nancyk58 Posted January 31, 2011 Author Share Posted January 31, 2011 NEWS ON 31.1.11 IN RELATION TO NATURAL DISASTERS NEWS ON 31.1.11 IN RELATION TO NATURAL DISASTERS Danish DR1 and TV2 NEWS: AUSTRALIA THREATENED BY TROPICAL STORM The hard-hit state of QUEENSLAND was hit by the tropical strom, ANTHONY which was accompanied by lots of heavy rain. A new tropical storm - hurricane YASI - is threatening QUEENSLAND. It is expected to reach the coast near Townsville on Wednesday. At present, YASI is a category 2 hurricane. But it may gain strength when moving across the Coral Sea. If YASI hits Queensland on Wednesday, the state will undoubtedly experience floodings. Harbours / ports have been closed today, Monday in Queensland. Tourists are being evacuated in high-risk areas. "It may be one of the most powerful and most serious tropical hurricanes ever", says Queensland's prime minister Anna Bligh. Meteorologists forecast heavy rain before the arrival of the hurricane which - according to prognoses - will hit with the same force as the KATRINA hurricane in the USA in 2005. Swedish SVT: FLOODING KILLING 34 PEOPLE IN BOLIVIA At least 34 people were killed when a river in south-east Bolivia overflowed its banks in Pampahuasi on Friday. The water masses swept away a bus according to the authorities, the news agency AFP reports. Swedish SVT: VOLCANO ERUPTING IN JAPAN AFTER MORE THAN 300 YEARS More than 1,000 people have been asked to leave their homes due to the eruption of volcano Shinmoedake in south Japan. The volcano began spewing ash and rocks last Wednesday after having been inactive for more than 300 years. It disrupted the air traffic. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nancyk58 Posted February 1, 2011 Author Share Posted February 1, 2011 More in relation to the erupting volcano in JAPAN Danish text-TV: JAPAN: EVACUATION OUT OF THE VOLCANIC REGION In the neighbourhood of the active volcano in south-west JAPAN, the authorities have brought 100 people to a safer place. On Monday 31.1.11 for the sixth consecutive day, the volcano Shinmoedake spewed 1000m high clouds of smoke and ashes up in the air. According to the authorities, they feared the emission of hot gases, water steam / vapour and rocks. The authorities decreed the evacuation of 1,100 people from the threatened areas. The volcano Shinmoedake is part of the Kirishima mountain range with 20 volcanoes. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nancyk58 Posted February 2, 2011 Author Share Posted February 2, 2011 NEWS ON 1.2.11 IN RELATION TO NATURAL DISASTERS NEWS ON 1.2.11 IN RELATION TO NATURAL DISASTERS Danish DR1 & German ZDF: TROPICAL STORM HITS AUSTRALIA /Swedish SVT: NEW MONSTER CYCLONE THREATENING AUSTRALIA The tropical storm YASI has gained strength to a category 3 storm. In a few hours it is expected to be a category 4 storm which is the second-highest category. YASI is expected to be very powerful while passing the Great Barrier Reef - the world's greatest coral reef which is expected to be severely damaged. YASI will lose some strength before it reaches the coast, but it will remain a very powerful tropical storm. It will make landfall near the town of CAIRNS where many tourists are staying before leaving for the Great Barrier Reef. Queensland's Prime Minister Anna Bligh said that YASI was highly dangerous and possibly the worst cyclone ever in this region. Inhabitants and tourists are being evacuated from the coast area of the Australian state of Queensland today since the authorities warned against a threatening "monster cyclone". The cyclone YASI is expected to reach the densely populated coast tomorrow or early Thursday. Meteorologists expect wind speeds / gusts of up to 250 km per hour or 70 m per second. The cyclone is expected to hit in particular the northern QUEENSLAND rather than the areas in the south that were hard hit by the floods earlier in January. In 2006, the cyclone Larry caused damage in the same area at about 10 billion. Swedish SVT: Aristide is allowed to return to HAITI Haiti's government is prepared to issue a diplomat passport to former president Jean-Bertrand Aristide. That means that he can return after 11 years in exile in South Africa, a high official announced on Monday 31.1.11. Aristide, Haiti's first democratically elected president has expressed his will to return to help his country. He was forced to leave Haiti in 2004 after an armed uprising. Recently the former dictator Jean-Claude "Baby Doc" Duvalier returned to Haiti. Swedish SVT: 6 million dollars on ex-dictator Jean-Claude "Baby Doc" Duvalier's bank account has been blocked by the Swiss authorities. German ZDF and Danish TV2 News: Erupting volcano in Japan caused broken windows The volcano Shinmoedake in Japan has been active for one week and has emitted a cloud of gas, ashes and rocks in connection with its biggest eruption. Windows were broken 8 km from the volcano. More than 1,000 were asked to leave their houses. Shinmoedake erupted 6 days ago after 52 years of inactivity. The Japanese islands have volcanic origins, and there are 12 active volcanoes. In 1991, 43 died when the volcano UNZEN erupted. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nancyk58 Posted February 2, 2011 Author Share Posted February 2, 2011 NEWS ON 2.2.11 IN RELATION TO NATURAL DISASTERS NEWS ON 2.2.11 IN RELATION TO NATURAL DISASTERS http://news.discovery.com/earth/cyclones-attacking-australia-110201.html TROPICAL CYCLONES ATTACKING AUSTRALIA Feb. 1, 2011 -- Tropical Cyclone Yasi, recently upgraded to a category 5, the highest level of threat, is bearing down on Queensland Australia and the Great Barrier Reef with wind speeds likely exceeding 175 mph. Heavy precipitation resulting from a combination of Tropical Storm Tasha in late 2010, monsoon rains, and the strongest La Niña to hit the planet in 35 years – have inundated the region with floods deep enough for sharks to visit. Airport evacuations from Cairns and neighboring cities have been ongoing over the last several days. Cyclone YASI follows on the heels of Tropical Storm ANTHONY that struck northern Queensland on Sunday with gusts of about 90 mph. On the other side of the country, Tropical Cyclone BIANCA hit the brakes over the weekend downgrading to storm strength on Sunday and washed southward over Australia's west coast. Text-TV and news from Denmark, Germany and Sweden on 2.2.11: CYCLONE YASI HIT QUEENSLAND IN AUSTRALIA Cyclone YASI has a diameter of 400km and covers an area bigger than ITALY. The wind gusts were up to 300 km per hour and moved at a speed of 29 km per hour. It was downgraded from a powerful category 5 cyclone to a category 4 cyclone. Ten thousands of Queenslanders were evacuated before the arrival of the cyclone. Mines, railways and ports / harbours were shut down prior to its arrival. The authorities feared that the special hurricane-proof houses could not withstand a category-5 hurricane, but would collapse. YASI hit Queensland between holiday resort CAIRNS and the town of CARDWELL and near the town Mission Beach. It was accompanied by 7 meter-high waves. Meteorologists said that it would take 4 hours for the devastating centre of the cyclone to pass - according to the Australian website news.om.au. According to the news agency AP aka. Associated Press the power went out in ten thousands of homes, and the roofs blew off many buildings and disappeared. Many trees were uprooted. Shopping centres were used as evacuation centres. There was not space / room enough for everyone in the evacuation centres, and some Queenslanders hesitated too long. 1 million did not flee in time, but had to barricade themselves in their houses trying to find shelter there. More than 400,000 people are living in the areas threatened by cyclone YASI. Queensland was hit by a cyclone like YASI in 1918, said Anna Bligh, Queensland's Prime Minister. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nancyk58 Posted February 3, 2011 Author Share Posted February 3, 2011 News in relation to AUSTRALIA - 2.2.11 late in the evening News in relation to AUSTRALIA http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-pacific-12351647 2 February 2011 Last updated at 22:40 GMT AUSTRALIA's QUEENSLAND BATTERED BY CYCLONE YASI The Australian state of Queensland is counting the cost as a powerful cyclone carves a trail of destruction across the north-east. Cyclone YASI struck the coast south of the city of Cairns at about midnight, ripping roofs from houses and toppling trees and power lines. Small communities bore the brunt of winds up to 290km/h (181mph) as the storm swept inland slowly weakening. About 30,000 people have been evacuated from Yasi's path and taken to shelters. Others spent a terrifying night in their homes as the colossal cyclone - the most powerful to hit the area in nearly a century - roared overhead and lashed them with rain. 'Relieved' Officials in CAIRNS said the city had been spared the worst of the storm. Mayor Val Schier said: "We're very relieved." It was different story in coastal communities further south including Mission Beach, TULLY, CARDWELL and Innisfail. Queensland state Premier Anna Bligh said she was "very relieved" that early reports indicated there had been not been any deaths or serious injuries. However, she added that early assessments in TULLY indicate "that 90% of the buildings in that area are extensively damaged". With many power lines down, reports from the stricken areas were still coming in. But TULLY resident Ross Sorbello told the Sydney Morning Herald the town was a "scene of mass devastation". Mr Sorbello, who briefly went outside as the eye of the storm passed over, said roofs were ripped from houses, electricity poles were down and the streets were covered with debris. TULLY resident Stephanie Grimaz said that houses in her street had been torn apart, the Queensland Times reported. "The flat from across the street is in our front yard and we can see other houses which have just been destroyed," she said. Other residents in Tully described tree tops being shredded by winds that roared like jet engines, and water being forced under doors by the pressure. On Thursday, the cyclone was continuing its south-westerly path across the state heading for Georgetown and Charters Towers. Yasi was classed as a category five cyclone as it crossed the coast - the highest grade in the scale used to measure such storms. Dangerous The Australian Bureau of Meteorology later downgraded the storm to category four and then to category three and two, but still classified it as dangerous. Cyclone Yasi made landfall between Innisfail and Cardwell at around midnight local time (1400 GMT Wednesday). The eye of the storm was reported to be 35km (22 miles) in width, with a front stretching across 650km (400 miles). The core of the cyclone took four hours to pass overhead. On Wednesday, Queensland disaster co-ordinator Ian Stewart had warned residents they would be on their own during the coming hours as it was too dangerous to send out emergency workers. He told Australian television that deaths were "very likely" and there would be "significant destruction of buildings". Prime Minister Julia Gillard described the storm as a "cyclone of savagery and intensity". Many had feared that Yasi could be worse than Cyclone Tracy, which hit Darwin on Christmas Eve in 1974 and killed 71 people. The cyclone follows the worst floods in Queensland's history, triggered by tropical storms which have battered the south of the state since the end of November. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nancyk58 Posted February 3, 2011 Author Share Posted February 3, 2011 News on 3.2.11 in relation to natural disasters NEWS on 3.2.11 in relation to natural disasters Danish, Swedish and German text TV: RELIEF IN AUSTRALIA / QUEENSLAND Yesterday, the tropical cyclone YASI hit north-eastern Australia - the state of Queensland. It ravaged a stretch of 300 km. SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE AFTER THE CYCLONE "YASI": People lost their homes, yachts were thrown into the streets, and large banana and sugar cane plantations were destroyed. At least 15% of Australia's production of cane sugar was lost during the passing of the cyclone which was followed by heavy rain causing flooding in many areas. The agriculture was affected negatively with the loss of crops and income according to Queensland's Prime Minister, Anna Bligh saying this to news agency AFP. In small communities along the coast in Queensland, 90% of the houses was reported damaged, but no reports of casualties (= deaths or injured). At least 175,000 are without power / electricity. 2 men were reported missing, and Brisbane policemen are searching for them. The authorities are worried about 100 inhabitants who refused to leave their homes in Cardwell when asked to evacuate the area. The 2 big cities in the region - CAIRNS and TOWNSVILLE - were not so damaged as expected as they were not exposed to the strongest gusts of wind. A baby was born during the monster cyclone YASI in a closely packed evacuation centre in CAIRNS to the proud parents Christian and Akiko Pruss. A temporary delivery room was established in the evacuation centre. British Carol Weeks, a midwife, was on holiday in that area and could assist the mother. That was very convenient. Danish DR1: HAITI's ELECTION COMMITTEE PUBLISHES THE PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATES FIGURING ON THE BALLOT IN THE SECOND ELECTION ROUND ON 20 MARCH 2011: Former first lady MIRLANDE MANIGAT and the popular singer MICHEL MARTELLY The first election round on 22.11.10 was chaotic. Since then it was difficult to decide who was to run against Mirlande Manigat who was the winner of the first round, but who had less than the necessary 50% of the votes to avoid a second round. The regime tried to have its own candidate - Jude Célestin - on the ballot in the second round, but lost. This outcome is in accordance with the recommendations from the organization OAS (Organization of American States) and is backed up by the United Nations and the USA. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nancyk58 Posted February 4, 2011 Author Share Posted February 4, 2011 NEWS ON 4.2.11 IN RELATION TO NATURAL DISASTERS NEWS ON 4.2.11 IN RELATION TO NATURAL DISASTERS Swedish SVT: MAGNITUDE 6.3 EARTHQUAKE HAS SHAKEN THE STATE OF MANIPUR IN THE EASTERN INDIA NEAR THE BORDER TO BURMA (MYANMAR). NO REPORTS OF DAMAGE. Manipur's capital, Imphal was without power following the earthquake. The epicentre was in Burma aka. Myanmar. Text-TV from Denmark, Sweden and Germany: 4,000 SOLDIERS DEPLOYED IN CLEAN-UP OPERATION IN AUSTRALIA - ONE YOUNG MAN DIED In Australia, 4,000 soldiers have been sent to the area in the eastern Australia that was hit by the cyclone YASI. The cyclone caused substantial damage on Thursday. Many hours of heavy rain and strong winds have made the clean-up operation difficult. Many are left homeless. The power is down in many areas. There is a shortage of basic necessities. 90% of the houses along the coast in Queensland are reported damaged. The hurricane was the worst ever recorded in Australia. One man died - by an accident (see below). 2 are still missing. 4 Feb 2011 ... A 23-YEAR-OLD man has suffocated from using a generator inside a closed room after Cyclone Yasi cut power supplies, Premier Anna Bligh said. He died by fumes from a generator that was being used to operate electrical appliances. http://www.news.com.au/.../man...cyclone-yasi/story-e6frfku0-1226000043710 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nancyk58 Posted February 5, 2011 Author Share Posted February 5, 2011 News on 4.2.11 in relation to natural disasters - BBC World News NEWS ON 4.2.11 IN RELATION TO HAITI http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-pacific-12362908 4 February 2011 Last updated at 09:20 GMT Queensland rescuers fight through Cyclone Yasi debris Thousands of Australian soldiers, police and emergency workers have been sent to help Queensland's stricken coastal communities, left reeling by the state's worst storm in a century. Emergency teams are cutting through the debris to reach towns still isolated after Cyclone Yasi hit on Wednesday. Police have confirmed the first fatality; a 23-year-old man. Heavy rains and flash floods are said to be hampering rescue efforts. Power is still out for 150,000 homes. The category five cyclone - the most severe level - has shattered communities along Queensland's north-east coast. "It's a war zone," said Deputy Prime Minister Wayne Swan, after a 30-minute tour of the town of TULLY. Officials described as a "tragic loss of life", the death of a young man suffocated by fumes from a generator he was running in a closed room as he sheltered from the storm. State Premier Anna Bligh said there could be "some sad news in the next couple of days" as rescue work progressed. But she said that given the scale of the devastation there had not been a "mass loss of life" which she described as "a great relief". Appeal for calm Some 4,000 soldiers and 600 police and emergency workers are at work in the state. A ship carrying nearly 3,000 tons of food and essential supplies has arrived in Townsville. Some 7,000 people remain in evacuation centres and thousands more are living in their battered homes without power or water supplies. Communication links have yet to be restored to many areas. Officials have appealed for calm while rescuers try to reach residents. The towns of Mission Beach and Cardwell are still cut off; CARDWELL suffered flooding after taking the full brunt of the storm. Aerial images show city blocks in Cardwell reduced to mud, and boats thrown inland and stacked on top of each other. "We do understand that many people in the highly-impacted areas are getting anxious about the level of support and contact they are able to have with emergency authorities," Emergency Services Minister Neil Roberts said. "We just ask them to be patient. But there have been significant difficulties in terms of access. Roads are cut... there is heavy debris on many," he said. A sea of household items such as microwave ovens and fridges have created an obstacle course for vehicles in the streets, reports say. Queensland Fire and Rescue Service officials said workers equipped with chainsaws were cutting their way through the debris into areas. Residents in Cardwell have told reporters they feel numb and scared after the week of turmoil. The storm compounds Queensland's misery, coming on the heels of devastating floods that have claimed 35 lives and destroyed hundreds of homes since December. "A lot of us feel like we're on our own again," said Lisa Smith, a resident in Cardwell whose house has lost half its roof. "I just hope we don't get forgotten." Prime Minister Julia Gillard has said the cyclone damage would be "massive" but that it was too early to quantify. Hundreds of millions of dollars have been lost in banana and sugar cane plantations but it is still too early for a full disaster assessment. Raw sugar exports from Australia - usually the world's third largest exporter behind Brazil and Thailand - are expected to fall more than 20%. Treasurer Wayne Swan said the cyclone would add about a quarter of a percentage point to inflation. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nancyk58 Posted February 5, 2011 Author Share Posted February 5, 2011 NEWS ON 5.2.11 IN RELATION TO NATURAL DISASTERS NEWS ON 5.2.11 IN RELATION TO NATURAL DISASTERS At least 13 died in connection with floods following cloud bursts in SRI LANKA during this week. About 800,000 have been forced to leave their homes due to the heavy monsoon rain just now. The news agency AFP reports that a pregnant woman gave birth on board an evacuation helicopter a few minutes after being picked up from her flooded village or town Horowpathana. http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-pacific-12373696 5 February 2011 Last updated at 14:03 GMT TORRENTIAL RAIN HAS LED TO FLASH FLOODING IN THE SOUTHERN AUSTRALIAN STATE OF VICTORIA. Some people in the east of the state are being urged to evacuate as the water continues to rise. Emergency services have had 5,000 calls for help and more than 90 people had to be rescued from their cars or homes. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nancyk58 Posted February 6, 2011 Author Share Posted February 6, 2011 NEWS ON 6 FEBRUARY 2011 IN RELATION TO NATURAL DISASTERS NEWS ON 6 FEBRUARY 2011 IN RELATION TO NATURAL DISASTERS Swedish SVT: More than 1 MILLION HOMELESS after heavy monsoon rain and floods. Some are staying with relatives, but 236,000 are now in evacuation camps according to a crisis centre DMC. http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-south-asia-12375591 (see video following the link) THOUSANDS FLEE FURTHER SRI LANKA FLOODING 6 February 2011 Last updated at 02:40 GMT Heavy rain has caused widespread flooding in northern and eastern Sri Lanka. Officials say at least five people have been killed and more than 80,000 forced to flee their homes. The area had only just started to recover from weeks of flooding in January, which affected more than one million people. The BBC's Dominic Kane reports German ZDFtext: FLOOD FORCES 1 MILLION TO LEAVE THEIR HOMES IN SRI LANKA Massive flooding forced 750,000 people to leave their homes – and that in only few days. Thus the number of refugees in northern and eastern Sri Lanka has risen to 1 million. About 250,000 are now in camps, while the remaining people are staying with relatives or friends, or they are in temples. So far at least 13 have drowned. Vast agricultural areas with rice and vegetables and many towns and villages are flooded. http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-pacific-12375918 6 February 2011 Last updated at 09:35 GMT WILDFIRES HIT WESTERN AUSTRALIA AFTER NORTH-EAST FLOODS WILDFIRES have destroyed a number of homes in western Australia, as the north-east of the country continues to be affected by FLOODING brought about by Cyclone YASI last week. FLOODING also affected the southern state of VICTORIA after Yasi caused a series of thunderstorms over MELBOURNE and other large towns in the state. The resulting two days of heavy rain caused further flooding. Yasi, a category-five storm (the worst), hit several Queensland towns. It compounded the state's misery, coming on the heels of devastating floods that have claimed 35 lives and destroyed hundreds of homes since December. In the western Australian city of Perth, wildfires tore through suburbs, destroying at least a dozen homes. There have been no reports of casualties. In VICTORIA, the Melbourne suburb of ELWOOD was one of the hardest hit, with floodwaters cutting off many houses and washing cars off roads, the Associated Press news agency reports. Melbourne received half its average annual rainfall in just a day, AP says. In QUEENSLAND, some 7,000 people remain in evacuation centres and thousands more are living in their battered homes without power or water supplies. Communication links have yet to be restored to many areas. http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-pacific-12376144 6 February 2011 Last updated at 11:27 GMT BUSHFIRES BURN ACROSS PARTS OF WESTERN AUSTRALIA Bushfires are burning out of control in the suburbs of the western Australian city of PERTH. The flames have already destroyed a handful of homes. Hundreds of residents have been moved out of their homes but there are no reports of injuries. Ben Lowings reports. http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-wales-12373754 February 2011 Last updated at 19:27 GMT MAN's BODY RECOVERED FROM FLOODS NEAR CORWEN A 58-year-old man's body has been recovered from floodwater in Denbighshire. Police said it appeared the local man had been in a vehicle which became submerged near a river near Corwen. His body was found a short distance away. There are 16 flood warnings in place across Wales and the Environment Agency warns levels could rise overnight. Fire crews spent Sunday carrying out a number of flood-related rescues in north and mid Wales. Environment Agency Wales said further heavy rainfall is expected in the early hours of Monday, which could cause rivers to rise again quickly and "put local communities at risk". A spokesperson said: "Staff are continuing to monitor river levels following the heavy rainfall experienced in parts of the country this weekend. "We urge people in areas prone to flooding to continue to be on their guard. People should stay away from rivers and at all times avoid trying to drive or walk through any flooding." The Environment Agency issued 16 flood warnings and eight flood alerts across Wales on Sunday. The flooding comes after a severe weather warning for heavy rain was issued by the Met Office on Saturday. In Powys, Mid and West Wales Fire and Rescue Service said its "swift water rescue" crews had been deployed after receiving calls from people stuck in their cars. Firefighters with specialist training and equipment who are able to launch rescues in fast-flowing water - have been helping motorists. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nancyk58 Posted February 7, 2011 Author Share Posted February 7, 2011 NEWS ON 7 FEBRUARY 2011 IN RELATION TO NATURAL DISASTERS NEWS ON 7 FEBRUARY 2011 IN RELATION TO NATURAL DISASTERS AUSTRALIA BUSHFIRES LEAVE TRAIL DEVASTATION NEAR PERTH http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-pacific-12378717 7 February 2011 Last updated at 12:19 GMT Bushfires raging on the outskirts of PERTH in Western Australia have destroyed at least 59 homes. Firefighters are battling blazes to the east and north of the city, with the area declared a natural disaster zone. High flames are being whipped up by winds of up to 70km/h (44mph). Hundreds of people have left their homes. The blazes come exactly two years after 173 people died in bushfires that swept through the southern state of Victoria, causing widespread devastation. More than 100 firefighters are battling from the ground and air to contain the fires that are burning in the bush-fringed suburbs of Perth. Swirling flames have engulfed at least 59 houses and damaged nearly 30 more, officials said. There have been no reports of serious injuries or fatalities. Residents of one Perth suburb, Clifton Hills, have been told they are allowed to return home. A Fire and Emergency Services Authority incident controller told a meeting of affected residents that the fire had been contained and that the wind was now working in the firefighters' favour. Other residents could face a longer wait as the fires in their area, while under control, are still burning. 'Scared stiff' The Western Australian government has declared the area a natural disaster zone and has promised to provide financial assistance to the affected families. Western Australia Premier Colin Barnett has announced short-term grants of A$3,000 (£1,885) for those who have lost their homes and A$1,000 for those whose property has suffered extensive damage, to help them through the coming days. He toured the communities of Roleystone and Kelmscott and described the devastation as vast. "All you see is bricks, burnt-out timber, twisted iron. And I know for those families when they do return, it's going to be absolutely heartbreaking," he said. Hundreds of residents spent a nervous night in evacuation centres not knowing if their properties had been spared. Lionel Goodall fought the blaze as long as he could as it raced towards his house. "All the backyard is gone - it is all just black and smoke," he told the BBC. "All the fences were alight so I just got my hose out and started putting all the fires out and in my next door neighbour's yard as well... We've got farmland behind us with short grass and it was very, very quick." Many of the people in evacuation centres were still in a state of shock. A resident from Roleystone, one of the worst-hit areas, who gave her name as Sylvia, told of her fear as the fires approached. "We've had fires lots of years but we've never been evacuated before. "You can't be as efficient as you want to be when you are panicking and things like that. You can't see the phone number in the phone book properly when you are panicking. "I was staying calm on the outside but scared stiff on the inside," she told ABC news. The BBC's Nick Bryant in Sydney says fire investigators have dispelled fears of arson, a common cause of bushfires, and believe that one of the blazes was caused by sparks from a power tool. There seems to be no end to Australia's summer of disasters, our correspondent says. The fires near PERTH follow major FLOODING in QUEENSLAND and VICTORIA that claimed the lives of more than 30 people. Towns on the north-east coast of the country are continuing to clean up after last week's Cyclone YASI - a category five storm - the most severe level - which destroyed hundreds of buildings and valuable crops. The army is leading the recovery effort there, with bulldozers, cranes and tanks brought in on Monday to help move mountains of debris. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nancyk58 Posted February 12, 2011 Author Share Posted February 12, 2011 NEWS ON 11 FEBRUARY 2011 IN RELATION TO NATURAL DISASTERS NEWS ON 11 FEBRUARY 2011 IN RELATION TO NATURAL DISASTERS A MAGNITUDE 7.0 EARTHQUAKE OFF CHILE - NO DAMAGE - NO RISK OF TSUNAMI There has been a magnitude 7.0 earthquake in Chile - according to US Geological Service the quake had a magnitude of 6.8 on the Richter scale. The epicentre is 45 km north of Concepcion and at a depth of 18 km. Tall buildings were shaking in the capital Santiago, but there has been no report of damage. According to the authorities there was no risk of a tsunami. One year ago, a magnitude 8.8 earthquake occurred in the same area, in the Bio-Bio region causing massive destruction and triggering a tsunami. More than 500 (around 520) died, and 200,000 were made homeless. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nancyk58 Posted February 12, 2011 Author Share Posted February 12, 2011 2 aftershocks a few hours after the quake. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nancyk58 Posted February 15, 2011 Author Share Posted February 15, 2011 News on 14.2.11 in relation to natural disasters News on 14.2.11 in relation to natural disasters From German ZDFtext: A MAGNITUDE 4.4 EARTHQUAKE SHOOK THE SOUTH-WESTERN PART OF GERMANY The earthquake shook Rhineland-Pfalz and Hessen. The tremor could be felt also in North Rhine - Westfahlia. The epicentre was near Nassau. No reports of damage. On 23.12.10 there was a small earthquake in the Mainz / Wiesbaden area. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nancyk58 Posted February 16, 2011 Author Share Posted February 16, 2011 NEWS ON 16.2.11 IN RELATION TO NATURAL DISASTERS NEWS ON 16.2.11 IN RELATION TO NATURAL DISASTERS AUSTRALIA: TROPICAL STORM SWEEPS DARWIN A tropical storm has caused damage in northern Australia. Cyclone "Carlos" is by far not so powerful as "YASI" which swept across the east coast at the beginning of February. In the Darwin region, dozens of trees were uprooted, and electricity poles came down. 11 houses were flooded according to rescue services. Authorities warned 125,000 inhabitants against floods and power cuts and them to leave their homes - to prepare for evacuation. Darwin was destroyed by cyclone "Tracy" in 1974 when 74 were killed and more than 80% of the houses were destroyed. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nancyk58 Posted February 22, 2011 Author Share Posted February 22, 2011 News on 21.2.11 News on 21.2.11 in relation to natural disasters THE PHILIPPINES: Thousands of inhabitants were leaving their homes near volcano Bulusan around 35 km south-east of capital MANILA. The volcano started spewing ash Monday. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nancyk58 Posted February 22, 2011 Author Share Posted February 22, 2011 CNN at 2:00am Central European Time: MAJOR EARTHQUAKE HIT CHRISTCHURCH on NEW ZEALAND http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-pacific-12533291 22 February 2011 Last updated at 00:58 GMT New Zealand earthquake hits Christchurch A 6.3 magnitude earthquake has hit the New Zealand city of Christchurch, causing material damage. The tremor was shallow, only 4 km (2.5 miles) deep, according to the US Geological Survey. Mayor Bob Parker said "there were scenes of great confusion, a lot of very upset people," adding that he had reports of people seriously injured. The city of 370,000 people was hit by a 7.1-magnitude earthquake in September, causing widespread destruction. Two people were seriously injured in that quake, and older buildings including some landmarks were destroyed. There have been several aftershocks since last September's quake, with a 4.9 magnitude tremor hitting just after Christmas. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cascading Waterfall Posted February 22, 2011 Share Posted February 22, 2011 The death toll is expected to rise. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nancyk58 Posted February 22, 2011 Author Share Posted February 22, 2011 page 42 Written in GREEN - the color of HOPE wishing the best for the protesters in LIBYA and those affected by the earthquake in NEW ZEALAND. The peoples there are in my thoughts. :hug: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-pacific-12533291 22 February 2011 Last updated at 11:56 GMT New Zealand earthquake: 65 dead in Christchurch New Zealand's prime minister says at least 65 people have died after a 6.3-magnitude earthquake hit Christchurch. John Key said the toll was expected to rise further, adding: "We may be witnessing New Zealand's darkest day." The tremor caused widespread damage as it occurred at a shallow depth of 5km (3.1 miles) during lunchtime when Christchurch was at its busiest. The mayor of New Zealand's second-biggest city says 120 people have been rescued from the ruins. The country's deadliest natural disaster in 80 years struck at 1251 (2351 GMT on Monday), 10km (6.2 miles) south-east of the city. Screams from rubble The damage is said to be far worse than after the 7.1-magnitude quake on 4 September, which left two people seriously injured but no fatalities. The epicentre of that quake, which occurred in the middle of the night, was further away from the city and deeper underground, but it still caused an estimated $3bn (£1.9bn) in damage. TV pictures of the aftermath of Tuesday's disaster showed scores of collapsed buildings in the South Island city of nearly 400,000 people. Shocked survivors could be seen wandering the rubble-strewn streets, which cracked open as the ground beneath was liquefied by the tremor. Police said that the dead included people on two buses which were crushed by falling buildings. Helicopters plucked survivors to safety from rooftops, and dumped water on fires. Officials said up to 30 people were feared still trapped inside the razed Pyne Gould Guinness building, where screams have been heard from the ruins. Trapped under her desk inside the building, Anne Voss told Australia's Channel Seven by mobile phone: "I am hoping they will get me out soon because I have been here so long. And it's dark. And it's horrible." Asked whether she was injured, she said: "I know I am bleeding and I can feel the ground is quite wet. I think it's blood." Glacier smashed A dozen visiting Japanese students are among those reported missing. Bystanders have been using bare hands to try to free survivors trapped under debris. Many injured people were carried out on blood-soaked stretchers or in the arms of shocked workmates and strangers. Some escaped on ropes lowered from office towers. Others managed to crawl out of the rubble. The tremor sent the spire of Christchurch Cathedral, a landmark in the centre of the city, toppling into the square below. John Gurr, a camera technician, told Reuters news agency the area outside the cathedral was "like a warzone". Power and telephone lines have been knocked out, while burst pipes have deluged streets with water. The suburbs of Lyttelton and New Brighton are reportedly "unliveable". Queen Elizabeth II said in a statement she had been "utterly shocked" by the news. "My thoughts are with all those who have been affected by this dreadful event," the statement said. The quake caused some 30m tons of ice to shear away from New Zealand's biggest glacier. Witnesses say massive icebergs formed when the Tasman Glacier in Aoraki/Mount Cook National Park broke, tossing a nearby lake with huge waves. Back in Christchurch, emergency shelters were set up in the city's Hagley Park, a race course and schools as night approached. City Mayor Bob Parker told the BBC: "This is a terrible, terrible toll on our city." "There is no power in most of the city; there is no water in most of the city," he added. PM John Key said: "It is just a scene of utter devastation. We have to work as fast as we can to get people out of environments where they are trapped. "This is a community that is absolutely in agony. We just need this community, as it has done before and as it will do again, to come together, to check and support one another," he added. Aftershocks The military has been deployed to help the rescue effort, and the government has accepted an offer of specialist help from Australia. A series of aftershocks, some as big as magnitude 5, have already rattled the stricken city, and officials warned residents to brace for more. One Christchurch resident, Jaydn Katene, told the New Zealand Herald: "We've had friends in town call us and say there are just bodies lying around; lots of dead bodies outside shops just lying there just covered in bricks." A British backpacker said the city "looked like a bomb had hit it". New Zealand experiences more than 14,000 earthquakes a year, of which only around 20 have a magnitude in excess of 5.0. The last fatal earthquake was in 1968, when a 7.1-magnitude tremor killed three people on the South Island's western coast. Tuesday's was the country's worst natural disaster since a 1931 quake in the North Island city of Napier killed 256 people. ANALYSIS - Jonathan Amos / Science correspondent, BBC News -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- By nature, earthquakes tend to cluster in space and time. And Tuesday's tremor in Christchurch is almost certainly related to the much more energetic event that hit the region last September. The critical difference on this occasion is the ground broke almost directly under the country's second city, and at shallow depth, 5km (3 miles) below the surface. Contrast this with September's magnitude 7 quake:: its epicentre occurred some 40km west of the city and at a depth of 10km, and it continued to rupture mainly away from the major built-up areas. New Zealand lies on the notorious Ring of Fire, the line of frequent quakes and volcanic eruptions that circles virtually the entire Pacific rim. The country straddles the boundary between two tectonic plates: the Pacific and Indo-Australian plates. On South Island, the location of the latest quake, the plates rub past each other horizontally. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cascading Waterfall Posted February 22, 2011 Share Posted February 22, 2011 Christchurch's mayor said the death toll is expected to be around 200. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nancyk58 Posted February 23, 2011 Author Share Posted February 23, 2011 From Danish text-TV: Danish seismologist Trine Dahl-Jensen from Denmark's and Greenland's Geological Surveys, GEUS, said that the earthquake last night in Christchurch was actually an aftershock after the earthquake in September 2010. Since then there have been 171 minor earthquakes = aftershocks over magnitude 4 on the Richter Scale within a radius of 100 km of Christchurch. This newest earthquake is the biggest aftershock. From text-TV and live TV News in Denmark, Sweden and Germany: The quake caused some 30m tons of ice to shear away from New Zealand's biggest glacier which is situated 20 miles from Christchurch. Witnesses say massive icebergs formed when the Tasman Glacier in Aoraki/Mount Cook National Park broke, tossing a nearby lake with huge waves - 3½m high. Rescuers are digging in the rubble looking for 200 who may be trapped in collapsed buildings. DEATH TOLL 75; between 100 and 300 are still trapped / missing. 32 victims have been identified. CHRISTCHURCH - New Zealand's second city - is situated on the South Island and has 400,000 inhabitants. After last night's earthquake there has been many aftershocks. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nancyk58 Posted February 26, 2011 Author Share Posted February 26, 2011 News on 25.2.11 from Swedish and German text-tv in relation to the earthquake in New Zealand News on 25.2.11 from Swedish and German text-tv in relation to the earthquake in New Zealand Swedish SVT: Criminals in action after powerful earthquake in New Zealand's second-largest city, Christchurch There are reports of homes having been looted and of people claiming to be from the authorities trying to get hold of the victims' things of value. Rescue teams are still searching for survivors. A group of Australian doctors attending a conference in Christchurch when the earthquake occurred volunteered to help and were forced to carry out amputations of limbs with simple tools such as pocket knives and files. German ZDF: The costs of reconstruction after the powerful earthquake will be more than 10 billion New Zealand Dollar or 5,4 billion Euro according to Gerry Brownkey who is in charge of the coordination following the earthquake. The local chambre of commerce expects the costs to be three times higher. The search for survivors continues, but the hope of finding any survivors is fading. Up to Friday 25.2.11, 113 dead bodies have been recovered. Danish TV2 News: No survivors were found on Friday 25.2.11. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cascading Waterfall Posted February 26, 2011 Share Posted February 26, 2011 In New Zealand there's going to be 2 minutes silence for Christchurch at 12.51pm on Tuesday 1st March. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nancyk58 Posted February 26, 2011 Author Share Posted February 26, 2011 Danish TV2 news: The death toll has reached 145. More than 200 are still missing. This morning there were new aftershocks. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cascading Waterfall Posted February 28, 2011 Share Posted February 28, 2011 Earlier today the death toll reached 149. It's probably risen again since then. Also today the first of the funerals was held. It was the funeral for one of the two babies. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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