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The LEO Network is a worldwide network of observers and experts that share their observations of environmental change.
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Observations

First birds, now mammals: how H5N1 is killing thousands of sea lions in Peru
Avian flu has decimated the marine creatures on the country’s Pacific coastline and scientists fear it could be jumping from mammal to mammal
Peru
the Guardian

Norway: Mobile home washes away after severe flooding from Storm Hans
A mobile home washed away in severe flooding after Storm Hans hit Hemsedal, Norway, on Tuesday, 8 August. The extreme weather has battered parts of Scandinavia and the Baltics for several days. Rivers have overflown, roads have been damaged and people have been injured by falling branches.
Hemsedal, Buskerud, Norway
The Independent

Huge landslide misses Swiss mountain village of Brienz ‘by a hair’
Rockfall buries access road but stops just in front of hamlet, which had been evacuated in anticipation.
Brienz, Bern, Switzerland
the Guardian

Orlando man and stepson die in Big Bend National Park
A 14-year-old boy was found dead along the trail; a 31-year-old male was also found dead at the site of a motor vehicle crash near the trailhead. Last Friday also happened to be the hottest day so far this year in that part of the park. Nearby Rio Grande Village recorded a sweltering 119 degrees — the highest in the park.
Texas, United States
The Big Bend Sentinel

Saxitoxin detected in regional clam
By Diana Haecker
Savoonga, Alaska, United States
The Nome Nugget

Researchers find high concentrations of harmful algae in regional waters
Researchers stepping off the research vessel Norseman II in Nome last weekend, brought significant news of having found very high concentrations of a phytoplankton called Alexandrium catenella in regional waters. Alexandrium is an algae that can produce saxitoxins, which can cause dangerous paralytic shellfish poisoning in people. The scientists issued an advisory, notifying Norton Sound Health Corporation, UAF Sea Grant and the Alaska Division of Public Health.
Nome, Alaska, United States
The Nome Nugget

Intense Rainfall Brings Floods to Russia's Far East Primorye Region
Intense rainfall in Russia's Far East Primorye region caused floods, power outages, and evacuations, with water levels exceeding the norm by eightfold in some areas, following previous flooding caused by tropical storm Khanun.
Vladivostok, Primorskiy, Russia
The Moscow Times

ADF&G dispatches rabid moose roaming through Teller
A moose that was killed in Teller last week had been infected with rabies, the Alaska Department of Fish and Game confirmed.
Teller, Alaska, United States
The Nome Nugget

Back-to-back blizzards hit region with high winds and snow
The weekend was marked by cold sunny days and stunning aurora displays at night, but then the weather took another turn. By Tuesday morning, an east wind was howling and blowing snow sideways. The week started looking like a repeat of the last.
Nome, Alaska, United States

Russia’s Orenburg Orders Mass Evacuation as City Braces for Flood Peak
The mayor of the southern Russian city of Orenburg urged residents to evacuate immediately on Friday as water in the nearby Ural River reached critically dangerous levels and was not expected to recede until next week.
Оренбург, Orenburg, Russia
The Moscow Times

Graves continue to erode at historic St. Michael cemetery
Graves at the historic St. Michael cemetery in Alaska are eroding due to increased storms and erosion, prompting an archaeologist to recover exposed remains and coordinate efforts to re-bury them. Tom Wolforth’s prime mission was to appropriately handle the remains and make sure they could be reburied. He has been working closely with the tribe and the municipality to address their concerns. One concern, Martin said, was that these exposed remains could pose a risk of disease, especially if the dead had been buried during the time of the 1918 flu pandemic. But Wolforth assured them that if properly handled this shouldn’t be a problem.
St. Michael, Alaska, United States

Nuclear expert fears flooded radioactive dump sites in Siberia can threaten Arctic Ocean
Floodwaters in Tomsk region threatens to submerge the river banks in Seversk where highly radioactive liquid waste from the Soviet Union's nuclear weapons program for decades were injected into two unprotected underground reservoirs.
Seversk, Tomsk, Russia
The Independent Barents Observer

Tiny amount of radioactive iodine measured in Tromsø
The isotope measured in air in Tromsø for now is unknown. The isotope comes from a nuclear reactor, and is used in medial diagnostic.
Tromsø, Troms, Norway
The Independent Barents Observer

Russia's Record Floods Submerge Uranium Mines in Urals
Environmentalists say the latest flooding may have sent radioactive substances into the river, potentially affecting hundreds of thousands of people living near the banks of the Tobol downstream. State nuclear agency Rosatom, whose subsidiary operates the mines at the Dobrovolnoye uranium deposit, denied that its mining facilities were impacted by the flood.
Seversk, Tomsk, Russia
The Moscow Times

Little Diomede city building slides off its foundation, leaving community vulnerable for more damage
A city building in Little Diomede, Alaska, slid off its foundation, threatening the structural integrity of adjacent buildings and critical services, with the community seeking immediate assistance.
Diomede, Alaska, United States

Musk ox attacks and injures pet dog
Last week a musk ox gored a 10-year-old Malamute outside of his family’s man camp near the Old Glacier Creek Road. A visiting veterinarian cared for the injured dog commenting on more frequent conflict between musk ox and dogs and an increase in musk ox population.
Nome, Alaska, United States

Harmful algae bloom detected in Bering Strait waters
High concentrations of harmful algae called Alexandrium catenella have been detected in the Bering Strait waters near St. Lawrence Island, Wales, and Little Diomede, posing a potential danger to human health and urging caution when consuming certain seafood.
Bering Straits, Alaska

Public warned not to touch sick or dead wild birds to prevent bird flu spread
Avian influenza found in Black-headed seagulls in Limerick.
Limerick, Ireland
The Irish Times

Warm weather woes wreak havoc in Nome
A week of several freeze and thaw cycles left Nome and the region with puddles on ice and scenes that look more like breakup in spring rather than the customary snowy landscape of December. The rain on ice interrupted normal life in Nome.

Death toll breaches 1,030 mark as floods wreak havoc
Over the past 24 hours, nearly 0.95 million houses and 0.72 million livestock were flooded while 0.27 million houses were destroyed and 3,116 kilometres of highways and 149 bridges were washed away.
Hyderabad, Sindh, Pakistan
The Express Tribune

Intense Flooding Hits Russia's Black Sea Resort Sochi
Local power supplies were cut off, apartment buildings were flooded, cars were seen being washed away and a river overflowed, leading to one civilian death and several injuries.
Sochi, Krasnodarskiy, Russia

Winter storms bring deep snow, high winds and delays to Nome
A series of winter storms hit Nome with deep snow and high winds, causing school closures, flight cancellations, and significant snow removal challenges.

Storm erodes shoreline at Shishmaref
A storm caused shoreline erosion in Shishmaref, Alaska, but no evacuations were needed as the new seawall held and damage was minimal.

President Tokayev Arrives in Kostanai Region as Forest Fires Burn Record 43,000 Hectares
The Kostanai Region declared a state of emergency on Sept. 4 after forest fires burned a record 43,000 hectares (the size of Сarribean Barbados island) and forced an evacuation of 1,841 people.
Аманкарагай, Әулиекөл, Kostanay, Kazakhstan
The Astana Times

The first case of a walrus dying of bird flu registered on Svalbard
“Last year we got several reports from tourists and scientists that they saw around six walruses dead here on the west side of Svalbard. Unfortunately, we couldn’t sample them as the dead walruses drifted away by the time we got to the place. But it’s not normal to get so many reported dead walruses in such a small area," said Christian Lydersen, senior scientist at the Norwegian Polar Institute. Now samples (collected by a Station Manager in July 2023) have tested positive for highly pathogenic avian influenza.
Svalbard, Svalbard and Jan Mayen
The Independent Barents Observer

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