The Beast Approaches: India Prepares For Monster Cyclone Phailin

India has emergency preparations in place as highly dangerous Cyclone Phailin, which formed only a few days ago in the Bay of Bengal, bears down on the sub-continent.  The storm is as of now the equivalent of a Category Five on the Saffir-Simpson scale  and is enormous in size, comparable in size to Hurricane Katrina, which devastated New Orleans and the Gulf Coast region of the United States in 2005.

Highly destructive winds well over 160 kph (100 mph) and flooding rain of at least 100-200 mm (4-8 inches) is expected across a wide area.  A catastrophic storm surge of at least 4-6 meters (14-20 feet) is expected in advance of the storm making landfall on Saturday morning, local time.

The local government has issued mandatory evacuation orders for people living in the path of the ferocious storm, with several hundred thousands residents already relocated to designated shelters throughout the region. Anyone residing in the states of Orissa or eastern Andhra Pradesh is strongly encouraged to take proper precautions and prepare for life-threatening conditions as the storm makes landfall.

Phailin is the most dangerous storm to hit the region since 1999, when super cyclone Odisha hit India, killing more than 15,000 people.  The areas expected to be pummeled by Phailan this weekend, specifically in an area from the cities of Visakhapatnam to Brahmapur, is home to millions of people, a majority of whom live in substandard housing.

After making landfall in northeastern India on Saturday, the cyclone will continue to track northwest through the interior of India and weaken Sunday into Monday, where heavy rain will continue to cause flooding and even mudslides through early next week.

Mushroom Clouds: Kashmir Warns Residents to Prepare for Nuclear War

 Officials in the Indian-controlled nation of Kashmir are warning citizens to build bomb-proof basements, collect two weeks' worth of food and water and be prepared for a possible nuclear war.

The officials did not answer calls from international press inquiring why they were suddenly concerned about a nuclear attack in the region, repeatedly fought over by nuclear-armed rivals India and Pakistan. However, a series of deadly skirmishes along the cease-fire line in recent weeks has heightened tensions between the two countries, which both have a substantial nuclear weapons arsenal.

 

Kashmir authorities published the shocking advisory Monday in the Greater Kashmir newspaper. Concerned residents immediately began to inundate the newspaper office and local government offices with calls after the report went public. 

 

The report advised residents to build toilet-equipped basements large enough to house the entire family for at least two weeks. If there is no basement, residents should construct bunkers in their front yards, the notice advised. The bunkers should be well-stocked with candles, battery-operated lights and radios along with non-perishable food items and water that is regularly replaced to ensure it is fresh, the advisory stated.

During an attack, it advises drivers to get out of their cars toward the blast to save themselves from being crushed by their soon-to-be tumbling vehicles. It also warns residents to keep contaminated people out of their shelters, as they will expose any survivors to potentially lethal amounts of radioactive particles.

The advisory didn't just focus on a nuclear attack, as it also provided information on what to do during a chemical or biological warfare attack as well.

Kingdom of the Spiders: Indian Town Sees Poisonous Spider Invasion

It might seem like something out of a Z-grade horror movie from the 1970s starring William Shatner, but a town in India is being terrorized by killer arachnids!

Two people in the town of Sadiya in the Indian state of Assam have already died and scores of others have been hospitalized after being bitten by the deadly poisonous spiders. Now, panicked government officials are considering spraying the entire city and surrounding area with insecticide in a last-ditch effort to get rid of the creepy-crawly, dangerous pests.

As of yet, experts have yet to identify exactly what species the deadly invaders are, but believe they could be a variety of tarantulas or perhaps a black wishbone spider or funnel web spider. The black wishbone and funnel web spiders are not native to the area, but could have been introduced to the region via cargo ships from Australia.

According to witnesses, the spiders are very aggressive, leaping at anything that approaches too close, and latch on to their victims tightly once they have been bitten. One survivor of the spider's dangerous bite told local media how he suffered excruciating pain and nausea after being bitten. His finger was still blackened and swollen weeks later, the victim said.

Nest of Vipers: Farmers Dump Bag of Cobras to Protest Bribery Scheme

"Bring me along to any protest to make a dramatic statement! My rates are reasonable..."

A group of farmers in India are as mad as hell over alleged government corruption and not going to take it anymore by showing up at an office and dumping a bag full of snakes on the floor, including deadly Indian cobras!

Apparently, the men were fed up over corrupt tax officials in Basti, India, asking repeatedly for bribes, so they decided to gather up as many slithering serpents that they could find, stuff them in a bag and dump them on the floor of the local tax office in a very dramatic protest statement. Chaos quickly ensued, as people began hopping up on tables and running for their lives as the snakes made a quick break for freedom.

"There was total chaos. Hundreds of people gathered outside the room, some of them with sticks in their hands, shouting that the snakes should be killed," says Uttar Pradesh state official Ramsukh Sharma. Fortunately, no one was bitten or injured during the chaos, and all the snakes were eventually rounded up safely by animal control experts.

Police are now in search of the two men, identified to be local farmers Hukkul Khan and Ramkul Ram. Although Khan is known to be a snake-charmer, his social skills with people... not-so-great...