"Heat, floods inundate the East and Midwest" by Bruce Shipkowski, Associated Press | July 25, 2010
TOMS RIVER, N.J. — Another wave of oppressive heat clamped down on a broad swath of Eastern states yesterday, with temperatures passing 100 degrees in some places.
In the mid-Atlantic, already the locus of brutal temperatures several times this month, forecasters warned of dangerous conditions and residents resigned themselves to coping with more oppressive heat and humidity.
One possible weather-related death was reported in Maryland, where paramedics said the high temperatures and humidity probably played a role in the death of a 20-year-old man who was biking, went into cardiac arrest, and hit his head on a tree as he fell.
What killed him?
I'll never ride a bike again, sorry.
The Weather Service issued an excessive heat warning for the first time this year for an area extending from south of Washington to north of Baltimore, along the Interstate 95 corridor. By midday yesterday, a wide band from lower New England to the Deep South was under a heat advisory....
You SEE what is GOING on here through the fart mist, right?
Along the rim of the hot and humid air yesterday, damaging thunderstorms and heavy downpours were reported in New England, the northern mid-Atlantic, the southern Great Lakes, and the central Plains.
Yes, MUCH MORE DAMAGING and WIDESPREAD -- and it gets the SECOND HALF of the PIECE! !
In Chicago, officials say more than 7 inches of rain fell yesterday morning, inundating the sewer system and overwhelming waterways. Water covered portions of several Chicago interstates and the commuter train tracks that run along them.
Yeah, I saw the photos on CNN the brief seconds I was there last night.
West of Chicago in suburban Westchester, Ill., crews in boats were searching for people who were stranded in their flooded homes or trapped in cars.
In eastern Iowa, the Lake Delhi dam failed as rising floodwater from the Maquoketa River ate a 30-foot-wide hole in the earthen dam, threatening the small town of Hopkinton....
Yeah, I saw the footage and heard the mayor or whoever saying this was darn serious.
--more--"
Some things are not worthy of an article:
"WISCONSIN RAIN RENDS PAVEMENT -- Severe weather has been pounding southeastern Wisconsin. Almost 8 inches poured down in just two hours Thursday evening, snarling traffic in and around Milwaukee and causing widespread power outages. Drainage problems at a downtown Milwaukee intersection caused a giant sink hole about 20 feet deep to tear open, swallowing a Cadillac Escalade. The driver was pulled out safely, but the SUV, which had a full tank of gas, continued idling for hours. The driver was taken to a hospital. His condition wasn't immediately available (Boston Globe July 24 2010)."
I can't believe what I am looking at; a van looks like a matchbox inside the hole.
Good thing government is on the case:
"Officials defend response to Tenn. floods" by Associated Press | July 23, 2010
WASHINGTON — Federal officials yesterday defended their response to massive flooding in Tennessee that killed 22 people in May, while acknowledging they could have done a better job of warning the public of the potential devastation.
Related: Southern Skies Clouded With Storms
Around AmeriKa: Dryng Out in Tennessee
I understand the crops have been damaged by the sever weather as well.
Testifying before a Senate committee, leaders of the National Weather Service and the Army Corps of Engineers said the level of flooding was unavoidable given the unprecedented two-day rainfall that doubled the previous record. But they said they didn’t exchange critical information effectively, and that as a result the public and emergency responders were slow to grasp the flood’s severity....
After decades they still haven't gotten this stuff right?
Local officials and members of Congress at yesterday’s hearing offered mixed reviews of the federal government’s efforts, but there was broad agreement it could have been handled better.
Yeah, I'm sure relieved they are on the case.
"Firefighters gain foothold against Wash. wildfire" by Associated Press | July 20, 2010
YAKIMA, Wash. — About 200 firefighters were assigned to the blaze, with 100 more expected by the end of the day yesterday. It had burned 6,200 acres and was 15 percent contained.
Officials were investigating the cause.
The fire started Sunday afternoon about 10 miles west of downtown Yakima, an agricultural hub known for tree fruit, wine grapes, and hops for beer. The area around the fire is comprised of orchards and old farmhouses, as well as new homes....
I wonder if they ever put them out....
--more--"
Update:
"It’s official: Obamas returning to Vineyard
The White House yesterday confirmed what many islanders have been anticipating for weeks: The first family will return to Martha’s Vineyard for their vacation next month.
President Obama and his family are scheduled to arrive on Aug. 19 and return 10 days later.
The White House did not provide details on the getaway, but the Globe reported this month that a reservation company has been holding rooms across the island for the contingent of staff members who travel with the president....
Yeah, a "city goes with him."
I'd rather he go somewhere else.
Also see: It's Not the Vaca Per Se
