Tornado Leaves Trail of Destruction in New Orleans

Officials surveyed damage to homes and businesses in New Orleans, Louisiana, on Wednesday, December 14, after a tornado ripped through the area.

Images posted by the New Orleans Fire Department show the trail of destruction to properties left by the tornado.

Local media reported damage to several neighborhoods in the New Orleans area, and at least one person killed. Credit: New Orleans Fire Department via Storyful

Ice and snow will hammer East Coast states after same deadly storm system proved 'more devastating' than expected in the South

The massive storm system that pulverized homes, killed three people in Louisiana and brought blizzard conditions to northern states will inflict a new wave of brutal weather starting Thursday.

Significant ice and heavy snow will smother parts of the Mid-Atlantic and New England, forecasters said.

Ice storm warnings are in effect for the central Appalachians of western Virginia, eastern West Virginia, the Maryland Panhandle and parts of central and western Pennsylvania -- where up to a quarter inch to a half inch of ice could stack up by Thursday evening.

Miles of Interstate 90 in South Dakota were closed Thursday due to hazardous weather

Already, freezing rain and snow are covering parts of the Carolinas and Mid-Atlantic. A quarter inch of ice was reported Thursday morning in the Appalachian Mountains of West Virginia and Maryland, and about a tenth of an inch had built up in parts of Virginia.

And over the next two days, 6 to 12 inches of snow could pile up from central Pennsylvania northward to upstate New York. Places with higher elevations could get walloped with up to 2 feet of snow.

The intense snowfall will spread into interior New England on Friday, with up to a foot expected there.

The mammoth storm system that plowed across much of the country this week will morph into a nor'easter that will spread ice, snow and rain to the Northeast.

Major cities including New York and Boston will likely get doused with 1 to 2 inches of rain into the weekend from the nor'easter.

Winter weather advisories are in effect for Baltimore, Washington and Philadelphia due to the possibility of freezing rain.

While the East Coast hunkers down, tornado survivors in the South are grappling with colossal damage.

The same storm system now slamming eastern states left a trail of devastation in Gulf Coast states.

At least 50 tornado reports have been made since Tuesday in Mississippi, Louisiana, Florida, Texas Alabama, Georgia and Oklahoma.

As soon as Trent Theriot heard a tornado was headed his way in Jefferson Parish, Louisiana, he ducked inside a small closet.

"A minute or so after that, a strong gust of wind came through the front door ... the tornado came through the front," Theriot told CNN's Nick Valencia. "And all of a sudden, everything just blew up."

'More devastating than initially expected'

The tornado that shredded much of Gretna, Louisiana, on Wednesday may have damaged up to 5,000 structures, the mayor said.

"Unfortunately, now that the sun is up, it is more devastating than initially expected," Mayor Belinda Constant said Thursday.

A tornado blew out a vehicle's windows and damaged or destroyed homes in Gretna, Louisiana.

"There are more houses that will probably have to be condemned or just demolished based on such damage," she said. "It's about a mile-and-a-half stretch that is completely just inundated with destruction."

Despite the devastation in Gretna, only three injuries were reported, the mayor said.

"This is not the place where we normally have tornadoes. So our reality of a safe house is not what it is in other parts of the country. But people survived in bathtubs," she said.

"We're a resilient people, and this is the type of thing that don't choose locations."

From tornadoes in the South to blizzard conditions in the Upper Midwest, more than 130,000 homes, businesses and other electricity customers in the US had no power Thursday morning, according to PowerOutage.us.

Most of those outages -- about 115,000 -- were in Wisconsin, Michigan and Minnesota. Ferocious winds from blizzard conditions knocked down power lines in the Upper Midwest, and temperatures in some areas without power plunged to near or below freezing.

Visibility was significantly reduced Thursday on Interstate 94 near Bismarck, North Dakota.

In the South, which was hit by multiple tornadoes, about 10,000 power customers were in the dark Thursday morning. About 9,000 outages were reported in Alabama, Mississippi and Georgia.

A mother and child were killed and found far from their home At least three deaths in Louisiana have been linked to the storm.

Yoshiko A. Smith, 30, and her 8-year-old son, Nikolus Little, were killed Tuesday when a tornado struck Caddo Parish and destroyed their home, local officials said.

Their bodies were found far from where their house once stood, officials said. Autopsies have been ordered for both, the county coronor said.

A large tornado leaves a trail of destruction as it whirled through Arabi, Louisiana.

Three people were killed as multiple tornadoes tore across the state. https://t.co/4UOjz0vzW0 pic.twitter.com/PqpmBgeQuA

— ABC News (@ABC) December 15, 2022

In St. Charles Parish, a 56-year-old woman died after a tornado hit her home, the Louisiana Department of Health said Wednesday.

In Texas, a tornado struck Wise County near Paradise and Decatur on Tuesday, officials said. Video showed homes splintered, with roofs ripped off in Decatur.

'All we could hear was glass popping everywhere'

In the Louisiana town of Farmerville, at least 20 people were injured when a tornado struck Union Parish on Tuesday night -- demolishing parts of an apartment complex and a mobile home park, Farmerville police Detective Cade Nolan said.

A tornado caused widespread damage in Union Parish, Louisiana.

Patsy Andrews was home with her children in Farmerville when she heard "rushing wind like a train" outside, she told CNN affiliate KNOE-TV.

"All of a sudden that wind was so heavy, it broke my back door," Andrews said. "The lights went off and all we could hear was glass popping everywhere."

Andrews said she and her daughter hit the floor, crawling into a hallway as glass shattered around them and water leaked through the roof. They ended up hunkering down in their bathroom.

"We just got in the tub and we hugged each other. We just kept praying and I just kept calling on Jesus," Andrews said. Her family survived the storm but was left with a damaged home.

Given the extensive destruction across the state, "I am amazed that we didn't have more loss of life in Louisiana, and I'm very thankful for it," Gov. Jon Bel Edwards said Thursday.

Edwards said alert notifications on cell phones were extremely important in giving people proper warning before storms impacted their areas.

"The warning ... tells you there is a tornado in your area, take shelter immediately," the governor said. "We know that that's saving lives across the state."

But while road crews clear debris and try to restore downed power lines, Edwards urged residents to avoid sightseeing hard-hit areas -- such as Iberia Medical Center in New Iberia, a city reportedly hit by a tornado.

In Arabi, Louisiana, Cindy DeLucca Hernandez thought she could beat the storm while driving home with her 16-year-old son after school. Then she found herself facing a tornado.

Hernandez shared video with CNN that showed a tornado blowing through Arabi, kicking up debris and taking out power lines.

A confirmed tornado struck Arabi, Louisiana, on Wednesday.

"We started seeing debris and we got hit a couple of times by it," Hernandez said. "That's when I put the car in reverse."

Hernandez and her son made it home safely.

But "it was extremely scary," Hernandez said. "I've never ever been through anything like that."

Vatican apologizes for derogatory remarks against Chechens, Buryats, says diplomat

Russian Foreign Ministry Spokeswoman Maria Zakharova © Russian Foreign Ministry/TASS

Russia has received an official statement from the Vatican apologizing for Pope Francis' racially-charged remarks against Chechens and Buryats, so the incident is over, Russian Foreign Ministry Spokeswoman Maria Zakharova revealed at a briefing Thursday.

15 DEC, 18:47 "It just so happens that within these hours, we received a letter through diplomatic channels from the Vatican, which contains an official statement on behalf of Cardinal Secretary of State Pietro Parolin in connection with the pontiff’s aforementioned statement," the diplomat revealed, "That statement says, in particular, the following: ‘The Vatican Secretariat of State apologizes to the Russian side. The Holy See has the utmost respect for all peoples of Russia, their dignity, faith and culture, as well as for other countries and peoples of the world'."

"The ability to admit one's mistakes is increasingly rare in contemporary international communication. This situation shows that behind the Vatican's calls for dialogue stands the ability to conduct this dialogue and to listen to the interlocutors. I can tell you right now that this approach evokes sincere respect," Zakharova stressed, "We think that this incident is over and we hope that we will continue constructive cooperation with the Vatican".

Earlier, Pope Francis in an interview with US media uttered derogatory remarks about the Chechens and Buryats calling them "the cruelest" of the Russian troops stationed in Ukraine.

Peace agreements with Kiev impossible after massive shelling of Donetsk — DPR head

Further peace talks with Ukraine are impossible after the most intense strike on Donetsk since 2014, inflicted by Ukraine on Thursday, acting DPR head Denis Pushilin said on Russian TV.

"If we talk seriously, then there can be no talk about agreements with Kiev. First, Kiev is not independent. We’ve learned that during the Minsk talks. Second, it also does not seem possible to count on guarantors of agreements, whoever they may be. We’ve seen the recent statement by [German Chancellor Angela] Merkel, who effectively confessed in actions, aimed at non-implementation of the Minsk Agreements. The level of trust for European states is close to zero," he said.

According to Pushilin, the DPR see no objective preconditions to talk about negotiations with the US as well.

"Washington is complacent with both this conflict and the gradual loss of Europe’s economic potential, who gradually stops being the US’ competitor even in theory. So, there is no one to negotiate with, we only have to win [on the battlefield]. There are no other ways to stop this conflict, these shellings, war crimes of the Kiev regime and its accomplices - the Western states," the official noted.

He noted that, if in 2014-2015, only the outskirts of Donetsk were shelled, today, the entire territory of the city is being targeted by massive strikes.

Pushilin also noted that about 1 million people currently live in Donetsk.

"If we count the Donetsk agglomeration, which is also being shelled - Makeyevka, Gorlovka, Yasinovataya - then the approximate population reaches 1.5 million people," the acting head said.

He reiterated that artillery strikes will stop only after Donetsk becomes unreachable for Ukrainian artillery.

"We cannot count on anything else. These are outright war criminals, who will definitely shell and harm civilians, if they can. So only the efforts of our boys, who liberate our land with weapons in their hands, can help stop the shelling of Donetsk," he underscored.

Russian troops wipe out command posts of two Ukrainian army brigades — top brass

Russian forces struck the command posts of two Ukrainian army brigades in the Kharkov Region in the past day during the special military operation in Ukraine, Defense Ministry Spokesman Lieutenant-General Igor Konashenkov reported on Thursday.

"Missile troops and artillery struck the command posts of the Ukrainian army’s 92nd separate mechanized brigade near the community of Petropavlovka and 105th territorial defense brigade in the area of the settlement of Sinkovka in the Kharkov Region, and also 45 Ukrainian artillery units at firing positions, manpower and military hardware in 86 areas," the spokesman said.

Russian forces delivered artillery and heavy flamethrower fire, thwarting an attempt by Ukrainian army units to advance in the Lugansk People’s Republic in the past day, Konashenkov reported.

"In the Kupyansk direction, preemptive artillery and heavy flamethrower fire and army aviation strikes thwarted an enemy attempt to attack the Russian troop positions in the area of the settlement of Sofiyevka in the Lugansk People’s Republic," the spokesman said.

Russian forces eliminated enemy manpower and military equipment during the battles, the general said.

"As many as 35 Ukrainian servicemen, a combat armored vehicle and three pickup trucks were destroyed," Konashenkov reported.

Russian army aviation and artillery strikes thwarted a counter-attack by four Ukrainian assault groups in three communities in the Lugansk People’s Republic in the past day, the general said.

"In the Krasny Liman direction, army aviation strikes and artillery fire thwarted an attempt by four assault groups of the Ukrainian army to counter-attack in areas near the settlements of Ploshchanka, Golikovo and Kremennaya in the Lugansk People’s Republic," the spokesman said.

Russian forces eliminated over 40 Ukrainian troops, an infantry fighting vehicle and three armored vehicles in that area in the past 24 hours, the general specified.

Russian forces continued their offensive in the Donetsk area, gaining new advantageous positions in the past day, Konashenkov reported.

"In the Donetsk direction, Russian troops continue their offensive operations, as a result of which they have taken new advantageous frontiers and positions. During the last 24-hour period, the enemy made unsuccessful attempts to regain its positions in areas near the settlements of Severnoye and Krasnogorovka in the Donetsk People’s Republic. All the Ukrainian army’s counter-attacks were repelled," the spokesman said.

In the past 24 hours, the enemy’s losses in that area amounted to about 30 soldiers killed and wounded, an armored personnel carrier and two motor vehicles, the general specified.

Russian forces eliminated two Ukrainian subversive/reconnaissance groups near Pavlovka in the Donetsk People’s Republic in the past day, Konashenkov reported.

"In the area of the settlement of Pavlovka in the Donetsk People’s Republic, two subversive/reconnaissance groups of the Ukrainian armed forces were eliminated," the spokesman said.

Russian combat aircraft and artillery struck the Ukrainian army’s reserves in the southern Donetsk area in the past day, Konashenkov reported.

"In the southern Donetsk direction, air strikes and artillery fire struck the enemy’s reserves in the area of the settlement of Dobrovolye in the Donetsk People’s Republic," the spokesman said.

The Ukrainian army’s casualties in that area in the past 24 hours amounted to 40 troops killed and wounded and four destroyed motor vehicles, the general specified.

Russian forces wiped out a US-made AN/TPQ-37 counter-battery radar of the Ukrainian army in the Donetsk People’s Republic in the past day, Konashenkov reported.

"In the area of the settlement of Kleshcheyevka in the Donetsk People’s Republic, an AN/TPQ-37 counter-battery radar of US manufacture was destroyed," the spokesman said.

In addition, in the area of Kupyansk in the Kharkov Region, Russian forces wiped out an ammunition depot of the Ukrainian army. In the area of the community of Tyaguinka in the Kherson Region, they obliterated a depot of the Ukrainian army’s armaments, military and special hardware. In the town of Orekhov in the Zaporozhye Region, they destroyed a depot of the Ukrainian army’s supplies and equipment, the general specified.

The Russian Aerospace Forces shot down a MiG-29 fighter jet and a Mi-8 helicopter of the Ukrainian Air Force in the Donetsk People’s Republic in the past day, Konashenkov reported.

"Fighter aircraft of the Russian Aerospace Forces shot down a MiG-29 plane of the Ukrainian Air Force in the area of the settlement of Yablonovka. In the area of the community of Nikolayevka in the Donetsk People’s Republic, a Ukrainian Mi-8 helicopter was shot down," the spokesman said.

Russian air defense forces destroyed 11 Ukrainian unmanned aerial vehicles and two Uragan rockets in the past day, Konashenkov reported.

"In the past 24 hours, air defense capabilities destroyed 11 Ukrainian unmanned aerial vehicles in areas near the settlements of Stepnoye, Novoandreyevka, Volnoye and Nikolskoye in the Donetsk People’s Republic, Sadovoye and Semyonovka in the Zaporozhye Region," the spokesman said.

In addition, they intercepted two rockets of the Ukrainian Uragan multiple launch rocket system in the area of the settlement of Novogorovka in the Zaporozhye Region, he added.

In all, the Russian Armed Forces have destroyed 344 Ukrainian warplanes, 184 helicopters, 2,669 unmanned aerial vehicles, 396 surface-to-air missile systems, 7,127 tanks and other combat armored vehicles, 931 multiple rocket launchers, 3,685 field artillery guns and mortars and 7,614 special military motor vehicles since the beginning of the special military operation in Ukraine, Konashenkov reported.

US Military Expert on Why Patriot Systems Won’t Be Game-Changer in Ukraine

© AFP 2022 / BULENT KILIC

The Biden administration is reportedly poised to send MIM-104 Patriot surface-to-air missile systems to Ukraine. Sputnik discussed the potential deployment with David T. Pyne, an EMP Task Force scholar and former US Department of Defense officer.

"I worked as a consultant for the Missile Defense Agency from 2003-2005 and participated in missile defense simulation exercises conducted at a facility near Washington, DC," David T. Pyne told Sputnik. "The Patriot missile defense system has proven effective against short-range ballistic missiles and rockets. It also has a limited capability to shoot down cruise missiles. I believe its capability to intercept medium range ballistic missiles is quite limited."

Pyne expects that if the Biden administration provides Ukraine with the MIM-104 Patriot systems, the batch would include two types of missiles: the Patriot Advanced Capability PAC-2 and PAC-3. According to the former Pentagon officer, PAC-2 is less advanced but has a range of nearly 160 kilometers and uses a GEM-T blast fragmentation warhead to shoot down incoming missiles.

The PAC-3 is reportedly more capable of intercepting ballistic missiles: it can intercept them at ranges of 40-60 kilometers depending on which variant is utilized; it also has a smaller explosive "hit to kill" warhead compared to the PAC-2, according to Pyne.

"PAC-2 missiles that were only successful in intercepting 10% of missiles during the First Iraq War in 1991," the EMP Task Force scholar said. "However, US missile interception technology has improved significantly since then and the PAC-2 missiles have been upgraded."

The US military expert does not have doubts that the Ukrainian military would be capable of using the systems properly, assuming they undergo months of training prior to their delivery.

While normally it takes months to train soldiers to use the Patriot missile system, however, reports indicate that the US military is planning to reduce this training to weeks, as per Pyne.

He projected that the MIM-104 Patriot systems "will not be ready for use in Ukraine until late January at the earliest if not later even if they were delivered later this month."

Furthermore, in theory, "the Patriot would represent a significant boost in capability over Ukraine’s western-supplied NASAMS medium-range missile defense system which has a missile defense intercept range of only 30 kilometers," according to him. Kiev received its first National Advanced Surface-to-Air Missile System (NASAMS) from Washington in November.

However, the major problem is that the supposed delivery of Patriots is unlikely to change the bigger picture, according to the former Pentagon officer.

"I don't believe that the addition of Patriot missile defense systems will have much effect on the course of the war given that Ukraine already has S-300 missiles with ranges of 40-75 kilometers," Pyne said.

First, the military expert drew attention to the fact that once the Patriot systems are identified they will become high-priority targets for Russian artillery and rocket launch systems "which we know are far more numerous and significantly more capable than most Ukrainian artillery systems."

Second, it is unlikely that the Biden administration will send a large number of PAC-3 missile defense systems to Ukraine, if the decision is confirmed, according to Pyne. "I think they will likely only send a handful of systems, perhaps no more than a dozen," he suggested.

Third, whatever number the Biden administration sends will be insufficient for Ukrainian defense requirements, the former DoD officer remarked.

"(Ukrainian President Volodymyr) Zelensky is always complaining that no matter how many weapon systems we provide to Ukraine it is an insufficient number, which has resulted in a strained relationship with President Biden so I assume this will be no exception," Pyne said. "Zelensky has repeatedly stated that western-supplied Ukrainian air defense systems are intercepting 100% of all Russian missiles they are fired at, which is a claim we know not to be true."

'Biden is Degrading US War-Fighting Capabilities'

What strikes the former DoD officer is that the Biden administration is shipping air and missile defense systems to Ukraine rather than building up national missile defense systems at home.

"I believe that the degree to which the Biden administration has degraded US warfighting capabilities by shipping such a massive amount of our missiles, rockets, rocket launch systems, artillery and munitions to Ukraine is near criminal and must be investigated by the incoming Republican-led House of Representatives as it has left the US less ready to fight a major war than we have been in a great many years," emphasized Pyne.

The GOP got the majority in the lower chamber of the US Congress, which it is due to lead starting from January 2023. Some Republican representatives have already pledged to launch investigations into the Biden family's dealings with Ukrainian tycoons and politicians and reconsider the amount of aid that is flowing from Washington to Kiev.

Pyne has repeatedly stated in his articles and interviews that a "neutral" Ukraine more corresponds to the US national interests than a protracted and senseless conflict, which is fuelled by western weapons deliveries.

"If the US and NATO had not provided Ukraine with all these weapons then the war would have ended by March or early April and Ukraine would have lost far less territory, with much less deaths and destruction to their cities," the EMP Task Force scholar pointed out. "I believe that it is contrary to US national security interests that we have provided Ukraine with any heavy weapons at all and that we should cease all weapon shipments to Ukraine."

Moreover, western military assistance to Ukraine is "creating a potentially existential threat to NATO by potentially provoking a Russian military response," Pyne noted, warning that the conflict could eventually evolve into a nuclear standoff.

"I believe that it is imperative that the Biden administration cut off weapon shipments to Ukraine to pressure President Zelensky to accept Russia’s cease-fire proposal issued in late September and sign an armistice agreement to permanently end the war as I have been advocating since that time," Pyne concluded.

Meanwhile, the White House has not yet confirmed reports of the US sending Patriot missile systems to Ukraine. "When it's ready to announce and speak to the details, we'll certainly do that," National Security Council spokesman John Kirby told reporters on Wednesday.

China's Xi Strengthens Trade and Energy Ties With Russia Behind Diplomatic Scenes, Reports Suggest

©Sputnik / Alexey Nikolskij / Go to the mediabank

Chinese President Xi Jinping is deepening economic ties with Russia despite the appearance of creating diplomatic distance between Beijing and Moscow, the Wall Street Journal reported, citing Chinese policy advisers.

Xi recently instructed his government to deepen economic ties with Russia, which have played a crucial role for Moscow amid the Western economic pressure since the beginning of Russia’s special military operation in Ukraine, the report said on Wednesday.

The strengthening of economic ties with Russia includes increasing Chinese imports of Russian oil, gas and farming goods, as well as more joint energy partnerships in the Arctic and more investments in Russian infrastructure, the report added.

The head of the Federal Customs Service of Russia, Vladimir Bulavin, said in November that the country's trade with China could grow by 27% to $160 billion in 2022.

The volume of Russia-China trade reached the $100 billion mark in 2018. On February 4, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said that Xi set a new target of $250 billion in trade turnover by 2024 at a meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin, increasing the previous objective of $200 billion agreed to by both leaders.

Xi Jinping said to Putin:‘I Have a Similar Personality to Yours

In recent weeks, Xi has instructed his government to forge stronger economic ties with Russia, according to policy advisers to Beijing, building on a trade relationship that has strengthened this year and become a lifeline to Moscow in the face of Western pressure.

The plan includes increasing Chinese imports of Russian oil, gas and farm goods, more joint energy partnerships in the Arctic and increased Chinese investment in Russian infrastructure, such as railways and ports, the advisers say.

Russia and China are also conducting more financial transactions in the ruble and yuan, rather than the euro or dollar, a move that helps insulate the two against future sanctions and put the Chinese currency into wider circulation.

The tightening ties are the latest twist in the bilateral relationship, which intensified just before the Russian invasion, when a joint declaration a*serted there were “no limits” to the partnership. After appearing to have second thoughts about aligning itself so closely with Moscow, China has since moved to cement their cooperation.

“Xi has been strengthening China’s relations with Russia largely independent of the Russian invasion,” said Yun Sun, director of the China program at the Stimson Center, a Washington think tank. “The relationship may well be becoming ever closer.”

In a written statement, China’s Foreign Ministry said “China and Russia are comprehensive strategic cooperative partners of each other. The development of bilateral relations is based on the principles of non-alliance, non-confrontation and non-targeting of third parties.”

The Kremlin’s press service didn’t respond to a request for comment.

China’s partnership with Russia has helped to shelter Moscow from the economic fallout of the Western sanctions, enabling leader*Vladimir Putin*to sustain his war.*It is also furthering a global divide, discouraging many developing countries reliant on China for trade from taking sides in the conflict.

Russia and China have long sought to dull the U.S.’s influence in the world, a shared objective that has come into sharper focus in recent years as the two nations have grown confident they can reshape an international order that both view as biased in favor of the West and its allies.

Mr. Xi’s longstanding admiration for Russia and Mr. Putin has fortified his quest to enhance ties with China’s northern neighbor. The 69-year-old Chinese leader is expected to visit Moscow next year, likely after China’s legislative sessions in March, Russia’s ambassador to Beijing, Igor Morgulov, recently told reporters. The visit, if it occurs, will mark the two leaders’ 40th face-to-face meeting.

China’s Foreign Ministry said Beijing and Moscow “will continue to carry out exchanges at all levels.”

Still, the escalating war in Ukraine has more recently forced*Beijing to walk a diplomatic tightrope.*China still needs Western technology and close ties with other foreign powers to deliver on its aspiration of overtaking the U.S. as the world’s biggest economy.

Mr. Xi, who came to power in 2012, also faces challenges at home with China in its worst economic slowdown in decades and severe Covid-control restrictions that had sparked*a wave of nationwide protests.*Meanwhile, his*entente with Mr. Putin*has left China increasingly isolated on the world stage.

In recent months, Mr. Xi has sought to temper relations with Russia publicly to avoid provoking a collective Western backlash, say foreign-affairs analysts and government advisers in Beijing.*Most notably, the Chinese leader recently told other world leaders that he opposes the use of nuclear weapons in Ukraine—after.

China hasn’t directly condemned the Russian invasion. It also continues to avoid arms deliveries or other overt support for Mr. Putin’s war effort.

Mr. Xi’s father, Xi Zhongxun, a party revolutionary who fought alongside Mao, went to the Soviet Union in the late 1950s to study its heavy industry.

The movement profoundly shaped Mr. Xi’s youth, leading to a deep-rooted admiration for Soviet values, history and culture, according to historians.

Banjir Lahar dingin Gunung Semeru Melumpuhkan Jalur Jalan Lumajang - Malang

Banjir lahar disertai letusan sekunder menerjang jalur alternatif Curah Kobokan, Rabu, 14/12/2022.

Hujan deras di lereng Gunung Semeru yang berada di Dusun Curah Kobokan, Desa Supiturang, Kecamatan Pronojiwo, Kabupaten Lumajang pada Rabu, 14/12/2022, menyebabkan banjir lahar dingin menutup jalur Besuk Kobokan dan Besuk Lanang kembali.

Aliran lahar dingin meluncur sekitar pukul 16:40. Dinginnya aliran air menembus material vulkanis yang masih panas di dalam. Sehingga muncul uap dan asap mengepul dari dalam material.

"Beberapa hari terakhir selalu hujan, begitu di lereng dan puncak Semeru. Tadi sore Ada getaran banjir sekitar amak 25-30 mm," ujar Kepala Bidang Pencegahan, Kesiapsiagaan dan Logistik BPBD Kabupaten Lumajang Wawan Hadi Siswoyo ketika dikonfirmasi.

Kata Wawan, aliran banjir mengalir dari puncak Semeru ke area Kali Lanang yang berjarak lebih dari 11 kilometer.

"Aliran banjir mengarah ke curah kobokan dan kali lanang. Karena sisa material masih ada, sehingga membuat bahaya letusan sekunder di aliran sungai tersebut. Dari puncak Semeru sekitar lebih dari 11 kilometer," ungkap Wawan.

Guna menghindari potensi bahaya, BPBD Kabupaten Lumajang menutup total akses menuju Curah Kobokan dan Kali Lanang sampai banjir dinyatakan mereda.

Banjir terekam seismograf Pos Pantau Gunung Api Semeru mulai pukul 16.41 WIB, dengan amplitudo maksimal 25 mm.

Hujan lebat terus mengguyur kawasan puncak gunung yang membuat getaran banjir yang terekam seismograf terus meningkat hingga 30 mm.

Banjir lahar juga disertai dengan letusan sekunder dari titik-titik endapan sisa awan panas guguran (APG) yang mengeluarkan asap putih.

Letusan sekunder terjadi karena endapan lava bekas erupsi di lereng gunung sepanjang Besuk Kobokan meletus. Biasanya, hal ini dipicu oleh adanya air yang mengenai endapan panas itu.

"Jadi mulai terlihat ada letusan sekunder baru sampai Sumbersari, kita langsung tutup tol cikali (jalur penyeberangan Besuk Kobokan)," kata relawan desa setempat, Imam.

Sementara itu, BPBD Kabupaten Lumajang masih belum menerima laporan dampak kerusakan dan korban jiwa akibat banjir lahar dingin.

Kepala BPBD Kabupaten Lumajang Patria Dwi Hastiadi mengimbau masyarakat menjauhi wilayah sekitar sungai yang dilalui banjir lahar Semeru.

Khususnya, di sepanjang Besuk Kobokan dan Besuk Lanang sejauh 13 kilometer dari puncak gunung.

"Sementara, banjir lahar masih ada di jalurnya tapi masyarakat diminta tetap waspada, khawatir nanti malam masih hujan sehingga memungkinkan terjadi perluasan luberan banjir," terang Patria.