There are going to be a lot of things whirling around today in the atmosphere. The question is will you get caught up in them or will you see through them to the illusion that they are masking. There are people in your life who are looking to trip you up, and they are going to be out there today. It is a good day for being cautious in word and deed. Think before you respond and plan before you act. It can be hard, but it will be to your benefit to be cautious. There is a lot of stuff going on right now and there are a lot of people who are not willing to take the responsibility for their own actions, so they are looking for scapegoats. If you can stay within your power and see things through the eyes of your heart, you will be able to see just what is truly going on around you, who to trust, and who to be wary of.
There are surprises in the air today, and along with these, can come some pretty significant revelations. This is a time in which you need to allow yourself to believe that anything is possible because, guess what, right now, anything is possible. You will see today how things that once seemed so logical are no longer making sense, and people that you looked up to really had nothing of substance to offer. These kinds of things can cause a bit of a shake up in your worldview. After all, we all like things to flow evenly, smoothly, and predictably. Right now, however the energetic currents are swiftly flowing, and the important thing is to hang on while always keeping your focus on your destination. You will get a lot of reminders today that things are on the move. Be aware of these and take them to heart, work with them and open to receive the information and the guidance that the Universe is offering.
Congressional Budget Office now admits catastrophic debt ‘crisis’ inevitable for America
(NaturalNews) From the behavior of both sides of the political aisle in Washington, you’d think that the nation’s unsustainable debt is no big deal. Otherwise, lawmakers would be clamoring to get a handle on it. But as it is, only a small, small group of fiscal conservatives is working to not only get a handle on the national debt, which is spiraling ever faster out of control, but to reform the entitlement spending that is driving the debt higher.
Obamacare is just the latest massive entitlement that is quickening the pace of America’s bankruptcy, which is why the fiscal hawks are moving to defund it. The same forces who passed that monstrosity, however, are now working overtime to not only keep it the law of the land but to make sure America goes broke funding it.
Is there anything that can impose reason on the unreasonable? Well, the Congressional Budget Office, Congress’ non-partisan fiscal watchdog, is trying. But there is only so much the CBO can do.
Like a broken record, the warnings keep coming
In its latest budget projection, which covers the 10-year period between 2013 and 2023, the CBO offers yet another dire warning that lawmakers ignore at there – and our – peril. The agency says that, based on its current projections, America’s large and growing debt – can you guess? – is unsustainable.
“[A] large and continually growing federal debt …would increase the probability of a fiscal crisis for the United States,” says the report.
What’s more, CBO says that if current laws and policies don’t change, the federal debt could reach 100 percent of GDP by 2038 (it is currently about 73 percent).
CBO also projects that healthcare spending by the federal government “will grow considerably in 2014 because of changes made by the Affordable Care Act” (Obamacare).
Of the current federal debt-to-GDP ratio, the “percentage is higher than at any point in U.S. history except a brief period around World War II, and it is twice the percentage at the end of 2007.”
If laws remain the same, CBO said that it expects federal debt held by the public to decrease slightly, relative to gross domestic product, over the next several years. But after that, deficits would begin growing once more, in no small part due to the government’s major healthcare programs (think Obamacare, Medicare, Medicaid and the Children’s Health Insurance Program, or CHIP).
“CBO projects that the federal debt held by the public would reach 100 percent of GDP in 2038, 25 years from now, even without accounting for the harmful effects that growing debt would have on the economy,” the report said.
Per CNSNews.com:
The word “crisis” appears numerous times in the report, as the CBO explains the negative consequences of burdensome debt. At some point, the report says, investors would begin to doubt the government’s willingness or ability to pay U.S. debt obligations, making it more difficult or more expensive for the government to borrow money. Even before that happens, the high and rising amount of debt “would have significant negative consequences” for both the economy and the federal budget.
And it just gets worse from here
More bad news:
— As the debt-to-GDP rises, there will a larger risk of a major fiscal crisis as well, because investors could begin demanding much higher interest rates to finance the federal government’s borrowing.
— More debt equals less flexibility in Washington to utilize tax and spending policies as a response to unexpected issues or occurrences, like a new recession or a major war.
— Most assuredly, interest payments on the government’s rising debt would necessarily increase – and substantially so – to become one of the budget’s biggest line items, if not the largest.
— As the government borrows more, private investment will fall off, “because the portion of total savings used to buy government securities would not be available to finance private investment,” CNSNews.com reported.
Coffee is one of the most consumed beverages in the world. It’s grown in over 70 countries and amounts to over 16 billion pounds of beans every year. That’s a lot of beans… and when they’re only used once and thrown away, it also amounts to a huge amount of waste.
If you drink a lot of coffee or have worked in a coffee house, you have probably looked at the massive amount of coffee grounds being thrown away after one use and wondered, “isn’t there something these can be used for?” You’re not alone, researchers all over the world have wondered the same thing and explored the issue. The good news — spent coffee grounds DO have value! What potential uses for used coffee grounds have been found?
1. Remove Lead from Water
Researchers at Japan’s Kinki University investigated the possibility of using coffee grounds to remove lead from drinking water and found that, indeed, not only was it possible, but that it actually worked quite well. [1] The prospect of using coffee grounds, an overly abundant waste item, for a purpose as beneficial as removing lead from drinking water is an exciting idea!
2. Biodiesel Production
You may have heard of diesel vehicles being converted to run on discarded grease from fast food restaurants, wouldn’t it be great if discarded coffee grounds could also be used as a source of energy? Perhaps they can.
Researchers at the University of Nevada in Reno found that oil extracted from spent coffee grounds could be converted to biodiesel. Spent coffee grounds can contain about 15% oil, depending on the variety. This might not sound like much, but experts estimated that the biodiesel production levels could reach upwards of 340 million gallons when accounting for all the used coffee grounds in the world. As a side bonus, they also determined that even after the oil is extracted, the coffee grounds are still great for garden fertilizer, feedstock for ethanol, and fuel pellets.[2]
Additionally, the Research Institute of Industrial Science and Technology in South Korea conducted similar experiments and found that spent coffee grounds were a strong candidate for the production of bioethanol and biodiesel. [3]
3. Enhances Composting
A 2008 study out of Malaysia found that when coffee grounds were added to vermicompost — composting that uses worms — it helped produce more earthworms than kitchen waste alone. This is, at least partially, because the coffee grounds increased the nutrient content in the vermicompost. [4] This is an easy one for anyone to partake in. If you’re not composting, start composting. And if you are already, make sure to throw your coffee grounds in the mix!
4. Agricultural Nutrient
It’s fairly common for home gardeners to add used coffee grounds to garden soil. I had a friend who would routinely dump the remnants of his French press right into his plant pots. Old wives tale? Not quite, research suggests it’s an idea with merit.
In early 2012, Portuguese researchers examined the impact of adding spent coffee grounds to growing lettuce. The results were astounding — the carotenoid and chlorophyll content in the lettuce increased, as did the amount of lutein and beta-carotene. There is a ceiling, however, as they also determined that a 10% limit on the ratio of coffee grounds to soil was where the benefits stopped. [5]
In Japan, the National Institute of Vegetable and Tea Science has published information recommending that spent coffee grounds be added to rice farming so as to increase rice yields and the nutrient content (as well as decrease landfill waste). [6]
5. Source of Antioxidants and Other Nutrients
So really, why are spent coffee grounds so beneficial? Because they’re not actually “spent” and they still contain valuable nutrients. Just earlier this year, it was confirmed that spent coffee grounds still contained antioxidants that could be used for nutritional supplements, food or cosmetics. [7]
In fact, research conducted at Spain’s University of Navarra found that spent coffee grounds actually contained up to seven times the amount of beneficial antioxidants than the respective brewed coffee! [8]
The Logistics of Using Spent Coffee Grounds
While most anyone can take advantage of using spent coffee grounds at home to fertilize their plants or add to their compost pile, some of the other uses, like biodiesel creation, are less home-user friendly, and require significant processes to be in place. It begs the question — do large scale coffee outfits like Starbucks have a plan in place to repurpose the spent grounds? Are there any industries springing up to collect and process used grounds? I couldn’t find an answer to that in my research. If you know, please weigh in and leave a comment below. Additionally, if you have a used for spent coffee grounds, please share that with us too!
While it’s generally agreed in the natural health arena that organically produced fare is superior in safety compared to crops that utilize GMOs or chemical pesticides, the fact that it’s more nutritious might be overlooked by consumers. Conventional growers insist there isn’t a substantial difference between the two, yet several studies have found otherwise.
The science behind nutrient rich organic edibles
In the battle between conventional versus organic, research has shown the latter to be the victor with higher levels of vitamins and minerals as well as conjugated linoleic acid (CLA) and omega-3 fats.
Nutritional profile of organic compared to conventional crops
After reviewing 41 published studies examining the nutritional content of conventional and organically grown crops, certified nutrition specialist Virginia Worthington discovered organic food rated significantly higher. Findings include greater levels of vitamin C (27 percent), iron (21.1 percent), magnesium (29.3 percent) and phosphorus (13.6 percent). She also notes that organic crops had lower nitrates and heavy metal contamination. Worthington’s results can be found in The Journal of Alternative and Complementary Medicine
Likewise, a study led by Alyson Mitchell at the University of California-Davis found free radical scavenging flavonoids were notably higher in organic tomatoes. Over the course of ten years, organically produced tomatoes were compared to their conventional counterpart. The organic fruit was shown to contain between 79 and 97 percent more flavonoid, aglycones, quercetin and kaempferol than conventionally grown tomatoes.
Variance in milk fatty acids between organic and conventional farming practices
A study in the Journal of Dairy Research investigated the chemical composition of milk sourced from conventional and organic dairy sheep and goats in Greece. One hundred and sixty two milk samples were taken over three months. Results showed fat content was lower in the organic milk compared to conventional. Additionally, the researchers discovered:
Milk from organic sheep had higher content in MUFA, PUFA, alpha-LNA, cis-9, trans-11 CLA, and omega-3 FA, whereas in milk from organic goats alpha-LNA and omega-3 FA content was higher than that in conventional one. These differences are, mainly, attributed to different feeding practices used by the two production systems.
According to the study, organic milk has a greater nutritional value (due to its fatty acid profile) compared to conventional milk when “produced under the farming conditions practiced in Greece.”
Similar results were found with cow’s milk. A team of researchers at the Institute of Food Science and Nutrition in Piacenza, Italy evaluated the fat composition of organic bulk milk as well as conventional. Once again, organically produced milk had higher levels of CLA. “The animal diet appears to be the factor which has the highest effect on the CLA concentration in milk and milk products and an organic diet based on fresh or dried forage, that is rich in CLA precursory fatty acids, may improve the yield of fatty acids with beneficial effects on health.”
The takeover of the earth’s energy grid being executed on our planet’s spiritual energy system by clearly malevolent forces has been in effect for eons. I am personally convinced that at this juncture in our timeline we are flushing out these energies with very powerful, positive ones and literally lighting up and pushing back the dark side by our spiritual realizations and directed energy efforts, whether done consciously or subconsciously.
The “current” manipulators have gone techno-mad in this arena, messing with the natural Schumann resonance of the planet and de-naturalizing anything they can via the massive man-made electromagnetic grid. This is beautifully addressed in the must watch film “Resonance – Beings of Frequency“. (Enjoy this short trailer.)
These spiritual parasites who intend only self serving destructive evil are quickly overcome when confronted with proactive truth energies from the awake and aware spirits of those who have overcome their influences, all of which influences are driven by irrational fear. I also contend there is an array of other energetic entities we thereby activate in other realms to perpetrate the same overcoming, but we are generally prevented from fully understanding them by the very nature of the structure of the Universe.
We have much to learn in this arena but it’s all contingent on our actions. Nothing’s coming to save humanity without humanity coming alive and activating for itself. Then maybe we can commandeer some supra-natural sympathetic energetic help to some degree, but not without serious commitment on each of our parts. They’re not the valiant rescuers you’d like to think. It’s way more metaphysically causal than that.
Shallow pleas and scared petitions, no matter how sincere, simply empower the Enemy and his negative energy grid with fear, helplessness and a sense of disempowerment.
We all have our experiences to draw upon. To the uninitiated this will sound a bit out there, but the parallel worlds around us are very much a reality in our lives. How much we learn about them is up to each of us. My take? Don’t fear it. Learn. The dark side does not dominate the Universe by any means. It has virtually mastered the fear trade, but that paradigm is getting blown to pieces more by the minute.
Wade in with wisdom. You might need help or more info from others more experienced.
Tesla did say, “If you want to find the secrets of the universe, think in terms of energy, frequency and vibration.”
Now we’re talking! Extrapolate that! We’re dealing with quite the realm around us! How exciting! It’s only taboo because they conditioned you against it. March on and claim the land!
The Hijacking
Much has been written on this subject and even more experienced. We simply need to be aware of this aspect of the parasitic attack on our planet and its species and learn how to reverse it.
As I said, we need to claim these channels and energy centers back. You may very well be near one or on one for yourself that you can utilize. Either way, you can send energy any way you want. Use it constructively.
Their invasive force is built on fear and intimidation, as well as luring the weak to supposedly share their “power” and so help push their weeny program. All lies, all deception, and never helpful to mankind, or beyond. We know better, and are “hands on deck”.
In an episode of the television series “Homeland,” a terrorist organization assassinates the vice president of the United States by wirelessly hacking into his pacemaker. Although the scenario was fictional, the underlying premise is not.
Life-saving medical devices abound in today’s world, and many of these devices are connected wirelessly to hospital networks, making them vulnerable to cyberattacks. For example, a malicious person could hack into a pacemaker, causing the device to apply lethal electrical stimulation, or an insulin pump, causing it to deliver a deadly dose of the hormone.
“Just like any other piece of Internet technology, medical devices are susceptible to the same cyberthreats you hear about all the time on the news,” said Russel Jones, a partner at the consulting firm Deloitte, which released a report Monday (Sept. 23) on the subject of cybersecurity in medical devices.
As more and more medical devices go online, device manufacturers and health care organizations will need to address security issues to keep patients and their health information safe. [Image Gallery: The BioDigital Human]
So far, there have been no known incidents of a hacked medical device injuring or killing a person, but researchers have demonstrated that these events are possible “with the right level of skill and understanding,” Jones told LiveScience.
In the Deloitte study, consultants interviewed representatives from nine health care organizations, in areas spanning from information technology to clinical engineering. The participants answered questions about the regulation, risk management and security of networked medical devices.
The majority of organizations surveyed felt their organizations had strategies and frameworks for managing cybersecurity risks. However, there were differences in the degree of preparedness and approaches for handling cyberthreats.
One way to protect information sent to or from a medical device is to encrypt it. The problem is, encryption takes up valuable processing time on the device. The challenge, Jones said, is to develop encryption that addresses cyberrisk without impacting the functionality of the device.
In June, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) released draft guidance for cybersecurity concerns. The FDA’s previous guidance from 2005 was pretty vague, but the new draft lays out specific concerns that must be addressed when applying for FDA approval for new devices.
Ensuring cybersecurity in medical devices will require collaboration, Jones said. “This is going to be a problem that’s jointly solved by health care systems, providers, device manufacturers and the FDA,” he said.
This is a day for perspective, for seeing things as they fit into the larger picture, for realizing that you are part of that larger whole and that your job as a creator is to be true to yourself within this context. There can be people coming to you today to ask for advice, to ask for direction, even to criticize some of the things that you have stood for. It is your task in all of this to see through this momentary illusion into where it all fits together, how it all fits together. You can find yourself not quite in touch with everything going on, a bit spacy, but that is what the energy is doing right now. It is tearing apart and bringing together at the same time, and because you are in touch with the flow of these energetic shifts and changes, you are acting and reacting simultaneously. So, take the day as it comes. Be ready to laugh at yourself when those Freudian slips occur, those lapses of memory happen. And do not take anything too seriously right now. The time is right for observing without judgment.
Massive earthquake in Pakistan – At least 50 killed and 100′s injured
Last update: September 24, 2013 at 2:47 pm by By Ashish Khanal
Update 14:46 UTC : Normally well informed Iranian sources are now reporting an increased death toll of 50. More people remain below the debris which means that the death toll will climb further the coming hours.
Update 14:41 UTC : On the Gwadar coastline, the quake created a small island about half a mile into the sea near an area called ‘Jhanda’, according to Express News. The newly appearing island is said to have a mountainous terrain rising up to a hundred feet. A large crowd was seen gathering at the site to see the new island. This information has been given by normally well informed press sources however ER finds it hard to believe and looks for further confirmation.
Update 14:24 UTC : Around 30% of houses possibly destroyed in the worst parts of Arawan district.
Update 14:20 UTC : We expect the fatalities and injured number still to rise sharply. Our own estimates are better than scenarios of other theoretical engines. Part of the reason is the time of the day the earthquake occurred. We are estimating less than 1000 fatalities based on the current epicenter, Magnitude and depth data.
Update 14:16 UTC : A M5.5 aftershock will probably create more damage and will be possibly life threatening for those buried under the rubble of the collapsed houses. All people who got safely out of their houses will surely not enter them anymore for some time.
Around 200000 people are without power and are in the worst affected epicentral area. This is around 45 times less than the 2005 Kashmir earthquake.
32 dead and 54 injured. Balochistan has imposed emergency measures. We are still waiting for confirmation of these figures.
Balochistan earthquake (Courtesy: The Tribe)
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30 dead and 54 injured. Balochistan has imposed emergency measures.
The weather will be around 22 degrees at night, to 35 degrees in the day for the coming week with no rain. Shelter will need to be provided accordingly as well as water supplies.
Many injuries are confirmed.
Around 400 fatalities are expected using theoretical studies and the current USGS shakemap. There still exist huge uncertainties of course.
Nearly 100% of buildings are adobe in this region according to Maqsood and Schwarz (2008). In their mean vulnerability index – this region came up one of the highest in Pakistan. Thus, it can be said that the vulnerability of such housing is high.
A lot of damage has occurred in the Khuzdar district in the Arawan area
The economic losses will be less than $1 billion USD. It is likely they will be around $100 million USD, however further modelling will be done in the coming hours.
Still at 10 fatalities.
Another M5.8 aftershock has struck the area .
The sparse population (about 50 times less populated than that of the epicentral region in Kashmir 2005) and time of day (4.30pm local time), will have reduced casualties significantly. 10 people however are reported dead currently.
It should be remembered that this is a rural area and thus the population is sparse. Given the length of the fault break, it is likely that Arawan district was quite heavily hit. .
Mw7.7 and 20km depth has been reported from USGS..
Update:- As a yardstick – the Pakistan earthquake of 2005 was Mw7.6 and at 10km depth. The fault break for Mw7.8 should be of the order of 150-180km long using scaling laws..
Update:- The duration of the quake was close to 2 minutes .
Update:- At least 2 people have been killed.
Update:- Many houses have collapsed, and no power is reported in parts of Balochistan. It is unknown the extent of these collapsed houses.
Update:- M7.8 and 15km depth has been given by IIEES.
Update:- The maximum intensity in Karachi has been around III so it is highly unlikely that there will be any damage there.
Update:- A number of aftershocks have occurred which is making life difficult for inhabitants. An M5.9 and M4.7 earthquake have been the largest so far, however it can be expected that aftershocks will plague the region in the coming hours and days.
No damage has been reported in Iran. Dubai in the UAE reported swinging of buildings.
Update: PAGER is predicting in excess of 1000 fatalities using a theoretical model. Internal models are predicting less than 1000 fatalities, (around 440) but with huge differences currently due to the uncertainty of intensities (and differences in magnitude)
Update: The earthquake occurred at 16:30 local time, which is one of the best times for an earthquake to strike… many people will hopefully been out of the house and out of schools, and agricultural workers will still hopefully have been outside.
Update: Roofs of schools in Arawan district collapsed.
Update: Pakistani news report that a lot of houses were damaged in Arawan area. Many people were injured and are on the way to hospital.
Update: Reports from Pakistan indicate that a lot of houses in western Pakistan were damaged. We expect more damage, also in other parts of Pakistan.
Update: USGS rose the Magnitude to 7.8 again. The quake was also felt in UAE and Oman. So far, we don’t have any reports from greater epicenter area.
Update: Panic was spreaded in Dehli and other Indian cities. People ran to the streets.
Update: According to PAGER, 16.000 people living in the area of strongest shaking. 105.000 in area of Intensity VII and VIII.
Update: USGS has changed the value from M 7.8 to M 7.4, still very dangerous. The quake was also felt in parts of India.
USGS ShakeMap shows a violent shaking in epicenter area, which is only sparsely populted with some villages (Balochistan Region).
A massive very dangerous earthquake with M 7.5 occurred in southern Pakistan.
Nearby Cities
69km (43mi) NNE of Awaran, Pakistan
118km (73mi) NW of Bela, Pakistan
172km (107mi) S of Kharan, Pakistan
174km (108mi) NW of Uthal, Pakistan
793km (493mi) ENE of Muscat, Oman
Most important Earthquake Data:
Magnitude : 7.7
Local Time (conversion only below land) : 2013-09-24 16:29:49
August 2013 was the globe’s 4th warmest August since records began in 1880, according to NOAA’s National Climatic Data Center (NCDC). NASA rated it the 5th warmest August on record. The year-to-date period of January – August has been the 6th warmest such period on record. August 2013 global land temperatures were the 11th warmest on record, and global ocean temperatures were the 5th warmest on record. August 2013 was the 342nd consecutive month with global temperatures warmer than the 20th century average. Global satellite-measured temperatures in August 2013 for the lowest 8 km of the atmosphere were 14th or 11th warmest in the 35-year record, according to Remote Sensing Systems and the University of Alabama Huntsville (UAH), respectively. Wunderground’s weather historian, Christopher C. Burt, has a comprehensive post on the notable weather events of August 2013 in his August 2013 Global Weather Extremes Summary. The big stories that he highlights are the intense heat waves that hit Central Europe and East Asia, which brought all-time national heat records to Austria, Slovenia, and Japan. Ljubljana, the capital of Slovenia, passed its all-time heat record a remarkable five times during the month.
Figure 1. Departure of temperature from average for August 2013, the 4th warmest August for the globe since record keeping began in 1880. Most of the world’s land areas experienced warmer-than-average monthly temperatures, including Australia, northern South America, western North America, Europe, and much of eastern Asia. Far eastern China, part of eastern Russia north of Japan, and part of northeastern South America were record warm for the month. The southeastern United States, Far East Russia, part of South Africa, Paraguay, and Bolivia were cooler than average. No regions of the globe were record cold. Image credit: National Climatic Data Center (NCDC) .
The six billion-dollar weather disasters of August 2013
Disaster 1. The most damaging billion-dollar weather disaster of August was in Northeast China, where the Nei River overflowed, killing 54 and leaving 97 missing in Fushuan. The flooding killed 118 people and cost $5 billion. In this photo, workers use an excavator to clean up mud after heavy rain hit on August 19, 2013 in Fushuan, in the Liaoning Province of China. Photo by ChinaFotoPress/Getty Images.
Disaster 2. Super Typhoon Utor killed 70 people in China and did $2.6 billion in damage. Utor also did $33 million in damage in the Philippines. This video taken by storm chaser James Reynolds shows debris flying as Typhoon Utor hits Zhapo, China on 14th August 2013.
Disaster 3. Torrential rains, due, in part, to moisture from Typhoon Trami, fell in the Philippines August 18 – 21, causing massive flooding on Luzon Island that cost $2.2 billion. Twenty-seven people were killed, and 60% of metro Manila was under water at the peak of the flood. According to EM-DAT, the International Disaster Database, this was the most expensive natural disaster in Philippine history. In this photo, pedicabs and makeshift rafts ferry office workers and pedestrians through flood waters that submerged parts of the financial district of Makati on August 20, 2013 in Makati City south of Manila, Philippines. Image credit: Dondi Tawatao/Getty Images)
Disaster 4. In Pakistan, torrential monsoon rains caused significant flooding that affected 5,739 villages. At least 208 people were killed, 63,180 homes were damaged or destroyed, and 1.4 million acres (567,000 hectares) of crops were submerged. The government estimated economic agricultural losses alone at $1.9 billion. Pakistan’s four most expensive weather-related disasters in its history have been floods that occurred in the past four consecutive years. In this photo, Pakistani residents hold onto a rope as they evacuate a flooded area in Karachi on August 4, 2013. Image credit: Asif Hassan/AFP/Getty Images)
Figure 5. Russia experienced its costliest flood disaster in history beginning on August 4, when the Amur and Zeya rivers in the far east of the country along the Chinese border overflowed, flooding 1.7 million acres, damaging or destroying over 11,500 buildings. It was the 4th most expensive natural disaster of any kind in Russian history. These false-color infrared satellite images of Russia’s Amur River taken a little over a year apart show the extent of the extreme flooding that affected the Komsomolsk-on-Amur area (population 500,000) in August 2013. Image credit: NASA.
Disaster 6. A severe weather outbreak in the U.S. Plains and Midwest August 5 – 7 brought baseball sized hail and thunderstorm wind gusts over 80 mph to Minnesota and Wisconsin. Two people were killed, and damage was estimated at $1 billion. In this photo, a severe thunderstorm closes in on Edgemont, South Dakota, on August 7, 2013. Image credit: wunderphotographer ninjalynn.
The world-wide tally of billion-dollar weather disasters so far in 2013 is 25, and the U.S. total is six, according to the August 2013 Catastrophe Report from insurance broker Aon Benfield. This excludes the September Colorado flood, whose damages are preliminarily estimated at $2 billion. Ranked in term of cost, here are the 25 disasters:
Neutral El Niño conditions continue in the equatorial Pacific
For the 17th month in row, neutral El Niño conditions existed in the equatorial Pacific during August 2013. NOAA’s Climate Prediction Center (CPC) expects neutral El Niño conditions to last though the winter of 2013 – 2014, and the large majority of the El Niño models also predict that neutral conditions will last through the winter. Temperatures in the equatorial Eastern Pacific need to be 0.5°C below average or cooler for three consecutive months for a La Niña episode to be declared; sea surface temperatures were 0.0°C from average as of September 16, and have been +0.1 to -0.4°C from average since April 1, 2013.
Arctic sea ice falls to 6th lowest August extent on record
Arctic sea ice extent during August was 6th lowest in the 35-year satellite record, according to the National Snow and Ice Data Center (NSIDC). This was the largest August extent since 2009, and a nice change of pace from last year’s all-time record retreat. The Arctic sea ice reached its minimum extent for the year on September 13, and has now begun re-freezing. I’ll have a dedicated post on this, probably on Tuesday.
Quiet in the Atlantic
In the Gulf of Mexico, the tail end of a cold front off the coast of Texas has developed a few disorganized heavy thunderstorms. This disturbance has some modest spin to it, thanks to absorbing Invest 95L on Saturday. However, wind shear is high, 20 – 30 knots, and I don’t expect this disturbance will develop. The disturbance is expected to bring 1 – 3″ of rain to Florida later this week, and on Saturday, the Army Corps of Engineers has re-opened the flood gates on Lake Okeechobee to dump water out of the lake in anticipation of the heavy rains. None the reliable models for tropical cyclone formation is predicting development during the coming five days.
In the Western Pacific, Typhoon Usagi has dissipated after hitting China about 100 miles east-northeast of Hong Kong. The storm is being blamed for at least 25 deaths in China and 2 in the Philippines. Preliminary damage estimates are over $500 million.
