Earthwatch: A Diary of the Planet

Euro Winter Storm

Days of unrelenting high winds and heavy snowfall piled snowdrifts over parts of Eastern Europe, while a wintry chill killed at least 130 people. Temperatures plunged to as cold as minus 15 degrees Fahrenheit across Romania and Poland in some of the most frigid November conditions to strike in 40 years. Dozens of villages in Romania were left without electricity because of downed power lines, and about 300 communities had no telephone service. Army personnel were dispatched to rescue motorists in the more than 1,700 cars that became buried in snowdrifts. The chill was felt as far west as France, where Paris authorities ordered an underground rail station to remain open overnight to give shelter to the homeless.

Earthquakes

A series of earthquakes that struck southwestern China late last week left 30,000 people homeless, and icy temperatures in the region threatened the survivors. Two earthquakes measuring magnitude 5.0 and 6.2 devastated parts of Yunnan and Sichuan provinces on Nov. 19, claiming three lives and injuring more than 1,500 people.

Earth movements were also felt in Taiwan, northeastern Japan and northwestern Iran.

Mexican Eruptions

Mexico’s Popocatepetl Volcano spewed a plume of ash, gas and steam two miles into the sky above Mexico City’s southeastern suburbs on Monday and Tuesday, while the threat of an explosive eruption at the country’s other active volcano in the state of Colima decreased. Mexico’s disaster prevention body Cenapred told reporters that Popocatepetl, 40 miles southeast of the capital, may be forming a new lava dome.

Northwest Tempest

A powerful North Pacific storm brought winds gusting to over 90 mph across several parts of the Pacific Northwest, blowing roofs off buildings and knocking out power to more than 300,000 homes and businesses. One person was reported killed when she came in contact with a downed high-voltage power line near Snohomish, Wash., northeast of Seattle. High winds of up to 89 mph were recorded as far south as Reno, Nev., while ocean swells of near 30 feet pounded the coasts of Oregon and Washington. Blinding snow forced the closure of some roads and highways.

Tropical Storms

The death toll from the flash floods unleashed by Tropical Storm Dawn in central Vietnam reached 102 with a number of fishermen still missing. The Hanoi government estimates that damage from the storm will rise to $28 million. Tropical Storm Elvis, the third to strike the region in less than three weeks, moved ashore near Qui Nhon on Nov. 26 and threatened to worsen the already severe flooding.

Tropical storm Nicole developed over the waters of the Eastern Atlantic on Nov. 24.

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Additional Sources: U.S. Climate Analysis Center, U.S. Earthquake Information Center and the World Meteorological Organization.