31st - ETHIOPIA - DROUGHT - 6 CHILDREN UNDER THE AGE OF FIVE ARE DYING EVERY DAY
due to
severe malnutrition
caused by an ongoing drought. International aid
agencies in Ethiopia and the neighboring countries
of Somalia, Djibouti and Kenya have all reported
dire conditions. The widespread famine is now affecting at least
12.4 million people throughout the Horn of Africa.
Years of low rainfall have triggered the deadly
drought, which has also damaged crops and killed
off as much as 95 percent of the livestock in some
areas. 
31st - MADAGASCAR - TROPICAL CYCLONE HUDAH -
continues
to churn over the Indian
Ocean with only
slightly diminished wind
speeds of 104 mph.
Although the cyclone is well away from any land
masses, on its current course it is aimed directly at
the east coast of Madagascar where recent massive
flooding was triggered by two previous cyclones.
Meteorologists predicted that Hudah would diminish
somewhat during the weekend.
31st - INDIA - DROUGHT - LAST 300 REMAINING ASIAN LIONS IN THE WORLD ARE THREATENED -
A conflict
over the last several remaining water sources has
developed between local residents with livestock
and the wildlife officials in the forest. It reported
that funds that had been allotted by the federal
government to supply water for the lions and other
animals in the reserve were not being used
because the situation had become so volatile.
Wells in Gir have dried up, and although there is
water in two nearby dams, the forest department
does not have the resources to transport the water
to the forest. 
31st - JAPAN - MT USU VOLCANO ERUPTS FOR A SECOND TIME
31st - SICILY - MT. ETNA VOLCANO ERUPTS AGAIN - spewing
incandescent lava that was
clearly visible as far away as the Italian mainland.
Officials said the eruptions posed no danger to
residents, as lava from the volcano normally flows
into an uninhabited valley.
31st - JAPAN - MT USU VOLCANO ERUPTED
28th - JAPANESE VOLCANO ISLAND - MOUNT USU VOLCANO - Hundreds of people who live at
the foot of the volcano were evacuated after
Tuesday's warning that the volcano could erupt.
More than 900 seismic tremors have hit the area
within three days, including a magnitude 3.4 quake
that struck Wednesday morning and prompted
another warning of a large-scale eruption. The
tremors have continued to increase in frequency
and strength. 
28th - ROMANIA - ANOTHER CHEMICAL SPILL - A
16-foot break in a dam at
a zinc and lead mining
operation in Romania has
again polluted the Tisza
River, a main tributary of the Danube. The break had occurred
last weekend after an extended period of rain and
snow washed away a part of the earthen dam.
The spill originated from the same dam that
poured tons of heavy metal-laden mud into the
river on March 10. It followed three weeks after a
massive spill of cyanide from another mining
operation in the area.
The extensive pollution has resulted in the deaths
of hundreds of tons of fish and has created an
ecological disaster for the rivers and a financial
disaster for the local population that subsists from
fishing.
28th - TEXAS - TORNADOES - 5 DEAD - at least 100 people were injured. Two people died in the tornadoes and two others died in flooding.More than
100 buildings were totally destroyed and 1,000
homes, businesses and high-rises seriously
damaged.
28th - JAPAN - MT. USU VOLCANO WARNING ADVISORY -
109 volcanic tremors detected within sixteen hours on
Monday. In the first five hours of Tuesday, an
additional 423 tremors were recorded, but
officials said they did not predict an imminent
eruption. The 2,402-foot mountain, located about 44 miles
southwest of Sapporo, last erupted in 1978. 
28th -AUSTRIA - MASSIVE AVALANCHE - 12 DEAD - all were ski instructors.
27th - KUWAIT - SEVERE DUST STORM - blanketed the Gulf state with a thick
layer of orange dust and seriously impeding
visibility. The storm caused regional temperatures to rise to
an unseasonable high 90 degrees Fahrenheit.
Winds of 50 mph
caused sea wave heights to increase by six feet.
Meteorologists predicted that severe thunderstorms
and an extreme drop in temperatures would follow
the windstorm. 
25th - SOUTH AFRICA - FLASH FLOOD - 6 DEAD - 7 missing - were white-water rafting.
22nd - SICILY - MOUNT ETNA EXPLODES - for
two hours in a spectacular
show, shooting blazing lava 660
feet into the Mediterranean sky.
A series of strong tremors preceded the explosions,
which spewed a fountain of red lava from the
volcano's southeast crater.
Authorities said the eruptions did not threaten
any nearby communities.
22nd - MOZAMBIQUE - FLOODING -
Thousands of residents of
Chockwe were
ordered to evacuate their homes as a
huge floodwave moved down the Limpopo River
from South Africa. Authorities warned that the new
flood could engulf the city within the next 48 hours.
21st - BOLIVIA - FLOODING - hundreds of
people homeless, thousands of cattle killed and acres of crops destroyed.
The incessant rains came at the end of a severe
drough that hit one-third of the nation earlier this
month. Swollen rivers have washed out fields of soy
bean, cotton, corn and grapes.
21st - SOUTH AFRICA - FLOODING - at least 6 DEAD -
renewed flooding
has struck the country during the past week.
21st - JAMAICA - DROUGHT - The island is battling
a devastating drought that has left reservoirs dried
up and crops wilted. The annual rainfall has dropped to a fourth of its
normal levels in some areas. The normally lush Caribbean island is facing an
impending shortage of vegetables.
20th - MONTSERRAT - VOLCANIC ERUPTION - the newly revived Soufriere Hills volcano
hurled glowing rocks high into the sky,
triggered fiery avalanches and shot a
thundering ash cloud as high as 30,000
feet. Scientists said the explosion confirmed their prediction
that the new buildup of rock would spawn a new series
of explosions.
20th - KENYA - DROUGHT - 27 DEAD - Within the past three weeks, at
least 27 herders in Kenya's Northeastern Province
have died of starvation or have been left so
weakened by hunger that they have been attacked
by marauding lions. Dozens of livestock have also
perished from hunger or fallen prey to the hungry
lions. Ongoing drought in the country is threatening
more than 57,000 people. In the northeast, no rain has
fallen for three years.
17th - PERU - LANDSLIDE - 22 DEAD - Landslides are common in Peru's high Andes during the rainy season, which runs from October through March.
17th - PHILIPPINES - MAYON VOLCANO - Authorities lowered the alert around the volcano saying that it appears to be calming down.
17th - PERU, ARGENTINA, BOLIVIA -FLOODING - Tens of
thousands of residents
are threatened by
floodwaters that are inundating crops and washing
over roads throughout all three countries. Authorities predict
river levels will worsen significantly by the end of the
month.
17TH - YEMEN - UNPRECEDENTED ERUPTION OF HIBSHI MOUNTAIN - spewing rocks from cracks in its side and sending residents in the city of Taiz fleeing from
their homes. 
16th - ECUADOR - MALARIA & DENGUE FEVER - 14 DEAD -
outbreaks have infected more than 14,000 others.
Ecuador's Health Ministry has declared a medical
state of emergency in 17 of Ecuador's 23 provinces,
most along the Pacific Coast or interior jungle.
16TH - SPAIN - DROUGHT -
An ongoing drought in Spain's
southern region of Andalusia is predicted to reduce
crop harvests there by at least 30 percent.
The dry weather has left markedly diminished
levels of water in regional reservoirs.
16TH - MALAWI - FLOODING -
triggered by incessant
rain has forced the evacuation
of at least 2,000 residents.
homes and crops. Last weekend's downpour was
unprecedented.
16TH - PAPUA NEW GUINEA - MUDSLIDES - 2 DEAD - thousands of others left homeless in
mudslides triggered by
torrential rains which wreaked havoc across four
provinces. An earthquake,
mudslides and rising water levels have displaced 16,000
people. 
15th - MONGOLIA - MOST SEVERE WINTER IN 30 YEARS - has now killed 1.5 million livestock. Calamitous snowstorms
and heavy frost have left thousands of people
facing extreme shortages of food. The situation is predicted to
worsen by the end of this month when most winter
food supplies will be depleted. The disaster has been intensified by the impact of
last summer's drought that limited the production
of hay normally used to feed animals during the
winter months. Heavy snowfall began early in
September, immediately following the drought.
14th - U.S. MIDWEST AND SOUTH - DROUGHT -
most likely will
intensify this spring, endangering crops and water
supplies. Arizona, Texas, Louisiana, Mississippi, Arkansas,
Alabama, Tennessee, Florida, Georgia, Nebraska,
Iowa, Illinois and Indiana are expected to be the
hardest hit, and Louisiana, Mississippi and
Alabama have seen the driest February in 106
years. 
14th - FLORIDA - FOREST FIRES - 3 DEAD -
thought to be the result of
arson, a 7,000-acre region of the state's
Osceola National Park has burned.
Smoke from the fires was
blamed for a 24 car pileup on Florida's Interstate
10 that killed three people and injured 21 others.
Low visibility caused numerous car and truck
accidents in the area.
14th - PERU - LANDSLIDE - 30 BURIED ALINVE AND FEARED DEAD -
about 50 people had gotten out of their vehicles to
clear mud from an earlier slide that was obstructing
the road when a second slide struck at 6:30 a.m.,
burying at least 30 victims and injuring numerous
others.
14th - AUSTRALIA - FLOODING - 4 FEARED DEAD -
four teenagers
missing and the evacuation of residents was forced
amid fears of a large crocodile that has moved in
with the floodwater. Vast areas of the northern region of the country
have been hit by flooding in the wake of Tropical
Cyclone Steve, which moved from the east coast to
the west earlier this month, packing heavy winds
and rainfall. Meteorologists predicted continuing rains in the
region for the next two days.
13th - RUSSIA - BEZYMYANNY VOLCANO - exploded,
spewing lava and a plume
of ash three miles into the winter sky. The volcano
is located on the Far Eastern Kamchatka Peninsula,
about 4,200 miles east of Moscow. Vulcanologists predicted that the volcano would
continue to be active for several more days.
13th - MADAGASCAR & MOZAMBIQUE - CHOLERA OUTBREAK - 1300 DEAD SINCE MARCH 1999; half died in the last two months.
13th - KENYA - DROUGHT - 20 DEAD - Two million others are facing famine, and
thousands of farm animals have already died in
the devastating dry spell that has been ongoing for
three months.
11th - ALABAMA & TEXAS - TORNADOES AND THUNDERSTORMS - 4 DEAD. 10th - U.S. - FIRE ADVISORY - The U.S. Forest Service issued a 13-state "fire advisory" for a region stretching from Texas to Virginia.
There have already been 14,151 wildfires across the United States so far this
year, compared to 18,805 for all of 1999.
Some 13,186 fires across the Southern states have charred 258,690 acres.
10th - ARGENTINA - FLOODING - 18 DEAD - several days of heavy rainfall have driven 10000 people from their homes. Forecasters predicted heavy rainfall in the region through
the 14th.
7th - PHILIPPINES - MAYON VOLCANO - SUDDEN BURST OF ASH left the sky over many Philippine towns
darkened with ash and ending the volcano's
five-day calm spell.
The ash was caused when a large lava
deposit collapsed near the crater of the 8,118-foot
volcano, causing high-pressured volcanic gases
which made ash clouds. These superheated ash
clouds, or pyroclastic flows, moved 3 1/2 miles
down Mayon's slopes in less than 10 minutes. Recent rains have added to the instability of
volcanic debris on the slopes of the mountain. Mud
flowing down the flanks of Mayon during the
weekend loosened lava and volcanic debris and
unleashed a wall of mud. Mayon
could be duplicating its 1984 eruption when it
became quiet for several days before unleashing
another even more powerful explosion - in one to two
weeks authorities might be able to say if the eruptions are finished.
7th - MOZAMBIQUE - FLOODING - 400 CONFIRMED DEAD SO FAR - flood victims will need food aid for at least 10 months while their
crops regrow. About $250 million
will be needed to rebuild the flooded areas.
Tropical Cyclone Gloria, which caused flooding in
Madagascar, was expected to reach the country on
Tuesday, although the storm has been downgraded
to a tropical depression. Gloria could cause moderate rain in South Africa
and Mozambique for the rest of the week.
7th - ZAMBIA - FLOODING - After the spillway gates of
Kariba Dam were opened last week,
floods left more than 12,000 people in the region
homeless, cropless and facing a severe famine.
The water levels were
dangerously high, torrential rains in the region had pushed water
behind the dam to the highest levels ever seen and would have overflowed the
walls of the dam and would have been more
catastrophic.
7th - SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA & ARIZONA - FREAK WINTER STORM - 5 DEAD -
Three victims were illegal immigrants in the high
country east of San Diego who were unprepared for
the snow. Two other deaths were reported in
Arizona, including a hiker and a van
passenger.
5th -- MADAGASCAR - TROPICAL CYCLONE GLORIA - 50 DEAD - thousands
of homes destroyed -
600,000 people forced from their homes. Madagascar "could
become the next Mozambique."
Officials fear the death toll will rise even
further as at least 12 others are missing and
feared dead. Although Gloria was downgraded to a Tropical
Depression on Monday, it is predicted to dump
torrential rainfall along the southern coast of
flood-ravaged Mozambique during the next two
days.
5th - MOZAMBIQUE - FLOODS FROM CYCLONES - 100s DEAD - 1 million homeless.
5TH - BANGLADESH - TORNADO - injured 50 people and left more than 3,000 homeless.
3rd - PHILIPPINES - FLASH FLOODS - 2 DEAD - Flooding has plagued the region
since heavy downpours began on February 27.
2nd - GUATEMALA - PACAYA VOLCANO EXPLODED - RED ALERT ISSUED in the capital Guatemala City. The volcanic explosion spewed ash 6,560
feet into the sky and over surrounding
communities. Two rivers of lava flowed. Pacaya
last erupted on January 16, forcing the evacuation
of three communities.
1st - PHILIPPINES - MAYON VOLCANO - unleashed its most
powerful eruptions in six days with a
series of explosions that blanketed communities at
the foot of the mountain with thick clouds of ash.
The explosions pushed the number of evacuees to
more than 83,000. The clouds of volcanic ash have killed scores of commercially raised fish, destroyed crops, extensively damaged fruit trees and jeopardized the livelihoods of area residents.
1st - AUSTRALIA - TROPICAL CYCLONE STEVE - 1 DEAD - continued
to regain strength as it skirted along
the coast of Northern Australia's Gulf of
Carpentaria, packing winds of 63 mph.
1st - AFRICA - TROPICAL CYCLONE 15S -
formed from
an area of disturbed
weather in the Indian
Ocean off the northern tip
of Madagascar. The storm is predicted to intensify to 81 mph as it
heads toward flood-ravaged southern Africa, where
it will make landfall somewhere between the cities
of Dar-es-Salaam and Napmpula.
The storm poses an extreme danger of worsening
the already devastating flood conditions in
Mozambique and Zimbabwe.
1st - COLOMBIA - TORRENTIAL RAINS - 8 DEAD -
another
39,000 have been
displaced by torrential
rains that have inundated the country since
mid-February.