Latest Natural Disasters News | FOX 13 Seattle

Peru struck by magnitude-7.5 earthquake, USGS says

Sun, 28 Nov 2021 07:26:59 -0800

An earthquake with a preliminary magnitude of 7.5 struck northern Peru early Sunday, damaging some buildings and blocking several roads with rubble.

While the quake was extremely strong, it was relatively deep — measured at 112 kilometers (70 miles) — which usually reduces the possibility of damage and casualties.

The quake occurred at 5:52 a.m. (1052 GMT) and its epicenter was in the Amazon region, 42 kilometers (26 miles) north northwest of the city of Barranca. It had a magnitude of 7.5, according to the U.S. Geological Survey.

Part of a 16th century church in La Jalca district in the Amazon region collapsed and three people were lightly injured, Mayor Walter Culqui told Peru's RPP radio.

Falling stones blocked several highways in the Amazonas and Cajamarca regions in Peru, and the tremor was felt nearly 800 kilometers (500 miles) away in the capital of Lima, where some people rushed out of their homes in alarm.

A church in the Loja municipality in neighboring Ecuador was also partly damaged. The tremor was also felt in parts of Colombia and Brazil.

Earthquakes are common in Peru, which falls within the Pacific Ring of Fire where 85% of the planet’s seismic activity takes place.

"We want people to understand what to expect." - Volcano webinar today to get Washington State 'volcano ready'

Thu, 13 May 2021 08:05:00 -0700

The beautiful landscape in Washington State is a result of the active geology we have here in volcano country. While we often delight in saying, "the mountain is out", that mountain is often a sleeping volcano. In fact, we've got a five volcanoes in Washington State. You might live near one of them-- or more importantly downstream from one of them. Mount Baker, Glacier Peak, Mount Rainier, Mount St. Helens, and Mount Adams all could rumble back to life at any time.

As part of Volcano Awareness Month, the Washington Department of Emergency Management is holding a web seminar today May 13th at 1pm. You can click the link here to see it live or see a recorded version after the fact.

https://bit.ly/VolcanoWebinar2021

Preparing for a volcano can get you ready for lots of natural disasters like floods, earthquakes, winter storms and forest fires too. The webinar is expected to cover topics about how to prepare for different communities-- those living in the direct shadow of these giants on our landscape and those living a bit further downstream and downwind. -Tim Joyce

Puppy rescued from charred remains of home in California as wildfires burn through West Coast

Wed, 16 Sep 2020 16:50:32 -0700

As wildfires burned through Northern California, the Butte County Sheriff’s Office made an unexpected discovery while searching through properties impacted by the Berry Creek fires on Sept. 12.

“They made an unexpected and welcome discovery on a large property in Berry Creek,” the sheriff’s office wrote in a Facebook post. “This adorable puppy.”

The puppy was found covered in ash and appeared to be sheltering inside the metal frame of a trailer bed.

“The puppy had some minor burns and was picked up by Animal Control and taken to Valley Oaks veterinary Center in Chico to be checked out,” the post read.

The owner of the property told officials that they did have several dogs on the property, but were unable to locate them all before evacuating, the sheriff’s office said.

“Our deputies decided to give this sweet puppy a name, Trooper,” the post said.

Butte County Sheriff Kory Honea said during a news conference on Sept. 15, that two more people have died in Northern California from wildfires, bringing the state's total death toll to 29. Seven people remain missing.

The National Weather Service issued a red flag warning for the area on Monday. Incident Meteorologist Dan Borsum said that the air quality in the region may not improve until October.

In Oregon, almost a dozen cats rescued amid scorching wildfires are being cared for at a veterinary hospital, and staff members have posted their photos on social media hoping to reunite them with their owners.

The cats have burned paws covered in bandages. Some of their bellies are seared and, in one case, a cat nicknamed Depot is hooked up to oxygen because its lungs suffered damage from the hot smoke.

The smoke from dozens of wildfires in the western United States is stretching clear across the country — and even pushing into Mexico, Canada and Europe. While the dangerous plumes are forcing people inside along the West Coast, residents thousands of miles away in the east are seeing unusually hazy skies and remarkable sunsets.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.