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Showing posts with the label Floods

Flooding impacts emergency response time in England

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  Journal:  Nature Sustainability Before:The Drum Bridge, Dunmurry,UK , 2009. After: Photos by  Albert Bridge First responders, such as fire and ambulance services, will likely struggle to reach urgent cases in a timely manner during low-level flooding in England. These findings are reported in an analysis of emergency response time in England under adverse geographic and climate conditions, published this week in  Nature Sustainability .

Alberta Premier Jason Kenney tours Fort MacMurray, site of major spring flooding - fails to see his own handiwork amid the damage. (Opinion)

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by Larry Powell K enney was out inspecting the town of Fort MacMurray and region  (above)  this morning, where major flooding has resulted in a mandatory evacuation order going out for the entire downtown area. Big trucks and low-lying buildings are reportedly submerged.  This is the same Premier who "dissed" a reporter recently for daring to ask if this might be the time to transition away from fossil fuels to renewable, sustainable energy. Kenney was especially shocked that the journalist was a member of the Calgary press core, who are apparently all supposed to be cozy little members of the same club, parroting Kenny's anti-science lies about the consequences of continuing to exploit the tar sands.  Fort Mac - 2016. A Creative Commons photo. This is also the same Premier who is spending millions of tax dollars from his own citizens, including desperate, unemployed oil workers, to fund a "war room," spreading mis-information about the consequences of a c

World's Largest River Floods Five Times More Often Than It Used to

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EcoWatch Extreme  floods have become more frequent in the Amazon Basin in just the last two to three decades,  according to a new study.  More here. Amazon River, Western Para Province, Brazil June 1996.  This image shows the flooded condition of a small section of the Amazon River,including the jungle towns of Obidos and Oriximina. The sun’s reflection off of the muddy looking river water, called sun glint or sunglitter, helps to identify land-water boundaries in this section of the Amazon River which is roughly midway between Manaus and the Amazon River Delta. By comparing this image to a detailed map of the area it is obvious that the river is flooding in the low lying areas that are adjacent to the floodplain of the main channel of the river. Large areas south of the main channel of the Amazon River are covered by standing water. Patches of cleared land can be identified within the densely vegetated terrain along the northeast side of the Amazon River. The main c

Lessons learned from Manitoba's Flood of the Century

The Red River Valley Echo MORRIS - They were at the forefront of one of Manitoba’s worst natural disasters, and 20 years later, municipal officials and provincial experts gathered in Morris to share their perspective of what became known as “The Flood of the Century”. Story here.

The dam at the heart of Canada's flooding emergency

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NATIONAL OBSERVER The Moses-Saunders dam which regulates flows from  Lake Ontario  into the St. Lawrence River.  High water levels threatening flood damage to hundreds of homes in Ontario and Quebec will continue to rise, warns the federal environmental engineer in charge of reporting this data to international authorities. Story here.

Millions of Chickens Feared Dead at Factory Farms in Wake of Hurricane Matthew

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EcoWatch After surveying the damage, environmentalists are expressing concerns after they found flooding at factory farms and coal ash sites fearing toxins could spread through miles of waterways. Story here. Backyard chickens in Manitoba. PinP photo.

Scientists Say Expect More 1,000-Year Events Like Louisiana Flood

CommonDreams Louisiana's devastating rainfall was the state's second "1,000-year" flood this year. Story here.

Flooding Now Causing Most Crop Damage

THE WESTERN PRODUCER If crop insurance data is an indicator, flooding may now be the most common plague in Saskatchewan. Story here.

Environmental Review Ordered For Alta. Flood Control Project

THE WESTERN PRODUCER The federal government has ordered an environmental review of a controversial flood control project west of Calgary. Story here.

MANITOBA RECOMMENDS VOLUNTARY EVACUATION FOR AREAS OF THE WHITESHELL FOLLOWING HEAVY RAINS

GOV'T. OF MANITOBA Manitoba Sustainable Development advises a voluntary evacuation is underway in some areas of the Whiteshell following heavy rains as resulting high water has caused deteriorating road conditions. A number of roads will wash out leaving cottage owners stranded.  Officials are contacting cottage owners in the following areas and recommending they evacuate: • Block 5, Caddy Lake; • cottage owners east of Block 9 on PR 312; and  • no vehicle access south of the ambulance garage on South Shore Road in Falcon Lake. The road to Florence and Nora Lakes is also washed out, and the Mantario Trail is closed until further notice. Residents and cottage owners only can call 1-204-349-2201 for information between 8 a.m. and 4 p.m. today and tomorrow. 

The Majority Of West Virginia Is Under A State Of Emergency After Floods Devastate The State

InsideClimateNews Forty-four of West Virginia’s 55 counties are under a state of emergency as severe weather and devastating floods have killed at least 14 residents and left hundreds of thousands without power. A spokesperson for West Virginia Governor Earl Ray Tomblin told ABC News that the floods, in some areas, had the potential to be “the worst in 100 years.” Story here.

Federal Bill For Flooding on the Canadian Prairies an "Outsized Expense," Says Budget Watchdog

Manitoba Co-Operator Report points to provincial shortcomings as possible reasons for large annual expenditures. More here.

Floods (Story & Video)

Hi Larry, As you read this email, vast swathes of the UK are underwater. Buckling from the strain of torrential rains, rivers have overflowed and flood defences have been breached. Hundreds of families have been forced to evacuate their homes [1]. David Cameron has pledged to help people suffering in the wake of the destruction. That’s a start. But in the aftermath of such ferocious storms,  we need to make sure he joins the dots to climate change .

Farm Leaders on the Canadian Prairies Peg Water Damage in the Billions

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Manitoba Co-Operator   A sodden farm field near Neepawa, Manitoba.  Larry Powell PinP photo. Farm leaders from Manitoba and Saskatchewan hope a new lobby group of stakeholders from both provinces can bring some long-term solutions to excess water problems that have led to billions of dollars in damages. Story here. Related:  "Manitoba makes $1M available to compensate farmers flooded last summer."

Cost of Lowering Lake Manitoba Could Reach $450 Million

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Manitoba Co-Operator Flooding in Manitoba, 2011. P in P photo. The province hopes the federal government will provide financial assistance as outlet channels move forward. Story here.

Climate Change is Always the Issue (letter)

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Winnipeg Free Press Get serious. Whenever we discuss fossil fuels, climate change is the issue. Details here. Flooding in Manitoba - 2011 (PinP photo)

Working With Nature Can Protect Us From Floods

David Suzuki The normally tranquil Boggy Creek in west-central Manitoba in full  "flood mode" a couple of years ago. PLT photo. News of the devastating floods in Alberta hit Canadians hard. We've all been moved by extraordinary stories of first responders and neighbours stepping in to help and give selflessly at a time of great need. As people begin to pick up their lives, and talk turns to what Calgary and other communities can do to rebuild, safeguarding our irreplaceable, most precious flood-protection assets should be given top priority.  Details here.

Indians Question How Far Flash-Flooding Disaster Was Manmade

the guardian Boom in religious tourism and hydroelectric projects may have contributed to disaster in Uttarakhand. Details here.

Calgary's Manhattan Moment

By Andrew Nikiforuk. TheTyee.ca -  Opinion I only hope my city's nightmare is the climate change wake-up Alberta, and Canada, needs. Full story here.

Massive Flooding in Nations Including Canada Bring World to a Cross Roads - United Nations

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UN News A United Nations senior official today   stressed that this year will be a “turning point” in how governments view and respond to extreme weather events, and floods in particular. Such events are currently affecting several countries across the world. Details here. Calgary flooding: Photo credit:  ca.news.yahoo.com