traffic in the area to a crawl, the state Highway Patrol said.

Some people were scooping up pieces of the statue's foam from the nearby pond to take home with them, said church co-pastor Darlene Bishop.

"This meant a lot to a lot of people," she said.

Keith Lewis, of nearby Middletown, arrived at the church around 7 a.m. Tuesday to photograph the remains for his wife. Lewis said he had viewed the statue as both an oddity and an inspiration.

Cassie Browning, a church member from Dayton, said she was driving home when she saw smoke and noticed the statue was missing.

Travelers on I-75 often were startled to come upon the huge statue by the roadside, but many said America needs more symbols like it. So many people stopped at the church campus that church officials had to build a walkway to accommodate them.

Bishop said the statue will be rebuilt.

"It will be back, but this time we are going to try for something fireproof," she said.

The 4,000-member, nondenominational church was founded by Bishop and her husband, former horse trader Lawrence Bishop.

Lawrence Bishop said in 2004 he was trying to help people, not impress them, with the statue. He said his wife proposed the Jesus figure as a beacon of hope and salvation.

That's creepy - "blackened steel skeleton"?! Oh gosh.

**sunnykerr** · 06-16-2010, 04:04 PM

And no one thinks this is a sign from God that building 60-feet-tall effigies is a bad use of resources?

Okay, yeah, we already knew I'm going to hell.

I just... as a non-Christian, the thought of a bust of Jesus Christ, with his arms raised above his head no less, kinda creeps me out.

But, on the whole "I am human and also have a heart front", this must be terrible blow to the community. Hopefully, they'll find strength in the fact that no one seems to have been hurt and they can rebuilt.

**sunnykerr** · 06-16-2010, 04:12 PM

Quote:

Deadly flash floods hit southern France

At least 19 people have been killed by flash floods in south-eastern France, officials say.

Several others have been reported missing after torrential rain hit the mountains above the Cote D'Azur region on Tuesday.

A number of towns in the department of Var were affected, with hundreds of homes flooded.

Meteo France, the national weather service, said up to 40cm (15.7in) of rain had fallen since Tuesday.

Meterologists say the floods are the worst in the region since 1827.

About 2,000 rescue workers have been drafted into affected regions around Draguignan - the worst-hit area - near the Mediterranean coast to help those trapped in their vehicles or houses.

'Devastated'

Water levels were said to be falling slightly in Draguignan on Wednesday, though the rain was continuing in nearby Roquebrune and Frejus.

Meteo France has warned of further storms on Wednesday night.

"We have never seen so much rain in the month of June," Patrick Galois of Meteo France told the AFP news agency.

At least 1,000 people had to leave their homes and spend the night in schools or other temporary shelters, and some 175,000 houses were estimated to have been left without electricity.

Some reportedly sought shelter on the roofs of their homes, while helicopters were brought in to rescue people.

Rescue teams had to moved 436 inmates from a prison in Draguignan after two floors flooded.

The force of the water swept empty cars and other vehicles down streets in Draguignan.

"This morning, we woke up to find a town centre that was devastated, extremely battered with overturned cars floating in the streets, collapsed roads and gutted houses," said Corinne Orzechowski, the official leading the emergency operation.

Condolences

The BBC's Hugh Schofield in Paris says that many of those who died were caught in their cars.

Rail and air services in the region were interrupted, and about 300 passengers travelling on a high-speed train between Nice and Lille had been trapped by the flood waters, the AFP news agency reported.

The railway line between Toulon and Frejus will be closed until Thursday morning.

President Nicolas Sarkozy offered condolences to the families of the victims, and pledged his support to rescue workers "mobilising non-stop to provide aid and find those still missing".

He plans to visit the area early next week.

BBC News - Deadly flash floods hit southern France

It seems like many parts of the world are seeing some form of extreme weather or another...

The loss of life is always very tragic.

**Wildfire Girl** · 06-16-2010, 04:31 PM

I saw the news about the floods in France. Yeah, the weather is being freaky all around right now


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