Speculative Theories On EgyptAir MS804
As I write this, we don’t know much about what happened to MS804, which disappeared off radar last night (our time). The wreckage has not even been found yet. But if I may be allowed to speculate (and it’s my blog, so why not), I think we can conclude that the loss was due to an explosive device. Why do … Read More
MAB 370 Update
Malaysia Airlines Flight 370 was traveling from Kuala Lumpur to Beijing with 227 passengers and 12 crew members on board when it disappeared from radar shortly after takeoff on March 8, 2014. Radar tracking showed the plane made at least three unexpected turns without the pilots signaling an emergency, and hourly satellite signals suggested the plane headed to the remote Indian Ocean … Read More
The Most Powerful Hurricane Ever Recorded Is Bearing Down On Mexico
200-mph sustained winds and even more powerful gusts. Patricia is “the strongest hurricane on record in the National Hurricane Center’s area of responsibility (AOR) which includes the Atlantic and the eastern North Pacific basins,” according to a Friday morning forecast discussion. The closest contender, at this point, might be Hurricane Camille when it battered the U.S. Gulf Coast in 1969. … Read More
Aid For Me And Not For Thee
What a jerk Washington (CNN)Sen. Lindsey Graham is asking for federal aid for his home state of South Carolina as it battles raging floods, but he voted to oppose similar help for New Jersey in the aftermath of Hurricane Sandy in 2013. “Let’s just get through this thing, and whatever it costs, it costs,” Graham told CNN’s Wolf Blitzer on … Read More
Hurricane Joaquin Deadly But Could Have Been Worse
It seems the biggest damage was caused by rain and subsequent flooding in South Carolina, although Joaquin only played a part. Technically, here’s what happened: As Hurricane Joaquin tracked north, well east of the coast, a separate, non-tropical low pressure system was setting up shop over the Southeast late last week. This system drew in a deep, tropical plume of water vapor off the … Read More
Chile’s 8.3 Earthquake
8.3 is very strong (strongest of the year by far). And this one was shallow, too. And lots of aftershocks. Only eight dead, which is remarkable, and the tsunami wasn’t terribly bad. Think Chile dodged a bullet.
These California Wildfires Are Pretty Scary
So this guy finally decided to leave his home in Anderson Springs last night, at 8:30. Pretty surreal….
Katrina: Ten Years Ago
Yes, this blog was around ten years ago when Katrina hit, and yes, I was all over it (and yes, a lot of the links are dead now)
The Drone Footage Of That Explosion In Tianjin China Is Amazing (航拍天津爆炸后现场 浓烟冲天烟尘笼罩)
Huge cargo containers and boxcars moved around like cardboard boxes
Major Earthquake Predicted “Any Day Now”
There was a 4.0 earthquake the other day in California yesterday morning. The 2:41 a.m. earthquake on the border of Fremont and Union City occurred on the Hayward Fault at a depth of 5 miles. Fremont and Union City are in the San Francisco and Oakland area. That’s not the news. The news is this: Tom Brocher, a scientist with the … Read More
Taiwan TransAsia ATR-72: Pilot Error Combined With Engine Flameout
The crash was horrific, although remarkable, some survived. But this pilot…. oy: TAIPEI, Taiwan — The captain of a TransAsia Airways plane mistakenly switched off its only working engine seconds before it crashed in February, killing 43 people, according to Taiwan’s Aviation Safety Council. The ASC’s latest report also showed that Captain Liao Jian-zong, who was at the controls, had … Read More
Hypocrite Cruz
He’s a weasel: Sen. Ted Cruz (R-TX) on Wednesday assured Texans that the state would receive federal relief following major flooding, even though the senator opposed federal funding following Hurricane Sandy. “There are a series of federal statutory thresholds that have to be satisfied. Initially, it appears those thresholds are likely to be satisfied by the magnitude of the damage we’re … Read More
Response To Amtrak Train Crash: Let’s Gut Amtrak
On Tuesday, an Amtrak train — the Northeast Regional train, No. 188 — was traveling from Washington to New York when it derailed around 9:30 p.m., just outside Philly. The National Transportation Safety Board has confirmed that the train was traveling at more than 100 miles an hour or twice the speed limit in that part of the corridor. More than … Read More
Tragedy In Nepal
Thousands dead following a 7.8 magnitude earthquake. It is had to get one’s head around devastation like that. Here’s video from the avalanche on Everest, which killed a few dozen, including some Americans. Ways to help — Lutheran World Relief The U.N.-affiliated organization immediately shipped nearly 10,000 quilts and 100 personal water filtration mechanisms to Nepal. They are working in … Read More