URGENT PRAYER REQUEST: Calamities - Wildfires, Floods, Storms Affecting A-O Readers
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URGENT PRAYER REQUEST:
Calamities Affect A-O Readers
Southwest USA Wildfires and Minnesota/Florida Flooding
Editor's Note:
In addition to monitoring and tracking alarmingly ominous developments in the Middle East and the economic crisis with the European Union, the past couple of days have forced us to also consider and monitor natural disaster calamities now impacting 4 states here in America plus the American coastline along the Gulf of Mexico where Tropical Storm Debby has formed threatening yet again the panhandle of Florida, plus possibly the nearby westward states stretching clear over to Texas.
Seldom in the past have we at A-O had dangerous situations developing for our A-O readers as are now being experienced by our numerous readers in Colorado, Arizona, New Mexico, Minnesota, and the Gulf Coast regions of Florida, Alabama, Mississippi, Louisiana and Texas. For that reason, we've posted this special page of news as part of a prayer request for supporting our fellow brothers and sisters in Christ, as they endure severe testing. We know that surely some if not many are undergoing mental, emotional and spiritual distress from either the threat or physical damage of these fires and floods.
We know that we have many, many faithful A-O readers living in the regions of the Arizona, New Mexico and Colorado wildfires which has now begun to affect broad regions across their states. Not only due those near the fires contend with potential property loss, but the massive amounts of smoke and pollution are affecting broad areas with breathing problems, as well as fighting off a super-intensive heatwave of 100+ degree temperatures.
In Minnesota, wild weather has produced record flooding in the past several days. We have many faithful A-O readers living in the Duluth and Minneapolis areas affected by the flooding. We understand the Duluth area was particularly devastated with flooding. Last week, portions of the Florida panhandle were inundated with freakish thunderstorms producing copious amounts of flash flooding from as much as 18 inches of rainfall. The area is only now beginning to recover even as Hurricane Debby looms over the coastline.
We encourage any of our A-O readers affected by these situations to let us know if they need specific prayers and we'll pass those along here at the A-O website. Just check our 'contact us ' page (LINK HERE) and choose "e-mails to editor" for email access.
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Colorado Wild Fires Force Thousands To Evacuate
Urgent Prayer Needed For Our Colorado Readers
Raging wildfires and a super-intensive heatwave have gripped the state of Colorado. Nearly 250 homes have been destroyed and the famous Pike's Peak and ensuing national park are endangered as flames reach Colorado tourist centers. Pike's Peak is the most visited mountain in North America.
In an overnight, wildfires emerged near Colorado Springs forcing 11,000 people from their homes and threatened the popular summer campgrounds below the 14,115 foot tall Pike's Peak Mountain. This particular blaze erupted in the Pike National Forest known as the Waldo Canyon Fire. It has already consumed more than 2500 hundred acres between Saturday and Sunday alone.
The fires will no doubt have a dramatic financial impact on the state, not only from lost property, but also from lost tourism as vacationers change plans and opt out of visiting the region.
It should be noted that these fires will only be exacerbated by a super-intensive summer heatwave now building across the eastern two-thirds of the nation, with temperatures reaching 100 degrees plus (farenheit).
We would liken this situation to previous prayer requests for our A-O readers back during threatening hurricanes such as Katrina which devasted New Orleans and the Gulf Coast affecting many of our A-O readers.
We have a lot of website readers in Colorado and the wildfire region - we ask on behalf of those readers for your prayers of protection and grace for our readers affected by these fires and the ensuing conditions as I'm sure the prayers will be appreciated.
For more details on the situation, see our links below.
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Colorado Fires Out of Control
Zero Percent Containment
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Arizona's Poco Wildfire - 11,000 Acres
Tonto National Forest
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More Wildfires Pop Up in New Mexico
Older Fires Take Out 200+ Homes
New fires erupted over the weekend in the 4 corners area of New Mexico and one in the heart of New Mexico.
One fire dubbed the "Webber Fire" has torched 6,000 acres. Another fire dubbed the Sawmill Fire is burning in the Cibola Forest. Wildfires are forcing the evacuation of hundreds of residents. More details, LINK HERE.
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Record-Breaking Floods Hit Minnesota
Duluth Zoo Animals Drown
Wild weather has produced record-breaking flash floods across much of the state of Minnesota in the past several days. In addition to the floods, the area has had to endure severe storms and tornado threats.
It's not often an area experiences such flooding from just thunderstorm flooding that is so vicious it destroys roads and highways much like tornados destroy buildings. It will take some time for the area to clean up and recover. For more on the situation, LINK HERE.
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Pensacola Florida Flooding Problems Remain
Even though its been two weeks since freak thunderstorms dumped as much as 18 inches of rain in the panhandle of Florida, flooding problems still remain. This problem is underscored by the looming threat of Hurricane Debby. For more on the areas flooding problems left from two weeks see LINK HERE.
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Tropical Storm Debby Threatens Gulf Coast
A tropical storm has formed in the Gulf of Mexico and has been named Debby. Debby is expected to remain stationary in the northeast quadrant of the Gulf of Mexico bringing anywhere from 10 to 15 inches of new rainfall to the Florida Panhandle. At the moment, weather experts see no movement of the storm westward towards Louisiana or Texas, but computer models remain unclear as the storm is expected to remain stationary until midweek. The storm has a windfield stretching outwards for 200 miles. For more details see LINK HERE for the National Hurricane Center's storm advisory. For computer models - LINK HERE. For the cone track - see LINK HERE.
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Tropical Storm Debby Stalls
Threatens Flash Flooding in Florida
Up To 25 Inches of Rainfall?
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Debby Storm Prompts Oil & Gas Shutdowns
Prompting Oil Prices to Rise to $80
The threat of Tropical Storm Debby becoming a hurricane has forced the closure of nearly 25% of oil and gas production in the Gulf of Mexico. The shutdowns prompted oil prices to rise up to the $80 mark in the Asian markets amid concerns of temporary supply shortages. The Gulf of Mexico region accounts for about 20% of America's oil production and about 6% of its natural gas output. More details, LINK HERE.
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