ing, it may help you see that our current real life status quo isn't all that bad. Click here to see the list.
Extreme Drought Conditions
Southeast Missouri's drought continues with no substantial relief in sight. On Thursday the latest U.S. Drought Monitor
was released, and the severity of drought in Southeast Missouri and Southern Illinois was changed from "severe" to "extreme,"
indicating worsening conditions.
David Humphrey, lead forecaster for the National Weather Service office in Paducah, Ky., said the drought continues to worsen as parched crops languish in fields around the country. Click here for more details.
Independence, MO — The mid-week rain helped – temporarily – but the National Weather Service confirms that the area’s
drought is steadily growing more severe.
The Kansas City area has had only about half of the normal amount of rainfall since April, and most of Missouri and Kansas are rated as abnormally dry, if not worse. Read more.
Northern Lights seen in Maryland
On Saturday night, two waves of plasma unleashed by the sun (coronal mass ejections) collided on their flight towards Earth. The result?
A geomagnetic storm that produced eye-popping aurora (northern lights) as far south as the mid-Atlantic.
Extreme weather photographer Jeff Berkes was in the right place at the right time and took advantage of a very rare opportunity to photograph the northern lights in eastern Maryland. Read more and photos of the auroras.
New System of Weather Emergency Alerts
Starting this week, a new system of weather emergency alerts will be rolled out across the country aimed at reaching people, no matter where they are, through their most-used communication device: the cell phone.
Even if you are nowhere near a computer, TV, radio or warning siren, you can now get a text-like message on your cell phone — called Wireless Emergency Alerts — warning of dangerous weather in your specific area. Article was originally published in the Duluth News.
Flood Victums Aided by Military Drones
Taiwan mobilises its drones for the first time - The unmanned aircraft were sent to areas inundated by flash flooding and mudslides sparked by a monsoon last week, the Taipei-based China Times said. Read more.
Disaster Preparedness for those with Special Needs
“As we learned during Hurricane Katrina and other natural disasters, persons with disabilities need to consider a number of different factors, such as identifying who is in their support system, special transportation needs and what supplies to include in their emergency-preparedness kits,” clinical nurse specialist Lisa Beck said in a Mayo news release.
Beck worked with disabled patients to design patient-education materials, and she offers the following tips for people with disabilities:
• Practice getting out of the house quickly at least twice a year.
• Discuss any special needs with a local emergency-medical-services provider.
• Plan where to go for shelter and how to get there, and who may need to provide you with assistance.
• Compile an emergency-preparedness kit that can last 24 to 48 hours. It should include items such as medication lists, contact numbers, medications, catheter supplies and a first-aid kit.
• Think about shelter and supplies for your service animal. Read More.
Can Pets Predict Disasters?
Have you ever noticed your pet acting strangely? Has your pooch ever refused to go outside, or has your cat ever jumped to the highest shelf and refused to come down? Well the next time you do, it would be smart to take note. Your pet might be predicting a natural disaster. Read More.
Because of the unseasonably warm spring, the synchronized fireflies in the Great Smokey Mountains are displaying earlier than ever recorded, according to park officials.
Fireflies are in trouble as it is, with habitat loss and artificial night lighting cited as the main threats to their survival by Firefly.org. A rapidly changing climate probably won’t help their chances, as the timing of larval emergence and the blooming of plants the insects depend on changes. Click here for the full article.
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