AMU Emergency Management Public Safety

EDM Friday Briefing: A Strong El Niño, Porter Ranch Update, First Atlantic Hurricane in January in 78 Years

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Emergency and disaster management Friday Briefing for January 15, 2016: Analysis from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration shows that the current El Niño is one of the strongest on record, health risks posed by the gas leak in California may have been understated, and a rare winter hurricane forms.

  1. The current El Niño [link url=”https://www.climate.gov/news-features/blogs/enso/january-el-ni%C3%B1o-update-it%E2%80%99s-got-lot-going” title=”is one of the strongest on record“], according to analysis from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). While December 2015 will likely be the peak in one-month sea surface temperature, the NOAA noted, [link url=”https://www.climate.gov/news-features/blogs/enso/january-el-ni%C3%B1o-update-it%E2%80%99s-got-lot-going” title=”the main season for El Niño impacts in the U.S. has only just begun“] and extends through March.

    2. [relink url=”https://amuedge.com/comes-the-el-nino/”]

  2. Prediction of [link url=”http://www.bbc.com/news/world-35197887″ title=”El Niño-fueled weather chaos“] have been pouring in since the end of 2015, and some of those predictions have proven correct. Currently, El Niño is being blamed for everything from [link url=”http://abcnews.go.com/GMA/video/el-nino-rains-massive-flooding-california-36139154″ title=”massive flooding in California“] to [link url=”http://ktar.com/story/838750/climatologist-el-nino-will-turn-phoenix-into-seattle-this-year/” title=”abnormal Arizona weather“] to [link url=”http://www.mercurynews.com/nation-world/ci_29299789/freakish-el-nino-related-weather-could-result-new” title=”warmer-than-usual Christmastime temperatures“] and is even being blamed for [link url=”https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/morning-mix/wp/2016/01/14/rare-venomous-sea-snakes-keep-washing-up-on-california-beaches/” title=”rare sea snakes washing ashore“]. All things considered, some experts are weighing in on [link url=”http://www.scientificamerican.com/article/ask-the-experts-is-el-nino-to-blame-for-so-much-weird-weather/” title=”how much El Niño really is to blame“] for unusual weather seen across the U.S. in recent months.

    3. [relink url=”http://edmdigest.com/response/oh-the-weather-outside-is-frightful-or-is-it/”]

  3. California leaders plan to [link url=”http://www.dailynews.com/environment-and-nature/20160114/state-leaders-to-brief-residents-on-porter-ranch-gas-leak-friday” title=”brief residents on Porter Ranch gas leak“] today to give an update about the gas leak crisis, which is now in its third month, and to field questions about the state of emergency. Analysis of data associated with the gas leak is now pointing out that the utility responsible, Southern California Gas Co., [link url=”http://losangeles.cbslocal.com/2016/01/14/utility-may-have-understated-health-threat-from-porter-ranch-gas-leak/” title=”may have understated the health threat“] posed by the leak. There is now evidence that levels of the cancer-causing chemical benzene have risen dramatically in the region over the past three months.

    4. [relink url=”https://amuedge.com/the-dangers-of-hidden-infrastructure/”]

  4. Many California residents fear possible [link url=”http://time.com/4173516/california-gas-leak-resident-reaction/” title=”long-term impacts of the gas leak“], including respiratory problems and other illnesses. But the impacts of the ongoing leak are more far-reaching than immediate health concerns. Environmental advocates fear about long-term impacts on the climate, as well, pointing out that the [link url=”http://time.com/4180692/california-methane-gas-leak-environment/” title=”daily global warming impact of the leak is the same as driving 4.5 million cars“].
  5. Several satellites and instruments captured data yesterday on a rare winter hurricane — [link url=”http://phys.org/news/2016-01-nasa-formation-unusual-north-atlantic.html” title=”the first hurricane to form in the month of January since 1938“]. Hurricane Alex is hundreds of miles off the coast of Morocco and [link url=”http://www.sun-sentinel.com/news/weather/fl-weather-subtropical-storm-alex-20160113-story.html” title=”poses no threat to the United States“]. Azores, a group of islands about 900 miles west of Portugal, [link url=”http://www.weather.com/storms/hurricane/news/hurricane-alex-atlantic-ocean-azores” title=”is currently in the hurricane’s path“].
  6. Amidst reports of [link url=”https://amuedge.com/wildfires-worst-ever-in-2015/” title=”2015 having the worst wildfires in U.S. history“], with a record-breaking 10.1 million acres burning on U.S. soil ([link url=”https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/energy-environment/wp/2016/01/06/2015-wildfire-season-just-set-an-amazing-and-troubling-new-record/” title=”more land than Maryland, Washington D.C. and Delaware combined“]), some conservationists are questioning the value of fighting fierce wildfires. Some conservationists [link url=”http://www.theguardian.com/environment/georgemonbiot/2016/jan/14/swaling-is-causing-an-environmental-disaster-on-britains-moors” title=”believe that burning is good for wildlife“] and some researchers even go as far as saying that [link url=”http://www.paysonroundup.com/news/2016/jan/12/fighting-wildfires-may-do-more-harm-good/” title=”fighting wildfires may do more harm than good“].

    7. [relink url=”https://amuedge.com/wildfires-worst-ever-in-2015/”]

  7. Indonesian authorities [link url=”http://www.reuters.com/article/us-indonesia-blast-idUSKCN0UT05F” title=”arrested three suspected militants in a pre-dawn raid“] a day after a suicide-bomb attack by the Islamic State left seven people dead in Jakarta. This is the [link url=”http://www.reuters.com/article/us-indonesia-blast-idUSKCN0UT05F” title=”first time that the Islamic State has targeted Indonesia“], the country with the world’s largest Muslim population, and Indonesian citizens [link url=”http://time.com/4182106/jakarta-rally-attacks-kami-tidak-takut/” title=”have refused to be cowed by the attacks“].
  8. This week, California regulators [link url=”http://www.capradio.org/articles/2016/01/13/two-years-later,-water-agencies-receive-final-round-of-emergency-drought-aid/” title=”awarded the final pieces of the $680 million drought aid package“] that was originally approved in March 2014. The package included emergency aid for farmers, assistance for communities running out of drinking water, and support for regional water management projects.

    9. [relink url=”https://amuedge.com/water-water-nowhere/”]

  9. A [link url=”http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2016/jan/14/grant-to-help-schools-recovery-effort-after-baltim/” title=”federal grant will help ongoing recovery efforts in Baltimore schools“] that were affected by 2015 riots associated with death of Freddie Gray. [link url=”http://baltimore.cbslocal.com/2016/01/14/grant-to-help-schools-recovery-effort-after-baltimore-riots/” title=”Nearly $300,000 will be split between five affected schools“], with funds largely providing social workers and support staff to help the psychological needs of students. David Guzman, Principal of Matthew Henson Elementary School — a school Freddie Gray once attended, said that that the grant money [link url=”http://baltimore.cbslocal.com/2016/01/14/grant-to-help-schools-recovery-effort-after-baltimore-riots” title=”‘should just be the tip of the iceberg’“].
  10. A [link url=”http://www.usatoday.com/story/travel/flights/todayinthesky/2016/01/14/jetblue-flights-slowed-data-center-outage/78795316/” title=”power outage at JetBlue“] delayed flights and brought the company’s website down yesterday. While the JetBlue website came back online mid-afternoon, disruptions lingered at airports.

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