“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
Winter storms bring snow, ice and school and road closures to New England
SCARBOROUGH, Maine—Messy winter weather brought snow, ice, freezing rain and dangerous driving to the New England states on Jan. 7 as the region prepared for more unpleasant conditions later in the week.
The combination of rain, snow and slush blanketed the region, causing dozens of school districts to close for the day or begin on a delay. Snow accumulations were not expected to be high, but the road conditions made it unsafe to roll buses on Jan. 7 morning, districts said.
About a tenth of an inch of ice coated some areas—a little less than the amount that can cause power outages from falling tree limbs, but more than enough to create unsafe roads. Nonetheless, there were a few thousand power outages, mostly in Maine, with several hundred in Massachusetts.
All six New England states were under National Weather Service winter weather advisories, and the service issued several hazardous weather outlook statements for northern areas that could be hit with winter storms in the coming days.
Snow and ice wreak havoc across Europe, causing deadly accidents and travel chaos
THE HAGUE, Netherlands—Snow, ice and freezing temperatures hit parts of Europe on Jan. 6, causing treacherous traffic conditions that left at least five people dead in France and forcing the cancellation of hundreds of flights from one of the continent’s busiest airports.
Authorities in the Landes region of southwestern France reported three dead in accidents, and at least two more people were reportedly killed in the Île-de-France region around Paris, where authorities ordered trucks off the road as snowfall caused huge traffic jams on Jan. 5.
As snow fell across the Netherlands, Amsterdam’s Schiphol Airport reported that some 600 flights were grounded during the day as crews worked to clear runways and de-ice planes waiting to depart. More snow was forecast for the rest of the week.
Flash floods in Indonesia kill at least 16 people and sweep away homes
MANADO, Indonesia—Flash floods triggered by torrential rain killed at least 16 people in Indonesia’s North Sulawesi province, officials said Jan. 6.
Days of monsoon rain burst riverbanks early Jan. 5, triggering fast-moving torrents of water mixed with mud, rocks and debris that swept away people and submerged villages in Siau Tagulandang Biaro District, said Abdul Muhari, a spokesperson for the National Disaster Management Agency.
Emergency rescue personnel supported by police and the military deployed to four devastated villages on Siau, a tiny island about 80 miles off the northern tip of Sulawesi, Indonesia’s fourth-largest island. In some places, access was hampered by damaged roads and disrupted communications, Muhari said.
Catastrophic floods and landslides in December struck 52 cities and regencies earlier on Sumatra, Indonesia’s largest island, leaving 1,178 people dead and more than 7,000 injured, with 148 residents missing as of Jan. 6, the National Disaster Management Agency said.
Rain continues in parts of California reeling from flooding and high tides
CORTE MADERA, Calif.—Crews cleared mud from key California highways as forecasters warned Jan. 4 that more thunderstorms were on the way after downpours and high tides caused flooding, road closures and rescues of people trapped in cars.
To the south near the San Francisco Bay Area, waters were slowly receding after roadways from Sausalito to San Rafael were flooded during heavy rain that coincided with record-breaking “King Tides.”
Some people kayaked along swamped streets, while others waded through water above their knees. Authorities were called to assist when cars got stuck in water as high as three and four feet, Marin County Sheriff’s Sgt. Michael Dobbins said Jan. 3.
Flash floods triggered by heavy rains in Afghanistan kill at least 17 people
KABUL, Afghanistan—The season’s first heavy rains and snowfall ended a prolonged dry spell but triggered flash floods in several areas of Afghanistan, killing at least 17 people and injuring 11 others, a spokesman for Afghanistan’s national disaster management authority said Jan. 1.
Most of the casualties have occurred since Dec. 29 in districts hit by flooding, and the severe weather also disrupted daily life across central, northern, southern, and western regions, according to Mohammad Yousaf Hammad, a spokesman for Afghanistan’s National Disaster Management Authority.
Hammad said the floods also damaged infrastructure in the affected districts, killed livestock, and affected 1,800 families, worsening conditions in already vulnerable urban and rural communities.
(Compiled from Associated Press reports.)