Quakes in southwest China

Quakes in southwest China kill dozens, damage 20,000 homes

BEIJING | Fri Sep 7, 2012
(Reuters) - Two shallow 5.6 magnitude earthquakes hit southwestern China on Friday, killing at least 50 people and forcing tens of thousands of people from damaged buildings, state media said.

The quakes struck near the border of Yunnan and Guizhou provinces, the first one at 11:19 a.m. (0319 GMT) and the second one about 45 minutes later, the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) said.

About 150 people were injured and 20,000 homes damaged, the official Xinhua news agency said.

Costa Rica Escapes Serious Damage From Big Quake

Costa Rica Escapes Serious Damage From Big Quake

By CESAR BARRANTES and DANICA COTO Associated Press
CANGREJAL, Costa Rica September 5, 2012 (AP)
The bulletins were terrifying: a powerful earthquake had struck off the coast of this Central American country, spawning a tsunami warning and bringing fears of widespread catastrophe.

But Costa Rica suffered remarkably little damage from Wednesday's magnitude-7.6 quake — a few blocked highways, some collapsed houses and one death, of a heart attack caused by fright. Officials credited the relatively deep location of the quake and building codes that Costa Rican officials call as strict as those in California and Japan.

The quake was 25 miles (41 kilometers) below the surface. Tremors that occur deep underground tend to be less damaging, but their shaking can be felt over a wider area.

"If it was a shallower event, it would be a significantly higher hazard," said seismologist Daniel McNamara of the U.S. Geological Survey.

Flooding, power outages linger in Isaac's wake

Flooding, power outages linger in Isaac's wake

September 3, 2012

CBS/AP) NEW ORLEANS — Days after Isaac hammered Louisiana and Mississippi with winds and rain, much of a parish southeast of New Orleans was still flooded and thousands are without power.

Thousands of evacuees remained at shelters or bunked with friends or relatives.

"My family is split up," said Angela Serpas, from severely flooded Braithwaite in Plaquemines Parish. Serpas and her daughter were staying with her in-laws while her husband and son were staying in Belle Chasse, a suburban area of the parish.

Wildfire Chases Visitors out of Southern CA Forest

Wildfire Chases Visitors out of Southern CA Forest

GLENDORA, Calif. September 3, 2012 (AP)
A wildfire that broke out in the Angeles National Forest has cut short the Labor Day holiday weekend for thousands of visitors who flock to the popular recreational attraction.

The fire broke out near a campground Sunday afternoon and quickly grew to 3,600 acres, or about 5½ square miles. It sent a huge cloud of smoke that could be seen from the coast to the desert inland.

Campgrounds that typically attract up to 12,000 visitors on the holiday weekend, as well as rehabilitation centers and the private community of Camp Williams Resort above the city of Glendora, were evacuated, forest spokeswoman L'Tanga Watson said.
The forest is heavily used by Southern California residents because it is close

Tropical Storm Isaac Nears With Rainfall the Biggest Concern

Tropical Storm Isaac Nears With Rainfall the Biggest Concern

By ANTHONY CASTELLANO, ALEXANDRA LUDKA and CHRISTINA NG (@ChristinaNg27)
Aug. 28, 2012
Tropical Storm Isaac is on the verge of becoming a Category 1 hurricane before it makes landfall, but forecasters say the biggest threat will be the rainfall and storm surge, not the wind.

Forecasters have projected landfall as early as tonight, a day short of the seventh anniversary of Hurricane Katrina. New Orleans Mayor Mitch Landrieu Monday said Isaac's path is similar to Katrina's and the anniversary has left much of the Gulf Coast on "a high level of anxiety."

Winds will be an issue initially when Isaac makes landfall with gusts up to 80 mph. Forecasters say the big threat will be the storm surge around New Orleans and Biloxi, Miss., where water might rise six to nine feet. The slow-moving storm is forecasted to hover over the Gulf Coast and could punish coastal areas with up to

Strong Earthquake Strikes El Salvador's Coast

Strong Earthquake Strikes El Salvador's Coast
August 27, 2012
A strong 7.3-magnitude earthquake has struck off the coast of El Salvador, triggering a small tsunami and initial warnings for the region that have been canceled.

The U.S. Geological Survey reports the epicenter of Monday's earthquake was located about 120 kilometers south of Usulutan. A magnitude 5.4 aftershock hit the same area about an hour later.
The Pacific Tsunami Warning Center says a small tsunami was observed along the coast in Acajutla, El Salvador. It canceled its warnings for Costa Rica, Nicaragua, El Salvador, Honduras, Guatemala, Panama and

Tropical Storm Isaac gains strength, expected to become hurricane Sunday

Tropical Storm Isaac gains strength, expected to become hurricane Sunday

Published August 26, 2012 Associated Press

KEY WEST, Fla. – Tropical Storm Isaac gained fresh muscle Sunday as it bore down on the Florida Keys, with forecasters warning it could grow into a dangerous Category 2 hurricane as it nears the northern Gulf Coast.
Isaac drew new strength early Sunday during a warm-water crossing of the Florida Straits after causing weekend havoc in Cuba, where it downed trees and power lines. Before that, Isaac was blamed for four deaths in Haiti.

Tropical storm Isaac heads toward Haiti, Dominican Republic

Tropical storm Isaac heads toward Haiti, Dominican Republic

Storm could beocme a hurricane when it enters the Gulf of Mexico
The Associated Press Posted: Aug 24, 2012

Tropical Storm Isaac strengthened slightly as it spun toward the Dominican Republic and Haiti, but seemed unlikely to gain enough steam early Friday to strike the island of Hispaniola as a hurricane.

The storm's failure to gain the kind of strength in the Caribbean that forecasters initially projected made it more likely that Isaac won't become a hurricane until it enters the Gulf of Mexico, said Eric Blake, a forecaster with U.S. National Hurricane Center in Miami.

"We think it could become a hurricane on Monday," Blake said late Thursday. "It would be somewhere over the Gulf of Mexico."

Tropical Storm Issac better organized, still threat for South Florida

Tropical Storm Issac better organized, still threat for South Florida

Posted on Wednesday, 08/22/12
BY CURTIS MORGAN
CMORGAN@MIAMIHERALD.COM
Tropical Storm Isaac grew better organized overnight and continued on a track that potentially could put it some where off the South Florida coast by early Monday.

The threat to Caribbean islands was clear and more immediate, with Isaac closing in on the chain of Leeward Islands. Warnings and watches were also posted for Puerto Rico to the Dominican Republic, which along with Haiti could see heavy rains, flooding and mud slides.

Storms knock out power as they rip through Northeast

Storms knock out power as they rip through Northeast

By Khara Lewin, CNN
July 27, 2012
(CNN) -- Storms ripped through the Northeast, killing at least two people as they unleashed strong winds and knocked out power to hundreds of thousands of customers, authorities said Friday.
The storms struck Thursday, and at one point that evening, severe thunderstorm watches were in effect for a continuous stretch from Oklahoma through New Jersey.
In Pennsylvania, a tree crushed a woman in her car as she sought shelter at a campsite, killing her, said Glenn Dunn, the emergency management coordinator for Potter County.

NASA: Strange and Sudden Massive Melt in Greenland

NASA: Strange and Sudden Massive Melt in Greenland

By SETH BORENSTEIN AP Science Writer
WASHINGTON July 24, 2012 (AP)





Nearly all of Greenland's massive ice sheet suddenly started melting a bit this month, a freak event that surprised scientists.

Even Greenland's coldest and highest place, Summit station, showed melting. Ice core records show that last happened in 1889 and occurs about once every 150 years.

Three satellites show what NASA calls unprecedented melting of the ice sheet that blankets the island, starting on July 8 and lasting four days. Most of the thick ice remains. While some ice usually melts during the summer, what was unusual was that the melting happened in a flash and over a widespread

Minor 3.8-magnitude earthquake rattles Los Angeles

Minor 3.8-magnitude earthquake rattles Los Angeles

Updated 06:59 a.m., Wednesday, July 25, 2012
LOS ANGELES (AP) — Seismologists say a mild earthquake widely felt throughout Southern California was centered along the coast west of downtown Los Angeles.

The U.S. Geological Survey says the magnitude-3.8 quake struck at 3:18 a.m. Wednesday. The epicenter was 2 miles east-southeast of Marina del Rey near Culver City and Inglewood.

A Sheriff's Department dispatcher says it "wasn't much of a quake" and that he hasn't had any calls from the public about it.

Within half an hour of the quake hitting, hundreds of people from as far away as Riverside and the San Fernando Valley reported feeling the shaking on the USGS website.

Fire Department spokesman Matt Spence says firefighters rolled out of stations throughout the city and surveyed 470 square miles. No infrastructure damage was found and no injuries have been reported.

Daily Forecast

Your Daily Forecast

 Jul 23, 2012
Today... Mostly sunny with a stray storm possible. Highs in the mid 90s.

Tonight... Mostly clear with lows in the low-to-mid 70s.

Tuesday... Mostly sunny with isolated afternoon storms. Highs in the mid-to-upper 90s.

Tuesday Night... Mostly clear with a very slight chance for t-showers. Lows in the mid 70s.

Tropical Storm Debby makes landfall on Fla. coast

Tropical Storm Debby makes landfall on Fla. coast

June26, 2012



CBS/AP) ST. GEORGE ISLAND, Fla. - Debby, the guest that wouldn't leave, is ruining things for a lot of other visitors.

Vacationers were wearing ponchos instead of swimsuits at the peak of the summer season because of the tropical storm, which has drenched Florida for at least four days straight like a giant shower head set up over the state's Gulf Coast. Debby has dumped as much as 26 inches of rain in some spots.

Disney World wasn't as crowded as usual, and one of its water parks closed because of the soggy, windy weather. Also, Sea World closed early on Monday.

Tropical Storm Debby forms in the Gulf

Tropical Storm Debby forms in the Gulf

By Associated Press
June 23, 2012
MIAMI (AP) — Tropical Storm Debby formed in the Gulf of Mexico on Saturday, interfering with oil and gas production and putting officials on alert for flooding and strong winds from Texas to Florida.
At least one tornado linked to the storm touched down in southwest Florida, but no injuries were reported. The storm's outer rain bands were pounding parts of the state.
Debby was about 220 miles (354 kilometers) south of the mouth of the Mississippi River, with maximum sustained winds of 50 mph (80 kph).
The center of Debby was expected to linger over the northern Gulf during the next few days with no landfall in the immediate forecast.

first day of summer

Weather: Soggy weather kicks off first day of summer

June 20 2012
BY ANDREA ASUAJE

The first day of summer is South Florida will be much more soggy than sunny.

A 100 percent chance of heavy rain is expected Wednesday, with a high in the low 80s, according to the National Weather Service.

The chance of rain will drop to 50 percent Wednesday night and temperatures will also lower to the high-70s.

Wet weather will continue on Thursday through Sunday with a 50 percent chance of rain and thunderstorms during the day and 40 percent chance of rain and storms at night.

Tropical Storm

Remnants of Tropical Storm Beryl spinning across south Georgia

By Mike Morris 5-29-2012

The Atlanta Journal-Constitution

The remnants of Tropical Storm Beryl continued to churn across extreme south Georgia early Tuesday, drenching the southern part of the state and bringing a chance of scattered showers to metro Atlanta later in the day.

At 5 a.m., Beryl was centered about 10 miles northwest of Valdosta, the National Weather Service said.

The storm, with sustained winds of 30 mph, was expected to take a turn toward the northeast and increase forward speed later in the day Tuesday, bringing the center of Beryl close to Savannah by

another earthquake

Italy hit by another deadly earthquake

May 29, 2012

(CBS/AP) MILAN - A magnitude 5.8 earthquake rattled northern Italy on Tuesday, leaving at least ten people dead, according to local Italian media and officials.

The United States Geological Survey said the quake, which struck at 9:00 a.m. local time (0300 Eastern) Tuesday, was centered 25 miles northwest of the central city of Bologna.

It hit the same region where a stronger temblor measuring 6.0 earlier this month killed seven people.

CBS News' Costanza Barone reports that, according to local media, as many as 7,000 people were displaced as the result of the quakes in northern Italy. The exact death toll could not immediately be confirmed, but local emergency responders told Italian television networks that at least ten people were dead, and many more missing amid the rubble.

Italian media also said a tower in San Felice sul Panaro had collapsed.

Hurricane Bud weakens off...

Hurricane Bud weakens off Mexico's Pacific coast

By David Alire Garcia | Reuters

5-25-2012

MANZANILLO, Mexico (Reuters) - Hurricane Bud weakened as it churned closer to Mexico's coast on Friday, but brought heavy rains and strong winds that downed trees and closed schools and a major Pacific shipping port.
The first hurricane of the 2012 season, Bud will hit the coast

Weekend Lyrid meteor shower visible from Earth, space and ... balloon?

By Tariq Malik


Lyrids display of "shooting stars" occurs late Saturday night and early Sunday