HAILSTORM In POLAND

May 18th 2013    

    Over fifty houses were damaged on Monday night as a hailstorm wreaked havoc near the city of Radom, central Poland. Witnesses from the village of Jedlinsk told Polish Radio that a gale, followed by an intense hailstorm, lasted just a few minutes. However, over 50 roofs in the area were significantly damaged, as were power lines and trees. Although the storms were at their most intense in the vicinity of Radom, several other parts of Poland were affected by the extreme weather. Severe storms struck the Pomeranian region on the Baltic coast, likewise the southern Swietokrzyskie region. All in all, firemen were called to the scene of 340 separate incidents across Poland.

PHOTO: Hail the Size of Grapefruit Fell In Oklohoma

http://foxnewsinsider.com/2013/05/19/photo-hail-size-grapefruit-falls-near-oklahoma-city-ok

BAD HAILSTORM In FRANKLIN COUNTY, TENNESSEE

    Franklin County schools are closed after a Sunday hailstorm left the parts of the county looking like a winter wonderland. The storm hit areas around Decherd and downtown Winchester Sunday evening, leaving behind several inches of hail. The Franklin County Highway Department was called in to assist in cleaning up the roads around the Winchester town square. There were no immediate reports of any accidents.

HAILSTORM In INDIA

     More reports of causing extensive destruction and damages to houses and standing crops by the violent hailstorm that swept many parts of Manipur in the last three days have started pouring in. The hailstorm has caused maximum damages in Churachandpur district. According to a report from district administration, the storm that hit the state on Thursday and Friday brought down at least 84 houses across the district that also partly damaged 160 others. In the aftermath of the hailstorm, melting hails and the heavy downpour have also caused floods in several localities and streets of the district. Most rivers in the district were running above the danger level, the report added. However, there was no report of human casualty so far, either from the hailstorm or flood. Many schools have shut down for the last two days as the school buildings were party damaged by the hailstorm.

     Standing crops to over hundreds of acres have also been destroyed by the hailstorm, the district administration tabled in a meeting with the authority of the district level disaster management committee at Churachandpur district headquarters, an official source said. The meeting convened under the chair of DC Churachandpur DC resolved to open relief camps at the affected areas with immediate effect, the source said adding a helpline centre has also opened with immediate effect. The report tabled by the district administration was a preliminary one and reports from interior areas of the district were yet to be come in. They have information that the hailstorm caused extensive damages to Vangai range and Purbung area of the district. In Bishnupur district also the hailstorm partly damaged over 200 houses. However, official assessment reports of the damages caused by the hailstorm were yet to be compiled.

HAILSTORM IN ZIMBABWE

     Over 400 people were directly affected by the hailstorm that hit parts of Gwanda and Insiza in Matabeleland South on April 3 this year, leaving a trail of destruction with some affected people still in need of food and other basic necessities, the province’s Civil Protection Unit (CPU) announced on Friday. The head of Matabeleland South CPU, who is also acting provincial administrator, Midard Khumalo, yesterday said about 46 rooms had their roofs blown off by the wind at a West Nicholson mining compound and 271 people were affected. “In Gwanda’s Ward 23, 20 homes were affected with 131 people being direct victims of the disaster,” said Khumalo. “In Ward 6 in Insiza, about six houses were affected by the hailstorm with 36 people directly affected.” The total number of people directly affected was 438. He said at Freda Mine compound, all the six roofs that had beeb blown off had been repaired through the assistance by the Farvic and Mixtone mines. “Ward 23 and Ward 6 villagers have also been assisted with blankets, water containers, soap and food, though the food supplies are not enough,” he said. “We are still looking for food to assist the affected people and a detailed report has since been sent to the Civil Protection Unit head office. We hope to get more assitance for the affected people.” Khumalo said organisations such as the Red Cross Society, the Social Welfare and community members were coming in to help the victims. He could not be drawn into revealing the cost of the destroyed infrastructure saying that had not been calculated. The heavy downpour hit Gwanda and Filabusi in Matabeleland South and parts of Mberengwa in the Midlands, leaving a trail of destruction.

HAILSTORM In KENYA

      Tea worth millions of shilling was yesterday destroyed by a hailstorm in Kericho. Farmers at Saoset village are counting. Former deputy chief of general staff Rtd Lt. Gen John Koech’s 21-acre tea plantation was destroyed. A field manager at the Koech Tea farm, Paul Kipruto arap Kitur said, “The heavy rain which was accompanied by hailstones extensively damaged the tea leaves on the farm.” He said farm workers have begun removing damaged tea stems to allow new leaves to sprout. Kitur said the plantation produces up to 2,100 kilo- grammes of tea a day. Anne Mibei, a resident at the village, said the rains have caused havoc and losses to farmers during this planting season. At Finlays tea estate gen- eral manager Kipchumba Bullut said hailstorms are rare during the planting period. He said they normally occur in July or towards the end of the year during relatively dry spells or short rains. Bullut said most of their estates were not severely affected by the hailstorm. An official with the min- istry of agriculture advised farmers to use manure when planting their crops. He said this will help the plants recover faster from the disaster. “It is unfortunate that this has happened but this is the result of global climate changes and farm- ers should be involved in good agricultural practices to avoid heavy losses when such natural disasters oc- cur,” said Bullut. He said farmers need to look into ways of insuring their crops against damage to protect them against losses.

OVER 10,000 HOMES DAMAGED In VIETNAM HAILSTORM

  Over 10,000 houses were damaged and at least 26 people were injured during a 20-minute hail storm, with hailstones as large as 8-10 cm in diameter, in northern Lao Cai province yesterday, authorities reported. The hail suddenly began simultaneously in 26 communes and towns in Muong Khuong District, 50 km from Lao Cai City, at midnight Wednesday. Numerous houses were damaged or even knocked down, and many trees and crops were destroyed. Luckily no deaths have been reported thus far. Vang Pha Cui, a local, aid, “I have never seen any hail that was as powerful as this hail in the last 50 years. I had to hide under my bed to avoid being hit by hailstones that were as large as adults’ fists or bowls, which damaged houses and broke many things.”

     The disaster left many residents homeless as their houses had been destroyed. One of the victims was Tai Van Thao, who said, “I could not believe my eyes when I saw my house and most things inside destroyed be the hail that lasted for about 20 minutes.” According to the National Search and Rescue Committee, more than 10,500 houses have been damaged and at least 26 people were injured in the storm. Another hailstorm occurred yesterday in three districts of Ha Giang Province, which borders Lao Cai, damaging about 80 houses, the committee said. Six days ago, a powerful hail together with a vortex struck Huong Khe District, central Ha Tinh Province on March 22, and caused damage to over 100 houses. Two day earlier, the same disaster hit some mountainous districts in central Quang Nam Province and Phong Dien District in Thua Thien-Hue Province. Le Thanh Hai, deputy director of the Central Hydro-Meteorological Forecasting Center, warned that hails or thunderstorms may occur in any areas between March and May, the transitional period between dry and wet seasons in Vietnam. However, the hail in Lao Cai yesterday, with many hailstones measuring up to 10 cm in diameter, is very rare. Usually, hailstones measuring 2-4 cm, or as large as a chicken egg, are normally seen in hails, he added.

HAILSTORM In Pakistan

      A hailstorm hit the capital and parts of adjoining Rawalpindi on Thursday afternoon turning roads and rooftops of buildings white. The hailstorm took residents of the twin cities by surprise. Youngsters came out of their houses to play with hailstones and enjoy the scenic beauty of Islamabad in the background of black clouds and white roads. The hailstones began raining down at around 1:45 p.m. and continued for 15 to 20 minutes. The Pakistan Meteorological Department (PMD) has predicted that dark clouds would clear on Friday (today). According to it, another spell of rain is expected in Lahore and Gujranwala divisions from Friday. The PMD stressed on the need for improving the climate change adaptation in the country to ensure that the risks faced by millions of people in poor and vulnerable communities across the country are reduced, particularly during monsoon season. Talking to ‘The News’ on Thursday, Meteorologist Muhammad Farooq Dar said that unexpected heavy rains during the month of February could be cited as an example of climate change as the water level in the Nullah Leh touched the danger level. He warned civic bodies to remain on high alert due to impacts of climate change across the country as the upcoming monsoon season might be the worst. “The local managements should adopt precautionary measures otherwise people of low-lying areas could face worst kind of difficulties,” he warned. He said that Rawalpindi received 13mm and Islamabad 14mm rain on Thursday. For the first time in country’s history, Khuzdar received 42mm rain in February due to climate change, he said.

TORNADO In MOBILE, ALABAMA

     A tornado peeled the roofs from buildings, toppled trucks, and blew down oak trees and limbs in the Mobile area early Thursday, leading to road closures but no reports of major injuries, authorities said. National Weather Service officials assessed the damage Thursday afternoon and said the EF-1 tornado had estimated wind speeds of between 86 and 109 miles per hour. An EF2 or higher is considered a significant tornado. The American Red Cross office in Mobile suffered heavy damage and three of its disaster trailers there were destroyed, the organization said. The trailers contained cots, blankets and other items needed in emergencies. Red Cross officials say that despite significant damage to the office in midtown Mobile, they are still able to use it and were working to assist others in the Mobile area in the tornado’s aftermath.

FLOODING AROUND THE WORLD

12-13-2012

REPUBLIC Of CONGA

    Torrential rains have killed at least 13 people, injured 29 and displaced hundreds in districts south of Brazzaville, the capital of the Republic of Congo, say officials. The heavy rains came on 8-9 December. “After the rains, we sent rescue services, who were able to recover nine bodies. The Congolese Red Cross recovered four bodies of people who had drowned,” said Maurel Kihounzou, the mayor of the first district of Makwlwkwle, south of the capital. The seventh district of Mfilou was also affected, according to a 10 December report from the government, which noted that houses collapsed under the pressure of the flood waters, killing several people as they slept. Some 564 families had also been left without shelter, according to Clement Essieke, the minister of humanitarian action. “We are in negotiations with the national army to get tents for the affected,” he said. At least 600 people had sought shelter temporarily in a police camp before being asked to return to their homes. “The order came from the police command. We were not given more explanation. Our camp is intended for military training,” said a police officer. The River Mfilou, which traverses parts of Makelekele, breached its banks, bringing flood waters towards houses there. Military personnel are searching for those still missing in the flood waters.

AUSTRALIA

   The State Emergency Service has answered more than 100 calls for help after a severe thunderstorm hit Rockingham and Mandurah overnight. Mandurah received more than 70mm of rain. About 4600 homes were without power this morning. And more wild weather is on its way today with heavy rain and damaging winds expected to hit the metropolitan area. Reported damage mainly involved flooding and roof damage. SES volunteers have been working in the Rockingham area, making repairs to homes, fixing minor roof damage, removing fallen trees from homes, cars and fences, sandbagging areas in danger of flooding and pumping out flood water.

SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA

12-14-2012  

  Several streets along the Southern California coastline were flooded Thursday after a rainstorm moving through the Southland combined with high tides. KCAL9′s Michelle Gile reports there was a record tide of 8.4 feet this morning in Newport Harbor after the National Weather Service (NWS) had forecast a so-called “King Tide” with rip currents for local beaches and all along the West Coast. Tides were forecast to reach levels of 7.3 feet – which would be the highest since 2008 – due to gravitational forces maximized by an alignment of the earth, moon, and sun. There was at least one report of flooding for about a mile along the 16000 block of Pacific Coast Highway and Broadway in Huntington Beach, according to Huntington Beach Fire Department spokesman Bob Culhane. In Newport Beach, flooding slowed down drivers at the intersection of 26th and Balboa, but there were no immediate reports of damage.