December 2020 New Mexico Train Derailment
 
December 2nd, 2020: A short B.N.S.F. train derailed at 5:30am west of Vado (south of Las Cruces), New Mexico; two diesel engines and twelve cars (said to be empty) piled up across State Highway 189; officials closed lanes on NM Highway 28 and NM Highway 478; by 11am, NM Highway 28 and NM Highway 478 were opened, with NM Highway 189 expected to be cleared & reopened by Noon next day. The train's engineer was taken to a local hospital for treatment of minor injuries.
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March 2020 Nashville Tornadoes
 
March 3rd, 2020: A tornado crashed through the Nashville, Tennessee area early Tuesday, killing at least 19 people, injuring dozens, and destroying many homes & businesses. Power was knocked out to at least 50,200 customers in the state, most of them served by Nashville Electric Service. The twisters destroyed at least 140 buildings, many in and around Nashville. Next day, the death toll rose to at least 25 people, with many more injured or missing.
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February 2020 Appalachia Flooding
 
February 2020: In the first two weeks of February 2020, Central Appalachia experienced catastrophic flooding once again, with more than eight inches of rain, causing the Cumberland and Kentucky Rivers to reach their highest levels in 40 years; more than 200 homes were damaged; there have been more than 100 high-water rescues. Throughout the region, the heavy rainfall caused sinkholes and rock slides, damaging homes, blocking roads, and derailing a train: two engines and several cars loaded with ethanol plunged into the Big Sandy River; residents there say that the spilled fuel caused the mountain and the river to burn for two days. Meteorologists predicted more rain for central Appalachia as the storm moved into Alabama and Mississippi.
17 February 2020: Rising waters in the Pearl River in Mississippi caused severe flooding that had already forced people to evacuate homes in many neighborhoods in and around the capital city of Jackson. People in one neighborhood paddled canoes, kayaks, and small fishing boats to check on their homes. The National Weather Service said that it expected the river to crest at 37.5 feet, slightly lower than the previous estimate of 38 feet (the Pearl's highest crest ever recorded was 43.2 feet in April 1979, and its second highest was 39.6 feet in May 1983).
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July 2019 New York City Power Outage
 
July 13th, 2019: A power outage in midtown Manhattan and the Upper West Side crippled the tourist-filled heart of New York City just as Saturday night Broadway shows were set to go on, knocking out Times Square's towering electronic screens and bringing subway lines to a halt.
The outage also hit Madison Square Garden, where Jennifer Lopez was performing Saturday night – in the middle of Lopez's fourth song of the night; the arena was later evacuated. At Penn Station, officials were using backup generators to keep the lights on. A spokesman for the Metropolitan Transportation Authority said that four Manhattan stations were closed to the public: Columbus Circle, Rockefeller Center, Hudson Yards, and Fifth Avenue at 53rd Street; but train operators were able to manually change the signals and bring at least one car into stations so passengers could get off. The CEO of Con Edison said that a problem at a substation caused the power failure at 6:47 pm, affecting 73,000 customers for three to five hours along a 30-block stretch from Times Square to 72nd Street and Broadway, and spreading to Rockefeller Center; electricity was restored to customers and businesses by about midnight.
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July 2019 Ridgecrest, California Earthquakes
 
  
Thursday July 4th, 2019: Because the 10:33 am PDT 6.4-magnitude earthquake was in the Mojave Desert far from the small towns there, damage was minor and scattered, several hundred homes were without power, and there were no reports of injuries. A second major earthquake of 7.1 magnitude struck at 8:19 pm on Friday July 5th, at almost the exact same spot. The Friday night quake was the largest in Southern California in at least 20 years; the two major quakes were accompanied by at least 1,400 large and small aftershocks, including a few above 5.0 magnitude. By Saturday morning, several thousand people were reported to be without power, and there were reports of cracked buildings, but still no reports of injuries. Later events included discovery that the roof caved in at the Ridgecrest Cinemas quake events entry at Wikipedia
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June-July 2019 Closure of Mississippi Gulf Coast Beaches
 
June 2019: The Mississippi Department of Environmental Quality started closing some beaches on June 22nd and closed the last two sections near the Alabama line on Sunday July 7th. The agency has warned that polluted Midwest floodwaters have fed an outbreak of cyanobacteria, popularly known as blue-green algae, which can cause rashes, diarrhea, and vomiting. The toxic 'bloom' is spreading as water from Midwest flooding travels along the Mississippi River and pours into the Gulf of Mexico; nothing is said in the early articles about when the event might end.
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June 2019 Oil Refinery Explosion in Philadelphia
 
June 21st, 2019: The largest refining complex on the Eastern seaboard, owned by Philadelphia Energy Solutions and located in South Philly, erupted in flames around 4 a.m.; the fire was caused by a vat of butane that exploded and was still burning that afternoon; this is the third major U.S. 'dirty fuel' facility fire in six months, following a New York Con Ed facility and a Texas petrochemical facility.
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June-July 2019 Wildfires in New Mexico
June, 2019: The Pine Lodge Fire in the Capitan Mountains of south-central New Mexico was detected on June 19th and by June 25th had grown to 9,053 acres and was just 5% contained. The fire area was in the Capitan Mountain Wilderness of the Lincoln National Forest, five miles northwest of the small community of Arabela in Lincoln County, the largest of several wildfires burning in New Mexico. More than 500 personnel were assigned to the firefighting operations. By June 29th the fire had increased to 12,828 acres and by July 7th had increased to 15,044 acres, with 52% containment. At least three remote cabins were burned in the fire; the cause of the fire is still under investigation.
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June 2019 Dismal Swamp Coal Train Derailment
 
June 25th, 2019: A Norfolk Southern coal train derailed in the Great Dismal Swamp National Wildlife Refuge [est. 1974] south and west of Chesapeake, Virginia; 36 of 100 railcars containing fine-ground coal derailed, with many of the cars crumpled 'like an accordian'; the area is very remote and there are no nearby roads - railroad & government work crews are using long-abandoned logging trails to access the site. Amtrak trains were temporarily rerouted; after restoration of the railbed, cleanup of the spilled coal is expected to take several months.
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June 2019 Commuter Train Derailment in Boston
June 11th, 2019: A T System Red Line commuter train with 60 passengers on board derailed at about 6am near the JFK/UMass Station in Dorchester, traveling some 1,800 feet as it smashed into bungalows of plywood that housed computer equipment used to control switches and signals on the tracks. Only one car was involved and the cause is unknown, but the signaling equipment was so severely damaged that transit workers were using handheld wooden signs to direct rail traffic thru the area. Slowdowns are expected to last for the Summer as the computer equipment is rebuilt.
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May 2019 Tornado Outbreak
 
May, 2019: A prolonged series of destructive tornadoes and tornado outbreaks affected the United States over the course of nearly two weeks, across multiple states, including Nebraska, Kansas, Texas, Missouri, Oklahoma, Indiana, Iowa, and Ohio. There were at least 300 tornadoes, including 50 significant events (EF2+); eighteen of these were EF3 tornadoes; there were two EF4 tornadoes, one in Dayton, Ohio and the other in Linwood, Kansas. An EF3 tornado on May 22 near Golden City, Missouri took three lives, including an elderly couple in their eighties; the tornado outbreak series caused a total of 8 fatalities tornado outbreak entry at Wikipedia
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April-May 2019 Cyclones
 
April 25-28th, 2019: Cyclone Kenneth was the strongest tropical cyclone to make landfall in Mozambique since modern records began; it drenched Mozambique from late on April 25th until April 28th. Although authorities evacuated over 30,000 people in the path of the storm, Cyclone Kenneth killed 7 people in the Comoros Islands and 45 people in Mozambique; damage is estimated at USD$100 million Cyclone Kenneth entry at Wikipedia
April 26-May 4th, 2019: Authorities in India and Bangladesh moved at least a million people each from areas within Cyclone Fani's projected path onto higher ground, and into cyclone shelters, which is thought to have reduced the resultant death toll; Cyclone Fani killed at least 89 people in eastern India and Bangladesh and caused about USD$1.81 billion in damages, mostly in Odisha, India
Cyclone Fani entry at Wikipedia
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April 2019 Chemical Leak near Chicago, Illinois
April 25th, 2019: Around 4:30 am in Beach Park, Illinois, anhydrous ammonia began leaking from one of two 2-ton containers that a tractor was pulling in the Chicago suburb; the leak created a toxic cloud that lingered for several hours over Beach Park; about two dozen law enforcement officers responded to the leak; authorities ordered residents within a 1-mile radius to stay inside and close their windows; area schools were closed for the day. The leak was contained within a few hours and the leaking tank was determined to be empty; authorities were waiting for the chemical plume to dissipate. Forty people were hospitalized, mostly suffering breathing problems; eleven firefighters were among them, and one of the injured firefighters was among the seven in critical but stable condition; three law enforcement officers were in good condition and several others were in serious but stable condition. The order to remain indoors was lifted by late morning; the National Transportation Safety Board is investigating.
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April 2019 Commuter Train Collision in Boston
April 9th, 2019: An out-of-service train of several cars collided with a commuter train near South Station in Boston, Massachusetts, knocking several cars off the tracks. Schedules on the Fairmount Line were changed for the day, with some trains replaced by shuttle buses. By the next day, officials were blaming 'human error', i.e. the crew of the empty train ignored a red light.
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March 2019 Cyclone Idai in Africa
  
March 16-17th, 2019: Cyclone Idai hit Mozambique, Zimbabwe, and Malawi in southeast Africa with devastating rains and flooding; more than 200 people are confirmed dead in Mozambique and at least 100 victims in neighboring Zimbabwe; hundreds more are missing and the death toll could rise to more than 1,000 people. About 90 percent of Beira, Mozambique was destroyed and the coastal city's electricity, roads, communications systems, and airport are shut down. The Red Cross estimated that at least 1½ million people have been displaced or otherwise affected by the storm.
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March 2019 Midwest Flooding
  
March 2019: Heavy rain from a 'bomb cyclone' weather system caused historic flooding in the Midwest, as the Missouri River hit record levels in some areas between Omaha, Nebraska and Kansas City; at least three people were killed, and hundreds of families were forced to leave their homes. Offutt Air Force Base near Omaha, the home base of the U.S. Strategic Air Command, had to sharply curb operations. More rain is still expected in some areas; the governors of Nebraska, Iowa, and Wisconsin declared states of emergency. |
March 2019 Petrochemical Fire Near Houston
  
March 17th, 2019: Several huge tanks that store petrochemical liquids and gases, including fuel & bunker oil, caught fire late Sunday morning at the Intercontinental Terminals Company in Deer Park, near Houston, Texas; next day, the fire had spread to a total of eight tanks and may keep burning until Wednesday. The plant has a storage capacity of more than 13 million barrels; because of smoke from the chemicals, residents in the area were ordered to stay inside and at least one high-way in the area was closed; after checking air quality for several hours, officials cancelled the warnings. Journalists are researching reports that I.T.C. was written up for many violations of safety rules over many years at Houston and elsewhere.
UPDATE March 22nd: Efforts to clean up the Texas industrial plant that burned for several days this week were hamstrung on Friday by a briefly reignited fire and a levee breach that led to volatile chemicals spilling into the nearby Houston Ship Channel. The U.S. Coast Guard closed large areas of the channel until the spill is contained and cleaned up.
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March 2019 Tornadoes & High Winds
March 12th, 2019: High winds and record cyclones on the high plains from Denver, Colorado to the Texas Panhandle (Amarillo) to southeast New Mexico (Roswell area) wreaked havoc all day. Airlines were forced to cancel more than 1,200 flights at Denver International Airport after a wind gust of 80 miles per hour was reported, causing a total of 2,700 flights to be canceled around the country; about 246,000 Denver residents lost power.
About 200 miles (or 322 kilometers) northeast of Dexter, authorities said high winds had derailed a train on the high desert plains near Logan, a town of about 1,000 residents; New Mexico State Police photos of the derailment showed shattered train cars scattered across a mostly dry riverbed.
A tornado in the tiny New Mexico town of Dexter (about 18 miles south of Roswell) ripped roofs from buildings and injured five people, leaving a trail of destruction; the tornado 'took out' about 10 homes on one street in the town of about 5,000 people. Schools are expected to be closed for the remainder of the week, and all entries into the town have been closed as 60 to 70 mph winds continue to stir scrap and other tornado wreckage; authorities are waiting for the winds to stop before they attempt to clear the dangerous debris.
Another tornado touched down in Hagerman, New Mexico (also south of Roswell), destroying the city's water system. In total, about 40,000 Xcel Energy customers in the region that spans much of eastern New Mexico and the Texas panhandle were without electricity.
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March 2019 Fuel Spill Off French Coast
March 11th, 2019: An Italian container ship sank in the Bay of Biscay, off the west coast of France, following a fire; French and British rescue teams saved all 27 people aboard the vessel Grande America of Italy's Grimaldi Lines. The regional maritime authority says that the ship has since leaked fuel over an area of about 10 kilometers (6 miles) long and one kilometer wide; the ship was carrying about 2,200 tons of fuel before the accident. The ship sank about 330 kilometers (200 miles) west of the French city of La Rochelle, while en route from Hamburg to Casablanca. A French cleanup ship was expected in the area Thursday.
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March 2019 Deep South Tornadoes
 
March 3rd, 2019: A storm system that spawned a series of as many as 185 tornadoes swept across eastern Alabama, the Florida Panhandle, Georgia, and parts of South Carolina on Sunday; more than 42,000 homes and businesses lost power in Georgia and Alabama; a tornado watch continues for the next day or two. Two tornadoes swept through Lee County, Alabama, killing at least 23 people in the deadliest U.S. tornado event in nearly five years; the deaths and injuries occurred in the community of Beauregard, outside of the Auburn-Opelika metropolitan area; as-of Tuesday, there were still dozens of people missing tornado events entry at Wikipedia
CLIMATE CHANGE NOTE: The standard tornado season in Midwest & Southern United States is April thru July.
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February 2019 Flooding in California
 
February 27th, 2019: A major storm dumped rain and snow across Northern California, and several rivers overflowed, with the overflowing Russian River forecast to hit its highest level in about 25 years; communities in Northern California's wine country including Guerneville and Monte Rio were accessible only by boat and all roads leading to them were swamped. NOTE: Media reports are newly talking about the 'West Coast flood season'.
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February 2019 L.I.R.R. Crossing Collision
 
February 26th, 2019: A Manhattan-bound Long Island Rail Road commuter train going at 'full speed' collided with an automobile in Westbury, New York; the vehicle was trying to drive around the grade-crossing gates, the westbound train smashed the vehicle, which burst into flames, two railcars derailed and took out a concrete platform, then an east bound train collided with the automobile. Three people in the vehicle were killed, eight people on the trains went to local hospitals, three with serious injuries, and nearly 1,000 passengers and crew on the two trains were evacuated. Service was suspended for the evening in both directions on the Ronkonkoma and Huntington/Port Jefferson branches of the L.I.R.R.
UPDATE: The automobile was fleeing a two-car fender-bender accident just prior.
NOTE: There were 2,115 grade-crossing crashes in the U.S. in 2017, resulting in 271 deaths; that was the highest yearly grade-crossing death toll in a decade (2008 had 290).
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February 2019 Tornado in Mississippi
February 23rd, 2019: A tornado smashed into a commercial district in the small city of Columbus in Lowndes County, Mississippi which borders Alabama, shattering businesses as severe storms raked the South amid days of drenching rains and a rising flood threat; one woman died from injuries and another handful sought treatment at hospitals.
CLIMATE CHANGE NOTE: The standard tornado season in Midwest & Southern United States is April thru July.
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February 2019 Train Derail & Oil Spill in Manitoba, Canada
 
February 6th, 2019: A Canadian National Railway freight train derailed near St. Lazare, Western Manitoba, Canada in the early morning hours; 37 tanker cars carrying crude oil derailed and created an oil spill; CN Rail has not disclosed how much oil leaked from the wreckage; luckily nobody was injured in the accident. Two local residents sent a D.J.I. Phantom Flying Camera drone up in the air to have a look, and then shared their video footage. Authorities suspect that the track may have caused the incident: they removed several pieces of track as part of their investigation.
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February 2019 South Pacific Oil Tanker Spill
February 5th, 2018: The oil tanker ship Solomon Trader ran aground and began leaking oil in an ecologically delicate sea and shoreline area next to a UNESCO World Heritage site in the Solomon Islands, east of Papua-New Guinea. The ship was carrying more than 700 metric tons of fuel oil; a month later, the clear waters have been tainted from leakage of an estimated 100 metric tons of fuel.
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February 2019 British Colombia Train Derailment
February 4th, 2018: Three Canadian Pacific Railway employees were killed after their westbound train derailed and the lead locomotives plunged off a bridge and into a river east of Field, British Columbia, Canada at about 1:00am on Monday morning; the dead workers were the engineer and the conductor and a conductor trainee based in Calgary. The westbound train had been stopped for two hours and then began moving downhill; the forward engines derailed and fell 200 feet into the Kicking Horse River; an estimated 30-40 hopper cars loaded with grain also derailed (the photo shows a derailed midtrain Union Pacific helper locomotive). The site was between the famous Upper and Lower Spiral Tunnels, which are at around 5100 feet elevation near the Continental Divide. The Canadian Pacific rail line, which handles 25 trains each day, reopened four days later.
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February 2019 Coal Train Collision in Wyoming
February 4th, 2019: As much as 6,000 gallons of diesel fuel may have spilled into the North Platte River when two B.N.S.F. coal trains collided in Wendover Canyon near Little Cottonwood Creek, north of the Guernsey Reservoir in southeast Wyoming; the collision sent two locomotives partially into the North Platte River, potentially contaminating the waterway with thousands of gallons of diesel fuel; the collision involved one loaded coal train rear-ending another, resulting in three derailed locomotives and four derailed cars; two employees, an engineer and a conductor, suffered non-life threat-ening injuries. None of the spilled coal reached the river, but two of the derailed, diesel-fueled locomotives did; those engines were flipped on their sides, and as much as 6,000 gallons of diesel could have spilled; the Wyoming Department of Environmental Quality and the B.N.S.F. Railroad are investigating the incident.
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January 2019 Winter Storms / Cold Blast
  
Late January 2019: The season's third major winter storm, caused by weakening of the polar vortex, lowered temperatures in Illinois and Michigan to 28° below zero (wind chill made it minus 51°); after a week, the official tally was ten deaths; the arctic cold blast forced widespread closings at schools and offices, thousands of flights were canceled, Amtrak stopped running trains in and out of Chicago, the Post Office suspended mail delivery & pickup in parts of 10 states, and there were of course multiple highway accidents and pileups because of the ice and snow.
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