TORNADO UPDATES: AT LEAST 32 DEAD, DOZENS INJURED ACROSS 9 STATES

www.Wate.com

A tornado outbreak that moved across the United States on Friday and Saturday left at least 32 people dead and dozens hospitalized across nine states. A catastrophic tornado hit Little Rock, Arkansas, on Friday afternoon, with preliminary National Weather Service (NWS) data indicating that the tornado had winds up to 165 mph and a path length spanning 20-25 miles. More than 50 people have been hospitalized in Pulaski County, with the number expected to rise.

On Friday, a tornado emergency had been declared for metro Little Rock due to the threat of a damaging tornado and quarter-sized hail. The damage caused by the tornado in the metro area of Little Rock was extensive, with 2,100 residents affected in western and southern Little Rock, and between 27,000 and 30,000 homes without power on Saturday. Little Rock Mayor Frank Scott Jr. urged anyone in need of shelter to go to Hall High School. On Saturday, the storm pattern moved east, with one person confirmed dead in Sussex County, Delaware, after a home collapsed.

OHIO BUILDING FIRE DAMAGES HISTORIC WRIGHT BROTHERS FACTORY

www.WHIO.com

A fire in Dayton, Ohio, caused damage to the airplane factory built by the Wright Brothers after their first successful flight in 1903. The fire started on Sunday and destroyed the property before firefighters could put out the flames.

The National Aviation Heritage Area manages the Wright Brothers factory and other historical sites in the Dayton area. The organization is currently evaluating the damage and its impact on the heritage of the site. The factory, constructed in 1910-11, still has many original building features, including a wooden roof and support structure.

The Wright Brothers' airplane factory played a significant role in advancing aviation technology. It is where the brothers designed and built their early airplanes, including the Wright Flyer, which made its inaugural flight on December 17, 1903. The factory was later used to build military aircraft during World War I and is a symbol of innovation and progress in aviation history.

‘WE’RE NOT GOING AWAY.’ EPA PRESSURES OREGON TO CLEAN UP GROUNDWATER POLLUTION

www.ScienceLearn.org.nz

It’s been 30 years since state agencies first noted high levels of nitrate contamination in the groundwater in Morrow and Umatilla counties. Since then, the state and a sanctioned local committee have worked on voluntary measures to reduce the contamination. Still, nitrate levels in the area’s primary source of drinking water have steadily increased, and no mandatory action has been taken to begin cleanup.

The Environmental Protection Agency’s regional administrator is warning Oregon government agencies that federal authorities will act if the state doesn’t quickly address the nitrate contamination cleanup in Eastern Oregon.

EPA has asked the state to conduct more well testing to understand where the contamination is, whose wells are affected, and where the nitrates are coming from. EPA Region 10 Spokesperson Bill Dunbar said that if Oregon does not quickly address the problem, the agency can enter under the Safe Drinking Water Act to protect people’s health. Residents want more rapid and ongoing well testing and still receive free water delivery for everyone affected. Dunbar continued by saying, “We’re not going away.” The agency will use every authority to ensure people have clean drinking water.

MISSOURI SCHOOL TO STAY CLOSED AFTER CONTAMINATION SCARE

www.SeattleTimes.com

Jana Elementary School sits near a creek contaminated in the 1950s and 1960s with waste from nuclear weapons development. The school shut down in October 2022 amid concerns of possible radioactive contamination. A Missouri school district official said recently that Jana Elementary School in the St. Louis County town of Florissant would remain permanently closed.

MAN CHARGED IN APARTMENT FIRE THAT CAUSED $21K IN DAMAGE

BlackBurnNews.com

After a weekend apartment fire that caused $21,000 in damages, a London man has been charged with arson. At about 6:30 a.m. emergency crews were called to an apartment fire on Adelaide Street North near Grenfell Drive and put out the blaze. There were no injuries.

The fire was believed to be suspicious and London police worked with the London fire department on the investigation. A 43-year-old London man is charged with arson causing damage to property. He was expected to appear in court.

600 HOUSES DAMAGED DURING RAIN AND HAIL STORMS IN CHIANG MAI

www.thaipbsworld.com

According to initial reports from the provincial office of public disaster prevention and mitigation, approximately 600 houses were damaged when heavy rain and hail storms hit Chiang Mai.

Several utility poles were knocked down by the strong wind causing extensive blackouts in Mae Hia sub-district. Seventeen sub-districts in Mueang, Mae Rim, San Kamphaeng and San Sai were affected by the storms.

Damaged roofs and severe flooding affected several hundred houses in Suthep sub-district of Mueang district. In Mae Rim district, traffic on a road linking Huai Sai, Khilek, Saluang, Me Raem, Rim Nuea, Rim Tai and San Pong was temporarily blocked by fallen trees.

STRONG EARTHQUAKE KILLS AT LEAST 14 IN ECUADOR, 1 IN PERU

www.DW.com

On Saturday March 18th, 2023 an earthquake hit southern Ecuador and Northern Pery killing at least 15 people and trapping others under rubble. The U.S Geological Survey reported that the earthquake was centered off the Pacific Coast with a magnitude of about 6.8. One of the victims died in Peru, while 14 others died in Ecuador, where authorities also reported that at least 126 people were injured.

Firefighters worked to rescue people while the National Police assessed damage, their work made more difficult by downed lines that interrupted telephone and electricity service. Ecuador’s government also reported damages to health care centers and schools. In Guayaquil, about 170 miles (270 kilometers) southwest of the capital, Quito, authorities reported cracks in buildings and homes, as well as some collapsed walls. Machala student Katherine Cruz said her home shook so badly that she could not even get up to leave her room and flee to the street.

TOWN OF MAMMOTH LAKES ISSUES EVACUATION WARNING FOR SNOW DAMAGED PROPERTIES

SnowBrains.com

The town of Mammoth Lakes issued an evacuation warning on March 16th, 2023 due to snow. Several properties within the town have collapsed or failed due to structural damage from excessive snow. The town encourages residents to shovel their roofs as soon as possible.

MILWAUKEE APARTMENT BUILDING CHEMICAL HAZARD; CLOSURE ORDERED

www.TMJ4.com

An apartment building on North 32nd street in Milwaukee has found that vapors from a chemical are at dangerous levels in the complex. On March 24th, 2023 the commissioner of the Milwaukee health department Tyler Weber was informed that the apartment had exceeding levels of Tri Chloral Ethylene or TCE. The building was evacuated March 25th, 2023 in order to remove the chemical from the property. The Vapor Action Level (VAL) aids in determining health risk based on the quantity of the chemical present. TCE levels in the building were measured to be almost 200 times a Vapor Action Level.

A MOVING ACCIDENT TURNED THIS NYC BUILDING INTO A SOGGY MESS

www.NewsBreak.com

Dating from around 1900, the Textile Building — at 66 Leonard Street in Tribeca has a current $4.95 million listing has nearly 3,000 square feet, and monthly common charges and taxes of more than $10,000.

A year and a half ago someone on the 6th floor was selling a couch through Furnishare also known as Kaiyo. The service offers to remove the pains of transporting large and bulky items. As Furnishare movers began to descend the staircase with the couch the couch struck an exposed sprinkler head resulting in a release of water. Three months later, emergency mold remediation began in the hallways and stairwells. The estimated repair cost was $400,000. The work took eight months, according to permits from the Department of Buildings.

HINESBURG MEETING OVER CONTAMINATED DRINKING WATER

VTDigger.org

The town of Hinesburg applied for a grant to take a step towards managing contaminated drinking water from the town landfill. Poly- and perfluoroalkyl substances — or PFAS — were found in the drinking water of two more residential homes in April 2023, two years after the town first discovered wells had methylene chloride and PFAS.

Residents packed in the town meeting area last week argued the volatility of the groundwater — the fact that detection levels of PFAS and other chemicals has been changing over both a short- and long-term period.

FIRE CAUSES $200K IN DAMAGES TO APARTMENT BUILDING IN NAPERVILLE

Patch.com

An apartment building in Naperville, IL suffered $200,000 in property damages as a result of an early morning fire. When firefighters arrived at the scene at 5:45 am, they found a fire in a unit on the second floor.

Residents were evacuated and were allowed to return to their units once the fire was extinguished, however, the unit found on fire when the firefighters arrived was deemed uninhabitable. The cause of the fire is currently under investigation.

FIRE BREAKS OUT AT LOCKPORT SCHOOL; SCHOOL CLOSED FOR A WEEK

News.Yahoo.com

Four classrooms were impacted by a fire at Emmet Belknap Intermediate School. The fire started because of 18 tablet-type devices stacked together which overheated. Fire crews were on the scene for 2.5 hours and reported no injuries.

Damages were estimated at $200,000 to the property and $100,000 to contents. The fire took place on a Sunday which lead the school closing down on Monday and Tuesday and a follow-up announced the school would be closed for the rest of the week.

SUFFERN HOMEOWNERS SAY VEOLIA WON'T COVER PROPERTY DAMAGE FROM WATER MAIN BREAK

Bronx.News12.com

A water main break resulted in property damage at two homes in Rockland County. The homeowners filed a claim with Veolia; however, they both received denial letters. The letters stated that Veolia is only responsible to make payments where there is negligence or wrongdoing.

A spokesman for Veolia said that an investigation into the incident found no evidence of negligence by Veolia. One of the properties had damage estimates at $50,000, and the other properties insurance would not cover the damages because the water line was not their own and the break did not happen on their property.

LA METRO SUES PROLOGIS OVER CONTAMINATED SITE

www.RailwayAge.com

On March 7, LA County’s “Metro” filed a lawsuit against Prologis, alleging that former owners of the site, 203 East College Street, were negligent in using hazardous materials at the site. Investigation into the contamination cost Metro $40,000 and the estimated cost to clean up the site was estimated at around $10 million. Contaminants at the site include petroleum and hydrocarbons in the soil and the groundwater.

According to a 2017 lease agreement, if the sites were contaminated one of the defendants would be responsible for clean up at the site and reimburse Metro for costs incurred in a clean-up. However, the suit alleges that the defendant refused to clean up the site.

TOXIC CONTAMINATION AT SANTA MARIA AIRPORT

SantaMariaTimes.com

Santa Barbara County supervisors are being urged to clean up contaminants that have been in the subsurface soil of the Santa Maria Airport for at least the past 42 years. It remains unknown how large the contaminated area is, what compounds were released, and by whom. One of Santa Maria’s drinking-water wells was shut down in 1985 because of the environmental threat, and other wells may also be vulnerable. One chemical compound of concern is TCE.

STATE WARNS EUGENE NEIGHBORHOOD OF DIOXIN CONTAMINATION IN SOIL

www.TheLundReport.org

The Oregon Health Authority has issued a warning to residents of an Oregon neighborhood after it was found that dioxin contamination in the soil of some yards. The contamination is thought to have been caused by a wood creosoting factory owned by J.H. Baxter, which was shuttered last year after increasing criticism and state and federal fines for chemical mishandling and emissions violations. The state is now conducting further testing on contaminated sites and plans to remove polluted earth this summer.

AWATOTO FLOODING: CONTAMINATION FEARS PLAGUE COMMUNITY RESIDENTS SAY HAS BEEN ‘FORGOTTEN’

www.NZHerald.co.nz

Residents of Awatoto, a flood-stricken part of Hawke's Bay, are facing potential health risks from toxic sludge and contamination caused by the flooding. The community is adjacent to one of Napier's largest industrial centers, and damage to nearby plants has posed health concerns. Although the risk of pollution contaminating residential areas of Awatoto is now "low," residents have expressed concerns about looting and a lack of communication from local authorities regarding the situation.

The Napier City Council says it is working closely with Civil Defense to coordinate response efforts in Awatoto. The council has provided email and paper notices to residents and has made welfare checks via phone to those who are not in their homes. The council has also given residents in the area full personal protective equipment for any cleanup work they may need to do.

Council contractors will begin collecting flood-damaged rubbish in Meeanee, with plans to move into further areas over the next few days. Meanwhile, residents continue to call and email the council to get more information about the situation and to request the removal of the silt and protection for their homes if they have to leave.

2 TORNADOES TOUCH DOWN IN HIGHLAND COUNTY OHIO CAUSING DAMAGE TO BUILDINGS

SpectrumNews1.com

Two tornadoes touched down in Highland County, Ohio on Friday, according to the National Weather Service (NWS). An EF1 tornado first touched down at around 5:25 p.m. The tornado moved to the northeast and damaged trees and structural damage was reported. The tornado traveled over 14 miles and ended around 5:40 p.m. A second EF0 tornado touched down around 5:35 p.m. near Panhandle Road with one house and a shed behind another home sustaining damage. It caused damage to several barns with estimated winds of 90 mph. More significant damage was noted at a couple of properties on state Route 131 with one home and a detached garage both sustaining damage. A church also reported heavy damage.

33% DRINKING WATER SAMPLES IN GHAZIABAD HAVE FECAL CONTAMINATION

TheHill.com

Around a third of Ghaziabad’s potable water is adulterated with fecal contamination, according to district officials. Teams of the health department collected samples from 359 sources such as residential societies, schools and commercial complexes.

“This puts residents of Ghaziabad at risk of acquiring infections such as typhoid, jaundice and cholera”, said Dr. Rakesh Gupta, district surveillance officer. “The presence of fecal coliform or other type of fecal contamination could be due to mixing of sewerage or broken sewer lines or failure to disinfect water source,” said Gupta.

The samples were picked up from water plants, handpumps, religious places, schools, water-tanks of buildings like high-rises, food outlets in malls, hotels, JJ clusters and water sources at residential localities.