Crazy Storm Weather and Lightning - Global

We are pretty well back to normal after Hurricane Florence. It was not as bad as expected in my area, fortunately. But the aftermath is all about mold and mosquitos. These mosquitos are different. They are about 2x the size of our usual ones, numerous and quite aggressive. I'm noticing a lot of complaints of and talk about headaches in the community.

Oct. 1, 2018 - North Carolina Has A Massive Mosquito Problem After Hurricane Florence
North Carolina Has A Massive Mosquito Problem After Hurricane Florence

Some of the largest known mosquitoes in the world are creating a buzz across parts of North Carolina, and residents have Hurricane Florence to thank for it.

An outbreak of blood-sucking mosquitoes called Psorophora ciliata, or “gallinippers,” which can grow three times larger than regular mosquitos, is being reported in parts of the state flooded by the storm, creating a public nuisance, health concerns as well as jokes that North Carolina has a new state bird.

Videos and photos posted on social media showcase the flying insects’ monster size. In one such video, a child is heard asking: “Why are you doing that — taking pictures of the wasps?”

“They’re not wasps, baby, they’re mosquitoes,” the woman filming answers as the insects cover her car’s windows.

Cassie Vadovsky, who filmed the video, compared the mosquitoes to a snowstorm, and said the swarm hit her area a few days after Hurricane Florence passed.

“It didn’t hit automatically. It was more gradual. It took maybe three or four days after the storm passed before it got to this epidemic level,” she told USA Today. “And I’m not even on the side of town that had the major flooding. Imagine how bad it could be over on that end.”

Gallinippers, or “shaggy-legged gallinippers” as they are also commonly known, are floodwater mosquitos that lay their eggs in low-lying areas with damp soil and grassy overgrowth. The eggs hatch after these areas flood, and within just six days the larvae can develop into adults, according to the University of Florida’s entomology website.

Fayetteville resident Robert Phillips described the swarms as something out of “a bad science fiction movie.”

“They were inundating me, and one landed on me,” he told The Fayetteville Observer. “It was like a small blackbird. I told my wife, ‘Gosh, look at the size of this thing.’ I told her that I guess I’m going to have to use a shotgun on these things if they get any bigger.”

On Wednesday, North Carolina Gov. Roy Cooper ordered $4 million in funding for mosquito control efforts in 27 counties that are under a major disaster declaration from the recent hurricane.

Scott Harrelson, the health director of Craven County, which is among those affected, was quoted as thanking Cooper for helping provide “a critical public health service” in the wake of the storm.

“This has been a serious issue for our county and many others impacted by Hurricane Florence,” he said.

The governor’s office assured residents that most floodwater mosquitos do not transmit human disease, though “they still pose a public health problem by discouraging people from going outside and hindering recovery efforts.”

Michael Reiskind, an associate professor in North Carolina State University’s department of entomology and plant pathology, advised that residents wear insect repellant and long-sleeved clothing ― though he cautioned that this species of mosquito can bite through one or two layers of cotton “pretty easily,” he told KENS 5 News.

The state’s Department of Health and Human Services has also released some tips on how to deal with the mosquito outbreak on its website, which can be found here.
 
September, 30, 2018 - 50 Injured in Japan’s Typhoon Trami as Officials Warn Landslide (+Video)
50 Injured in Japan’s Typhoon Trami as Officials Warn Landslide (+Video) - Tasnim News Agency

Japanese weather officials warned that fierce winds and torrential rain could trigger landslides and floods after a powerful typhoon hurtled toward Japan's mainland on Sunday, injuring dozens on southern islands.

Typhoon Trami has already sparked travel disruption in the world's third-biggest economy, with bullet train services in the west of Japan suspended, more than 1,000 flights cancelled due to the closure of a key airport hub and Tokyo's evening train service scrapped.
The storm is forecast to smash into the mainland near Osaka at around 6pm local time (0900 GMT) and churn across the Japanese archipelago, likely hitting areas still recovering from a series of extreme weather events that have battered Japan in recent months.

Trami tore through the southern island of Okinawa on Saturday, bringing winds strong enough to flip over cars. Several houses were flooded or damaged and 40 people on the island sustained minor injuries but no one was feared dead, local officials said, Channel News Asia reported.

Nationwide, authorities issued non-compulsory evacuation advisories to some 349,000 residents, while 300,000 households have lost power, according to public broadcaster NHK.

Trami is the latest in a string of extreme natural events in Japan, which has suffered typhoons, flooding, earthquakes and heatwaves in recent months, claiming scores of lives and causing extensive damage.

Packing maximum gusts of 216 kilometres (134 miles) per hour, Trami was expected to travel over most of the archipelago, weakening slightly but causing extreme weather into Monday, forecasters said.

Still classed as a "very strong" typhoon, Trami pounded Kagoshima on the western tip of Japan early Sunday, causing 10 minor injuries -- for example, cuts from broken windows and people knocked over by gusts.

"We are strongly urging our residents to stay indoors because it is extremely dangerous to be outside now," Masaaki Tamaki, an official of Kagoshima's disaster management section, told AFP.

The Japanese meteorological agency warned the typhoon would bring strong winds and downpours, which could trigger landslides and floods as well as lightning strikes and tornados across the nation.

East Japan Railway announced that it would gradually suspend train services in and around Tokyo and end all trains around 8pm (1100 GMT), shortly before the typhoon was to draw near the Japanese capital.

"Shinkansen" bullet train services, particularly those in western areas, also reduced or cancelled their services.

Osaka's Kansai Airport, which is situated on reclaimed land offshore and suffered extensive damage in a storm earlier in September, closed two runways and officials piled up sandbags to avoid a repeat of flooding seen during the previous storm.
 
There was PressTV-US confirms major damage to F-22 fleet in hurricane

The US Air Force has confirmed that a number of its advanced F-22 Raptor fighter jets sustained damage as Hurricane Michael ploughed through a military base in the state of Florida.
Hurricane Michael, the strongest storm to make landfall in the continental US in almost half a century, hit the the Tyndall Air Force Base on its way Thursday.

Air Force spokeswoman Ann Stefanek told Defense News that all hangars housing the $475 million aircraft were damaged but it was not clear to what extent.
[...]
The MSNBC stated that of the 55 Raptors stationed at Tyndall, 33 had been moved out of the base prior to the hurricane’s arrival while 22 still remained there.
 
At least 27 people were injured as a result of Hurricane Leslie, which hit the coast of Portugal on Saturday night and left hundreds of thousands of people without electricity, Mundo newspaper reported.

14.10.2018 - Hurricane Leslie injures at least 27 in Portugal (Video)
Hurricane Leslie Injures at Least 27 in Portugal (VIDEO)

According to Mundo newspaper, the hurricane hit the country near the city of Figueira da Foz with wind gusts reaching 109 miles per hour.

Red alert was announced in 13 of 18 districts of the country. The National Authority for Civil Protection recorded about 1,900 incidents overnight, including several road accidents as a result of uprooted trees.

Hurricane Leslie has become the strongest storm in Portugal since 1842.

According to the Spanish State Meteorological Agency, the tropical storm has also reached the continental part of Spain with gusts of wind of up to 60 miles per hour and hit the province of Zamora on Sunday morning. Meteorologists expect the storm to weaken soon.



14.10.2018 - Watch: Waterfall Reversed by Storm Callum Winds
WATCH: Waterfall Reversed by Storm Callum Winds

A video recorded by Scottish man shows gusts of Storm Callum reversing the flow of a waterfall. The spectacular video uploaded to Facebook shows Storm Callum reversing the flow of a waterfall. Large volumes of water are blown back to the top of the rock, and cannot reach the sea.

The video was filmed at Talisker beach on the Isle of Skye, in northern Scotland, the Independent reports.

Storm Callum brought strong rainfall and winds of up to 112 km/h (69 mph). This is the third storm in the United Kingdom since the beginning of September, the Independent reports.

Earlier in September, people in the US uploaded videos of the Mississippi river running in reverse, most likely due to strong tidal forces and winds from Hurricane Florence.

Published on Oct 13, 2018 (0:26 min.)
 
Heavy rains hitting the southern French department of Aude have killed one person, while two others have gone missing, French TV channel CNews reported on Monday, citing the prefect of the department.

15.10.2018 - 13 Killed, 1 Missing as Heavy Rainfalls Hit France (Photos - Video)
13 Killed, 1 Missing as Heavy Rainfalls Hit France (PHOTOS, VIDEOS)

13 killed, 1 missing, 5 seriously injured by floods in southwest France, according to French Interior Ministry.

The French meteorological office Meteo France announced the red alert level in Aude, which is the highest alert level, over exceptional rainfalls in the department.

Le pont dans le village de Villegaheinc dans l’Aude

Earlier on Monday, Aude's prefecture said that heavy rains and thunderstorms continued in the department, with the rainfall reaching over 180 millimeters.

#Inondation hashtag on Twitter

School transport movement has been suspended in Aude's city of Carcassonne over the weather conditions.
 
October, 18, 2018 - Death Toll Rises to 57 after Cyclone Titli Hits India
Death Toll Rises to 57 after Cyclone Titli Hits India - Tasnim News Agency

The death toll from severe cyclone Titli in India's eastern state of Odisha has risen to 57, local government officials said Thursday.

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The cyclone inflicted an estimated loss of 300 million US dollars, a local government spokesman said.

"The government has mooted the process of relief and restoration and besides this Chief Minister Navin Patnaik has hiked the ex-gratia for the kin of the victims to 13,588 US dollars from earlier announced 5,436 US dollars," said the spokesman.

Titli made landfall last week in Odisha and neighboring Andhra Pradesh state with an estimated maximum sustained surface wind speed of 140-150 kmph gusting to 165 kmph, Xinhua news agency reported.

The cyclone caused widespread damage in the two states by uprooting scores of trees and electric poles.

Odisha government officials said the cyclone affected 16 districts including Gajapati, Kandhamal, Cuttack, Angul, Keonjhar and Nayagarh.

Of the 57 deaths, 39 were reported from Gajapati district, officials said.

Senior government official A P Padhi said restoration work was going on in full swing.

"Almost all the thoroughfares have been repaired and power and drinking water supplies restored in the urban areas. However, in the rural areas, the work is still in progress," he said.

Padhi said medical teams were visiting the affected areas.

The Odisha government in anticipation of the severe cyclone had evacuated more than 300,000 people from coastal districts.
 
October 24, 2018 - Mexicans recover after Willa's 'end of world' onslaught
Mexicans recover after Willa's 'end of world' onslaught | Reuters


general view shows a flooded street and fallen trees in the town of Teacapan near the southern tip of Sinaloa state, after Hurricane Willa hit Mexico October 24, 2018. REUTERS/Henry Romero

Residents on Mexico's Pacific Coast on Wednesday began clearing up the wreckage left by Hurricane Willa, which ripped through towns overnight, tearing off rooftops, downing power lines and splitting trees apart.

Willa, a powerful Category 3 hurricane, hit the northwestern state of Sinaloa late on Tuesday as one of the strongest storms to lash the coast in recent years, with winds of up to 120 miles per hour (195 km per hour).

No deaths have been reported as thousands of people were evacuated from coastal towns and resorts before the storm hit.

“The population took cover in time,” said Luis Felipe Puente, head of the country’s Civil Protection agency.

On the other side of Escuinapa, 74-year-old retiree Virginia Medina sat in a white plastic chair, a 4-week-old kitten winding between her legs, as she took in the damage.

Willa showed her little mercy: a metal corrugated roof collapsed, water pooled in the kitchen and gnarled branches littered Medina’s front patio and backyard.

“I can’t even walk in my backyard ... Here in the neighborhood a lot of walls came tumbling down. Now there is no power, no gas, there’s nothing,” Medina said.

POWER CUTS
Along a stretch of a two-lane highway southwest of Escuinapa, workers from Mexico’s Federal Electricity Commission tended to countless downed power lines.

Noe Mauricio, a worker wearing a yellow helmet and orange vest, stood in the road directing traffic under steady rain. He said it could take two weeks to re-establish power in the area.

We’re doing it as fast as possible but with the wind all of them fell,” Mauricio added, referring to the 30-km-long (18.5-mile-long) string of fallen electricity poles.

A map of the area showed Los Canales lagoon to one side of the highway. Flood waters had filled in the other side too, leaving the tops of some trees and a fence sticking out.

Willa struck the coast about 50 miles (80 km) south of Mazatlan, a major city and tourist resort in Sinaloa.

The hurricane had reached rare Category 5 status on the five-step Saffir-Simpson scale, on Monday, with winds nearing 160 miles per hour (260 kph), as it headed toward the coast.

The storm had dissipated by mid-morning as it moved quickly inland over northwest-central Mexico on Wednesday. It was still expected to dump heavy rains across the region.

By then, the storm was about 75 miles (120 km) west of the city of Monterrey, blowing maximum sustained winds of 25 mph(40 km), the Miami-based U.S. National Hurricane Center said.

Downpours in Mexico prior to Willa’s arrival had heightened the risk of flooding, and the NHC said the storm could drench some areas in as much as 18 inches (45 cm) of rain.

Slideshow (33 Images)
Mexicans recover after Willa's 'end of world' onslaught | Reuters
 
At the beginning of Octobe hurricane "Walaka" almost destroyed an entire small island of Hawaii:

 
29.10.2018 - Chaos in Italy: Violent Storms, Heavy Rain Devastate the Country (Photo- video)
Chaos in Italy: Violent Storms, Heavy Rain Devastate the Country (PHOTO, VIDEO)

While the raging weather continues to take its toll on the country’s infrastructure and the stamina of Italian emergency services’ workers, the social media is being flooded with photos from the afflicted areas.

Several of Italy’s regions were placed on high alert as a combination of heavy rain and strong winds continues to wreak havoc across the country, with at least three people being killed amid the raging tempest.

The weather also reportedly put a serious strain on first responders, with firefighters being forced to respond to about 180 "weather-related incident" in a single night in Tuscany alone.

"The ground is already saturated with water, the rivers are full and due to sirocco (a strong hot wind from Northern Africa), the sea is not absorbing (the waters)," Luca Zaia, head of the Veneto region, said.

The raging tempest also evoked a flurry of activity on social media as people rushed to share photos and videos from the afflicted regions, with hashtags #vento (wind) and #maltempo (bad weather)

In Trento, fish from an overflowing river was literally seen swimming across a motorway.

Pedestrians in Venice apparently need more that sturdy rubber boots to brave the flooded city streets.

The Piazza San Marco in Venice became covered in water.

Traffic in Rome is compounded by trees fallen by the merciless winds.
 
Mike Olbinski
My original plan this past summer was to collect as much footage as normal, but to not put out a "Monsoon V" until 2019 when I had two years worth of crazy haboobs and lightning to make it truly spectacular. But the monsoon had different plans and put on a pretty dang good show in 2018, starting off with a decent dust storm on July 5th, then the best haboob chase I've ever had on July 9th, an epic green hail core on July 11th and finally another fantastic dust storm day on August 2nd.

Sprinkled in there...more dust storm, some at night, spectacular lightning, and tons of microbursts and stormy clouds, plus a few rotating supercells to put some icing on the cake. It was one of the best monsoon seasons I've chased, so I couldn't help but get to work on Monsoon V a few weeks ago.

I love doing these films so much. So much hard work for months on end goes into capturing them. Almost 15,000 miles this summer across Arizona. 85,000+ frames with plenty more deleted. A total of 32 days out there chasing over three months. Sleep deprivation, tons of gas money, crappy food and yes, sometimes missing storms I wish I had been on.

But the highs were amazing. Chasing with my kiddos...sharing the July 9th haboob bonanza with Lyla and Eli...or an all-night chase with my youngest, Asher. They were so awesome to have along. Two workshops with five fantastic people. Both were so fun and the storms we saw were just wonderful. I feel so blessed to teach people and show the monsoon off to those who have never seen it before.

Big, huge thanks to my buddy Jay Worsley for helping mix the songs on this film to extend them a bit and even blend two songs together. You're a life-saver my friend and your skills are unmatched!

As always is the case...this year, including tornado season, I chased the most I ever have. Which means more time away from home. And Jina...my incredible wife...she's so supportive of my passion and this business. Taking care of the kids and running everything at home during those months...I am forever amazed at how she always has my back, even during the times when it's too hard and she'd rather not. I can't thank her enough for allowing me to chase my dreams.

10-28-2018 Federal Way-Kent, Washington - Rare Washington Supercell and Funnel Cloud
Tornado in Portland 'unusual,' but not unprecedented
 
October 30, 2018 - Death toll rises to 11 as storms hammer Italy
Death toll rises to 11 as storms hammer Italy | Reuters



Violent storms battered Italy for a third consecutive day on Tuesday, killing at least 11 people, and flooding much of Venice.

The lagoon city’s St. Mark’s Square remained under water for a second day while the adjacent St. Mark’s Basilica was also inundated, with its baptistery totally flooded and its historic, mosaic floors covered by 90 cm (2.95 ft) of water.

“The basilica has aged 20 years in just one day, and perhaps I am being overly optimistic about that,” said Carlo Tesserin, the church’s chief administrator.

Italian media said it was the second time this century that the basilica had been flooded, and just the fifth time it had seen such high water within the body of the cathedral in its 1,000-year history.

“It is becoming ever more difficult for us and indeed could become impossible for us to repair the damage, especially in an age of climate change,” Tesserin said.

Widespread damage was also reported in towns and cities in the north, south and center of Italy. Many of the 11 deaths were caused by falling trees as winds as strong as 150 km/h (90 mph) whipped the country.

“The basilica has aged 20 years in just one day, and perhaps I am being overly optimistic about that,” said Carlo Tesserin, the church’s chief administrator.

Italian media said it was the second time this century that the basilica had been flooded, and just the fifth time it had seen such high water within the body of the cathedral in its 1,000-year history.

“It is becoming ever more difficult for us and indeed could become impossible for us to repair the damage, especially in an age of climate change,” Tesserin said.

One of the hardest hit regions was Liguria, in the northwest.

The breakwater walls in the chic seaside resort of Rapallo were destroyed by pounding waves, allowing in a surge of water that toppled dozens of luxury yachts and inflicted heavy damage on the port area.

Local media said a yacht owned by the family of former prime minister Silvio Berlusconi was one of those badly damaged.

The nearby resort town of Portofino was cut off by a landslide while video showed sea water pouring through the picturesque fishing village of Vernazza further to the south.

The weather was expected to improve late Tuesday and on Wednesday, “giving the country a truce” an official from the civil protection agency told Reuters.

Meanwhile, heavy snowfall across south-central France, with up to 40 cm (16 inches) falling in some towns and villages, caused chaos on the roads and knocked out electricity to nearly 200,000 homes, authorities said on Tuesday.


October 30, 2018 - Unseasonal snowstorms sweep across Central France, cause road chaos
Unseasonal snowstorms sweep across central France, cause road chaos | Reuters

france_weather.jpg

© Philippe Desmazes, AFP | An aerial view shows the snow covered Mounts Pilat range on October 30, 2018 near Saint-Etienne, in the Loire department, central eastern France.

Heavy snowfall across south-central France, with up to 40 centimeters (16 inches) falling in some towns and villages, has caused chaos on the roads and knocked out electricity to nearly 200,000 homes, authorities said on Tuesday.

The unseasonal and unexpectedly large snowstorms hit across Auverge-Rhone-Alpes and nearby regions, south and west of Lyon. TV footage showed thick blankets of snow falling across highways and in towns, with hundreds of vehicles brought to a halt.

Some 900 trucks were stranded overnight and several hundred drivers abandoned their cars to find a warm and safe place to stay the night. People posted messages on Facebook asking to be rescued. Snow ploughs were deployed to clear roads.

French energy distributor Enedis said 195,000 homes were without power in two central regions of the country, Limousin and Centre Val de Loire, with workers on the ground trying to reestablish connections.

Weather forecasters dismissed criticism that they had not provided warnings, saying they had been predicting for several days that bad weather could strike the area as storms and heavy rains wash across Italy and the island of Corsica.
 
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The devastation to these Pine and Red Spruce trees in breath-taking! Wow!

November 3, 2018 - Italian storms claim 17th Life, and 14 Million Trees
Italian storms claim 17th life, and 14 million trees | Reuters


Fallen trees are seen in the mountain near Belluno, Italy, November 3, 2018. Vigili del Fuoco/Handout via REUTERS

Heavy rain and gales devastating parts of Italy have claimed two more lives, taking the overall death toll to at least 17, and laid waste to vast swathes of forest.

A German tourist died on Friday when hit by lightning on the island of Sardinia while another person struck by lightning several days ago died in hospital, Italy’s Civil Protection Agency said on Saturday.

A spokeswoman said 17 deaths related to the severe weather had been reported to the Agency so far.

Many of the victims to date have been killed by falling trees. Coldiretti, the association of Italian agricultural companies, said in a statement that gales had destroyed around 14 million trees, many in the far north.

Areas from the far northeast to Sicily in the southwest have been affected by the storms, with the worst damage in the northern regions of Trentino and Veneto - the region around Venice - where villages and roads have been cut off by landslides.

In the Alps near Belluno, 100 km (60 miles) north of Venice, pine trees and red spruces were snapped wholesale like matchsticks.

The surface of the Comelico Superiore dam, farther north near the Austrian border, was covered with the trunks of trees that had fallen into the Piave river.

“We’ll need at least a century to return to normality,” Coldiretti said.

Many of the squares and walkways of Venice itself have been submerged in the highest floods the canal city has seen in a decade.

The governor of Veneto, Luca Zaia, said the region’s storm damage amounted to at least a billion euros ($1.1 billion).

Angelo Borrelli, head of the Civil Protection agency, said Veneto had seen winds of up to 180 kph (112 mph), and that the situation there was “apocalyptic”.

Deputy Prime Minister Matteo Salvini was due to visit the region on Sunday.
 
November 4, 2018 - Italian storms wipe out two families in Sicily as death toll rises
Italian storms wipe out two families in Sicily as death toll rises | Reuters



Two families were killed in the same house in Sicily when the torrential rains and high winds lashing Italy caused a river to burst its banks, drowning the nine people inside.

Rushing water filled the villa in Casteldaccia in the province of Palermo in moments, wiping out the families who were spending Saturday night there.

A father and his daughter escaped harm because they had left the house to do some shopping while a third person climbed a tree to survive. The tragedy brings the number of people killed in Sicily this weekend to at least 12 after three other people died in their cars when hit by torrents of water.

Italian Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte spoke of “an immense tragedy” during a visit on Sunday to affected areas in Sicily.

He said a cabinet meeting would be convened this week to declare a state of emergency and come up with the first package of aid for areas affected.

Slideshow (5 Images)
Indonesia extends search for jet crash victims, second black box | Reuters
 
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