Sunday, June 15, 2014

Global Disaster Watch - daily natural disaster reports.

**The difference between the impossible and the possible lies in a man's determination.**
Tommy Lasorda

HAPPY FATHER'S DAY!


LARGEST QUAKES so far today -
5.6 NEAR EAST COAST OF HONSHU, JAPAN
5.6 NEAR EAST COAST OF HONSHU, JAPAN

Yesterday, 6/14/14 -
5.2 ANTOFAGASTA, CHILE
5.6 EASTERN HONSHU, JAPAN
6.4 SOUTH INDIAN OCEAN
5.3 SOLOMON ISLANDS
5.6 HINDU KUSH REGION, AFGHANISTAN

6/13/14 -
5.2 EASTERN NEW GUINEA REG., P.N.G.
5.7 SOUTHERN MID-ATLANTIC RIDGE
5.0 GUATEMALA
5.3 PAKISTAN
5.0 IZU ISLANDS, JAPAN REGION

Tsunami warning as quake hit Cocos Islands - A shallow 6.4-magnitude earthquake hit the southern Indian Ocean, prompting Australia to issue a tsunami warning.
The US Geological Survey said the quake struck at a depth of seven kilometres at 1110 GMT, almost 700 miles northwest of Australia's Cocos Islands, also known as the Keeling Islands. There were no immediate reports of damage or casualties, but the Joint Australian Tsunami Warning Centre issued an alert and advised people not to swim in the sea, and to move away from beaches, harbours, marinas and coastal estuaries. Evacuations from the area were unnecessary, it said.
The JATWC put the quake at a magnitude of 6.6. The Cocos Islands are located 2750 kilometres northwest of Perth in Western Australia.

VOLCANOES -
Anomalous seismic activity reported at Semisopochnoi volcano, Alaska - A swarm of earthquakes started at Semisopochnoi volcano on June 9 and escalated on June 12 at approximately 20:00 UTC. The continuation of this anomalous seismic activity prompted AVO to raise the Aviation Color Code to YELLOW and the Volcano Alert Level to ADVISORY. No eruptive activity is currently indicated.
AVO is closely monitoring the situation and will issue further updates as conditions change. Semisopochnoi volcano is monitored by a 6-station seismic network as well as satellite imagery. Five of the seismic stations on Semisopochnoi are currently operational. The telemetry system for the Semisopochnoi stations, located on Amchitka Island, was just repaired in late May.
Remote Semisopochnoi volcano occupies the largest, young volcanic island in the western Aleutians. The volcano is dominated by an 8-km (5-mile) diameter caldera that contains a small lake and a number of post-caldera cones and craters. The age of the caldera is not known with certainty.
The last known eruption of Semisopochnoi occurred in 1987, probably from Sugarloaf Peak on the south coast of the island, but details are lacking. Another prominent, young post-caldera landform is Mount Cerberus, a three-peaked cone cluster in the southwest part of the caldera. The island is uninhabited and part of the Alaska Maritime National Wildlife Refuge. It is located 65 km (40 mi) northeast of Amchitka Island and 200 km (130 mi) west of Adak.

TROPICAL STORMS -
Current tropical storms - maps and details.

* In the Western Pacific -
-Tropical Storm Hagibis is located approximately 146 nm east-northeast of Hong Kong.
-----------
Cyclone Nanauk: more than 30 Indian villages of coastal belt inundated. - More than 30 villages of Sindh and Makran coastal belt submerged as sea level has risen due to the cyclone which is likely to strike the coastal areas of Oman this Sunday.
The contact of fishermen with their families has cut off, while rain was also been forecast Saturday. Light rain and high velocity winds are continuing in coastal areas of Thatta. Protective embankment of Keti Bunder in Thatta was damaged as a result more than 30 villages including Keti Bander, Kharochhan and Ghorabari were flooded and the local residents were migrating towards safer place.
In Balochistan sea water has entered Dam, Sonmiani, Gadani shipyard and several other coastal areas, resulting people are shifting to safer areas. As many as 25 boats were damaged when waves hit beach in Jewani area along Balochistan coast.
Cyclone remnant may crawl towards Mumbai to bring rain - In an interesting but welcome twist in outlook for the monsoon, a remnant of weakening cyclone Nanauk is seen crawling its way back off Oman coast towards India.

SEVERE RAIN STORMS, FLOODING, LANDSLIDES -

Brazil - Rain-soaked workers were scrambling to complete the Beira Rio stadium on the eve of its World Cup debut on Sunday while sensitive officials looked on nervously. The stadium in the southern city of Porto Alegre resembled a muddy construction site following two days of steady and sometimes torrential rain that slowed the pace of work.
In the plaza outside the stadium, concession stands stood empty while workers splashed through large puddles trying to construct podiums for the World Cup's major sponsors. Workers tried to bridge big gaps in the perimeter fencing while metal detectors were in place but not operational. With time running out, workers were looking for a quick fix, covering massive holes with steel plates rather than filling them as newly-laid paving stones sank into the ground under the downpour.
Inside the stadium, work continued as technicians scurried around the pitch laying cables and setting up networks. Piles of debris and stacks of red seats filled one entrance into the 48,000 seat venue that is set to host four group matches and a last 16 game. In a fan area picnic tables were still wrapped in cardboard and plastic while a couple of stray dogs roamed around the venue searching for shelter.
When a Reuters reporter was spotted taking photographs he was stopped by officials and ordered to hand over his mobile phone or delete pictures of the chaotic scene.

Powerful tornado tears roofs off, trees out in Russia’s Far East - As Friday the 13th’s (bad) luck would have it, a devastating tornado hit the Sakhalin Region in Russia’s Far East, ripping off roofs, knocking down trees and power lines, cutting electricity for nearly 20,000 residents.
Repair works are now under way on more than 300 sites of Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk, the administrative center of Sakhalin Region, which storm unexpectedly hit late afternoon on Friday. The 'hurricane' in the city of Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk toppled over 1, 500 trees. Violent wind gusts of over 75mph (121kph), ripped tiles off roofs, dumping roof fragments on roads and cars. Some of them crushed cars flat, making this Friday the 13th truly unlucky for their owners. An emergency situation regime was introduced in southern Sakhalin after the 'hurricane'. (video at link)

HEALTH THREATS -
RECALLS & ALERTS

Whooping Cough Officially Epidemic in California - The number of whooping cough cases in California has officially reached epidemic proportions.

*****
Global Disaster Watch is on Facebook - with breaking news during the day.