March 16, 2012

Recent Natural Events

Unexpected torrents of rain displace over 1,000 people in Punta Arenas in Chile’s south.

A torrent of rainfall struck Punta Arenas, near the southern tip of Chile, on late Sunday night, flooding nearly 240 acres of land and culminating in the worst storm in the city had seen in 22 years. Read

Texas drought threatens agriculture

Farmers are unlikely to bring in big yields due to insufficient water as a result of an ongoing drought in the U.S. state of Texas. Watch

Cusco, Peru,  in state of emergency

The Government of Cusco declared emergency for 60 days due to the damage caused by the rain. Read  

Other Disasters Related News

Drought Takes Toll On Mexico’s Monarch Population

A new report says the number of Monarch butterflies wintering in Mexico is down and the drought is part of the reason. Read

Argentina - Farmers slowly start to harvest drought-hit soy

Farmers have started harvesting soybeans but heavy rains that arrived after months of drought have slowed efforts to gather the parched crops, the Buenos Aires Grains Exchange said.  Read

Warmth Expected Across U.S. for Next Three Months, U.S. Says

A streak of above-normal temperatures that led to the fourth-warmest U.S. winter on record is expected to continue for the next three months, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration said. Read

U.S. tornado damage 'manageable' for insurance industry: S&P

The analysis, “Despite the Early Start to the 2012 U.S. Tornado Season, Insured Losses are Manageable for the Industry,” noted a report by catastrophe modeler EQECAT Inc. that found tornado activity through early March was more than double that of the 2005-2011 average. Read