“Remember his (the Most Honorable Elijah Muhammad’s) words from the book ‘The Fall of America;’ that God is going to use the Four Great Judgments of rain, hail, snow and earthquakes: ‘The Four great judgments that Almighty Allah (God) is bringing upon America are rain, hail, snow and earthquakes’”… The forces of nature are great weapons as we see them in play upon America.’… What can you do with a God like that?’ This is taking place not only in America, but throughout the world!” —The Honorable Minister Louis Farrakhan, “God Will Send Saviours,” February 27, 2011
Lake effect snow piles up in Great Lakes region
LANSING, Mich.—Residents of the Great Lakes region were in for a snowy Thanksgiving, as a weather system continued to drop precipitation across the area, particularly in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan.
Snowfall that began Nov. 26 persisted Nov. 27 with winds and snow bands out of the North and northwest. The heaviest snowfall was expected to hit West of the town of Munising, according to the National Weather Service, with up to 13 inches of additional snow accumulation possible. The snow bands will likely taper off starting in the western counties of the Upper Peninsula as the day progresses.
Lily Chapman, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service in Marquette, said 15 inches of snow were measured at her office Nov. 27 morning. Near Bessemer, Michigan, about 113 miles East of Duluth, Minnesota, Chapman said the National Weather Service received reports of over 18 to 28 inches of snow.
Lake effect snow is characterized by thin bands of clouds that can produce heavy snowfall. Some areas can see much more snow than others nearby thanks to the narrow bands.
The phenomenon occurs when cold air from Canada is blown over the warmer water of the Great Lakes: Superior, Michigan, Huron, Ontario and Erie. Warm air from the lakes pushes the moisture in the sky higher into a zone most conducive to snowfall. The clouds that form as a result can dump 2 to 3 inches per hour and sometimes more.
The weather particularly affects Michigan, Ohio and New York, but lake effect snow can also happen over other large bodies of water, like the Great Salt Lake in Utah.
Landslides and flash floods on Indonesia’s Sumatra island leave at least 23 dead and dozens missing
MEDAN, Indonesia—Rescuers recovered more bodies in the search for dozens of people buried under landslides or swept away after torrential rains unleashed flash floods and triggered landslides on Indonesia’s Sumatra island, increasing the death toll to 23 and leaving more than two dozen people missing, officials said Nov. 26.
Rescue teams were struggling to reach affected areas in 11 cities and districts of North Sumatra province after the monsoon rains over the past week caused rivers to burst their banks, tearing through hilly villages as mud, rocks and trees tumbled down, leaving destruction in their wake.
As mudslides that covered much of the area, blackouts and lack of telecommunications were hampering the search efforts, the National Search and Rescue Agency said in a statement.
Rescue workers by Nov. 26 had recovered at least eight bodies and three injured people in the worst-hit city of Sibolga and were searching for at least 21 villagers who were reported missing, the statement said.
In the neighboring district of Central Tapanuli, landslides hit several homes, killing at least a family of four, and floods submerged nearly 2,000 houses and buildings, forcing about 1,900 displaced people to seek emergency shelters.
Floods were also reported in many other provinces in the vast archipelago nation that is home to more than 280 million people, including in Aceh and West Sumatra, where hundreds of houses were flooded, many up to roofs and, main roads were blocked, the agency said.
Heavy seasonal rain from about October to March frequently causes flooding and landslides in Indonesia, an archipelago of 17,000 islands where millions of people live in mountainous areas or near fertile floodplains.
Death toll in Vietnam floods reaches 90
At least 90 people have now died in floods and landslides in central Vietnam triggered by heavy rains earlier this week, state media reported Nov. 23, citing the country’s disaster prevention agency.
The deluges wreaked widespread destruction across a region already battered weeks ago by floods from record rainfall and the powerful typhoon Kalmaegi.
The rains triggered multiple landslides on major routes in Vietnam’s Central Highlands. Railways lines and roads were submerged, leaving thousands stranded.
Vietnam is among the world’s most flood-prone countries, with nearly half its population living in high-risk areas. Scientists warn that a warming climate is intensifying storms and rainfall across Southeast Asia, making floods and landslides increasingly destructive and frequent.
Days of torrential rain bring flooding across large swaths of Albania
PRISTINA, Kosovo—At least one person has died after days of torrential rain brought heavy flooding across Albania, police said Nov. 22. Conditions remain difficult in rural regions, including the southern village of Dushar, where 30 families are reportedly stranded because flooding has made access roads impassable.
The rainfall caused the Vjosa and Seman rivers to burst their banks and flood large tracts of agricultural land. The Vjosa river runs through southern Albania while the Seman flows through the low-lying Myzeqeja plain.
The Civil Protection Agency said that in the northwestern Lezha region, some 544 acres of land remain submerged. Video posted online showed flooded homes and agricultural land, with farmers saying that their crops have sustained extensive damage.
(Compiled from Associated Press reports.)