In Missouri, Franklin and Jefferson counties have been declared disaster areas by the governor. Several dozen homes have been damaged by the rising flood waters. In Minnesota Windy, dry conditions are hampering firefighter efforts to control a wildfire which has been burning across northern Minnesota in the vicinity of the Boundary Waters Canoe Area. Several homes have been destroyed as more than 1,500 acres have burned. The fire is within 5 miles of the 'blowdown area' where a windstorm snapped millions of trees during a powerful windstorm in July of 1999.
Firefighters hope to have the wildfire contained before it reaches the area.
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration announced yesterday that its fourth weather satellite the GOES 11 had been launched into orbit without difficulties. The weather satellite will take an orbit over the equator at 22,300 miles in space. The GOES 11 is designed to replace either the West Coast or East Coast satellites currently focused on the United States. The satellite bumped back the space shuttle launch as weather officials became concerned about satellite readiness with hurricane season fast approaching. 3- Experts Ponder A Future Atlantic Tsunami Researchers have recently uncovered evidence of wide cracks in the ocean floor off of the coast of Virginia which could trigger a powerful 20 ft. tidal wave hurtling toward Mid Atlantic states.