Cyclones, Earthquakes, Tornadoes and Wildfires... weather around the world

Of all the horrific news... this has to be among the worst... Cyclone devastated Yangon, Myanmar (Burma), with their militaristic junta preventing outside relief because they "have their own team to cope with the situation", a situation that has resulted in a tragic loss of life on top of the already high loss of life resulting directly from the cyclone itself, has YET ANOTHER tropical cyclone expected to head toward the same region. Thanks, Mikey, for sharing the story with me.

Reports a tropical depression was swirling southwest of Yangon and that it could develop into a major storm sparked concerns that a new tragedy could follow the early May cyclone that left up to 100,000 people dead or missing in the Irrawaddy delta. ~Source.

At this time, I am getting conflicting reports about the situation with a potential new storm... according to one story...

A.R. Subbiah, director for the climate risk management team at the U.N.'s Bangkok-based Asia Disaster Preparedness Center, told Reuters later:

"It is part of the monsoon system... Nothing to worry... It is very unlikely to develop into some kind of Nargis." ~Source.

... however, the more recent article, as well as the Naval Research Laboratory, present a differing view. It appears that it is not only possible, but most likely. (Update courtesy of Mikey... doesn't look like it will happen... whew.) That area is already ravaged with a tremendous amount of loss of life. A secondary strike in the same area would be catastrophic. The outcome is unbearable to consider. What can you do? Pray. (Prayers answered)

As for other news... I never did report on the major earthquake in Dijiangyan, China that took the lives of about 15,000 people, including 100's of children within a school that was completely destroyed, when an earthquake measuring 7.9 on the Richter Scale, took a horribly deadly toll. Effects and damage were noted 980 miles away in Beijing, so that speaks to the destructive power of this horrible quake. Fortunately, a big difference is the relief effort underway... rescue and relief are freely being accepted.

The Party's swift action to mobilize a massive rescue force has made a jarring comparison with that of Myanmar, whose government's slow response to a devastating cyclone has infuriated aid and rights groups ~Source.

Today, we are facing YET ANOTHER slight risk for severe weather in the plains... Texarkana is under fire today with a threat of tornadoes and large hail. Tomorrow, the slight risk shifts (barely) into my neck of the woods, during a time (Thursday) where I am not available to storm chase... frustrating. The scene in Texas seems like a 1,2 punch as conditions are ripe now, but afternoon heating is expected to spark round two... Crazy weather. Interesting discussion associated with the day 2 (Thursday) outlook:

THUNDERSTORMS SHOULD READILY DEVELOP...ALBEIT IN A SEEMINGLY RANDOM FASHION...AHEAD OF UPPER SYSTEM AS THERMODYNAMIC PROFILES WILL BE EXTREMELY MOIST AND UNDOUBTEDLY UNCAPPED.

With all these wildfires in Florida raging dangerously close to my neck of the woods, words such as, EXTREMELY MOIST, really offer a glimmer of hope. I have heard a few stories talking about the hundred plus homes consumed by the flames, which were started by arson. How awful is that?! Currently, there are 108 wildfires blazing with 17,131.2 acres of land on fire. Here is a current report. Another one of those years...

As an aside, I would like to welcome the newest elected member of the Southern Weather Brigade storm chasing team, Storm Chasing Mikey. He was terrific support for bf and I when we went out on our busted chase... thanks, Mikey and welcome aboard!

God be with everyone suffering...
~Dewdrop