Floods in England

On Tuesday, November 17, a cold front pushing eastward through England produced heavy rain and localized flooding.  Rain struck the county of Cornwall, located in southwestern England.  Officials issued a warning for the region due to the nearly two inches of rain.  Some towns were hit hard by the flood, with parts impassable.  Several roads in the county are covered by water.  Area schools were closed the following days, while regional train lines have been closed due to flooding and landslides.  There hasn't been any reports of injuries or deaths, but officials advised residents stay indoors until the flood water retreat. 

I believe that since England is a more developed country, they will not be facing as many issues as that of Pakistan.  Their government will probably implement some kind of program to help those who are suffering.  This article also mentioned that there is a fear of a bridge collapsing.  If this does end up happening, there will be more damage and the government will have to figure something else out. 

http://www.accuweather.com/blogs/news/story/41732/flooding-strands-people-in-eng.asp

Pakistan Flood Update

It has been over 100 days since the monsoon rains caused Pakistan's floods.  In some areas, the water has receded, but in others the emergency is far from over.  Parts of Pakistan are still submerged and hundreds of thousands of people are living on bunds, or embankments, without any regular access to food supplies.  Food has to be flown in or sent by boat.  Some displaced families are returning home and need the critical support that food assistance can provide as they begin their recovery.  In Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, work on recovery has begun as residents try to replant crops and rebuild the villages, schools, health centers and businesses that were destroyed.  The World Food Programme is supporting many of them with food as they rebuilt. 

UN aid agencies warned that funding would fall short, threatening emergency aid operations for millions of flood victims in Pakistan.  There is some 18 million people who are affected by this catastrophic flooding.  After 100 days, there is an estimated 14 million people who remain in need of urgent humanitarian assistance.  One agency said they will be forced to cut back vital aid programs in the New Year is it does not receive the money it needs. 

I have to say I'm not surprised to hear that agencies are short on money because I feel like there hasn't been very much on the news about the floods in Pakistan.  It has been 100 days since the monsoons hit and I don't expect Pakistan to receive any more aid especially because there has not been very much about them in the news lately.  I also wanna say this is due to the government's weak infrastructure.  I can imagine if something like this happened in the U.S., the government would have stepped in and done something. 

http://www.voanews.com/english/news/Funding-Shortfalls-Jeopardize-Life-Saving-UN-Operations-in-Pakistan-106818238.html
http://www.wfp.org/stories/pakistan-100-days-flooding

Heavy Snowfall Causing 400 Accidents

Heavy snowfall on Saturday caused more than 400 traffic accidnets in Minnesota.  The wintry conditions caused a collision in northern Wisconsin that killed two people.  In parts of the Twin Cities there was about a foot of snow by Saturday evening.  This snowstorm started Friday night and was blamed for a collision that killed 2 drivers and left a passenger hopitalized.  In Minnesota, the State Patrol responded to 401 crashes as of 4 p.m, 45 involving minor injuries.  A commander with the St. Paul Police Department said officers dealt with 20 to 30 car accidents by noon , with many involving four or five vehicles.  He also said drivers were being careful, but they were skidding on a glaze of ice that developed under much of the snow pack. 

I have to say I'm a little shocked at the number of traffic accidents that occurred in Minnesota.  I expect that there would be a few accidnets, considering that this is the first big snowfall of the season, but 400 is a very high number.  I guess part of the reason is due to skidding on ice.  People should be careful when driving in the first snowfall of the season.  There is suppose to be a few inches of snow today too, but nothing too serious.  There are reminders of driving slowly during this season.  I always hear it on the radio and the news on T.V.  I think this helps a little too becuase people get too used to driving without the snow.  This reminder should prevent people from going so fast and braking earlier.


http://www.usatoday.com/weather/storms/2010-11-13-midwest-snow_N.htm

Serbia Earthquake

According to the USGS, a 5.3 magnitude earthquake rattled through Kraljevo, Serbia on November 3.  This resulted in the death of a couple whose roof and first floor collapsed.  About fifty others are injured in or around the town.  In this town, parts of it are without electricity, running water, or telephone lines.  Schools in the area remain closed.  The majority of these schools have suffered serious damage but their stability is not threatened.  Several older buildings in this town were damaged along with a local hospital and the town hall. 
The earthquake was felt in other areas where people were jolted from their beds and some fleeing their homes in panic.  On Thursday last week, authorities said there was still no drinking water, but electricity has been restored.

This quake didn't seem like it had too much damage or at least it seems like the damage is not severe.  The only down side is that their hospital is damaged.  I want to know why they did not make the hospital a more sturdy building to withstand such a quake or at least make the damage minimal.  I am hoping that the town will have drinking water soon.  Reconstruction should begin soon too.
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/39978894/ns/world_news-europe/
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/11/04/AR2010110401401.html
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20101103/ap_on_re_eu/eu_serbia_earthquake

Landslides Caused by Rainfall in Philippines

Last Thursday a landslide triggered by heavy downpour in northern Philippines.  Rain had been pouring in this area since Monday and softened the ground causing this landslide at around 6:30 a.m. on Thursday.  Many houses were flooded and swept away by floodwaters.  Some residents went up onto their rooftops due to the fact that their house was submerged.  Army soldiers are conducting search and rescue operations.  About 1,000 residents have evacuated to higher grounds due to the flooding.  The rain has flooded villages in six provinces since November 1, leaving thirteen dead.  Among the thirteen dead were six villagers buried by landslides.

I have to say I am not surprised that there are landslides in the Philippines since it is a disaster prone area.  With all the rainfall thats been happening in southeast Asia, the country should have suspected something like this.  At this point, I can envision that the Philippines will be expecting anything to happen considering all that has occurred in the past few months.  I feel bad for these people, but I almost feel like they shouldn't be living where they are if this country is prone to natural disasters.  If I were to do a hazard risk assessment in this area, I think will have many things to look at.  Examples of types of information I would need are the different types of disasters that occur, their magnitudes, the building structures, and which areas are densely populated.  This kind of information would give me a better idea of where people are and what kind of impact an event can have in a particular area in this country.

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/40052795
http://www.mb.com.ph/articles/285965/5-die-isabela-landslide

Tomas Passing Through Haiti

Tomas is on its way to Haiti.  Given the condition that Haiti is in, many are worried they will not be prepared for what is to come.  The storm is expected to have 50-mile-an-hour winds and pounding rain.  The plan was to shelter people in churches and public buildings, but the president made it clear that people are on their own and warned them they had to help themselves.  He encouraged people in camps to stay with friends or relatives.

The storm went through Haiti today and luckily the country did not suffer what could have been its first big disaster since the earthquake back in January.  The storm caused widespread floods, wind damage along the coast and took at least six lives.   Haiti got very lucky and the damage there was not quite as bad as what was expected.

I can't believe that the president would tell people they are on their own.  I could never imagine something like that happening to me.  I understand the country just experienced a disaster, but they should still have something planned for this storm.  I'm glad that the storm did not cause the damage that it was suppose to.  If the storm was to hit as badly as planned, the country would be devastated. 

http://abcnews.go.com/US/wireStory?id=12076779
http://www.usatoday.com/weather/storms/hurricanes/2010-11-02-haiti-hurricane_N.htm
http://www.nytimes.com/2010/11/05/world/americas/05haiti.html?_r=1&scp=1&sq=Hurricane%20Tomas%20heading%20for%20Haiti&st=cse

Wildfires in Boulder, Colorado

According to the local Sheriff's Office in Boulder, this wildfire that has continued to burn Friday is suppose to weaken overnight because of the low temperatures and higher humidity.  Many residents on the west side of this city were evacuated.  On Friday evening, firefighters had less than five percent contained.  There are some 200 firefighters scheduled to work on the flames today.  Even though the fire is expected to lay down at night, it still has the potential to grow and that would depend on what the area winds do.  All city offices in the downtown area closed Friday afternoon to prepare for power outages.  According to a city spokeswoman, the electric utility was cutting power in lines in the burn area for safety reasons and to assist fire crews conducting back-burn operations.

It seems like this city has a pretty good infrastructure.  They have evacuated people and are keeping them aware of the fires where abouts.  At this point, there seems to be a lot of uncertainty as to what will happen next because they are waiting to see if winds will pick up or not.  Like the swiss cheese model, if the winds do end up picking up, the fire could spread and this could result in something worse than what it currently is. 


http://www.cnn.com/2010/US/10/29/colorado.wildfire/index.html?iref=allsearch