Atlantis Rising Part Two: Argentine City Once Submerged Beneath Water Resurfaces

(Photo Courtesy of Natacha Pisarenko and Newser)

Like the ghostly specter of the Apocalypse, a city in Argentina once completely submerged beneath water has risen from its watery grave, similar to a town in Indiana that resurfaced during last summer's unbelievable drought.

Almost thirty years ago, the town of Epecuen was a bustling, lakeside resort of over two thousand residents, many who catered to tourists and vacationers who flocked to the area during the country's "Golden Age" to escape the hustle and bustle of the capital city of Buenos Aires, some 500 kilometers away. This was decades before the virtual collapse of the Argentine economy and devaluation of the nation's monetary unit the peso. People came in droves to take advantage of the town's saltwater baths and spas, which were reported to have curative medicinal qualities.

After a series of extremely wet winters and a near record-breaking deluge of rain, the water of the lake began to overflow its banks on November 10, 1985. The water then burst through a retaining wall constructed to protect the town from flooding and began to spill into the streets of Epecuen. The town's citizens ran for their lives, grabbing only what they could as they fled their homes. Within days, the once-lovely tourist Mecca was submerged beneath more than 10 meters (33 feet) of highly-corrosive salt water.

Fast forward 28 years and the town of Epecuen—almost totally lost and forgotten to history—has experienced a rebirth. Due to continued dramatic changes in the climate, most of the waters that had enshrouded the town for almost thirty years have now receded, revealing a spooky, post-Apocalyptic vision, with abandoned streets strewn with the detritus of a past civilization: rusted out automobiles, corroded homes and businesses, and water-logged trees and wooden electrical poles.

Now, the town is back on the tourist map. Thousands of people are now returning to Epecuen—not to enjoy its once- famous spa baths, but to take photographs of the eerie, alien landscape, which now resembles a set for a zombie movie. (I'm sure it won't be too long before someone—I'm talking to you Eli Roth—films a horror flick here.)

Torrential Rains Flood Minnesota Zoo, Leaving Animals Dead

Torrential rains brought intense flooding to areas of Minnesota yesterday, including the Lake Superior Zoo in Duluth.

It is feared that more than fourteen animals perished in the rapidly-rising flood waters, which came after a series of thunderstorms drenched the region with more than nine inches of rain in less than 24 hours. The popular zoo, which sits at the bottom of a hill, has been the victim of flooding in the past, but none worse than yesterday's deluge.

Almost all of the zoo's barnyard animals that belonged to the petting zoo for children perished in the flood waters, including six sheep, four goats, one donkey, one raven, one snowy owl and one turkey vulture. Two of the park's popular seals, Fesity and Helen, managed to escape their flooded enclosure but were rescued as they tried valiantly to flee the flood waters. People living near the zoo photographed the terrified seals as they frantically lumbered across busy roads in an effort to escape the deadly waters.


The zoo's female polar bear Berlin also temporarily escaped from her enclosure as well, but was quickly tranquilized and placed in a temporary pen, away from the flood waters and out of harm's way.  

A creek flows through the normally idyllic 16-acre property, which means torrential rains can cause dangerous flash flooding. Zoo keepers fear that the animal death count will continue to rise, as staff and volunteers enter the flooded enclosures to survey the damage and take a census of the animals. 

Killer Storm Leaves at Least 540 Dead, Thousands More Missing in the Philippines

Photo Credit: Associated Press

One of the worst typhoons in decades slashed a devastating path across the Philippines over the weekend, leaving death and catastrophic destruction in its horrific wake.

Reports coming out of the Asian nation say that at least 540 deaths from the killer storm have been confirmed, with thousands more people still missing. Typhoon Washi, with winds gusting up to 90 miles per hour, hit the island of Mindanao late on Friday, bringing torrential rain that also grounded many domestic flights and left wide areas without electricity and other essential services.The heavy rains also triggered flash floods and deadly landslides, which swept away entire villages, leaving automobiles, homes and buildings that withstood the powerful onslaught in several feet of mud and standing water. 


The worst hit area of the country were the cities of Iligan and Cagayan de Oro, where homes were swept into the sea with their residents still trapped inside. Rescue crews and local residents made desperate and dramatic attempts to save individuals caught in the maelstrom, pulling  people out of collapsed buildings and rushing streams of water. A large majority of the missing and dead are feared to be young children, unable to fight the quick-moving waters to reach safety.


UK and US embassies were urging their citizens to avoid non-essential travel in the Philippines due to the disaster, as both governments pledge to send money and relief to help people living in the area.