Prophecy, Drought, Earthquakes, Famine, Pestilence, War, and Strange Weather.

[Soldier4Christ]

Ecuador volcano explosion destroys homes of 100,000 residents

Patricio Donoso, president of Ecuador's Chamber of Agriculture, said on Monday that 100,000 people have lost their homes and 15,000 hectares of land were destroyed by the eruption of Tungurahua Volcano some 135 km south of the capital Quito.

"Farmers in the region are losing everything: livestock and planted land. The situation is very, very bad," Donoso told Teleamazonas television, calling on the government to provide emergency help.

The government evacuated 5,500 people who lived close to Tungurahua's crater on Friday.

The 5,029-meter-high volcano was showering the region with burning hot lava for a fourth day on Monday.

The Andean provinces of Tungurahua and Chimborazo in southern Ecuador have been put under an orange alert and regional authorities were watching the volcano, ready to declare a red alert which implies the total evacuation of the area around the volcano.

Hot and dangerous lava was due to reach the town of Banos, which has 15,000 residents, on Monday, experts told television.

Pablo Samaniego, of the National Polytechnic's Geophysics Institute, told the media that the volcano erupted in a fashion similar to that in 1918, with six to eight periods of explosive activity sending lava down its sides.

He said the volcano was like a boiling milk pan, burying things in ash in all directions.

Banos was also hit hard in 1918.

[Soldier4Christ]

Evacuation of people near Mayon volcano ordered

MANILA -- Defense Secretary Avelino Cruz on Tuesday directed Albay Governor Fernando Gonzales to pull out more than 4,000 farmers from the six-kilometer permanent danger zone in the restive Mayon Volcano.

Following a meeting with leaders of National Disaster Coordinating Council (NDCC)-attached agencies in Camp Aguinaldo, Cruz, who is NDCC chairman, said the council has already come up with the recommendation to pull out all the people in the six-kilometer radius.

"The NDCC already has a recommendation. It's better if we evacuate more than 4,000 people but that's the judgment call of the provincial governor who is balancing the means of livelihood and safety," said Cruz.

During the meeting, NDCC executive officer and concurrent Office of the Civil Defense (OCD) administrator Glenn Rabonza briefed Cruz that 4,343 farmers are still staying within the permanent danger zone.

"There are at least 4,3000 farmers who insist on going there and tilling their lands and harvesting their produce, it's the question of livelihood. It's (evacuation of the farmers) the call of the local government," said Rabonza.

The Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (Phivolcs) raised alert level 3 on the volcano. Phivolcs director Renato Solidum said the volcano is showing signs of a major eruption, citing events leading to similar major eruptions in 1993, 2000, and 2001.

"Right now, there are more than 4,000 farmers still tilling inside the six-kilometer danger zone and this is one area that we made clear to the governor that this should be attended to right now. The question really is livelihood," said Rabonza.

Solidum said Phivolcs is also recommending the evacuation of all the people inside the permanent danger zone. But he also agreed that the decision lies entirely with the Provincial Government.

"We have recommended no entry in the six-kilometer permanent danger zone even when it was still at alert level zero. In the disaster management system, it's best to relocate people out of the areas which are always affected during eruption," said Solidum

Rabonza also briefed the body about the preparedness of the NDCC and local units in case the volcano goes on a major eruption. He said the military's Task Force Mayon under Brigadier General Arsenio Arugay has been already activated.

On the relief mission, Rabonza cited concerns like the lack of tents in evacuation centers and non-food items being at critical levels. Overall, though, he said NDCC and other relief agencies are prepared for any eventuality.

"They are well prepared, for every alert level. We are on alert level 3; they have specific responses and tasking for every member of the PDCC (provincial disaster coordinating council) in Albay down to the municipal and barangay," said Cruz.

He also said the military's Task Force Hope is already in Albay to help assist in the relief mission.

[Soldier4Christ]

North Sulawesi volcano forces thousands from their homes


Mt. Karangetang on Siau island in Sangihe regency, North Sulawesi, has been spewing clouds of hot ash and lava for the last five days, forcing the evacuation of thousands of residents, an official said.

In a meeting Sunday with Golkar Party central board chairman Theo L. Sambuaga, Sangihe Regent Winsu Salindeho said the level of activity at the volcano was threatening residents of the island.

"Flows of lava have spewed from the volcano's crater, accompanied by thunderous sounds, and the lava has approached residential areas," Salindeho told Theo, who had just returned from Bolaang Mangondow, also in North Sulawesi, where he handed over assistance to victims of a flood in Dumoga village.

Theo told the regent to continue monitoring the volcano and report the latest developments to the central government to ensure the people of the island received the necessary assistance in the event of a major eruption.

"Pak Salindeho, don't leave your people alone. Stay with them and monitor the situation. In case something serious happens, don't hesitate to contact me in Jakarta to ask for help as soon as possible," Theo said.

Meanwhile, the head of East Siau district, R. Areros, also expressed concern Monday over the activity at Mt. Karangetang. He said many residents of Taloarane village, which is located at the foot of the mountain, had refused to evacuate despite the danger.

"We have had eruptions before, and in previous incidents residents also refused to evacuate," said one resident of Taloarane village, Ronald, by mobile phone.

Ronald said he and other residents were continuing their normal activities, despite the danger from the nearby volcano.

However, some residents have left the village, moving in with relatives who live farther from the volcano.

Areros said that according to data from his office, the number of people living in the "danger zone" who would have to be evacuated in the event of an eruption was more than 1,000.

"However, many of them have refused to move despite our efforts to convince them to evacuate," he said.

He did say about 1,100 people had moved into the homes of relatives located in safer areas, while another 96 people were being accommodated in tents provided by the Sangihe regency administration.

Areros said lava continued flowing up to 1.5 kilometers from Mt. Karangetang's crater. The peak of the activity was Wednesday, when the volcano spewed out six clouds of hot ash to a height of about 1,500 meters.

According to data at the mining resources and energy office in Manado, Mt. Karangetang's first registered eruption was in 1675, with no casualties recorded. This was followed by eruptions in 1712, 1825, 1864, 1883 and 1885.

More eruptions were recorded in 1887, 1892, 1899, 1900, 1905, 1921, 1922, 1924, 1926, 1930, 1935 and 1940, which killed two people, injured nine others and devastated nearby coconut and nutmeg plantations.

[Soldier4Christ]

Disaster in 'Ring of Fire'

The earthquake that rocked Java and unleashed another deadly tsunami was the latest disaster in the so-called Pacific "Ring of Fire" that has seen a burst of seismic and volcanic activity this year.

Less than two months ago the central Indonesian region was hit by a 6.3-magnitude quake that killed more than 5 800 people and increased activity at Mount Merapi volcano which was already on high alert for a major eruption.

Each new temblor adds to the infamy of the so-called Ring of Fire, the volatile edges of the north Pacific both on land or undersea that are bounded by the east Asian rim and the west coast of the Americas.

Some of the most dramatic natural disasters of recent history have happened within the Ring's arc, which stretches from Chile, north to Alaska and then west to encompass Japan, Southeast Asia and the Pacific islands.

From the nuclear-like explosion of Krakatoa volcano off the coast of Indonesia in 1883 to the Indian Ocean tsunami that killed 220 000 across 11 nations in late 2004, the Ring's awesome power is legend.

Indonesia suffered the heaviest casualties in the 2004 tsunami disaster, which was triggered by a 9.3-magnitude earthquake off Sumatra island.

The 2004 tsunami was followed by an 8.7-level quake just 160 kilometres to the south on March 28 2005, killing more than 600.

Other large scale disasters within the Ring were the eruption of Mount St Helens in the United States in 1980, the freak quake that felled much of San Francisco in 1906 and the one that devastated Kobe, Japan, in 1995.

Pieces of a puzzle

Since the start of the year there has been an increase in seismic activity with dozens of earthquakes in the Ring and the reawakening of Mount Merapi on Java.

The volcano is still on alert for possible eruption although the warning was last week downgraded from code red, the highest.

The fragile fault lines that skirt the zone are the reason for such geological volatility.

The Earth's crust is made up of a series of rocky plates that literally float on the molten rock of the planet's mantle and core, interlocked over the entire globe like the pieces of a puzzle.

These plates are in constant motion, clashing into each other or moving away from each other, creating stresses and pressure build-ups at their margins.

The edges, or fault lines, are weak points in the planet's surface where the crust drops to just a few miles in thickness; at its thickest it is about 20 miles deep.

Many, mostly small eruptions occur, but occasionally huge volcanic explosions, earthquakes or landslides are generated, as pent up energy is released through the weak fissures.

According to the US Geological Survey, since 1900 there have been on average 19.4 quakes of 7.0-plus strength on the Ring each year, but more than 30 have been recorded so far this year.

But there were just 11 in 2005, suggesting that year's burst may just be a natural fluctuation.

[Shammu]

Tropical storm forms off N. Carolina

29 minutes ago

MIAMI - Tropical Storm Beryl, the second named storm of 2006 Atlantic hurricane season, formed off the North Carolina coast Tuesday and a tropical storm watch was issued for the eastern part of the state.
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At about 5 p.m. EDT, a hurricane reconnaissance aircraft reported that the storm's maximum sustained winds were at least 40 mph, the National Hurricane Center said. The storm was centered about 180 miles southeast of Cape Hatteras and was moving toward the north at about 6 mph.

A slow turn toward the north-northwest or northwest was expected later Tuesday or Wednesday.

Tropical storm forms off N. Carolina

[Shammu]

Strongest quake in a year hits Mount St. Helens

One of the largest earthquakes to hit Mount St. Helens since it began erupting in 2004 today triggered huge rockfalls from crater walls and the growing spine of lava in its crater.

Instruments detected a magnitude 3.6 earthquake at 9:56 a.m., the largest quake at the volcano in the past year.

Scientists at the Cascades Volcano Observatory in Vancouver said the rockfall caused plumes of dust and ash to rise slightly above the crater rim but dissipated quickly.

They said there was no apparent change in the amount of lava entering the crater, a process that has been ongoing since its current eruption began in October 2004.

Dozens of quakes are recorded each month at Mount St. Helens. Two magnitude 3 earthquakes occurred earlier this month.

[Soldier4Christ]

New Earthquake Sways Buildings in Jakarta
New Earthquake Causes Tall Buildings to Sway in Indonesian Capital of Jakarta; Magnitude 6.1


JAKARTA, Indonesia - A strong earthquake caused tall buildings to sway in the Indonesian capital Wednesday, witnesses said. The quake had a preliminary magnitude of 6.1 and was centered 24 miles beneath the Sunda straits, said Budi Waluyo, an official at Indonesia's meteorological office said.

It struck 120 miles southwest of Jakarta, he said.

A tsunami triggered by a magnitude 7.7 earthquake slammed into Indonesia's Java island on Monday, killing more than 530 people. Aftershocks have continued to rattle the region.

[Soldier4Christ]

Storms cut power, snap trees, topple trucks across region

A powerful summer storm slammed into the St. Louis area Wednesday evening, toppling buildings, street lights, tractor trailers and hundreds of trees.

At least 476,000 customers lost power, Metrolink was shut down and just one-third of flights were getting in and out of Lambert Field.

"This is one of the worst storms we can all remember to hit the city of St. Louis in recent years," St. Louis Mayor Francis Slay said at a hurriedly called news conference.

The power outages will present a challenge to utility crews trying to get the power back on in temperatures expected to exceed 100 degrees today.

Until Wednesday, the two biggest storms to hit the area in the last few years were in July 2004, when about 225,000 lost power, and in August 2005, which affected about 250,000. It took AmerenUE crews four days to restore power to all customers in 2004 and five days in 2005.

The storm brewed quickly in central Illinois and swept southwest toward the St. Louis area shortly after 7 p.m. Meteorologists said the storm was unusual, not because of its path, but because a powerful "gust front" preceded the rain and thunder, causing damage from St. Charles County in the west to Madison County in the east, but hitting St. Louis and St. Louis County hardest.

Skies darkened with blowing dust, shingles flew from roofs, and windows were shattered, all before a drop of rain fell. Blowing dust and debris and then torrents of rain limited visibility on roads.

Westbound lanes of Highway 370 were shut down at the Discovery Bridge across the Missouri River because of at least two overturned tractor-trailers, according to the Missouri Highway Patrol. In downtown St. Louis, part of the Switzer building near the Eads Bridge collapsed onto the bridge, trapping a driver - eight months pregnant - in her car for some time.

By noon today, airline travel had returned to normal at Lambert Field. Passengers whose luggage was stranded at the airport's Main Terminal because of the Wednesday night power outage returned to the baggage claim area to hunt for their bags.

Drivers heading east on I-70 near the airport could see camper shells strewn across the highway, twisted sheet metal wrapped around light posts and at least one burning building east of the airport.

The eastbound lanes of Interstate 270 near the Chain of Rocks Bridge were closed as emergency crews responded to three tractor-trailers that had flipped over, authorities said.

St. Mary's Health Center in Richmond Heights and Forest Park Hospital in St. Louis were operating on backup power systems Wednesday night.

In St. Louis

Windows in the old Dillards building at 7th Street and Washington Avenue in St. Louis were shattered, covering the streets with a layer of glass. At the Millennium Hotel, a window at Top of the River, the revolving restaurant at the top of the building, was blown out while guests dined.

No one was seriously injured, said Mark Diaz, the hotel's assistant general manager - "just minor, minor cuts."

Winds also shattered a skylight in the south tower, Diaz said. "We are just going to board everything up and get the repair crews out here tomorrow," he said.

At America's Center, bus driver Gaylon Parker, 60, stood huddled at a corner outdoors, watching the storm rip up part of the center's sign.

"This thing was fantastic," he said. "I never saw anything like it my life ... The buses were blowing back and forth."

Parker said he stayed outside during most of the storm to be "adventurous."

"We did finally go inside," he said.

At the Missouri Botanical Garden, hundreds of people who had been attending the Whitaker Music Festival free concert were moved to shelters at the Schoenfeld Auditorium. Damage from shattered glass was reported to the Linnean House, one of the nation's oldest continuously operating greenhouse conservatories. Trees were reported down at the Garden and in neighborhoods around it.

In parts of south St. Louis, trees and limbs almost covered the pavement for whole blocks south of Meramec Street. South of Interstate 55 and in the area around Carondelet Park, motorists had to weave around limbs and thick mats of branches.

Witnesses reported a driver trapped inside a car at Morganford and Arsenal streets. A building collapse at Sidney Street and Lemp Avenue injured two people inside. An empty building near Natural Bridge and Harris avenues also collapsed.

St. Louis officials urged residents to stay within their homes if possible as crews worked to clean up streets. Residents may report downed lines by calling 314-231-1212.

In St. Louis County

In the aftermath of one of the worst storms in recent memory, St. Louis County Executive Charlie A. Dooley today issued an executive work order that will put county employees on the streets to help residents in unincorporated areas.

Officials estimate that more than 300,000 county residents were without power following the fierce windstorm that uprooted trees, busted car windows and knocked down power lines all over the St. Louis area.

Under Dooley's order, county employees will assist residents by removing trees and debris that is placed by the road. They will not go onto private property.

The county will also patrol streets, removing debris. Officials are also exploring the possibility of joining with area municipalities to speed the clean up.

Residents needing helps should call the county at 314-615-5000. Those seeking information about cooling stations should call the United Way hotline at 1-800-427-4626. Some area taxi companies have said they will take residents to approved United Way cooling stations for free.

In Bellefontaine Neighbors, 100-year-old trees were thrown down, said resident Stephanie Russell, an employee at St. Louis University.

"We had to use four-wheel-drive low just to get up the street," Russell said. "It was everything from water to debris to branches 5 feet to 20 feet long."

Russell said she eventually got to her driveway, but a fallen branch blocked her progress and then another fell behind her car.

"We can't get in or out," she said as neighbors worked to remove branches from the road. "... I've never seen anything like it."

Power went out during the Bridgeton City Council meeting, but the council continued its deliberations. By 8:30, the storm had left the North County area.

In north St. Louis County, the storm caused a gas leak in the 10000 block of Lord Drive. Authorities were evacuating the block, according to St. Louis County police.

Chairmaine Manse and Anna Hollins, customers at the St. Louis Bread Co. at Manchester and Interstate 270 were taken by surprise by the storm.

"It came up as a strong wind, knocking over umbrellas and tables," said Hollins, who lives in Normandy. "It got dark and all hell broke loose . . . I'm willing to go, but I'm not willing to chance it."

In Ladue, Elfriede Olney said at least two oak trees - one about 3 feet in diameter and one more than 50 feet tall - fell in her front yard.

"It's a total disaster area in the front," Olney said. "The driveways are blocked. I've never seen anything like this."

The Dierbergs store in Warson Woods stayed open by generator power and was doing a brisk business in batteries and ice.

In University City, William Conner, was outside late Wednesday night cleaning tree branches and other debris from his driveway. Storms have knocked out power in neighborhood at least a dozen times this year, he said.

"Here we go again," he said. "I hope I don't have to spend another night in the dark."

Kathleen Jensen, a dispatcher for Creve Coeur police, left her home in St. Clair in Franklin County about 8:45 p.m. to drive into St. Louis County to work. Trees were down and lights were out the entire way, but she was especially impressed with the number of road signs that were knocked over.

"We're talkin' the big, huge, green signs that are at the sides of the roads," she said.

In Normandy, neighbors were avoiding downed wires as they worked to clear roads and yards of debris.

The Hazelwood City Council met Wednesday night even though most of the city - including city hall - was without electricity.

"We have a power-point presentation, but no power," Mayor T.R. Carr quipped at one point. Members of the Hazelwood Police Explorer Post who had been meeting at city hall when the storm hit helped get a portable generator working in the council chamber so the meeting could go on.

[Soldier4Christ]

Power Outage Sends Guard to St. Louis

The governor sent in the National Guard to evacuate people from their sweltering homes and utility crews raced to restore electricity Thursday after storms knocked out power to nearly half a million St. Louis-area homes and businesses in the middle of a searing heat wave that has killed at least 17 people across the country.

With forecasters expecting another day of 100-degree heat, Gov. Matt Blunt declared a state of emergency and granted the mayor's request to send in 250 troops to transport people from hot homes to cooling centers, and to clear debris.

Police used public-address speakers from their squad cars to announce locations of cooling centers. Volunteers went door to door checking on people without power to run air conditioners.

"We can't overemphasize the danger of this heat," Mayor Francis Slay said. "The longer the heat goes on and the power is out, the riskier it is."

[Soldier4Christ]

Mass. Coast Under Storm Warning


The Massachusetts coast was under a storm warning Thursday as Tropical Storm Beryl swirled northward in the Atlantic Ocean, and parts of Long Island and Connecticut were told to prepare for foul weather.

The tropical storm warning extended from Plymouth south to Woods Hole, including Cape Cod, Nantucket and Martha's Vineyard, according to the National Hurricane Center in Miami. The warning means tropical storm conditions are expected in the next 24 hours. The storm may bring in tides of 1 to 3 feet above normal.

A tropical storm watch, meaning tropical storm conditions are possible within 36 hours, was issued for eastern Long Island and parts of the Connecticut and Massachusetts coasts.

"It's going to be in many ways much like you get in some of the wintertime storms," said Daniel Brown, a hurricane specialist in Miami. "It's going to be some wind and rain, but it's not going to be anything tremendous like a hurricane."

Harbormaster Tom Leech said that the storm flag was raised at Harwich on Cape Cod and that he had been advising boat owners to double up on their mooring lines.

At Nantucket Moorings, workers were busy Thursday making sure their customers' boats were tied down securely, but they weren't panicking.

Kristine Larsen, an assistant manager at Larsen's Fish Market on Martha's Vineyard, said the shop is prepared with a generator if it loses power.

"What are you gonna do? We can't physically pick the building up and move, so you just have to hope for the best," she said.

At 2 p.m. EDT, Beryl's maximum sustained winds were near 60 mph with higher gusts, well above the 39 mph threshold for a named storm but below hurricane strength of 74 mph.

Beryl was centered 125 miles south-southeast of New York City and 195 miles southwest of Nantucket. It was moving north-northeast at about 11 mph, a motion that would bring the center of the storm near the southeastern Massachusetts coast Thursday night or Friday morning.

A record 28 named storms and 15 hurricanes, including destructive Katrina, occurred during last year's June-November Atlantic hurricane season.

The first named storm of the 2006 season, Tropical Storm Alberto, swept over Florida in mid-June, then plowed northward along the coast past the Outer Banks. It was blamed for one drowning.

[Soldier4Christ]

No End in Sight for Queens, N.Y., Blackout

The damage to a utility's underground network in the borough of Queens is greater than imagined - a twist in the six-day power outage that could mean electricity won't be back until early in the week, the mayor said Saturday.

"It'll be done when it's done," Mayor Michael Bloomberg told reporters gathered in Queens' Astoria Park, where the city's emergency command center for the blackout is set up.

To hasten the restoration of power to as many as 20,000 customers, or about 80,000 people, electrical crews from as far away as Pittsburgh and Columbus, Ohio, were on their way to New York to help, Bloomberg said.

Severe thunderstorms Friday hindered efforts to repair the series of unexplained electrical failures and knocked out some repaired circuits, Bloomberg said.

Consolidated Edison crews "are going manhole to manhole, pulling up every line," the mayor said. As workers inspected underground cables and transformers, they "found more damage than they thought they would find. They were surprised."

Power has been out for some residents and businesses since Monday.

A series of heavy-duty circuits supplying an area in northwest Queens failed Monday evening, hours after the state set a record for electricity use. As temperatures rose to 100 degrees, more circuits failed Tuesday. The same happened Wednesday, even after the heat wave broke and power demand plummeted.

Some residents found their own solutions. One barber set up a generator on the street and cut hair on the sidewalk.

"It's very dark and you can't really see inside," said Hair Fantasy owner Rocco Aliberti. "It's very bad. We try to do as much as we can do. I've got to pay bills."

Con Edison hasn't been able to explain why the power distribution system failed.

On Friday, Con Edison revealed the failure was 10 times larger than it had previously reported. The utility had initially said only 2,000 customers were affected, explaining that the earlier figure was based only on the number of people who called to complain.

The utility's acknowledgment that more customers were affected drew a furious response from some residents and city leaders.

"Con Edison's behavior has crossed the line from reprehensible to criminal," said Assemblyman Michael Gianaris, who called for an investigation.

Con Edison spokesman Chris Olert said the company would "cooperate with everyone's inquiries."

[Soldier4Christ]

Southern California Endures Another Scorcher
By Deborah Schoch and Jeffrey L. Rabin, Times Staff Writers


The San Fernando Valley turned into a suburban Death Valley on Saturday as the mercury hit a record 119 in Woodland Hills, causing sweaty refugees to hug iced lattes, plop down on tile floors and, in at least one case, plead with a salesman to part with his last remaining portable air conditioner, a floor model.

"Today I realized I can't function with just a fan," said Susan Mitnik, who lives in a Topanga Canyon cottage. "It feels like everything is radiating heat. My head begins to pound."

Woodland Hills is a heat-hardy community, typically among the hottest locations in Los Angeles County. But the over-the-top temperature on this day sucked the life from normal Saturday activities — traffic was light, sidewalks were virtually empty — and the brave few who ventured out seemed to move in slow-motion, as if underwater.

Among the unfortunate who lacked air conditioning at home, many took advantage of climate-controlled restaurants, malls and movie theaters. Then there was Mitnik, who begged for the portable air conditioner — a $399.99 floor sample — at the Woodland Hills Best Buy.

Alas, the salesman would not relent.

How hot was it? According to the National Weather Service, it was the hottest day in Woodland Hills since record-keeping began in 1949 — 3 degrees above the former record, set in August 1985.

It was hotter in Woodland Hills than previously recorded in Los Angeles County for a July 22 and 5 degrees hotter than ever recorded in the desert city of Lancaster.

Elsewhere in the region, it wasn't exactly a day for a picnic. El Cajon and Escondido smashed through their previous mutual records of 109, the former hitting 113 and the latter 112. The San Diego Zoo's Wild Animal Park hit 114, 2 degrees higher than its previous all time-record.

In other scattered locations, records were broken for the date: Burbank hit 112, 12 degrees above the previous record set July 22, 1980, and only 1 degree below the all-time high of 113, the National Weather Service said. Laguna Beach hit 94, and in downtown Los Angeles, the mercury climbed to 101.

"It's hotter here than in the Philippines," declared Lota Figueroa, a matron of honor, as she departed a downtown wedding chapel, referring to her native home.

She fretted over her makeup and hair. "It's not going to stay. It's going to melt."

Just after noon, Ins Lee, a 58-year-old shopkeeper, abandoned a trip to the post office, trying to hide in the shade of a traffic signal.

"I couldn't even walk one block down. It's so hot," Lee said. "I wish I could go home and turn on the air conditioning and make a cold noodle soup."

At the downtown Grand Central Market, the muggy embrace of humid air was inescapable, as beads of sweat trickled down T-shirts and workers splashed water on their hair and necks. Fans merely spread hot air around the shops.

The heat is the result of an unusually strong high-pressure system centered over the western United States, which is affecting the entire West, according to the National Weather Service. And although Southern California is normally cooled by winds from the Pacific, the region is instead being heated by winds from the Arizona desert and Mexico.

Partial relief could be coming today, as the high-pressure system is expected relax and move east, according to the weather service.

The forecast calls for highs from the 70s at the beaches, the lower 90s inland and more than 100 in the valleys, with a 20% chance of showers and thunderstorms in the evening.

Energy officials, struggling to keep up with soaring demand for electrical power, pleaded Saturday for conservation.

Early in the afternoon, operators of the state electricity grid called a Stage 1 power emergency after a major power plant in Northern California failed and demand soared as people cranked up air conditioners.

"We absolutely need Californians to conserve and cut back on energy use now … to help us manage this very serious condition," said Jim Detmers, an official with the California Independent System Operator, which manages the power transmission system for 75% of the state.

To conserve power for homes, Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger directed the Department of Water Resources to curtail pumping at the State Water Project, which delivers water from Northern California to much of the Southland, until after 8 p.m.

And electronic signs on California freeways that usually carry traffic information beamed a different message Saturday: "Conserve Energy."

By midday, energy use had far exceeded the previous record for a Saturday, set only a week ago, both Southern California Edison and the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power said. Power demand on the state system peaked shortly after 3 p.m. at 48,490 megawatts, not far short of the record set Friday, 49,036 megawatts.

Gregg Fishman, spokesman for Cal-ISO, said demand started rising steeply after sunrise because warm overnight temperatures kept buildings from cooling.

"It is pretty incredible," Fishman said.

He called on Californians to turn off all unnecessary lights and appliances and to set air conditioners at 78 degrees or above.

Multiple power outages were reported throughout the area. A spokeswoman for Southern California Edison said the utility was planning to remotely shut down air conditioning to residential customers who have volunteered for the conservation program.

Shortly after 5 p.m. in Santa Monica, where the temperature reached the mid-80s, two underground electrical vaults exploded along the 200 and 300 blocks of Santa Monica Boulevard, knocking out power to parts of the Third Street Promenade and surrounding buildings, said Fire Department Capt. Scott Ziegert.

Firefighters secured the area around the smoking electrical equipment and rescued about 40 people trapped in elevators. No injuries were reported, and Southern California Edison crews were working Saturday night to repair damage and restore power. They expected the work to take 24 hours.

Other communities close to the seashore also felt the heat — the mercury hit 97 in Long Beach — but that didn't discourage beachgoers. In Orange County, temperatures reached 99 at John Wayne Airport, 106 at the Fullerton Airport and a relatively comfortable 81 degrees at Newport Beach.

In Huntington Beach, Orange County's most popular stretch of sand, lifeguards reported 60,000 visitors on the 3 1/2 miles of beach, an increase over the crowds of 40,000 to 50,000 on a typical summer weekend day.

For the land-locked in Woodland Hills, the mall was the next best thing to ocean spray.

The "play town" children's area at the Woodland Hills Westfield Promenade was jammed with at least two dozen youngsters.

Donna Azulay, 26, of West Hills sought refuge there with her husband, Ron, 28, and 1-year-old daughter, Jordyn, after the power went out at their West Hills home just before 5 p.m.

"The air just stopped. Everything just stopped working," Donna Azulay said.

Asked whether they had ever felt heat like this before, Donna, a Southern California native, responded without equivocation: "Never ever ever ever ever. I'm just scared it's going to get hotter in the next couple of years."

When the air conditioning at a local movie theater faltered, several people left. They thirsted for relief more than for entertainment. Fortunately, the theater had a tile floor. So they sat down and stretched out their bare legs.

"I just want to go home and sit by my fan," said Chelsea Kennedy, 15, of Newbury Park. "I never remember it being this hot."

[Soldier4Christ]

 Quake sparks fresh tsunami fears

High waves halted search efforts Sunday for hundreds of people still missing following the Indonesian tsunami as a powerful quake elsewhere in the sprawling archipelago triggered fears of another killer wave.

The 6.1 magnitude quake off Sulawesi island Sunday afternoon caused coastal residents to flee inland, some screaming "Beware tsunami! Beware tsunami!"

Indonesian officials -- who have come under fire for failing to warn people ahead of last week's tsunami on Java island -- said it had the potential to trigger destructive waves. They later said no waves was generated and told residents to return home.

The tsunami that hit Java on Monday killed at least 668 people. Some 74,000 residents have been displaced, either because their homes were destroyed or out of fear of living next to the sea. More than 280 are missing, officials say.

The chance of finding survivors is considered unlikely, but marine police and navy boats have been carrying out daily patrols in search of corpses. Bad weather Sunday prevented the teams from leaving port, officials said.

Emergency workers hoped to continue their search Monday, but it depends on the weather. Most seaworthy boats were destroyed in the massive waves, and authorities cannot take rubber dinghies out to the ocean.

In hardest-hit Pangandaran, survivors and army troops lit massive bonfires of debris in palm tree groves and along the beach.

The government started setting up an early warning system after the 2004 tsunami that killed at least 216,000 people across the Indian Ocean rim, more than half of them on Indonesia's Sumatra island. But it is still in the initial stages.

Only two monitoring buoys have been installed, and a government minister acknowledged Friday that they had broken from their moorings and are now being repaired on land, underscoring the problems in maintaining the high-tech system.

Even if they had been operational, the buoys off Sumatra's coast do not cover Java island.

The government has come under fire, however, for failing to tell coastal authorities about bulletins from the Pacific Tsunami Warning Center and Japan's Meteorological Agency saying killer waves could be on the way.

Officials have given different explanations for the decision.

Sgt. Sudarman, a detective with the marine police in Pangandaran, said scores of lives could have been saved with even a few minutes' notice.

"We would not have been able to warn everybody, but we could have told those nearby and at least reduced the number of casualties," he said, adding that officers learned of the tsunami threat after receiving a phone call from reporters.

By then it was too late, he said. The water was already receding -- a sign of an imminent tsunami -- and they were able to save only themselves.

[Soldier4Christ]

Earthquake rocks southwest China

 At least 19 people were killed by a strong earthquake in Yunnan Province as the death toll from last week's Tropical Storm Bilis doubled


A magnitude 5.1 earthquake hit a mountainous area in southwestern China yesterday, killing at least 19 people and injuring dozens, officials said.

The strong earthquake struck at 9:10am, toppling homes and sending large rocks tumbling down onto residential areas in and around Yunnan Province's Yanjin County, about 90km from Zhaotong City, the official Xinhua news agency said.

Xinhua said that several hundred workers had joined the rescue effort.

"Some were crushed inside their homes, others were killed by rocks falling from the mountains," said a Yanjin County earthquake administration official surnamed Zhan.

An official with the Yanjin County government, who would only give his surname, Xiao, said rescuers had so far confirmed 16 dead and 60 injured in Yanjin.

Xiao said about 100 houses were destroyed in the county and about 1,000 were damaged.

A man named Shen at the Zhaotong Seismological Bureau said three people were reported dead in nearby Daguan County. He had no figure for the number of injured there.

Shen, who would not give his full name, said the quake also damaged railroad tracks, forcing officials to shut down service between Sichuan's Neijiang City and Yunnan's capital of Kunming.

Houses in Yanjin -- a county with a population of 350,000 on the plateau that stretches across Yunnan and Guizhou provinces -- were mostly built near hillsides and vulnerable to earthquakes, Xinhua said, citing experts with the seismological bureau.

Many of the injured were hospitalized, it said.

A team from the State Seismological Administration left Beijing early yesterday, hoping to assist in assessing the damage and "maintaining social order," according to Xinhua.

bilis toll

Meanwhile, in Beijing, Chinese authorities were warned against cover-ups yesterday after the death toll from Tropical Storm Bilis more than doubled overnight.

A week after Bilis made landfall, the official number of people killed in its gales and floods was given at 518, nearly 300 more than the 228 previously reported, according to the state-run Xinhua news agency.

"Officials who try to hide the death toll will be punished," the agency said, citing the government of Hunan, the central province that bore the brunt of the destruction brought about by Bilis.

Hunan on Friday revised the province's number of fatalities dramatically upwards to 346, compared with 92 previously, with some evidence that the difference could partly be blamed on cover-ups.

Pingshi town, one of the worst affected areas, had only reported 39 dead and missing, but a TV team had found the actual number to be three times as large, the China Daily newspaper said yesterday.

"The statistics shocked me, too," said Zhao Baojun, an official with the Ministry of Civil Affairs in charge of gathering data about casualties from Bilis.

The ministry has sent an investigative team to Hunan, and also issued a notice warning against hiding the true extent of the damage.

"Those who are responsible for covering up the death toll and the number of missing people will be held accountable," the notice said, according to the China Daily.
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[Soldier4Christ]

Earthquake strikes off Papua New Guinea

A moderate earthquake of 5.0 magnitude struck off the coast of Papua New Guinea on Saturday, but there were no immediate reports of injuries or damage.

The US Geological Survey says the quake was recorded just off the western coast of PNG's Bougainville Island.

A Geoscience Australia spokeswoman says it probably would have been felt by people up to 200 kilometres away.