CORAL GABLES (LALATE) – The Puyehue-Cordón Caulle volcano eruption in Chile (photos below) today prompted massive evacuations. The Puyehue-Cordón Caulle eruption today resulted in the Regional ONEMI Los Ríos and Los Lagos informing news that as many as three thousand people are under evacuations.

In a news statement Saturday, the National Service of Geology and Mining, SERNAGEOMIN, reported that the eruption of the volcano, called locally as “Cordón Caulle”, sent waste and columns of gas nearly ten kilometers into the sky. Local news officials therein issued a red alert for the communities of Lake Ranco, Futrono, Rio Bueno and Puyehue.

In its news statement, the Chilean Interior Minister today reported that officials have be dispatched into emergency meetings Saturday. Among them are Vice President Rodrigo Hizpeter, Biministro of Mines and Energy Laurence Golborne and the National Director of ONEMI Vicente Núñez.

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The National Emergency Office (ONEMI), aka the Oficina Nacional de Emergencias (ONEMI), is monitoring the situation this weekend. Los Ríos, Juan Andrés Vara, however, tells news that sulfur is currently being smelled, while ash is being found in Lago Ranco and Río Bueno.

Local efforts are being headed reportedly by mayors Juan Andres Varas and Juan Sebastián Montes. The ash is reportedly moving towards Argentina.

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LOS ANGELES (ST LOUIS) – The Morganza Spillway Gates opening is slated today to avert flooding in Baton Rouge and New Orleans. But when the Morganza Spillway Gates are opened Saturday, Cajun country farm land will be destroyed to save two major cities. Today’s opening of the Morganza Spillway Gates is the first time since the 1973 flood. But early Saturday, there was a new development.

Morganza Spillway Gates are comprised of 125 bays. Within the hour, the US Army Corps tells news that it won’t open all the bays, only twenty to twenty-five. The Army Corps has yet to tell news which bays will be opened.

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Start time for the opening of the Morganza Spillway Gates will be 2:30 PM CDT, says the US Army Corps. Yesterday, Gov. Jindal told news it was “extremely likely Morganza Spillway will open by Sat night or Sunday at the latest.”

Initial estimates released to news predict that 11,000 structures in Louisiana’s Cajun country will be destroyed today. As much as three thousand square miles will be flooded with water levels as high as twenty-five feet. Army Corps of Engineers Maj. Gen. Michael Walsh has told news that saving lives has been the number one priority.

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But that priority has been focused on densely populated in Baton Rouge and New Orleans, not on farm lands.

If today’s actions did not happen, New Orleans could soon be submerged under twenty-foot high levels of water. To avert a disaster far worse than the 2005 Katrina disaster, the Atchafalaya Basin and Morgan City are expected to be flooded today.

Since the gates were constructed 57 years ago, they have only been opened once before. When the gates are opened, one fifth of the Mississippi will move west and merge with the Atchafalaya River.  Flooding is expected for Houma and Morgan City by evening.

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ST LOUIS (LALATE) – Mississippi River flooding fears were not eased when a levee blast this week was effectuated. The Mississippi River is one of multiple waterways under warning today by local news. The National Weather Service is warning that the Deer River, North Fork Obion River, and Tennessee River are all also under flood warning today.

In a news statement issued earlier Wednesday, the NWS warned of flood warning of the North Fork Obion River near Martin. It updated news that “crop land flooding” is currently apparent near Northeast Obion County and a section of Northwest Weakley County.

There are additional concerns for the Forked Deer River near Dyersburg. In a separate news statement, the NWS warned that river could flood sections of Dyersburg today. Mayor Holden joined the NWS in issuing a news statement today; he said that the City is “recommending evacuations in Southtown Evansville, the southern end of Cotton Villa at Rosemont Cove, River Ridge Cove and Delta Pine. (Click HERE for more.)

Earlier today Maj. Gen. Michael Walsh told news that a levee blast was used to let flood waters flow into 130,000 acres of farms rather than head downstream to populated areas. Evacuations are underway across impacted states with nearly four thousand residents under evacuation in Kentucky.

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ST LOUIS (LALATE) – The Poplar Bluff levee has breached, in two spots, says news. The Poplar Bluff levee has broken prompting flooding fears to grow today. Poplar Bluff police Officer Daron House tells news that the levee’s first breach was in the southeast section of Poplar Bluff. A second breach has yet to be inspected.

Earlier today, officials confirmed that the Black River had begun pouring over the levee in dozens of locations. Now with the current breaches, more homes are being evacuated. One thousand homes were evacuated yesterday. Evacuation shelters have been set up at Black River Coliseum.

Poplar Bluff is home to seventeen thousand residents less than two hundred miles from St Louis. The town suffered six more inches of rain yesterday. Poplar Bluff Deputy police chief Jeff Rolland said Tuesday that the sandbags were added to the levee overnight.

The morning, Poplar Bluff police Office Daron House said that two breaches have been reported, prompting additional evacuations.

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ST LOUIS (LALATE) – A tornado watch has been issued for Nashville tonight. Both tornado watch and warnings were announced by the National Weather Service for Middle Tennessee this evening. Cookeville is centered in the middle of the warning this evening, why a larger area including Nashville is covered by a watch alert. Early this evening, a tornado was tracked east of Nashville.

A tornado watch (Nashville) means that conditions are probably for a tornado to develop. A tornado warning (east of Nashville near Cookeville) means that a tornado has been spotted by radar or eyewitness. “This is issued when a tornado is indicated by the WSR-88D radar or sighted by spotters; therefore, people in the affected area should seek safe shelter immediately” says NWS. “They can be issued without a Tornado Watch being already in effect. They are usually issued for a duration of around 30 minutes.”

“A tornado watch is in effect until 10:00 pm CDT” for dozens of counties in the region, states NWS in a news statement issued at 4:10 PM CDT. But as of 6:43 PM, NWS tracking indicates a tornado warning south of Cookeville and east of Nashville.

Earlier today a storm headed into the region, moving east at 40 mph. “Take cover now, move to an interior room on the lowest floor of a sturdy building” said NWS in a news statement earlier today. “Avoid windows if in mobile home.” The statement added for residents to “move to the closest substantial shelter and protect yourself from flying debris.”

Clickhere and here for updates.

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