natural disaster

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World 'Knew' About Cyclone, Expert Says

Burma says it warned citizens 5 days before landfall

(Newser) - Burma says it warned its people of Cyclone Nargis 5 days before landfall, when it learned of the storm over news wires—but one expert believes Burma's media outlets were too primitive to spread the message. With Burma's death toll as high as 100,000, Newsweek talked to a global...

Deadly Storms Sweep Southeast
 Deadly Storms Sweep Southeast 

Deadly Storms Sweep Southeast

1 killed, 2 injured in NC twister

(Newser) - A deadly North Carolina twister was part of a powerful storm system that rocked the Southeast last night, AP reports. The Carolina tornado knocked three tractor-trailers off a highway, killing one and injuring two. Storms also hammered a shopping area in Mississippi, and homes in Tennessee and Alabama, where winds...

Cyclone Death Toll 22,000 and Climbing
 Cyclone Death Toll
  22,000 and Climbing 
updated

Cyclone Death Toll 22,000 and Climbing

Burmese junta allows international aid, delays vote in some parts

(Newser) - The cyclone that ripped through Burma has claimed at least 22,000 lives, the military junta said today, and more than 40,000 remain missing. The scope of the disaster forced military leaders to postpone a constitutional referendum—designed to cement their grip on power—in the worst-hit regions, the ...

Cyclone Savages Burma; at Least 351 Dead
 Cyclone Savages Burma;
 at Least 351 Dead 
Updated

Cyclone Savages Burma; at Least 351 Dead

Winds reach 120 mph, destroying thousands of buildings

(Newser) - A tropical cyclone has wreaked havoc in Burma, killing at least 351 and destroying tens of thousands of buildings, the BBC reports. Cyclone Nargis brought 120 mph winds to the country, knocking down 75% of buildings in one town and cutting off power, water, and phone lines in the largest...

Stubborn NM Fire Burns 50 More Homes

After jumping lines, blaze is 35% contained

(Newser) - Firefighters nearly contained a New Mexico wildfire this week before it leaped containment lines and razed another 50 homes on Wednesday, the AP reports. Nine had already gone up in flames. Firefighters are working today to cut new lines around the blaze, which is 35% contained near Albuquerque. Officials say...

Heartland Tornadoes Kill 7 in Arkansas

Severe storms and hail also hit Texas, Oklahoma, and Missouri

(Newser) - Severe storms spawned twisters in America's heartland today, knocking out power, toppling tractor-trailers, and killing seven people in Arkansas, the AP reports. Up to 25 tornadoes also hit Missouri, Kansas, and Oklahoma, a state where hail smashed windshields and storms derailed railway cars. “It just seems like we’re...

All Safe in 5.8 Mexico Quake
 All Safe in 5.8 Mexico Quake 

All Safe in 5.8 Mexico Quake

5.8 shaker causes no major damage

(Newser) - A 5.8 magnitude earthquake shook Mexico yesterday, but no major damage or injuries were reported, AP reports. The rumble, centered 96 miles north of Acapulco, rattled buildings in Mexico City and sent many scurrying into the streets. "It scared us. It was strong," remarked one resident who...

Scientists Warn Reno to Brace for Major Quake

Two months of shakers could signal trouble

(Newser) - Scientists are warning Reno residents to prepare for a major quake following a series of smaller rumbles that have shaken the area for two months, AP reports. The strongest was Friday night’s magnitude 4.7 tremor, which cracked walls and rattled products off store shelves. Now, “a magnitude...

Another Earthquake Shakes Up Illinois

No damage reported in 4.5-magnitude rattling

(Newser) - A magnitude 4.5 earthquake rattled southern Illinois early this morning in the strongest aftershock since the area was shaken by Friday’s 5.2 tremor, CNN reports. The rumble was centered in the same spot as last week's quake near the town of Mount Carmel, and began after midnight....

Illinois Quake? Wow
 Illinois Quake? Wow 

Illinois Quake? Wow

Today's 5.2 temblor is 'not unusual' for region, expert says

(Newser) - A geologist has sent a ripple of curiosity through the media by calling today's Illinois earthquake “not unusual," ABC News reports. The 5.2 temblor, which caused no injuries or major damage, is one of many the state has experienced since 1795. One rocked 500,000 square miles...

Mild 5.2 Earthquake Shakes Up Chicago

No major damage reported in 20-second tremor

(Newser) - A moderate earthquake in southern Illinois was enough to wake far-off Chicago-area residents this morning, but no major damage was reported, the Chicago Tribune notes. The shake-up reached 5.2 on the Richter scale, shy of an area record of 5.4, but enough to move furniture. “For people...

3 Die in Colo. Wildfires; Storm May Aid Firefighters

Blazes have killed 3 people

(Newser) - Firefighters hoped rain and snow would help them stop three Colorado wildfires blazing through thousands of acres of grass, forcing hundreds of residents to evacuate and leaving three people dead, the AP reports. Authorities told all 1,200 residents of Ordway to leave yesterday, as wind gusted up to 50...

Big Quake Will Rock Calif. by 2038: Study

Scientists warn state to plan for 7.5 mag temblor

(Newser) - A major earthquake is almost inevitable in California in the next 30 years, a new study says. The likely target is Southern California, which has a 97% chance of a 6.7 magnitude quake and 37% chance of a 7.5. Because it has suffered more big quakes in the...

Tornadoes Put FEMA on Spot
Tornadoes Put FEMA on Spot

Tornadoes Put FEMA on Spot

Agency that botched Katrina response is under close scrutiny

(Newser) - As the full extent of the damage from this week's deadly tornadoes comes clear, survivors and lawmakers are united in one sentiment: FEMA better come through this time. The agency that botched the Katrina recovery is under close scrutiny, the New York Times reports. “FEMA must not use bureaucratic...

Tot Found Alive in Twister Wake
Tot Found Alive in Twister Wake

Tot Found Alive in Twister Wake

Tennessee child orphaned, but uninjured by tornado

(Newser) - Three and a half hours after a vicious tornado struck Castalian Springs, Tenn., on Tuesday night, rescue workers found what they first thought was a doll but which was in fact a baby—alive and without a scratch, the Washington Post reports. Kyson Stowell, 11 months, was shivering and dazed...

Quakes Kill 39 in Rwanda, Congo
Quakes Kill 39 in Rwanda, Congo

Quakes Kill 39 in Rwanda, Congo

Nearly 400 injured in pair of incidents

(Newser) - A pair of earthquakes shook Rwanda and the Congo today, killing 39 and injuring 380, the AP reports. Congo was hit first, with a 6.0 blast early this morning. Rwanda was shaken scant hours later, with a 5.0 shock. “I was at home when the earthquake hit,...

Floods Swamp Eastern Australia
Floods Swamp Eastern Australia

Floods Swamp Eastern Australia

Thousands stranded after storms batter coast

(Newser) - Thousands on the east coast of Australia have been isolated by flooding from heavy rains, the BBC reports. Thunderstorms and overflowing rivers have battered the northeast parts of New South Wales, the country’s most populous state, and the southern parts of Queensland; both have been declared natural disaster zones....

Tsunami Survivors Look Ahead
Tsunami Survivors Look Ahead

Tsunami Survivors Look Ahead

Officials concerned about post-aid economy, beefing up warning systems

(Newser) - As candles are lit today in memory of the 230,000 victims of the 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami, the Christian Science Monitor reports on the results of the $13.6 billion effort to help survivors. The aid has largely been used effectively, but now officials worry about the recovering economies...

Indonesian Landslides Kill 81
Indonesian Landslides Kill 81

Indonesian Landslides Kill 81

Heavy rains in Java set off disaster; rescue ongoing

(Newser) - Torrential rainstorms set off landslides and flooding in Indonesia today, the third anniversary of the Asian tsunami, killing as many as 81 people and forcing thousands to flee their homes. The disaster affected several districts on the main island of Java, where residents have been wading through neck-high water. "...

Bangladeshi Bridge Collapses
Bangladeshi Bridge Collapses

Bangladeshi Bridge Collapses

Villagers struggle to free people trapped under fallen concrete slabs

(Newser) - At least three people were killed and scores injured in Bangladesh today when a bridge packed with thousands of cyclone survivors collapsed, the AP reports. Another 20 people were missing. The collapse occurred as Bangladeshis moved toward a relief center to receive much-needed food and supplies in a district hard...

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