Month: August 2020

As of Tuesday night, Tropical Storm Isaias killed at least six people as it made its way up the U.S. Atlantic Coast, including two deaths in North Carolina from a tornado due to the hurricane-strength winds.

Isaias was briefly a Category 1 hurricane when it made landfall in North Carolina. North Carolina Governor Roy Cooper said on Twitter that more than 172,000 homes remained without power, even as Isaias moved northward and skies cleared. Cooper said he had spoken with U.S. President Donald Trump, who had pledged aid.

Tornadoes in Cape May, Marmora and Long Beach Island along New Jersey’s southern shore, and tornado damage in Dover, Delaware were reported. New York City, much of New Jersey, all of Massachusetts and other parts of New England went under a tornado watch.

At least 6 dead after Tropical Storm Isaias sweeps up East Coast

Via www.nbcnews.com

At least six deaths have been linked to the storm, which made landfall as a hurricane in North…

08/04/2020 9:34 PM

 

Editorial credit: Jed Whitley / Shutterstock.com

A massive explosion near the centre of Beirut killed close to 80 people, injuring thousands across the Lebanese capital on Tuesday.

The most powerful explosion to hit Beirut in years occurred in the city’s port area. Lebanon’s interior minister said initial information indicated highly explosive material, which had been seized years ago and stored there, had blown up.

Lebanon’s health minister Hamad Hasan told Reuters late Tuesday that at least 78 people had been killed and nearly 4,000 injured. Hasan said, “There are many people missing… People are asking the emergency department about their loved ones and it is difficult to search at night because there is no electricity. We are facing a real catastrophe and need time to assess the extent of damages.”

Officials expected the death toll to rise further as emergency workers dig through rubble to rescue people and remove the dead. 

Massive warehouse explosion rocks Beirut, causing thousands of injuries and widespread damage

Via www.nbcnews.com

At least 3,000 people have been injured and 50 have been killed. The numbers are likely to rise…

08/04/2020 6:55 PM

 

Editorial credit: Sadik Gulec / Shutterstock.com

A massive fire in California that was sparked Friday afternoon by a malfunctioning vehicle has now spread over more than 26,000 acres in the Inland Empire, officials said Monday.

The Apple fire was ignited by “a diesel-fueled vehicle emitting burning carbon from the exhaust system,” according to a statement from the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection and the Riverside County Fire Department. The fire has burned 26,450 acres and was 5% contained as of Monday morning, Cal Fire said.

Officials added that the blaze is “burning in an area with no recent fire history.” Roughly 2,300 fire personnel are working to douse the flames. Multiple evacuation orders and warnings were put in place in Riverside and San Bernardino counties. Roughly 7,800 residents in more than 2,500 households have been ordered to evacuate, officials said. 

The Apple fire is continuing to produce a massive amount of smoke, prompting the South Coast Air Quality Management District to issue a health advisory for nearby communities.

        

Cause of California’s Apple Fire determined

Via www.cbsnews.com

Cal Fire and Riverside County Fire Department investigators said Monday that the Apple Fire…

08/03/2020 10:09 PM

 

Hurricane Isaias approached the Carolinas as a Category 1 with winds reaching 85 mph. The storm has caused flooding and damaged homes as it hit towns in both North and South Carolina. The storm is then forecast to bring torrential rain, flash flooding and storm surge up the East Coast, as well as dangerous winds to the Northeast.

         

Isaias regains hurricane strength as it approaches Carolinas

Via www.nbcnews.com

A hurricane warning was in place for a 140-mile stretch of coast that extends from South…

08/03/2020 8:05 PM

 

On Sunday, the U.S. Marines called off the search for seven Marines and one Navy sailor who went missing after a vessel sank off the California coast on Thursday night. All eight are presumed dead.

The amphibious assault vehicle, known as an AAV, carries Marines from ship to ship. The AAV was carrying 15 Marines and one sailor when it was transferring the sailors from the shores of San Clemente Island near San Diego to a Navy ship when it began to sink. Eight Marines were rescued after the accident, and one later died. Two are in critical condition.  The Marines were attached to the 15th Marine Expeditionary Unit, based at Camp Pendleton. 

The Marines have suspended all water operations of the more than 800 AAVs until the cause of accident is determined. The investigation is ongoing. 

8 missing service members presumed dead after training ‘mishap’ off California coast

Via www.nbcnews.com

“It is with a heavy heart, that I decided to conclude the search and rescue effort,”…

08/02/2020 5:23 PM

 

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