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What are Cat Updates
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Current Cat Activity
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Cat Name
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Description |
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US East Coast Winter Storms
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2/5/2010, Eastern US -
Three days after the eastern United States was hit by severe snow storms, the National Weather Service has issued new winter storm warnings for the region which are forecast to remain in place until Thursday, 11 February. According to the National Weather Service, Washington DC is expected to receive a further 13 to 25 cm (5 to 10 inches) of snow. The warning for significant snowfall is combined with strong winds - forecast sustained winds may reach 25 – 35 mph (40 – 56 km / h), with gusts up to 45 mph (72km / h) possible – which combined have the potential to create blizzard conditions. In Baltimore, Maryland predicted snowfall accumulations are forecast to be higher reaching up to 25cm to 50cm (10 to 20 inches). In Philadelphia the National Weather Service is forecasting a further 30 to 45 cm (12 to 18 inches) of snowfall over the next 24 hours, which if occurred would make this winter’s snow accumulations the greatest since records began.
The region remains largely paralyzed after a powerful winter storm producing heavy snow and strong winds moved up the Eastern Seaboard of the U.S. on Friday, 5 February and Saturday, 6 February, prompting states of emergency to be declared in Washington DC, Maryland and Virginia. The snowstorms caused at least two deaths, paralyzed transport networks in the region, caused widespread power outages and resulted in a moderate structural damage.
The National Weather Service reported over 60 cm (24 inches) of snowfall in Washington DC over the weekend, one of the heaviest snowfalls recorded in decades. It has been widely reported that this is the fourth worst snowstorm in Washington DC’s history. The weekend snowfall came less than two months after heavy snowfall on Saturday, 19 December 2009 which resulted in 40 cm (16 inches) of snow in the state. Such snowfall magnitudes are however rare for this region. The extremely high snowfall of February falls just short of the heaviest snowfall on record for the region of 71cm (28 inches) in January 1922. In Maryland a record snowfall of 91cm (36 inches) was recorded from the weekend storms. West Virginia, Delaware, Pennsylvania and New Jersey have also been badly affected by the snow storms with over 76 cm (30 inches) of snow recorded in parts of northern and western Virginia and accumulations varying from 15cm to 76 cm (6 inches to 30 inches) in Pennsylvania.
Transportation has been affected significantly in the region most noticeably in the nation’s capital Washington DC. Here all flights were cancelled from Reagan Airport (as were the majority of flights out of Dulles International in Virginia). The national rail service cancelled numerous trains between Washington DC and southern destinations, most noticeably the line to New York. Strong winds associated with the storms have downed trees and power lines resulting in power supplies being cut to at least 300,000 homes in Washington and a further 300,000 in Maryland and Virginia. It has been reported that 250,000 homes in neighboring states of Pennsylvania and New Jersey were also affected by power outages. Pepco Electric Company reported on Sunday, February 7 that it was struggling to restore power, warning that it could be a few days before the power lines were back up. A common hazard associated with these levels of snow accumulation is the weight of the snow, that can result in structural problems such as collapsed roofs. This is a common occurrence in many historical snow storms and poses a risk to buildings affected by the recent events. A historic church in Washington DC has been affected in this way, as has a county firehouse, and at Dulles Airport a section of roofing of a private jet hangar has collapsed causing damage to planes inside. Two fatalities are so far reported from traffic accidents and there are many reports of damage to cars, from accidents or the weight of the snow accumulations or from falling tree branches.
RMS will continue to closely monitor the winter storms affecting the eastern states of the U.S. and will update this report as more information emerges.
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Mexico Earthquake Mw5.7
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2/9/2010, Oaxaca, Mexico -
At 00:47 UTC on Tuesday 9 February (06:47 pm local time on Monday), a moderate magnitude 5.7 earthquake (moment magnitude) struck the Oaxaca region of Mexico. The United States Geological Survey (USGS), have assigned a fixed focal depth of 21.7 miles (35 km) to this earthquake and report an epicentral location of 16.145N, 96.525W - some 35 miles (55 km) north of Puerto Angel, Oaxaca; 65 miles (100 km) south-southeast of Oaxaca de Juárez, Oaxaca and 285 miles (455km) southeast of Mexico City.
According to the USGS ShakeMap, the area around the epicenter experienced 'strong' shaking of intensity VI on the Modified Mercalli Intensity (MMI) Scale, with the potential for damage being 'light' for resistant structures, though there is 'moderate' potential for damage to vulnerable structures. The exposed population to this intensity of shaking is estimated to be around 83,000. The earthquake was felt throughout the Oaxaca region with the majority of the region experiencing light to very light shaking (IV to V on the instrumental intensity scale); according to reports, this earthquake was also felt in Mexico City.
Recent earthquakes in the area have initiated landslides though there are no reports of Tuesday’s earthquake triggering any such episodes. There are no immediate reports of property damage or casualties. RMS will update this Cat Activity report if there are any further developments.
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Power Plant Explosion, Connecticut, US
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2/7/2010, Middletown, Connecticut, US -
At around 16:30 UTC on Sunday, 7 February (11:30 local time) a large explosion occurred at a gas power plant in Middletown, in the New England state of Connecticut, northeastern US; approximately 14 miles (22km) south of the state capital Hartford.
Early reports indicate that five people have been killed and twelve others injured, although it is feared that total casualty figures will be much higher as up to fifty construction workers were in the section of the plant where the explosion occurred. Search squads have yet to enter the wreckage. Initial media reports of 250 injured in the blast have been retracted.
The explosion at the power plant, of Kleen Energy Systems, is thought to have been the result of a gas leak which occurred when the lines were being tested - though this has yet to be confirmed. The power plant has been under construction from February 2008, and was scheduled to start supplying energy in June 2010. It is reported that the force of the blast was so strong that it could be felt 30 miles (48 km) away. The blast has left a large section of the plant blackened, with sheets of metal peeling off its sides. However the building, its roof and two smoke stacks are still standing. Reports indicate that the windows of a nearby hospital were blown out and other nearby homes exhibited some damage in terms of broken windows and cracks in roofs, however no one has been evacuated.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) said it was not investigating the incident as a terrorist attack.
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Californian Winter Storms - February 6
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2/6/2010, Southern California -
A major winter storm associated with heavy rain and strong winds has caused flooding and landslides across parts of California and Arizona over the weekend of February 6. The National Weather Service reported 6cm (2 inches) of precipitation in coastal regions of California and 10cm (4 inches) to mountain regions up to 2,000 meters over a 24 hour period.
The heavy rainfall caused flooding across parts of California and also affected parts of Arizona. In Southern California in La Canade Flintridge, in the Los Angeles foothills (an area where the Station Fire burnt in the summer of 2009) a destructive mudslide was triggered. Reports indicate that an overflow from the flood defenses of the San Gabriel Mountains was responsible. It is believed that 43 homes have been damaged by the mud and debris, and nine declared inhabitable. Emergency crew evacuated 800 homes on Saturday in La Canada Flintridge; La Cresenta, Acton and Sierra Madres. As of Sunday, February 7, around 70 homes in the region of La Canade Flintridge remained under evacuation orders. No injuries have been reported.
The low pressure system responsible for the adverse weather is moving east across parts of New Mexico and Texas however another storm is expected on Tuesday, 8 February which could bring thunderstorms and heavy rain. RMS will continue to monitor damage reports from the region and any further storm systems.
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Eastern Australia Flooding
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2/5/2010, Queensland and New South Wales, Australia -
At least five people have been killed following widespread, localised flooding caused by a series of storms that hit eastern Australia between Friday, 5 and Sunday, 7 February. In Queensland, at least two fatalities have been attributed to the floods while a number of people remain unaccounted for. The Gold Coast hinterland has been especially affected by the storms, with the town of Clagiraba (population approximately 750) receiving 16 inches (415 mm) of rainfall over the weekend, the highest recorded for the region over that period of time. Also in the hinterland, Mount Tambourine and Canungra saw record rainfall accumulations, each receiving more than 14.2 inches (360 mm) in the 24 hour period up to 09:00 am local time on Sunday.
In New South Wales, flood waters are thought to have caused three fatalities as well as causing a series of vehicle accidents. In Sydney (population approximately 4.5 million), the state capital of New South Wales, northern suburbs in particular were affected by the storms with St Ives and Gordon recording 8 inches (198 mm) of rainfall in the 24 hour period to 09:00 am local time on Sunday. Six people in this area had to be rescued after being trapped in submerged cars, with a further 11 patients in a nursing home having to be evacuated due to flooding.
Emergency services have described the weekend as one of the busiest in years, recording more than 2,000 requests for assistance following the start of the heavy rains on Friday.
The heavy rainfall has been attributed to a combination of low- and high-pressure systems and is considered a ‘side-effect’ of recent Tropical Cyclone Olga.
As of 10:00 UTC on Monday, 8 February, the Australian Bureau of Meteorology had seven flood warnings in place in Queensland, with a further four in place in New South Wales.
There are presently no reports of significant property damage in either Queensland or New South Wales; however RMS will continue to monitor these flooding events and will update this cat Activity report should further information come to light.
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Northern California Earthquake Mw5.9
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2/4/2010, Offshore Northern California -
At 20:20 UTC (12:20 PM local time) on Thursday, 4 February a moderate magnitude 5.9 (moment magnitude, Mw) earthquake stuck off the coast of northern California. According to the United States Geological Survey (USGS), the earthquake had a focal depth of 12.6 miles (20.2 km) and an epicentral location of 40.418N, 124.919W - approximately 34 miles (55 km) west of Pertolia, California; 47 miles (76 km) west-southwest of Eureka, California; and 224 miles (361 km) northwest of Sacramento, California. This earthquake did not trigger any tsunami warnings from the West Coast and Alaska Tsunami Warning Center.
According to the USGS ShakeMap, the earthquake was most strongly felt around the town of Petrolia (population 500) where there was ‘light’ shaking (up to intensity IV on the Modified Mercalli Intensity, MMI, Scale) which would not be expected to cause damage to property. According to reports, the earthquake was felt widely across Humboldt County and also in parts of neighboring Del Norte County; however no property damage or casualties have been reported.
The epicenter of this Mw 5.9 earthquake was approximately 20 miles (30 km) south-southwest of the epicenter of the Mw 6.5 earthquake that struck off the coast of Eureka, California on Sunday, 10 January.
According to the USGS, the Mw 6.5 earthquake in January was responsible for dozens of injuries and moderate damage to dozens of homes and buildings in the Eureka and Ferndale regions, both of which experienced up to intensity VII (‘very strong’) shaking on the MMI Scale. The USGS have also reported that the two earthquakes occurred on different faults; as such the Mw 5.9 February earthquake should not be considered an aftershock of the Mw 6.5 event.
RMS will continue to monitor the aftermath of this earthquake but will only update this Cat Activity report in the event of significant property and casualty damage reports coming to light.
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Tropical Cyclone Oli
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2/4/2010, South Pacific Ocean -
As of 12:00 UTC on Thursday, 4 February, the center of Tropical Cyclone Oli was located near to 18.6S, 152.4W in the Pacific Ocean, approximately 150 miles (240 km) south-southwest of Bora Bora, French Polynesia and 200 miles (310 km) west–southwest of Tahiti, French Polynesia. According to the Joint Typhoon Warning Centre (JTWC), at this time Oli had maximum sustained winds of approximately 130 mph (210 km/h), classifying the cyclone as a ‘category four hurricane’ on the Saffir-Simpson Scale. Oli also had hurricane-force winds extending outwards up to 40 miles (64 km) from its center and tropical storm-strength winds extending outwards up to 170 miles (270 km).
Over the past six hours Oli has tracked towards the south-southeast with a forward speed of approximately 10mph (16km /h). Over the past 24 hours, Oli has intensified rapidly, having been classified as a category one-strength hurricane at 12:00 UTC on Wednesday, 3 February.
The storm has brought strong winds, torrential rainfall and waves several meters in height to the Cook Islands, Bora Bora and Tahiti. More than 650 tourists trapped on Bora Bora have been rehoused in hotels, schools in western Polynesia have been closed and people have been told to abandon primitive grass and mud dwellings and head to solid buildings such as town halls, schools or churches. According to reports, homes on Tahiti have been destroyed and many are without power following flooding initiated by Oli’s storm; and there numerous evacuations underway across other French Polynesia islands.
Oli is presently forecast to continue tracking towards the south-southeast over the next 12-24 hours, during which time the storm is expected to encounter low vertical wind shear and warm sea surface temperatures (SSTs, above 26 degrees Celsius); the combination of these environmental conditions is favorable for further intensification. Beyond 24 hours, Oli is expected to encounter stronger vertical wind shear and SSTs below 26 degrees Celsius, which are likely to cause the storm to weaken significantly, before undergoing extra-tropical transition in approximately 48 hours’ time.
RMS will continue to monitor Tropical Cyclone Oli and will update this Cat Activity report should further significant property or casualty reports come to light.
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Peru Floods
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1/25/2010, southern Peru -
Torrential rain, hail and snow falling over the Andes since Monday, 25 January has caused severe flooding and mudslides in southern Peru. The Peruvian Government has declared States of Emergency in the regional departments of Cusco, Apurimac and Junin, whilst Puno has also been severely affected.
According to Peru’s Civil Defense System (Indeci), the River Ramis in Puno flooded impacting more than 38,000 hectares of agricultural land, causing 2,000 houses to collapse and severely damaging 994 others.
According to Peru’s National Meteorology and Hydrology Institute (Senamhi), the affected region has experienced around 70% more rain than is normal for January, and the heaviest rainfall accumulations experienced in the region for 15 years.
Peru’s Civil Defense Institution estimates that the rains have affected in excess of 38,000 people, destroyed 4,000 homes, and devastated 42 square miles (109 square km) of agricultural land. Flood waters have also been responsible for sweeping away 14 bridges and damaged numerous highways. It is reported that 20 people have died, and five are still missing. Mudslides, killing two people, resulted in the closure of the Inca trail to Peru’s world famous Inca ruins of Macchu Picchu. In the town of Aquas Calientes, the mountain village below the tourist site, 3,900 tourists and local people were evacuated by helicopter as flood waters blocked the rail access from the town.
Heavy rains have also impacted Boliva with the worst hit areas being: La Paz, Santa Cruz, Cochabamba, Chuquisica and Beni. Reports from the capital, La Paz, suggest one heavy mudslide was responsible for the destruction of 72 houses on the outskirts of the city.
Further heavy rainfall is expected into February, the region’s traditional “wet season”. RMS will continue to monitor this situation and will update the Cat Activity should further information on property or casualty damage come to light.
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China Earthquake Mb 5.2
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1/30/2010, Sichuan Province, southwest China -
On Saturday, January 30 at 21:37 UTC (05:37 am local time on Sunday) a moderate magnitude 5.2 (body wave magnitude) earthquake occurred in eastern Sichuan Province in southwestern China. The USGS have reported a focal depth of 11.6 miles (18.6 km) and an epicentral location of 30.258N, 105.726E, between Sichuan’s Suining City and Chongqing’s Tongnan County, approximately 900 miles (1440 km) southwest of Beijing. The earthquake is reported to have destroyed around 100 properties and damaged over 4,700 homes, killed one person and injured 11 others. According to the Sichuan Provincial Seismological Bureau all the casualties occurred in the town of Moxi (population 30,000), which is located close to the epicenter.
Sichuan Province is still recovering from the magnitude 7.9 earthquake of May 12, 2008 that left almost 90,000 people dead or missing, and at least 5 million homeless.
RMS are not expecting to update this Cat Activity report, but will only do so, should significant additional information on property or casualty damage come to light.
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Tropical Cyclone Olga
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1/29/2010, Queensland, Australia -
Over the last 24 hours Tropical Storm Olga has intensified from a tropical depression and is currently located over the Gulf of Carpentaria. As of 15:00 UTC on Friday, 29 January Tropical Storm Olga was located close to 16.3S 139.3E, 10 miles (17 km) in the Gulf of Carpentaria, off the coast of northwest Queensland.
According to the Joint Typhoon Warning Center (JTWC) at this time Olga had maximum sustained winds of approximately 40mph (64 km/hr), classifying the storm as a ‘moderate tropical storm’ on the Saffir-Simpson Scale and a ‘weak category 1 tropical cyclone’ on the Tropical Cyclone Intensity Scale (Australian Region). Over the past 6 hours Olga has tracked towards the south-southeast with a forward speed of 17mph (27 km/hr), having entered the Gulf at around 09:00UTC today.
The prevailing environmental conditions in the Gulf of Carpentaria - low vertical wind shear and warm sea surface temperature could lead to further intensification of the system. The latest JTWC advisory forecasts Olga to slightly intensify over the next six hours, before tracking towards the east-southeast and making a second landfall over continental Australia as a tropical storm within the next 12 hours.
Olga is predicted to make landfall near Karumba (population approximately 500) in a sparsely-populated region along the Gulf of Carpentaria. Following landfall Olga is expected to weaken somewhat, before dissipating as a tropical storm within the next 24 hours. RMS will continue to monitor the storm and will only provide additional information should Olga’s second landfall cause any significant property or casualty damage.
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Southern California/Southern Arizona Winter Storms
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1/25/2010, California, Arizona -
California, Arizona - A series of powerful winter storms struck southern California and southern Arizona between Sunday, 17 January and Friday, 22 January; bringing heavy rainfall and high winds that have caused several deaths, property damage, power outages and resulted in the evacuation of thousands of homes in both states. A state of emergency was declared in five California counties; Los Angeles, Orange county, Riverside, San Francisco and Siskiyou on Thursday, 21 January and in Arizona Governor Jan Brewer declared a state of emergency for the counties of Apache, Coconino, Gila Maricopa and Navajo. As the frontal system moved towards Arizona on Thursday, 21 January severe weather affected much of the state through Thursday and Friday, 22 January. Strong winds in excess of 70 mph (113 km/hr) along with severe thunderstorms prompted the US National Weather Service to issue severe weather warnings, including a tornado warning. A short lived tornado was reported to have occurred along the California/Arizona state line which, according to the California Department of Transportation, resulted in rigs being toppled and high-voltage power lines downed. A reported tornado northeast of Phoenix did not cause any damage. Heavy precipitation in Arizona’s southern states caused localized flooding and made roads impassable.
Large sections of the Interstate between Phoenix and Flagstaff were closed and there were significant road closures in Gila County over the weekend. Passengers were stranded at Phoenix airport as poor visibility restricted flight operations there. Power outages occurred for residents in Phoenix, Flagstaff and Tucson with reports of as many as 12,000 homes without power on Thursday evening. As in California, evacuations also took place here. In particular, forced evacuations of residents in Sedona occurred as water levels in this low lying area rose dramatically. Streams were close to record levels, though generally flood damage was limited. Air temperatures remained low enough to prevent significant snow-melt from combining with the heavy rainfall, which kept water levels from rising any further. Flood damage along the major rivers in Phoenix was limited or non-existent, the flood control work and dam storage that has taken place over the last decade has been credited for this. As of 00:00 UTC Monday, January 25 a flood warning still exists for the Gila River, in south west Yuma. An avalanche warning was in place for Coconino country on Thursday, January 21, though there have been no reports of activity here.
In California, above-average rainfall accumulations have fallen in the Los Angeles region; since Sunday, 17 January approximately 3 inches (77 mm) of rain has fallen on downtown Los Angeles, and more than 5 inches (127 mm) has fallen in Long Beach. On Wednesday, 20 January (the third day in a series of winter storms) the cumulative effect of these rainfall amounts was sufficient to cause many roads to be flooded in the Los Angeles area, from San Pedro on the west coast to Sunland, some 40 miles (64 km) inland to the north. The 405 and 710 freeways were severely impacted by Wednesday’s rainfall, with ‘several feet of water’ causing stranded cars and affecting the afternoon commute for many drivers. There have been several reports of isolated flooding of homes across southern California, though there have been no reports of considerable residential flood damage as a result of the storms. In San Pedro high winds caused damage to residential properties, tearing roofs of houses, breaking windows and displacing around 40 residents. In Long Beach and Orange County rescue crews were called to residents stranded in both homes and cars. The heavy rainfall and winds have been responsible for some limited damage to commercial and industrial properties as well. In Paramount, Los Angeles County fire-fighters were dispatched to attend a collapsed roof (20-by-20 feet, 6-by-6 meters) at an industrial facility; while in La Palma, a 30-by-30 feet (9-by-9 meters) roof collapsed at a commercial property. Despite widespread fears of mudslides, particularly in the areas of La Cañada Flintridge, La Crescenta, Glendale, Tujunga and Acton (which were affected by wildfire in 2009, and are therefore faced increased susceptible to mudslides following heavy rain) there were no reports of significant damage.
As the cold front associated with the storm moved east, the severe weather affected other states. Winter Storm warnings were issued for New Mexico where a combination of heavy rainfall and high elevation snowmelt was expected, combined with strong gusts of up to 50 mph (82 km/hr), though as of Saturday, January 24 all watches, warnings and advisories had been removed.
The National Weather Service has warned of the potential for another severe storm to impact the region on Wednesday, January 27.
RMS will continue monitoring the west coast of the United States and report on any significant storms that impact this region.
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1/12/2010, Port-au-Prince, Haiti -
Following the magnitude 7.0 earthquake that struck Haiti on Tuesday, 12 January, the true scale of this disaster has started to emerge during the last 10 days. The combination of a strong earthquake in a densely populated region and a poor building stock has resulted in a massive humanitarian disaster with over 200,000 fatalities and over 2 million people made homeless.
Satellite imagery is being used widely to help assess the extent and severity of damage. In addition to the severe destruction in Port-au-Prince, where more than 4,000 buildings have been destroyed, early reports indicate that Carrefour, Leogane and Gressier are the most severely damaged towns to the west of Port-au-Prince. In Leogane, approximately 90 percent of the buildings are estimated to be severely damaged or destroyed.
Whilst this event has limited impact to the insurance industry, it raises questions about the earthquake risk across the Caribbean, the potential of an earthquake on nearby faults and what lessons can be drawn from an event such as this. A team of earthquake risk experts at RMS have pulled together a detailed FAQ to try and address some of these questions. The FAQ also includes details on the characteristics of the earthquake, discussion about the regional building stock, secondary perils and RMS casualty estimates.
The FAQ is available in a second and final Cat Update report that also contains the latest information about the extent and severity of damage across the country. To access the full Cat Update report, please click on the link on the left hand side of this page.
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Tropical Cyclone Magda
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1/22/2010, Off the NW coast of Australia -
Tropical Cyclone Magda made landfall on Friday, 22 January slightly before 06:00 UTC close to 16.0S 124.5E on the Kimberley Coast of Western Australian, approximately 100 miles (170 km) northeast of Derby (population 4,500) and 500 miles (780 km) southwest of Darwin. According to the Joint Typhoon Warning Centre (JTWC), Magda made landfall as a tropical storm with maximum sustained winds of approximately 57 mph (93 km/hr), however this is classified as a ‘weak category 2 tropical cyclone’ on the Tropical Cyclone Intensity Scale (Australian Region) which differs somewhat to the Saffir Simpson Hurricane Scale. At this time of landfall Magda had tropical storm winds extending outwards up to 50 miles (80 km) from its centre.
Magda is continuing to track towards the south southeast with a forward speed of around 6 mph (9 km/hr). It is predicted than within the next 12 hours, as the storm tracks over land, that it will dissipate as a significant tropical cyclone. The Radar images show that the heavy rainfall associated with the storm when it was over water is decaying rapidly now the storm is overland. The Australian Bureau of Meteorology has however issued a flood warning for the coastal area around Derby with rainfall associated with Magda expected around 9 mm with small patches of heavier rain in the west of this region.
The threat from tropical storm Magda to this sparsely population region has abated following landfall. The Fire and Emergency Services Authority has reported no immediate damage from the cyclone’s winds. The cyclone warning for inland parts of the west Kimberley region has been cancelled.
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