The Israeli ground movement into Gaza to destroy tunnels and strongholds of the terrorist group Hamas moved into another day with an exchange of tank fire that put Gaza City in the dark.
Tank fire struck the fuel depot of the only power plant in the Gaza Strip Tuesday, destroying the fuel supplies and cutting off electricity to 1.8 million residents of Gaza City. The plant provides the Gaza Strip with about 2/3 of its electrical power.
“The power plant is finished,” its director, Mohammed al-Sharif, told the Jerusalem Post.
The plant had previously been hit by mortar fire from Gaza last week leaving the plant at 20 percent capacity. The result was electricity for only a few hours a day to the residents of the city.
Meanwhile, 5 more Israeli soldiers were killed when Hamas terrorists ambushed them from a tunnel.
A 72-hour humanitarian cease fire was also reportedly rejected when Hamas said they would never honor a cease fire with Israeli troops still on the ground in Gaza.
A major dust storm roared into Phoenix Thursday night shutting down the airport, knocking out power across the city and stopping thousands of residents from being able to travel to holiday destinations.
Sky Harbor International Airport shut down all flights after 8 p.m. because of the storm according to an airport spokeswoman. Flights resumed about an hour later but over two dozen flights had to be diverted to other airports.
The storm was the first of the city’s yearly monsoon season. Heavy rains joined the winds of more than 50 miles per hour to knock down trees, flood streets and leave over 25,000 residents without power.
The storm also stopped the city’s “Red, White and Boom” Fourth of July fireworks show in the southeast part of the city.
Two fires also broke out as a part of the storm which firefighters attributed to lightning strikes.
A new report shows that power outages in the United States increased 15% in 2013.
The Eaton Blackout Tracker Annual Report showed that for the 5th straight year California lead the nation in power outages. Texas finished second followed by Michigan. The average length of a power outage last year was 86 minutes leading to an average cost per blackout of $690,200.
“The Blackout Tracker Annual Report illustrates the scope and severity of power outages across the country and the serious consequences that can arise for businesses when the lights go out,” said Mike DeCamp, senior marketing communications manager for Eaton’s Power Quality Division. “With electrical power outages, surges and spikes estimated to cost the U.S. economy $150 billion, it’s more important than ever for companies of all sizes to invest in reliable power backup solutions.”
The White House weighed in on the impact of the 2013 blackouts as a way to encourage people to have a backup power source. The White House said the blackouts caused by harsh weather cost the economy up to $33 billion a year.
The report also included some of the wackiest reasons for blackouts. In Redondo Beach, Caliifornia, wild parrots who roosted on an overhead line knocked out power to 6,100 customers for over three hours. A man who went on a rampage with a bulldozer in Clallam County, Washington took out a 70 foot electric pole and left thousands in the dark for hours.
Over 260,000 homes in the Dallas area were without power on Friday morning after a major ice storm coated trees and power lines.
A meteorologist with Accuweather wrote that it could be the worst ice storm to hit the United States in years.
Operations Director for Entergy Mississippi, which serves 700,000 customers in Arkansas, said that power restoration for all customers who could potentially lose power would run up to seven days.
The Tennessee Emergency Management Agency issued a state of emergency for crews to mobile for the storm. Arkansas Governor Mike Beebe has declared a statewide emergency allowing crews extra powers to repair downed lines and damage to trees.
Up to 8 inches of snow is predicted for southern Missouri.
About 1,000 flights across the U.S. have been canceled on Friday including almost 700 in Dallas-Fort Worth.
The church wasn’t a fancy building. From the outside, it looked more like a school, complete with gymnasium, than it did a cathedral. Stan gathered his family’s belongings, and Christine hoisted Natalie onto her shoulder. They walked to the side door of the sanctuary and stepped inside. Although the electricity was still off in the area, the interior of the building was well lit by dozens of candles and kerosene lamps, flames flickering against the lightly painted walls, giving the large room a warm and cozy feeling. It reminded Stan of the Christmas Eve candlelight services he attended as a boy.
The room was filled with bustling people, some carrying backpacks, others carrying sleeping bags, still others toting boxes, a few teenagers even sporting guitars. The scene looked like a busy summer camp! Continue reading →