Avis de tempête
Mathieu:
Ingrid a perdu un peu de sa force, et c'est tant mieux, mais risque quand même d'être assez destructif. Sa trajectoire le mène vers une région très peu peuplée, ce qui est aussi une bonne chose. Ce qui est moins rassurant c'est que les constructions de cette région sont très peu solide (ambiance bungalow et cocotiers).
Pour suivre l'évolution :
http://www.bom.gov.au/products/IDQ65002.shtml
Citation
Situation At: 7PM EST Wednesday 9 March 2005
Warning Area: Cape Grenville to Cape Flattery and inland across central Cape York Peninsula
Watch Area: Kowanyama to Weipa
Location: 13.6S 144.8E
Recent Movement: WSW at 8 km/h
Ingrid has continued to weaken over the past few hours and is now classified as
a category 3 tropical cyclone. The cyclone still poses a serious threat to far
north Queensland with a very destructive winds near the centre and the potential
to generate a dangerous storm tide.
Gales are expected to develop between Cape Grenville and Cape Flattery this
evening. Destructive winds are expected between Lockhart River and Cape
Melville overnight. The centre of the cyclone with very destructive wind gusts
to 220km/h, is expected near the coast east of about Coen on Thursday morning.
Coastal residents between Coen and Cape Melville are specifically warned of the
dangerous storm tide as the cyclone crosses the coast early Thursday. The sea is
likely to rise steadily to a level significantly above the highest tides of the
year with damaging waves, strong currents and flooding of low-lying areas
extending some way inland. People living in areas likely to be affected by this
flooding should be prepared to evacuate if advised to do so.
Mathieu:
Intempéries: trois morts et neuf disparus dans le sud algérien
Trois personnes, dont deux enfants, sont mortes emportées par les eaux, neuf sont portées disparues et six autres ont été secourues dans la région de In M'guel, suite aux inondations provoquées par les importantes précipitations enregistrées, depuis dimanche, dans la wilaya (département) de Tamanrasset (2.000 km au sud d'Alger), a annoncé mercredi Nassim Bernaoui, responsable de la protection civile.
Soixante-dix voyageurs, bloqués par les eaux en crue des oueds ont été secourus par les hélicoptères de l'armée. Les fortes pluies tombées dans la région ont également causé d'importants dégâts matériels, selon la cellule de communication de la wilaya de Tamanrasset. Une partie de la route nationale Une, reliant Tamanrasset au nord, a été détériorée alors que la chute de pylônes électriques de haute tension et de poteaux téléphoniques a causé des coupures d'électricité et de téléphone.
Par ailleurs, 25 habitations se sont totalement effondrées et 101 familles ont dû être installées provisoirement dans des infrastructures publiques, à cause des dégâts subis par leurs logements. La majorité des communes et daïras (sous-préfectures) ont mis sur pied des cellules de crise locales, en plus de celle de la wilaya.
Le sud algérien n'est pas la seule région perturbée par l'hiver tardif et rigoureux que connaît l'Algérie. En effet, les fortes chutes de neige enregistrées ces dernières 24 heures ont provoqué l'interruption de la circulation sur 32 routes, à travers pas moins de neuf wilayas dans l'est, selon le commandement de la gendarmerie nationale de Constantine (400 km à l'est d'Alger). La wilaya de Sétif (300 km à l'est d'Alger) est la plus touchée avec 12 routes fermées à la circulation. Trente des 32 routes fermées à la circulation le sont à cause de l'accumulation de neige, les deux dernières à la suite d'éboulements.
Mathieu:
La région de Los Angeles fait face depuis plusieurs semaines à des éboulements de terrains, suite aux intempéries records, aujourd'hui encore 70 routes sont fermées à la circulation. Un idée de la situation :
Malibu, Topanga Canyon Road le 10 janvier déjà...
NBC4
Citation
Landslides Plague Homeowners, Motorists In Wake Of Storms
Slide Uproots Driveway
POSTED: 5:11 pm PST March 8, 2005
UPDATED: 5:37 pm PST March 8, 2005
ANAHEIM HILLS, Calif. -- A landslide placed a pair of Anaheim Hills homes in jeopardy Tuesday evening.
The slide caused the driveway of a Circle Haven Court home to buckle. The home was red-tagged as dirt from a nearby hillside collapsed onto the residence.
Dirt fell from the edge of another property's backyard on White Lantern Lane. A backyard pool was drained. Images: Anaheim Hills, Malibu Slides
Firefighters and building safety inspectors are at the scene.
In Malibu, two landslides have closed a portion of the Pacific Coast Highway. PCH north between Coastline Drive and Topanga Canyon Boulevard is closed Tuesday night.
Rocks and dirt fell from a hillside Tuesday afternoon. Authorities did not say when the lane would reopen.
L.A. Daily News
Citation
More than 70 L.A. roads closed, causing backups
By Lisa Mascaro, Staff Writer
With key canyon shortcuts still closed because of storm damage, freeway congestion has worsened this week, creating nightmare commutes for motorists in San Fernando Valley and North Los Angeles County.
The closures of Laurel Canyon and Topanga Canyon boulevards have forced commuters onto the Ventura and San Diego freeways, creating monster backups for motorists heading over the hill in the morning and back home at night. In all, more than 70 streets across Los Angeles County remained closed.
"The 405's been a little busier, as far as congestion ... a lot of people are having to take that alternate route," said California Highway Patrol Officer Rick Quintero.
In addition to stabilizing saturated canyon hillsides, crews have been at work to repair a yawning sinkhole on Tujunga Avenue in Sun Valley. The city has spent $1 million to fill the pit, which is 20,000 cubic yards -- about the size of 400 backyard swimming pools -- with boulders and concrete.
Permanent reconstruction is slated to get under way in June, after the rainy season ends, said Public Works Department spokeswoman Cora Jackson Fossett.
"Our goal was just to get it under control to prevent the likelihood of further damage," she said.
City officials said they have filled more than 19,700 potholes since Dec. 28 -- 6,700 of them in the last two weeks.
A massive sinkhole opened Wednesday near Pasadena, demonstrating how unstable the ground can be even after the rains have passed, said Ken Pellman, spokesman for the county Department of Public Works.
"The storm damage can show up days after the storms, weeks later," he said. "Now we're seeing this in low-lying areas. It's not just the canyon areas that have been hit."
This winter has been the third rainiest on record, with 33.91 inches falling since July 1. Storms in late December and early January led to a federal emergency declaration, and subsequent storms have put the damage at millions of dollars.
The National Weather Service forecasts a 30 percent chance of showers today and Saturday, but said no major storm is expected until late next week. Sunday is expected to be partly cloudy with a high of 70 degrees.
Mathieu:
Ingrid a traversé la pointe nord de l'Australie, comme prévu sans faire trop de dégats puisque c'est une région très peu peuplée.
http://www.abc.net.au/news/newsitems/200503/s1320743.htm
Citation
Cyclone Ingrid blows west
Remote communities on western Cape York are bracing for the arrival of Cyclone Ingrid, which has brought heavy rain and strong winds to the region.
Cyclone Ingrid crossed the coast this morning as a category 4, but has since been downgraded to a category 1.
At 5:00pm AEST the cyclone was about 30 kilometres east of Aurukun, and moving west-south-west at 18 kilometres per hour.
The weather bureau says destructive winds of up to 120 kilometres-per-hour are likely to continue near the centre of the cyclone.
Ingrid is expected to move into the Gulf of Carpentaria later tonight and strengthen as it moves west.
Higher than normal tides are expected between Mapoon and Cape Keerweer.
Cathy Muller, from the Tropical Cyclone Warning Centre, says Ingrid will have a significant impact despite being downgraded.
"Because of its lack of size it's not a great rain producer, but for the Cape York Peninsula area there will be localised flooding with some very heavy rain fall," she said.
Charter boat operator Ross Fenn has sought shelter in a narrow part of the Archer River.
"We've got the boat tied at both sides, to both sides of the creek, to big mangroves either side of the creek and we've got about 30 to 40 knots and heavy rain," he said.
Ingrid is expected to move west towards the Northern Territory over the next few days.
Plus au sud de l'Australie, en Nouvelle-Zélande, une tornade s'est invitée en pleine ville...
http://tvnz.co.nz/view/news_national_story_skin/478798%3fformat=html
Vidéos de la chose disponibles sur le site
Citation
Clear day after tornado strikes town
Mar 11, 2005
Greymouth residents have woken to a clear day after a tornado cut a swathe of destruction through the West Coast town on Thursday.
The tornado destroyed 13 homes and damaged 24 businesses, leaving 30 people homeless. No one was seriously hurt.
Grey District Mayor Tony Kokshoorn told Breakfast he was almost collected by a piece of flying debris.
Residents said black clouds billowing in the sky were the first signs of the tornado.
"I was very scared. I heard this really large noise and I looked up ... and huge bits of iron were flying through the air," Jessie Deck said.
The winds were so strong they hurled a truck into a lagoon, snapped power poles in half and tossed debris onto cars - flattening them.
Thirty residents at the Kowhai Manor Rest Home were evacuated and spent Thursday night in the hospital.
The priority now, Kokshoorn says, is helping those left homeless and repairing the rest home.
"We had phone calls from everywhere. Every carpenter in Greymouth was on the job trying to help. We had phone calls from the Buller District Council, Western District Council, Economic Development Trust, they all offered help financially. The way people rallied together was just remarkable," Kokoorsh says.
He predicts the cost of the damage will be in the millions, but expects it only to take a matter of weeks before the town is back to normal.
"It's remarkable how things jump into action. It's in recovery mode now - there's people helping in all directions, clearing the roads and the streets," he says.
MetService says the West Coast is more at risk of tornadoes than any other part of the country.
Forecaster Gerard Bellam says about 20 tornadoes a year are seen on the West Coast but they are generally over farm land.
The storms develop over the Tasman Sea where there is a lot of moisture in the air and tornadoes are triggered when the storms hit the land.
Thursday's tornado missed the main shopping centre, twisted up the Grey River into a residential area before crossing to a lagoon across town and up into the hills.
"It only lasted about five minutes from go to whoa," Kokshoorn says.
The town will be holding a meeting on Friday morning to assess what help is needed. Otherwise, all of the essential services are working, Kokshoorn says.
Parlant tornades, en voici une autre en Californie, qui n'est pas vraiment située dans la région de prédilection de ces phénomènes terrifiants :
http://www.fontanaheraldnews.com/articles/2005/03/10/news/02newstornado.txt
Citation
Tornado hits Fontana area; no injuries reported (03-10-05)
The old saying "there is a first time for everything" came true in Fontana on March 4 when a small tornado hit the western unincorporated county area, causing minor damage to several homes and buildings while frightening residents, authorities said.
The incident, which took place at about 12:25 p.m., surprised nearby residents, who after watching the sky turn black, saw marble-sized hail pour into the ground, followed by violent swirling winds which carried lots of deadly debris.
"The wind sounded noisier than a train. Then I went outside and I saw a bathtub flying in the air," said Claudia Vazquez. "I immediately ran inside the house and took cover. I didn't know what was happening. Then I heard that it was a tornado. I couldn't believe it. It was very scary. I have never experienced anything like this in my life."
When the tornado finally stopped, damage was visible to a water well owned by the Fontana Water Company located at the intersection of Elm and Citron avenues. The approximately 20-by-20-foot roof had flown away about 30 feet from the original site, landing on top of a fence that prevents residents from going onto the railroad tracks (see photo above).
According to Jim Wonser, production foreman for the Water Company, it could take about $5,000 to repair electrical circuits and install a new roof to the water well.
In addition, residents also found downed cable lines which required the assistance of the Edison Company to reestablish services, and broken tree limbs that were cleaned by San Bernardino County road crews.
AFTER AN extensive door-to-door search for any signs of injured residents, authorities only found damages to patio furniture and other items that were outside when the tornado hit.
"There are no reports of injured or dead people in the tornado's half-mile path," said San Bernardino County Fire Battalion Chief David Nunez. "Residents were very fortunate because usually tornadoes carry a lot of debris that could cause a lot of damage if struck by one."
Laura Velazquez, 14, was returning home from school when she encountered first-hand how furious a tornado could be.
"I saw the trees getting pounded. Then I saw trash going from place to place. I thought it was a tornado but I wasn't sure because tornadoes don't happen in California," said Velazquez. "My first reaction was to stop and take cover. I ran behind a car and stayed there for about five minutes until everything stopped. It really scared me. I'm still shaking."
Bryan Noriega, 22, also saw how the tornado carried trash cans into the air, and as he entered his house to gain protection from flying debris, he watched the walls move from side to side.
"I was about to get into my car to go to work when I heard a rumble, like a train. Then I turned around and I saw trash flying," said Noriega. "I wanted to get into my car and drive away, but then I thought, no because I could get hit. I got into my house and I saw things hanging from the wall falling down. The fan and lamps were also shaking like they do during an earthquake. I looked outside and I saw my dog's house literally flying away. It was something else."
TORNADOES are not common in California, although in the last month, two of them have been reported to cause minor damage to Fallbrook, a city near San Diego, and a region near Temecula.
Tornadoes are, according to the National Weather Service, more common in the central plains of North America, east of the Rocky Mountains and west of the Appalachian Mountains.
However, if changes in wind speed and direction occur, then an invisible horizontal spinning effect in the lower atmosphere could develop, forming a tornado in any region of the world.
According to the Tornado Project Online, if a tornado warning has been given, it is because one has been spotted or is about to hit ground and attention should be paid.
In case a tornado hits, the best thing to do is look for shelter; a closet or bathroom could be used in case there is no outside underground shelter.
Shelter or not, families should be prepared with a first aid kit with essential medications, according to the American Red Cross.
In addition, families should have a battery operated radio, flashlight, extra batteries, bottled water, canned food and can openers, sturdy shoes and work gloves, and written instructions on how to turn off home utilities at hand at all times.
"We are used to earthquakes and we know what to do, but I don't think people are prepared for tornadoes," said Vazquez. "Now I now they could happen and we have to be prepared. I hope I don't see one again in my life. They are very scary."
Mathieu:
La tornade de Greymouth en Nouvelle Zélande n'a fait heureusement que quelques blessés. La vidéo est toujours disponible sur le site tvnz.co.nz mais je la garde ici aussi, en cas de problème de connexion avec l'hémisphère sud...
greymouth-NZ-tornado-10032005.avi (4min, 7Mo, Divx5)
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