"We warned at the start of ZetaTalk, in 1995, thatunpredictable weather extremes, switching about from drought to deluge,would occur and increase on a lineal basis up until the pole shift. Where this occurred steadily, it has only recently become undeniable. ZetaTalk, and only ZetaTalk, warned of these weather changes, at that early date. Our early warnings spoke to the issue of global heating from the core outward, hardly Global Warming, a surface or atmospheric issue, but caused by consternation in the core. Affected by the approach of Planet X, which was by then starting to zoom rapidly toward the inner solar system for its periodic passage, the core was churning, melting the permafrost and glaciers and riling up volcanoes. When the passage did not occur as expected in 2003 because Planet X had stalled in the inner solar system, we explained the increasing weather irregularities in the context of the global wobble that had ensued - weather wobbles where the Earth is suddenly forced under air masses, churning them. This evolved by 2005 into a looping jet stream, loops breaking away and turning like a tornado to affect the air masses underneath. Meanwhile, on Planet Earth, droughts had become more intractable and deluges positively frightening, temperature swings bringing snow in summer in the tropics and searing heat in Artic regions, with the violence of storms increasing in number and ferocity."
The wobble seems to have changed, as the temperature in Europe suddenly plunged after being like an early Spring, Alaska has its coldest temps ever while the US and much of Canada is having an extremely mild winter. India went from fatal cold spell to balmy again. Has the Earth changed position vs a vs Planet X to cause this?[and from another]Bitter cold records broken in Alaska - all time coldest record nearly broken, but Murphy's Law intervenes[Jan 30]http://wattsupwiththat.com/2012/01/30/bitter-cold-records-broken-in-alaskaJim River, AK closed in on the all time record coldest temperature of -80°F set in 1971, which is not only the Alaska all-time record, but the record for the entire United States. Unfortunately, it seems the battery died in the weather station just at the critical moment. While the continental USA has a mild winter and has set a number of high temperature records in the last week and pundits ponder whether they will be blaming the dreaded "global warming" for those temperatures, Alaska and Canada have been suffering through some of the coldest temperatures on record during the last week.
There has been no change in the wobble pattern, the wobble has merely become more severe. Nancy noted a Figure 8 format when the Earth wobble first became noticeable, in early 2005, after Planet X moved into the inner solar system at the end of 2003. The Figure 8 shifted along to the east a bit on the globe between 2005 and 2009, (the last time Nancy took its measure) as Planet X came closer to the Earth, encountering the magnetic N Pole with a violent push earlier in the day. But the pattern of the Figure 8 remained essentially the same. So what changed recently that the weather patterns became noticeably different in late January, 2012?
The N Pole is pushed away when it comes over the horizon, when the noon Sun is centered over the Pacific. This regularly puts Alaska under colder air, with less sunlight, and thus the historically low temps there this January, 2012 as the wobble has gotten stronger. But by the time the Sun is positioned over India, the N Pole has swung during the Figure 8 so the globe tilts, and this tilt is visible in the weather maps from Asia. The tilt has forced the globe under the hot air closer to the Equator, warming the land along a discernable tilt demarcation line.
The next loop of the Figure 8 swings the globe so that the N Pole moves in the other direction, putting the globe again at a tilt but this time in the other direction. This tilt is discernable in weather maps of Europe, again along a diagonal line. Depending upon air pressure and temperature differences, the weather on either side of this diagonal line may be suddenly warm or suddenly cold. The tilt and diagonal line lingers to affect much of the US and Canada, but the Figure 8 changes at this point to be an up and down motion, pulling the geographic N Pole south so the US is experiencing a warmer than expected winter under a stronger Sun. Then the cycle repeats, with the magnetic N Pole of Earth pushed violently away again as the Sun is positioned over the Pacific.
Would the Zetas be able to let us know what is causing the early break-up of the Arctic Ice, the ice seems to have taken on a swirling pattern at the same time, would this be wobble related?[and from another]http://www.vancouversun.com/news/national/Canada+Arctic+cracks+spec... The ice in Canada’s western Arctic ripped open in a massive “fracturing event” this spring that spread like a wave across 1,000 kilometres of the Beaufort Sea. Huge leads of water – some more than 500 kilometres long and as much as 70 kilometres across – opened up from Alaska to Canada’s Arctic islands as the massive ice sheet cracked as it was pushed around by strong winds and currents. It took just seven days for the fractures to progress across the entire area from west to east.[and from another]http://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/IOTD/view.php?id=80752&src=iot... A high-pressure weather system was parked over the region, producing warmer temperatures and winds that flowed in a southwesterly direction. That fueled the Beaufort Gyre, a wind-driven ocean current that flows clockwise. The gyre was the key force pulling pieces of ice west past Point Barrow, the northern nub of Alaska that protrudes into the Beaufort Sea.
The Figure 8 formed by the N Pole during the daily Earth wobble has shifted somewhat to the East, due to Planet X positioned more to the right of the Earth during its approach. This was anticipated, and well described in ZetaTalk, the Earth crowding to the left in the cup to escape the approach of Planet X, so the angle between these two planets would change slightly. This shift of the Figure 8 to the East is due to the push against the Earth’s magnetic N Pole occurring sooner each day than prior. Thus instead of occurring when the Sun is high over the Pacific, over New Zealand, it is now occurring when the Sun is high over Alaska. All the wobble points have shifted eastward accordingly.
This has brought a lingering Winter to the western US, and a changed sloshing pattern to the Arctic waters. Instead of Pacific waters being pushed through the Bering Straits into the Arctic when the polar push occurs, the wobble is swinging the Arctic to the right, and then later to the left, creating a circular motion in the waters trapped in the Arctic. Since the Earth rotates counterclockwise, the motion also takes this path. This is yet another piece of evidence that the establishment is hard pressed to explain. They are attempting to ascribe this to high pressure and wind, all of which are not new to the Arctic, but this circular early breakup of ice in the Arctic is new.
549 cities under state of emergency due to severe floods, Brazil
More than 549 cities in Brazil are now under a state of emergency due to severe floods affecting the country over the past couple of weeks. Dozens of people have been killed and more than 133 000 forced to evacuate their homes. In addition, 200 cities in the state of Rio Grande do Sul are in a state of emergency due to droughts.
The worst affected by floods are Minas Gerais and Bahia with 341 cities and 175 municipalities under a state of emergency.
Minas Gerais is home to the country's 3 most at-risk tailings dams, renewing traumas in a region that has experienced two catastrophic dam collapses since 2015.1
In the last few days, the state reported at least 15 fatalities, including 10 in Canyon de Furnas.2 More than 55 0000 were affected and 28 000 forced to evacuate, the state's Civil Defence reported.
While Minas Gerais has seen periods of heavy rainfall since October 2021 (the start of the rainy season), the situation worsened around December 22 when 13 municipalities experienced severe flooding.3
According to Brazil’s mining agency, 36 mining dams in the state are in a condition of emergency. A dam at an iron ore mine in Nova Lima dribbled on Saturday, January 8, causing two days of traffic delays on a major route.4
Authorities in Pará de Minas were keeping an eye on the Carioca hydroelectric dam in case it ruptured.
The landslide shown in the video below took place on January 13 in the city of Ouro Preto:
A video has also emerged online that shows the overtopping of the dam immediately downstream of the Pau Branco landslide on January 8, 2022.5
"At the start of the video it is clear that the rainfall was heavy, and the dam was full with water cascading down the spillway on the far side," Dr. Dave Petley of The Landslide Blog noted.
"As the landslide becomes visible on the left side of the footage a displacement wave races across the lagoon and causes an initial overtopping event. This quickly develops as the volume of the lagoon is filled with landslide debris. Initially, most of the overtopping is water from within the lagoon, and this is reflected by the videos from the road below the dam."
Meanwhile, 200 cities in the southern state of Rio Grande do Sul are in a state of emergency due to droughts.
Twenty-two people DIE as epic snow storm leaves 125,0000 cars stranded in Pakistan: At least 10 children among dead who froze to death or were asphyxiated by car fumes trying to keep warm on road to mountain resort
Traffic jam started after thousands of tourists got stuck in unusually heavy snow
Police said most had frozen to death in their cars, others died from asphyxiation
Among the fatalities were an Islamabad police officer, his wife and six children
Soldiers mobilised to free tourists stuck in Muree, outside capital the Islamabad
At least 22 people including 10 children have died after a heavy snow storm left an estimated 125,000 cars stranded in a mountain resort town in Pakistan.
Eight of the fatalities were from the family of Islamabad police officer Naveed Iqbal, who died alongside his wife and six children.
Police said most people had frozen to death in their cars but that others may have died from asphyxiation after turning on their vehicle's heaters to keep warm after getting stuck on the road.
More than four feet of snow fell in the hillside town overnight on Friday, trapping tourists and blocking all incoming traffic to Murree, around 70km northeast of the capital Islamabad, the next day.
Interior Minister Sheikh Rashid said the military had been mobilised to clear roads and rescue thousands still trapped. The Punjab province chief minister's office said the area had been declared a 'disaster area' and urged people to stay away.
Soldiers, including a special military mountain unit, were called in to assist rescue efforts and had freed thousands of vehicles by Saturday morning, though thousands more were still stuck in the area.
At least 22 people have died in a traffic jam after tens of thousands of visitors thronging a Pakistani hill town to see unusually heavy snowfall
Police said most people had frozen to death in their cars but that others may have died from asphyxiation after turning on their vehicle's heaters to keep warm
Murree, a resort town around 70km northeast of the capital Islamabad, attracts more than a million tourists annually though streets leading into the city are often blocked by snow in winter
Murree is a popular winter resort that attracts more than a million tourists annually though streets leading into the city are often blocked by snow in winter.
Umar Maqbool, a local administrator, said the heavy snowfall hampered rescue efforts during the night and even heavy equipment brought in to clear the snow got stuck initially.
'Until [the military arrived] no vehicle or even people on foot are allowed to enter Murree except for the emergency and rescue vehicles and those bringing food for the stuck people,' interior minister Sheikh Rashid Ahmed said.
Video shared on social media showed cars packed bumper-to-bumper, with three foot piles of snow on their roofs.
'People are facing a terrible situation,' Usman Abbasi, a tourist stuck in the town where heavy snow was still falling, told AFP by phone.
For days, Pakistan's social media has been full of pictures and video of people playing in the snow around Murree, a picturesque resort town built by the British in the 19th century as a sanatorium for its colonial troops.
Prime Minister Imran Khan said he was shocked and upset at the tragedy.
'Unprecedented snowfall & rush of ppl proceeding without checking weather conditions caught district admin unprepared,' he tweeted. 'Have ordered inquiry & putting in place strong regulation to ensure prevention of such tragedies.'
Authorities warned last weekend that too many vehicles were trying to enter Murree, but that failed to discourage hordes of day trippers from the capital.
'It's not only the tourists, but the local population is also facing severe problems,' tourist Abbasi told AFP.
'Gas cylinders have run out and drinking water is not available in most areas - it's either frozen or the water pipes have been damaged due to severe cold.'
He said hotels in the town were running out of food, and mobile phone services were patchy.
The town of around 30,000 clings to the side of steep hills and valleys and is serviced by narrow roads that are frequently clogged even in good weather.
Sheikh Rashid said residents had sheltered people trapped in the town and provided blankets and food to those they could reach on the outskirts.
Authorities said schools and government buildings had taken in those who could make it to the town from the clogged roads.
Helicopters were also on standby for when the weather cleared. Among the dead were 10 men, 10 children and two women.
'Evacuate now. Go north or east': Thousands of terrified Boulder residents flee as TWO fast-moving DECEMBER wildfires - whipped up by 100mph winds - burn: entire cities of Superior and Louisville are evacuated
Two grass fires were sparked in Colorado on Thursday morning after strong winds caused power lines to fall and transformers to explode
Six people have been taken to hospital in Broomfield with burns, a hospital spokesman confirmed
Residents of Superior, home to 12,500, and Louisville, population 21,000, are being evacuated as the fires continue, with the Marshall Fire threatening the town and affecting an estimated 1,200 acres
Boulder County residents have been told to flee if they see smoke or flames and evacuation centers have been established around the area
Pre-evacuation orders have been issued for some parts of the town of Broomfield as the Marshall Fire continues to spread
Thousands of people are reportedly out of power as the wind storm rages on
Roads have been closed as high wind have blown several vehicles over and Denver International Airport has halted flights
Colorado Governor Jared Polis declared a state of emergency, and tweeted: 'Fast winds are spreading flames quickly and all aircraft are grounded'
Colorado's governor has issued a state of emergency as two wildfires swept the grasslands around Boulder, forcing the evacuation of thousands of people.
Six people were taken to hospital with burns said Kelli Christensen, a spokeswoman for UC Health in Broomfield, speaking toThe Colorado Sun.
Thousands of frightened residents have been ordered to evacuate after strong winds downed power lines and caused a transformer to explode, sparking two fast-moving grass fires, according to the Boulder County Sheriff's Office.
The Middle Fork Fire is north of Boulder near the intersection of North Foothills Highway and Middle Fork Road.
The Marshall Fire is south of Boulder close to the intersection of South Cherryvale Road and Marshall Drive.
The size of the fires have not been confirmed, but some estimates put the Marshall Fire at 1,200 acres.
All residents of Superior, a total of about 4,000 households, have been instructed to evacuate, authorities announced. Evacuees were directed to the South Boulder Recreation Center - where the power has now been knocked out - the Lafayette YMCA, or the Longmont Senior Center.
Residents of Louisville, population 21,000, have also been directed to quickly evacuate. The South Boulder Recreation Center is serving as an evacuation site.
Two wildfires were sparked near Boulder, Colorado this morning after strong winds caused downed power lines and exploding transformers in the area
Residents of Superior and Louisville have begun to be evacuated. Citizens of Boulder County have been warned to flee to if they see flames
Thousands are without power and roads have been closed as the winds and fire persist
'In the case of evacuation, head east or north. Do not evacuate to the south,' the Louisville Police Department warned.
Huge plumes of smoke filled the air as the dangerous winds continued to blow the fires along. The National Weather Service reported an 'extraordinary' gust of wind reaching 105 mph just south of the Boulder city limit Thursday morning.
Boulder County spokeswoman Jennifer Churchill said any residents who can see fire should leave immediately. All local residents were instructed to close their windows to protect against the smoke.
Colorado Governor Jared Polis tweeted: 'Prayers for thousands of families evacuating from the fires in Superior and Boulder County. Fast winds are spreading flames quickly and all aircraft are grounded.'
Denver International Airport has been put in a ground delay, meaning flights will be pushed back at least 40 minutes.
The city of Boulder activated its Emergency Operations Center to help residents respond to the active situation.
Multiple structures reportedly caught fire. and thousands of people were reportedly without power after the intense winds sent power lines crashing to the ground.
Xcel Energy reported more than 48 power outages affecting close to 4,700 customers, Fox 31reported.
The Costco store in Superior was evacuated as the fires crept toward the supermarket Thursday afternoon.
A crowd of shoppers was seen exiting the store as gray smoke filled the entrance and obstructed the view.
The Colorado State Patrol closed Highway 93 between Highway 58 and Highway 128; Highway 36; and US 36, among other roads, noting that 'several high profile vehicles have been blown over due to the wind.'
University of Colorado Boulder Facilities Management confirmed that many trees and branches on the campus have been toppled over by the winds.
The Boulder Office of Emergency Management made clear that the fires are their top priorities and have requested that people only call their hotline in regards to the fire.
Baked Alaska: State records all-time December high of 67F on Sunday after heat dome settled over Aleutian Islands
Kodiak, Alaska reported temperatures of 67 Fahrenheit on Sunday
This is new high record for the state - the previous was in the high 40s
The warmer weather is due to a dome of stagnant high pressure sitting on the southeast area of the Aleutian Islands in the northern Pacific Ocean
The warm weather also dumped nearly two inches of rain in Fairbanks, Alaska
Climate changehas set a new record high temperature inAlaska - it was 67 degrees Fahrenheit in Kodiak on Sunday.
The previous records, recorded in the 1980s, were in the low to high 40s, but temperatures typical sit in the 30s this time of year.
The warmer than usual weather is due to a dome of stagnant high pressure sitting on the southeast area of the Aleutian Islands in the northern Pacific Ocean.
Alaska is also warming faster than any other US state and twice as quickly as the global average, according to the National Oceanic Atmospheric Administration (NOAA).
'Alaska's Changing Environment notes that, since 2014, there have been 5 to 30 times more record-high temperatures set than record lows,' the NOAA said on its website.
Kodiak was not the only city in Alaska to experience record temperatures.
Cold Bay, located in the Aleutian Islands, saw a high of 66 degrees - the previous record was 44 degrees in 1999.
And Unalaska, Alaska, spiked to 57.3 degrees by noon Monday after bottoming out at 50 degrees overnight,The Washington Postreports.
In addition to warming the usually cold region, this dome also dumped an unusual amount of rainfall over the area.
This is because the air can hold about four percent more water with every degree it warms.
In Fairbanks, which is located on Alaska's mainland, residents saw 1.93 inches of rain on Sunday - the city's wettest December on record.
They'll be tricky to start in the morning! New cars are delivered to Russian port caked in several inches of ice due to freak weather
Cars were plated with a thick layer of frozen seawater on arrival in Vladivostok
Vehicles had to be hoisted off the deck by a crane in temperatures of -19C (-2F)
Local sea captain said sea water splashed on board and turned into a thick crust
Crowds came out to witness the cars being lifted from Panama-registered ship
Dozens of cars have been delivered to a Russian port caked in several inches of ice due to freak weather.
Unusually cold and windy conditions meant the Toyotas and Hondas were plated with a thick layer of frozen seawater on arrival in Vladivostok on board the Sun Rio Ro-Ro cargo carrier.
The frozen vehicles had to be hoisted off the deck by a crane in temperatures of -19C (-2F) inRussia's Pacific capital on Tuesday.
Some were clad in ice up to six inches thick, said reports.
econd hand Japanese cars are popular in Russia, even though they are 'wrong-side drive' for local roads. There is a regular export market across the Sea of Japan.
Ship icing occurs due to a humid sea wind and sub-zero air temperatures which can lead to an increase in draft, heeling and heighten the risk of a ship's overturn.
Local sea captain Pyotr Osichansky, 72, said: 'It's December, and the sea is rough and windy.
'Seawater splashes on board, and turns into a thick [ice] crust. This year winds are much stronger than usual.'
Crowds of people came out to witness the icy cars being lifted from the Panama-registered ship.
'The cars are so caked in ice you can't tell the type of vehicle,' said an onlooker.
IMD Issues Red Alert As Severe Cold Wave Conditions Prevail In Northern States Of India
IMD has predicted cold wave to severe cold wave conditions in some parts of Punjab, Haryana, Chandigarh & Delhi, Rajasthan and MP during the next 24 hours.
The Indian Meteorological Department (IMD) has predicted a red alert with a 'cold wave to severe cold wave' conditions to persist in several states and union territories for this week. States like Delhi, Rajasthan, and Madhya Pradesh are likely to witness very cold conditions for the next two days. Meanwhile, certain areas of Northwest India will witness a rise by 3-5°C and a rise of nearly 2-4°C over Central & East India and Maharashtra thereafter. IMD has also said that light to moderate rainfall and snowfall are expected over the western Himalayan region between December 22 and 25 under the influence of two Western Disturbances.
IMD latest prediction of weather conditions:
Parts of India experience severe cold
A cold wave swept Delhi on Monday with the minimum temperature at the Safdarjung Observatory, considered the official marker for the capital, dropping to 3.2 degrees Celsius, five notches below normal and the lowest so far this season. Two "back-to-back" western disturbances and the resultant slowing down of cold northwesterly winds from Tuesday night will push the minimum temperature up, said R K Jenamani, a senior scientist at the India Meteorological Department (IMD).
On Monday, the Met department had also issued three orange alerts warning of cold to severe cold waves and cold days in Madhya Pradesh where minimum temperatures dipped in the last three days due to chilly wind from north India.
The first alert predicted a likely severe cold wave at isolated places and a cold wave at many places in the ten divisions of MP- Bhopal, Indore, Jabalpur, Gwalior, Chambal, Ujjain, Rewa, Shahdol, Hoshangabad and Sagar, in the next two days. In the second alert, IMD said that 17 districts, including Indore, Jabalpur, Rewa, Satna and Mandla, are likely to witness either a "severe cold day" or a "cold day" in the next two days.
Intense cold conditions continued to paralyse normal life in Rajasthan where the mercury dipped below freezing point at four places on Sunday night. The night temperature was - 1.8 degrees celsius in Fatehpur (Sikar), - 0.5 in Sikar and Churu, and -0.1 degrees in Karauli. Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot on Monday had also tweeted about taking measures to save crops from frost.
'Life-threatening' weather wreaks havoc for 100 MILLION people across the heartlands: At least 300K are without power after dust storm barrels through Kansas, 107MPH wind topples trailers in Colorado and tornadoes touch ground in six other states
Blinding dust storm moving at hurricane force winds of 90mph has blanketed half of Kansas
The winds were so powerful that they knocked down tractor trailers and caused destruction in Colorado
They also sparked fires throughout Oklahoma, with reports of tornadoes in Iowa and Nebraska
A severe weather alert was in place for 100 million people in states throughout the Midwest and Great Plains, with the National Weather Service calling it a 'historical weather day'
It came amid some record high temperatures, just days after dozens of powerful tornadoes swept through the area, flattening homes and businesses
A blinding dust storm moving at hurricane force winds of 90mph tore through half ofKansas, as trailers were knocked over in Colorado and fires spread throughout Oklahoma on Wednesday.
The wild weather affected 100 million people in states throughout the Midwest and Great Plains with the National Weather Service calling it a 'historical weather day.'
'The Central US has never seen a December storm like this,' tweeted Bill Karins, a meteorologist for MSNBC, saying it was 'multi-hazard, life threatening weather today.'
Winds of 70 to more than 100 miles per hour have already torn through the area, ripping off roofs, overturning 18-wheelers and leaving at least 380,000 people without power as of 8.30pm Wednesday throughout Colorado, Kansas, Nebraska, Iowa and Missouri.
It came amid some record-high temperatures, just days after dozens of powerful tornadoes swept through the area, flattening buildings in nearby Kentucky.
The storm hovered over Kansas Wednesday evening, extending into Missouri and Colorado
Powerful winds blow dust through Kansas
Footage of the powerful storm in Kansas, where wind gusts reached up to 90mph, show the winds whipping red dust at such high speeds thatKSNmeteorologists warned 'It's zero visibility,' as drivers were forced to pull over and put on their brake lights.
'Visibility was extremely low,' Jaclyn Liberator, who took a video of the dangerous storm, toldKSHB.
'There was one point depending on which car was in front of us... like we couldn't even see it was a flat bed truck, and we couldn't even see it was pulling the flatbed we saw only 10 feet of the flatbed so basically 10 to 20 feet in front of us.'
Dust storms and earthquakes: Kansas is hit with several natural disasters in one day
Just hours before a powerful dust storm passed through Kansas, greatly reducing visibility and taking down power lines, those in Saline County experienced four earthquakes.
The first occurred on Tuesday afternoon shortly after 4pm when a 2.5 magnitude quake shook Gypsum.
Then in the early hours of Wednesday, a 4.0 magnitude quake rocked the same area, and a third, this time at a magnitude of 3.4, struck later in the morning.
And a fourth, 3.1 magnitude quake, occurred just after 12.17pm on Wednesday.
The National Weather Service has issued a severe wind advisory for Leavenworth County, and urged residents to seek shelter and avoid windows in the storm, while the Kansas Department of Transportation also reported that highways throughout the state are closed, and staff had to be evacuated from the air traffic control center of the Kansas City International Airport, likely causing diversions and delays during the busy holiday season.
The National Weather Service in Wichita said wind in the city of Russell hit 100mph at the airport at about 4pm.
But the brunt of the storm appeared to strike Hutchinson and central Kansas between 4pm and 5pm, theTopeka Capitol Journalreports.
In just that one hour, power outages around Hutchinson shot up from 48, impacting around 500 customers, to more than 455, affecting more tan 5,700 customers.
And by 5.15pm, the number had limed to 672 outages, with some 7,835 customers left in the dark, as emergency personnel throughout the region responded to downed powerlines and poles.
A large storage facility in Hutchinson also collapsed Wednesday night, after witnesses saw the roof blow off from one side, as if 'it was hinged,' around 6pm, KWCH reporter Alex Flippin tweeted, with another reporter, Greg Payne on the scene as debris fell from part of a roof at the Kansas City's Charles B. Wheeler Downtown Airport.
Officials say the roof of one of the hangars was ripped off during wind gusts up to 77 mph.
'We have a roof that just came off,' Payne said on his live broadcast Wednesday night, noting he wasn't sure what he heard until he saw the debris start to fall.
The winds also sparked fires throughout the central and western parts of the state, Jane Welch, a spokeswoman for the state's Division of Emergency Management told theNew York Times, saying at least one home was destroyed, but no deaths or injuries were reported.
Forecasters had earlier warned that the gusty winds, dry air and warm temperatures would create conditions rife for 'an extreme to potentially catastrophic grassland fire.'
Eric Metzger, a meteorologist at the National Weather Service in Wichita, said the biggest blaze was in Russell and Ellsworth counties in the central part of the state, where two fires 'merged together into one massive fire.'
'It's probably about 40 miles long,' he said, noting that before Wednesday, Kansas had not had any rain for over a month.
'I've lived out here for more than 20 years,' he said. 'This is historic for us.'
Welch also noted that the winds were so strong that it was too dangerous for emergency crews to fight the fires from the air, and the National Weather Service warned people they may need to evacuate.
In Wichita, meanwhile, the Air Quality Index was reported at 99, putting the city on the verge of unhealthy levels.
'We are advising residents, especially those in sensitive groups, to consider limiting time outdoors until air quality improves,' city officials wrote on Twitter.
At 3pm, Gov. Laura Kelly issued an inclement weather declaration for Shawnee County, effectively closing state offices in the area, as a tornado warning had been issued for the western part of the state.
The wind gusts in Colorado and Kansas are insane right now! The U.S. Air Force Academy near Colorado Springs, Colorado just recorded a 100 mph wind gust while Garden City, Kansas just measured an 84 mph wind gust. These are NOT from thunderstorms.
Residents stranded by high water due to flooding are rescued by a volunteer operating a boat, in Abbotsford, B.C., on Nov. 16, 2021.
‘A Major Catastrophe’: BC Storm Could Leave Lasting Impact November 17, 2021
SURREY, British Columbia—While torrential rain has stopped throughout British Columbia’s Lower Mainland, fallout from the storm threatens to leave a lasting impact on much of the province.
Mudslides continue to block major highways, and with extensive damage in some of the main arteries connecting the area to the rest of the country, there is no clear estimate as to when road access in many areas may be restored. Many communities are left isolated, and travellers and commercial truck drivers are stranded throughout B.C.
Floodwaters cover Highway 1 in Abbotsford, B.C., on Nov. 16, 2021. (The Canadian Press/Jonathan Hayward)
RCMP recovered the body of a woman from a landslide near Lillooet, some 160 km northeast of Vancouver, on Nov. 16, while a search continues for others who are missing.
“This is a major catastrophe, not only for this region in terms of the displacement of thousands of people and the impacts on people, property, and animals, but also the fact that this is one of the major bread baskets of the country,” says David Leis, a vice president with the Frontier Centre for Public Policy, who is a resident of Abbotsford, a city near the U.S. border about 70 km southeast of Vancouver.
“We have major infrastructure failure. This also means that Canada’s largest port, the Port of Vancouver, is highly limited in its activity, and that is a disaster for the whole country, particularly given the current supply chain challenges.”
As of Nov. 17, main road and rail services to and from the port remained cut off. The port, which handles $1 out of every $3 of Canada’s trade in goods outside of the continent, is crucial for Canada’s supply chains, already in stress as part of a wider global pandemic-led disruption of supply links.
Isolation and Evacuations
On Nov. 16, Abbotsford Mayor Henry Braun issued an urgent evacuation order for all residents of Sumas Prairie, an area south of the city, as a key pumping station fighting water levels in the region was on the brink of becoming inoperable with rising waters.
The low-lying area is home to major farming and agricultural operations.
“I know it’s hard for farmers to leave their livestock, but people’s lives are more important to me than livestock and chickens. We’ll deal with the rest come morning,” Braun said at a news conference.
Further north in the central interior, the residents of Merritt, with a population of 7,000 people, were evacuated on Nov. 15 because of flooding from the Coldwater River and from the collapse of the city’s sewage treatment plant. Locals were forced to travel to Kamloops, Kelowna, and Salmon Arm for safety, with officials saying the evacuation may last at least one week or more.
A man drives a boat on a flooded road in Chilliwack, B.C., on Nov. 16, 2021.
In Hope, about 122 km east of Vancouver in the Fraser Valley, which became isolated from the rest of the province due to road damage, rescue crews earlier in the week airlifted to safety 275 people caught between two separate slides on Highway 7 west of the community.
Lorne Marchildon was on his way home from Osoyoos to Cloverdale, some 45 kilometres southeast of Vancouver, on Nov. 14 and has been stranded in Hope ever since.
“Tonight will be my fourth night sleeping in my truck,” Marchildon said in an interview on Nov. 17, adding that he didn’t want to go to the shelters for stranded travellers so that there’s more room for others who need it.
“At the beginning, there was a lot of hope that they’re going to fix it, they’re going to get us through. But now, there’s no one in the streets anymore. People are just waiting now because they’re exhausted.”
Marchildon says he was in the area when the mudslides hit Highway 7 between Hope and Aggasiz on Nov. 14.
“I saw the disaster. I saw the people running around screaming for their kids in the dark. It was just terrible.”
Elsewhere in the province, stores with empty shelves are a common sight as panic buying and supply chain route disruptions deplete fresh food supplies. Segments of oil and gas pipelines were also shut off temporarily due to flooding and debris flows.
The province declared a state of emergency on Nov. 17, with Premier John Horgan saying it will give the province more options to respond to the natural disaster.
Bill Blair, the federal minister of emergency preparedness,saidon Nov. 17 that the Canadian Forces will deploy air support personnel to assist with evacuation efforts, support supply chain routes, and protect residents against floods and landslides.
‘Uncertainty Creates a Lot of Stress’
Ray Nickel, a board member with theBCChicken Marketing Board, says his organization is following the developments closely.
“From what we understand, our farm families are safe, so that’s obviously our number one concern,” Nickel said in an interview. “And then, corresponding with that, obviously, we’re very concerned about our animals and the safety and welfare of those. You can imagine, the uncertainty creates a lot of stress, especially when you’re threatened like this.”
Search and rescue personnel help flood evacuees disembark from a helicopter in Agassiz, B.C., on Nov. 15, 2021.
The BC Milk Marketing Board issued astatementto its producers on Nov. 16 saying that farms in many areas in the Fraser Valley, the Interior, and Northern B.C. will not have their milk picked up until further notice. The board asked the producers to dispose of their milk responsibly into their manure pit.
This exacerbates amilk shortagethroughout the province where grocery stores outside of Greater Vancouver have already run out of dairy supplies because shipments were stalled from the highway closures.
Dave Earle, CEO of the BC Truckers Association, encouraged residents to remain calm and trust the industry to get food and supplies to them.
“What’s really important for everybody to realize is the goods will get there. It just may take a little longer, they may cost a little more, but the goods will get there,” Earle in an interview with CFJC Today in Kamloops.
Rob Fleming, B.C.’s minister of transportation and infrastructure, said his department is focused on getting the roads repaired and supply chain routes cleared.
“We fully recognize how important it is now in British Columbia to reopen the road connections from the Lower Mainland to the Interior to get supply chains moving again,” Fleming said on Nov. 16.
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