Heavy rainfall , Thundering , Hail in Australia

Parts of south-east Queensland were lashed by hail and more than 10,000 lightning strikes as a severe thunderstorm hit the region yesterday, bringing power outages to more than 1,000 homes and businesses.



More severe storm cells had been forecast for the south east, however the Bureau of Meteorology (BoM) cancelled its warning about 4:15pm.

"The immediate threat of severe thunderstorms has passed, however thunderstorms are still occurring in the area with small hail possible," it said in a statement.



More than 4,500 homes had lost power when the severe storms hit the capital about 2:30pm and moved towards the coast.

By the evening, 1,200 remained without power on the Sunshine Coast, Moreton Bay and the Gold Coast.



Hail fell at Esk, north-west of Brisbane, and at Kurwongbah, Morayfield and a number of Brisbane suburbs, however there are no reports of damage.





Since 2:00pm today, [to 3:30pm] there had been 10,000 lightning strikes

Flights at Brisbane Airport were delayed and there were reports of road accidents at Chermside, Greenslopes and Auchenflower

Photos : Mathew drikel
News : www.abc.net.au

Red Epic Dragon : The Most Epic Video Camera Ever

 Red Epic Dragon

The Red Dragon sensor is a 19 megapixel sensor that captures video and stills at up to 6K resolution. The sensor captures over nine times more resolution than standard HD, resulting in native exposure that exceeds 35mm film in both latitude and image density. Red Dragon supports 100+ FPS, 16.5 stops of dynamic range, and advanced color science.The quality is so good, scientists recently shuttled one to the International Space Station to film experiments.

In 2014, the Red Dragon sensor received a score of 101 DxO Mark sensor rating. This marked the first time a digital cinema camera was tested alongside leading stills cameras.The Red Dragon sensor is available within Epic and Scarlet camera systems.




Specifications :

Epic-M Red Dragon specs


Sensor: 19 megapixel Red Dragon

Pixel Array: 6144 (h) x 3160 (v)

Dynamic Range: 16.5+ stops

Max Image Area: 6144 px (h) x 3160 px (v)

Lens Coverage: 30.7 mm (h) x 15.8 mm (v) x 34.5 mm (d)

Acquisition Formats: 6K raw (2:1, 2.4:1), 5K raw (full frame, 2:1, 2.4:1, and anamorphic 2:1), 4.5K
raw (2.4:1), 4K raw (16:9, HD, 2:1, and anamorphic 2:1), 3K raw (16:9, 2:1, and anamorphic 2:1),
2K raw (16:9, 2:1, and anamorphic 2:1), 1080p RGB (16:9), 720P RGB (16:9)

Meccanoid G15 KS : The Fun maker

Meccanoid G15 KS

For over 100 years Meccano has allowed you to explore real engineering, using real tools. Now, experience Meccano s new innovation in robotics with its latest offering, the Meccanoid G15 KS Personal Robot. When you build a Meccanoid G15 KS Personal Robot, you re building a friend. It s easy “using the real tools included. When you re all done building Meccanoid s frame and have plugged in the batteries, it will use its Meccabrain to guide you through connecting its motors. You can even rebuild Meccanoid as a dinosaur, or anything else you can dream up. With your imagination and 1,223 parts to play with, the possibilities are endless! Standing almost 4 feet tall the Meccanoid G15 KS uses advanced technology and 10 motors to deliver even more realistic movement to its arms head and feet. Watch as Meccaoids large LED eyes light up with over 500 color options.

  
Programming your Meccanoid G15 KS is easy and intuitive “ no special skills required. Thanks to its Learned Intelligent Movement (LIM) technology, you can simply move its arms and head or speak to it and Meccanoid records what you re doing and repeats it back to you! Meccanoid s powerful, built-in Meccabrain is the key to its programming. It contains 64 megabits of flash memory allowing it to learn movements and record sounds that play back. For interactive fun use the Motion Capture feature on the Meccanoid app free for your smart device. Place your smart device into Meccanoid, activate the Motion Capture and marvel as Meccanoid mirrors your every action! Or swipe the on-screen Ragdoll avatar to make Meccanoid twist, turn or move any way you want! Meccanoid G15 KS is your wisecracking best friend with an intelligence shaped by you! Its amazing voice recognition capabilities and over a thousand pre-programmed phrases, comments and witty comebacks will have you laughing as it tells jokes and plays games. With a friend like the Meccanoid G15 KS Personal Robot, there s no limit to the fun you can have.






Specifications :


Robot height About 2 feet (61 cm) Almost 4 feet (122 cm)

Buildable robot 621 parts, 2 real tools and building instructions included 1223 parts, 2 real tools and building instructions included

Hardware Six (6) motors for realistic movements

Four (4) smart servos localized in the arms that remember your moves
2 motors to drive the feet

Ten (10) motors for realistic movements

Eight (8) smart servos localized in the arms and head that remember your moves

2 motors to drive the feet

LED eyes with over 500 colors

"Meccabrain": 8-channel micro controller with 64 Mb of flash memory — with firmware updates available through USB

Innovative Programming 3 innovative ways to program:

LIM (Learned Intelligent Movement)

Ragdoll Avatar*

Motion Capture*

*smart device required

Voice Recognition Meccanoid responds to more than 30 pre-programmed voice commands—and unlimited user-recorded voice commands.

Pre-Programmed Interactivity

Meccanoid says 1000+ pre-programmed phrases, including Jokes, Fun Facts, and Questions

Highly interactive features include Dance, Kung Fu, Exercise, and High-Five modes

Twelve (12) different modes of Interactivity and Autonomous personality that is affected by its environment

Material High-impact polycarbonate construction plates (100% compatible with classic Meccano construction system)

Smart Device Integration Robot interacts with smart devices through Bluetooth®—compatible with iOS and Android Free App!

Power Supply 4 x C-cell alkaline batteries Rechargeable Ni-MH battery pack

Open Source Programming Communication protocols will be made openly available on our website

GoPro Hero4 Black : Pocket Professional Video camera

GoPro Hero4 Black

In September 2014 GoPro announced the HERO4, available in Black Edition and Silver Edition, which replace their respective HERO3+ generation predecessors. The Hero, a budget camera, was also announced.

The HERO4 Black Edition still has a 12mp CMOS and a f/2.8 fixed maximum aperture and focus free. It adds Bluetooth connectivity, Highlight tag, Protune Available for photo and a new processor claimed by GoPro to be twice as fast as that of the HERO3+ Black Edition, doubling the frame rates in most resolutions. The HERO4 Black Edition can record 4K video (3840×2160) at a frame rate of 24, 25 and 30 fps. In Superview mode, 4k is only possible at 25 fps. Many other rates and resolutions are available. The HERO4 Black Edition still shoots stills at a maximum of 12MP with a maximum burst rate of 30 fps. With Wi-Fi disabled at 4k/30, GoPro claims the HERO4 Black Edition battery life to be 65 minutes, increasing to a maximum of 1h 50' at 720p/240. The HERO4 Black battery is in a different form factor than its predecessors. Initial side-by-side comparisons of HERO3+ and HERO4 Black edition video results suggest that the newer model has more detail at long range, and similar performance at close range.




The HERO4 Session, released July 6, 2015, is 50% smaller and 40% lighter comparing to other versions of the GoPro HERO4 camera.

The HERO4 models maintains the H.264 video codec of previous versions and MP4 file formats. GoPro claims the mono microphone in both the Black and Silver Editions have twice the dynamic range of the HERO3+, and that the HERO4 Black and Silver Editions have improved low light performance.

ZTE SPro™ 2 : Take your projector anywhere

 ZTE SPro™ 2

Finally a way to share your content with all your friends, family , business - quickly and easily/Access games, books, movies, presentations or anything you need to show- on the go/Versatile, small and portable Android-powered wireless projector with SD Card, wired or wireless inputs for viewing/No more crowding around a computer screen to share content, data or presentations/Multiple connectivity options, easy to project/Projection scope reaches 120 inches/Can project the files stored in the projector via USB or via WIFI from cloud drive/4 inch touch screen, provides better UI experience/5000 mAh battery, mobile power, charge mobile phone at any time/User scenarios: business, indoor entertainment, outdoor entertainment, gaming, higher education - teaching.

SPro is ZTE’s WiFi only projector. It is ideal for anyone that has connectivity and projecting needs for both work and play, but don’t want to be tied to a mobile carrier.



SPro
Portable projector for ad-hoc, convenient projecting.
Access the Cloud and Internet through Wi-Fi directly from the device.
Stream video and audio through Wi-Fi without impacting a data plan.
Convenient touchscreen display to access content and control hotspot.
Native Android OS allows all apps from Google Play and others.
Connect any HDMI compatible device.
Store files directly on the Projector via Bluetooth or cable files
Hotspot

Extend your data connection to multiple devices via shared Wi-Fi, and keep your private Wi-Fi pass-code private.


Specifications :

4" WVGA, MSM8230, dual 1.2GHZ Convenient touchscreen display to access content Native Android OS allows all apps from Google Play and others^Portable projector for ad-hoc, convenient projecting Stream video and audio through Wi-Fi without impacting a data plan^Access the Cloud and Internet through Wi-Fi directly from the device^1GB RAM and 4GB ROM, expandable memory up to 32 GB (via MMC) and 5000 mAh li-ion battery.

HTC VIVE : The entrance of Dream world

HTC Vive is an upcoming virtual reality head-mounted display being developed in co-production between HTC and Valve Corporation. It is also part of Valve Corporation's SteamVR project.

During his Immersed 2015 keynote, Phil Chen, Chief Content Officer for HTC and Founder of the HTC Vive explained that he "stumbled upon VR" and first reached out to Oculus in 2012 to somehow work together. After being refused, that later led HTC to Valve which turned out to be "serendipity". Phil also explained that HTC and Valve don't have a clear dividing line between each of their responsibilities, and HTC is very much a partner in the research and development process.




Prototypes of a Valve-produced virtual reality system were demonstrated during 2014. On February 23, 2015, Valve announced that it would demonstrate a "SteamVR hardware system" at the 2015 Game Developers Conference.HTC officially unveiled its device, Vive, during its Mobile World Congress keynote on March 1, 2015. Subsequent updates on Steam have indicated a potential release date of November 2015. Valve and HTC have since announced that the headset will be free for selected developers.



Specifications:

HTC states that Vive has a refresh rate of 90 Hz, requiring content to be rendered at 90 frames-per-second. The device uses two screens, one per eye, each having a resolution of 1080x1200.The device uses more than 70 sensors including aMEMS gyroscope, accelerometer and laser position sensors, and is said to operate in a 15 feet by 15 feet (4.5 by 4.5 meters) tracking space if used with the "Lighthouse" base station.Lighthouse system was designed by Alan Yates and uses simple photosensors on any object that needs to be captured, this is combined with two, to avoid occlusion problems, lighthouse stations that sweep structured light lasers within a space. The front-facing cameras allow the software to identify any moving or static objects in a room. It's part of the Chaperone safety system to prevent and warn users of hitting an obstacle (an object, or a wall). Thanks to the cameras, SteamVR will map, modelize your room and the room configuration can be saved.

Winter of terror , 1950

The Winter of Terror was the three-month period during the winter of 1950-1951when a previously unrecorded number of avalanches took place in the Alps. The series of 649 avalanches killed over 265 people and caused large amounts of damage to residential and other human-made structures.

Austria suffered most damage and loss of human life with 135 killed and many villages destroyed. Thousands of acres of economically valuable forest were also damaged during the period.

The Valais canton of Switzerland suffered 92 human deaths, approximately 500 cattle deaths, and destruction of 900 human-made structures. As in Austria, economically important forests were also damaged during the period.

The Swiss town of Andermatt in the Adula Alps was hit by six avalanches within a 60-minute period, resulting in 13 human deaths.

This period is thought to be a result of atypical weather conditions in the Alps: high precipitation due to the meeting of an Atlantic warm front with a polar cold front resulted in 3-4.5 metres of snow being deposited in a two-to-three-day period. More than 600 buildings were destroyed and over 40,000 people were buried under snow.

The Great Smog of London , 1952

The Great Smog of 1952 or Big Smoke was a severe air-pollution event that affected London during December 1952. A period of cold weather, combined with an anticyclone and windless conditions, collected airborne pollutants mostly from the use of coal to form a thick layer of smog over the city. It lasted from Friday 5 December to Tuesday 9 December 1952, and then dispersed quickly after a change of weather.

Although it caused major disruption due to the effect on visibility, and even penetrated indoor areas, it was not thought to be a significant event at the time, with London having experienced many smog events in the past, so-called "pea soupers". Government medical reports in the following weeks estimated that up until 8 December 4,000 people had died prematurely and 100,000 more were made ill because of the smog's effects on the human respiratory tract. More recent research suggests that the total number of fatalities was considerably greater, at about 12,000.

It is known to be the worst air-pollution event in the history of the United Kingdom, and the most significant in terms of its effect on environmental research, government regulation, and public awareness of the relationship between air quality and health. It led to several changes in practices and regulations, including the Clean Air Act 1956.

There was no panic, as London was renowned for its fog. In the weeks that ensued, however, statistics compiled by medical services found that the fog had killed 4,000 people. Most of the victims were very young or elderly, or had pre-existing respiratory problems. In February 1953, Lieutenant-Colonel Lipton suggested in the House of Commons that the fog had caused 6,000 deaths and that 25,000 more people had claimed sickness benefits in London during that period.

The cold weather preceding and during the smog meant that Londoners were burning more coal than usual to keep warm. Post-war domestic coal tended to be of a relatively low-grade, sulphurous variety (economic necessity meant that better-quality "hard" coals tended to be exported), which increased the amount of sulphur dioxide in the smoke. There were also numerous coal-fired power stations in the Greater London area, including Fulham, Battersea, Bankside, and Kingston upon Thames, all of which added to the pollution. According to the UK MetOffice, the following pollutants were emitted each day during the foggy period: 1,000 tonnes of smoke particles, 2,000 tonnes of carbon dioxide, 140 tonnes of hydrochloric acid, 14 tonnes of fluorine compounds and 370 tonnes of sulphur dioxide.

On 4 December 1952, an anticyclone settled over a windless London, causing a temperature inversion with cold, stagnant air trapped under a layer (or "lid") of warm air. The resultant fog, mixed with chimney smoke, particulates such as those from vehicle exhausts, and other pollutants such as sulphur dioxide, formed a persistent smog, which blanketed the capital the following day. The presence of tarry particles of soot gave the smog its yellow-black colour, hence the nickname "peasouper".The absence of significant wind prevented its dispersal and allowed an unprecedented accumulation of pollutants.

Research suggests that additional pollution-prevention systems fitted at Battersea may have worsened the air quality, reducing the output of soot at the cost of increased sulphur dioxide, though this is not certain. Additionally, there were pollution and smoke from vehicle exhaust — particularly from steam locomotives and diesel-fuelled buses, which had replaced the recently abandoned electric tram system — and from other industrial and commercial sources.Prevailing winds had also blown heavily polluted air across the English Channel from industrial areas of Continental Europe.


Most of the deaths were caused by respiratory tract infections from hypoxia and as a result of mechanical obstruction of the air passages by pus arising from lung infections caused by the smog. The lung infections were mainly bronchopneumonia or acute purulent bronchitis superimposed upon chronic bronchitis.

More recent research suggests that the number of fatalities was considerably greater, at about 12,000.

Melanie Gaydos - The Optimist

Ectodermal dysplasia is not a single disorder, but a group of syndromes all deriving from abnormalities of the ectodermal structures. More than 150 different syndromes have been identified.

Despite some of the syndromes having different genetic causes the symptoms are sometimes very similar. Diagnosis is usually by clinical observation often with the assistance of family medical histories so that it can be determined whether transmission is autosomal dominant or recessive.

Worldwide around 7,000 people have been diagnosed with an ectodermal dysplasia condition. Some ED conditions are only present in single family units and derive from very recent mutations. Ectodermal dysplasias can occur in any race but are much more prevalent in caucasians than any other group and especially in fair caucasians.

Ectodermal dysplasias are described as "heritable conditions in which there are abnormalities of two or more ectodermal structures such as the hair, teeth, nails, sweat glands, cranial-facial structure, digits and other parts of the body.

Melanie Gaydos was born with Ectodermal Dysplasia, a rare genetic disorder which causes abnormalities to hair, teeth and nails.

Talking about her symptons, Melanie explained: ‘Ectodermal Dysplasia means my pores are very small and I have very little body hair.’

She went on: ‘I only have three baby teeth at the moment… My baby teeth grew in and then they promptly started decaying.’

She explained: ‘I ended up meeting and starting a lot of my fashion work based off of Craigslist because there were a lot of fashion photographers on there who were looking for models who didn’t have a stereotypical look.’

Talking about her motivation for entering the world of modelling, Melanie explained: ‘I just started modelling as a means to learn more about myself – I never thought that it would journey into where it has today.’

But her career soon took off, and Melanie is now so popular that she works as an actress and model full time.

But although she’s now happy and successful, Melanie’s life wasn’t always so rosy.

She confided: ‘As a child I faced a lot of bullying and a lot of people stared at me.

She went on: ‘When I was about 16 I was really depressed and suicidal I didn’t really want to live – I didn’t think that I would be alive past the age of 18.’

Still, Melanie is keen to focus on the present and the future.

Talking about her glamorous life, she gushed: ‘Now I’m a full time model and actress and able to travel the world. I’m flown to different countries to do different projects it’s really amazing.’

USAIN BOLT - FASTEST MAN ALIVE

Usain St. Leo Bolt, OJ, CD ( born 21 August 1986) is a Jamaican sprinter. Regarded as the fastest person ever, he is the first man to hold both the 100 metres and 200 metres world records since fully automatic time measurements became mandatory in 1977. Along with his teammates, he also set the world record in the 4×100 metres relay. He is the reigning Olympic champion in these three events, the first man to win six Olympic gold medals in sprinting, and an eleven-time World champion. He was the first to achieve a "double double" by winning 100 m and 200 m titles at consecutive Olympics (2008 and 2012), and topped this through the first "double triple" (including 4×100 m relays).

Although gaining worldwide popularity for a sprint double victory at the Beijing Games, Bolt has had more victories as a 200 m runner. While he had not won any significant 100 m title prior to the 2008 Olympics, he had won numerous crowns in the 200 m event at the youth, junior and senior levels. Further, at the 2013 World Championships in Moscow, Bolt completed a hat-trick of 200 m world titles by winning his third straight gold in the event. His 2009 record breaking margin for 100 m, from 9.69 seconds (his own previous world record) to 9.58, is the highest since the start of fully automatic time measurements.

Bolt's achievements in sprinting have earned him the media nickname "Lightning Bolt",and awards including the IAAF World Athlete of the Year, Track & Field Athlete of the Year, and Laureus World Sportsman of the Year (three times). He is the highest paid athlete ever in track and field. He has been called the world's most marketable athlete. By winning three gold medals at the 2015 World Championships, Bolt became the first athlete to complete a "triple triple", and also became the most successful athlete in the 32-year history of the athletics world championships.

On 14 February 2015, Bolt announced that he intends to retire from athletics after the 2017 World Championships in London.

Bolt was born on 21 August 1986 in Sherwood Content, a small town in Trelawny, Jamaica, and grew up with his parents, Wellesley and Jennifer Bolt, his brother Sadiki,and his sister Sherine. His parents ran the local grocery store in the rural area, and Bolt spent his time playing cricket and football in the street with his brother,later saying, "When I was young, I didn't really think about anything other than sports".

As a child, Bolt attended Waldensia Primary, where he first began to show his sprinting potential, running in the annual national primary-schools' meeting for his parish. By the age of twelve, Bolt had become the school's fastest runner over the 100 metres distance.

Upon his entry to William Knibb Memorial High School, Bolt continued to focus on other sports, but his cricket coach noticed Bolt's speed on the pitch and urged him to try track and field events.Pablo McNeil, a former Olympic sprint athlete, and Dwayne Jarrett coached Bolt, encouraging him to focus his energy on improving his athletic abilities. The school had a history of success in athletics with past students, including sprinter Michael Green. Bolt won his first annual high school championships medal in 2001, taking the silver medal in the 200 metres with a time of 22.04 seconds. McNeil soon became his primary coach, and the two enjoyed a positive partnership, although McNeil was occasionally frustrated by Bolt's lack of dedication to his training and his penchant for practical jokes.

In his personal life, Bolt expresses a love for dancing and his character is frequently described as laid-back and relaxed. His Jamaican track and field idols include Herb McKenley and former Jamaican 100m and 200m world record holder, Don Quarrie. Michael Johnson, the former 200 m world and Olympic record holder, is also held in high esteem by Bolt.

According to the Catholic News Agency, Bolt is Catholic and known for making the sign of the cross before racing competitively, and he wears a Miraculous Medal during his races. His middle name is St. Leo.

In 2010, Bolt also revealed his fondness of music, when he played a reggae DJ set to a crowd in Paris.

The first sport to interest Bolt was cricket and he said if he was not a sprinter he would be a fast bowler instead. As a child he was a supporter of the Pakistani cricket team and admired the bowling of Waqar Younis. He is also a fan of Indian batsman Sachin Tendulkar, West Indian opener Chris Gayle[192] and Australian opener Matthew Hayden. During a charity cricket match Bolt clean-bowled Chris Gayle. Gayle was complimentary of Bolt's pace and swing.[194] Bolt also struck a six off Chris Gayle's bowling. Another bowler complimentary of Bolt's pace was former West Indies fast-bowling great Curtly Ambrose.

The Australian cricketer Shane Warne said in 2012 that Bolt would be interested in playing in the cricket Big Bash League, this was later confirmed by Bolt who said that "[Shane Warne] contacted me and asked me about if I am serious and if I really want to do it then he can put in a few words that should get it done. So we will see if I get the time off. I will try." He also said he likes the Twenty20 version of the game: "Just the fact that it is so exciting, it's about going hard the whole time, not just about playing shots. It's about being aggressive and I like that style of batsman. If I get the chance I will definitely try because I know it's going to be a lot of fun. I don't know how good I am. I will probably have to get a lot of practice in." In response to Bolt's interest, Melbourne Stars chief executive Clint Cooper said: "We're going to wait until the Olympics is over and re-engage with him and his management company. We've got a couple of spots left on our list."

Bolt is also a fan of Premier League football team Manchester United. He has declared he is a fan of Dutch striker Ruud van Nistelrooy. Bolt was a special guest of Manchester United at the 2011 UEFA Champions League Final in London, where he stated that he would like to play for them after his retirement.

In 2013, Bolt played basketball in the NBA All-Star Weekend Celebrity Game. He scored two points from a slam dunk but acknowledged his other basketball skills were lacking.

AWARDS

IAAF World Athlete of the Year: 2008, 2009, 2011, 2012, 2013
Track & Field Athlete of the Year: 2008, 2009
Laureus World Sportsman of the Year: 2009, 2010, 2013
BBC Overseas Sports Personality of the Year: 2008, 2009, 2012
L'Équipe Champion of Champions: 2008, 2009, 2012
Jamaica Sportsman of the year: 2008, 2009, 2011, 2012, 2013
Marca Leyenda (2009)
In October 2008, he was made a Commander of the Order of Distinction,which entitles him to use the post nominal letters CD.
In 2009, at age 23, Usain Bolt became the youngest member so far, of the Order of Jamaica. The award was 'for outstanding performance in the field of athletics at the international level'. In the Jamaican honours system, this is considered the equivalent of a knighthood in the British honours system, and entitles him to be formally styled "The Honourable", and to use the post nominal letters OJ.

Bolt's personal best of 9.58 seconds in the 100 metres is the fastest ever run.Bolt also holds the second fastest time of 9.63 seconds, the current Olympic record, and set two previous world records in the event. Bolt's personal best of 19.19 s in the 200 metres is the world record. This was recorded at the 2009 World Championships in Athletics in Berlin against a headwind of −0.3 m/s. This performance broke his previous world record in the event, his 19.30 s clocking in winning the 2008 Olympic 200 metres title.



Bolt has been on three world-record-setting Jamaican relay teams. The first record, 37.10 seconds, was set in winning gold at the 2008 Summer Olympics. The second record came at the 2011 World Championships in Athletics, a time of 37.04 seconds. The third world record was set at the 2012 Summer Olympics, a time of 36.84 seconds.

Bolt also holds the 200 metres world teenage best results for the age categories 15 (20.58 s), 16 (20.13 s, world youth record), 17 (19.93 s) and 18 (19.93 s, world junior record).He also holds the 150 metres world best set in 2009, during which he ran the last 100 metres in 8.70 seconds, the quickest timed 100 metres ever.

The 2010 Haiti earthquake

The 2010 Haiti earthquake was a catastrophic magnitude 7.0 Mw earthquake, with an epicenter near the town of Léogâne (Ouest Department), approximately 25 kilometres (16 mi) west of Port-au-Prince, Haiti's capital. The earthquake occurred at 16:53 local time (21:53 UTC) on Tuesday, 12 January 2010.

By 24 January, at least 52 aftershocks measuring 4.5 or greater had been recorded. An estimated three million people were affected by the quake. Death toll estimates range from 100,000 to about 160,000 to Haitian government figures from 220,000 to 316,000 that have been widely characterized as deliberately inflated by the Haitian government. The government of Haiti estimated that 250,000 residences and 30,000 commercial buildings had collapsed or were severely damaged. There has been a history of national debt, prejudicial trade policies by other countries,[citation needed] and foreign intervention into national affairs that contributed to the pre-existing poverty and poor housing conditions that exacerbated the death toll.

The earthquake caused major damage in Port-au-Prince, Jacmel and other settlements in the region. Notable landmark buildings were significantly damaged or destroyed, including the Presidential Palace, the National Assembly building, the Port-au-Prince Cathedral, and the main jail. Among those killed were Archbishop of Port-au-Prince Joseph Serge Miot, and opposition leader Micha Gaillard. The headquarters of the United Nations Stabilization Mission in Haiti (MINUSTAH), located in the capital, collapsed, killing many, including the Mission's Chief, Hédi Annabi.

Many countries responded to appeals for humanitarian aid, pledging funds and dispatching rescue and medical teams, engineers and support personnel. Communication systems, air, land, and sea transport facilities, hospitals, and electrical networks had been damaged by the earthquake, which hampered rescue and aid efforts; confusion over who was in charge, air traffic congestion, and problems with prioritisation of flights further complicated early relief work. Port-au-Prince's morgues were overwhelmed with tens of thousands of bodies. These had to be buried in mass graves. As rescues tailed off, supplies, medical care and sanitation became priorities. Delays in aid distribution led to angry appeals from aid workers and survivors, and looting and sporadic violence were observed. On 22 January the United Nations noted that the emergency phase of the relief operation was drawing to a close, and on the following day the Haitian government officially called off the search for survivors.

Aftershocks

History of the main shock and aftershocks with magnitudes larger than 4.0, data from USGS

The United States Geological Survey (USGS) recorded eight aftershocks in the two hours after the main earthquake, with magnitudes between 4.3 and 5.9. Within the first nine hours 32 aftershocks of magnitude 4.2 or greater were recorded, 12 of which measured magnitude 5.0 or greater, and on 24 January USGS reported that there had been 52 aftershocks measuring 4.5 or greater since 12 January quake.

On 20 January at 06:03 local time  the strongest aftershock since the earthquake, measuring magnitude 5.9 Mw, struck Haiti. USGS reported its epicenter was about 56 km (35 mi) WSW of Port-au-Prince,which would place it almost exactly under the coastal town of Petit-Goâve. A UN representative reported that the aftershock collapsed seven buildings in the town. According to staff of the International Committee of the Red Cross, which had reached Petit-Goâve for the first time the day before the aftershock, the town was estimated to have lost 15 percent of its buildings, and was suffering the same shortages of supplies and medical care as the capital. Workers from the charity Save the Children reported hearing "already weakened structures collapsing" in Port-au-Prince, but most sources reported no further significant damage to infrastructure in the city. Further casualties are thought to have been minimal since people had been sleeping in the open.There are concerns that 12 January earthquake could be the beginning of a new long-term sequence: "the whole region is fearful"; historical accounts, although not precise, suggest that there has been a sequence of quakes progressing westwards along the fault, starting with an earthquake in the Dominican Republic in 1751.

Tsunami

The Pacific Tsunami Warning Center issued a tsunami warning immediately after the initial quake, but quickly cancelled it. Nearly two weeks later it was reported that the beach of the small fishing town of Petit Paradis was hit by a localised tsunami shortly after the earthquake, probably as a result of an underwater slide, and this was later confirmed by researchers. At least three people were swept out to sea by the wave and were reported dead. Witnesses told reporters that the sea first retreated and a "very big wave" followed rapidly, crashing ashore and sweeping boats and debris into the ocean.

The earthquake struck in the most populated area of the country. The International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies estimated that as many as 3 million people had been affected by the quake. In mid February 2010, the Haitian government reported the death toll to have reached 230,000. However, an investigation by Radio Netherlands has questioned the official death toll, reporting an estimate of 92,000 deaths as being a more realistic figure. On the first anniversary of the earthquake, 12 January 2011, Haitian Prime Minister Jean-Max Bellerive said the death toll from the quake was more than 316,000, raising the figures from previous estimates.

Several experts have questioned the validity of the death toll numbers; Anthony Penna, professor emeritus in environmental history at Northeastern University, warned that casualty estimates could only be a "guesstimate", and Belgian disaster response expert Claude de Ville de Goyet noted that "round numbers are a sure sign that nobody knows."Edmond Mulet, UN Assistant Secretary-General for Peacekeeping Operations, said, "I do not think we will ever know what the death toll is from this earthquake", while the director of the Haitian Red Cross, Jean-Pierre Guiteau, noted that his organization had not had the time to count bodies, as their focus had been on the treatment of survivors

The Ajka alumina sludge spill - 2010 , Hungary

The Ajka alumina sludge spill was an industrial accident at a caustic waste reservoir chain of the Ajkai Timföldgyár alumina plant in Ajka, Veszprém County, in western Hungary. On 4 October 2010, at 12:25 CEST ,the northwestern corner of the dam of reservoir no. 10 collapsed, freeing approximately one million cubic metres (35 million cubic feet) of liquid waste from red mud lakes. The mud was released as a 1–2 m (3–7 ft) wave, flooding several nearby localities, including the village of Kolontár and the town of Devecser. Ten people died, and 150 people were injured. About 40 square kilometres (15 sq mi) of land were initially affected. The spill reached the Danube on 7 October 2010. The ruptured and weakened wall of the reservoir that released the caustic sludge is in danger of collapsing entirely, which could release an additional 500,000 cubic metres of sludge.

It was not initially clear how the containment at the reservoir had been breached, although the accident came after a particularly wet summer in Hungary, as in other parts of central Europe. Police have seized documents from the Ajkai Timföldgyár plant, although a spokesman for MAL Hungarian Aluminium , the company that operates the plant, said the last inspection of the pond had shown "nothing untoward". Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán stated that the cause of the spill was presumably human error.

The wave of mud flooded streets in Kolontár, where seven people were confirmed dead, and Devecser, where the flow was powerful enough to move cars and vans. The cause of death of the Kolontár victims has not been formally confirmed; a spokesman for the National Directorate General for Disaster Management  said that they had probably drowned. A further six people were still missing 24 hours after the accident.

The NDGDM said that the high-pH mud was considered hazardous and would cause an alkaline reaction on contact if not washed off with clean water. The mayor of Devecser said that 80–90 people had been taken to hospital with chemical burns. Péter Jakabos, a doctor in the hospital in Győr where many of the injured had been taken, said on Magyar Televízió that it might take days for the full extent of any burns to be realised. Magyar Alumínium (MAL) said that the mud was not considered to contain toxic elements according to EU standards. Initial measurements by the NDGDM showed the sludge to be extremely basic, with a pH value of 13.

The waste extinguished all life in the Marcal river, and reached the Danube on 7 October, prompting countries located further down the river (Slovakia, Croatia, Serbia, Romania, Bulgaria, Ukraine) to develop emergency plans in response.

On 11 October, the Hungarian government announced that the managing director of MAL had been arrested, to be charged with "criminal negligence leading to a public catastrophe". Also on the 11th, the government took control of MAL, appointing a commissioner to manage the company. The government planned to focus on compensation for the incident, job security, and identifying further locations at risk of accidents.

Apart from the immediate effects of the wave of red mud, there was also concern for a possible contamination of Hungary's waterways. The Torna  river runs through the affected area, and emergency workers were pouring tonnes of plaster into the waterway to try to bind the sludge and prevent it from continuing downstream. The Torna joins the Marcal  river at Karakó, in Vas County; the Marcal joins the Rába river just above Győr, in Győr-Moson-Sopron County, while the Rába itself joins the Danube at Győr.

The day after the accident, Environmental State Secretary Zoltán Illés ordered the suspension of the alumina production at the plant and the reconstruction of the dam. The following day, the chairman of the company said in a radio interview that he would like to restart production over the weekend (5–6 days after the Monday accident);the plant reopened on 15 October, with full production expected to resume by the 19th.

The Hungarian government initially estimated that cleanup would take at least a year and cost tens of millions of dollars.

The Hungarian Government activated the EU Civil Protection Mechanism for urgent international assistance at 7:36PM on 7 October. The European Union Monitoring and Information Centre (MIC) communicated the request for expert assistance to the 30 participating countries (27 EU member states, Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway).

By 12 October, a secondary dam beyond the remainder of the original had been almost entirely completed, after being built to contain additional sludge that was expected to overflow after another portion of the original dam collapsed.

On 13 October, the government nationalized the company, the bill making this possible having been passed by the Parliament one day earlier.

The London Beer Flood 1814

The London Beer Flood happened on 17 October 1814 in the parish of St. Giles, London, England. At the Meux and Company Brewery on Tottenham Court Road, a huge vat containing over 135,000 imperial gallons (610,000 L) of beer ruptured, causing other vats in the same building to succumb in a domino effect. As a result, more than 323,000 imperial gallons (1,470,000 L) of beer burst out and gushed into the streets. The wave of beer destroyed two homes and crumbled the wall of the Tavistock Arms Pub, trapping teenage employee Eleanor Cooper under the rubble.[4] Within minutes neighbouring George Street and New Street were swamped with alcohol, killing a mother and daughter who were taking tea, and surging through a room of people gathered for a wake

The brewery was among the poor houses and tenements of the St Giles Rookery, where whole families lived in basement rooms that quickly filled with beer. At least eight people were known to have drowned in the flood or died from injuries.

The brewery was eventually taken to court over the accident, but the disaster was ruled to be an Act of God by the judge and jury, leaving no one responsible. The company found it difficult to cope with the financial implications of the disaster, with a significant loss of sales made worse because they had already paid duty on the beer. They made a successful application to Parliament reclaiming the duty which allowed them to continue trading.

The brewery was demolished in 1922, and today, the Dominion Theatre occupies a part of the site of the former brewery. In 2012, a local tavern, the "Holborn Whippet", has started to mark this event with a vat of porter brewed especially for the day.

Honolulu molasses spill

The Honolulu molasses spill refers to a spill of 1,400 tons of molasses into Honolulu Harbor in September 2013. The spill was discovered on September 9, 2013. It was caused by a faulty pipe, for which the shipping company Matson Navigation Co. took responsibility. Molasses is an unregulated product, and neither Matson nor government officials had a contingency plan to respond to a molasses spill. Natural currents and weather are expected to eventually dilute and flush the molasses out of the harbor and a nearby lagoon.

Divers in the harbor area reported that all sea life was killed by the molasses, which instantly sank to the bottom of the harbor and caused widespread de-oxygenation. Various species of coral were injured or killed, and more than 26,000 fish and other marine species suffocated and died.

Molasses is produced from sugar cane at the Hawaiian Commercial & Sugar Co. on Maui and is shipped to the mainland to be processed and sold. Matson has been transporting molasses from Honolulu Harbor for 30 years and currently ships it about once a week.

On September 20, 2013 the Hawaii Department of Transportation issued an order that all businesses which pump products through port pipelines must provide the state with documentation about pipeline inspections and spill response plans. Previously no such reporting had been required. The first such plan was filed October 18 by Kahului Trucking & Storage, a subsidiary of Alexander & Baldwin. Since such spills are almost impossible to clean up, the plan focuses on prevention and early detection, with regular inspections of pipelines and hourly monitoring of transmission operations.

The Great Molasses Flood , 1919

The Great Molasses Flood, also known as the Boston Molasses Disaster or the Great Boston Molasses Flood, occurred on January 15, 1919, in the North End neighborhood of Boston, Massachusetts, in the United States. A large molasses storage tank burst, and a wave of molasses rushed through the streets at an estimated 35 mph (56 km/h), killing 21 and injuring 150. The event has entered local folklore, and for decades afterward residents claimed that on hot summer days the area still smelled of molasses.

The disaster occurred at the Purity Distilling Company facility on January 15, 1919. The temperature had risen above 40 °F (4.4 °C), climbing rapidly from the frigid temperatures of the preceding days.

Molasses can be fermented to produce rum and ethanol, the active ingredient in other alcoholic beverages and a key component in the manufacturing of munitions. The stored molasses was awaiting transfer to the Purity plant situated between Willow Street and what is now named Evereteze Way, in Cambridge.

Modern downtown Boston with molasses flood area circled
At about 12:30 in the afternoon near Keany Square, at 529 Commercial Street, a molasses tank 50 ft (15 m) tall, 90 ft (27 m) in diameter, and containing as much as 2,300,000 US gal (8,700 m3), collapsed. Witnesses reported, variously, that as it collapsed, they felt the ground shake and heard a roar, a long rumble similar to the passing of an elevated train, a tremendous crashing, a deep growling, or a thunderclap-like bang! and, as the rivets shot out of the tank, a machine-gun-like rat-tat-tat sound.

The collapse unleashed a wave of molasses 25 feet (7.6 m) high at its peak, moving at 35 miles per hour (56 km/h).The molasses wave was of sufficient force to damage the girders of the adjacent Boston Elevated Railway's Atlantic Avenue structure and tip a railroad car momentarily off the tracks. Author Stephen Puleo describes how nearby buildings were swept off their foundations and crushed. Several blocks were flooded to a depth of 2 to 3 feet (60 to 90 cm). Puleo quotes a Boston
Molasses, waist deep, covered the street and swirled and bubbled about the wreckage ... Here and there struggled a form—whether it was animal or human being was impossible to tell. Only an upheaval, a thrashing about in the sticky mass, showed where any life was ... Horses died like so many flies on sticky fly-paper. The more they struggled, the deeper in the mess they were ensnared. Human beings—men and women—suffered likewise.

Damage to the Boston Elevated Railway due to the flood
The Boston Globe reported that people "were picked up by a rush of air and hurled many feet." Others had debris hurled at them from the rush of sweet-smelling air. A truck was picked up and hurled into Boston Harbor. Approximately 150 were injured; 21 people and several horses were killed—some were crushed and drowned by the molasses. The wounded included people, horses, and dogs; coughing fits became one of the most common ailments after the initial blast. In a 1983 article for Smithsonian, Edwards Park wrote of one child's experience:

... Anthony di Stasio, walking homeward with his sisters from the Michelangelo School, was picked up by the wave and carried, tumbling on its crest, almost as though he were surfing. Then he grounded and the molasses rolled him like a pebble as the wave diminished. He heard his mother call his name and couldn't answer, his throat was so clogged with the smothering goo. He passed out, then opened his eyes to find three of his four sisters staring at him.


Several factors that occurred on that day and the previous days might have contributed to the disaster. The tank was constructed poorly and tested insufficiently. Due to fermentation occurring within the tank, carbon dioxide production might have raised the internal pressure. The rise in local temperatures that occurred over the previous day also would have assisted in building this pressure. Records show that the air temperature rose from 2 to 41 °F (−17 to 5.0 °C) over that period. The failure occurred from a manhole cover near the base of the tank, and it is possible that a fatigue crack there grew to the point of criticality. The hoop stress is greatest near the base of a filled cylindrical tank.

The tank had been filled to capacity only eight times since it was built a few years previously, putting the walls under an intermittent, cyclical load. Several authors say that the Purity Distilling Company was (or may have been) trying to outrace Prohibition in the United States; the Eighteenth Amendment to the Constitution of the United States was ratified the next day (January 16, 1919), and would take effect one year later

An inquiry after the disaster revealed that Arthur Jell, who oversaw the construction, neglected basic safety tests, such as filling the tank with water to check for leaks. When filled with molasses, the tank leaked so badly that it was painted brown to hide the leaks. Local residents collected leaked molasses for their homes.

An investigation first published in 2014, applying modern engineering analysis, found that the steel was not only half as thick as it should have been for a tank of its size, even with the lax standards of the day, but it also lacked manganese, and was made more brittle as a result