February 21, 2016


News Clips For The Day


http://www.cbsnews.com/news/kalamazoo-shooting-spree-suspect-jason-dalton-an-uber-driver/

Kalamazoo shooting spree suspect an Uber driver
CBS/AP
February 21, 2016, 11:02 AM

Photograph -- Jason Dalton is seen in a mugshot photo, superimposed over the parking lot of a Cracker Barrel seen in Kalamazoo, Mich, on Feb. 21, 2016, one of the alleged sites of a shooting spree that left six dead that he is accused of, in a composite image. AP/CBS NEWS


KALAMAZOO, Mich. - Police have arrested 45-year-old Jason Dalton of Kalamazoo, Michigan, and accused him of going on a shooting spree that killed at least six people and wounded several more. Investigators have so far called the violence random.

After Dalton's mugshot was released to the public, dozens have taken to social media to claim Dalton was an Uber driver who was working not long before the shooting.

Later, Uber told CBS News Dalton was indeed one of their drivers, and added he had passed their background check during the hiring process.

Kalamazoo County Prosecutor Jeff Getting said Sunday he is aware of a social media post regarding Dalton and Uber. Getting added that it is part of the investigation, but he was not prepared to discuss it.

Getting said Dalton likely will face multiple counts of first-degree murder and attempted murder in connection with the shootings Saturday. Dalton is expected to appear Monday before a judge in a Kalamazoo County courtroom.

CBS affiliate WWMT in Kalamazoo reports neighbors say Dalton was paranoid in recent months, and known to fire off guns. Dalton does not have a criminal record, and he is expected to be arraigned sometime Monday. Sources told WWMT that Dalton works as an insurance adjuster.

Some took to social media to claim to have called 911 on him just before the shooting took place.

Officials claim to have so far found no motive for the shootings, and have described them as "random."

Dalton of Kalamazoo County was arrested early Sunday in downtown Kalamazoo following a massive manhunt after the shootings began early Saturday evening. He allegedly crashed his vehicle after gunning down one woman in an apartment complex, and later somehow obtained another.

Dalton was arrested without incident while waiting at a traffic light, according to officials. A semi-automatic weapon was seized during the arrest.



A twitter report accuses him of driving 80 mph in the downtown area, dodging oncoming cars, sideswiping a car and “blowing through” a stop sign. That was before he shot several people. She said “911 was called, but surprisingly, they didn’t seem all that concerned. Remind me to stay out of Kalamazoo!

The next article lists some half a dozen other Uber related errors of judgment on their hiring procedures. They have been in the news for taking over the taxi market in numerous cities around the world. Maybe they have grown so fast and cut so many corners financially in order to achieve that rapid growth that these incidents are indeed the company’s fault. I wouldn’t be surprised at law suits against them in the future. Huffington Post says, “Last April, Massachusetts Gov. Charlie Baker proposed a bill giving his state oversight in background checks. Uber has backed the legislation proposal, and hosts a petition on its website in favor of the governor's plan, which has more than 30,000 signatures.” Maybe it’s time for government supervised and mandated employment checks in other taxi companies. Most drivers I get down here do seem to be good drivers, not speeding or weaving in and out of lanes, and pleasant to talk to. Still the job of taxi driver is often one that foreigners, the undereducated, people who look to be “down and out” can get, and so they do. Taxi drivers are more often the victims of robbery and murder, however, rather than the “perps.”


http://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/uber-driver-sentenced-rape-female-passenger_us_56264dffe4b0bce347022d25

Uber Driver's Rape Sentencing Is Just The Latest Controversy For Company
Alejandro Done will serve up to 12 years in prison for raping a young female passenger.
Sebastian Murdock
Reporter, The Huffington Post
10/20/2015 12:47 pm ET | Updated Oct 20, 2015

FACEBOOK -- Ex-Uber driver Alejandro Done was sentenced to at least 10 years in prison for raping a female passenger.
ASSOCIATED PRESS -- In India Shiv Kumar Yadav was convicted of raping a passenger while he was an Uber driver.


A former Massachusetts Uber driver has been sentenced to 10 to 12 years in prison after raping a female passenger, adding to a growing list of Uber drivers accused of sexual assault.

Boston native Alejandro Done, 47, who pled guilty, was sentenced last Friday on charges including kidnapping, assault and battery, and aggravated rape, according to USA Today.

On Dec. 6, 2014, Done picked up a woman heading to her home in Cambridge. Done told the woman that she would have to pay him in cash. The two went to an ATM to withdraw money, then Done drove her to a secluded location, reported the Star Tribune.

Done kept the victim trapped in the car as he strangled and sexually assaulted her.

The felon has previously been charged with five other unsolved sexual assaults that happened in the Boston area between 2006 and 2010. That case is still pending. Uber told USA Today that Done had passed a background check, and had no prior criminal record.

"The defendant preyed upon a young woman who trusted that he was who he portrayed himself to be," District Attorney Marian Ryan said in a statement. "I encourage the public to take precautions when using any ride-sharing service."

In another recent case, in South Carolina, a sixth-grade teacher, who was moonlighting as an Uber driver was arrested on charges of kidnapping and forcible rape. Patrick Aiello, 39, allegedly assaulted a 23-year-old woman in August. The woman managed to escape from the car and was struck by another one in the process.

A former Uber driver in India, Shiv Kumar Yadav, was convicted of raping a female passenger Tuesday.

Many states in the U.S. are demanding that Uber ensure its background checks are more thorough. Last year, prosecutors in California filed a complaint against the ride-hailing service for failing to adequately vet drivers, some of whom have been convicted sex offenders, kidnappers and murderers.

Last April, Massachusetts Gov. Charlie Baker proposed a bill giving his state oversight in background checks. Uber has backed the legislation proposal, and hosts a petition on its website in favor of the governor's plan, which has more than 30,000 signatures.

Uber faces a litany of other problems. Last weekend, drivers called for a strike and demanded better pay and higher fares. The service has been suspended in Spain for creating unfair competition and it is banned in Italy for not adhering to licensing rules. French taxi drivers, who were upset by having to compete with Uber, took to the streets last summer, smashing cars and setting tires on fire.



http://www.cbsnews.com/news/bernie-sanders-im-feeling-quite-good-after-nevada-loss/

Bernie Sanders "feeling quite good" after Nevada loss
By EMILY SCHULTHEIS FACE THE NATION
February 21, 2016, 10:27 AM


Bernie Sanders is unfazed by his 6-point loss to Hillary Clinton in Nevada on Saturday, saying Sunday on CBS's "Face the Nation" that he's well-positioned to pick up some victories on Super Tuesday and that he's "feeling quite good."

The Vermont senator, currently in South Carolina, said he has a "major rally" in the state Sunday evening and his campaign is "not skipping over anything" there.

"But I think that after South Carolina, we have 11 states; we stand a good chance of winning a number of those states," he said. "We think we have a whole lot of momentum."

Sanders also noted that, unlike Clinton, he wasn't well-known before he entered the race last spring; as a result, he's still working to introduce himself to voters across the country.

"I am a senator from the very small and great state of Vermont. Not a lot of people know me, they don't know my experience, my 25 years in Congress, my eight years as Mayor of the City of Burlington," he said. "We've got to get that word out. I think we are making progress, but we have a long way to go."

As for minority voters, Sanders also noted that he won the Latino vote in Nevada last night. Entrance polling data taken just before the caucuses found Sanders edging Clinton among the demographic 53 percent to 45 percent. "That is a major breakthrough for us in reaching out to a diverse nation," he said.

As for his campaign's standing among African-American voters, which will be crucial in Saturday's South Carolina primary, Sanders says his campaign has made progress but that the more these voters know about his record on issues important to them, the more he'll continue to gain support.

"We are making inroads. We are doing better," he said. "Interestingly, a lot of the polling that I see is not along racial lines, but along generational lines. We are doing better and better among younger people, not so well among older people, whether they're African-American, whether they're white or whether they're Latino."

"I think when the African-American community understands my record on criminal justice, my record on economics and the agenda we're bringing forth, raising the minimum wage to $15 an hour, dealing with the fact that we have more people in jail, shamefully, than any other country on earth, that I am against the death penalty, Secretary Clinton is not," Sanders said. "I think as people become familiar with my ideas, we are going to do better and better."



"But I think that after South Carolina, we have 11 states; we stand a good chance of winning a number of those states," he said. "We think we have a whole lot of momentum." Sanders also noted that, unlike Clinton, he wasn't well-known before he entered the race last spring; as a result, he's still working to introduce himself to voters across the country. …. As for minority voters, Sanders also noted that he won the Latino vote in Nevada last night. Entrance polling data taken just before the caucuses found Sanders edging Clinton among the demographic 53 percent to 45 percent. "That is a major breakthrough for us in reaching out to a diverse nation," he said. As for his campaign's standing among African-American voters, which will be crucial in Saturday's South Carolina primary, Sanders says his campaign has made progress but that the more these voters know about his record on issues important to them, the more he'll continue to gain support.”


Sanders started out as a virtual unknown, and he certainly continues to improve in his competitiveness. He said that it isn’t so much race as age that boosts him ahead. I’m not young, but I am very politically minded and liberal in my views. Most Democratic candidates, who kowtow to the money people in too many cases, are not as liberal as I want them to be, and that includes Clinton. I remain behind Sanders and agree with him that he has a good chance of getting the better popular vote in the primaries. If he does, and the Superdelegates (see earlier article today) do try to deny him his rightful place, I and lots of others will protest loudly.



http://www.cbsnews.com/news/britain-torn-over-exiting-european-union-ahead-of-vote/

Britain torn over exiting European Union ahead of vote
AP February 21, 2016, 12:03 PM

Photograph -- Britain's Prime Minister David Cameron speaks outside 10 Downing Street in London, Britain February 20, 2016. REUTERS/TOBY MELVILLE


LONDON - David Cameron has launched a major push to win support for his call to keep Britain inside what he says is a "reformed" European Union ahead of a June 23 referendum.

The British prime minister used a TV appearance Sunday to emphasize that Britain's national security is best served by staying in the 28-nation bloc. He cited emerging challenges from Russia and the rise of extremist groups in the Middle East as threats better dealt with as part of an alliance.

"In a world where you have got Putin to the east and ISIL-Daesh to the south, how do you stay strong?" he asked, using alternative acronyms for the Islamic State group. "By sticking with your neighboring countries, your partners and your friends."

Cameron has seen Justice Secretary Michael Gove and several junior ministers defect to the "leave" campaign, but he has so far held the major figures in his Cabinet on his side in the referendum debate that is dividing his Conservative Party.

Both sides are waiting anxiously for London Mayor Boris Johnson - the most senior and popular Conservative yet to declare his position - to state where he stands on the referendum, with "leave" forces hoping he might lead the charge to break free of EU rules and regulations.

The BBC reported, without citing sources, that Johnson will campaign for "Brexit," dealing a huge blow to Cameron. Johnson's official decision is expected to be announced later Sunday, although his office has declined to specify a time.

Nigel Farage, the UK Independence Party chief who is playing a prominent role in the "leave" campaign, said he "absolutely" wants Johnson to join the group rejecting the EU.

Cameron plans to start the formal referendum process Monday by going to Parliament to set the wheels in motion for the June 23 date. He is arguing that those who support Brexit, or a British exit from the bloc, because it would slow the flow of migrants into Britain are mistaken.

He said any trade deal Britain would negotiate with the EU if it left the bloc would have to allow the free movement of labor in order to satisfy EU demands.

The prime minister also cautioned that it if Britain pulls out, it would take years to negotiate such a deal, giving British companies access to European markets.



“The British prime minister used a TV appearance Sunday to emphasize that Britain's national security is best served by staying in the 28-nation bloc. He cited emerging challenges from Russia and the rise of extremist groups in the Middle East as threats better dealt with as part of an alliance. …. Cameron has seen Justice Secretary Michael Gove and several junior ministers defect to the "leave" campaign, but he has so far held the major figures in his Cabinet on his side in the referendum debate that is dividing his Conservative Party. …. Cameron plans to start the formal referendum process Monday by going to Parliament to set the wheels in motion for the June 23 date. He is arguing that those who support Brexit, or a British exit from the bloc, because it would slow the flow of migrants into Britain are mistaken. He said any trade deal Britain would negotiate with the EU if it left the bloc would have to allow the free movement of labor in order to satisfy EU demands.”


There have been a number of EU nations talking about leaving the group over the time I’ve been doing this blog. I wonder if the EU will significantly lose military and economic strength as a result. I personally wonder about the wisdom of totally open borders without vetting those who come in and out, especially discontented groups like ISIS refugees. I hope not, because the US needs Europe’s loyal backup against the push from Russia and others. Of course Russia and North Korea always have been big on “sabre rattling” in general. The world situation seems more unstable to me than in earlier years, and it does concern me. I wonder what the problems with being in the EU are.

The following BBC article on the EU debate is too long for me to clip in its’ entirety, so I have taken excerpts. See below.


http://www.bbc.com/news/uk-politics-32810887

The UK's EU referendum: All you need to know
20 February 2016


". . . .
What is the European Union?

The European Union - often known as the EU - is an economic and political partnership involving 28 European countries (click here if you want to see the full list). It began after World War Two to foster economic co-operation, with the idea that countries which trade together are more likely to avoid going to war with each other. It has since grown to become a "single market" allowing goods and people to move around, basically as if the member states were one country. It has its own currency, the euro, which is used by 19 of the member countries, its own parliament and it now sets rules in a wide range of areas - including on the environment, transport, consumer rights and even things like mobile phone charges. . . . .

What are the main changes David Cameron has agreed?

Mr Cameron agreed a package of changes to the UK's membership of the EU after two days of intensive talks with other member states' leaders in Brussels in February. The agreement, which will take effect immediately if the UK votes to remain in the EU, includes changes to:

Child benefit - Child benefit payments to migrant workers for children living overseas to be recalculated to reflect the cost of living in their home countries

Migrant welfare payments - The UK can decide to limit in-work benefits for EU migrants during their first four years in the UK. This so-called "emergency brake" can be applied in the event of "exceptional" levels of migration, but must be released within seven years - without exception.

Eurozone - Britain can keep the pound while being in Europe, and its business trade with the bloc, without fear of discrimination. Any British money spent on bailing out eurozone nations will be reimbursed.

Protection for the City of London - Safeguards for Britain's large financial services industry to prevent eurozone regulations being imposed on it

Sovereignty - There is an explicit commitment that the UK will not be part of an "ever closer union" with other EU member states. This will be incorporated in an EU treaty change.

'Red card' for national parliaments - It will be easier for governments to band together to block unwanted legislation. If 55% of national EU parliaments object to a piece of EU legislation it may be rethought.

Competitiveness - The settlement calls on all EU institutions and member states to "make all efforts to fully implement and strengthen the internal market" and to take "concrete steps towards better regulation", including by cutting red tape.

Some limits on free movement - Denying automatic free movement rights to nationals of a country outside the EU who marry an EU national, as part of measures to tackle "sham" marriages. There are also new powers to exclude people believed to be a security risk - even if they have no previous convictions.

How does that differ from what he wanted?

Mr Cameron had originally wanted a complete ban on migrants sending child benefit abroad but had to compromise after some eastern European states rejected that and also insisted that existing claimants should continue to receive the full payment.

On how long the UK would be able to have a four-year curb on in-work benefits for new arrivals, Mr Cameron had to give way on hopes of it being in place for 13 years, settling for seven instead.

On financial regulation, a clause was inserted "to ensure the level-playing field within the internal market". This was in response to French fears that Britain was seeking special protection for the City of London that would have given it a competitive advantage.

Critics argue that the final deal falls well short of what Mr Cameron originally promised when he announced his plan for a referendum, particularly when it comes to returning powers from Brussels. It is not clear, for example, if the "red card" for national parliaments would ever be triggered in practice.

But most of the points in the draft agreement, with the exception of those mentioned above, have survived unchanged into the final deal.

. . . .
Who wants the UK to leave the EU?

The British public are fairly evenly split, according to the latest opinion polls. The UK Independence Party, which won the last European elections, and received nearly four million votes - 13% of those cast - in May's general election, campaigns for Britain's exit from the EU. A fair number of Conservative MPs - and several Labour ones - are also in favour of leaving. There are two main campaign groups. Read more about them.

Why do they want the UK to leave?

They believe Britain is being held back by the EU, which they say imposes too many rules on business and charges billions of pounds a year in membership fees for little in return. They also want Britain to take back full control of its borders and reduce the number of people coming here to work. One of the main principles of EU membership is "free movement", which means you don't need to get a visa to go and live in another EU country. They also object to the idea of "ever closer union" and any ultimate goal to create a "United States of Europe".

Who wants the UK to stay in the EU?

David Cameron wants Britain to stay in the EU, now he has got some powers back from it. The Labour Party, SNP, Plaid Cymru and the Lib Dems are also in favour of staying in. As mentioned above, according to polls, the public seems pretty evenly split on the issue.

Why do they want the UK to stay?

They believe Britain gets a big boost from EU membership - it makes selling things to other EU countries easier and, they argue, the flow of immigrants, most of whom are young and keen to work, fuels economic growth and helps pay for public services. They also believe Britain's status in the world would be damaged by leaving and that we are more secure as part of the bloc.

. . . .
Big business - with a few exceptions - tends to be in favour of Britain staying in the EU because it makes it easier for them to move money, people and products around the world. BT chairman Sir Mike Rake, a recent CBI president, says there are "no credible alternatives" to staying in the EU. But others disagree, such as Lord Bamford, chairman of JCB, who says an EU exit would allow the UK to negotiate trade deals as our country "rather than being one of 28 nations". Many small and medium-sized firms would welcome a cut in red tape and what they see as petty regulations. The British Chambers of Commerce says 55% of members back staying in a reformed EU.

. . . .”




http://www.cbsnews.com/news/california-declares-massive-porter-ranch-natural-gas-leak-sealed-after-16-weeks/

California declares massive gas leak sealed after 16 weeks
CBS/AP
February 18, 2016, 2:29 PM

Photograph -- Officials announced Thursday that the massive gas leak had been capped. CBS LOS ANGELES
Play VIDEO -- Los Angeles suburb demands answers for gas leak
Play VIDEO -- New plan to cap Porter Ranch gas leak amid lawsuits
Photograph -- A sign marking the boundary of the Aliso Canyon storage facility is pictured in Porter Ranch, California, Jan. 6, 2016. JONATHAN ALCORN/AFP/GETTY IMAGES


LOS ANGELES -- A blowout at a natural gas well that spewed massive amounts of climate-changing methane for nearly four months and drove thousands of Los Angeles families from their homes has been permanently sealed, state officials announced Thursday.

The announcement certifying that the ruptured well had been plugged with cement brought a point of closure in the long-running drama that has disrupted life in the Porter Ranch community and drawn attention to a massive underground storage facility owned by Southern California Gas Co.

Jason Marshall of the state Department of Conservation said at a press conference that the Southern California Gas Co. well is no longer leaking.

The 60-year-old well was plugged with cement, and several tests showed no more gas was leaking. The gas company said it had controlled the leak for the first time last week.

The announcement starts the clock for thousands of families from Porter Ranch who relocated to temporary housing to get away from the noxious smell to finally return to their homes.

Those in in short-term housing - at hotels or staying with friends and relatives - will have eight days to return before the gas company stops reimbursements. Those who rented apartments and houses can stay through their leases as late as April 30.

"Now it's gonna be making sure that we get 16,000 people back in their homes, but they have to do safely to make sure the homes are clean, the community's clean, and this type of thing never happens again," said City Councilman Mitch Englander, according to CBS Los Angeles.

The leak was reported in October. Nearby residents complained of headaches, nausea, dizziness and nosebleeds. Initial efforts to cap the well were futile as it gushed gas uncontrollably at high pressure.

SoCalGas pleaded not guilty Wednesday to misdemeanor charges involving reporting of the leak to authorities and discharging contaminants into the air.

Investigations now will begin into how the well had managed to blow out and leak uncontrollably for so long. It was drilled for oil in 1953 and reused for natural gas storage in the 1970s.

Inspections also will be done on other aging wells in the same field, and regulators are looking into what would happen to energy supplies if the Aliso Canyon facility - the largest in the West for gas storage - does not reopen.

Some residents angry or sickened by the leak want to see the storage area permanently closed. The leak was reported in October, and nearby residents complained of headaches, nausea, dizziness and nosebleeds.

The gas company, a division of Sempra Energy, said it expects expenses of as much as $300 million for temporarily lodging 6,400 households, plugging the leak and the loss of gas that gushed for 16 weeks.

The figure does not include potential damages from at least 67 lawsuits, penalties from government agencies and expenses to mitigate pollution, which the company noted could be significant.

Natural gas is odorless and invisible, but an additive used to make it detectable to the human nose blanketed neighborhoods at times with a nauseating stench.

Public health officials blamed the odorant for many of the symptoms residents complained about, though they said they don't expect long-term illnesses from the gas, which is mostly methane, or trace elements such as cancer-causing benzene.

Air quality monitors set up during the leak will remain in place to make sure the air is clean to breathe.

Although the well has been declared sealed, Gov. Jerry Brown won't immediately lift an emergency declaration he made last month.



“The 60-year-old well was plugged with cement, and several tests showed no more gas was leaking. The gas company said it had controlled the leak for the first time last week. …. SoCalGas pleaded not guilty Wednesday to misdemeanor charges involving reporting of the leak to authorities and discharging contaminants into the air. Investigations now will begin into how the well had managed to blow out and leak uncontrollably for so long. It was drilled for oil in 1953 and reused for natural gas storage in the 1970s. Inspections also will be done on other aging wells in the same field, and regulators are looking into what would happen to energy supplies if the Aliso Canyon facility - the largest in the West for gas storage - does not reopen. …. The gas company, a division of Sempra Energy, said it expects expenses of as much as $300 million for temporarily lodging 6,400 households, plugging the leak and the loss of gas that gushed for 16 weeks. …. Air quality monitors set up during the leak will remain in place to make sure the air is clean to breathe. Although the well has been declared sealed, Gov. Jerry Brown won't immediately lift an emergency declaration he made last month.”


I’m glad to see that other old facilities will be examined for signs of similar leaks. This one went undiscovered for months, though how much of that stated time period had more to do with the failure by SoCalGas to inform authorities of the matter in a timely manner than with the actual beginning of the incident. The good news is that the company is paying the bills for temporary housing as needed. The bad news is that they are not giving those citizens between a week and two months to relocate back to their houses.



http://www.cbsnews.com/news/deadly-cyclone-winston-rocks-fiji-with-177-mph-winds/

Deadly Cyclone Winston rocks Fiji with 177 mph winds
AP February 21, 2016, 7:58 AM

Photograph -- The new hospital in the town of Ba lies ruined after Cyclone Winston swept through Fiji's Viti Levu Island, February 21, 2016. JAY DAYAL/HANDOUT VIA REUTERS
Play VIDEO -- Massive storm hits Fiji


WELLINGTON, New Zealand - Most of Fiji was without electricity Sunday and residents were told to stay inside for a second straight night as officials scrambled to restore services and assess damage in the wake of a ferocious cyclone that left at least six people dead and destroyed homes.

Winds from Cyclone Winston, which tore through the Pacific Island chain over the weekend, reached 177 miles per hour, making it the strongest storm in the Southern Hemisphere since record-keeping began, according to the Weather Underground website.

Although the weather calmed Sunday, a curfew was extended through early Monday and police were empowered to make arrests without a warrant to ensure order.

In a televised address to the nation Sunday, Prime Minister Voreqe Bainimarama said many people had been left without power, fresh water or communications.

"The damage has been widespread, homes have been destroyed, many low-lying areas have flooded, and many people have been left stunned and confused about what to do," he said.

He said that the police and military had been brought in to help with rescue operations and the general cleanup, and that government agencies were working overtime to clear roads and restore power.

"This is a time of sorrow, but it will also be a time of action," Bainimarama said. "We will stand united in the face of this disaster."

Officials were trying to establish communications and road access to the hardest-hit areas, and said they would not know the full extent of the damage and injuries until then.

George Dregaso of Fiji's National Disaster Management Office said that two people on Ovalau Island died when the house they were sheltering in collapsed on them, and that another man was killed on Koro Island, although it wasn't clear how.

Authorities also said three people on the main island of Viti Levu were killed in the storm, but didn't have more details.

Tourism Minister Faiyaz Siddiq Koya said that all tourists in Fiji were safe and that there was no significant damage to the majority of hotels on the main island. Fiji is a popular tourist destination, known for its beach resorts and scuba diving.

Cyclone Winston hit Fiji on Saturday and moved westward overnight along the northern coast of Viti Levu. Fiji's capital, Suva, located in the southern part of the main island, was not directly in the cyclone's path and avoided the worst of its destructive power.

"Truth be told, we've gotten off pretty lightly here in the capital," said Alice Clements, a spokeswoman for UNICEF. "It was still a pretty awful night. You could hear crashing trees and power lines, and popping rivets as roofs got lifted and ripped out."

She said there was foliage everywhere that looked like it had been put through a blender.

About 80 percent of the nation's 900,000 people were without regular power, although about one-third of them were able to get some electricity from generators, said Dregaso, the disaster office official. Landlines throughout Fiji were down, but most mobile networks were working.

Dregaso said there were 483 people who had evacuated from their homes and were staying in 32 emergency shelters. He said he expected the number of evacuees to rise.

Authorities were urging people to remain indoors as they cleared fallen trees and power lines. They said that all schools would be closed for a week to allow time for the cleanup, and that three universities would be closed until further notice.

The government declared a 30-day state of natural disaster, giving extra powers to police to arrest people without a warrant.

The government said the curfew would end at 5:30 a.m. Monday.

"The curfew has been imposed to protect lives and protect property," Prime Minister Bainimarama said in his address.

Clements, the UNICEF spokeswoman, said there was particular concern for people on the northern part of the main island and on smaller islands. She said that many would have lost their homes and livelihoods, and that some tourist resorts on the outer islands may have been damaged.

The airport reopened Sunday to allow emergency flights, Dregaso said, after many flights had been canceled the day before.


“Winds from Cyclone Winston, which tore through the Pacific Island chain over the weekend, reached 177 miles per hour, making it the strongest storm in the Southern Hemisphere since record-keeping began, according to the Weather Underground website. Although the weather calmed Sunday, a curfew was extended through early Monday and police were empowered to make arrests without a warrant to ensure order. …. "Truth be told, we've gotten off pretty lightly here in the capital," said Alice Clements, a spokeswoman for UNICEF. "It was still a pretty awful night. You could hear crashing trees and power lines, and popping rivets as roofs got lifted and ripped out." She said there was foliage everywhere that looked like it had been put through a blender. About 80 percent of the nation's 900,000 people were without regular power, although about one-third of them were able to get some electricity from generators, said Dregaso, the disaster office official. Landlines throughout Fiji were down, but most mobile networks were working. Dregaso said there were 483 people who had evacuated from their homes and were staying in 32 emergency shelters. He said he expected the number of evacuees to rise.”


I don’t remember specific wind speeds that have been stated on our worst Atlantic hurricanes, but both Katrina and Andrew were category 5 storms, and both were absolutely devastating. Houses were simply leveled, leaving only piles of rubble. See the article below which gives the wind speeds of the various gradations. Excerpt: “Category 5 on the Saffir-Simpson hurricane scale has no upper bound, on paper. But in theory, winds from a powerful hurricane could blow the scale out of the water, scientists say. There is no such thing as a Category 6 storm, in part because once winds reach Category 5 status, it doesn't matter what you call it, it's really, really bad.”


http://www.livescience.com/32179-how-strong-can-a-hurricane-get.html

How Strong Can a Hurricane Get?
by Live Science Staff | October 16, 2012 12:44pm ET

Photograph -- A hurricane could blow the Saffir-Simpson hurricane scale out of the water with how strong it could theoretically become.
Credit: NOAA. View full size image


Category 5 on the Saffir-Simpson hurricane scale has no upper bound, on paper. But in theory, winds from a powerful hurricane could blow the scale out of the water, scientists say. There is no such thing as a Category 6 storm, in part because once winds reach Category 5 status, it doesn't matter what you call it, it's really, really bad.

The scale starts with a Category 1, which ranges from 74 to 95 mph. A Category 5 storm has winds of 156 mph or stronger. An extrapolation of the scale suggests that if a Category 6 were created, it would be in the range of 176-196 mph.

Hurricane Wilma, in 2005, had top winds of 175 mph.

How much higher could hurricane winds blow? A hurricane gains strength by using warm water as fuel. With Earth's climate warming, oceans may grow warmer, too. And so, some scientists predict, hurricanes might become stronger.

But physics dictates there must be a limit. Based on ocean and atmospheric conditions on Earth nowadays, the estimated maximum potential for hurricanes is about 190 mph, according to a 1998 calculation by Kerry Emanuel, a climatologist at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.

This upper limit is not absolute, however. It can change as a result of changes in climate. Scientists predict that as global warming continues, the maximum potential hurricane intensity will go up. They disagree, however, on what the increase will be.

200 mph or more

Emanuel and other scientists have predicted that wind speeds — including maximum wind speeds — should increase about 5 percent for every 1 degree Celsius increase in tropical ocean temperatures.

Chris Landsea, a meteorologist at the National Hurricane Center, disagrees.

After Wilma, Landsea said that even in the worst-case global warming scenarios, where global temperatures ratchet up by an additional 1-6 degrees Celsius, there would be about a 5 percent change, total, by the end of the 21st century. That means that hurricane-force winds are unlikely to exceed 200 mph, Landsea said.

However, Typhoon Nancy in 1961, in the Northwest Pacific Ocean, was said to have maximum sustained winds of 215 mph, according to the World Meteorological Organization's Commission on Climatology, a new clearinghouse for climate records set up at Arizona State University to settle the many disputes on weather and climate extremes. (A typhoon is the same thing as a hurricane, just in a different part of the world.)

There are known records for wind speeds that outstrip anything ever measured in a hurricane. The fastest "regular" wind that's widely agreed upon was 231 mph, recorded at Mount Washington, New Hampshire, on April 12, 1934. During a May 1999 tornado in Oklahoma, researchers clocked the wind at 318 mph.

Fix the scale?

Shortly after Wilma topped out in 2005, Emanuel called the Saffir-Simpson scale irrational, in part because it deals only with wind, ignoring factors such as a storm's size, rainfall potential and forward speed. "I think the whole category system needs serious rethinking," Emanuel told LiveScience then.

But Herbert Saffir, co-creator of the scale, countered that his scale was useful because it was simple. "As simple as it is, I like the scale," Saffir said in a post-Wilma telephone interview. "I don't like to see it too complex."

Here's why no Category 6 was included: The scale was designed to measure the amount of damage inflicted by winds, and beyond 156 mph, the damage begins to look about the same, according to Simpson.



"Here's why no Category 6 was included: The scale was designed to measure the amount of damage inflicted by winds, and beyond 156 mph, the damage begins to look about the same, according to Simpson." I will only say about Hurricane Andrew, from fifteen or so years ago, that the type of damage I saw from aerial views looked more like tornado damage than that of a hurricane. I'm used to seeing roofs lifted off, but not shredded. The description in the news article above of foliage on the ground which looked like it had been mulched. That sounds like a tornado's work. Of course, hurricanes do often contain embedded tornadoes within them.