JULY

·        Storms sweeping through Arizona produced flash floods in the Grand Canyon, causing mudslides that injured four people.  A total of 1.24 inches were dumped on Phoenix, passing the previous record.  AP, 7/15/99 

·        New York is preparing for another heat wave with temperatures expected to be 10-15 degrees above normal.  Meteorologists say that 29% of the nation has been hotter than normal this summer.  NBC News, 7/16/99.    

·        Seven people die in Bombay as torrential rains cause mudslides that buried an entire family. Agence France Press, 7/19/99. 

·        More than 500,000 people were forced out of their homes in Bangladesh as the river bursts and floods their homes.  Agence France Press, 7/19/99. 

·        The Yangtze River has overflowed and flooded the central Hunan province of China, killing 37 people and causing millions in economic loss.  In the Sichuan Province, a landslide caused by torrential rains in China swept a bus off a road, killing 13 people and injuring 11 others.  Agence France Press, 7/19/99. 

·        Heavy rains caused mudslides and flooding and left 85 people dead and has caused further problems for 57 districts over the last 5 weeks in Nepal. Agence France Press, 7/21/99. 

·        Torrential rain in Iowa washed out bridges and streets, flooding homes and causing a train to derail.  Reuters, 7/21/99. 

·        The Governor of Pennsylvania declared a drought emergency and asked for residents to conserve water as drought conditions continue to deteriorate.  PR Newswire, 7/21/99. 

·        Pollution from coal-fired power plants increased almost 16% since 1992 and is likely to worsen as utilities competing in deregulating markets rely on older power plants.  Reuters, 7/21/99. 

·        Iowa continues to battle flooding as heavy rains cause rivers to crest at 23 feet, the worst Iowa has ever seen.  Many residents were evacuated from their homes and over 100 homes were damaged.  AP, 7/23/99. 

·        Monsoon floods in India have devastated the country, killing 251 people in 11 cities.  Agence France Press, 7/24/99. 

·        Eight people have died in floods following torrential rain in Beijing. In southwestern China, some 350,000 people living near a dangerous dyke have been evacuated to safety.  Agence France Press, 7/26/99. 

·        In New Delhi, nine people were killed and 40 others were injured in a landslide following several days of rain. Xinhua, 7/26/99. 

·        The Cedar River in Iowa overflowed and swamped thousands of homes across central Iowa as volunteers battled the heat to ward off the cresting river's floodwaters.  Reuters, 7/26/99. 

·        Overnight monsoon rains left several major streets in Manila, Philippines flooded, forcing officials to cancel school classes.  Agence France Press, 7/26/99. 

·        The deaths of 7 people are being blamed on the intense heat in Chicago.  It is especially dangerous now because this is the 5^th consecutive day of temperatures in the 90's and the 3^rd day with a heat index above 100.  MSNBC Chicago 5, 7/26/99. 

·        At least 272 people have been killed in floods caused by monsoon rains in India.  Reuters, 7/26/99. 

·        A sharp rise in coal consumption in Indiana and other states over the last decade has caused a surge in smog and global warming pollution.  States News Service, 7/26/99. 

·        Floods in Iran claimed the lives of 34 people after days of torrential rain and before that, a severe drought. Reuters, 7/27/99. 

·        Temperatures soared above 90 degrees across the United States, continuing a heat wave that killed 11 people and prompted health officials to warn that the sick and elderly need to stay cool.  Reuters, 7/27/99. 

·        The death toll in the summer flooding along the Yangtze River in southwest China has risen to 297, as officials report another 57 dead. PR Newswire, 7/27/99. 

·        Eighteen people were killed and six injured in a canyoning accident in central Switzerland after flash floods caused water levels to rise in a gorge.  Agence France Press, 7/28/99. 

·        Following the deadly floods in Iran, officials report the death toll has risen to 43, and there are still people missing. Reuters, 7/28/99. 

·        Nearly 1 million people in the Chinese province of Hunan have been evacuated after a secondary dyke collapsed following heavy rains.  Agence France Press, 7/28/99. 

·        Flooding in Hungary has caused more than $210 million in damage this year.  Reuters, 7/28/99. 

·        There have been 33 heat related deaths in the past week:  12 in Missouri, 11 in Illinois, 8 in Ohio and 2 in north Carolina.  Most of the deaths occurred in urban areas.  Temperatures will continue in the high 90's.  MSNBC, 7/28/99. 

·        A new study shows a higher rate of warming and sea level rise than previously expected.  The report includes impacts on temperature, sea level, precipitation and extreme weather events.  Pew Center, 7/28/99.    

·        With no end to the heatwave in sight, the death toll rises to 49.  Scattered showers helped some areas of the Midwest cool off, but temperatures hit the high 90's almost immediately.  AP, 7/28/99. 

·        There are 21 states with crops in trouble, due to the intense heat, lack of rain and wildfires. The past month has been the driest on record.  NBC News, 7/28/99. 

·        Environmentalists confirm that the level of the Dead Sea has dropped over 80 feet in the last 40 years and the shoreline has receded more than 1 mile. This is happening because in the past few years, Jordan, Syria and Israel are using the Dead Sea as a resource for their growing agriculture and irrigation needs.  The result will be that we will lose an ecological and historical treasure.  NBC News, 7/28/99.  

·        Most people don't know that generating electricity is the largest source of industrial air pollution.  Green Mountain Energy's new wind turbines are evidence of the ability customers now have to shape their energy future.  PR NewsWire, 7/29/99. 

·        The death toll in the devastating monsoon floods across India rose to 307 as swirling waters inundated parts of India's poorest state and rivers threatened to burst over their embankments. A total of 150 people have died since the flooding began. AP, 7/29/99. 

·        The federal government has already declared 1998 as the hottest year since temperature recordings began in 1920.  Using tree rings, ice cores and other indicators, the scientists also called the 1990's the warmest decade of the millennium. MSNBC, 7/29/99. 

·        At least 29 people were killed and 500 hurt in a massive burst in the dyke along the Yangtze River.  Agence France Press, 7/30/99. 

·        Torrential rains forced the evacuation of about 25,000 people in southwestern Japan after a swollen river surged over a dike.  AP, 7/30/99. 

·        Global carbon emissions from the combustion of fossil fuels dropped 0.5% to 6.32 billion tons in 1998, marking the first decline since 1993.  Kyodo, 7/30/99. 

·        At least 29 people were killed and 500 hurt in a massive burst in the dyke along the Yangtze River.  Agence France Press, 7/30/99. 

·        Scientists predict fewer cold snaps during the winter and more frequent heat waves during the summer, starting after the year 2000.  Global warming may come faster than previously expected.  AP, 7/31/99. 

·        The Insurance Industry has recently become outspoken regarding the possible threat of global warming.  Sixty-Two insurance companies from 23 countries signed a formal statement, advocating the reduction of greenhouse gases, while expressing concern about the effects of global warming on the industry.   Earth Action Network, 7/31/99. 

·        A dozen large corporations are joining together to form an organization that will promote awareness of the very real threat of global warming.  The organization is being called the "Pew Center on Global Climate Change."  Some of the participating companies include: Boeing, Lockheed Martin, 3M, Sun Oil etc and Toyota.  AP, 7/31/99. 

·        Global warming will have little effect on the insurance industry, a recent hearing decided.  A warmer climate would melt the ice caps, raise sea levels and disturb weather patterns.  Only 20% of the insurance industry's $300 billion annual business is affected by weather.  Reuters, 7/31/99.  

AUGUST

·        West Virginia and 5 other states were declared disaster areas, while congress began working on emergency aid programs.  Even with assistance, this is very serious problem for the farmers and for agriculture.  Severe drought conditions are now affecting New England to North Carolina, Northern Florida and the Texas panhandle.  Cattle and crops from fruit to Christmas trees are drying out in Mid-Atlantic and Northeast States. MSNBC, 8/2/99. 

·        Americans are not alone in the misery of the summer heat.  Russia is suffering one of the worst droughts in a century.  The dry heat has also ignited 20,000 fires and blazed across 2 mission acres.  Water levels remain dangerously low and crops have been destroyed.  MSNBC, 8/2/99. 

·        At least 12 people were killed and 500 hurt in a massive dyke breach along the middle of the Yangtze River.  Agence France Press, 8/2/99. 

·        The death toll in Vietnam flash floods rose to 14 and another 43 people are still missing.  Agence France Press, 8/2/99. 

·        Death toll in Northeastern states has risen to 96, making this the hottest July in New York's history.  AP, 8/2/99. 

·        Floods worsen in India, killing 150 people.  Floods caused by heavy rains submerged 25 villages and forced 15,000 people from their homes.  AP, 8/2/99. 

·        At least 18 people were killed and 477 injured in a gale storm in southwestern China's Sichuan Province.  Xinhua, 8/2/99. 

·        At least 13 people were feared dead after torrential rains battered the border of North Korea, forcing tens of thousands of troops to abandon their front line barracks. Agence France Press, 8/2/99. 

·        The overall death toll has risen to 56 in Chicago due to the heat wave.  On the Northside, about 20 highrises lost power, forcing firefighters to help 100 elderly people and hundred of other residents grope their way out of the buildings.  Tribune, 8/3/99. 

·        As many as 27 are dead in South Korea as heavy rains trigger landslides and flooding.  AP, 8/3/99. 

·        July was the driest month in Britain for 130 years, meteorologists said as the heat wave continues. Agence France Press, 8/3/99. 

·        Over 90,000 people were without power at the peak of the heat wave in Chicago.  The heat wave drained the electricity in many parts of the city, causing power failures for thousands.  NBC Chicago, 8/3/99. 

·        The head of American Electric Power has acknowledged the need to tackle climate change early.  He states that global warming is a long term problem, not a short term crisis.  He also criticized the controversial Kyoto agreement.  NewsEdge, 8/3/99.  

·        At least 16 people have died and 10 are missing due to landslides in Manila.  The landslides were triggered after 2 days of heavy monsoon rains that pounded the region.  AP, 8/3/99. 

·        In South Korea, gale force winds uprooted trees and flipped cars, leaving 27 people dead and 22 missing.  AP, 8/4/99. 

·        Typhoons, floods and heavy monsoon rains have battered Asia leaving hundreds dead and thousands homeless.  In other areas of Indonesia, haze has returned, threatening to repeat a serious recent environmental disaster.  Agence France Press, 8/4/99. 

·        At least 129 people have been killed in floods and mudslides caused by weeks of heavy rains in Kathamandu.  Agence France Press, 8/4/99. 

·        China confirmed death toll from floods at 725, nearly double earlier reports. Reuters, 8/6/99. 

·        The death toll in the Philippines continued to rise to 69 after torrential rains, another 35 are still missing.  Agence France Press, 8/6/99. 

·        Maryland, Rhode Island, New Jersey and Delaware are experiencing the worst drought in recorded history.  Congress will be providing aid to the devastated communities and businesses.   AP, 8/6/99. 

·        Farmers in the Northeast are experiencing the worse drought and are struggling to save their crops.  But the grape farmers are celebrating - the dry heat equals better wine.  In most Northeastern states, the current drought is devastating, it threatens to cripple businesses and communities that depend on the crops to survive.   AP, 8/9/99. 

·        More than 70 people were drowned in flooded rivers in India and another 39 people are believed to have drowned after a bus plunged into a flooded river.  Reuters, 8/10/99. 

·        The death toll in the Philippines has reached 156 after heavy monsoon rains caused landslides and flooding.  Xinhua, 8/11/99. 

·        Torrential rains caused flooding in London, forcing 60 people to be evacuated from their homes.  McCarthy Files, 8/11/99. 

·        Temperatures of 114 degrees and high winds out of Africa scorched Sicily fanning out wildfires and knocking out power.  Firefighters continue to battle the blazes.  MSNBC, 8/11/99. 

·        Temperatures rose to 109 degrees, killing at least three people in Macedonia Emergency units received up to a hundred calls for assistance.   AP, 8/11/99. 

·        Calling it the worst drought since the Dust Bowl in the 1930's, the Agriculture Secretary called the entire state of Connecticut a disaster area.  It will take tropical storm to make up for the rainfall deficit, which would bring about problems of flash flooding and soil erosion.  The damage due to the drought is estimated at $40 billion.  Reuters, 8/12/99.

·        The drought continues to affect Delaware, Maryland, New Jersey and Rhode Island.  All areas have been declared disaster areas, allowing them to get low-interest loans.  The Agriculture department plans to put up 500 soil-monitoring stations across the nation to help meteorologists with their forecasts.  Knight Ridder Newspaper, 8/12/99. 

·        Violent storms hit Italy, leaving 5,000 people in the city of Genoa without power and causing floods in Milan.  Reuters, 8/15/99. 

·        The Red Cross has reported that up to 500,000 Cambodians are threatened homeless by recent floods and 30,000 people are now homeless. Agence France Press, 8/15/99. 

·        Flash flooding hit northwest China leaving 8 people dead and 10 injured.  Agence France Press, 8/15/99. 

·        Mudslides in Bangladesh kill 18 people and injured more than 100, as rescue workers evacuated thousands from their homes.  Reuters, 8/16/99. 

·        A torrential rainstorm in central China has killed more than 100 people and left thousands homeless or stranded by flash floods.  Reuters, 8/16/1999. 

·        Fifteen people are still missing after rain-swollen rivers carried them away in central Japan.  AP, 8/16/1999. 

·        Strong winds and hot weather fanned flames in Spain, burning 300 hectares, and forcing evacuations.  Reuters, 8/16/1999. 

·        Heavy rains killed people and swamped over 1,000 homes in central and western Romania.  AP, 8/16/1999. 

·        Torrential downpours and flooding in Tokyo are responsible for the disappearance of 13 people whose riverside campground was flooded.  Violent downpours have swept across Asia in recent weeks, killing more than 950 people in South Korea, China, Japan, the Philippines and South Korea.  AP, 8/17/99. 

·        South Carolina reaches second level of severity in the continuing drought.  They have already gone 14 months with below normal rainfall.  NewsEdge, 8/17/99. 

·        Heavy rains killed 2 people and forced over 1,000 people to leave their homes in central and western Romania.  Over the last 2 days, rains have flooded nearly 14,000 homes and farm fields.  AP, 8/17/99.   

·        Landslides and flash floods triggered by torrential rain killed 18 people and left more than 100,000 people stranded in Bangladesh's southeast hill region.  McCarthy Files, 8/18/99.  

·        At least 16 people are still missing in Japan after heavy rains swept rivers over their banks, flooding Tokyo and the surrounding areas.  McCarthy Files, 8/19/99. 

·        Heavy monsoon rains left 177 people dead in the Philippines and caused more than 1.4 billion pesos in damage.  Agence France Press, 8/19/99. 

·        An unexpected tornado hit Salt Lake City, causing $7 million in damages to cars and homes.  No one was killed.  Reuters, 8/19/99. 

·        Three days of heavy rain caused flooding that washed out many homes, leaving more than 8,000 people homeless in Venezuela.  With rains expected to continue, seven states have declared states of emergency.  In Anzoategui, 68,000 people have lost their homes and are being cared for by government relief workers.  AP, 8/24/99. 

·        Heavy snowfall, avalanches and subsequent flooding earlier this year caused damage totaling 800 million Swiss Francs, authorities said in Switzerland's worst winter in decades, many areas were cut off by deep snow and avalanches.  AP, 8/25/99. 

·        Hurricane Bret, the biggest storm to hit Texas in over 20 years arrived with horizontal sheets of rain and 125-mph winds that bent palm trees and forced thousands to flee inland.  AP, 8/25/99. 

·        Hurricane Bret caused floods in Mexico's central state of Puebla, leaving one person dead, over 1,000 injured and 300 homes damaged.  Xinhua News Agency, 8/27/99. 

·        Rain and flooding in central Mexico kills 5 people as heavy rains cause a wall to collapse.  AP, 8/27/99. 

·        Governor Davis declared fire emergencies in four California counties and ordered National Guard troops to assist with the blazes.  One person has been killed, but no structures have been damaged.  AP, 8/27/99. 

·        Wildfires have consumed more than 190,000 acres in California, Nevada, Oregon, Washington and Texas.  Hundreds of residents have been evacuated but few homes were burned.  The U.S. Forest Service blames the environmental groups for not allowing them to thin out the forests.    AP, 8/30/99. 

SEPTEMBER

·        Firefighters continue to battle blazes in southern California, which have already taken 55,000 acres in the San Bernardino National Forest.  MSNBC, 9/1/99. 

·        A powerful storm in Houston knocked down trees, power lines and flooded streets.  Winds reached 60 mph and some areas received as much as 5 inches of rain.  Reuters, 9/1/99. 

·        The blazes continue in southern California, and are considered the largest in 80 years with more than 60,000 acres being burned.  MSNBC, 9/2/99. 

·        A climatologist has started a debate on whether El Nino or La Nina is worse.  El Nino can be blamed for 189 deaths, many due to tornadoes and caused $4 billion in damage.  La Nina can be blamed for hurricanes, tornadoes, and the drought.  AP, 9/2/99. 

·        Months of little to no rain have left Brazil very dry and burning in many areas.  The humidity remains under 20% and there is no rain in sight.  AP, 9/3/99.  

·        Heavy rains in Ethiopia forced the Awash River to overflow, destroying over 13,000 acres of farmland and forcing thousands from their homes. AP, 9/8/99. 

·        A rare lightning storm-hit San Francisco bringing hail, rain and power outages.  The storm touched off lightning strikes that started fires and damaged trees and power poles.  AP, 9/12/99. 

·        Hurricane Floyd has built up to a massive storm with 155mph winds that could hit the Florida coast soon.  It is capable of catastrophic destruction.  The hurricane was classified as a Category 4 as its winds passed 131mph.  AP, 9/13/99. 

·        NASA prepared to protect its space shuttles and then evacuated 12,500 workers anticipating the destruction of Hurricane Floyd.  AP, 9/14/99. 

·        Hurricane Floyd hit the Bahamas with 145mph winds.  In Nassau, the 90mph winds snapped power lines and shook buildings.  Officials expected a storm surge of up to 20 feet and widespread flooding.  Floyd is one of the most powerful storms to ever threaten the U.S.  It is three times as large as 1992's Hurricane Andrew, which killed 30 people and caused $25 billion in damage.  MSNBC, 9/14/99. 

·        Nearly 2 million people were urged to evacuate along the southeastern coast as Hurricane Floyd pounded northern Florida, Georgia and South Carolina.  In Nassau, 90mph winds snapped palm trees, downed power lines and shook buildings.  MSNBC, 9/14/99. 

·        A mandatory evacuation was issued to hundreds of residents of Charleston, South Carolina due to Hurricane Floyd.   MSNBC, 9/15/99. 

·        President Clinton announced that global warming could bring cataclysmic consequences unless we change course.  He confirmed what most scientists are saying, that the sea will rise so high that they swallow the islands and coastal areas, hurricanes and storms will intensify and droughts will become worse.  AP, 9/15/99. 

·        Four people were killed in storms that swept across northeastern Spain.  The storms left 22,000 people without electricity and the rain forced the closing of the rail lines.  AP, 9/15/99. 

·        Last year, typhoon related damage was estimated at $2.1 billion, floods killed more than 2,000 in China, 269 died in South Korea and 543,367 homes were destroyed in the Philippines.  A researcher at Japan's National Research Institute for Earth Science and Disaster Prevention said, "There is a distinct relation between typhoons and the difference in temperature between the sea and atmosphere."  AP, 9/15/99. 

·        Authorities urged more than 2.6 million people along the southern Atlantic coast to clear out of Floyd's path - the biggest peacetime evacuation in U.S. history.  At least 7deaths were blamed on Hurricane Floyd. Parts of North Carolina received 13 to 16 inches of rain and thousands of people lost their homes.  AP, 9/16/99. 

·        Flooding and landslides killed 6 people in western Japan and forced the evacuation of thousands of people from their homes.  AP, 9/16/99. 

·        Scientists who study hurricanes believe that they are becoming more frequent and more powerful than they used to be.  From 1970 to 1994, there were less than five hurricanes per year.  That number has jumped to more than seven per year since 1995.  One reason is the higher average sea temperature in both the Atlantic and the Caribbean.  Many scientists blame the increasing ocean temperatures on the greenhouse effect.  NBC News, 9/18/99. 

·        MIT scientists believe that the hurricanes we have been experiencing are the calm before the storm.  A study by MIT suggests that global warming could contribute as much as 40-5-% to the destructive potential of the hurricanes by the middle of the 21^st century.  Los Angeles Times, 9/19/99. 

·        Thunderstorms hit a 2-mile area of Mesa, Arizona, destroying 50 homes, damaging others and knocking out power to thousands of customers.  No serious injuries were reported.  AP, 9/21/99. 

·        Authorities urged residents to evacuate flood-prone areas in Tampa and St. Petersburg as Tropical Storm Harvey threatened the Gulf Coast.  The storm was expected to come ashore with hurricane force winds and six-foot tidal wave surges.  Reuters, 9/21/99. 

·        Torrential rains killed three people and flooded thousands of homes in several Mexican states.  Reuters, 9/22/99. 

·        Hurricane Gert hit the seaside cottages of Bermuda with 10-foot walls of water, tearing off walls of houses and washed away miles of prime beach.  AP, 9/22/99. 

·        Hurricane Floyd dumped 20 inches of rain on Eastern North Carolina, killing 40 people and flooding 30,000 homes.  Reports confirm at least 2.9 million fowl and 10,000 hogs drowned.  Sewage plants and large lagoons disappeared beneath the waters.  Early estimates are at $1.3 billion.  NC News, 9/23/99. 

·        The misery continues in North Carolina as residents try to clean up after Hurricane Floyd.  The ground is still too soggy to bury their dead, entire farms have completely disappeared and dead animals can be seen in the floodwaters.  There are 30,000 flooded homes, broken dams, and 68 people left dead.  AP, 9/23/99. 

·    Climate Change Affects Spread of Disease

“[A] paper published in March 1998 in the Bulletin of the American

Meteorological Society noted that climate warming and outbreaks of extreme weather could be expected to have serious implications for the spread of such diseases . . . encephalitis, which has been detected in recent weeks not only in New York City but in Westchester County as well.” The author is Dr. Paul Epstein, associate director of the Center for Health and the Global Environment at Harvard Medical School. “Dr. Epstein said it is important to recognize the serious threats to public health that are among the consequences of climate change and extreme weather events . . .  ‘We are learning that climate change is not a gradual process’.” Bob Herbert New York Times, 9/23/99. A27. 

·        New research from the University of Delaware indicates that fertilizing the oceans with iron to increase the amount of carbon dioxide absorbed by single-celled plants could help fight global warming. Global warming is caused by increasing levels of CO2 and all plants absorb CO2.  This theory says that if we can boost the plant growth, the plants will eat up the excess CO2.  Macmillan Magazine, 9/24/99. 

·        Hurricane Floyd has left floodwaters, thousands of homeless people and much of the region's livestock wiped out.  It may be years before North Carolina recovers.  This hurricane has not only been the worst economic disaster, but also the deadliest.  The death toll rose to 40 and damages exceeded $1 billion.  Reuters, 9/24/99. 

·        The third major cyclone this month hit Hong Kong, injuring 23 people and damaging roads and buildings.  Tropical Storm Cam followed two other storms that killed 2 people and injured 500.  Reuters, 9/26/99. 

·        567 mayors and local elected officials urged the Administration to boost efforts to fight global warming.  Representatives from dozens of cities across the U.S. voiced their concerns over the impact of global warming on their communities.  Local officials say they face potentially devastating costs as the long term warming trend continues. They cite a sharp rise in extreme weather, heat waves and intense storms. They believe these are all a result of global warming.  PRNewwire, 9/28/99. 

·        North Carolina braces for another storm as the rivers are pushed well beyond their limits. More than 14,000 people are still in shelters and 65 families have moved into a temporary trailer park.  Reuters, 9/30/99. 

·        Los Angeles' sizzling weather breaks a record set in 1963, as temperatures hit 102.  MSNBC, 9/30/99. 

·        Flooding caused by storms has claimed the lives of 47 people in Ghana.  Xinhua News, 9/30/99. 

·        High temperatures in California made firefighters work harder to battle blazes that have burned more than 125,000 acres.  AP, 9/30/99. 

·        El Salvador declared a state of emergency as heavy rains continued.  Over 25,000 people were evacuated from their homes.  Reuters, 9/30/99.