Sunday, September 14, 2014

Global Disaster Watch - daily natural disaster reports.



LARGEST QUAKES so far today -
This morning -
5.0 TONGA
5.5 NIAS REGION, INDONESIA

Yesterday, 9/13/14 -
5.3 HINDU KUSH REGION, AFGHANISTAN
5.2 TONGA
5.0 ICELAND
5.0 TAJIKISTAN

9/12/14 -
5.1 SOUTH OF FIJI ISLANDS
5.1 SERAM, INDONESIA
5.1 NICOBAR ISLANDS, INDIA REGION
5.3 NORTHERN SUMATRA, INDONESIA
5.0 NEAR N COAST OF PAPUA, INDONESIA
5.2 VOLCANO ISLANDS, JAPAN REGION
5.2 VANUATU
5.1 SOUTH SHETLAND ISLANDS
5.0 SOLOMON ISLANDS

After Napa earthquake, Silicon Valley looks to build high-tech alert system - Among the many things the Bay Area learned from the recent shaker near Napa is that UC Berkeley's earthquake warning system does indeed work for the handful of people who receive its messages, but the rest find out about a tremor only after it knocks them out of bed.

TROPICAL STORMS -
Current tropical storms - maps and details.

*In the Atlantic -
Hurricane Edouard is located about 860 mi (1385 km) NE of the northern Leeward Islands.

*In the Eastern Pacific -
Major Hurricane Odile expected to affect southern Baja California tonight and Monday, located about 140 mi (225 km) SSE of the southern tip of Baja California.

* In the Western Pacific Ocean -
Tropical storm Kalmaegi is located approximately 783 nm east of Hanoi, Vietnam.
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Typhoon Kalmaegi slams northern Philippines, cuts power lines - A strong typhoon slammed into the rice-producing Philippine northern region on Sunday, cutting power and communications lines and forcing people to flee to higher ground. Packing central winds of 130 kph and gusts of up to 160 kph, Typhoon Kalmaegi made landfall early evening Sunday in Isabela province, dumping heavy rains that soaked farms.
Halmaegi, known locally as "Luis", is moving west northwest at 22 kph, but is expected to weaken and lose speed as it will cross a mountainous region before exiting into the South China Sea. Typhoon alert levels were raised in 22 provinces, mostly in the northern and central plains of the main island of Luzon. People were warned against flash floods, landslides and storm surges reaching 2 metres in coastal areas.
On Sunday, civil aviation authorities grounded 24 domestic flights while the coast guard stopped ferries and fishing boats from going to sea. Soldiers were placed on alert to evacuated communities. "Some farmers have started to harvest rice and corn days before the typhoon." On Monday, some public offices and schools will be shut down because they will be used as temporary shelter areas.

Powerful Hurricane Odile aims at Mexico’s Baja - Hurricane Odile grew into a powerful Category 4 storm Sunday and took aim at the resort area of Los Cabos, prompting Mexican authorities to evacuate vulnerable coastal areas and prepare shelters for up to 30,000 people. The U.S. National Hurricane Center in Miami said Odile was on a track to pass close to or directly over the southern end of the Baja California Peninsula late Sunday and into Monday.

SEVERE RAIN STORMS, FLOODING, LANDSLIDES -
Asia floods - Kashmir valley 'submerged after floods'. Rescue efforts following the floods which have affected parts of Northern India and Pakistan have been disrupted by further rainfall. More than 400 people have died in landslides and flooding and hundreds of thousands of people remain trapped by floodwaters. India's air force has suspended rescue operations until the rain clears. Srinagar in Indian-administered Kashmir which is particularly badly hit. (video)

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