UPDATED BELOW
The Netherlands currently suffers from a big storm. Windspeed measured up to 120 Km/h (130 Km/h is expected later today). It’s truly quite amazing, I haven’t witnessed this kind of storm for quite some years. For the first time ever, the government has issued a weather alarm and a traffic alarm. This means that people should stay inside, unless they have to travel.
Obviously, the wind causes quite some problems: in Utrecht a crane fell down on a University building. 3 people wounded. Rescue workers are trying to find victims below the rubble.
Several trucks have been blown off the road.
Schiphol Airport has closed every airway except for one or two.
If you follow this link you can see photos (show loads and plays automatically).
More photos here. One of them:
Another one:
Meanwhile, the U.S. seems to have its own freaky weather. CNN reports that 65 people have died due to the terrible weather.
bone-rattling blast of sleet and snow kept Texas and Oklahoma residents shivering in its icy grip, while a blizzard north of Los Angeles, California, caused 18-wheelers to jackknife.
At least 65 storm-related deaths have been reported in nine states since Friday, including 10 in Texas and 23 in Oklahoma.
The Alamo was closed Wednesday, as was a 300-mile stretch of Interstate 10 in Texas from Fort Stockton to San Antonio. (Watch how the storms have left thousands in the dark Video)
Much of the brunt of the latest Southern storms was to move east Thursday — but the reprieve may be short-lived. Another barrage was expected to bring up to 8 inches of snow to the Plains by late Friday.
A Houston city employee was killed Wednesday when he was hit by a car and knocked over a guardrail as he and a co-worker tried to help an accident victim, said Frank Michel, spokesman for Houston Mayor Bill White.
Hundreds of flights have been canceled.
More:
In addition to the fatalities in Oklahoma and Texas, the wave of storms was blamed for 11 deaths in Missouri, eight in Iowa, four each in New York and Michigan, three in Arkansas and one each in Maine and Indiana.
Elsewhere in the country, frigid conditions tested even those used to snow and ice. The entire state of Maine was no warmer than the single digits, and several communities saw dangerous wind chills. It was 16 below zero in Caribou.
O, and NOS journaal also reported that scientists believe that the impact of global warming might be much more severe than anticipated…
UPDATE
Amsterdam’s main railway station has been closed and evacuated.
Because the storm will get even worse, schools have sent the students home.
Busses between Amsterdam-Utrecht-Woerden-Uithoorn have been called back to the bus station. Safety first.
Rotterdam: a containership that broke loose damaged an oilpipe. Raw oil is streaming into the water. The oil can be smelled… even in The Hague.
A few highways have been closed.
Lastly, they are constantly checking our dikes to make sure that the water will not cause, well, a flood.
UPDATE II
Sad news: at least two people have died due to the storm. The wind knocked down a tree, which fell on their car.
UPDATE III
There is a fierce debate going on about global warming in the comment section of this post. If you’re interested in that subject, please join the debate!
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