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Survivors recount horror of India floods
Barrages of water, mud and rocks have hit scores of towns and villages in the Indian state of Uttarakhand in the past week, devouring homes, shrines, roads and vehicles.
Uttarakhand's chief minister, Vijay Bahuguna, has described the disaster as a "Himalayan tsunami."
FULL STORYFloods hit northern India, killing 150
Rescue workers in northern India are scrambling to save tens of thousands of people left stranded by devastating floods that have killed as many as 150 people in the region.
Triggered by unusually heavy monsoon rains, the floods have swept away buildings, roads and vehicles in the mountainous state of Uttarakhand, which borders Nepal and China.
FULL STORY
Earthquake rattles eastern Canada
People on both sides of the border felt an earthquake originating around the Quebec and Ontario borders, the Canadian government said.
Natural Resources Canada gave it a preliminary magnitude of 5.2; the U.S. Geological Survey put it at 4.4.
With an epicenter about 11 miles (18 kilometers) from Shawville, in western Quebec, the quake was felt in the Ottawa-Gatineau area and out to Toronto, more than 260 miles away. It hit a nerve in New York state and Cleveland, too.
FULL STORY
Alaska volcano spews ash 20,000 feet
An Alaska volcano exhibiting "elevated seismic activity" has spewed ash clouds skyward - as high as 20,000 feet above sea level - an observatory reported Wednesday.
As was the case a day earlier, the Pavlof Volcano was on "watch" status on Wednesday because of heightened activity, and it was also under an orange code that relates to how its rumblings might affect planes flying over its summit. Both these alert levels are the second most serious out of four options, according to the Alaska Volcano Observatory.
The same alert levels also continue to apply Wednesday to the Cleveland Volcano, which like Pavlof is in the Aleutian Island range southwest of mainland Alaska. Lava was reported flowing Tuesday at Pavlof and Cleveland.
FULL STORYFire that destroyed dozens of cabins in Tennessee is contained
[Update 7:35 p.m.] Heavy rain has brought the wildfire in Pigeon Forge, Tennessee, under control, the state's emergency management agency says.
The fire is contained to about 5 acres, and all crews have been sent home except for about eight people who will monitor hot spots, the agency told CNN affiliate WATE.
[Original post, 12:57 a.m] The National Guard will fly in two helicopters Monday to help battle a massive wildfire that has damaged more than 30 cabins in Pigeon Forge, a mountain resort city in Tennessee.
While the state Emergency Management Agency had not received reports of casualties, the fire prompted the evacuation of about 150 people.
The area is home to rental cabins with some permanent residences
FULL STORY
Central Florida wildfire scorches 1,900 acres
A wildfire jumped a road in central Florida, scorching homes and wiping out trees as it charred more than 1,900 acres, a fire official said Sunday.
Some 24 structures in Marion County had been burned by what's being called the Hopkins Prairie Fire, said U.S. Forest Service spokeswoman Susan Blake. Ten of those buildings were homes, according to a tweet from the National Weather Service.
The blaze around Ocala National Forest was 80% contained as of early Sunday evening, Blake added. About 100 local, state and federal firefighters were on site.
FULL STORYFlorida calls off search for man in sinkhole
Authorities in Florida gave up the search Saturday for a man presumed dead after a sinkhole opened beneath the bedroom of his family's suburban Tampa home, swallowing him up.
The effort to recover the body of Jeff Bush had resumed earlier in the day after authorities stopped operations overnight, saying the hole was still expanding and the house could collapse at any time.
"We just have not been able to locate Mr. Bush and so for that reason the rescue effort is being discontinued," Mike Merrill, county administrator for Hillsborough County, told reporters Saturday evening. "At this point, it's really not possible to recover the body."
FULL STORYFlorida brush fire prompts evacuation of 300 homes
A fast-moving brush fire near Daytona Beach forced the evacuation of 300 homes and spread to 1,000 acres Saturday, Greg Dunn of the Florida Forest Service said.
Interstate 95 in Volusia County was closed in both directions because of the fire and poor visibility, said Sgt. Kim Montes of the Florida Highway Patrol.
Thick smoke rose from the fast-moving fire, which was being fueled by high winds and low humidity, Dunn said, adding he expects the same conditions Sunday.
FULL STORYStrong quake reported in Pacific
A 6.9 magnitude earthquake has been reported in the Pacific Ocean off the coast of far eastern Russia, the U.S. Geological Survey said Thursday.
The location is near the Kuril Islands, more than 50 miles southeast of Ozernovskiy, Russia.
FULL STORY
Third large quake in a week hits Solomon Islands
[Updated at 11:43 a.m. ET] A magnitude-7.0 earthquake occurred at 10:26 a.m. ET in the vicinity of the Santa Cruz Islands in the Pacific Ocean, at a depth of 27 kilometers (16.8 miles), 25 kilometers (15 miles) south-southeast of Lata, Solomon Islands. No tsunami warning has been issued by the Pacific Tsunami Warning Center.
[Posted at 8:31 a.m. ET] A 7.1-magnitude earthquake rattled the Solomon Islands on Friday, the U.S. Geological Survey reported. There were no immediate reports of a tsunami.
The quake comes two days after an 8.0-magnitude earthquake struck the same region, triggering a tsunami that killed five people but didn't threaten the wider region.
FULL STORY4 injured in fire at U.S. State Department
Four people were injured Saturday after a flash fire broke out in the ductwork of the State Department building in Washington, fire officials said.
One person was in a "life-threatening condition" and two others were in serious but non-life threatening condition at Washington Hospital Center, authorities said. The fourth person fell from a ladder and hurt his knee.
The fire broke out after 11 a.m., as construction crews were working on the premises, and was extinguished on short order, said Lon Walls, a spokesman for Washington's fire department.
FULL STORY6.5-magnitude earthquake strikes off Guatemala's western coast
A 6.5-magnitude earthquake struck this afternoon in the Pacific off the western coast of Guatemala, the U.S. Geological Survey reported.
Striking about 17 miles (27 kilometers) below sea level, the tremor was centered about 19 miles west-southwest of Champerico, Guatemala, and 115 miles from the capital, Guatemala City. The quake was not far from southern Mexico, with the USGS reporting it was 27 miles south-southeast of the border community of Suchiate, Mexico.
6.8-magnitude quake hits Myanmar
[Updated 5:00 a.m.] At least 13 people have died and 40 more injured, according the charity Save the Children, which operates inside Myanmar.
At least 48 dead after 7.4-magnitude quake off Mexico-Guatemala border
Editor's note: A 7.4-magnitude earthquake hit Wednesday off the coast of Guatemala, according to the U.S. Geological Survey. Guatemalan officials say at least 48 people died and about 125,000 people were without power. The quake, centered about 15 miles from the coastal city of Champerico at a depth of 26 miles, was felt throughout Central America and as far north as Mexico City. Below are updates:
[Updated at 9:27 p.m. ET] At least 48 people were killed as a result of the earthquake, Guatemalan President Otto Perez Molina said.
[Updated at 5:07 p.m. ET] The death toll in the Guatemalan quake has risen to at least 29, said David de Leon, a spokesman for the country's disaster relief agency.
Magnitude-2.0 quake shakes New Jersey
As if they haven't had enough headaches in New Jersey in the past week, this morning they can add earthquake to the list.
The magnitude-2.0 temblor struck at 1:19 a.m. and was centered two miles south-southeast of Ringwood, New Jersey, not far from the border with New York. The depth was 3.1 miles, according to the U.S. Geological Survey.
3.9-magnitude earthquake strikes northeastern Arkansas
A 3.9-magnitude earthquake struck northeastern Arkansas Monday morning, according to the U.S. Geological Survey
The quake was centered about six miles from Parkin, near the Tennessee border, at a depth of 3.2 miles.
Hawaii seemingly spared the worst from tsunami triggered by 7.7-magnitude quake
Editor's Note: A sizable 7.7-magnitude earthquake in western Canada triggered a tsunami that headed toward Hawaii, prompting evacuations of thousands from coastal areas. Geophysicists had feared waves between 3 and 7 feet to lash the Hawaii islands, beginning about 10:28 p.m. local time Saturday (4:28 a.m. Sunday ET). But Hawaii seems to have been spared the worst. There have been no apparent damage from the quake in Canada, nor from the tsunami in Hawaii. Here is the full story.
Here are the latest developments:
[Update 7:19 a.m.] Evacuations for coastal residents have been lifted, CNN affiliate Hawaii News Now reports.
[Update 7:06 a.m.] The tsunami warning for Hawaii has been canceled. A tsunami advisory is now in effect.
A tsunami advisory indicates that strong currents or waves that are dangerous to those in or very near the water are expected, but significant inundation is not expected.
[Update 6:35 a.m.] Exercise patience. That is the message from Honolulu Mayor Peter Carlisle. "We are not in a position now where we believe it's safe for you to return," he told reporters. "I understand it's an unpleasant thing to stay away from your homes, your loved ones, your pets."
He said that until the island is out of the entire cycle of waves, it will be difficult to predict what will happen. "Sometimes the last ones are the dangerous ones," he said referring to the waves.
One reason why authorities are hesitant to issue the all-clear are reports of 4-foot waves
Wailoa Harbor on the Big Island reporting 4 ft waves every six minutes.
— SOH Civil Defense (@HI_CivilDefense) October 28, 2012
[Update 6:26 a.m.] There have been 23 aftershocks measuring 4.1 or greater since a 7.7-magnitude quake struck off the coast of Queen Charlotte Islands in Canada late Saturday, the U.S. Geological Survey said.
[Update 5:50 a.m.] So when can Hawaiians return home? "We believe we’ll have enough information in the next 2 to 3 hours to be able to determine when and if we’ll be able to issue an all clear," said Peter Carlisle, Honolulu mayor. "As of now we do not want people returning to their homes. We want them to stay in a location where they are safe."
Scientists aghast after colleagues convicted of manslaughter over Italy quake
Earthquake experts around the world say they are appalled by an Italian court's decision to convict six scientists on manslaughter charges for failing to predict the deadly quake that devastated the city of L'Aquila. They warned the ruling could severely harm future scientific research.
The court in L'Aquila sentenced the scientists and a government official Monday to six years in prison, ruling that they didn't accurately communicate the risk of the earthquake in 2009 that killed more than 300 people.
The trial centered on a meeting a week before the 6.3-magnitude quake struck. At the meeting, the experts determined that it was "unlikely" but not impossible that a major quake would take place, despite concern among the city's residents over recent seismic activity.
FULL STORY
Earthquake recorded in Maine
[Update 8:55 p.m. ET] The U.S. Geological Survey revised its report of Tuesday's earthquake to magnitude 4.0, down from a preliminary magnitude of 4.6. The epicenter was pinpointed 4 miles west-southwest of Hollis Center, Maine, at a shallow depth of 4.2 miles.
Despite the downgrade, the quake was felt as far away as Boston, Massachusetts; Albany, New York, and even Waterbury, Connecticut, according to the USGS.
You can report your earthquake experience to the USGS at the above link, as well as adding your comment to the many at the end of this post.
"My entire house shook for 3 to 4 seconds. It felt like it was about to collapse," a viewer from Everett, Massachusetts, wrote to CNN affiliate WCVB in Boston.
[Original post] An earthquake of preliminary magnitude 4.6 hit Maine at 7:12 p.m. ET Tuesday, according to the USGS website. The earthquake happened 3 miles (5 kilometers) west of Hollis Center, Maine.
Earthquake detected off Japan
A magnitude 6.2 earthquake struck off Japan's eastern coast early Tuesday, the U.S. Geological Survey reported.
With a depth of 9 kilometers (5.5 miles), the temblor was about 150 kilometers (93 miles) east-southeast of Hachinohe and 550 kilometers (342 miles) north-northeast of Tokyo, according to the U.S. agency.
The quake occurred just over a year and a half after a magnitude 9.0 earthquake triggered a huge tsunami off Japan, resulting in thousands of deaths and the world's worst nuclear crisis in a quarter century.
The Japan Meteorological Agency, however, did not issue any tsunami warnings or advisories immediately after the Tuesday morning quake, according to its website. No such warnings were issued by the Pacific Tsunami Warning Center either.
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