sudden snow shuts down interstate

http://www.weather.com/outlook/videos/live-report-metrodome-roof-collapse-19020#19022

Amazing video: SNOW CRASHES ONTO PEOPLE!!!

http://www.weather.com/outlook/videos/live-report-metrodome-roof-collapse-19020#19022

blizzard closes roads, breaks records

http://www.weather.com/outlook/videos/live-report-metrodome-roof-collapse-19020#19022

metrodome roof collapses

http://www.weather.com/outlook/videos/live-report-metrodome-roof-collapse-19020#19021

Crack on Hungary's sludge pool widens slightly

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20101014/ap_on_re_eu/eu_hungary_sludge_flood

BUDAPEST, Hungary – Officials say one of the cracks on the damaged reservoir that flooded towns in western Hungary with red sludge has widened slightly but is not expected to upset plans for area residents to return to their homes soon.

Disaster agency spokeswoman Gyorgyi Tottos says a crack on the northern wall of the metals plant's storage pool holding a byproduct of aluminum manufacturing widened by around half an inch (1.5 centimeters) on Thursday.

Tottos says plans are still on for residents of Kolontar, the town closest to the 24-acre (10-hectare) reservoir, to return to their homes starting Friday and a new protective wall will be in place.

The red sludge that spilled last week, killing nine people, is a highly caustic byproduct of the production of alumina, which is used to make aluminum.

Clinton urges wealthy Pakistanis to dig into pockets

http://news.yahoo.com/s/afp/20101014/wl_afp/useupakistanfloodsaid

BRUSSELS (AFP) – US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton on Thursday said Pakistan's wealthy needed to dig into their own pockets to match global efforts to help it recover from 9.7 billion dollars of flood damages.

"It's absolutely unacceptable for those with means in Pakistan not to be doing their fair share to help their own people while taxpayers in Europe, the United States and other contributing countries are all chipping in," Clinton said.

The World Bank and Asian Development Bank (ADN) said they estimated damages from the floods that began in July at 9.7 billion dollars, almost double the amount caused by Pakistan's 2005 earthquake.

Cuba cleans up from Tropical Storm Paula

http://www.usatoday.com/weather/storms/2010-10-14-tropical-storm-paula-cuba_N.htm

HAVANA (AP) — Much of Cuba's capital remained without power early Friday following a direct hit from Tropical Storm Paula, as cleanup crews carried away fallen trees and swept up chunks of concrete torn from the city's famed seawall.

The once-Category 2 hurricane was downgraded to a tropical depression in the morning, with maximum sustained winds dropping to 25 mph, according to the U.S. National Hurricane Center in Miami. Cuban officials discontinued all storm warnings.

Earthquake rattles Oklahoma

http://www.usatoday.com/news/nation/2010-10-13-oklahoma-earthquake_N.htm

NORMAN, Okla. (AP) — One of the strongest earthquakes on record in Oklahoma rattled parts of five states Wednesday and left two people with minor injuries.

The earthquake struck at 9:06 a.m. about six miles east of Norman in Cleveland County, sharply shaking portions of the Oklahoma City metropolitan area. The U.S. Geological Survey estimated the magnitude to be 4.3, but research seismologist Austin Holland said the Oklahoma Geological Survey measured it at 5.1. The higher figure would make Wednesday's temblor the second-strongest here since records began.

Philippines braces for super typhoon over weekend

http://www.usatoday.com/weather/storms/2010-10-15-philippines-typhoon_N.htm

Weather forecasts say Category-1 Typhoon Megi is expected to strengthen with winds of at least 93 mph as it makes landfall along the northeastern coast of the main island of Luzon this weekend.

On Friday, the weather bureau warned fishermen and travelers to stay out of harm's way and farmers to harvest crops early. It expects heavy rainfall of 2 inches per hour.

More than 100 people were killed by a typhoon in July, when an angry President Benigno Aquino III fired the head of the weather bureau for failing to predict that the storm would hit Manila.

Puerto Rico warns of spike in dengue cases after T.S. Otto

http://www.usatoday.com/weather/storms/hurricanes/2010-10-11-puerto-rico-otto_N.htm

SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico (AP) — Puerto Rican officials say heavy rains unleashed by a tropical storm could worsen a dengue epidemic that has led to a record 26 deaths in the U.S. Caribbean territory.

Health Secretary Lorenzo Gonzalez says that nearly 900 cases of dengue have been reported in recent weeks and he worries that the number could increase.

Roughly 12,000 cases have been reported so far this year.

In 1998, the virus killed 19 people and sickened 17,000.

A dengue epidemic has gripped other Caribbean islands, with more than 80,000 cases reported in the region.

Hurricane Otto caused widespread flooding in the northeastern Caribbean this week while it was still a tropical storm.

Gonzalez issued his statement on Friday.

La Nina Likely to streangthen

http://www.usatoday.com/weather/climate/2010-10-11-la-nina_N.htm?loc=interstitialskip

GENEVA (AP) — The U.N. weather agency says the La Nina climate pattern is likely to increase from moderate to strong over the next four to six months.

The World Meteorological Organization says La Nina, characterized by abnormally cold sea-surface temperatures in the eastern Pacific Ocean, may result in drier conditions in South America and more Atlantic hurricanes.