Hurricane Ian struck the western tip of the island, left millions of Cubans without power and is headed towards Florida

The hurricane knocked out power across all of Cuba. Initially, there was loss of power in the western provinces, but later the entire grid collapsed. That meant nearly 11 million people were left without electricity. Hurricane Ian made landfall as a Category 3 storm and devastated Pinar del Rio province. That meant destruction of large numbers of the country's most important tobacco farms. The authorities had to arrange evacuation of tens of thousands of people as the disaster left behind damaged houses and floods. The US National Hurricane Center said Cuba suffered "significant wind and storm surge impacts." The hurricane had struck with top sustained winds of 125mph and it could gain strength as it moves over the Gulf of Mexico and nears the southwestern coast of Florida. Already orders are given for millions of people of Florida to leave. Hurricane Ian leaves 11 million in Cuba without electricity as it heads towards Florida. Warning is given to residents as well as holidaymakers to take precautions and not be complacent. This is because the hurricane could become a Category 4 storm, with wind speeds of 140mph across the whole state.

Deanne Criswell, spokeswoman for the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), held an emergency briefing at the White House. She summed up the grim situation and said - “The storm surge is going to be significant, and you put 20 inches of rain on top of that…. We are talking about impacts in parts of Florida that haven't seen a major direct impact in nearly 100 years." Incidentally, Hurricane Ian is heading towards the Florida Keys. This is a popular holiday destination consisting several islands, some less than a mile wide. US President Joe Biden cancelled a planned trip and called mayors in three Florida cities to assure them federal support is ready to deploy food, fuel and shelter. FEMA has already set up 29 emergency community shelters. Ron DeSantis, the governor of Florida, has declared a state of emergency and urged residents to be prepared. There are predictions of floods for much of the Florida peninsula midweek. This could lead to heavy rainfall for the southeast of the US later this week.

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Floods in Kentucky leave at least 28 dead

Kentucky is a state of the United States. It has the Ohio River in the north and the Appalachian Mountains in the east. Heavy rains in the region have devastated the eastern parts of Kentucky and floods have taken a heavy toll of lives. The authorities confirmed loss of lives of at least 28 people. The figure could increase as more rains threaten the region. Andy Beshear, Governor of Kentucky confirmed death of at least four children. He added that more bodies have been recovered but details have yet to come out. At least 28 dead in devastating Kentucky flooding, with more expected, governor says.

The Governor also mentioned about "widespread damage" that displaced thousands of people. There are reports of power outages for thousands apart from washed out roads that have affected travel. Many homes are destroyed and schools are flooded. He would visit some of the regions to see for himself the impact of the floods. There are more rains forecast and search and rescue teams have been deployed to locate those who are reported to be missing. So far, aircraft and boats have rescued more than 600 people. Incidentally, the destruction in Kentucky is the latest extreme flooding event to take place in the U.S. in less than a week. Las Vegas witnessed heavy downpours coupled with flash floods. These led to rise in water levels on the road and parking garages in busy parts of city. It seems the mega drought in the region has dried up the soil. As a result, the region became so dry that it could not absorb the heavy rains. That factor probably contributed to the flooding. Kentucky is trying to establish shelters. Last week, President Joe Biden has already approved a disaster declaration.

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Prince Charles and Camilla visit the US and tour monuments

#princecharles #presidentobama #joebiden #royalvisitusa Prince Charles and Camilla, the Duke and Duchess of Cornwall, are on a four-day tour to the United States and were shown around the towering monuments to Martin Luther King and Abraham Lincoln before heading to the former home of George Washington.
This has been reported in news.sky.com dated 19 March 2015.
For a start, the Royal couple visited famous monuments in Washington DC. At the Martin Luther King Memorial, they were joined by two civil rights leaders, the Rev Jesse Jackson and Georgia congressman John Lewis. They had organized the famous Selma march in 1965.
Prince Charles, the 66-year-old heir to the British throne accompanied by the duchess then toured George Washington's Mount Vernon estate in Virginia – he had last visited it in 1970. Charles and Camilla also greeted students and teachers from a high school in Virginia.
They were greeted by schoolchildren and a lone piper and, laid a wreath on the grave of the man who, more than anyone else, ensured Americans would not be the prince's future subjects. Other visits included the National Archives, which holds the US constitution, the Declaration of Independence and a copy of the English Magna Carta.
The Royal Couple would also go to the Oval Office where they would have informal talks with US President Barack Obama and Vice President Joe Biden. Subsequently, Charles and Camilla would proceed to Louisville, Kentucky, to tour an African-American cultural center which celebrates the life of the city's most famous son, boxer Muhammad Ali.
Among his itinerary is a meeting with faith leaders where he would give a speech at the cathedral in Louisville. It may be recalled that Prince Charles had last met the president in May 2011, a few days after the wedding of Prince William to Kate Middleton.
The Prince is no stranger to the US because this visit would be his 20th official visit spanning five decades.

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