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Tropical storm warnings were announced for parts of South Florida and parts of the northern Gulf Coast in the United States, as the Tropical Storm Gordon is expected to make its landfall along the Gulf Coast and possibly strengthen to hurricane.

04.09.2018 - Tropical Storm Gordon Expected to make Landfall Along US Gulf Coast as Hurricane
Tropical Storm Gordon Expected to Make Landfall Along US Gulf Coast as Hurricane

The US National Hurricane Center has issued a hurricane warning for the territory from the mouth of the Pearl River eastward to the border between Alabama and Florida as the Tropical Storm Gordon is to make its landfall along the Gulf Coast. The storm is expected to become a hurricane before it makes its landfall on Tuesday night.


National Hurricane Center @NHC_Atlantic

Find more information on local impacts from #Gordon at @NWSMiami @NWSKeyWest @NWSMobile @NWSNewOrleans and at http://weather.gov .
2:12 PM - Sep 3, 2018

Also, a hurricane watch was posted for coastal areas of Alabama, Louisiana, Mississippi, and Florida, which means that there is a possibility of the hurricane conditions within the next 48 hours.

NHC also announced that Gordon is expected to bring life-threatening storm surge to parts of the central Gulf Coast.


04.09.2018 - Osaka International Airport Flooded as Typhoon Hits Japan (Photo - Video)
Osaka International Airport Flooded as Typhoon Hits Japan (PHOTO, VIDEO)

Kansai International Airport in Osaka was flooded by the most powerful typhoon to hit Japan in the last 25 years. According to NHK, the runway and airport parking were submerged underwater, as well as the underground floor of the terminal. Wind speeds in the area of the airport reached 209 kilometers per hour.

The authorities evacuated several hundred thousand residents from the most vulnerable areas of western Japan. First, the western part of Japan was struck by the typhoon, which brought with it heavy rains and powerful winds.

A tanker that was anchored smashed into a bridge connecting the airport to the city.


04.09.2018 - Japan's Authorities Recommend Evacuation of Over 300,000 People Over Jebi Typhoon
Japan's Authorities Recommend Evacuation of Over 300000 People Over Jebi Typhoon

The Japanese authorities recommended on Tuesday evacuation of more than 300,000 people over the approaching typhoon of Jebi, a Sputnik correspondent reported.

The authorities recommended evacuation of 287,000 people in the port city of Kobe and 90,000 people in the city of Hiroshima.

Japan has already cancelled 632 flights in the central and southwestern parts of the country over the approaching typhoon. The flights are primarily cancelled at the airports of the cities of the Kansai region such as Osaka and Kobe.

The typhoon also disrupted the railway and ferry traffic. The Jebi typhoon is currently located southeast of the Japanese archipelago with the wind strength reaching up to 60 meters per second.

Previously, the Pacific Ocean Typhoon Jebi is slated to make landfall near Honshu. Weather officials in Japan had issued flood, landslide and high-wave warnings to areas of Japan devastated by deadly flooding earlier this year.
 
Tropical storm Gordon has forced the evacuation of 48 manned oil and natural gas production platforms in the Gulf of Mexico, the US Bureau of Safety and Environmental Enforcement’s (BSEE) Hurricane Response Team said in a press release on Wednesday.

06.09.2018 - Tropical Storm Gordon Forces US to Evacuate 48 Gulf of Mexico Oil Platforms
Tropical Storm Gordon Forces US to Evacuate 48 Gulf of Mexico Oil Platforms

"Personnel have been evacuated from a total of 48 production platforms, 6.99 percent of the 687 manned platforms in the Gulf of Mexico, the release said.

BSEE estimated that about 9.36 percent of the current oil production in the Gulf of Mexico has been "shut-in," a term that refers to closing of safety valves located below the ocean floor to prevent the release of oil or gas, the release added.

In addition, 10.29 percent of Gulf of Mexico natural gas production has been shut in, the release noted.

Previously, the US National Hurricane Center reported that additional strengthening of the tropical storm was possible, meaning that the storm could become a hurricane before its landfall.

Gordon rapidly lost strength however, after moving ashore Tuesday night, sparing the Gulf coast region widespread destruction, local media reported.

NHC said later that the storm continued to weaken over central Mississippi, warning that the threat of heavy rains and flooding would continue for several days.

Once the storm passes, BSEE plans to inspect and immediately reopen all undamaged facilities, according to the release.
 
Following a period of rapid intensification over the past 24 hours, Hurricane Florence is headed toward the US East Coast and is expected to become an extremely dangerous Category 4 level storm by Monday.

10.09.2018 - Cat 4 On Lock: Heavy Rain, Surf and Wind as Florence Heads to US East Coast
Cat 4 On Lock: Heavy Rain, Surf and Wind as Florence Heads to US East Coast

Interaction with a smaller storm and the semi-permanent Bermuda High system will drive not only wind speeds and heavy rains, but is predicted to increase the size of the storm.

Coastal US residents from Florida to Massachusetts are watching the progress of Florence closely, as landfall is not precisely known at this point.

Additional atmospheric influences could cause the hurricane to come to a halt over a single area, dumping crushingly large amounts of water in an event similar to last year's cataclysmic flooding of Houston, Texas, in the wake of Hurricane Harvey.

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) aircraft passing through Florence on Sunday morning noted winds of 85 mph and rising on the surface, while barometric pressure is 975 mb and falling fast.

Heavy surf and heavy rain is predicted up and down the coast, however the location of Hurricane Florence's landfall will be the deciding factor in which low-lying coastal areas to evacuate.
 
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On the current projection, it's looking like we will take a direct hit here. Hope the flooding will not be as bad as it was with Matthew.
 
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11th September 2018 - SNOW ON THE SAVANNAH - Giraffes and elephants wander about in snow after freak blizzards hit Africa (Photos - Video)
Giraffes and elephants wander about in the snow after freak blizzards hit Africa

ANIMALS more used to the searing heat have been swanning around in the snow after freak blizzards hit the Savannah.

Giraffes, antelopes and elephants were all among the beasts braving the freeze after the white stuff hit South Africa over the weekend.

Pictures of the snow covered creatures have swept across social media as viewers marvel at the bizarre scenes.

Kitty Viljoen captured elephants enjoying the snow in the Sneeuberg on the Western Cape of South Africa, where snow hit late last week.

Sneeuberg translates to Snow Mountain and dustings are not unusual across parts of South Africa in the winter, but this cold snap comes particularly late in the season.

She also photographed giraffes in snow in the Karoo semi-desert region.

Antelope on the Glen Harry Game reserve in Graaff-Reinet, Eastern Cape, were also snapped surrounded by white covered vegetation.

Snowfall across parts of South Africa late last week forced the department of transport to close roads across the Eastern Cape due to icy conditions.


Florence to Hit "Atmospheric Brick Wall". 5 Days of Rain.
BPEarthWatch Published on Sep 10, 2018 (9:12 min.)


Tue, 09/11/2018 - Nuclear Power Plants At Risk Of Direct Hit By Hurricane Florence
Nuclear Power Plants At Risk Of Direct Hit By Hurricane Florence

North and South Carolina nuclear power plants are in line for a possible direct hit from Hurricane Florence.

According to the Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC), there are twelve operating nuclear power plants in the Carolinas that make electricity by the continuous splitting of uranium atoms (i.e., a nuclear reaction). These plants generally reside near a body of water—a river, lake, estuary or ocean—because they require a constant source of water for cooling purposes. Without cooling water, a nuclear reactor will overheat, leading to core damage, containment failure, and release of harmful radiation into the environment.



"Florence will approach the Carolina coast Thursday night into Friday with winds in excess of 100mph along with flooding rains. This system will approach the Brunswick Nuclear Plant as well as the Duke-Sutton Steam Plant," said Ed Vallee, a meteorologist at Vallee Wx Consulting.

Dangerous wind gusts and flooding will be the largest threats to these operations with inland plants being susceptible to inland flooding," said Vallee.
He tweeted a few weather models Tuesday morning that forecasts rainfall amounts 15-40" range in some regions along the coast.

One of those models is the ECMWF Total Precipitation, which shows the most torrential rain could be situated around the two nuclear power plants in Wilmington, North Carolina.

Also, there is a significant risk of “a life-threatening storm surge” of up to 20 feet or higher along the coast where the nuclear power plants sit.

"The latest forecast is projecting that Hurricane Florence will strengthen “to near category 5 strength” before it makes landfall in the Carolinas, and it is being called “a serious threat to lives and property”. It is extremely rare for a hurricane of this intensity to come this far north, and one expert is claiming that Florence “has the potential to be the most destructive hurricane we’ve had in modern history for this region.”


At this time, the government is warning of “a life-threatening storm surge” of up to 20 feet or higher, “life-threatening freshwater flooding”, and “damaging hurricane-force winds”. But there is another factor that not a lot of people are talking about. There are 12 nuclear power reactors in the Carolinas, including two that are located right along the coast, said Economic Collapse Blog.​
Flooding from the storm could be catastrophic for the nuclear power plants. Excessive amounts of water can damage equipment or knock out the plants' electrical systems, disabling its cooling mechanisms. This is what happened at the Fukushima Dai-ichi plant in Japan as a result of the March 2011 tsunami, causing severe damage to the plant's reactors.

At 5 a.m. Tuesday, the NHC released a report specifying Florence was about 975 miles east-southeast of Cape Fear, North Carolina, and moving west-northwest at 15 mph. Its center will be wedged between Nassau and Bermuda on Wednesday and approach the coast of South and North Carolina on Thursday, as a possible Category 4/5 storm.
 
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Thursday 13.09.2018 - Florence Already Bringing Floods to Carolina Coast (Photos - Videos)
Florence Already Bringing Floods to Carolina Coast (PHOTOS, VIDEOS)

With the outer bands of Hurricane Florence starting to thrash the North and South Carolina coast Thursday, residents and storm trackers alike were given a preview of the Category 2 storm's wrath as it approaches land.

As thousands flocked to state shelters opened ahead of Florence's expected landfall on Friday, photos and video recordings of strong storm surges, light flooding and even brave souls who decided to go surfing appeared on social media.

The National Hurricane Center issued updates on the storm early Thursday, indicating that "heavy rainbands with tropical-storm-force winds are spreading across the Outer Banks and coastal southeastern North Carolina." Tropical storm force winds range between 39 and 73 mph.

Much of the concern Florence is triggering is related to the likely severe flooding and coastal damage that could carry a hefty price tag ranging between $50 billion and $60 billion, according to local North Carolina station ABC 11.

North Carolina Governor Roy Cooper on Thursday urged state residents to be aware of the threats posed by the storm. "My message today: Don't relax. Don't get complacent. Stay on guard. This is a powerful storm that can kill. Today, the threat becomes a reality," he said during a press briefing.

Although Florence is expected to weaken into a tropical depression by Sunday, officials stressed that flooding would continue to be a top concern, as coastal North Carolina is expected to get hit with up to 40 inches of rain. South Carolina could see five to 10 inches, with isolated areas getting up to 20 inches, according to NBC News. The hurricane is predicted to bring storm surges of up to 13 feet.

"This is not going to be a glancing blow," Jeff Byard, FEMA's associate administrator for response and recovery, told NBC. "This is going to be a Mike Tyson punch to the Carolina coast."

As of early Thursday, the storm was roughly 170 miles from Wilmington, North Carolina, inching closer at some 12 mph.

Aside from the Carolinas, states of emergency have been declared in several states, including Georgia, Virginia and Maryland.

On Wednesday, the monstrosity that is Florence was captured in alarming photos snapped by astronauts aboard the International Space Station.

Florence, however, isn't the only troublemaker churning in the Atlantic Ocean. There's also Isaac, Helene, Joyce and Olivia, who's currently dumping rain on Hawaii.
 
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As of early Thursday, the storm was roughly 170 miles from Wilmington, North Carolina, inching closer at some 12 mph.
The radio station I listen to has Fox News each hour. A couple of hours or so ago, it reported that Florence had stalled to 5 mph which increases the possibility of massive rain dumping exponentially.
 
The radio station I listen to has Fox News each hour. A couple of hours or so ago, it reported that Florence had stalled to 5 mph which increases the possibility of massive rain dumping exponentially.

BPEarthWatch has a good descriptive video on Florence with some webcam video shots.

Florence Tracking North. Update
Published on Sep 13, 2018 (8:18 min.)

I have a Brother in Florida, who is employed by the National Parks and Wild Game commission who is part of a crew heading for the State of Georgia with Air Boats and equipment, to meet up with other volunteers of the National Parks - then heading to North Carolina to help in relief efforts. I pray for their safety.
 
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9.14.2018 - North Carolina Meteorologist Abruptly Concludes Broadcast As Florence Floods Station
North Carolina Meteorologist Abruptly Concludes Broadcast As Florence Floods Station

No long goodbyes or histrionics from North Carolina meteorologist Donnie Cox last night as he calmly explained to viewers that his WCTI-TV studio was flooding from Hurricane Florence and being evacuated, then simply pitched the coverage to a sister station and followed orders to take a hike, moving without ado or sound out of camera range.

Take a look at the video below, along with photos of the flooded station.

Cox had been one of the last remaining members of the WCTI team to leave the tremendously wet building, having pledged to stay put for viewers. “The building has been evacuated, just so that you know,” he said. “We are staying here to keep you up to date.”

But 20 minutes later Cox explained that the water levels in the building continued to rise, and the New Bern-based WCTI was tossing coverage to its sister station in Myrtle Beach. Both stations are owned by Sinclair.

WCTI general manager Matt Bowman released the following statement:

“Our first priority is always the safety and well-being of our staff and we are happy to report that all employees from the WCTI station are safe following a sudden evacuation. Our commitment to delivering critical information to our viewers can, at times, put us in harm’s way, particularly with major weather-related events. As such, we were continuously in contact with our WCTI team throughout the week as we monitored the situation and planned for contingencies. When the conditions in the area intensified suddenly, we made the call to have our news staff evacuate the area and team up with our sister station WPDE in Myrtle Beach to continue covering the storm and providing our viewers with vital, potentially life-saving, information.”
 
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On RT:

Stay safe, all in Florence's proximity!

The video was uploaded on September 14th, 2am GMT+1/BST, not sure when it aired on RT.

Washington Post are keeping track of it live from September 13th also:



Stay safe, all in Florence's proximity![/QUOTE]


The video was uploaded on September 14th, 2am GMT+1/BST, not sure when it aired on RT.


Washington Post are keeping track of Hurricane Florence live from September 13th also:

 
9.16.2018 - Super typhoon heads for Hong Kong, China after pummeling Philippines
World News | Reuters.com

A super typhoon swirled towards Hong Kong and the Chinese coast on Sunday, gaining in strength over the South China Sea after hurtling through the Philippines, where it wreaked havoc that killed at least 25.

Tropical cyclone Mangkhut is considered the strongest to hit the region this year, packing gale force winds of more than 200 kph (125 mph), equivalent to a maximum Category 5 “intense hurricane” in the Atlantic.

Philippine authorities said at least 25 people were killed, including a baby and a toddler, most of them in landslides in mountainous areas that left at least 13 missing.

“The landslides happened as some residents returned to their homes after the typhoon,” disaster response coordinator Francis Tolentino said on DZMM Radio, adding that 5.7 million people had been affected and most were prepared.

“No matter how prepared we are, there is really some limitation.”

Mangkhut, the Thai name for Southeast Asia’s mangosteen fruit, was expected to skirt 100 km (62 miles) south of Hong Kong and veer west towards the coast of China’s southern Guangdong province, and the gaming center of Macau.

“According to the present forecast track, Mangkhut will be closest to the Pearl River Delta around noontime (0200 GMT),” the Hong Kong Observatory said.

Hong Kong raised its highest No. 10 typhoon signal at mid-morning, as fierce waves pounded low-lying areas and strong winds rattled windows in many towering skyscrapers.

Some residents have been evacuated from low-lying areas with storm surges of up to 3.5 m (12 ft) expected.

Tens of thousands of travelers had plans disrupted after Hong Kong’s international airport, a major regional hub, canceled most flights. Airlines such as its flagship carrier, Cathay Pacific, canceled many flights last week.

Last year, typhoon Hato, one of the strongest in recent years, pummeled the region, causing nine deaths and damage in Macau, sparking criticism that authorities had not been well prepared.

This time, Macau has been cautious, with officials saying it shut casino gambling operations late on Saturday and China’s People’s Liberation Army put on standby for any disaster relief assistance.

“The suspension is for the safety of casino employees, visitors to the city, and residents,” the government of the world’s largest gambling hub said in a statement.

China has ordered about 6,000 boats to return to harbor, and evacuated thousands of offshore oil platform workers, the state news agency, Xinhua, said.


September 14, 2018 - At Least three Dead in Philippines as Typhoon Heads Toward Hong Kong
At least three dead in Philippines as typhoon heads toward Hong Kong | Reuters

Mangkhut entered the Philippines as a super typhoon in the early hours and ripped over the main island of Luzon with winds of more than 200 kph (125 mph) and torrential rains.

Known locally as Ompong, Typhoon Mangkhut at one point hit gusts of 305 kph before it left the Philippines and moved across the South China Sea with reduced wind speeds.

Hong Kong was braced for Mangkhut, with authorities expected to raise the second strongest typhoon signal between 11 pm and 2 am (1500 and 1800 GMT).

The Philippine disaster agency said two rescue workers died while trying to free people trapped in a landslide in the mountainous Cordillera region, while police said a body had been found in a river in Manila.

Mauricio Domogan, mayor of the city of Baguio, said three people were killed in landslides and six were missing. It was not clear if the three dead included the rescue workers.

“They didn’t expect it would happen, that’s why they didn’t evacuate. Unfortunately it happened,” he told DZMM radio.

State weather agency PAGASA downgraded its threat level, but warned the danger was far from over, with storm surges and heavy rains that had caused flooding and dozens of landslides across Luzon, home to about half the Philippines’ 105 million people.

“We are asking the people to remain alert and continue taking precautions,” said meteorologist Rene Paciente.

Update:

September 15, 2018 - At Least 25 Die in Philippine Typhoon Havoc, rescue Official says
At least 25 die in Philippine typhoon havoc, rescue official says | Reuters

At least 25 people have been killed in the Philippines in a trail of devastation left by Typhoon Mangkhut, mostly in landslides in mountainous areas, a presidential adviser said on Sunday.

Twenty deaths in the Cordillera region on the main island of Luzon and four in nearby Nueva Vizcaya province were caused by landslides. Another death resulted from a treefall in the province of Ilocos Sur, Francis Tolentino said by telephone.

The tally reflected the situation at 9 a.m., said Tolentino, the main disaster response coordinator and an adviser to President Rodrigo Duterte, adding that reports from other areas of northern Luzon, hit by the typhoon on Saturday, were still flowing in.

The Cordillera deaths were confirmed by Emmanuel Salamat, of the office of civil defense, who said police had reported at least 20 dead there.

 
Sept. 19, 2018 - Two die in Ireland, Northern Ireland as Storm Ali strikes
World News | Reuters.com


A woman died on Wednesday when high winds blew her caravan off a cliff in the Irish Republic and a man died in Northern Ireland as Storm Ali grounded flights and left over 200,000 people across the island without electricity.

Irish police said the body of the woman, who was in her 50s, was recovered on a beach in the village of Claddaghduff in the western county of Galway after her caravan fell from the cliff above.

Police in the British province of Northern Ireland said later on Wednesday an engineer working for the Northern Ireland Water utility was killed in an incident involving a tree.

Some 126,000 homes and businesses were without electricity in the Irish Republic due to gale force winds that reached over 140 kilometers per hour, down from an earlier peak of 186,000, while power cuts hit another 90,000 homes north of the border.
More than 50 flights in and out of Dublin airport were canceled.

Ireland’s National Meteorological Service said severe gusts would persist in some areas but that, particularly in the west of the country, winds would continue to abate through the late afternoon and evening.

Three people died in Ireland last October when Tropical Storm Ophelia whipped up 10-metre high waves and battered every corner of the country.


Sept. 16, 2018 - Hong Kong, Southern China clean up after Super Typhoon
World News | Reuters.com


The financial hub of Hong Kong began clearing up on Monday after being battered by one of the strongest typhoons in recent years, with financial markets and offices operating as normal.

Super typhoon Mangkhut, with hurricane-force winds well over 200 kilometers per hour (124 miles/h), had barreled past the northern tip of the Philippines, killing at least 50 people. It then skirted south of Hong Kong and the neighboring gambling hub of Macau, before making landfall in China.

Parts of Hong Kong and Macau were severely flooded, though there were no immediate reports of fatalities. China Central Television, the state broadcaster, said four people had been killed in Guangdong, China’s most populous province of over 100 million residents.

The state broadcaster also said flood warnings had been issued for 38 rivers in the neighboring region of Guangxi, while 12 coastal monitoring stations reported their biggest-ever waves. It also said more than 13,300 hectares of farmland had been damaged.

As many as 2.45 million people in Guangdong province had been relocated on Sunday night, the official Xinhua news agency reported.

The China Meteorological Administration said the typhoon, dubbed “King of Storms”, swept west to Guangxi province at 6 a.m. (2200 GMT on Sunday) and weakened to a “tropical storm”. It forecast the storm to hit the regions of Guizhou, Chongqing and Yunnan on Monday.

The meteorological administration said Mangkhut was one of the 10 biggest storms to hit southeast China since 1949 - when records began - with wind speeds at around 162 km/h.

Across Hong Kong, authorities strived to clear roads of debris, including toppled trees and bamboo scaffolding. Some buildings, including the One Harbourfront office tower, had many windows smashed after a day in which some of the city’s skyscrapers had swayed with the ferocious gusts.


September, 19, 2018 - Terrifying Scenes from Typhoon Mangkhut as it Takes 81 Toll in Philippines (Video)
Terrifying Scenes from Typhoon Mangkhut as it Takes 81 Toll in Philippines (+Video) - Tasnim News Agency


Mangkhut swamped farm fields in the Philippines' agricultural north and smashed houses when it tore through at the weekend with violent winds and heavy rains.

Since then the toll has climbed mostly due to the corpses recovered from the massive landslide in the mining town of Itogon where dozens are still believed buried under the mud, Channel News Asia reported.

The typhoon, the most powerful to strike this year, also battered Hong Kong and killed four in China's southern province of Guangdong.Searchers at Itogon continued their grim work on Wednesday, digging with shovels and their bare hands in the vast expanse of mud that crushed dwellings used by small-scale miners.The area was primed for disaster before Mangkhut hit, as it came on the heels of nearly a month of continuous monsoon rains that saturated the soil of the already hazardous area.Of the hundreds digging through the debris, many were miners themselves who were looking for friends and relatives, determined to make sure they received a proper burial.The Philippines's deadliest storm on record is Super Typhoon Haiyan, which left more than 7,350 people dead or missing across the central Philippines in November 2013.


September, 18, 2018 - Incredible Fire Whirl Swallows Wildfire Crew's Hose in Northern British Columbiahttps://www.tasnimnews.com/en/news/2018/09/18/1832026/incredible-fire-whirl-swallows-wildfire-crew-s-hose-in-northern-british-Columbia


A video recently emerged on social media showing firefighters dealing with a huge blaze near Vanderhoof in British Columbia, Canada's westernmost province, including a fire whirl or fire tornado (firenado).

The firefighters were battling the Chutanli Lake wildfire on Aug. 19, currently estimated at 20,813 hectares. It is now 95 per cent contained.

The video, posted on Instagram, was shot by a wildland firefighter, who is part of the Mackenzie Unit Crew.

“Fire tornado destroyed our line,” she writes. “It threw burning logs across our guard for 45 minutes and pulled our hose 100-plus [feet] in the air before melting it. That’s definitely a first.”

In the video, a firefighter can be seen grabbing their hose, which is being pulled high into the air by the fire. A second firefighter rushes in to help, Global News reported.

The firefighters struggle to grab the hose as it flaps around high in the air.

Next, the video shows the fire tornado, which apparently grew to over 200 feet tall.

There is little the firefighters can do but look on at the rotating column of air and flames.

A fire tornado, which can also be called a fire devil, consists of a burning core of flames and a whirling pocket of air.

It can suck in burning debris and gas and typically last a few minutes, although some last longer.

It is unknown how long this one lasted near Vanderhoof.
 
We are pretty well back to normal after Hurricane Florence. It was not as bad as expected in my area, fortunately. But the aftermath is all about mold and mosquitos. These mosquitos are different. They are about 2x the size of our usual ones, numerous and quite aggressive. I'm noticing a lot of complaints of and talk about headaches in the community.
 

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