Severe weather strikes Louisiana

Breaking Earth News
Louisiana
Image: Street flooding in Baker (Photo by Randy LeDuff/WAFB-TV)

GROSSE TETE, LA (WAFB) - Numerous schools were closed across south Louisiana Thursday after a morning of heavy rains. There are numerous reports of damaged homes and businesses, as well as street flooding. Thursday's line of severe thunderstorms followed a strong storm system that moved through the region Wednesday afternoon, also causing damage.

As of 11:00 a.m. Thursday, DEMCO reports that 4900 of its customers were still without electricity, with 4300 of those in Livingston Parish.

There were numerous reports of storm-related damage and incidents across the WAFB viewing area Wednesday evening, including:

Water entering homes in Denham Springs and damage in the city, including downed trees. Water was also reported covering roads in Hammond.

Reports of heavy damage in the Zachary area, especially Plank Road and Tucker Road near Hwy 64. Callers report multiple trees down throughout the area. Numerous reports of hail were documented as a severe thunderstorm moved across the area Wednesday afternoon.

Numerous reports of street flooding in the Baker area. A Pointe Coupee Parish sheriff's deputy reported golf ball sized hail in Livonia Wednesday afternoon. There have also been several reports of high winds Image Above: Street flooding in Denham Springs (Courtesy: Karen Deel)

Deadly storms hit Arkansas

Arkansas, USA
Image: An unidentified insurance adjuster looks over thunderstorm damage in Kansas City, Mo., on Friday. A powerful storm system packing tornadoes and heavy winds roared across the nation's midsection early Friday, killing at least seven people in Arkansas including a teenager crushed by a tree while she slept (Orlin Wagner/Associated Press)

DAMASCUS, Ark. — Violent storms rolling across the nation's midsection unleashed tornadoes, high winds and hail in four states and killed seven people in Arkansas on Friday, including a teenager who died when a tree fell into her bedroom as she slept.

The storms late Thursday and early Friday ripped off roofs and toppled train cars near Kansas City, Mo.; pelted parts of Oklahoma with hail; and knocked over tents at a popular open-air market in east Texas. Severe thunderstorms were moving into Kentucky and could make for a wet Kentucky Derby on Saturday.

Greg Carbin, a meteorologist for the national Storm Prediction Center in Norman, Okla., said as many as 25 tornadoes may have cut through stretches of Oklahoma, Arkansas, eastern Kansas and western Missouri.

Strong storms, tornadoes slam US heartland

USA
Flooding is the second major concern today across the heartland. The combination of the heavy downpours and waterways that are still at or near flood stages after last month's historic flooding will lead to widespread flooding and flash flooding. See Accuweather report

BENTON, Ark. - A band of hail, heavy rain and twisters pounded Arkansas, Texas and Oklahoma today, damaging hundreds of homes, flooding roads and leaving thousands without power.

Arkansas already was contending with three weeks of flooding and the aftermath of 10 tornadoes that struck last week when the latest storm hit. VIDEO: STORMS CAUSE MASSIVE FLOODS

Continued: It was another day of extreme weather on Thursday for residents in parts of the Southeast and West. Storms are making for potential flooding and heavy, springtime snow is expected in some areas.

In Breckenridge, Texas, a suspected tornado left significant damage and some residents are thanking their lucky stars to be alive. At the storms' height, power was knocked out to more than 180,000 homes across Texas.

That state is just one of many in the line of fire from a powerful storm system that's bringing with it the threat of tornadoes, golf ball sized hail and heavy rain. In L'noke County, Arkansas, the swollen waters forced residents from their homes and into makeshift shelters. Image: Jeremy Dickey of Breckenridge, Texas, turns off the water to his house after it was struck by an apparent tornado Wednesday evening, April 9, 2008. (AP Photo/ Tony Pilkington)

Heavy rain, storms pound East Texas

Texas, USA
Official: 33-year-old rainfall record broken
Rains washed away a 33-YEAR-OLD ONE-DAY RAINFALL RECORD in Longview on Sunday, dumping more than 5 inches of rain on the east side of town and swelling creeks that forced all or parts of 19 roads to close. The previous record rainfall for March 30 in Longview was 2.56 inches recorded in 1965. The record rainfall was the second half of a one-two punch that began around 8:30 p.m. Saturday when an inch of hail fell in Kilgore before pushing on to Longview. Winds toppled the roof over gasoline pumps at a Kilgore convenience store. That city experienced 1.75 inches of hail Saturday night. Kilgore police reported marble-sized hail and winds reaching 70 mph Saturday night. "The hail in the storm drains would not allow the water to recede." VIEW SLIDESHOW OF STORM DAMAGE

Storms Maul Georgia

Georgia, USA
State of Emergency Declared

Friday's 130mph (209km/h) twister left almost 30 people injured and damaged hotels, skyscrapers and sports arenas.

Some 10,000 people were still without power on Saturday.

As the National Weather Service issued a string of tornado warnings on Saturday, a state emergency management official said: "We're bracing for another round of whatever mother nature throws at us."

'Disaster'

As officials priced the damage from Friday's twister at up to $200m (£99m), Georgia Governor Sonny Perdue declared it a "disaster".

Basketball fans watching a game in Atlanta's Georgia Dome had scrambled for cover as the stadium roof rippled and debris rained down.

The nearby Philips Arena, where the Atlanta Hawks were playing the Los Angeles Clippers, was also hit.

And the headquarters of news network CNN in the city was left with damaged ceilings and windows after being battered by Friday's storm.

Atlanta braces for another severe storm

Breaking Earth News
Georgia, USA
Image: A man can be seen through broken windows as he talks on a radio at CNN Center in downtown Atlanta Friday, March 14, 2008. A severe windstorm ripped through downtown Atlanta Friday night, downing trees, breaking windows and tearing holes in the roof of the Georgia Dome while the Southeastern Conference basketball tournament was in progress. (AP Photo/Dave Martin)

ATLANTA - Crews hauled broken glass and furniture out of downtown streets Saturday and homeowners surveyed damage caused by a possible tornado that caught residents and basketball fans by surprise. See Tornado Rips Atlanta

More thunderstorms headed across northern Alabama toward the city Saturday. "We're bracing for another round of whatever mother nature throws at us," said Lisa Janak of the state emergency management agency.

The National Weather Service posted a tornado watch for a large area of Georgia, including the Atlanta area, plus portions of South Carolina and Alabama, and a warning was issued for a part of northern Alabama.

At least 27 people were hurt Friday night, though no injuries were believed to be life-threatening.

All downtown events scheduled for Saturday were canceled, including the St. Patrick's Day parade.

"It's a mess," Janak said.

More Images Here
Photos Showing Scope of Damage in Downtown Atlanta

Photo: Water pours down the steps at the Georgia World Congress Center in Atlanta Friday, March 14, 2008. (AP Photo/Phil Coale)

Rain and high winds battering UK

Breaking Earth News
United Kingdom
Image: Waves crash over the Cobb at Lyme Regis, in Dorset

Satellite Images of Massive Storm




Rain and fierce winds are hitting parts of the UK, as what could be winter's worst storm moves in from the Atlantic. Winds of almost 80 mph (130km/h) had brought down trees and power lines in south-west England, where several roads are now blocked. Severe flood warnings have been issued for the Devon and Cornwall coast. Near Newport, south Wales, 170 people had to evacuate a caravan park overnight. Meanwhile, forecasters say central Scotland could see blizzards. The storm, which forecasters have been predicting for several days, has already left considerable damage and disruption in its wake. The storm may have reached its peak in the South West but further damaging gusts were expected along the coast on Monday evening. Houses in west Wales are reported to have had their roofs blown off overnight. The storm is expected to cause travel disruption in other parts of the UK, with winds already reaching 42mph at Heathrow. Winds of 63mph have hit the east coast of Northern Ireland, with 49mph winds in Crosby, Merseyside, and 46mph in Birmingham. The Met Office warns rail delays are likely, with the worst weather expected to strike on Monday afternoon. Some rail services have already been cancelled. Gale force winds were expected to combine with spring high tides to raise water levels along the coast by up to 1.5m over normal levels.

The storm tearing through the UK today threatens widespread damage, especially in South Wales and southern England, with winds expected to gust up to around 130km/h (80mph) in exposed coastal areas. An added danger is the threat of spring tides, which are especially high at this time of year in the run-up to the spring equinox. It could produce a large Severn Bore, expected around 8:30am today. The bore is Britain’s most spectacular natural phenomenon – a tidal wave that rushes in from the sea up the River Severn for up to around 32km (20 miles). The Severn estuary has some of the highest tides in the world, and they are especially high around the equinoxes.
Image Above:The seafront at Porthcawl, Wales, in the midst of the storm today: Slideshow

Storm causes flooding, leaves thousands without electricity in Sweden

Sweden
An overnight storm Friday battered southern Sweden with hurricane-strength winds, knocking out power to tens of thousands and causing flooding in the coastal city of Goteborg. More than 80,000 households experienced power outages after the storm, which also caused major traffic disruptions. Parts of a roof were torn off a house on the Baltic Sea island of Gotland, and a passenger bus was pushed onto its side in a water-filled ditch on Sweden's west coast. Downed trees blocked more than 40 roads overnight. At least six train lines in the southern part of the country were closed as rail companies worked to clear fallen trees from the tracks. Winds off the country's southern coast reached speeds of 140 kilometers per hour (87 miles per hour). Winds of about 119 kph (74 mph) are classified as hurricane-strength. Inland, gusts of up to 114 kph (71 mph) were recorded in some places.

RELATED NEWS
BRITAIN - Ferry crashes into oil platform as gales hit the Tyne on Friday. Stunned workers and anglers watched in disbelief as a DFDS ship escaped down the River Tyne. The runaway ship was torn from its moorings as FREAK winds lashed the North East. Gales reached 60mph, leading to road closures and the evacuation of a retail park at the MetroCentre. The ferry was seen floating towards South Shields. It is believed a diver was working underneath the ferry at the time and narrowly avoided being injured. A witness saw the ferry smash into an oil platform on the south side of the river. “We all thought it was the weather. I’ve worked down here a few times and I’VE NEVER SEEN ANYTHING LIKE IT.” “Due to exceptionally adverse weather conditions, strong winds enabled the King of Scandinavia to slip its mooring line and berth, causing the vessel to collide with a decommissioned oil rig. No passengers were on board at the time and no crew members were injured. The ship has now been safely towed back to a river berth.” Meanwhile, thousands of shoppers were evacuated from Gateshead’s MetroCentre when winds tore loose part of a store’s roof. Police barricaded a Gateshead road to protect drivers and pedestrians from splinters breaking off wood paneling on an apartment block. The southern stretch of Old Durham Road was closed from 2.30pm after debris falling from new flats in Blacklock Close was reported blowing across the road. Sections of the A68 in Northumberland were closed after two lorries were blown over. Both drivers suffered minor injuries. A section of the busy A19 near Seaham, County Durham, was closed when a van and trailer overturned blocking the southbound carriageway. The Met Office predicted the winds would die down over the weekend.

FIJI - The situation in Rakiraki is worsening as heavy downpour has led to flooding in the town. The situation might worsen even more at night when the high tide comes in. The Nadi Weather Office said an active trough of low pressure with associated cloud, rain and moist northwesterly winds are slow moving across Fiji.

For third day in a row, severe winter conditions batter every province

Canada
For a third day in a row Thursday, severe winter conditions battered every province, causing delays at airports and train stations, closing schools and wreaking havoc on roads and highways. Powerful winds ripped through Southern Ontario, heavy snow blanketed Vancouver and an Arctic ridge of high pressure froze the Prairies with temperatures dropping below -40 in some areas. Both Saskatchewan and Manitoba Hydro reported RECORD levels of power consumption. In fact, the only parts of the country without severe weather alerts were the Northwest Territories and Yukon. "If you look at our weather warning map, it is still solid red coast to coast. It is WACKY winter weather, but it is not out of the norm. There are periods in the midwinter when weather can be very active across the country. But it is UNUSUAL to have warnings in EVERY province at one time. That certainly doesn't happen every day." Environment Canada expected the worst of the cold in Southern Ontario to end Thursday, but extreme conditions are expected to continue in the northwestern parts of the province and into the Prairies.

Toronto is dealing with a massive low pressure system that will drop as much as twenty centimeters of snow on the city by midnight, Saturday. It is expected be a RECORD BREAKING DAY in Toronto as the most snowfall the city has seen on February 1st was back in 1967 when 8.1 centimeters fell. THAT RECORD WILL MOST LIKELY BE DOUBLED. Toronto will not see the worst of the storm. As much as thirty centimeters could fall in the Bancroft-Ottawa corridor.

Monster Storm Heading For the Bay Area

Breaking Storm News
Click the Image to View Video

California, USA

Big Storm Headed For Bay Area This Weekend

People Battening Down The Hatches

More rain, wind, and snow above 2,000 feet was expected out of a storm system set to arrive in the Bay Area Friday.

Storm Closes I-5 in Southern California

California, USA
LOS ANGELES - A powerful storm dumped snow and rain as it moved across California on Wednesday, shutting down a major interstate highway and prompting flood watches in areas scarred by wildfires.

California Highway Patrol officers escorted vehicles out of Tejon Pass as traffic was halted in both directions along Interstate 5 north of Los Angeles, a dispatcher said.

"There are abandoned cars everywhere," said Wendy Gardner, a manager at Madd Bailey's Pub in Pine Mountain Club, where as much as 10 inches of snow fell. "We got hit around 2:30 in the morning, and it hasn't stopped."

Nearly a foot of snow was reported at the ranch community of Lockwood Valley in Los Padres National Forest, northwest of Los Angeles, the National Weather Service said.

Along the coast, a record 4.14 inches of rain was recorded at the Santa Barbara airport, topping the date's old mark of 2.45 inches set in 1943. More than 2 1/4 inches fell at the San Luis Obispo airport.

Flash flood watches were issued for areas of Santa Barbara, Ventura and Los Angeles counties. A flood warning was posted for the Malibu areas burned by recent wildfires.

The unstable atmosphere brought the threat of thunderstorms, which in the past have led to dangerous debris flows in and below burn areas, the Weather Service said.

Powerful thunderstorms slam the South

Breaking Earth News
Southern USA
BIRMINGHAM, Ala - Powerful thunderstorms packing heavy rain and high winds pushed across Alabama and Mississippi on Thursday, causing scattered property damage and at least two traffic deaths.

Image: Crews work to clean up downed trees in a street in Wilndham Springs, Ala., on Thursday after strong winds tore through the area.

Levee breaks as storms pummel West Coast

Breaking Earth News
Nevada, USA
Image: The Truckee Carson Irrigation Ditch gave way causing much of Fernley, Nev., to be flooded

FERNLEY, Nev. - A ruptured levee sent a frigid "wall of water" from a rain-swollen canal into this high desert town early Saturday, flooding hundreds of homes and forcing the rescue of more than a dozen people by helicopter and boat.
To the west, a dangerous layer of heavy snow covered the Northern California mountains as rain and wind from the third storm in as many days hit the West Coast. The storms have been blamed for at least two deaths, and hundreds of thousands of homes and businesses in California, Oregon and Washington were without power Saturday.

Killer storm hits Sydney

BREAKING STORM NEWS
AUSTRALIA
The Bureau of Meteorology (BOM) says the city was hit by a one-in-five-year storm today, which brought torrential rain and strong winds.

Further Updates as they become available.

Blustery storm 'like a monstrous hurricane'

BREAKING EARTH NEWS
HAWAII, USA
Image: A large kiawe tree leans uprooted at Kapi'olani Park.

A fierce front barreled over O'ahu, Maui County and the Big Island yesterday, bringing driving rain and wind as strong as 70 mph that knocked out power to tens of thousands, downed utility lines and trees, closed nearly 100 public and private schools statewide and created a traffic nightmare for morning commuters.

"It was like a monstrous hurricane," Mililani resident Marion Poirier said. "It was one of the worst storms here I remember. It was really fierce."

Wild Storms Sweep Across Victoria

Australia
Image: A truck ploughs through flood water in Pine Cresent, Boronia.
Picture: David Cair
More Flood Photos

Wild storms have swept across Victoria, causing flash flooding and trapping several drivers in their cars. The bureau was warning of more severe weather in Melbourne's eastern suburbs last night. Flash flooding has inundated homes in Melbourne’s eastern suburbs and heavy rain had caused several roofs to collapse.

Near Hurricane Strength Winds Pummel English Coast As Predicted

Breaking Storm News
England
Image: Nigel Hall sent this picture of Boscombe Pier to the BBC website

Severe gales with gusts of over 70mph which struck the south coast of England have subsided, say coastguards.

A spokesman for Solent coastguard said: "For a short period the wind went up to about 73mph."

The storm, which felled trees, and caused flooding and power cuts in Devon, peaked at around 4pm GMT.

Veronica Taylor, watch officer at the coastguard, said: "Anybody who goes out on a boat who doesn't know what they are doing is risking life and limb, if you do it in these conditions it is significantly more dangerous."

"The severity of the weather was incredibly well forecast", Miss Taylor said.

Holiday storms cause floods, power outages

Alaska, USA
Image: Photographer: McKibben Jackinsky, Homer News
Gale-force winds Sunday afternoon slam a 22.3-foot tide past a homemade breakwater protecting John and Elizaberth Chapple's Spit home and other nearby structures.

Three storms that hit the Kenai Peninsula one after another brought unwelcomed flooding, disrupted air traffic and damaged roads. Gale-force winds last Sunday afternoon (11/25) slammed a 22.3-foot tide past a homemade breakwater protecting a home and other nearby structures. Across Kachemak Bay, THE WIND'S STRENGTH SURPASSED ANYTHING SELDOVIA RESIDENTS HAD EXPERIENCED. "We've lived here 37 years and I've never seen anything like it. It takes a 5.6 earthquake to move this house, but this house shook and shuddered for hours." The worst impact was a surge of water through the Homer sewer treatment plant. Normally, about 600,000 gallons of water a day goes through the plant. Last week's storms saw 1.2 million gallons a day go through the treatment plant a violation of the cap set by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. The recent series of three storms began impacting the area Nov. 16. Flooding in the Anchor River crested at 15.9 feet at 9 a.m. Friday and was the fourth highest ever recorded. Winds during last week's storms reached 48 miles per hour at 9 a.m. Thanksgiving morning.

Killer storm

South Africa
Image: The driver of this Golf was killed and two people were injured in Johannesburg yesterday afternoon when a tree uprooted by a fierce storm crushed three cars Picture: HALDEN KROG

Two dead in Joburg, southern Cape flooded — and more rain to come

Freak weather yesterday killed two people in Johannesburg and large parts of the southern Cape were devastated by floods.
A heavy thunderstorm hit Johannesburg at about 4pm, causing havoc on the roads. Thirty accidents were reported in the city within an hour of the storm breaking.
In the southern Cape, rescue workers in helicopters and boats battled to save scores of people threatened by raging flood waters. Torrential storms dumped more than 200mm of rain in 24 hours, washing away roads and flooding homes and farms from Hermanus to George.

Related News
Dramatic stories of survival and tragedy emerged after torrential rains battered the southern Cape, demolishing homes and sweeping away one of the world’s premier beaches. The holiday towns of Plettenberg Bay, Knysna, George and Sedgefield were yesterday counting the cost of the worst flooding yet seen in the region. Up to 1800 people — evacuated by boats, air force helicopters and 4x4 vehicles — left their temporary shelters to find scenes of devastation as the rains let up. This is the WORST FLOODING PLETT HAS EVER SEEN.”
Image Above: Excited pupils from Bredasdorp Junior School board a helicopter after an overflowing river ruined their camping trip. Picture: Desmond Scholtz

More buffeting forecast for storm-lashed South

NEW ZEALAND
The South is bracing itself for more gales today as hundreds of homes remain without power from yesterday's devastating storms.

Gusts up to 140kmh smashed areas of Southland and Otago yesterday raising roofs, toppling trees, tipping over trucks and cutting power to around 2500 homes.

About 1500 homes were still without power this morning as MetService forecast more gale-force winds to hit the region.

"They're not expected to be as severe as yesterday but there could still be further damage to powerlines, trees, that kind of stuff. So it's just a warning," said forecaster Liz Haslan.

The east of the North Island from Hastings to Masterton can expect similar winds to yesterday with 120kmh gusts and a possible mean speed of about 75kmh this afternoon.

Damage from yesterday's storm is expected to run into the millions of dollars