Random News and Notes 18 February
Stormchasers captured video of an empty semi flipping in high winds on a Texas highway. The dramatic incident happened Tuesday on U.S. Highway 87/287 in Moore County, south of Dumas, amid gusts topping 65 mph and red flag fire warnings across the Texas Panhandle. Video captured the empty rig tumbling violently before Good Samaritans helped the uninjured driver escape.
Officials closed lanes, warned high-profile vehicles off roads, and noted similar crashes plus a contained grass fire nearby, highlighting the region’s brutal winds.
Not far from the location in the previous story, there is a huge wildfire burning in the Oklahoma Panhandle. The Ranger Road Fire near Forgan in Beaver County grew from 15,000 to 145,000 acres with 0% containment, fueled by 50 mph gusts, low humidity, and dry conditions since Tuesday. It is the largest of several fires burning in Oklahoma. Other blazes like Stevens Fire at 5,500 acres added to over 155,000 acres burned across Beaver, Texas, and Woodward counties, destroying outbuildings and structures.
Four firefighters from Rosston were hospitalized after their truck overturned. Evacuation orders are in place for the affected areas. Governor Stitt committed full state resources amid ongoing risks.
Someone is in big trouble. A non-stop flow of tankers, transports and AWACS have been winging their way from US bases around the world to the Middle East in the last 24 or so hours. That number does not include any fighter aircraft being dragged by the tankers. At least one flight of F-22s was observed being dragged to Lakenheath in the UK.
I suppose that is what you get when you threaten to close Hormuz as the Ayatollahs have in the last few days. Khamenei is doom posting, the Iranian negotiating team left Geneva and the IRGC naval element is running exercises in the Gulf.
Additionally the Ford and her carrier strike group is about to transit Gibraltar after an exceptionally fast Atlantic crossing. She is bringing more than the usual CSG destroyer complement.
The next 24-48 hours will tell the tale in Iran.
An Italian pet decided he needed to win an Olympic medal. Nazgul, a two-year-old Czechoslovakian wolfdog, escaped his nearby home and dashed across the line with racers during the women’s team sprint qualification at Tesero Cross-Country Stadium.
Nazgul’s owner had this to say “He just disappeared, ran away from home. He is a very kind dog, very stubborn, and very sweet. He always looks for people and is very social. He doesn’t hurt people”.
Come not between the Nazgul and its prey . .
Today’s medal count top 5 looks like this; Norway is still in first and is pulling away with 15/8/9, Host Italy is still in 2nd with 9/4/12, Team USA is in 3rd with 7/11/6, 4th place is held by the Dutch with 6/6/1 and Sweden rounds out the top 5 with 6/5/3. Team Maple Syrup has climbed out of the cellar and is now just outside the top 10. Their 3/4/5 count is good for 11th place at the medal table.