1 Over One Thousand Feared To Be Dead After Cyclone Hits Mozambique
Officials say that while the “confirmed” numbers are low - at less than 100 - more than one thousand people are believed to be dead in Mozambique after a cyclone slammed the country. Even worse? The danger isn’t over. In a national radio address, President Filipe Nyusi says entire villages have been left submerged in water. Calling the situation a "real humanitarian disaster of large proportions," Nyusi added, "Waters from the rivers Pungue and Buzi have broken their banks, wiping out entire villages, isolating communities and we could see, as we flew above, bodies floating.” The cyclone is thought to be the most destructive storm to hit the African country in over a decade. At press time, the official tally in Malawi was 56 dead with 84 in Mozambique and nearly 100 in Zimbabwe
2 Three Dead, Hundreds Evacuated In Historic Midwest Flooding
The Midwest is dealing with flooding of historical proportions – and when calm will come is anyone’s guess. Officials have confirmed that three people have died and hundreds of others are being forced to flee their homes as the floodwaters destroy the area. Nebraska Gov. Pete Ricketts says it's the worst flooding in the state for 50 years. This as levees have breached and dams have failed. “In 2011, it took 108 days for water to subside, and this year the water is 4-5 feet higher,” Ricketts offers via Twitter. “NEMA and teams across the state are working around the clock to provide relief.” Speaking of relief, Vice President Mike Pence will be touring affected areas later today. The timing couldn’t be better in Nebraska – state officials in the Cornhusker state will need all the aid they can get…especially from the Feds. Nebraska Farm Bureau president Steve Nelson estimates that there “will be $400-million to $500-million in livestock losses and about $400-million in crop losses because spring planting will be delayed or canceled." Governors in Iowa, Nebraska and Wisconsin have all declared states of emergency.
3 Pilots Trained On 737 Max For An Hour...On An iPad
Officials say there are now "clear similarities" between this month's Ethiopian Airlines crash and the one last October in Indonesia involving the same type of plane – the Boeing 737 MAX 8. Both the Ethiopian Airlines plane and a Lion Air flight out of Indonesia last October went down shortly after takeoff. More than 300 people died between the two crashes. Ethiopia's transportation minister says that determination was made from preliminary information from the black boxes of the Ethiopian Airlines Boeing 737 MAX. And in response to the newest information, Boeing says they’re putting the final touches on a software upgrade, which is meant to target the aircraft's flight control system. It’s expected to be released in the next week or so. But that’s not all. Boeing is reportedly rejiggering their training for the aircraft as well. According to reports, pilots flying the now-grounded 737 MAX 8 only had about an hour of training on an iPad before taking to the air. No simulators, just the iPad – and according to the company, that wasn’t a problem with the FAA certification either. Notations about the FAA certification process are worth noting as well – as the “Seattle Times” says engineers involved in evaluations of the plane knew there were flaws in the original report used to certify the model before it was approved to fly. The investigation continues.