Storms Rages Through Michigan
During the first week in July, seven people were killed in a severe thunderstorm which ran into Montana. The strong winds caused trees to uproot and lifted homes from their foundations. An estimated 200 residences and businesses were destroyed. Power outages remained for several hours afterwards.
Thirty inches of rain fell over a period of three days during the week of July 20. At its strongest, Hurricane Danny’s winds gusted up to 80 miles per hour. Flash floods and heavy rains forced people to evacuate their homes in the aftermath of the storm. In two of Alabama’s counties alone, the damages was estimated at $70 million. North Carolina fell victim to strong thunderstorms and torrential rains. Floodwaters forced 2,000 people from their homes.
July 28— Along Eastern Germany, rising flood waters forced hundreds of people to evacuate their homes in an incident considered central Europe’s worst disaster in two centuries. Helicopters were called in to help lower sandbags near the Oder River, which borders Germany and Poland. A hundred people in the Czech Republic and Poland died previously in the rising waters. The government sent at least 8,000 soldiers to work trying to repair the dykes and rescue people from their homes.
July 28— Record floods swept through Fort Collins, Colorado killing at least five people. Sixteen people were reported missing, which began a city-wide search in torrent rains. In all, more than 8-inches of rain fell in four hours, in an area of the country which normally receives only 16 inches per year. It is estimated $40 million in damages affected the local Colorado State University alone.
July 31— Despite crash-landing and flipping over at Newark International Airport, 200 yards away from the main terminal, the five member crew crawled out of the wreckage through the cockpit of a Federal Express cargo plane. No one on the ground was hurt. The major damage was to operations, nationwide. Newark itself was shut down for six hours. Flights were affected in all areas of the country from Chicago to San Francisco. The Fed Ex plane was arriving from Anchorage, AK carrying routine hazardous materials. No apparent environmental problems arose from the incident.
August 5— A passenger plane carrying 254 people aboard crashed in Agana, Guam. At least 35 people survived the crash. Two Navy helicopters were used to help pull people from the wreckage. It was reported that the pilots missed the runway by two or three miles; the plane skidded across the Guam terrain for at least one mile. Safety investigators were considering a glitch in the software program which determines safe altitudes for air traffic controllers. In the Guam airport, controllers were unaware their software was reporting erroneous data.
August 18— In an area of the country where it usually rains 30 inches between April and August, the farms are suffering from a lack of water. In the span of four months, the surrounding areas have only seen 6 inches of rain. Thirty-three counties in Maryland, Pennsylvania, Virginia, and Delaware were declared federal disaster areas. In Maryland alone, losses could reach $100 million.
Vladimir Levin, 30, stands trial for allegedly hacking his way into Citibank, stealing $10 million in 1994. He is in a federal prison awaiting the trial. This is the only documented case of a bank robbery by Internet. USA Today reports that the banking industry feels this is an isolated incident and is unlikely to repeat in the near future. Levin is suspected of moving money from various Citibank branches, worldwide, and depositing the funds in numerous global accounts, all from his computer in Russia. Almost all of the money has been recovered; only $400,000 remains missing.
August 21— Hudson Foods of Rogers, Arkansas was forced to close down its Columbus, NE meat processing plant which produced hamburger infected with E.coli 0157:H7. Major food chains across the nation were affected, from Burger King, Boston Market, and Walmart, forcing them to pull all meat from their kitchens. The U.S. Department of Agriculture recalled an estimated 25 million pounds of beef, the largest amount ever recalled.
Sept. 22— The outer reach of Baja California was hit by the 125 gusting winds of Hurricane Nora, producing 15 foot waves. Tropical storm-force winds spread approximately 85 miles from the center of its eye. By Sept. 24, the aftermath of the storm was felt in the Southwestern portion of the states and was downgraded to a tropical storm. Slight damages were felt in Yuma and Phoenix, AZ. Some residents were without power for a brief period. Yuma usually gets only 3 inches of rain in a year.
Over a period of two weeks, central Italy was struck by three earthquakes, resulting in 11 deaths and major damages to priceless works of early Renaissance art. Those who died in the incident were struck by falling rubble and debris. Among the artworks and historic buildings that were damaged was the 13th century Basilica of St. Francis of Assisi. A portion of the Basilica’s vaulted ceiling collapsed and damaged two frescoes by Giotto and one by Cimabue.
Oct. 9— Hurricane Pauline devastated Mexico’s famous Acapulco tourist resorts causing widespread chaos. At least 275+ people died (at last report) in the flooding and 100-mph winds. The amount of money loss is estimated in the millions. An exact figure is yet to be determined.