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Widespread flooding and landslides in north-east Japan have forced more than 90,000 people to abandon their homes. The city of Joso, north of the capital, Tokyo, was hit by a wall of water after the Kinugawa River burst its banks. Helicopter rescue teams have been plucking people from rooftops.

The trend is significantly increasing the chances that storms will drench California this winter, according to a new report released by federal scientists. They say conditions are lining up in ways not seen since the winter of 1997-98, when downpours filled reservoirs and sent rivers raging during the last major El Niño.The chances are now “greater than 90 percent” that El Niño conditions that began in March will remain through this winter, according to the monthly El Niño report from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. http://www.mercurynews.com/drought/ci_28458401/california-drought-el-nino-weather-event-is-biggest Thanks to Marcus Muraca for this link. “It is interesting to note the...

all traffic on both sides of the highway was closed. The westbound side of the freeway remained intact, but officers had stopped traffic while they tested its stability. A pair of small nearby highways that could possibly serve as detours were also closed. ... The showers forced the Los Angeles Angels' first rainout in 20 years and the San Diego Padres' first rainout since 2006. Saturday's rainfall broke records in at least 11 locations, including five places that had the most rain ever recorded on any day in July, Sirard said. July is typically the driest month of the year...

Climate change is HELPING Africa because greenhouse gases are bringing rain to areas that have suffered drought for decades, says new study Climate change means rain is returning to previously drought-stricken areas of Africa exactly 30 years since Live Aid raised £150million to help starving people there, a new study has revealed. A severe lack of rainfall during the 1970s and 80s led to a persistent drought and famine, killing more than 100,00 people in countries such as Ethiopia. **SNIP** But now research by scientists at the National Centre for Atmospheric Science at the University of Reading, has shown how...

Texas' farmers were among the first to applaud the rain that abruptly halted a grueling multiyear drought that had tormented the region. But what began as a blessing has turned quickly into a disaster, as corn and wheat crops rot in flooded fields. "I think it is not all farmers, but some farmers are looking at a total loss for this year," said Mike Barnett, a spokesperson for the Texas Farm Bureau. "You have some situations where farmers had a bumper crop, and now they have next to nothing for the season." The downpour has doused Texas with 35 trillion...

Recent reports indicate federal bureaucrats are finalizing the details of a behemoth new Environmental Protection Agency mandate that would supersede property owners’ rights on any piece of land that contains any body of water – including a ditch that fills with rain water. Heritage Foundation Agricultural Policy Research Fellow Daren Bakst explained the ramifications of the rule, which will update the Clean Water Act of 1972, in an interview with The Blaze. “Property owners will not be able to engage in activities they should be able to engage in,” he said. “This will be devastating to private property rights.”

Floods on the Rio Blanco these past few days demonstrate the link to climate change, but not in the way you think. It was a horrible Memorial Day weekend in Hays County, Texas. At least three people died from the worst flooding seen since 1922. The Rio Blanco crested at 43 feet, 30 feet over flood stage. Over 400 homes were destroyed and the interstate (I-35) was under water. The flood warning posted on the San Marcos, Texas website identifies the areas of evacuation. One area is that in the Blanco Vista neighborhood nearest to the river. Police officers and...

After helicopter lands on the south lawn of the White House site. Two females share President Barack Obama's umbrella - Senior Advisor Valerie Jarrett and White House deputy chief of staff Anita Breckenridge.

As originally predicted in this WUWT story from Monday, the pineapple express is here according to NASA:An animation of satellite imagery from NOAA’s GOES-West satellite from Feb. 1 to Feb. 4, 2015 captured the movement of a stream of clouds associated with moisture called “The Pineapple Express.” Credit: NASA/NOAA GOES Project, Dennis Chesters The “Pineapple Express” has set up again and is bringing wet weather to the U.S. Pacific Northwest. An animation of satellite imagery from NOAA’s GOES-West satellite from Feb. 1 to Feb. 4, 2015 captured the movement of a stream of clouds associated with moisture that is...

WUWT contributor Dr. Ryan Maue writes on his Twitter feed: Can’t ask for better setup for enormous rainfall totals over NorCal & now linto Bay Area in 5+ days Looking at the model output below, I tend to agree, if the pattern holds. It sets up Northern California for the perfect orographic lifting enhancement in the Sierra Nevada mountain range that will not only provide a bounty of liquid precipitation, but a significant boost to the well below normal California snowpack.Most or northern California will get some benefit from this “super soaker” storm:The Quantitative Precipitation Forecasts show some parts of...

So how are we all faring here in the face of this deadly NorCal storm? Since my house didn't blow away and I still have power I'm doing a cookathon laundry extravaganza!

Drenching rain will fall on much of California through Tuesday night, bringing some relief to the ongoing drought and raising the risk of flash flooding. While a series of storms have brought rain to parts of northern and central California over the past few weeks, Tuesday's storm will bring the first significant rain event for Southern California since the spring. Some rain moved over part of the state on Sunday ahead of this week's storm, giving a preview of what is to come. ... Part of the Pacific Coast Highway near Malibu, California was closed on Sunday afternoon due to...

Swimmers who dive into any number of Canadian lakes might not emerge clean and refreshed, but dripping with globs that resemble slimy fish eggs. A legacy of industrial pollution has caused great changes in the country's water chemistry, creating a boom in tiny organisms that transform lakes into "jelly." That's the gooey news from scientists behind a new paper in Proceedings of the Royal Society B, who say that populations of this particular organism have doubled since the 1980s in many of Ontario's lakes. The reasons involve a complex dance of species, but here's the short version: Acid rain caused...

BISBEE – Some parts of Bisbee received more heavy rainfall Saturday and Sunday nights which caused mudslides, rock slides and flood damage to homes, buildings and streets. Andy Haratyk, Bisbee streets operation manager, said his department is doing the best it can to maintain access to homes on damaged roads. Haratyk said two roads have been closed to traffic. “I only have one person with me on streets right now,” Haratyk said Monday. “We have only two. One is away on vacation.” Brewery Road is still closed after the Sept. 18 rain and more debris and rock came down from...

We're just praying there's no more rain, that our house is going to stay the same. But whatever happens, God has his plan," said Jennica Granger. OILFIELD ROADS FLOODED OUT. People living in Carlsbad caught a break from the rain Monday, but it's little consolation to people who've been hit in the pocketbook by all the flooding. The Pecos River is swollen, bridges are washed over and roads are closed. The San Jose Bridge was overrun by water early Monday morning, and the sidewalk near the bridge was washed out. The water level has gone down along the Pecos River,...

SIERRA VISTA — Thursday’s slow-moving storm dropped as much as 6 inches of rain during a 24-hour period on parts of Cochise County, according to the National Weather Service. The steady rainfall began Wednesday afternoon and continued throughout most of the county on Thursday, gradually increasing the flow of the San Pedro River and creating flooding conditions that closed roads, including portions of Highway 92 east of Palominas Road. Cochise County Sheriff’s Office spokesperson Carol Capas said some property damage was caused by the slow-moving weather front, with two women being rescued from a house in Portal early Thursday morning....

The Phoenix area is recovering from record-setting rainfall Monday that led to flooding in several parts of the Valley, closing schools, stranding vehicles and snarling commutes. Both Phoenix Mayor Greg Stanton and Arizona Gov. Jan Brewer declared states of emergency while other local public safety agencies cautioned residents to be safe and not drive unless absolutely necessary. Several schools closed across the region, including the Maricopa Community College District, which cancelled all classes today.

Even more climate hysteria, and still no evidence The recent toxic algae bloom near Toledo, Ohio—which severely disrupted the potable water supply to this city—has generated a lot of finger-pointing. Climate change features prominently as a common causal target. The Guardian initially attempted to blame this year’s algae bloom on hotter summers in the Toledo area, which overlooked the following basic facts ruling out this blame: “July 2014 was one of the coldest months of July on record for the Toledo region, Lake Erie’s temperature during the last days of the month was well below the historical average and the...

The situation is very bad. It seems that water in the area is contaminated due to algae in the area, mostly in Lake Erie, which releases a toxin called microcystin when it decays. The algae grows best in warm, shallow waters like those of Lake Erie. It can’t be boiled, boiling only concentrates the toxin. What about filters? Even filters such as Berkey filters have their limitations. They are capable of filtering pathogens and microorganisms, but getting rid of a cyanotoxins is a different story. The way I would deal with the situation would be this: I’d drink the water...

Some streets looked more like a raging river. One police officer even tried blocking traffic with his car, while water moved in all around him. "This is really a shock. I didn't expect it, said Albuquerque resident, Rein Whitt-Pritchette. "I've been in Albuquerque since 1971. I rarely have ever seen that kind of rain before."