Brian Gongol
420,000 homes destroyed by aftershocks in China
The death toll is now officially at more than 67,000. This is further evidence in support of the hypothesis that natural disasters alone aren't necessarily deadly; they are deadly in direct proportion to the poverty of the area they strike. Even very large earthquakes rarely kill large numbers of people in rich countries, but even milder quakes can kill many in poor countries. Between 2000 and 2005, no matter how severe the earthquake, no more than 100 people were killed in any country where the average income was over $10,000 a year. Poverty kills.
At least 67 people sent to hospital by Sunday's tornado
The tornado that did massive damage to Parkersburg, Iowa, sent a large number of people to the hospital, but it should be noted that the tornado, which was rated an EF-5 (the strongest classification possible), happened in an area where a tornado warning had been specifically issued 24 minutes before touchdown. That kind of warning is absolutely essential to saving lives. Meteorology has come a very, very long way in the last few years. It could do even better if the US had a more comprehensive network of Doppler radar installations.
Why do television stations get news helicopters?
Interestingly, KCRG-TV in Cedar Rapids, which long touted its "NewsCopter 9", doesn't seem to have it anymore
Gorman-Rupp gets approval to expand
