Earthquakes

Magnitude 5+ Earthquakes – Global

6.3 earthquake hits the Prince Edward Islands.

6.1 earthquake hits the Solomon Islands.

5.6 earthquake hits offshore northern California.

5.5 earthquake hits southeast of the Loyalty Islands.

5.4 earthquake hits eastern New Guinea, Papua New Guinea.

5.4 earthquake hits west of Macquarie Island.

5.1 earthquake hits the Banda Sea.

5.1 earthquake hits the Prince Edward Islands.

5.1 earthquake hits near the south coast of Honshu, Japan.

5.0 earthquake hits Myanmar.

5.0 earthquake hits Tonga.

Earthquakes

Magnitude 5+ Earthquakes – Global

5.9 earthquake hits the southwestern Ryukyu Islands off Japan.

5.7 earthquake hits Northern California.

5.3 earthquake hits Guam.

5.0 earthquake hits western Sichuan, China.

5.0 earthquake hits near the east coast of Kamchatka, Russia.

Storms and Floods

Tropical Storms – Roundup of Tropical Storms:

There are no current tropical storm systems.

NewsBytes:

USA – Snowmelt continues to cause floods along the Mississippi and in California. Record winter snowfall across northern Minnesota, which quickly melted in a spell of unprecedented spring heat, is dramatically swelling waterways along the upper Mississippi River basin. Major flood stages, the second highest on record in some spots, stretch from Minnesota and Wisconsin to Iowa and Illinois. In Stillwater, Minn., the water level along the St. Croix River, which feeds the Mississippi, is forecast to be the seventh highest on record as the city endures persistent floodwaters. Meanwhile in California, the National Park Service is closing most of Yosemite Valley, as the Merced River is expected to reach flood levels Thursday night.

Wildlife

Californian Condors Die of Avian Influenza

On April 7, Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza (HPAI) was publicly confirmed as the cause of mortality for three California condors found in northern Arizona

The U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service reports as of April 17, 2023, 20 condors have died in the Arizona-Utah flock; HPAI has been confirmed for 10 of those condors. Eight birds were captured and brought in for supportive care. Four of those condors died shortly thereafter and are included in the total of 20 deceased birds. Four condors are still receiving supportive care and have shown improvement.

To date, the virus has not been detected in the other condor populations in California or Baja California, Mexico.

Storms and Floods

Tropical Storms – Roundup of Tropical Storms:

There are no current tropical storm systems.

NewsBytes:

California, USA – The relentless downpour from this year’s record rainfall in California has caused a long-dormant lake to reemerge after being bone dry for generations. And now farmers, residents and officials who live around Tulare Lake are scrambling to save their land, protect their homes and salvage their livelihood as waters continue to creep inland. The central California lake, which is fed by the rivers and streams running down from the Sierra Nevada, was once the largest freshwater lake west of the Mississippi River. But in the 1880s, the water was diverted to be used by farmland and the lake dried up. Farmers would cultivate the dried-up land for crops and cattle, and the region grew into the largest dairy-producing county in the nation. Flooding from this year’s winter storms, which left record snowfall in the California mountains and later excess water from the melting, has deluged Tulare and Kings counties, leaving streets and properties under several feet of water, sending residents, farmers and livestock scrambling.

Storms and Floods

Tropical Storms – Roundup of Tropical Storms:

There are currently no active tropical storm systems.

Newsbytes:

Brazil – At least 5 municipalities in Ceará State in northeastern Brazil have declared a state of emergency after days of heavy rain triggered flooding and landslides. Dozens of people have been displaced and at least 3 fatalities reported. Three people from the same family died after heavy rain triggered a landslide which destroyed their home in Aratuba on 16 March 2023. A further 15 homes were damaged or deemed unsafe by authorities, forcing around 50 people to evacuate. Elsewhere in the state, over 30 families were pre-emptively evacuated from homes in neighbourhoods of Itapipoca City on 17 March due to flood and landslide threats.

California, USA – Swaths of California still saturated by ruthless storms will get walloped by another atmospheric river, spawning fears of renewed flooding and forcing some residents to flee. The state has already been hammered by at least 11 atmospheric rivers this season. An atmospheric river is like a fire hose that carries saturated air from the tropics to higher latitudes, dumping relentless rain or snow. The last, which struck California last week, left soil overly saturated and vulnerable to new flooding and rapid runoffs, the National Weather Service said. The next atmospheric river is expected to slam California from late Monday night through Wednesday.

Storms and Floods

Tropical Storms – Roundup of Tropical Storms:

There are currently no active tropical storm systems.

Newsbytes:

California, USA – Large swaths of the Central Valley face elevated flood risks as rivers have swelled from melting snowpack after record storms hit California this winter. Flooding has spurred evacuation orders and warnings from the National Weather Service, with still more rain forecast for early next week. Evacuation orders have been issued for residents in Porterville, California, due to fast rising floodwaters. Water levels are quickly rising at Lake Success, forcing water to flow down to the Schaffer dam, creating dangerous conditions along the Tule River.

Storms and Floods

Tropical Storms – Roundup of Tropical Storms:

In the Southern Hemisphere: Tropical Cyclone 11s (Freddy) is located approximately 180 nm northeast of Beira, Mozambique, is tracking north-northwestward at 04 knots. This is the final warning for this system.

Newsbytes:

California, USA – At least two people have died as the result of the ongoing storms inundating California, and nearly 10,000 residents are under evacuation orders, officials said, as intense flooding threatens several coastal counties. The powerful storms have delivered heavy rainfall across the central and northern parts of the state, prompting the Weather Prediction Center to issue a Level 4 of 4 warning of excessive rainfall in the area. Snow has fallen at higher elevations. Some 25 million people are under flood alerts issued by the National Weather Service, and more than 25,000 are without electricity.

Storms and Floods

Tropical Storms – Roundup of Tropical Storms:

In the Southern Hemisphere: Tropical cyclone 14s (Enala), located approximately 728 nm southeast of Port Louis, Mauritius, is tracking south-southwestward at 07 knots.

Newsbytes:

USA – Emergency crews carried out multiple high water rescues, including some by helicopter, after a winter storm dumped heavy rain in parts of Southern California. Storm winds also caused damage, downing trees and power lines. At one point 30,000 customers in the city of Los Angeles were without power. Heavy snow fell in higher elevations, where several roads were closed. Severe flooding was reported on several roads, including parts of Interstate 5 near Sun Valley in Los Angeles.

Storms and Floods

Tropical Storms – Roundup of Tropical Storms:

There are no current tropical storm systems.

Newsbytes:

California, USA – As another powerful storm walloped California, a 5-year-old boy was swept away by floodwaters Monday on the state’s central coast and an entire seaside community that is home to Prince Harry, Oprah Winfrey and other celebrities was ordered to evacuate on the fifth anniversary of deadly mudslides there. Tens of thousands of people remained without power, and some schools closed for the day. Streets and highways transformed into gushing rivers, trees toppled, mud slid and motorists growled as they hit roadblocks caused by fallen debris. The death toll from the relentless string of storms climbed from 12 to 14 on Monday, after two people were killed by falling trees, state officials said.

Storms and Floods

Tropical Storms – Roundup of Tropical Storms:

There are no current tropical storm systems.

Newsbytes:

California, USA – California was hit with more turbulent weather Sunday as thunderstorms, snow and damaging winds swept into the northern part the state, preceding another series of incoming storms and raising the potential for road flooding, rising rivers and mudslides on soils already saturated after days of rain. The National Weather Service warned of a “relentless parade of atmospheric rivers” — storms that are long plumes of moisture stretching out into the Pacific capable of dropping staggering amounts of rain and snow. In the state capital, more than 60,000 customers were still without electricity Sunday evening — down from more than 350,000 — after gusts of 60 mph (97 kph) knocked trees into power lines.

Storms and Floods

Tropical Storms – Roundup of Tropical Storms:

There are no current tropical storm systems.

The remnants of Tropical Cyclone Ellie continue to hover over northwestern Australia bringing significant precipitation to the area.

Newsbytes:

Indonesia – Flash floods and landslides in East Nusa Tenggara Province of Indonesia have caused damage and at least one fatality. Heavy rain triggered floods and landslides in Kupang Regency, on 25 December 2022. Recent damage assessments report one person died, while around 44 homes were severely damaged or destroyed and a further 598 flooded. As of 01 January, a total of 2694 people had been displaced from their homes. Roads and 5 bridges were also damaged.

Congo-Brazzaville – The Red Cross in the Republic of the Congo (also known as Congo-Brazzaville) reported severe flooding in northern parts of the country, where thousands of people have been displaced. Some flooding was reported in parts of the Cuvette Department in late November 2022. Around 500 people were affected in the town of Oyo on the Alima River. Flooding worsened after several rivers in the region rose sharply in early December 2022. According to damage assessments carried out in mid-December, as many as 164,679 people have been affected across 23 districts in the departments of Cuvette, Likouala, Plateaux, and Sangha.

USA – An atmospheric river brought heavy rain and snow to parts of California on 31 December 2022. At least 2 people have died, dozens rescued and hundreds evacuated. More severe weather is forecast for the coming days. The storm left thousands without power. Roads were flooded in parts of the San Francisco Bay Area and Sacramento County. Dozens of people trapped in vehicles were rescued by emergency services, including some by helicopter. Several victims were found clinging to trees for safety. Levees broke along the Cosumnes River, causing flooding in Sacramento County. Evacuation orders or warnings were issued for residents in Wilton, Glanville Tract and Franklin Pond. A long stretch of State Route 99 near Elk Grove was underwater. One person died in a flooded vehicle in the area. A second fatality was reported when the storm downed trees in Santa Cruz. Another powerful system is expected to bring further heavy rain from 04 January 2023.

Malawi – Disaster authorities in Malawi report that over 40 people have died as a result of severe weather in the country since the start of the rainy season in November 2022. Severe weather has affected parts of the country since around 18 November 2022 when storms, heavy rain and hail caused damage to homes in several districts including Lilongwe. Two fatalities were reported in Mchinji. As of 25 November, The country’s Department of Disaster Management Affairs (DoDMA) reported 13 people had died as a result of recent severe weather, including 8 from lightning strikes and 5 who died when buildings collapsed due to heavy rain, floods or storms.

Earthquakes

Magnitude 5+ Earthquakes – Global

5.5 earthquake hits Northern California.

5.4 earthquake hits near the north coast of Papua, Indonesia.

5.3 earthquake hits south of Fiji.

5.3 earthquake hits Antofagasta, Chile.

5.2 earthquake hits the Azores.

5.0 earthquake hits the Kashmir-Xinjiang border.

Storms and Floods

Tropical Storms – Roundup of Tropical Storms:

There are no current tropical storm systems.

Newsbytes:

Australia – Twenty-one people have been evacuated from the outback Queensland town of Urandangi ahead of a flooding event predicted to be the biggest the region has seen in more than 10 years. Heavy rainfall over the Barkly region further north, as a result of ex-tropical cyclone Ellie, is making its way down through the channel country resulting in this flooding. It is expected to take 10 days for the floodwaters to subside.

California, USA – Landslides closed roadways across California on Friday as the Golden State was hit with more rainy weather. A large area of moderate-to-heavy rain was moving inland from the Bay Area early Saturday morning, with widespread urban and small stream flooding expected to develop. Peak gusts will be 30-50 mph with strongest winds over mountains. With saturated soils, even moderate winds could cause downed trees/branches, power outages, falling debris. The atmospheric river storm was expected to bring more precipitation through the day, with the potential for flooding and multiple feet of snow in the Sierra Nevada.

Storms and Floods

Tropical Storms – Roundup of Tropical Storms:

There are no current tropical storm systems.

Newsbytes:

Australia – Twenty-one people have been evacuated from the outback Queensland town of Urandangi ahead of a flooding event predicted to be the biggest the region has seen in more than 10 years. Heavy rainfall over the Barkly region further north, as a result of ex-tropical cyclone Ellie, is making its way down through the channel country resulting in this flooding. It is expected to take 10 days for the floodwaters to subside.

California, USA – Landslides closed roadways across California on Friday as the Golden State was hit with more rainy weather. A large area of moderate-to-heavy rain was moving inland from the Bay Area early Saturday morning, with widespread urban and small stream flooding expected to develop. Peak gusts will be 30-50 mph with strongest winds over mountains. With saturated soils, even moderate winds could cause downed trees/branches, power outages, falling debris. The atmospheric river storm was expected to bring more precipitation through the day, with the potential for flooding and multiple feet of snow in the Sierra Nevada.