"Everybody is leaning kind of toward that - it's the Chupacabra! People have come up to me [saying] 'that's what the thing is 'cause I pulled it up on the Internet'." Legend has it the Chupacabra - also known as the "Goat Sucker" - kills goats and sucks their blood. The fabled creature has supposedly been spotted in South America, Mexico, Puerto Rico, as well as Texas and Oklahoma. "It's hard to judge what an animal is from just a photograph," said the Louisville Zoo. They would have to see the animal in person to study it and determine its species. At first glance, they believed the animal could be a raccoon or a dog, but not a mythical creature. "This is an animal that's native to our area, most likely that is suffering from some type disease." It isn't uncommon for an animal with a severe disease to lose fur and look unrecognizable.
May the flowers fill your heart with beauty,
May hope forever wipe away your tears,
And, above all, may silence make you strong.**
Chief Dan George
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12/24/10
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NEW ZEALAND - A series of strong aftershocks from a September earthquake has rattled Christchurch in New Zealand on one of the busiest shopping days of the year. The most powerful tremor was 4.9 magnitude and its impact was magnified by its proximity to the city centre. Buildings were damaged, power supplies temporarily cut and a large shopping centre was evacuated. The city of 370,000 people was hit by a 7.1-magnitude earthquake three months ago, causing widespread destruction. Two people were seriously injured in that quake, and older buildings including some landmarks were destroyed. Scientists say the tremors which continue to shake the area are related to the September quake and warn they could continue for some time. On Saturday, a 7.3 magnitude quake struck under the sea off Vanuatu, but there were no reports of damage or injuries.
Correspondents say it was a remarkable stroke of luck that no-one was hurt in Sunday's tremor. It struck at 1030 (2130 Saturday GMT) within 5km (three miles) of Christchurch at a depth of 12km. Shop fronts were shattered and in some places masonry could be seen littering the streets. Large parts of the central business district were cordoned off as police assessed damage to buildings. "To witness that first hand, it really scared the living daylights out of me. Buildings were exploding, and I thought it was glass but it was rock!"
ALASKA - A series of temblors has struck near an earthquake-prone region in the Aleutian Islands. The quakes all struck on Saturday and all were centered 30 to 50 miles off Adak Island, about 1,200 miles west of Anchorage. A 5.3-magnitude quake struck 11:45 a.m. That was followed by a 5.2-magnitude temblor at 12:20 p.m., and a 5.0 at 8:32 p.m. A smaller 3.3 quake also hit 60 miles south of Atka in the afternoon. The region is frequently hit by quakes, but monitoring agencies say they rarely receive reports of anyone feeling them.
TROPICAL STORMS -
No current tropical cyclones.
AUSTRALIA - A category one cyclone crossed the far north Queensland coast, bringing heavy rain and winds of up to 105 kilometres an hour. Rainfall of about 100 millimetres was been recorded in the space of an hour. Forecasters say the winds dropped in intensity as Cyclone Tasha crossed the coast, and heavy rain is now the main concern. Hundreds of emergency workers and volunteers in Queensland put their Christmas plans on hold to prepare for the cyclone. A severe weather warning was been issued for much of the state. Flooding is causing major problems in many parts of the state, cutting off some roads and rural communities.
More rain forecast for Qld's sodden tropical north - North Queensland will have a brief reprieve from torrential rain this evening as ex-tropical cyclone Tasha bears down on the south-east corner. Torrential rain lashed Queensland’s far north and central coast yesterday, even after tropical Cyclone Tasha ran out of puff between Cairns and Innisfail early in the morning. The category one cyclone was quickly downgraded to a low after it hit land just south of Cairns, but a low pressure system delivered a torrential downpour to areas from Cairns to Rockhampton, causing widespread flooding. About 7000 properties lost power, the roof was ripped off a house at Mission Beach, and the State Emergency Service responded to more than 150 calls for help, in addition to 417 calls throughout the state on Christmas Eve.
The heaviest falls were recorded near Cairns, Townsville, Mackay and Rockhampton yesterday. The Goldsborough Valley, south of Cairns, has received 279 millimetres of rain in the past 48 hours, while Corsis cattle station has received 277 millimetres and Topaz station has received 276 millimetres. Thunderstorms will continue to plague the state’s north during the holiday period. ‘‘Without the low pressure system at work conditions will revert back to seasonal thunderstorms and showers in the north." The rain will continue to cause minimal flooding in the already sodden region. Brisbane is expected to be hit with torrential rain overnight.
It is unlikely that a third monsoonal low brewing off the Queensland coast will develop into a tropical cyclone. The low pressure system will deliver more rain, but will not have time to intensify to form a cyclone. "It hasn’t quite formed in the Gulf of Carpentaria at the moment, but it will become more obvious on Tuesday. It doesn’t look like a major threat at the moment, unless something happens at the very end there." The chance of a second cyclone crossing the coast before the new year is less than five per cent. However the tropical low will continue to lash the state’s waterlogged north and central coast this week. The bureau has issued a severe weather warning for coastal areas between Mackay and the New South Wales border.
HEAVY SNOW / EXTREME COLD -
U.S. - THIRD WEEK IN A ROW that the Minnesota Vikings game has been moved due to extreme weather! A swathe of the US eastern seaboard is being engulfed in a winter storm that is dumping heavy snow as it sweeps north. Hundreds of flights have been cancelled and severe weather warnings are in place from Georgia to Vermont as temperatures continue to plummet. Blizzards dropping up to 1ft (31cm) of snow are hitting New York and parts of New England. South Carolina had its FIRST CHRISTMAS SNOW SINCE RECORDS BEGAN in 1887. The football game between the Philadelphia Eagles and Minnesota Vikings was postponed until Tuesday in Philadelphia because of the blizzard. (Two weeks ago the game was moved out of Minneapolis due to the Metrodome collapsing in heavy snow and last week the game was moved to the University of Minnesota outdoor stadium due to the collapsed dome.) Up to 20in of snow were expected in some areas, including Philadelphia.
Blizzard warnings were in effect for Rhode Island and most of eastern Massachusetts including Boston. Forecasters were predicting more than 1ft of snow from midday on Sunday until late afternoon. The MONSTER STORM was the result of a low pressure system off North Carolina's coast which was moving north-east and intensifying. Snow began falling around New York City late on Sunday morning and up to 18in was predicted to fall on the New Jersey coast, with wind gusts of more than 40mph (64km/h). Maryland, Virginia and North Carolina had declared states of emergency by early Sunday. As conditions worsened on Sunday, transport services were being cancelled.
A band of frigid weather was snaking up the East Coast on Sunday, promising blizzards and a foot of snow for New York City and New England. Travel misery began a day earlier in parts of the South, where a RARE Christmas came with reports of dozens of car crashes. The Northeast is expected to get the brunt of the storm. In London, Heathrow Airport was open Sunday, but warned on its website of flight cancellations and delays due to bad weather in the U.S. In Paris, five flights leaving for JFK from Charles de Gaulle airport were canceled Sunday.
The white Christmas in the South was one for the record books. Atlanta, Georgia had just over an inch of snow - THE FIRST MEASURABLE ACCUMULATION SINCE THE 1880s on Christmas Day. 8.5 inches of snow fell in Franklinton, North Carolina.
IRELAND - Northern Ireland’s councils are preparing emergency shelter for those severely affected by the extreme weather. The RECORD-BREAKING CONDITIONS have resulted in frozen and burst pipes and many people in the province have been left without heat, electricity or running water. Plans include opening council properties as emergency reception facilities for those in need. “Many people, including senior citizens and families with small children, are facing Christmas without any heat or running water. They can’t live in those circumstances for days while they wait on a thaw. I have therefore requested that councils be prepared to open humanitarian centres, if required, to cater for the needs of these people over the Christmas period and beyond."
There was also concern over very high levels of air pollution across Northern Ireland. The minister said that freezing weather been a factor in the rise in levels of air pollution. Emissions from vehicles and home heating systems had built up in the air during the calm, cold weather conditions across Northern Ireland. These conditions are forecast to continue until Boxing Day. Areas which are particularly bad are Londonderry, Cookstown and Armagh. High levels have also been recorded in Newry, Lisburn and Belfast. These areas are being monitored on a regular basis. Those with heart or lung diseases, including asthma, may be affected by the increased air pollution but healthy people are unlikely to experience any ill-effects.
RUSSIA - Freezing rain shuts Moscow's airport and cuts power. Freezing rain has badly disrupted air traffic at Moscow's airports and left more than 400,000 people in and around Russia's capital without electricity. Rain that immediately turned into ice on the ground caused power failures, shutting Domodedovo airport for hours and stranding thousands of people. The power was later restored. Dozens of flights to and from other Moscow airports were cancelled. Bad weather also turned many streets in the city into ice rinks. More than 60 flights were also cancelled at other Moscow airports because of bad weather. In the city itself, freezing rain damaged power supplies to trams and trolley buses and caused huge traffic jams. Health officials urged residents not to risk walking on the icy streets and stay indoors.
A strong cyclone was raging over the southern districts of Kamchatka on Saturday. Flights on the local airlines were suspended. The Kamchatka residents were recommended to be careful in the streets. The southern Ust-Bolsheretsk district was the hardest hit of the cyclone overnight to Saturday, when the hurricane winds reached 46 meters per second. The gusts of wind reached 32 meters per second in Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky. No snow blizzards were reported on the peninsula. The storm is raging in the Northwest Pacific off the Kamchatka coast with the waves six meters high. The Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky airport is open, but the air traffic situation is complicated by high winds. The gusts of wind reach 28 meters per second. A high avalanche hazard was announced in the territorial highlands.
HEALTH THREATS -
Swine flu sweeps through the United Kingdom, sparks fear of epidemic - The flu season has kicked off and it is the swine flu strain of the disease that is leading the way as the flu continues to sweep through the UK. The UK is under a great deal of fear heading into the new year as there have been dozens upon dozens of deaths as a result of the flu since the end of October. There have been reported cases all over the UK for the past few months, sparking fear that an epidemic will be looming. The UK is not alone, as all members of the European Union are seeing a steep rise in flu cases. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has confirmed that flu activity is on the rise, but in the U.S. the belief is that the risk is still fairly low. That has not stopped the European Center for Disease Prevention and Control to send out a warning for the rest of Europe - It is more important than ever to take precautions and get vaccinated, and to be on notice for symptoms related to the flu.
Northern hemisphere countries are being told by health experts to brace themselves for flu outbreaks. There has been a surge of cases in the UK during December with swine flu appearing to be the dominant of the three strains circulating. But the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control warned much of the rest of Europe was also beginning to see increases too.
Many of those being infected are younger age groups. This is because elderly people have some immunity to swine flu, most probably because of exposure to a similar strain many years ago. In the UK, the number of people who have died with all types of flu this winter hit 27 this week after another 10 deaths. The volume of patients going to their doctor with flu-like illnesses also rose, more than doubling to 87.1 per 100,000 in the past week. Cases have been highest in children aged between five and 14, followed by children under four and then those aged between 15 and 44. But the UK's Health Protection Agency said a very large outbreak was "not likely". "Recent research conducted by the HPA has suggested that a very substantial wave of activity associated with the pandemic strain is not likely." Health experts said most people with flu would be able to "self-care" by taking plenty of rest, drinking fluids and taking pain relief. The numbers getting immunised are still too low, doctors have said. The rates being seen elsewhere in Europe are not as high as in the UK, but the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control said there was evidence that the winter flu epidemics were "starting". Russia and the Ukraine are thought to be the worst hit outside the UK.
RECALLS & ALERTS:
- A Salmonella Montevideo outbreak caused by contaminated pepper used in salami lasted more than 9 months and involved 272 cases in 44 states. The outbreak lasted from July 2009 until mid April 2010. The outbreak was linked to sausages made by Daniele Inc., a Rhode Island company. The contaminated pepper was applied after the salami had undergone microbe-killing processing. "Companies are not required to treat spices, and manufacturers are not required to use treated spices in their products. However, the Food and Drug Administration is working with spice trade groups and with other agencies to develop recommendations on spice safety standards. Store membership and shopper cards proved useful in tracking down the food source of the outbreak.
- Sprouts suspected in multistate Salmonella outbreak.
