Tag: flooding

Watch: Dog walker encounters forest floor ‘moving like the sea’

A man walking his dog in Scotland has captured footage showing peculiar earth movements attributed to an unrelenting storm.

A dog-walker in Scotland has captured footage showing peculiar earth movements attributed to an unrelenting storm.

The footage, captured Friday by David Nugent-Malone, shows the saturated forest floor rising and dipping as high winds bend trees and challenge their root systems.

“The woods were moving like the sea this morning,” Nugent-Malone described in the first of two accompanying clips.

In the second clip, the curious dog is shown walking onto a top-layer of soil as it separates and resettles in a phenomenon described as the earth “breathing deeply this morning.”

Storm Babet slammed Scotland with torrential rains and high winds beginning Thursday, triggering red “danger to life” warnings.

At least three fatalities have been attributed to the storm.

Saints fans should prepare for rain inside Chargers’ open-air SoFi Stadium

Saints fans shouldn’t forget about Hurricane Hilary’s rain Just because the Chargers play inside SoFi Stadium. The venue has dealt with leaks and lightning delays before:

The NFL is determined to see the New Orleans Saints kick off their second preseason game with the Los Angeles Chargers at SoFi Stadium on Sunday night whether Hurricane Hilary hits the area or not. Orange County is under the first tropical storm warning — not the first this year, but the first ever — but the league office has determined the show must go on.

So kickoff is still scheduled for 6 pm. CT/4 p.m. PT, right around the time bands of tropical wind and rain are forecast to approach one of America’s largest cities. And any fans looking to brave the elements so they can see their team play an exhibition game should take precautions for the weather while at their seats.

Pack a poncho, wear good shoes, and try to practice patience. Don’t assume you’ll be high and dry just because SoFi Stadium has a dome. The venue does not have complete walls encircling the field, stands, and concourse (so that the normally-pristine Los Angeles climate can breeze through) but that exposure has led to rain pouring inside before. Past games have dealt with lightning delays, interior flooding, and injuries from people slipping and falling while just trying to make their way to their seats. Another factor to consider is how the precipitation may impact the field’s artificial Matrix Turf playing surface.

Take a look for yourself at the elements’ intrusion to this year’s NCAA national championship game between Georgia and TCU:

Watch: Huge carp wrestled from flooded California street

Video footage has surfaced showing two men wrestle a giant carp from a flooded street in Watsonville, Ca.

During extensive flooding, streets can resemble rivers complete with fish that have been swept over the banks of actual rivers and lakes.

The accompanying footage, featured Tuesday by KSBW Action News 8, shows two men wrestling what looks like a huge carp from a flooded street in Watsonville, Ca.

Laughter abounds as one man uses his body and arms to trap the carp against a curb before the other man plucks the fish from the water.

“We received more videos of people fishing in the flood waters around Watsonville,” the network tweeted. “This catch took a little more dedication than the first one.”

ALSO: Rare footage shows hippos attacking lion stranded on rock

That was a reference to the March 11 capture of a large carp on College Road in Watsonville. The fish apparently became dinner.

Watsonville is in Central California, a region battered by atmospheric rivers, which have prompted flood warnings and caused levee failures.

–Image courtesy of KSBW Action News 8

Death Valley National Park closes after rare flooding event

Extreme weather has left the valley reeling.

No one expects flash flooding in a hot desert environment. However, as extreme weather events become more common and severe worldwide, people may need to start expecting the unexpected. Recently, Death Valley National Park was the site of one such weather anomaly. As one of the driest and hottest areas in the United States, Death Valley was hit hard by heavy rainfall and flooding on Monday, Aug. 1, and Friday, Aug. 5. The park plans to remain closed into next week.

“The heavy rain that caused the devastating flooding at Death Valley was an extremely rare, 1000-year event,” Daniel Berc, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service Las Vegas, said in a National Park Service news release. “A 1000-year event doesn’t mean it happens once per 1000 years, rather that there is a 0.1% chance of occurring in any given year.”

A park sign on the ground, covered with sand, near two rocky hills.
© NPS/N.Ramirez

The record-breaking rainfall delivered almost a year’s worth of rain to Death Valley in just three hours. Preliminary data recorded 1.46 inches of rain at the park’s Furnace Creek area. The park’s all-time record for rainfall occurred on April 15, 1988, after 1.47 inches of rain.

While no injuries were reported, the flooding temporarily trapped hundreds of visitors to the area. Debris swept up by the flood also covered 60 vehicles, according to NPR. As for Death Valley National Park’s infrastructure, “severe asphalt damage” has affected hundreds of miles of roads. Repairs will take time, and park superintendent Mike Reynolds says future extreme weather damage may be in the future.

Several cars partially covered in mud.
© NPS

“Death Valley is an incredible place of extremes,” Reynolds said. “It is the hottest place in the world, and the driest place in North America. This week’s 1,000 year flood is another example of this extreme environment. With climate change models predicting more frequent and more intense storms, this is a place where you can see climate change in action!”

Kentucky flooding leaves locals struggling toward a difficult recovery

Serious flooding may continue as more storms approach.

Last week, heavy rain caused devastating floods across eastern Kentucky. Stark photographs show communities buried under muddy water, with only trees and hills managing to escape. As the state braces for further storms, Governor Andy Beshear warns that the “next couple days are going to be hard.”

“We’ve got rain and maybe even a lot of rain that’s going to hit the same areas. Please pray for the people in these areas. And if you are in the areas that are going to get hit by rain, make sure you stay safe. Make sure you have a place that is higher ground. Go to a shelter. Just please, please be safe,” Beshear said in a video on his YouTube channel.

An aerial view of a flooded Kentucky town.
© The National Guard.

Currently, some sources place the flood’s death toll at 30. Many more remain missing. While workers continue searching for missing people, standing water and devastated infrastructure complicate rescue missions. Even after rescue, many local residents could face further strife.

“A lot of these places have never flooded. So if they’ve never flooded, these people will not have flood insurance,” Donald Mobelini, mayor of Hazard, Kentucky, told CNN. “If they lose their home, it’s total loss. There’s not going to be an insurance check coming to help that.”

There are ways to help struggling Kentuckians, however. Donations to the Team Eastern Kentucky Flood Relief Fund will directly help locals affected by flooding. Individual fundraising campaigns can also be found on this GoFundMe hub page. An eastern Kentucky mutual aid group, eKY Mutual Aid, also established a flood relief fund that raised and distributed money to affected communities.

A person in a helicopter looking down on a flooded town.
© The National Guard.

As eKy mutual aid wrote on Twitter, “the damages to our hills and hollers will take years to mend. and a whole lot of hands at work. we have been stepping up, spreading the word, loading up trucks and throwing in donations from all across the state/nation. it’s amazing. my heart aches.”

Flood water crashed through Circa Sportsbook as monsoonal storms rocked Vegas

Several Vegas sportsbooks and casinos saw flooding as a result of storms.

A wave of monsoonal storms has caused major flooding across the Las Vegas Valley, including casinos and sportsbooks along the Vegas strip.

The first rainfall began Wednesday and caused outages. Then, more rain dumped on the valley Thursday. Some areas received more than an inch in just a two-hour period, according to the Las Vegas Review-Journal. The Las Vegas Strip reported wind gusts of 71 miles per hour. The flooding was so bad downtown that it crashed through a television in Circa Sportsbook.

Flooding also impacted other casinos like Caesars, according to unconfirmed videos on social media, and a parking garage along the strip.

Meteorologist Barry Pierce told the Review-Journal that storms could repeat Friday.

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Yellowstone closes all entrances, citing ‘unprecedented’ flooding

Yellowstone National Park announced Monday that all entrances are temporarily closed because of hazardous conditions caused by extensive flooding.

Yellowstone National Park announced Monday that all entrances are temporarily closed because of hazardous conditions caused by flooding.

In a news release, the park cited “unprecedented amounts of rainfall” for causing flooding of roadways, mudslides and rockslides.

“Effective immediately, no inbound visitor traffic will be allowed into the park until conditions stabilize and the park can assess damage to roads and bridges and other facilities,” the park stated. “This includes visitors with lodging and camping reservations.”

As of Monday morning, power was out at multiple locations inside a park that spans 3,500 square miles in parts of Montana, Wyoming, and Idaho.

Flooding is so extensive that damaged roads might take weeks or longer to reopen.

RELATED: Yellowstone bison rests head on boardwalks and, yes, it’s a scene

“Preliminary assessments show multiple sections of roads throughout the park have been either washed out or covered in mud or rocks, and multiple bridges may be affected,” the park stated.

More rain is expected through midweek, and rapid snowmelt is causing rivers to swell, exacerbating the situation. The park stated that flooding on the Yellowstone River is “beyond record levels.”

“With additional rainfall forecasted, the park does not want large numbers of day-use visitors stranded in the park,” the news release explained.

The National Park Service and county authorities in Montana and Wyoming “will work with gateway communities to evaluate flooding impacts and provide support to residents.”

Those planning to visit Yellowstone in the coming weeks can click here for up-to-date road conditions.

–Images courtesy of Yellowstone National Park