4,000 homes evacuated amid flooding in Cedar Rapids, Iowa

CEDAR RAPIDS, Iowa (AP) -- The Cedar River poured over its banks here Thursday, forcing the evacuation of nearly 4,000 homes, causing a railroad bridge to collapse and leaving cars underwater on downtown streets.

Officials estimated that 100 blocks were underwater in Cedar Rapids, where several days of preparation could not hold back the rain-swollen river. Rescuers had to use boats to reach many stranded residents, and people could be seen dragging suitcases up closed highway exit ramps to escape the water.

"We're just kind of at God's mercy right now, so hopefully people that never prayed before this, it might be a good time to start," Linn County Sheriff Don Zeller said. "We're going to need a lot of prayers, and people are going to need a lot of patience and understanding."

Days of heavy rain across the state have put nine rivers across Iowa at or above historic flood levels. Residents were steeling themselves for floods before storms late Wednesday and early Thursday brought up to 5 inches of rain across west central Iowa.

"We are seeing a historic hydrological event taking place with unprecedented river levels occurring," said Brian Pierce, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service in Davenport. "We're in uncharted territory; this is an event beyond what anybody could even imagine."

Gov. Chet Culver has declared 55 of Iowa's 99 counties to be state disaster areas.

No deaths or serious injuries were reported in Iowa, but one man was killed in southern Minnesota when his car plunged from a washed-out road into floodwaters. Another person was rescued from a nearby vehicle in the town of Albert Lea.

In Des Moines, officials said they were urging residents to evacuate more than 200 homes north of downtown because of concerns that the Des Moines River would top a nearby levee. Some residents also were ordered to evacuate homes along rivers in Iowa City and Coralville.

In Cedar Rapids, a city of about 124,000, floodwaters downtown neared the top of stop signs, and cars were nearly covered in water. It wasn't clear just how high the river had risen, because a flood gauge was swept away by the swirling water.

"It's going door to door to make sure people don't need to be rescued, 'cause right now, they can't get out on their own," said Dave Koch, a spokesman for the Cedar Rapids Fire Department. "It's just too deep."

The surging river caused part of a railroad bridge and about 20 hopper cars loaded with rocks to collapse. The cars had been positioned on the bridge in hopes of weighing it down against the rising water.

Joe Childers, an official at a U.S. Bank in downtown Cedar Rapids, was in jeans and tennis shoes as he worked to move documents and other items upstairs or out of the building.

"We're trying to keep water out of as many places as we can," he said. "It's pretty amazing. I don't think anyone really expected it this far."

Prisoners had to be moved from the Linn County jail, including some inmates who had been transferred from the Benton County jail in Vinton because of flooding. The sheriff's office also was under water, Zeller said.

"We've had to move our operations out of the area and to our alternate emergency site," Zeller said. "We are just trying to regroup. When you don't have all of your equipment and you don't have all your facilities to operate out of -- we're at a little bit of a disadvantage ... but we're carrying on as normal."

Several emergency shelters were opened, and the city had closed all but one of its bridges over the Cedar River.

"I believe that this is God's way of doing things, and I've got insurance, so I'm not worried about it," said Tim Grimm, who was forced to leave his home in the city's Czech Village area.

In Austin, Minnesota, the Cedar River was expected to crest Thursday night at 22 feet, 7 feet above flood stage. The river reached 25 feet in a 2004 flood that caused major damage in the city.

Some businesses and offices were closed because of the flooding, including a Hormel Foods corporate office and its Spam Museum. The city of Austin, however, has bought many properties in the flood plain since the 2004 flood and tore structures down.

"The city has been very proactive, and that's going to save them some problems this time," said Mike Welvaert, a Weather Service meteorologist.

Flooding this week also caused damage across southern Wisconsin, where thunderstorms continued pounding the area on Thursday.

A funnel cloud was reported in Grant County in southwestern Wisconsin, said Chris Kuhlman, a Weather Service meteorologist. The Weather Service also said flash floods in the county closed two highways and required rescues, though a sheriff's office dispatcher did not immediately have those details.
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Just southeast of Grand Rapids, Michigan, crews pulled the body of a motorist from a car found drifting in the swollen Thornapple River. State police said they believe that the 57-year-old man called on his cell phone but didn't say what happened or where he was; they found him using global positioning equipment.

People in several northern Missouri communities, meanwhile, were piling up sandbags to prepare for flooding in the Missouri River, expected to crest over the weekend, and a more significant rise in the Mississippi River expected Wednesday.

BEIJING, China (AP) -- China's official news agency says a landslide in northern China has buried a brick factory, killing at least 16 workers.

KURIHARA, Japan (AP) -- A 7.2-magnitude earthquake ripped across mountains and rice fields in northern Japan on Saturday, killing at least three people as it sheared off hillsides, jolted buildings and shook nuclear power plants. At least seven people were missing.

CEDAR RAPIDS, Iowa (AP) -- The dark, filthy water that inundated the entire downtown of Iowa's second-largest city was receding Saturday after forcing 24,000 people to flee, but those who remained were being urged to take draconian measures to avoid overwhelming the city's only remaining drinking water source.

A sandbagging siege saved the last of the city's four collection wells from contamination by the record flood. But officials warned that if people didn't cut back on flushing toilets, taking showers and other nonessential uses, the town would be out of potable water in three to four days.

China's flood death toll grows

Story Highlights
- NEW: Authorities say torrential rains are expected for another 10 days, Xinhua reports
- NEW: Floods have destroyed 45,000 houses
- Heavy rain in Sichuan, Guizhou and Yunnan to raise water levels downstream
- Flooding is worst to hit Pearl River Delta region in 50 years

The death toll from floods in China's south has climbed to 169, and the government has warned that torrential rains will continue through the week. CNN's Emily Chang reports from Fengkai, where it is still raining and people are using rowboats as transportation.

Feds say 20 levees have 'high potential' to overflow

Story Highlights
- 27 levees have potential to overflow; 20 have "high potential," map shows
- Officials placing millions of sandbags on levees along Mississippi River
- Army Corps of Eng: "There is no way to predict whether these levees will break"

WASHINGTON (AP) -- The federal government predicts that 27 levees could potentially overflow along the Mississippi River if the weather forecast is on the mark and a massive sandbagging effort fails to raise the level of the levees, according to a map obtained Monday by The Associated Press.

Officials are placing millions of sandbags on top of the levees along the river in Illinois, Iowa and Missouri to prevent overflowing. There is no way to predict whether these levees will break, said Ron Fournier, a spokesman with the Army Corps of Engineers in Iowa. "That's a crystal ball that nobody has," he told the AP.

The levees in New Orleans broke during Hurricane Katrina, causing catastrophic flooding.

Record-breaking storms and flooding across six states this month continue to force thousands of people to evacuate and seek shelter. Since June 6, there have been 22 deaths, 85 injuries and more than 26,000 power outages because of the storms and flooding, according to the Federal Emergency Management Agency...

Ferry stranded as typhoon hits Philippines

Story Highlights
- Typhoon causes flash floods, landslides, at least 17 dead in southern Philippines
- NEW: Ferry carrying about 700 people stranded in wind-whipped waters
- 89 flights to and from central Philippines have been canceled, say officials
- Typhoon packed sustained winds of 88mph, gusts of up to 106 mph on landfall

700 missing after ferry capsizes

MANILA, Philippines (CNN) -- Only three survivors have been found after a ferry with more than 700 people onboard capsized near the central Philippine island of Sibuyan, according to a Philippines Coast Guard official.

Iowa faces potential $3 billion in crop loss

Story Highlights
- Agriculture secretary estimates 10 percent of corn, 20 percent of soybeans lost
- Remaining plantings could show reduced yields, official says
- Some agricultural losses will not be covered by insurance
- President Bush tours flooded area by air, promises help

CNN) -- The flood damage to Iowa crops could reach $3 billion, according to the state's agriculture secretary.

"Right now, we have about 10 percent of our corn that has either been flooded out or not planted and about 20 percent of our [soy]beans," Bill Northey said Friday on "Iowa Press," a public television show.

"We're seeing some beans go back in the ground, and if we were to lose that, if we weren't able to replant, that would be $2.5 billion, $3 billion -- a significant amount of damage," he said.

He added that some of the remaining crops would probably have smaller yields.

Flooding in several Midwestern states has killed two dozen people and injured 148, according to the Federal Emergency Management Agency, and 35,000 to 40,000 people in several states have been displaced.
I think some of this was absolutely uncontrollable," Northey said. "If you are ready for every potential event that could happen once out of every hundred years or 500 years, you're probably not going to be able to be in business and make it on a normal year. So, some of this is just flat-out unpredictable," he said.

In Iowa, where several rivers jumped their banks about a week ago, water covered city blocks, ruined homes and poured over acres of farmland. This week, residents are returning to homes, and officials are assessing damage as the floodwater moves downstream to add to the Mississippi River's flow.

Despite the acres of flooded farmland in Iowa, "there certainly are folks out there with good crops," Northey said. "There's areas with good crops, and within all areas, there's folks with good crops and poor crops," he said.

Flooding of some of the food processing facilities in Iowa also has a "very significant" impact on Iowa's agriculture, Northey said.

"We're just starting to hear some of those things, just starting to figure out. Those change markets, and in many cases those losses, if they are by flooding, in some cases those are not covered by insurance," he said.

On Thursday, President Bush toured the flood-ravaged state by air.

"Obviously, to the extent that we can help immediately we want to help, and then plan for recovery," the president said at Kirkwood Community College in Cedar Rapids, Iowa.
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"You're exhausted; I understand that," he said. "The good news is, the people in Iowa are tough-minded people. You'll come back better," he said.

Iowa Gov. Chet Culver, who toured the area with Bush, said, "we will rebuild this state and this city, and it will be even better and even stronger as a result."

Official: Hundreds may be trapped in capsized ferry

MANILA, Philippines (CNN) -- Filipino authorities hope that 749 people missing after their ferry capsized in a typhoon are still alive inside an air pocket, the head of the country's Red Cross said Sunday.

Report: Climate change threatens U.S. security

Climate changing could destabilize "struggling and poor" countries around the world, prompting mass migrations and creating breeding grounds for terrorists, according to a U.S. government analysis. Wealthy countries will be able to cope better, lawmakers were told, but "no country will be immune to the effects of climate change."

Typhoon toll in Philippines could pass 1,000

Story Highlights
* NEW: Death toll has risen to more than 500 people killed and could go much higher
* NEW: Over 900 people still listed as missing, including 669 passengers from a ferry
* NEW: Of ferry's 849 passengers, 124 are confirmed dead, 56 have been found alive
* U.S. military has sent naval craft to assist in relief and search-and-rescue efforts

(CNN) -- The official toll from last weekend's typhoon in the Philippines has risen to more than 500 people killed and could go much higher, according to the latest figures from the country's National Disaster Coordinating Council.

More than 900 people are still listed as missing, including 669 ferry passengers and crew who have not been accounted for.

The massive Princess of the Stars capsized late Saturday as a result of Typhoon Fengshen, or "Frank." The vessel was able to hold 2,000 people. The crew reported that its engines failed during a routine run from Manila to Cebu City.

Of the 849 passengers and crew, 124 are confirmed dead and 56 have been found alive, the NDCC said.

The overall death toll from Typhoon Frank was 505 as of Thursday evening.

"Our heart beats out and our prayers go to the victims and to the families of the victims," Philippine President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo, who was in Washington, said Wednesday.

The U.S. military has sent naval craft from Okinawa and Hawaii to assist the Philippines in relief and search-and-rescue efforts. The U.S.S. Ronald Reagan, a nuclear-powered aircraft carrier, was in the area Wednesday in support of relief efforts.

Typhoon Frank had not been expected to hit the Philippines last week when it formed. But it struck the islands Friday with winds of about 140 km/h (90 mph) before moving northward toward China and Taiwan. The Princess of the Stars set sail on Saturday when the typhoon was a minimal category 1 storm with winds up to 95 mph (153 kph). The storm gained strength as the vessel made its way south, creating dangerous conditions.

Relatives of the passengers are demanding to know why the ship was allowed to leave port. Sulpicio Lines, which operates the ferry, said the family of each person killed in the accident will receive 200,000 pesos (approximately $4,600), the Philippine Information Agency reported. Video Watch aerial pictures of the sunken ferry »

Richard Gordon, head of the Philippines Red Cross and a member of the country's Senate, said Sulpicio Lines has a history of previous accidents "and people are pouncing on them right now."

Arroyo said her government is "holding the ferry company accountable" and will be investigating how the capsizing happened.

Giant hail batters 30,000 new Volkswagens

Story Highlights
Hailstorm hit a Volkswagen lot filled with new cars at plant in Emden, Germany
VW: Most of the vehicles sustained heavy paint and body damage
Each vehicle will be repaired and inspected before being put up for sale

BERLIN, Germany (AP) -- Hail the size of pingpong balls damaged some 30,000 new vehicles at a Volkswagen plant in northern Germany, a company spokesman said Friday.

The June 22 hailstorm hit a lot filled with new cars at a plant in Emden, on the North Sea coast. The cars were waiting to be shipped to dealerships overseas.

Most of the vehicles sustained heavy paint and body damage, but little glass was broken, Volkswagen spokesman Christoph Adomat said.

"We can't make a damage estimate yet," Adomat said.

Volkswagen was insured against the damage, and each of the vehicles will be repaired and inspected before being put up for sale, he said.

"We need to make certain that all customers receive a car that is absolutely in good working order," Adomat said.

June 28, 2008 -- Updated 0002 GMT (0802 HKT)

Wildfires' smoke, ash chokes Northern Californians

Story Highlights
* Area's air pollution readings are 2 to 10 times the federal clean air standard
* Weather changes brought some relief but could spark more fires
* More than 15,000 firefighters are working on more than 1,000 blazes
* Officials urge people to keep themselves and their pets indoors
* Next Article in U.S.

SACRAMENTO, California (AP) -- Hundreds of lightning-sparked wildfires have turned the air of Northern California into an unhealthy stew of smoke and ash, forcing the cancellation of athletic events and other outdoor activities.

Health advisories urging residents to stay indoors to limit exposure to the smokey air were issued Saturday from Bakersfield north to Redding, a distance of nearly 450 miles.

Air pollution readings in the region are two to 10 times the federal standard for clean air, Dimitri Stanich, spokesman for the California Air Resources Board, said Saturday.

Some areas are experiencing the worst air quality on record, with the smoke hanging down to the ground like a fog.

Air quality agencies are especially concerned about high readings of small-particle pollution. The tiniest particles can penetrate past the body's immune defenses, traveling deep into the lungs and the bloodstream.

"When you have it on the scale we are seeing now, it is very dangerous to the general public health," Stanich said. "This is a very serious problem."

Changing weather brought smoke-clearing breezes and brief relief to some areas Saturday, but it could also bring lightning storms similar to the ones that ignited fires across Northern California a week ago.

Thunderstorms could strike anywhere in the northern Sierra Nevada or the northern Central Valley on Saturday night, said National Weather Service forecaster Johnnie Powell in Sacramento.

The thunderstorms could also bring a small amount of much-needed rain, he said. The front was expected to pass by Sunday, setting up a second week of abysmal air quality.

The renewed threat of dry lightning and stiffer breezes that could stir the wildfires led fire officials to declare a "red-flag warning" -- meaning the most extreme fire danger -- for Northern California until 5 a.m. Monday.

On Saturday, President Bush issued an emergency declaration for California and ordered federal agencies to assist in firefighting efforts in many areas. Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger made the request Friday.

More than 15,000 firefighters, 1,000 fire engines and more than 80 helicopters and aircraft were fighting more than 1,000 fires Saturday, said Ruben Grijalva, director of the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection.

"The summer has just begun, and fire conditions will only get tougher," Grijalva warned in a weekly radio address on behalf of the governor.

Areas hardest hit include Butte County, where 31 fires have burned 19 square miles and threatened 1,200 homes; Mendocino County, where 121 fires have burned 45 square miles and threatened 900 homes; and Shasta and Trinity counties, where about 160 fires have burned 58 square miles and threatened 230 homes.

South of the tourist town of Big Sur in Los Padres National Forest, a wildfire that started three weeks ago had burned 92 square miles and destroyed 16 structures including two homes. It was 80 percent contained Saturday. Video Watch a wildfire burn through Los Padres National Forest »

Stanich, of the Air Resources Board, advised people to stay inside and keep activity to a minimum. Children, the elderly and people with heart and lung problems are particularly vulnerable, but pollution levels are high enough to affect healthy adults.

Health officials have reported an increase in people complaining of eye and throat irritation and coughing. The poor air quality can also trigger asthma attacks and bronchitis.

They said surgical masks, wet cloths and bandanas are not enough to filter the smoke. Only N95- and P100-rated masks filter out the smallest and most dangerous particles.

Some veterinary offices said pet owners were bringing in dogs and cats with symptoms ranging from weepy eyes and irritated skin to difficulty breathing or unusual lethargy. Vets were advising that pets remain inside until the smoke clears.

Smoky air canceled this weekend's 100-mile Western States Endurance Run for the first time in its 31-year history. The decision disappointed 370 runners who had traveled from as far away as Africa for the annual race from Squaw Valley at Lake Tahoe to Auburn in the Sierra foothills.

In Sonoma County, the limited visibility kept the Energizer Bunny and dozens of other colorful hot air balloons from lifting off during Saturday's Hot Air Balloon Classic in Windsor.

Cities also closed public pools, canceled softball games and called off July Fourth fireworks displays. Schwarzenegger urged residents not to buy fireworks this year and said local governments should consider an outright ban, though he would not impose one statewide.

In central New Mexico, a blaze caused by lightning that forced the evacuation of 400 people was 35 percent contained. Thunderstorms were forecast, and firefighters welcomed the possibility of rain but feared that winds could change the fire's direction.

Tuesday, September 20, 2005
Hurricane Katrina—Act of God?

Quote of the Day: Bishop Carlton D. Pearson of Tulsa, Okla. "God is a good God and doesn't have or need to throw temper tantrums like a spoiled and undisciplined child, in order to get his way or because he appears not to have it. We should not attempt to reduce God to such mundane human variables.'' -- Bishop Carlton D. Pearson of Higher Dimensions Ministries in Tulsa, Okla., commenting on his belief that Hurricane Katrina was not an act of God.

source

July 7th, 2008
Calif. fire burns 600,000 acres
Posted: 04:57 AM ET

SANTA BARBARA, California (CNN) — Firefighters made “good progress” Sunday protecting the seaside towns of Santa Barbara and Goleta from a major wildfire, allowing several dozen residents evacuated over the weekend to return home, officials said.

The Gap Fire is one of 1,781 California wildfires that have blackened nearly 600,000 acres over the past two weeks, most of them believed sparked by lightning storms.

“Firefighters are stretched thin, they are exhausted,” Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger said.

Almost 20,000 firefighters are battling 330 active blazes across the state, but the focus has been on the Gap Fire and the Basin Complex Fire, both raging in the Los Padres National Forest.

Magnitude 6 quake rattles Peru

Story Highlights
* Temblor was centered about 448 miles southeast of Lima
* Epicenter was 40 miles (64 kilometers) underground
* In August, a magnitude 8.0 quake killed about 500 people in Peru

(CNN) -- An earthquake hit southern Peru early Tuesday, the U.S. Geological Survey said.

The magnitude 6.0 quake was centered about 448 miles (721 kilometers) southeast of the capital, Lima, and roughly 150 miles from the border between Bolivia and Chile.

The epicenter was more than 40 miles underground.

A magnitude 8.0 earthquake struck off the coast of central Peru in August, killing about 500 people and injuring more than 1,000 more.

source

Islanders rescued after Alaskan volcano erupts

Story Highlights
* Vessel takes family, ranch hands to safety after 3,500-foot volcano erupts
* Rescued man: "You could see no daylight in any direction"
* Okmok Caldera volcano, on Umnak Island, last erupted in 1997
* Airline cancels two flights; ash cloud poses risk to planes

The full article from CNN is here.

Second quake hits near Greek island

Story Highlights
Athens Geodynamic Institute: Quake strikes near the Greek island of Rhodes
5.3 shock comes one day after 6.3 magnitude earthquake shook the area
Rhodes woman died after slipping during escape from house during first quake

Source

Gadgets blamed as lightning strikes dozens

Story Highlights
* Lightning has killed and injured more than a dozen people in Russia
* Widespread use of electronic gadgets blamed for deadly strikes
* Three sunbathers killed by same strike, reports say

MOSCOW, Russia -- Lightning has killed and injured more than a dozen people in Russia in the past two weeks, officials say, blaming widespread use of electronic gadgets such as cell phones for an increase in deadly strikes.

On Wednesday, a lightning bolt killed three sunbathers in the town of Neftekamsk, 800 miles east of Moscow.

One victim, Marina Sadykova, 26, was among a few people on a beach along the Kama River when a storm moved in. Witnesses said they saw a sharp, blinding ray of light that raised 7.6 meters (25 feet) of sand.

The woman -- mother of a 5-month-old boy -- was talking on a cell phone when she was killed, and the phone was found melted in her hand, according to police.

Russian media have reported similar instances across central Russia, including the death of a 10-year-old boy on a bike, a young man talking on a cell phone and an elderly farmer tending her potato plants.

Read on

Dolly becomes hurricane, targets Texas

Story Highlights
* Hurricane Dolly packing 75 mph winds, headed for Texas-Mexico border
* Hurricane warnings from Corpus Christi, Texas, to Rio San Fernando, Mexico
* Texas governor activates 1,200 National Guard troops
* Tropical Storm Cristobal turns away from land along U.S. East Coast

SOUTH PADRE ISLAND, Texas (CNN) -- Dolly became a Category 1 hurricane Tuesday afternoon in the western Gulf of Mexico, prompting a weather official to urge anyone on Texas' barrier islands to consider leaving immediately.

Dolly, formerly a tropical storm, was heading toward southern Texas and northeastern Mexico and was expected to make landfall Wednesday morning, forecasters said.

"Anyone in the far South Texas barrier islands who don't want to ride out the rough conditions of a hurricane should be leaving now and not waiting until tomorrow," said Bill Read, director of the National Hurricane Center.

By Wednesday, Read said, it probably will be too late to escape the storm because roads could be "easily overwashed."

Read on