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Friday, September 30, 2011

Tropical Storm Philippe strengthens far from land (AP)

MIAMI – Forecasters say Tropical Storm Philippe is posing no threat to land, but has strengthened somewhat after forming over the far eastern Atlantic.

At 5 a.m. ET Sunday, the National Weather Service said Philippe was about 410 miles (660 kilometers) west-southwest of the Cape Verde Islands. Its top sustained winds have risen some to 45 mph (75 kph) and Philippe is moving west-northwest at 13 mph (20 kph). A turn to the northwest was expected to start Monday.

There were no coastal watches or warnings in effect.

Meanwhile, Ophelia was still barely a tropical storm as it struggled in the Atlantic, with maximum sustained winds of 40 mph (65 kph). It was 235 miles (380 kilometers) east of the Leeward Islands, and moving west at 12 mph (19 kph).


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Typhoon Nesat hits HK, closing financial markets (Reuters)

HONG KONG (Reuters) – A typhoon swept past Hong Kong on Thursday, closing markets, schools and most businesses in one of Asia's most important financial centers.

Government offices and schools are expected to remain closed for the rest of the day as Typhoon Nesat makes its way past Hong Kong en route to south China, after passing through the Philippines where it left at least 35 dead and 45 missing.

"Nesat is closest to Hong Kong now," the observatory said in a statement. "Gale winds are expected to persist over Hong Kong."

The Hong Kong Observatory's No.8 typhoon warning signal will remain in effect for most of the day, it said on its website. That means the city's financial markets will continue to be closed for the afternoon session.

Earlier, the Hong Kong stock exchange had said trade may resume if the signal is canceled by 0400 GMT.

Hong Kong has a series of different typhoon warnings. Schools, businesses and government services stop when any No.8 or above typhoon warning is hoisted.

As of 0245 GMT, Nesat was centered about 350 kilometers (220 miles) southwest of Hong Kong, which saw winds of up to 121 kilometers per hour. The tropical cyclone on Tuesday hit the Philippines, where it also caused an estimated 100.3 million pesos ($2.3 million) in damage to agriculture.

No deaths were reported in Hong Kong, but local television showed footage of at least two people who were hospitalized after being hit by falling debris as a result of strong winds.

A ship weighing 1,677 deadweight tonnes ran aground in the early hours of Thursday morning, but there were no injuries, the Hong Kong Marine Department said.

EMPTY STREETS, ANGRY TOURISTS

Tropical cyclones regularly hit Hong Kong, the Philippines and other coastal regions of south China in summer and early in autumn.

Usually crowded streets were devoid of people as its iconic tram system stopped operations and the subway and bus systems cut trips. Trees fallen by strong winds blocked some roads, while taxis still plying the roads asked for extra fare.

Hong Kong's dominant airline Cathay Pacific said all its flights operating to and from the city were operating as normal. The Hong Kong International Airport's website showed at least 40 departing flights were delayed.

Ferry terminals that link Hong Kong to Macau, south China and outlying islands were also closed, the territory's government said in a statement.

Local television footage showed angry tourists gathered at the Hong Kong-Macau ferry terminal, with some waiting in despair while others crowded around ticket counters asking for their money back.

Neighboring Macau was also affected, with schools and businesses at the former Portuguese colony closed.

(Additional reporting by Alison Leung; Editing by Yoko Nishikawa)


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Philippines evacuates 100,000 as typhoon Nesat nears (Reuters)

MANILA (Reuters) – The Philippines ordered the evacuation of more than 100,000 people in flood and landslide-prone parts of the main island of Luzon as Typhoon Nesat gathered speed and strength ahead of its expected landfall early on Tuesday.

Six fishermen were reported missing on Monday, the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council said, adding about 50,000 people are now in temporary shelters in the central Albay province.

Nesat was expected to hit the rice- and corn-growing provinces of Aurora and Isabela in the north on Tuesday, crossing mountain regions before exiting via the northwestern Ilocos provinces, weather forecaster Robert Sawi told reporters.

Packing winds of 130 kph (80 mph) with gusts of up to 160 kph, Nesat was 260 km (161 miles) east by southeast of Casiguran town in northern Aurora province, moving west by northwest at 19 kph.

Flights to the central region were suspended, and schools in the capital Manila closed in the afternoon in response to heavy rains and strong winds brought by Nesat, which is expected to intensify to a category 3 typhoon with winds of around 200 kmh (125 mph)

The disaster agency said hundreds of motorists and ferry passengers were stranded in ports, while soldiers and rescue workers were put on alert to help move residents to safety from areas at risk of flood and landslide.

Nesat, known locally as Pedring, could cause landslides, flash floods and storm surges in coastal areas, Sawi said.

"We've raised the typhoon alerts due to strong winds and rain that could uproot trees and topple communications and power lines," he said.

Graciano Yumul, head of the weather bureau, said 25 ml per hour of rainfall was expected, less than half the amount dumped in 2009 by Ketsana, which submerged large parts of the capital and killed hundreds.

(Reporting By Manny Mogato; Editing by John Mair and Sanjeev Miglani)


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New Forecast: Sun's 'Superstorms' Could Doom Satellites (SPACE.com)

Magnetic storms set off by the sun could pose a bigger threat than thought to weather, communication, military and other satellites close to Earth, with a potentially devastating economic impact, scientists suggest.

In the new study, researchers found that solar radiation can energize a belt of high-energy particles that surrounds Earth more dramatically than previously believed.

The study focused on the possible effects of a particularly strong magnetic storm on the Van Allen radiation belts, the dangerous rings of high-energy particles that girdle the Earth. The belts are split into two distinct zones. The outer belt, which is made up of electrons, reaches from about 15,800 to 31,600 miles (25,500 to 51,000 kilometers) above the surface, while the inner belt, which consists of a mix of electrons and protons, reaches from about 4,000 to 8,000 miles (6,400 to 12,800 km) above. [Stunning Photos of Solar Flares & Sun Storms]

Scientists had known the outer belt could become far more intense during geomagnetic storms caused by high-energy particles spewed by the sun, such as the storm that supercharged Earth's northern lights display Monday night (Sept. 26). However, they have long thought such storms do not affect the inner belt.

Now computer simulations suggest that during a "superstorm" — which has occurred in the past and is likely to recur in the future ? the electrons in the inner belt, too, could become energized. Near-Earth radiation could then remain dramatically more intense for several years afterward.

"The increase in radiation in the inner zone may last for up to a decade and continue damaging satellites for years after a very strong storm," study lead author Yuri Shprits, a space physicist at the University of California, Los Angeles, told SPACE.com.

This radiation would damage satellites in that zone and potentially cut their lifetimes by five-sixths or more. [Related: Space Radiation to Rise for Astronauts, Airline Passengers]

"It would not destroy all satellites at once," Shprits said. "However, at least according to our calculations, a very strong storm can increase the radiation dose in the inner zone by a factor of 10, and within a few years we may lose a significant portion of the satellites that traverse the inner zone."

In terms of new strategies that might be needed to protect satellite systems, "it's hard to say," Shprits said. "First of all, we need to estimate risks and estimate cost. If cost is too high, we may want to accept the risks and start getting ready to replenish the fleet in the case of such event."

"There are a number of rather expensive strategies that can be used to mitigate the risk, including redundancy in electronics and increased shielding," he added. "Zero risk means infinite cost."

Two missions to study the radiation belts are planned for 2012, Shprits noted: NASA's Radiation Belt Storm Probe will observe radiation belts in the equatorial plane, while Moscow State University's LOMONOSOV mission, with UCLA-built instruments on board, will observe radiation belts at low altitudes.

The scientists detailed their findings online in the Aug. 25 issue of the journal Space Weather.

Follow SPACE.com contributor Charles Q. Choi on Twitter @cqchoi. Follow SPACE.com for the latest in space science and exploration news on Twitter @Spacedotcom and on Facebook.


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Cruising During Hurricane Season -- to Insure or Not? (ContributorNetwork)

With Hurricane Hilary churning off the coast of Baja California and tropical storm Philippe causing chaos in the Caribbean, I caught up with Travelzoo Senior Editor Gabe Saglie to ask him about cruising during hurricane season.

Q: To your knowledge, what percentage of cruisers purchase trip insurance of some sort?

A: I don't have a good data on how many cruisers buy travel insurance. Some purchase directly from the cruise line, others through third parties. I'd safely say not all cruisers who purchase travel insurance make the investment on every cruise. I think it's a safe bet that most cruisers would rather take the gamble that nothing will go wrong with their trip

Q: What are the most likely scenarios for cruising during hurricane season? Will travel insurance cover an extra night in a hotel if my cruise is delayed, or if I miss my flight home because my ship stays at sea to avoid a hurricane? What about missed ports?

A: For the most part, travelers taking to sea even during hurricane season will see no problems. Let's face it, most days that fall on "hurricane season" -- June through September -- are void of storms. But, especially later in that season, bad storms become more likely. Cruise ships can be safe havens during tropical storms and hurricanes since these vessels can easily sail around them. This means the traveler needs to be flexible and open to skipping ports or visiting alternate ones, as well as open to the possibility some of their travel days will be rainy. Travel insurance generally will not cover wet days or changed itineraries.

The key to any insurance policy is to read the fine print, and if you're confused or unclear as to what exactly is covered, call your insurer before you travel so you don't have any lingering doubts about what is covered. That said, yes, most policies will cover expenses (not always 100 percent of your costs, though, so read the fine print) incurred by things like delayed or lengthened cruises, like hotel stays. While cruise lines will generally help passengers in cases where these altered plans are their fault, it's not always clear how much of your trip cost will be covered. Keep in mind cruise lines could be handling thousands of passengers at once, so a call to your travel insurer could resolve issues like rebooked flights or missed hotel stays much more quickly. Depending on your policy, insurance can also pay for the cost of getting you, or your mishandled luggage, to the next port, should you (or your bags) miss setting sail on day one.

Q: Sometimes people tell me, "We self-insure." Do you have anything to say to those people?

A: Self-insurance can be a safe bet for most travel scenarios; again, odds are that the vast majority of the travel we do over our lifetime will happen unaffected by the unforeseen. The potential downfall is that not enough money is set aside for unexpected mishaps. The cost of a missed hotel night or even flying yourself to the next port of call if you miss your cruise's departure time may be manageable. But on very expensive trips, or trips to exotic ports of call, the biggest concern is that not enough self-insurance was planned to offset some of those very high costs. It all comes down to your own, personal capacity and financial wherewithal for risk. For many people, investing an extra 8 to 10 percent on third-party insurance for that bucket list trip may be worth considering.

Q: What are some things that travel insurance doesn't cover? For example, if I miss an extra day of work due to a hurricane delay, will it cover lost wages?

A: Weather is often the biggest sticking point when it comes to insurance. Certainly, trip delay, trip cancellation or trip interruption insurance will come to your aid should a hurricane derail your cruise -- but keep in mind this counts only if you've bought insurance before the storm develops. But bad weather during your cruise will not be covered. Also, since cruise lines reserve the right to skip ports of call or visit alternate ones due to storms, itinerary tweaks are also generally not covered.

You can find a policy to insurance against a wide range of scenarios. I know, for example, that some policies will cover the cost of your vacation if you need to cancel last minute because you lost your job and can no longer afford to go. Lost wages may be covered by some insurers, but it must be clearly stated in your policy before you go.


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Typhoon arrives in China after hitting Philippines (AP)

HONG KONG – A powerful typhoon arrived in southern China on Thursday after skirting Hong Kong and bringing death and widespread flooding to the Philippines earlier this week.

Typhoon Nesat made landfall on the eastern tip of China's Hainan island at 2:30 p.m., the official Xinhua News Agency said.

Hainan authorities closed schools, suspended ferry services and recalled fishing boats as the storm made its way across the South China Sea from the Philippines, where it killed 35 people and left another 45 missing.

Some 67 flights were canceled at the island's two airports, Xinhua said.

The storm swept past Hong Kong earlier in the day, forcing the stock market to suspend trading and shops and businesses to close but causing little damage. The Asian financial center's normally bustling streets were eerily quiet, with few people venturing outside to brave the rain and fierce winds.

Two people were injured when bamboo scaffolding was blown over and collapsed onto a taxi, while a man was injured by a falling tree, local broadcaster RTHK said. A barge ripped free from its moorings in the rough seas slammed into a seawall on Hong Kong Island, forcing some nearby apartments to be evacuated, news reports said.

Local broadcaster Cable TV showed footage of tour groups from mainland China who were stranded after cross-border ferry services were suspended. At Hong Kong's airport, 245 flights were delayed, 20 were canceled and 22 diverted to other airports.

The storm came within 220 miles (350 kilometers) of Hong Kong in the morning before moving away, the Hong Kong Observatory said. It lowered its gale-force wind warning by late afternoon.

The National Meteorological Center reported that fishing boats were in port and schools along the coast had been shut in advance of the typhoon, which is the 17th and likely the strongest to hit Hainan this year.

Nesat left devastation in the Philippines, triggering some of the worst flooding in downtown Manila in decades.

Floodwaters were receding in most places, but many low-lying communities in the north remained in crisis.

Mayor Santiago Austria of the rice-farming town of Jaen in Nueva Ecija province appealed to the government for help, saying many people in his community of 63,000 needed to be rescued but that officials there had only four rescue boats.

"Many people here are still on top of their houses. We don't have enough boats to reach them and hand them food," Austria said.

In all, nearly 500,000 people were affected by the typhoon in the northern Philippines, of which about 170,000 were forced to flee their homes and were in various evacuation centers. The government estimated damage to farms and infrastructure at 1.15 billion pesos ($26 million).

Meanwhile, a new tropical storm was brewing in the Pacific, Philippine government forecaster Bobby Javier said, adding that it already had sustained winds of 52 mph (85 kph) and gusts up to 62 mph (100 kph) and was expected to strengthen significantly before hitting major parts of the country in the next few days.

___

Associated Press writer Jim Gomez in Manila, Philippines, contributed to this report.


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Thursday, September 29, 2011

North Carolina Gov. Bev Perdue Suggests Suspending the Next Election (ContributorNetwork)

COMMENTARY | Faced with a political tsunami that might make the 2010 election seem mild by comparison, North Carolina Gov. Bev Perdue suggested suspending the next election so government can focus on the economy.

Was she joking or was she in earnest? Does it matter?

Perdue seems to reflect a wide spread discontent among Democratic elites with the angry voters who keep messing things up by objecting to the government's handling of the economy. Former Barack Obama Budget Director Peter Orszag, for example, proposed using commissions and automatic triggers to insulate Congress for the ire of voters over tax increases and budget cuts he feels will be necessary to reduce the massive budget deficit. At least Orszag's idea pretends to adhere to the Constitution, which Perdue does not.

Trust in the federal government is at an all-time low, according to recent polling. To be sure that it is understandable that people like Perdue and Orszag are searching for some kind of mechanism to get Congress to do its duty and do what is necessary. But do they really think the American people will be appeased by, in effect, suspending democracy?

Mind, Perdue is enjoying the double standard the media imposes on Democratic lawmakers vis-à-vis Republicans. Imagine if in 2007 a Republican governor had proposed suspending the 2008 election so President George W. Bush could conclude the war in Iraq favorably. Such a person so incautious would be forced to resign the very next day amidst headlines that Republicans want to overthrow the Constitution. But Perdue gets a pass by the media, with suggestions she is just joking.

American democracy, particularly in these troubled times, is not a thing to joke about. If people are irate at their government now, imagine the anger if someone seriously proposed to just not have an election next year. Elections are, after all, a means for people to peacefully express their anger by throwing the bums out. Take that mechanism away, and what is left?

Is it any wonder, then, the tea party, inspired by the American Revolution, has become the greatest force in American politics? When people in public office behave like King George, they should expect Americans to start behaving like the men who gathered at Lexington and Concord. For a growing number of people, November 2012 cannot come fast enough.


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Contaminated Rice, Radiation Problems Continue for Japan (ContributorNetwork)

COMMENTARY | Radiation is an ongoing problem for Japan with recent reports focusing on contaminated rice. The lasting impact of the March 11 earthquake and tsunami continues to affect the country. However, I am forced to question why the rice was being grown in areas contaminated by the Fukushima Dai-ichi nuclear power plant. Officials were aware of the nuclear plants releasing iodine 131 and cesium 137 into the air in March, yet they seem to have allowed food production to continue.

Lasting Tragedy

The March 11 earthquake and tsunami led to the damage of several Japanese nuclear power plants. The release of radioactive materials including iodine 131 and cesium 137 forced officials to caution residents about drinking milk and eating contaminated food. However, they also assured residents that the land surrounding the nuclear plants would be free from the effects of radiation within a few weeks. This was misleading information because cesium 137's half-life, the time necessary for half of it to decay, is 30 years.

Problems

Scientists warned Japan that the effects of radiation would not disappear quickly. Soil and water contamination would continue to be hurdles for many years. Although Japan made a commitment to continue testing food for radiation levels, it has allowed crops to grow in contaminated areas. The impact of eating food contaminated with radioactive particles may be difficult to measure initially. However, there is a strong link to cancer.

Rice and Tea

Japan's contaminated rice may have grabbed more headlines, but it is not the first time that the issue of radiation and food has come to the surface. In June, the Japanese government attempted to stop tea shipments because high levels of cesium 137 were found. The tea contained 3,000 becquerels of radioactive cesium. Compared to Japan's regulations of not exceeding 500 becquerels of cesium per kilogram, this was an extremely high amount.

The most disturbing aspect of the tea story is that it questions the officials' ability to stop shipments. The governor of the area with the contaminated product was defiant and blatantly announced his refusal to follow the government's instructions. How safe is Japan's food supply and how is this affecting other nations who receive the imports? Although it is obvious the country is making a strong effort to test food and shipments, are they able to control all of the situations and how many products go untested? Japan must face these uncomfortable questions as the country continues to deal with the aftermath of March 11.


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Deadliest Typhoons in Recent History (ContributorNetwork)

With Typhoon Nesat heading toward North Vietnam, moving at 14 mph producing winds of up to 85 mph and gusts of up to 105 mph, Filipino locals say Nesat has brought the worst flooding Manila Bay has seen in decades. So far, 16 are dead, and there are presumably more as at least four are missing.

Nesat hit Luzon Island's northern areas right before sunrise on Tuesday, when it was a Category 3 typhoon, bringing winds of 125 mph with much stronger gusts. Nesat is projected to hit landfall again sometime Thursday night, passing over the Haiku peninsula in China before it hits North Vietnam.

Let's look at the most damaging and deadliest in recent history.

September 2009 -- Typhoon Ondoy

Also known as Typhoon Ketsana, Typhoon Ondoy struck the Philippines on Sept. 26, 2009, and it killed more than 500 people. At the time, Typhoon Ondoy had caused the worst flooding the country and town had seen in a long time. That was at least until Nesat hit this year. This typhoon also hit Vietnam, then devastated Cambodia as well.

October 2009 -- Typhoon Pepeng

Also known as Typhoon Parma, Typhoon Pepeng hit the Philippines in the same area Nesat hit, in northern Luzon, about a week after Ondoy, which was one of the reasons it was so destructive. The death toll was 492 with hundreds more missing. But the first death toll count was at only 15 with another 10 missing. The total monetary damage caused reached upward of $608 million and is to date classified the single most destructive typhoon in Filipino history.

June 2008 -- Typhoon Fengshen

Also known as Typhoon Frank, Fengshen hit the central Filipino town of Iloilo, causing a dam to collapse and sending 30,000 residents to seek higher ground. This report stated there were only 60 dead, but later reports confirmed the total was more. In fact, multiple reports came in throughout the next day and each had a higher tally of persons killed. The Red Cross said there were 229 dead with hundreds more presumed dead after a boat carrying more than 700 passengers capsized.

November 1991 -- Typhoon Uring

Also known as Tropical Storm Thelma, Typhoon Uring made landfall on Nov. 2 and stuck around until Nov. 7, all the while officially killing a total of 5,100 to 8,000. Because of the flooding, Ormoc City was devastated as it was completely submerged under floodwaters. This typhoon is labeled as the single deadliest typhoon in all of Filipino history; in fact, it is one of the deadliest and costliest in the 20th century, according to HurricaneScience.org. Leaving more than 50,000 homeless, the total damage costs were estimated at $30.4 million.


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Strong quake rocks northeast Japan (AP)

TOKYO – A strong earthquake has rocked northeastern Japan, which is still recovering from the devastating tsunami six months ago.

The quake Thursday had a preliminary magnitude of 5.6. There were no immediate reports of damage and no tsunami warning was issued.

The earthquake was centered off Fukushima, which was severely hit by the quake and tsunami in March that left more than 21,000 people dead or missing. Fukushima is about 150 miles (240 kilometers) northeast of Tokyo.

The March disaster touched off the worst nuclear crisis since Chernobyl, generating meltdowns, fires and explosions at the Fukushima Dai-ichi nuclear facility.

The plant's operator said there were no signs of abnormalities at the plant from the quake on Thursday.


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Lightning Delays Washington Monument Rappel (ContributorNetwork)

Engineers began rappelling down the sides of the Washington Monument today as part of an inspection team looking over possible damage to the structure. When the weather forecast turned to possible lightning and thunderstorms in the area, the Associated Press reports the first-of-its-kind operation had to be put on hold.

The obelisk was damaged when a 5.8-magnitude earthquake struck central Virginia in late August 2011. The shaking was felt in Washington and numerous cracks formed on the outer facade of the monument. Although the entire structure is sound and the monument isn't going to collapse, the National Park Service has closed the tourist attraction indefinitely until repairs can be made.

Rain from late summer storms and from Hurricane Irene seeped into the structure through the cracks. The reason for the rappelling team is to ascertain how many cracks are up and down the 555 foot-tall structure. After the initial inspection, teams will begin filling in cracks with caulk to weather proof the building once again. The largest crack is four feet long and an inch wide. Daylight can be seen through some cracks.

Rappelling in less-than-ideal weather conditions can be dangerous. Lightning is a factor because there are lightning rods on the Washington Monument. Even rain can be hazardous as the engineers may slip on the slick marble that is on the outside of the obelisk.

Even dressing appropriately for the weather is also a must. If it gets too cold while a climber is unable to move very quickly, he or she can suffer from hypothermia. Although it won't be as big of deal in warmer months, hypothermia can become a factor if temperatures cool suddenly.

Overly windy conditions may also spell trouble for climbers. Although the ropes are secured at the very top of the Washington Monument, winds can make it difficult for the climbers to stay still and do their work. If they are halfway down the tall structure it may be awhile before they can ascend into the hatch from which they came. The other option is to descend to the bottom to safety on the ground.

Rappelling down the Washington Monument is a once-in-a-lifetime experience that will likely not happen again for another 150 years if at all. All precautions will have to be taken in weird weather so the climbers are safe while they do their jobs.

If all goes well, the Washington Monument will reopen in mid-October.


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Friday, September 16, 2011

USDA, FDA Provide Aid to Farmers for Flood-Damaged Crops (ContributorNetwork)

The Department of Agriculture and the Food and Drug Administration announced today that both departments will be offering assistance and resources to farmers who have been impacted by intense flooding as a result of Tropical Storms Irene and Lee.

The assistance will specifically target flood-damaged crops and will provide compensation to farmers who are unable to bring their crops to market due to this damage. Floodwaters are especially harmful to crops as they can be a health hazard to those who consume them. Floodwaters often bring contact with animal waste, sewage and other pathogens and contaminants.

Michael Scuse, acting under-secretary for farm and foreign agricultural services, commented on the assistance announced by the USDA and FDA: "We are working closely with FDA to protect people and livestock from damaged crops, while not penalizing the farmer whose crops are affected. I want to assure insured farmers that they are covered under the federal crop insurance program for crops not harvested due to flood damage. America's farmers and rural communities are vitally important to our nation's economy, producing the food, feed, fiber and fuel that continue to help us grow and out-compete the rest of the world."

FDA Deputy Commissioner for Foods Michael R. Taylor also spoke about the storm damages to farms on the East Coast and the available aid: "We empathize with the farmers who are dealing with the loss of crops due to recent flooding. We all share the goal of protecting the food supply. We are working directly with USDA on damage response and will consult with them on assistance for farmers following our guidance to keep damaged crops out of the food supply."

The USDA has also recently announced other types of aid for farmers and agriculture affected by the storms. According to the World Dairy Diary, Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack pledged aid for dairy farms hit hard by Irene and Lee and flooding afterward, especially since three of the top 10 dairy states were impacted. Vilsack has already pledged immediate aid of $15 million to New York dairy farms.

According to the Wall Street Journal, Irene hit the East Coast hard in late August and estimates show that the damage could cost insurers up to $5.5 billion. Delmarva Now reported Lee also caused a significant amount of destruction in the Northeast when it hit late last week. Lee caused large amounts of flooding, especially in Pennsylvania where there were evacuations after heavy rains.

The USDA is reminding farmers and ranchers to contact their local USDA Farm Service Agency Service Centers to report damages and losses and find further information on available aid.

Rachel Bogart provides an in-depth look at current environmental issues and local Chicago news stories. As a college student from the Chicago suburbs pursuing two science degrees, she applies her knowledge and passion to both topics to garner further public awareness.


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Pennsylvania Residents Begin Inventory of Damage from Lee (ContributorNetwork)

Hurricane Irene made quite an impact on a few regions in Pennsylvania, but Tropical Storm Lee compounded that effect by bringing even more rain. As the state was approved for federal help from the damage that Irene brought, Lee came along and made a bad situation that much worse. Some 150,000 residents were evacuated in anticipation of flooding, and Lee did not disappoint. Now, as residents start returning to their homes the real work begins.

Are the mandatory evacuations over?

While not completely lifted, evacuation orders for many areas have been lifted. However, many locations affected by Lee still have a standing curfew order, which could be lifted at any time. Power is being restored slowly and surely to many homes, but those in remote locations might be waiting a little while.

How much damage resulted from Tropical Storm Lee?

More than 2,000 structures were damaged from flooding. While no specific dollar amount has yet to be confirmed, analysts put the cost in the tens of millions of dollars. The situation could have worse if evacuations ahead of the storm and other preparations had not been made. When Lee arrived many officials were still assessing the damage from Irene, and many emergency management agencies were already close by as a result.

Will federal aid be available?

Pennsylvania Gov. Tom Corbett has asked President Barack Obama to declare a major disaster declaration in the state. Once federal approval is in place, residents will be able to seek federal help. Up to $30,200 will be available to each homeowner to help cover repairs and home essentials, such as furnaces.

What is the death toll from Tropical Storm Lee in Pennsylvania?

Unofficially, the death toll from Lee stands at 12. But that number could have been much higher had residents not evacuated low-lying areas.

How long with the recovery take?

The damage will take a few weeks to sort out, but even the most conservative guesses will stand at months or longer. Many residents are just starting to return to their flood ravaged homes and specific conditions are trickling into the media every hour. The recovery from this disaster will take some time, but some luck will also be needed to avoid another punch from more storm remnants in hurricane season.

Jason Gallagher is a long-time Pennsylvania resident. He has experiences in trends and developments in many regions from having lived in many parts of the Keystone State, and currently resides in the Pittsburgh area.


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Summer Gas Waiver Granted for Western Pennsylvania (ContributorNetwork)

Hurricane Irene inflicted some damage on northeastern Pennsylvania, and Tropical Storm Lee compounded that damage by flooding even more areas. As damage estimates quickly approach the $50 million level, another issue that resulted from the series of bad weather was quickly handled by Gov. Tom Corbett and the Environmental Protection Agency. The regulation that requires a summer blend of gasoline be sold in the Pittsburgh area was lifted.

What does gasoline in Pittsburgh have to do with flooding on the other side of the state?

Flooding from Lee and Irene has caused fuel delivery delays to southwestern Pennsylvania. Those pipelines carry large amounts of fuel to the Pittsburgh region. In addition, Irene caused the shutdown of many pipelines and refineries that supply gas to western Pennsylvania. The summer blend of fuel is what retailers are required by law to sell, and is in short supply and could have run out. Since the conventional fuel is readily available, the state asked for a waiver from the EPA to sell that fuel to avoid additional difficulties.

Why is summer blend fuel required?

During the summer months in an effort to reduce emissions, the EPA requires the summer blend to keep those smog-creating chemicals at a minimum. Outside the Pittsburgh area, conventional fuel is available all year, but the city has a notorious air quality record that draws the attention of the EPA. The summer blend is required for the period of June 1 to Sept. 15, which means the date was drawing close anyway.

Has the waiver issue been raised before?

The issue of having the Pittsburgh area issued a waiver for use of conventional fuel versus summer blend was brought up earlier in the year. During that event, problems with the pipeline caused a minor gas shortage in the Pittsburgh area; however, a waiver was not granted in that case.

What counties are affected?

There are seven counties in the Pittsburgh area affected by the change in fuel: Allegheny, Armstrong, Beaver, Butler, Fayette, Washington, and Westmoreland. The waiver should assure an adequate supply of gas for consumers.

Jason Gallagher is a long-time Pennsylvania resident. He has experiences in trends and developments in many regions from having lived in many parts of the Keystone State, and currently resides in the Pittsburgh area.


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Thursday, September 15, 2011

Nate now a depression, oil contractors found in Mexico (Reuters)

GUTIERREZ ZAMORA, Mexico (Reuters) – Storm Nate weakened to a tropical depression on Sunday as it moved farther inland across the coffee and sugar growing state of Veracruz, in the Gulf of Mexico.

Nate, which could still dump one to two inches of rain over Veracruz, is expected to dissipate on Monday, the Miami-based National Hurricane Center said.

State oil monopoly Pemex said it had rescued seven out of 10 contract workers who had been missing since Thursday after evacuating a rig in the Gulf of Mexico due to bad weather.

Four Mexicans, two Americans and one Bangladeshi were among those rescued in the Bay of Campeche. Two other workers were found dead and one remains missing, Pemex said.

The depression was 30 miles south south-west of Tuxpan, with maximum sustained winds of 35 miles per hour, the hurricane center said in its 5:00 p.m. EDT advisory. It is moving west, north-west at eight mph.

Veracruz is one of Mexico's top producers of coffee and sugar and flooding could damage recently planted crops. High moisture also can cause fungus in coffee beans and flooding and landslides that could affect transportation routes and delay exports.

Sugar crops in Veracruz were greatly damaged last year in an intense tropical storm season.

The oil-exporting port of Cayo Arcas remained closed along with two other smaller ports. Dos Bocas reopened to shipping earlier on Sunday after four days of inactivity.

Pemex evacuated 473 workers from five sea platforms as a precaution but had not said if they had started to return to work. Nate had cut Mexican oil production by 178,800 barrels a day as of Friday.

Local media reported a fisherman drowned on Friday after strong surf capsized his little boat in the Bay of Campeche area.

Meanwhile, the center of Tropical Storm Maria was seen passing well north of Puerto Rico later on Sunday.


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Monsoon rains test cash-strapped Pakistan after 200 die (Reuters)

TANDO MUHAMMAD KHAN, Pakistan (Reuters) – Pakistan's cash-strapped government, struggling to help victims of last year's devastating floods, faces another major test as monsoon rains, which have already killed about 200 people in recent weeks, sweep across the south.

Flood waters across Sindh province have also destroyed or damaged nearly one million houses and flooded 4.2 million acres since late August, according to the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs.

Prospects for further flooding would put Pakistan's unpopular government, already battling Taliban militants, allegations of widespread corruption and public anger over power cuts and poverty, under immense pressure.

"The situation in Sindh is already serious and there will be more flooding and more problems because of these rains," said meteorology department official Arif Mehmood.

Neighboring India has also been hit by floods, which have killed more than 300 people and affected close to nine million since monsoon rains started in June, said the Indian Red Cross.

"As the rain already started a few months ago, in some places, the water has receded... There is fear in some of the states regarding outbreaks of diseases like diarrhea arising from poor hygiene and sanitation," said John Roche, country representative for the International Federation of Red Cross.

Zafar Qadir, chairman of the National Disaster Management Authority, said Pakistan faced a crisis "of great magnitude."

In the town of Tando Muhammad Khan, residents who watched water rise to about eight feet and rush through homes and shops feel helpless. Water has been stagnant for a week in some areas.

Some, like 15-year-old student Sonam, were so shaken they concluded conditions were worse than last year's floods. "The entire blame goes on the government," she said.

Pakistan's military, which has ruled the country for more than half of its history, took charge of rescue and relief operations during last year's floods, while the government was seen as slow and ineffective.

Still, more than a year later, over 800,000 families remain without permanent shelter, according to aid group Oxfam, and more than a million people need food assistance.

Pakistan's High Commissioner in London, Wajid Shamsul Hasan, told Reuters international support was needed.

"The unprecedented torrential rains followed by flooding were the last thing one would have expected to hit the country already head-deep involved in war against terrorism besides already facing enormous problems including an acute energy crisis and a challenging law and order situation," he said. Pakistan may also have lost up to two million cotton bales, or about 13 percent of its estimated crop, due to heavy monsoon rains during harvesting in Sindh, government and industry officials said.

"The water flow to the sea is very slow. The drainage system has choked...the agriculture system could not stand the water pressure. So the devastation became immense," said Qadir.

WEAK ECONOMY

Monsoon rains sweep the subcontinent from June to September and are crucial for agriculture.

Pakistan, which relies heavily on foreign aid and an IMF emergency loan package, cannot afford heavy losses in the agriculture sector, a pillar of the economy.

The 2010 floods killed about 2,000 people and made 11 million homeless in one of Pakistan's worst natural disasters.

One-fifth of Pakistan was then submerged in water -- an area the size of Italy -- and the government faced a $10 billion bill to repair damage to homes, bridges, roads and other infrastructure.

Aid workers expressed fears over possible outbreaks of diseases linked to the new floods, especially among children.

"The biggest issue is that they will drink water from anywhere, so water-borne diseases are a threat, especially diarrhea and cholera," Sami Malik, a spokesman for the United Nations Children's Fund, told Reuters.

(Reporting by Zeeshan Haider and Qasim Nauman in Islamabad; Sahar Ahmed in Karachi, and Reporting by Arup Roychoudhury, Nita Bhalla and Mayank Bhardwaj in New Delhi, Jatindra Dash in Bhubneshwar and Myra MacDonald in London.; Writing by Michael Georgy)


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Six months after Japan's tsunami, residents worry their plight is fading from view (video) (The Christian Science Monitor)

Minami-Sanriku, Japan – As memorial services were held across the northeast coastal regions to mark six months since the March 11 earthquake and tsunami, recovery from the vast disaster is proving to be painfully slow in many places.

Some of the worst-hit towns still resemble wasteland. More than 80,000 people remain in temporary accommodation. The nuclear crisis at Fukushima triggered by the tsunami is ongoing, and the new industry minister resigned over the weekend after making disparaging comments about the city.

â€Å“We pray for the lost lives and for the missing to be found as early as possible. We hope that people can return to this town and we can hear cheerful voices again,â€

RELATED: IN PICTURES: Japan's nuclear fallout

Mr. Sato had been in the town hall along with 130 staff when the tsunami struck. He was one of only 10 survivors when the 50-ft. waves came across the roof of the building and washed away 20 of the 30 people who had made it that far.

Most of the residents of the town returned for the service from other areas, as Minami-Sanriku remains largely uninhabitable. Thousands of tons of debris were piled into mountains of wood, earth, metal, and concrete along the waterfront.

A boat rests on the second floor of the former city hospital, facing away from the sea, where the tsunami deposited it as the huge wave pulled back to where it came from after obliterating 95 percent of the town.

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Recognizing sacrifices Red steel girders are all that is left of the town̢۪s disaster response center where a young local government worker, Miki Endo, famously stayed at her post sounding an alarm and urging residents to evacuate, until the tsunami engulfed the building and she went missing.

People came from as far as Tokyo to pay their respects at the small makeshift shrine that has appeared in the shell of the building, dedicated to Ms. Endo̢۪s sacrifice. Some residents of Minami-Sanriku want the remains of the building to be turned into a permanent monument to her heroism.

A cluster of 20 prefab housing units behind the Bayside Arena, where Sunday morning’s service was held, is now home to a fraction of the town’s people who lost their homes on March 11.

Kaeko Gyoba was in a club for Minami-Sanriku̢۪s elderly residents with her husband when the earthquake struck. They made it up to the fourth floor and were spared as the waves swept through the three stories below, but left the building standing when the waves receded. It was one of the few buildings spared in the entire town.

“We spent two nights up there until a Self-Defense Force helicopter was able to land at the elementary school nearby and get us out,” says Ms. Gyoba.She stayed with relatives near Tokyo after the disaster, but she returned last month to be with the rest of her family, who now occupy five of the small, flimsy-looking temporary houses.

“It’s very tough living here, I just can’t get used to it. There’s nowhere in the town to shop, you need a car to go anywhere, and I worry how cold it will be in the winter,” says Gyoba. “And none of the family have jobs now. They all worked on the ocean, farming seaweed and oysters. Everything was swept away.”

Fading from public consciousness? Despite the nationwide attention that the six-month memorials have been receiving, some of those still struggling to put their lives back together feel they are gradually fading from people’s consciousness in the rest of the country. There is also anger at politicians in Tokyo who they see as more concerned with partisan fighting than focusing on helping the region’s recovery.

Even the leadership contest to replace former Prime Minister Naoto Kan – heavily criticized for his handling of the crisis – was seen as a self-indulgent distraction by many in the region. His replacement, Yoshihiko Noda, has already lost his trade and industry minister, only eight days after being sworn in.

On his first visit to the disaster zone last week, Trade Minister Yoshio Hachiro joked with a reporter accompanying him on the trip about infecting him with radiation by wiping his jacket on the journalist after coming out of the no-go zone around the Fukushima nuclear plant. The minister went on to describe the area around the stricken facility as, “really like a town of death.”

Hachiro’s behavior provoked outrage not just among residents of Fukushima, but across Japan’s north-east coast. For many, the minister’s attitude betrayed a lack of real empathy from Tokyo politicians with the victims of the triple disasters, and his tearful apology afterward convinced few.

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New PM: Japan should aim to reduce nuclear power (AP)

TOKYO – Japan's new prime minister has promised to restart nuclear plants following safety checks ordered after the crisis at the tsunami-damaged Fukushima nuclear power plant.

Prime Minister Yoshihiko Noda also said Tuesday in his first policy speech since taking office two weeks ago that the country should reduce its reliance on atomic energy over the long term, but offered no specifics.

More than 30 of Japan's 54 reactors have been idled, causing electricity shortages amid sweltering summer temperatures.

Noda also said he would press ahead with the recovery of the tsunami-battered northeastern region, calling on his fellow citizens not to forget "the spirit of dignity of all Japanese" in the face of disaster.


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Maria prompts tropical storm watch in Bermuda (AP)

MIAMI – A tropical storm watch has been issued for Bermuda as Tropical Storm Maria crawls up the Atlantic.

Early Tuesday, Maria has maximum sustained winds near 50 mph (85 kph) with some strengthening forecast during the next two days.

Maria is centered about 340 miles (545 kilometers) east of the southeastern Bahamas and is moving north-northwest near 5 mph (7 kph). The U.S. National Hurricane Center in Miami says Maria is expected to pass west of Bermuda on Thursday.

Maria's forecast track shows it curving away from the U.S.


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Congress at odds over disaster aid (Reuters)

WASHINGTON (Reuters) – Republicans and Democrats in Congress moved to quickly approve disaster aid on Monday but remained at odds over the amount of money needed to help victims of floods, tornadoes and hurricanes.

With the Federal Emergency Management Agency's disaster-relief fund running dangerously low, top Republicans in the House of Representatives said they would attach up to $1 billion to a must-pass spending bill that is expected to pass Congress next week.

In the Senate, Democrats tried to attach about $7 billion in disaster aid to a separate bill, but they were blocked by Republicans who said they wanted time to examine the measure.

The parliamentary maneuvering underscored the stark divide between the two parties even as they try to show voters they can work together.

President Barack Obama requested $5.1 billion last week to help victims of floods, tornadoes, hurricanes and other natural disasters in one of the most extreme years for weather in U.S. history.

The Federal Emergency Management Agency will need about $500 million to ensure it does not run out of money in the next several weeks, according to the White House.

FEMA has already suspended some payments for longer-term projects to ensure that money remains for the more pressing needs of victims of last month's Hurricane Irene and other recent disasters.

Republicans want to offset that money with spending cuts elsewhere to avoid deepening the country's budget woes, but they have been careful to say the aid will not get held up by spending concerns.

House Republicans said they would attach between $500 million and $1 billion to a stopgap spending bill that is expected to clear Congress next week. More money would presumably come later.

Senate Democratic Leader Harry Reid said that was not enough.

"We're not going to accept some small number that the House sends us," he said on the Senate floor.

After Senate Republicans blocked his attempt to add about $7 billion to a bill that continues sanctions on Burma, Reid said he would try again. Another vote could come as soon as on Tuesday, and an aide suggested that it could be modified to win more Republican support.

Congress must pass the stopgap bill by the end of the month to ensure that the government will keep operating when the new fiscal year starts on October 1.

Budget battles have pushed the country to the edge of default and the brink of a government shutdown this year, but that's not likely to be the case with this spending bill, a top Republican said.

"The risk of bringing about brinkmanship or another potential shutdown is not something now that we need, it is not something that would be helpful to create jobs and regain confidence," said Representative Eric Cantor, the No. 2 Republican in the House.

(Additional reporting by Susan Cornwell; editing by Sandra Maler and Cynthia Osterman)


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Wednesday, September 14, 2011

Monsoon flooding kills 16 in eastern India (AP)

BHUBANESHWAR, India – Heavy rains and flooding have killed at least 16 people in eastern India and left nearly 100,000 others homeless, an official said Monday.

Incessant rains have hit the coastal and western parts of Orissa state for 10 days and nearly 2,800 villages have been affected, said S.N. Patra, the minister in charge of disaster management.

The rain stopped in most areas by Sunday evening, but the region's main river, the Mahanadi, remained over the danger mark on Monday and about 800 villages were still cut off, Patra said.

He said the government has set up about 180 relief camps and army helicopters were dropping food and water packets for people stranded in remote villages.

The loss to crops and property is still being assessed, he said.

Patra said the deaths occurred over the last four days.

India's monsoon season, which runs from June through September, brings rains that are vital to agriculture but can also cause massive destruction.

Flooding, landslides and other rain-related events kill thousands of people each year.


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Tropical Storm Lee Stalls and Floods Athens, Pa. (ContributorNetwork)

FIRST PERSON | When Tropical Storm Lee decided to hang out over the southern tier of New York and Pennsylvania on Sept. 3, no one could have guessed what horrors lay ahead for Athens, Pa.

After a few days of steady rains, Wednesday became the catalyst for a tragedy. Athens received 3 inches of rainfall, which sent swollen creeks pouring into the rivers. The Susquehanna River began to rise half a foot an hour.

At 6:30 p.m., members of the Athens Borough firemen began to go door to door alerting residents to prepare to move fast. It was voluntary to leave at first. I grew up in this area and when Hurricane Agnes rolled through this area in June 1972. I saw the devastation with my own eyes. I was not sticking around.

I spent a few hours with my son Timmy, who is 19, and we put lots of things at least 3 feet off the floor. I prayed that 3 feet would be enough. When Jay, my boyfriend, came with the truck, we were ready to get out of town.

We left our home in Athens at 10:30 p.m. on Wednesday and prayed that we would have a home to return to. We went to the home of Thomas and Diana McBride (my sister) on Laurel Hill, far away from the rivers. I thought my daughter and her husband were following us out, but they did not.

By 3 a.m. Thursday, they were evacuating the entire town while sand-bagging efforts on the banks of the Susquehanna failed. At nearly 5 a.m., my son sent a text message that simply said "I have Amber." Those were the longest two hours of my life. With my two older children safe and sound, I fell back to sleep.

By 6 a.m., most of the downtown area was under water up to the first floor. The rain was still falling as it had for a few days and it continued to fall until early afternoon. We watched the television with my niece Karmie and her son. We saw the horror unfolding in our town and many towns south of us as the raging river rolled south. A home flowing down the river, a soaked woodchuck clinging to a fence and two doe in the middle of the river are images I will never forget.

The water in town never crossed the railroad tracks where I live, my home is safe with no damage. Three blocks down homes are in ruins.

I am very thankful my home was spared because like many people in my town, I do not have flood insurance. Once we learned the dam upriver had held up, I came back to my home. My daughter and my grandkids were here waiting for me, fresh from a shelter. Amber, her husband Tim and the three kids are with us until power is on in downtown Athens. Their townhouse had some water, but they cannot go back until the power is on. They may be here a few weeks.


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Japan anti-nuclear protests mark 6 months since quake (Reuters)

TOKYO (Reuters) – Anti-nuclear protesters took to the streets of Tokyo and other cities on Sunday to mark six months since the March earthquake and tsunami and vent their anger at the government's handling of the nuclear crisis set off by meltdowns at the Fukushima power plant.

In one of the largest protests, an estimated 2,500 people marched past the headquarters of the plant's operator, Tokyo Electric Power Company, and created a "human chain" around the building of the Trade Ministry that oversees the power industry.

The magnitude 9.0 earthquake and tsunami that hit Japan's northeastern coast left 20,000 dead or missing and crippled the Fukushima plant, triggering the worst nuclear crisis since Chernobyl.

The accident that led to radiation and contamination fears spurred widespread calls for an end to Japan's reliance on nuclear power in the quake-prone country.

Protesters, marching to the beat of drums, called for a complete shutdown of nuclear power plants across Japan and demanded a shift in government policy toward alternative sources of energy.

Among the protestors were four young men who declared the start of a 10-day hunger strike to bring about change in Japan's nuclear policy.

"I believe it is very important that the young generation voices opposition against nuclear power, and in order to bring our point across we need to put ourselves on the line and that's why we chose to hunger strike for 10 days," said 20-year-old Naoya Okamoto.

Japanese media reported similar protests in other cities across Japan on the day many offered prayers to those who died in the March 11 disaster.

(Reporting by Olivier Fabre; Writing by Tomasz Janowski)


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RMS pegs Irene insured losses at up to $5.5 billion (Reuters)

(Reuters) – Hurricane Irene caused between $2.5 billion and $5.5 billion in insured losses in the United States and the Caribbean, excluding flood claims that fall under federal insurance programs, catastrophe modeling company RMS said on Monday.

RMS's estimate falls roughly between those of its two main competitors, AIR Worldwide and Eqecat. AIR has estimated losses at $3.5 billion to $7.1 billion, while Eqecat's estimate is $1.8 billion to $3.4 billion.

At the highest end of those ranges, Irene would rank as one of the 10 costliest disasters in U.S. history as measured by insured losses.

Losses appear to have been limited by the nature of the damage Irene caused. In most places in the United States, the majority of the damage was flood-related. Such losses are covered by the National Flood Insurance Program, which writes nearly all of the homeowner flood insurance in the country.

(Reporting by Ben Berkowitz; editing by John Wallace)


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100 Animals Die in Petco Store From Tropical Storm Lee Flooding (Time.com)

At least 100 animals died in a New York Petco store after the building was flooded by Tropical Storm Lee.

The animals, which included hamsters, rodents, reptiles, birds and aquatic life, were left in the Johnson City, N.Y., store during the storm. Whether they died from drowning or starvation has not been disclosed.

The building, near Binghamton, was evacuated and later besieged by flood waters. Store employees discovered the animals on Friday, the first day they were allowed to enter the pet store after the storm.

(LIST: Top 10 Strange Mass Animal Deaths)

The animal deaths reportedly could have been prevented. Marcie Whichard, a Petco executive, blamed the incident on miscommunication between the city and the store regarding evacuation orders.

On the company website, Petco CEO Jim Myers discussed the "unfortunate tragedy." Myers wrote, "Our store in Johnson City is relatively new, we were not operating the last time flooding threatened the community and we misjudged the risk to this location."

Despite the nearly 100 deaths, the majority of the animals were rescued, according to Myers. "We feel terrible that we did not do more to avoid this tragedy, are truly saddened by what has occurred, and accept full responsibility."

At the time of this writing, Myers' apology drew more than 1,000 comments, some claiming to have notified People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals. A Facebook page has also cropped up for the boycott of Petco.

MORE: Top 10 Pets in Power

Kai Ma is a TIME contributor. Find her on Twitter at @Kai_Ma or on Facebook page and on Twitter at @TIME.

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Tuesday, September 13, 2011

Tropical Storm Maria moving away from NE Caribbean (AP)

MIAMI – Tropical Storm Maria is moving slowly westward in the Atlantic and has lost a little strength.

Maria's maximum sustained winds Monday decreased to near 50 mph (85 kph).

The storm is centered about 175 miles (285 kilometers) north-northwest of San Juan, Puerto Rico, and is moving west near 2 mph (4 kph).

The U.S. National Hurricane Center says the storm's center is expected to pass east of the Bahamas. Maria's forecast track shows it eventually curving away from the U.S.

Meanwhile, rescuers have been searching for an oil rig worker who's been missing since he and nine others evacuated their disabled rig during Tropical Storm Nate in the Gulf of Mexico last week. Seven workers were found alive Sunday but one has since died. Two bodies have also been found.


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Tropical storm Katia slams into Ireland, Britain (AP)

DUBLIN – Tropical Storm Katia shut down roads and power and led to one death Monday in Ireland and Britain, where residents braced for the strongest wind gusts in 15 years.

Forecasters in both countries said Monday's gusts topped 80 mph (125 kph) as the storm — previously a hurricane as it roared across the Atlantic — made driving, shipfaring and even walking dangerous in broad swathes of Ireland, Scotland and northern England.

In northeast England's County Durham, a driver died after a tree fell on a car on the highway, Durham police said. Officers later warned all drivers to be careful driving through the high winds.

CE Electric UK, which provides power in the north east of England, said it was working to restore the power supply to about 10,000 properties.

Most ferry services between Ireland and Britain were canceled, and fishing boats along the Atlantic coasts of Ireland and Scotland were warned to head into port.

Britain's government forecasting service, the Met Office, told the public to be ready for the strongest winds since October 1996, when the tail end of Hurricane Lili killed five Britons and caused an estimated 150 million pounds ($250 million) of damage there.

The Met Office said winds were averaging 55 mph (88 kph) while the strongest reported gust so far was 82 mph (128 kph) at a mountain station in North Wales. Gusts in the Northern Ireland border town of Castlederg reached 74 mph (118 kph).

Heavy rainfall hit the north of Ireland and central Scotland, where Transport Minister Keith Brown reassured travelers that emergency crews were ready to handle accidents, road blockages and power outages.

"Robust contingency arrangements are in place so people should not panic," Brown said.

The Tour of Britain cycling race canceled Monday's planned second stage across northern England after deeming the course's most exposed and elevated points too dangerous.

Ireland, which is regularly buffeted by strong Atlantic winds, also warned of exceptionally dangerous driving conditions and the risk of widespread coastal flooding. Towns along Ireland's Atlantic coast last experienced heavy flooding in November 2010.

A bridge spanning a bay in County Donegal, northwest Ireland, was closed Monday as a precaution, while fallen trees obstructed roads in several other parts of the island, including Limerick in the southwest.

Ireland's Electricity Supply Board said its engineers were trying to restore power to about 11,000 homes along the Irish Republic's border with Northern Ireland. Another 2,000 homes in Dublin lost power because of toppled electricity lines.

Authorities in Norway, Sweden and Denmark said they expected gale-force winds to arrive there Tuesday.

Ireland and Britain periodically catch the tail-end of Atlantic hurricanes as they travel northeast with the Gulf Stream and weaken into tropical storms.

The Met Office said Britain and Ireland felt the winds of one former hurricane in 2009, three in 2006, two in 2000, one in 1998 and one in 1996, when Lili's winds topped 90 mph (145 kph) and brought widespread disruption to Britain and Ireland.

Katia is the second major hurricane of the 2011 Atlantic hurricane season, forming two weeks ago near the west African islands of Cape Verde. Katia traveled in a C-shape route toward the Caribbean and the eastern United States but didn't reach landfall there, then headed northeast to Europe.


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Northeast turns to flood recovery after Lee (AP)

By MARK SCOLFORO and MICHAEL RUBINKAM, Associated Press Mark Scolforo And Michael Rubinkam, Associated Press – Mon Sep 12, 6:59 pm ET

HARRISBURG, Pa. – Recovery efforts in the aftermath of flooding from Tropical Storm Lee focused Monday on reopening roads and bridges, cleaning the grimy layer of mud left by receding waters and tallying up the millions of dollars in damage wrought by days of drenching rains last week.

For people in riverside towns prone to flooding, it felt familiar.

"The long haul now will be the money thing, the estimating, the recording, getting estimates on different things," said Mayor Norm Ball of Tunkhannock, a northeastern Pennsylvania town where parts of the business district were inundated by high waters from the Susquehanna River and tributaries. "It's quite a process — I've dealt with it before."

In Pennsylvania, about 1,100 customers were still without power, more than 200 roads remained closed and 18 state and local bridges had damage, with another 64 on a precautionary list, emergency officials said Monday. The state was establishing a joint task force to coordinate recovery efforts, with disaster response centers to be located in affected areas.

The tentative statewide death toll dropped from 13 to 11, a change that the Pennsylvania Emergency Management Agency could not immediately explain. The total figure may be revised again as death certificates are issued.

Authorities pulled the body of a Manheim man from Chiques Creek in Lancaster County on Sunday evening, the Intelligencer Journal/Lancaster New Era reported. The man was walking through flood waters Thursday when the current knocked him over, and he was swept away after holding on to a utility pole for about 20 minutes, the newspaper said.

Tests were being conducted at a home after a 62-year-old West Pittston woman died from inhaling some sort of gas, the Luzerne County coroner told The Citizens' Voice of Wilkes-Barre. Initial tests showed there was very little oxygen in the house, which had 3 feet of groundwater in the basement.

More than a foot of rain fell in many communities over the five-day period that ended Friday, said meteorologist Jason Krekeler with the National Weather Service in State College. Harrisburg International Airport, which averages about 4 inches of rain in September, was deluged by 13.4 inches over that five-day period.

"One thing to keep in mind is, a lot of these areas were hit fairly hard by (Hurricane) Irene as well, with 3 to 4, 5 inches in some locations," he said.

Across the region, preliminary damage assessments were being conducted on the ground and by air because parts of the state remain inaccessible, said Pennsylvania Emergency Management Agency spokesman Cory Angell.

"You don't just open a road when the water goes away," Angell said. "You have to inspect, find out what damage has occurred. Is the bridge stable, for example."

He urged people with losses to report them to their local governments because the dollar value factors into the state's eligibility for federal relief.

As a sign that life was starting to return to normal, the American Red Cross said Monday that only two or three evacuation shelters remained open, down from 16 on Saturday.

New Cumberland, across the Susquehanna River from Harrisburg, lifted its state of emergency Monday after the Yellow Breeches Creek, a tributary of the river, returned to its banks, said borough council president Jack Murray.

In some places, the flooding left a 2-inch layer of mud, and workers have been spraying down roadways to clean it up. About a dozen structures had major damage, Murray said, but most people got out well before the high water hit.

"We had great cooperation from the people who live in the area that was flooded," Murray said. "We only had to tow one car, and my understanding (is) that was people who had to leave quickly."

In York County, bordered by the Susquehanna and the Maryland line, preliminary figures showed 19 homes or businesses were destroyed by flooding, along with another 146 with major damage and some 600 with minor damage, county officials reported.

The Pennsylvania Farm Bureau has fielded reports of damage from throughout the state, including a Wyoming County dairy that had to dump a tank of milk because delivery trucks were blocked by bad roads, a Bradford County winery that lost 10 tons of grapes worth $15,000 and an aquaculture operation that lost $1.75 million worth of fish and equipment from flooding at facilities in York and Lebanon counties.

The bureau says farm losses in the state could reach tens of millions of dollars.

Residents of Pine Grove, a small town in Schuylkill County where the Swatara Creek became a raging river and flooded about 200 homes, were placing ruined belongings by the curb, ripping up soggy carpeting and drywall and pondering how long it will take them to recover from the worst flooding in perhaps a century.

Kelly Maher and Jeff McCurdy, a couple with two children under age 10, were overwhelmed by the task.

Their newly renovated first floor took on 4 feet of water, but they did not have flood insurance and he was recently laid off from his job at a masonry company. They lost furniture, a TV, a computer, kitchen appliances and cabinets and important documents.

McCurdy, 43, ripped away wall paneling to expose soggy wall studs that have already begun to grow mold. He questioned whether it's even worth rebuilding.

"I'm afraid it won't be safe for the kids," he said Monday. "What happens in six months?"

"I haven't cried yet. I'm still in shock," said Maher, 31, who works in accounting at, of all places, the Susquehanna River Basin Commission. "It's as depressing as it gets."

Throughout the Northeast, residents and officials were surveying damage, working on recovery and in some cases, still coping with high waters.

It could be Wednesday before the Passaic River in New Jersey falls below flood stage, forecasters said. Moderate flooding was occurring, and a flood warning was in place at two places along the river, Pine Brook and Little Falls.

In Port Deposit, Md., a few roads were opened on a limited basis Sunday, but the town still required residents along those roads to get permission before returning home. Most of the 1,000 residents had been told to evacuate because of flooding expected from the opening of flood gates at the Conowingo Dam to relieve pressure on the Susquehanna.

In hard-hit Binghamton in southern New York, some residents were being allowed to return home during daylight to begin cleaning up. Schools and businesses were reopening Monday, and classes were resuming at Binghamton University, the Press and Sun-Bulletin reported.

In Apalachin, in Tioga County just west of Binghamton, residents slogged through thick layers of mud as they returned home to check on their properties, many of which are likely to be condemned, officials said.

"Everything in my house is pretty much garbage," John Prosinski, 41, told the newspaper. "I'd rather not come back, but my daughter is in first grade. She loves her school."

___

Rubinkam reported from Pine Grove.


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Japan marks 6 months since earthquake, tsunami (AP)

By TOMOKO A. HOSAKA, Associated Press Tomoko A. Hosaka, Associated Press – Sun Sep 11, 11:58 am ET

TOKYO – Up and down Japan's devastated northeast coast, survivors prayed and communities came together Sunday to mark six months since the massive earthquake and tsunami struck on March 11, a date that changed everything for them and their country.

As the world commemorated the 10th anniversary of the World Trade Center attacks, Japanese parents hung colorful paper cranes for their lost children and monks chanted in front of smashed buildings. Thousands also marched in the streets to demand that the country abandon nuclear power because of damage to the Fukushima Dai-ichi nuclear plant.

At precisely 2:46 p.m., they stopped and observed a minute of silence.

The magnitude-9.0 earthquake produced the sort of devastation Japan hadn't seen since World War II. The tsunami that followed engulfed the northeast and wiped out entire towns. The waves inundated the Fukushima plant, triggering the worst nuclear accident since Chernobyl.

Some 20,000 people are dead or missing. More than 800,000 homes were completely or partially destroyed. The disaster crippled businesses, roads and infrastructure. The Japanese Red Cross Society estimates that 400,000 people were displaced.

Half a year later, there are physical signs of progress.

Much of the debris has been cleared away or at least organized into big piles. In the port city of Kesennuma, many of the boats carried inland by the tsunami have been removed. Most evacuees have moved out of high school gyms and into temporary shelters or apartments.

The supply chain problems that led to critical parts shortages for Japan's auto and electronics makers are nearly resolved. Industrial production has almost recovered to pre-quake levels.

But beyond the surface is anxiety and frustration among survivors facing an uncertain future. They are growing increasingly impatient with a government they describe as too slow and without direction.

Masayuki Komatsu, a fisherman in Kesennuma, wants to restart his abalone farming business.

But he worries about radiation in the sea from the still-leaking Fukushima plant and isn't sure if his products will be safe enough to sell. He said officials are not providing adequate radiation information for local fisherman.

"I wonder if the government considers our horrible circumstances and the radiation concerns of people in my business," said Komatsu, who also lost his home.

Another resident, 80-year-old Takashi Sugawara, lost his sister in the tsunami and now lives in temporary housing. He wants to rebuild his home but is stuck in limbo for the time being.

"My family is not very wealthy, and I only wish that the country would decide what to do about the area as soon as possible," Sugawara said.

He might be waiting for a while. The Nikkei financial newspaper reported this week that many municipalities in the hardest-hit prefecture of Miyagi, Iwate and Fukushima have yet to draft reconstruction plans.

Of the 31 cities, towns and villages severely damaged by the disaster, just four have finalized their plans, the Nikkei said. The scale of the disaster, the national government's slow response and quarrels among residents have delayed the rebuilding process.

Workers at the Fukushima nuclear plant are still struggling to meet a goal of bringing it to a cold shutdown by early next year.

"We are barely keeping the reactors under control and the situation is still difficult," Nuclear and Industrial Safety Agency spokesman Yoshinori Moriyama said in Tokyo.

In Fukushima city, dozens of citizens rallied Sunday outside a government-backed international conference at which scientists agreed that the radiation danger from the nuclear plant was far less than Chernobyl. The protesters accused conference organizers of trying to underestimate the risk for children.

Citizens also demonstrated in major cities like Tokyo and Osaka, where thousands of anti-nuclear protesters demanded that the country give up nuclear power. Activists circled the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry holding banners saying, "Nuclear power? Goodbye."

Criticism of the government's handling of the disaster and nuclear crisis led former Prime Minister Naoto Kan to resign. Former Finance Minister Yoshihiko Noda took over nine days ago, becoming Japan's sixth new prime minister in five years.

He spent much of Saturday visiting Miyage and Iwate prefectures, promising more funding to speed up recovery efforts and trying to shore up confidence in his administration.

But the trip was overshadowed later in the day by his first big political embarrassment. Noda's new trade minister Yoshio Hachiro resigned, caving into intense pressure after calling the area around the nuclear plant "a town of death," a comment seen as insensitive to nuclear evacuees.

Public support for the new government started out strong, with an approval rating of 62.8 percent in a Kyodo News poll released last Saturday. Hachiro's resignation will likely translate into a drop and new doubts about Noda's ability to lead.

Regardless of politics, what's clear is that the road ahead will be long.

"Given the enormous scale of the destruction and the massive area affected, this will be a long and complex recovery and reconstruction operation," Tadateru Konoe, the Red Cross president, said in a statement. "It will take at least five years to rebuild, but healing the mental scars could take much longer."

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Associated Press writer Mari Yamaguchi in Fukushima and APTN videojournalist Miki Toda in Kesennuma contributed to this report.


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Japan's new PM suffers early blow as minister quits (Reuters)

TOKYO (Reuters) – Japanese Prime Minister Yoshihiko Noda's new government suffered a blow on Saturday after just eight days in office when the trade minister resigned over gaffes on the sensitive topic of radiation from the tsunami-hit Fukushima plant.

The resignation of Trade Minister Yoshio Hachiro, who handles the energy portfolio, will give opposition parties ammunition for attack as Noda strives to end the radiation crisis at the Fukushima plant while tackling a plethora of challenges from rebuilding after the March earthquake and tsunami to curbing huge public debt.

Hachiro submitted his resignation to Noda after reports that he joked with a reporter about radiation from the tsunami-crippled Fukushima nuclear plant, Jiji news agency and other domestic media reported. It was his second remark seen as offensive to victims of the worst nuclear accident in 25 years.

Japanese media said Hachiro had attempted to rub up against a reporter saying "I'll give you radiation" after visiting the Fukushima plant on Thursday.

Opposition party leaders criticised the remark and said that they would press Noda himself over his responsibility for appointing Hachiro, NHK public TV reported.

Hachiro had already been rebuked by Noda and apologised on Friday for calling the deserted area near the plant a "town of death," a comment seen as offensive to disaster victims.

Noda, who took over as Japan's sixth prime minister in five years after predecessor Naoto Kan resigned, will face harsh questioning over his appointment of Hachiro and other novice ministers in a session of parliament expected to begin next week. Defense Minister Yasuo Ichikawa has already come under attack for calling himself an "amateur" in security matters.

Noda, who won a bruising battle to become head of the ruling Democratic Party of Japan, has emphasized the need to restore fractured party unity in his appointments, raising concerns that he had done so at the expense of expertise.

"There was already great mistrust of his personnel appointments," said independent commentator Atsuo Ito.

Noda's quick decision to sacrifice Hachiro would probably help dampen public criticism, but a drop in his voter support could make it harder to obtain help from opposition parties to pass bills in the divided parliament, where they control the upper house and can block legislation, Ito added.

(Editing by Raju Gopalakrishnan)


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The nations weather (AP)

By WEATHER UNDERGROUND, For The Associated Press Weather Underground, For The Associated Press – 2 hrs 19 mins ago

Weather Underground Forecast for Tuesday, September 13, 2011. A significant storm will begin Tuesday north of the Great Lakes before moving northeastward through Canada as the day progresses. The associated cold front will drape southward into the eastern third of the country, bringing another round of wet weather to the Northeast. This precipitation will not be tropical in nature, as was the last storm to hit the area, thus only moderate amounts of rain are expected.

A second storm will move into the Great Lakes region late in the day, renewing rain and even the slightest chance of early season snow in the Upper Midwest.

The two aforementioned storms will precede a blast of Arctic air that will stream into the Northern Plains and Upper Midwest. This Arctic air will not be as cold as in the Winter, but a definite cooling trend will sweep through much of the northern tier of the country during the second half of the week.

Seasonally typical showers and thunderstorms will pop up through the Southwest as well.

The Southern Plains and Southeast will rise into the 90s and 100s, while the Northeast will see temperatures in the 70s. The Northern Plains will rise into the 60s and 70s, while the Southwest will see temperature sin the 80s, 90s, and some 100s. Temperatures in the Lower 48 states Monday have ranged from a morning low of 30 degrees at Stanley, Idaho to a high of 102 degrees at McGregor, Texas


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Friday, September 9, 2011

Floods kill 136 in Pakistan (AP)

KARACHI, Pakistan – A Pakistani relief official says monsoon rains have killed 136 people in the south of the country and flooded hundreds of thousand of rice, cotton and sugarcane crops.

Sajjad Hayder Shah said Monday 90 of the victims had been killed over the last week, many when their houses collapsed.

Last year, southern Pakistan was hardest hit by massive floods that swamped much of the country, killing 2,000 people.

Shah says Pakistani soldiers were helping distribute food and other emergency supplies to hardest hit areas.

The rains began in early August 12 and have affected some 170,000 acres of agricultural land.

Monsoon season in Pakistan usually lasts untill the middle of September, after which winter begins.


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Weather service: Tornado touched down in NY (AP)

AMSTERDAM, N.Y. – A tornado that caused property damage near the state capital, Albany, was spawned in a string of violent thunderstorms a week after Tropical Storm Irene brought destructive flooding to the region.

The tornado was about a half-mile wide and on the ground for more than 10 minutes Sunday evening, said Steve DiRienzo, a National Weather Service meteorologist who assessed the damage Monday. Amateur video posted online shows a dark funnel cloud crossing the New York Thruway, where it knocked down trees.

DiRienzo said the tornado hit around 5:20 p.m. and traveled east about 4 miles along the Mohawk River, from the town of Amsterdam into Schenectady County's hilly West Glenville. Estimates of wind speeds weren't immediately available, he said. But trees and power lines were knocked down, parts of some roofs and pieces of siding were torn off and windows were blown out. There were no reports of serious injuries.

Amsterdam Town Supervisor Tom DiMezza said it could have been "a lot worse."

"There's sections where trees fell between homes and missed both houses. Huge trees," DiMezza said.

He said 30 to 40 homes and businesses had damage.

"After the tropical storm, we were just getting things cleaned up, and this happens," said DiMezza, who declared a state of emergency in the town.

He said 39 National Grid utility crews were working to restore power, particularly in the hard-hit Cranesville neighborhood. The utility reported about 300 customers in the immediate area still without electricity Monday afternoon.

Extra state police and some members of the National Guard, including a military police unit, were dispatched to help with traffic control, DiMezza said.

Most of the damage was in Montgomery County, already eligible for federal disaster assistance after Irene.

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Online:

Amateur video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v8pWkmTVbqcA


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Thursday, September 8, 2011

Winter threatens repairs of Irene-damaged roads (AP)

NEW YORK – Northeastern states struggling to rebuild hundreds of roads and dozens of bridges in the wake of Hurricane Irene are facing another natural threat: winter.

The end of construction season is fast approaching in New England and upstate New York. By November it will be too cold to lay asphalt, and by December snow and ice will cover the mountains, leaving towns dangerously isolated and possibly dissuading tourists during the region's ski season. Vermont officials said Monday they are renting quickly built, military-style temporary bridges as a stopgap measure.

"We're going to be into winter before we know it," Vermont Gov. Peter Shumlin told reporters last week. "We've got a lot of highways to rebuild, bridges to rebuild, before snow starts to fly in Vermont."

Raging floods gouged and closed more than 300 local roads and state routes in Vermont and damaged at least 22 bridges in the state, marooning people for days in at least 13 towns. Irene ripped another 150 roads in neighboring New York state. Some of the washed-out roads have gaping gullies 30 feet deep.

Road building experts say that if the work isn't done by mid-November, winter's cold, ice and snows will prevent any substantial progress until after the spring thaws.

The consequences could be serious: residents forced to make 30-mile detours — on mountain roads, some of them unpaved_ to the nearest grocery store or doctor, businesses struggling for customers and a possible hit to the state's all-important winter tourism.

"The window is short," said Cathy Voyer, president of the Vermont chapter of the Associated General Contractors of America. "You can't pour concrete, you can't pour asphalt. Stabilizing cranes in the winter would be very difficult."

Other states wrestling with post-Irene road repairs include New Hampshire, New Jersey, North Carolina and Virginia.

Brad Sant, vice president of safety for the American Road and Transportation Builders Association, predicted the affected Northern states will have to settle for "Band-Aid" repairs until the spring. Though the level of Irene's road destruction is not unprecedented for a hurricane, "What makes this more challenging is the location of the destruction, being in the Northeast with those early, cold-weather conditions that are likely to come," Sant said.

To help Vermont get an early start, U.S. Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood says he will authorize $5 million in "quick-release" rebuilding funds. Damage to the state's federally funded highways alone is expected to top $125 million, LaHood said.

The state owns 360 feet of temporary bridge sections and plans to install them on key spans before winter, Michael Hedges, structures program manager at the Vermont Agency of Transportation, told the Associated Press.

It is also negotiating leases and rent-to-own contracts with three companies to bring in military-style "Bailey bridges," Hedges said. The bridges, made up of 10-foot sections of metal decking, may have to serve for 4 or 5 years until the state can finish permanent repairs, he said.

In New York's Adirondack Mountains, quiet summer brooks turned into torrents that ripped massive holes in the two primary routes around the winter destinations of Lake Placid, Whiteface Mountain and Saranac Lake_ economic lifelines as the winter sports season approaches.

Both lanes of Route 73, the easiest way for people from the south to get to the mountains, were sliced clean through in some places, leaving jagged splinters of asphalt dangling over gravel, dirt and rushing water.

Gov. Andrew Cuomo estimated total damage to New York State at about $1 billion, but has not said how much of that is road damage.

In Vermont, some residents were forced to climb up and down ladders set in riverbeds where bridges were swept away. All-terrain vehicles ferried residents, food, water and medicines along muddy trails to get around gaping road washouts.

Deputy Transportation Secretary Sue Minter said officials still were unsure of the full extent — or cost — of the damage.

"We know that we have hidden hazards out there, things we may not even know about yet," Minter said. "In some cases it could take years to get our roads to a standard that people are used to."

In New Hampshire, officials have decided to wait until spring to build a permanent replacement for a washed-out bridge on U.S. Route 302 near the landmark Mount Washington Hotel. Crews were building a temporary bridge to serve until then, said Bill Boynton, a spokesman for the New Hampshire Department of Transportation.

"We just have to sort of button something up for the winter," Boynton said.

Irene hit a region that already suffers from some of the worst roads in the region, according to a new study.

About 35 percent of Vermont's rural roads were rated in poor condition before the storm, the highest percentage in the nation, according to a study released Thursday by the Washington-based TRIP think tank. In New Hampshire it's 21 percent.

The region also has a high concentration of weak bridges, with about 15 percent of the spans in New York, New Hampshire and Maine rated as structurally deficient, according to the TRIP report. The study is based on data from the Federal Highway Administration.

New Jersey said it had finished almost all of its highway repairs by Friday. The worst damage was on Interstate 287, where the Rockaway River tore a hole the size of a tractor-trailer.

"The noise was atrocious," said resident Theresa Kayhart, 51, as she peered down from a bluff overlooking the river on Friday. "You could hear the rumbling of the rocks moving away. I've never seen this river like that."

Within days crews had filled in the hole with boulders and covered it with new asphalt.

Southern states were dealing with their own road troubles. In North Carolina, officials said they would lay a temporary, prefabricated bridge across the biggest hole in the Hatteras Island highway while the state Transportation Department plans long-term repairs.

Environmental groups say it makes no sense to rebuild a road on a moving barrier island. They have called for the state to build a 17-mile bridge that would bypass the area's shifting beaches.

In Virginia, the state department of forestry said Friday it had removed about 2,800 trees that had blocked some 800 miles of roads.

On the upside, the storm has created a rush of new construction jobs as state and city officials go into "combat engineering" mode, said Boynton, the New Hampshire official.

And that rebuilding is likely to go on for a while, said John Horsley, executive director of the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials.

"This devastating attack by Mother Nature, with incredible flooding that took place, that's going to set them back for years," Horsley said.

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Martha Waggoner in Raleigh, N.C.; Rik Stevens in Albany, N.Y.; and Lisa Rathke, John Curran and David Gram in Montpelier, Vt. contributed to this report.


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Strong quake rattles west Indonesia; 1 boy killed (AP)

JAKARTA, Indonesia – A powerful earthquake jolted western Indonesia early Tuesday, killing a boy and sending panicked residents fleeing from homes, hotels and even a hospital.

The magnitude-6.6 quake hit about 1 a.m. (1800 GMT Monday), waking people in towns and villages across Sumatra island's northern tip.

It was centered 60 miles (100 kilometers) southwest of the city of Medan and 62 miles (110 kilometers) beneath the earth's crust, according to the U.S. Geological Survey. It was too far inland to generate a tsunami.

Maura Sakti, a mayor in Subulussalam, told local station TVOne a 12-year-old boy had been killed. At least one other person was injured.

Hundreds of people were evacuated to temporary shelters as authorities surveyed the damage, said Lt. Col. Helmy Kesuma, police chief in the hard-hit town of Singkil.

Some electricity poles were knocked down there, crashing into homes and causing blackouts.

"My wife was screaming, my children crying," said Burhan Mardiansyah, 37, a Singkil resident. "We saw our walls start to crack and everything inside the house was falling. Thank God we're all safe."

The panic extended to Medan, the sprawling provincial capital of North Sumatra, where hundreds of patients from at least one hospital had to be evacuated, some in wheelchairs or with IVs attached to their arms.

Hotels emptied and residents ran into the streets or the balconies of their rented homes, clutching babies to their chests.

Fearing aftershocks, many refused to go back inside for hours.

Indonesia straddles a series of fault lines that makes the vast island nation prone to volcanic and seismic activity.

A giant quake off the country on Dec. 26, 2004, triggered a tsunami in the Indian Ocean that killed 230,000 people, half of them in Indonesia's westernmost province of Aceh.

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Associated Press writer Niniek Karmini contributed to this report.


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