Lightning Strike Launches Fracking Storage Tank in the Air, Sets off Chain Reaction Fire

A lightning strike set off an explosive chain-reaction fire at an oil and gas wastewater injection site in Greeley, Colorado, on Friday. 
The Associated Press reports that the fire started afterlightning struck a water storage tank, launching it into the air. Hydrocarbons contained in the tank caught fire and spread to other flammable materials at the site. 

(MORE: Severe Thunderstorms Topple Trees in the South, Kill at Least 2)

In fear of an explosion, local firefighters waited for the blaze to settle down before entering the site with fire suppression foam. Later that night, firefighters were able to fully extinguish the fire. 

NGL Energy Partners, the company that owns the site, deals in crude oil and liquids used in hydraulic fracturing, more commonly known as fracking. 

Greeley Fire Department spokesman Dale Lyman said that homes near the site were evacuated, but that no injuries were reported from the fire.

http://www.weather.com/news/news/fracking-tanker-lightning-strike-greeley-colorado

http://www.weather.com/news/news/april-snow-appalachians-great-lakes-maryland-pennsylvania

If you live in the South and feel like there's been a lot of rain lately,  you're not imagining things. In fact, 2015's April showers have been so tenacious that parts of the South have set record rainy streaks for the month, and some have seen a record number of rainy days so far this year.

You can blame a stagnant weather pattern. A low-pressure system in the upper atmosphere was slow to move out of the Rockies, while at the same time, the southern branch of the jet stream allowed for plenty of moisture to be drawn northward into the South. Even the overall pattern for much of this year has opened the door to wet conditions. 

http://www.weather.com/news/news/most-rainy-days-record-wild-rainfall

Late April Snow Blankets Appalachians, Great Lakes

A band of late April snow moved into the Great Lakes and Appalachians Wednesday, dropping up to 8.5 inches in some areas. 
"After a warmer stretch in April, blocking high pressure near Greenland has forced another prolonged, deep plunge of chilly air into the Great Lakes," weather.com meteorologist Jon Erdman said. "That deep, cold air pivoting into the Appalachians with surface temperatures just cold enough allowed snow to accumulate in parts of southwest Pennsylvania and far western Maryland. In the Great Lakes, up to 8.5 inches of snow was measured in parts of the western U.P. of Michigan and far northern Wisconsin."

(MORE: Abrupt Spring Cooldown Grips Midwest, Northeast) 

Michigan's Upper Peninsula, Maryland, Pennsylvania, Minnesota, West Virginia and Wisconsin all saw snowfall by noon local time Wednesday. 

Here are a handful of snowfall reports from the affected areas:

• Champion, Pennsylvania - 3 inches 
• Oakland, Maryland - 2 inches
• Bessemer, Michigan - 8.5 inches
• Gile, Wisconsin - 8.5 inches
• Davis, West Virginia - 2 inches
• Isabella, Minnesota - 3 inches

http://www.weather.com/news/news/april-snow-appalachians-great-lakes-maryland-pennsylvania

Chile's Calbuco Volcano Could Erupt for Months, Experts Warn

Tension and fear is high in towns surrounding Chile's Calbuco volcano, after the sleeping giant awoke this week, sending spectacular plumes of ash into the sky.

This week was the volcano's first eruption in 42 years. The blasts that began Wednesday, creating a remarkable scene of smoke plumes and ash shooting more than 6 miles into the sky. Calbuco had another spectacular outburst early Thursday with lightning crackling through a dark sky turned reddish orange by the explosion. More smoke was seen coming from the volcano Friday, and experts warn it could erupt again. 

NASA's Earth Observatory satellites captured images of the smoking volcano from space Friday.

http://www.weather.com/news/news/chile-calbuco-volcano-eruption-aftermath

Severe Weather Brings Tornadoes, Hail to Texas

Severe weather hit parts of Texas Sunday night and Monday morning, producing baseball-sized hail, damaging wind gusts and reported tornadoes. 

One tornado was confirmed Sunday afternoon in the area of rural Comanche and Erath counties in Texas. No injuries were reported in the immediate aftermath of the tornado. 

Tornadoes have also been spotted southeast of Stephenville, and in Glen Rose and Cleburne State Park on Sunday evening, according to WFAA.com. Overnight, a large tornado left damage in the Rio Vista area.

(MORE: Severe Weather Tracker | Live Updates)

Baseball-sized hail was reported near Stephenville, about 70 miles southwest of Fort Worth, and motorists were reporting damage to vehicles, according to the Associated Press. National Weather Service meteorologists also received reports of shingles being blown from rooftops, according to the Fort Worth Star-Telegram.

Stephenville police say shelters have opened at the city library and other locations. Many of the storms moved slowly, and the torrential rains led to serious flooding in several areas, including Rio Vista

http://www.weather.com/news/news/texas-severe-storm-photos

Afghanistan Landslide Kills More Than 50 in Remote Badakhshan Province

At least 52 people died Tuesday in a large landslide in northeastern Afghanistan, according to a provincial official.

The landslide cut off parts of Badakhshan province from the rest of the country, covering the entire area in snow, according to provincial governor Waliullah Adeeb. Because the area is only accessible from the air, rescue efforts have been severely hampered.

Landslides are frequent in Badakhshan during this time of year, as the snow melts and the ground becomes unstable. It's one of the poorest and least-developed regions of Afghanistan.

(MORE: Thousands Dead in Massive Nepal Earthquake)

Tuesday's landslide struck early in the morning in the province's Khawahan district, near Afghanistan's border with Tajikistan. The isolated area is located about 200 kilometers (124 miles) from the provincial capital, Faizabad.

There are no roads leading to it and "the only way to reach it is by helicopter," Adeeb said. "We won't be able to get there today. We are preparing to go to the area and are waiting for the choppers to take us there."

The deputy head of Afghanistan's National Disaster Management Authority, Mohammad Islam Sayas, said initial reports suggest the avalanche struck only one village but it was likely to have been completely wiped out.

http://www.weather.com/news/news/afghanistan-deadly-landslide-latest-news

The Weather Channel App Prompts Texas Family to Take Cover; Mom Finds 'Message' In Debris

Severe storms swept through Texas on Sunday, spawning at least 10 tornadoes that left a path of destruction in their wake. Yet amid the chaos, one Texas mom says nature left a message on her car.

Tiffany Chioles of Shepherd, Texas, posted a picture of pine needles that spelled out "hi" to The Weather Channel Facebook page. She believes she and her family were being protected during Sunday's storm in San Jacinto County.

"We had gotten a tornado warning from The Weather Channel app on my phone just three or four minutes before it was right on top of us," she wrote on our Facebook page. "Myself and my husband were covering our children with a mattress topper – and ourselves – because that's all we had time to do." 

After the storm passed, the family went to look at the damage. Trees were uprooted; an oak tree missed the bedroom she and her family were hiding in by mere feet.

But when she saw the pine needles delicately spelling "hi," she stoppped in her tracks.

"I took as God saying 'Hi! Just wanted you to know I was with you!' I just stood in awe for a few minutes and just took it all in."

A National Weather Service survey determined the damage in Shepherd was caused by powerful straight-line winds. The family's story, and their photos, are more proof that you should never ingore severe weather warnings. 

http://www.weather.com/news/news/shepherd-texas-severe-storms-message-hi

Shelf Clouds: Not Tornadoes, But Still Scary and Ominous

A shelf cloud, also known as an arcus or arc cloud, may be the most frequently submitted cloud photo to ourweather.com photo gallery and Facebook page. Based on their appearance, we certainly understand why. 

Shelf clouds are typically seen at the leading edge of a thunderstorm or squall line of thunderstorms. While menacing in appearance, shelf clouds are not tornadoes or wall clouds.

(PHOTOS: Scary Clouds That Are Not Tornadoes)

What you're seeing in a shelf cloud is the boundary between a downdraft and updraft of a thunderstorm or line of thunderstorms.

Rain-chilled air descends in a thunderstorm's downdraft, then spreads laterally when reaching Earth's surface. Warmer, more moist air is lifted at the leading edge, or gust front, of this rain-cooled air. When this warm, moist air condenses, you see the shelf cloud.

http://www.weather.com/science/news/shelf-cloud-photos-20130412

Man-Made Earthquakes Becoming More Prevalent in Central, Eastern U.S., U.S. Geological Survey Says

An extreme increase in seismic activity throughout the Central and Eastern United States can likely be contributed to human activities, the U.S. Geological Survey revealed Thursday.   

Industrial operations and wastewater disposal deep underground are contributors to man-made earthquakes, the USGS said. 

Mark Petersen, chief of the USGS National Seismic Hazard Modeling Project, expressed his concern, saying "These earthquakes are occurring at a higher rate than ever before and pose a much greater risk to people living nearby." 

(MORE: More Than 143 Million Americans at Risk for Earthquakes, Scientists Say) 

Oklahoma has seen a particularly troubling rise in earthquakes in the same area where state geological survey researchers say wastewater disposal has spiked, the Los Angeles Times reported. 

In neighboring Texas, Southern Methodist University and federal researchers examined and published a study regarding an increase in the Dallas/Forth Worth area beginning in 2013. They concluded the string was likely another result of wastewater disposal, said the Wall Street Journal. 

In order to better understand the potential for these quakes, the USGS compiled a report, with the goal of calculating the frequency of possible earthquake occurrences next year and how hard they will shake. The report outlines preliminary and experimental hazard models and the problems that must be addressed before creating a final model. http://www.weather.com/science/news/us-geological-survey-report-man-made-earthquakes-increase-central-eastern-united-states

El Niño Is Hanging On: What that Means for Hurricanes

Over the next few months, the globe might see an uptick in tropical cyclone activity thanks to an El Niño that is showing signs of asserting itself more forcefully.

That doesn’t mean more hurricanes everywhere, though: While El Niño tends to boost activity in the Pacific Ocean, it clamps down on storm formation in the tropical Atlantic. That link has at least one hurricane forecaster calling for a very quiet Atlantic hurricane season this year — possibly the quietest since the mid-20th century.

While El Niño is a cyclical climate phenomenon in the Pacific Ocean — marked by warmer ocean temperatures in the tropics and a weakening of the usual easterly trade winds — it can impact weather around the globe.

During an El Niño, a domino of atmospheric effects causes a large area of stable, subsiding air to form over the tropical Atlantic. Exactly the opposite of what a fledgling tropical cyclone, which thrives on instability, needs to grow and strengthen. El Niño also tends to bring more wind shear to the region, meaning the speed and direction of the wind changes more between different altitudes, putting the kibosh on a burgeoning storm.

http://www.weather.com/science/news/el-nino-strength-what-that-means-for-hurricanes

Haiti earthquake: rebuilding the country with carpentry and prosthetics

On 12 January 2010, a magnitude 7.0 earthquake hit the Haitian city of Léogâne, 16 miles from the capital Port-au-Prince. It is estimated that 220,000 people were killed and 300,000 were injured. More than half of the government and administrative buildings, and 4,000 schools, were destroyed or damaged. Members of the Haitian diaspora share their stories of moving on after a tragedy.

Felix-Paul Michaud co-founded Seeds for Change

12 January is my birthday and I was preparing for my party when the earthquake hit. My first thought was that everybody was going to die. It felt like the end of the world because I did not understand what was happening.

After the earthquake, I worked as a carpenter supervisor with the Delaney Bay Fund in Léogâne. We provided shelter for people after the earthquake, and we built houses and furniture for schools. We also started a community clinic and helped to create a business directory for Léogâne.

I co-founded Seeds for Change with my wife, Christa. It had been my dream to set up an organisation since I was a child, but I started to think about it seriously after the earthquake. In the beginning, we didn’t know exactly what it would be called or what we would do. It took some time to figure out those things.

As a grassroots organisation, we work with smallholder farmers and rural communities wherever people tell us they need help. It’s important for us to work with the community and not just go and tell them what they need to do. Haitians have a lot of good ideas and we know our country. We need people to listen to those who can help to show us the way.

http://www.theguardian.com/global-development-professionals-network/2015/jan/12/haiti-earthquake-five-diaspora-development

Gold Coast man killed and family injured by 'massive' lightning strike

A blast of light “shattered the air” the moment a Gold Coast father was fatally struck by a bolt of lightning.

A worker from the Queensland polling booth where the man and his wife were believed to be going to vote before the accident said they initially didn’t think anything of the lightning strike.

“There was a massive blast of light and it was beyond a bang – it just shattered the air,” the worker told the Gold Coast Bulletin.

The 39-year-old father of two died in the Gold Coast University hospital about 7pm on Saturday. His wife and two children were also admitted and were in a stable condition on Saturday night.

The Highland Park family was sheltering from the storm under a park shed near Worongary state school when the structure was struck about 4pm.

It is believed the man took a direct hit, with electricity then travelling into the others, including a toddler aged 18 months and a 12-week-old baby, a Queensland Ambulance spokesman told the ABC.

Queensland Fire and Emergency Services responded to 55 Gold Coast call-outs on Saturday.

http://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2015/feb/01/gold-coast-man-killed-and-family-injured-by-massive-lightning-strike

http://www.theguardian.com/world/2015/feb/25/afghanistan-avalanches-snow

Calla Wahlquist

Saturday 21 February 2015 23.00 ESTLast modified on Sunday 22 February 201515.25 EST

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Several towns in Queensland were without water on Sunday as emergency services worked to clean up after ex-tropical cyclone Marcia, which ripped through Rockhampton and nearby areas on Friday.

Rockhampton deputy mayor Tony Williams told Guardian Australia it was the biggest natural disaster to hit the town in his lifetime.

“I was born and raised in Rockhampton,” he said. “We’ve had cyclones before but usually off the coast. We’ve had floods that have cut the town off for weeks, and we had a bushfire that was declared a national disaster in 2009.”

“This event trumps any that the community has faced before.”

Deputy prime minister, Warren Truss, toured affected areas on Sunday and announced that residents who suffered damage to their homes would be eligible for the federal government’s disaster recovery payment or up to $1,000 per adult or $400 per child.

Funding is also available under the joint federal and state natural disaster benefit and recovery arrangements.

Williams said at least 600 homes were damaged by the cyclone or subsequent floodwater, but added that was a conservative estimate. The official damage figure is 550 homes. Australian Defence Force personnel, who arrived in Rockhampton on Sunday, have only just begun assessing the damage. A further 200 ADF personnel will arrive in Rockhampton and Yeppoon on Sunday night.

http://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2015/feb/22/cyclone-marcia-queensland-towns-without-water-as-region-counts-cost-of-storm

Avalanches caused by heavy snow kill at least 124 people in Afghanistan

Avalanches caused by a heavy winter snow have killed at least 124 people in north-eastern Afghanistan, an emergency official said on Wednesday, as rescuers clawed through debris with their hands to save those buried beneath.

The avalanches buried homes across four north-east provinces, killing those beneath, said Mohammad Aslam Syas, the deputy director of the Afghanistan natural disaster management authority. The province worst hit appeared to be Panjshir province, about 100km (60 miles) north-east of the capital, Kabul, where the avalanches destroyed or damaged around 100 homes, Syas said.

The acting governor of Panjshir, Abdul Rahman Kabiri, said rescuers used their bare hands and shovels in an effort to reach survivors. Rescue teams had been dispatched to the affected areas and casualties were expected to rise, Syas said.

The heavy snowstorms, which began early Tuesday, hampered rescue efforts. Snowfall from the storm was nearly one meter (3ft) deep in places and fallen trees blocked roads in the Panjshir Valley.

General Abdul Aziz Ghirat, the provincial police chief of Panjshir, said the death toll from the avalanches was expected to rise when rescue attempts resumed at sunrise Thursday.

Avalanches in the valley’s Dara district affected up to 600 families, according to people trying to reach the area to assist in rescue efforts.

http://www.theguardian.com/world/2015/feb/25/afghanistan-avalanches-snow

World weatherwatch: California storms and outback heat

A rapidly advancing storm system affected southern California earlier this week, bringing more than an inch of rain, and prompting warnings of mudslides and flash flooding. Winter thunderstorm are not uncommon in California but these particular storm cells created the unusual sight of beaches and palm trees smothered 20-30mm deep in hailstones. A waterspout, in essence a tornado that forms over open water, was also spotted just off the coast of Santa Monica. The same winter storm left more than a foot of snow in Californian ski resorts, including Bear Mountain, and other south-western states such as Arizona and Utah, also saw large snowfalls.

Extreme heat continues to roast western Queensland in Australia, worsening drought conditions across large areas. Temperatures have exceeded 40C, several degrees above the seasonal norm, for days on end – 16 consecutive days in the small town of Boulia in the Queensland outback, peaking at 44C, although temperatures exceeded 37C every day in February. Worryingly, this region is in the midst of its climatological wet season with only a few weeks until the official dry season commences. Reservoirs are at record lows with very little farmland grazing remaining, promoting concern for the rest of the year’s agricultural industry.

http://www.theguardian.com/news/2015/mar/04/world-weather-california-storms-queensland-heat-drought-boulia

Temperatures drop again after snowstorm leaves hundreds stranded in Kentucky

People in the eastern US woke up to colder than average temperatures on Friday after a punishing snowstorm led to school cancellations, flight delays and hundreds of people stranded on a Kentucky highway for more than 12 hours.

Colder than average temperatures are expected through the weekend, as a winter storm pushes into the Atlantic after dumping about 2ft of snow on parts of the eastern US, according to the National Weather Service. Weather officials are warning people to take precautions while driving in the slush, ice and snow.

Traffic conditions have improved in Kentucky after nearly 2ft of snow caused a traffic jam that lasted for more than 12 hours from Wednesday into Thursday. Governor Steve Beshear declared a state of emergency and the National Guard was called into Hardin County, which was particularly badly affected by the storm.

A group of Chicago civil rights activists, including the Rev Jesse Jackson’s wife Jacqueline Brown, were among those stuck. Brown was part of a group of activists travelling to Alabama for the 50th anniversary of the march from Selma to Montgomery.

http://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2015/mar/06/us-temperatures-snow-ice-kentucky

Cyclone Pam death toll rises as Vanuatu begins to assess damage

At least 24 people in Vanuatu have been killed and 3,300 have been displaced by cyclone Pam, the UN has said.

Authorities will on Tuesday identify Vanuatu’s worst-hit areas using aerial surveys by Australian and French aircraft.

On Monday the aircraft flew over the province of Tafea, where severe impacts are feared after a private pilot gave an early report of more deaths, widespread property damage and water shortages on the island of Tanna.

Little is still known of conditions on the ground in outlying islands after Pam wiped out the archipelago’s wider telecommunications network.http://www.theguardian.com/world/2015/mar/17/cyclone-pam-death-toll-rises-to-24-as-vanuatu-begins-to-assess-damage

Cyclone Nathan: 420 evacuated from remote NT community as storm intensifies

More than 400 people were evacuated from the remote community of Warruwi on Monday as tropical cyclone Nathan strengthened off the Northern Territory coast and threatened to hit Goulburn Island as a category three.

The cyclone, which began over a week ago off the far-north Queensland coast, continued to move west at a slow pace, intensifying over the warm waters of the Arafura Sea. It was expected to reach category three on Monday night and the latest tracking data showed “pretty much a direct hit” on Goulburn Island, the director of NT emergency services, Andrew Warton told media.

“A category three tropical cyclone is going to pack winds between 165km/h and 224km/h. That can do damage to roofs ... trees and powerlines and some of the damage we’ve already seen.”

http://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2015/mar/23/cyclone-nathan-420-evacuated-from-remote-nt-community-as-storm-intensifies

Oklahoma tornadoes trigger state of emergency in 25 counties

Governor Mary Fallin has declared a state of emergency for 25 Oklahoma counties after powerful storms rumbled across the state and produced tornadoes and flat-line winds that led to one death, numerous injuries and widespread damage.

Fallin announced the declaration on Thursday morning in Moore after touring Southgate-Rippetoe elementary school, which had much of its roof torn off and suffered major water damage. No students were in the building during the storm, and no injuries were reported at the school.

Moore’s schools superintendent, Robert Romines, said air conditioning units toppled from roofs at several schools in the district after powerful winds and at least one small tornado passed through the suburb on Wednesday evening.

A tornado that hit Moore in 2013 destroyed two schools and killed seven students.

http://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2015/mar/26/oklahoma-tornadoes-state-of-emergency-25-counties

NSW floods: about 2,000 people still cut off by water in two Hunter communities

Thursday 23 April 201516.59 EDTLast modified on Thursday 23 April 201517.15 EDT

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Recovery efforts are set to be ramped up on Friday with about 2,000 people still cut off by floodwaters after this week’s deadly storms in New South Wales.

State emergency service teams are ferrying food and medical supplies to more than 1,800 people in the Hunter communities of Hinton and Gillieston Heights.Four people died in the floods.

Fine weather is predicted for Friday but there are concerns that strong winds on Saturday and particularly on Sunday could hamper clean-up efforts.

“From Saturday afternoon we could see some strong winds and the Hunter in particular can be a place which sees those winds funnel down through the valley a little bit,” a Bureau of Meteorology spokesman said.

“On Sunday we’re looking at some fairly strong southerly winds and the potential for some gale-force winds there as the cold front moves up the coast.”

http://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2015/apr/24/nsw-floods-about-2000-people-still-cut-off-by-water-in-two-hunter-communities