December 11, 2011
This is a video clip explaining briefly about the earthquake that occurred in Mexico's western Guerrero state. The earthquake had a magnitude of 6.5 and has killed at least three people.
http://www.usatoday.com/news/world/story/2011-12-10/mexico-earthquake/51788440/1

December 11, 2011
On December 10, 2011 a 6.5 magnitude earthquake hit Guerrero state in western Mexico that caused buildings to shake and panic among people in the area. The shaking could be felt in the resort area of Acapulco and at least 3 people have died due to the quake. The quake occurred at a depth of 40.3 miles and was centered 26 miles of the city of Iguala and 103 miles southwest of Mexico City. The quake was felt in parts of nine states in Mexico according to Mexico's Interior Department. Of the three deaths, one man was killed in his house when the roof collapsed, another died in a small town of Ixcateopan and another was killed in a cargo truck by rocks that fell on the vehicle during the quake. Some secondary highways between Acapulco and Mexico City were blocked due to rockslides. There was reportedly not significant damage and power only failed in some areas. Effects of the earthquake were magnified in parts of Mexico City due to the resting of the city on soil of a former lake bed.
http://www.usatoday.com/news/world/story/2011-12-10/mexico-earthquake/51788440/1

Flooding in Southern Pakistan

September 12, 2011
This is a video describing the flooding that occurred in Pakistan this summer due to the heavy monsoon rains. Many people were stranded and had no food or shelter following the flooding.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L1rs_lciOUI

September 12, 2011
Heavy monsoon rains hit the southern portion of Pakistan killing at least 200 people and 5 million people have become displaced. The country was hit with a devastating flood last year that they are still trying to recover from that killed 1,700 people and displaced 20 million people. The government set up 4,000 medical camps and had provided refuge for 150,000 residents. The floods hit some of Pakistan's areas of high poverty and the government is already trying to manage the country's finances, militant violence and the political upheaval. 21 districts have been affected by the flooding and it spread over 4.1 million acres of land destroying 1.7 million acres of agricultural land. There is also the challenge of the spread of disease since it can be spread easily by the dead farm animals rotting in the sitting flood water.
http://www.globalpost.com/dispatch/news/regions/asia-pacific/pakistan/110912/floods-devastate-southern-pakistan

Landslide in Indonesia

December 1, 2011
This is a photo of some of the wreckage from the landslide on Nias Island in Indonesia
http://www.thejakartaglobe.com/news/five-dead-30-missing-in-indonesia-landslide/482011

December 1, 2011
A landslide occurred this past thursday on Indonesia's Nias island killing 5 people and 30 are currently missing. Three days of heavy rains has triggered the landslide burying 37 houses in the 115 family village. It is difficult for the rescuers to reach the island due to the bridge linking the village collapsing. The water currents were also very strong, and it had continued to rain. This area and this island in particular are very prone to natural disasters in that it was not a complete shock that an event like this had happened. In 2004 the island experienced a tsunami that killed more than 300 people and displaced 10,000 people from their homes. The island was also hit in 2005 by an earthquake where 1,500 people had died. So far 5 dead bodies have been pulled out from the mud flow by locals, and there is a continued search for the remaining 30 missing people.
http://www.thejakartaglobe.com/news/five-dead-30-missing-in-indonesia-landslide/482011

Dangerous Wildfires in Nevada

November 18, 2011
This is raw footage of the wildfires that occurred in Reno, Nevada on November 18, 2011
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7sv57eaqgno


According to the NOAA Satellite and Information Service one of the worst fires in Nevada's history broke out in southwest Reno on November 18, 2011. The fires were fanned by winds that reached up to 70mph, with flames up to 100 feet high. These wildfires forced almost 10,000 people to evacuate their homes and has destroyed 32 houses and has killed 1. The fires were finally extiniguished by the 20th of November after a total of 1,953 acres were burned in the area. To extinguish the fire was difficult due to the high winds occurring, the rocky terrain, and accessibility to the area.
http://www.ncdc.noaa.gov/sotc/hazards/

2000 People Stranded in flooding in Australia

November 27, 2011
This is a video with Australia new stories, watching the first minute of the video explains briefly the flooding that is occurring in Australia.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2NyZejibTW8


Floodwaters caused by heavy rain has cut off roads and power isolating more than 2000 people in Australia's New South Wales. More than 900 people have called for emergency help and 29 people have needed to be rescued from the flooding. So far it is known that a 3 year old boy has died after being swept away into a storm-water drain. The town of Wee Waa in northern New South Wales has been temporarily cut off for up to one week by the flooding after the water reached a depth of 7 meters in certain areas and many rivers burst their banks due to the heavy rains. The town with 1,800 people will only be accessible by boat and helicopter and authorities are doing what they can to replenish food supplies. Evacuations have been made in Moree where it is expected that 60 homes will be cut off and already some 150 rural homes in the area have been isolated. The village of Garah near Moree was totally surrounded by water after a levy broke from the heavy rains.
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/australiaandthepacific/australia/8918567/Two-thousand-people-stranded-by-Australian-floods.html

Out of Control Bushfires Rage through an Australian Town

February 7, 2011
This is a news story on the bushfires that hit Australia located in and near Perth in southwestern Australia in February 2011 and the extent of the damage that these fires can cause.

November 24, 2011
Bushfires have been damaging and destroying properties in southwestern Australia in late November 2001. A raging fire swept through an Australian town destroying their homes and forcing residents to evacuate. More than 100 firefighters have been trying to stop the fire which has so far destroyed 20 homes and 750 hectares of bushland in the coastal town of Prevelly, Australia. The fires began with a controlled burn in Leeuwin-Naturaliste National Park which soon became out of control. The blaze became unpredictable and began traveling towards residential areas going 200 meters an hour and there have been speculations as to why they would start a fire when winds had been blowing very hard that day and could easily get out of control. 50 residents in the near by Kilcarnup area were also evacuated and were sent to a popular tourist town incase the fires headed their direction. Firefighters are hoping to be able to control the fires once the wind dies down, right now it is difficult with the great amount of wind that has been occurring. The fires became out of control not only because of the heavy winds, but the temperatures around the state rose and even the Fire and Emergency Services Authority warned that western Australia was facing its most dangerous bushfire seasons in recent history. Bushfires are a regular occurrence in Australia with 64 homes being destroyed in February due to bushfires and the major fires that raged in 2009 named "Black Saturday" killing 65 people, but they are hoping that this current bushfire is able to get under control soon so as no more homes are damaged to the same extent as the February fires.
http://au.news.yahoo.com/thewest/a/-/world/11964469/raging-bushfire-sweeps-through-australian-town/

Largest Eruption for Africa's Nyamuragira Volcano this Century

November 16, 2011
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZZeDUnC8gjg
This is a video reporting on the eruption of Africa's Democratic Republic of Congo's Nyamuragira volcano. Scientists believe that it is the volcanoes largest eruption to happen in a century.

Africa's most active volcano Nyamuragira  located in Democratic Republic of Congo began erupting on Sunday night. The volcano is located about 25 miles north of the town of Goma and is located where there is a critically endangered population of mountain gorillas. The volcano erupted 27 times since 1938 and this eruption was one of the largest for the volcano to happen this century. Scientists monitoring the volcanic activity say that the surrounding population located in Goma, the gorillas and the wildlife does not appear to be in danger at this time, so no evacuations have been made. The eruptions have been described as an amazing fire show and tourist treks to the mountain are continuing as usual.
http://www.globalpost.com/dispatch/news/regions/africa/111108/drc-congo-nyamuragira-volcano-erupts-virunga-mountain-gorillas