INFRASTRUCTURE COLLAPSE: Commuter Train Derails In California - 14 People Injured, 2 Of Them Seriously! [PHOTOS + VIDEO]

General view of a San Francisco Bay Area commuter train derailment at a creek in Niles Canyon in this handout released by the
Alameda County Fire Department March 7, 2016. © Alameda County Fire Department/ / Reuters

March 8, 2016 - CALIFORNIA, UNITED STATES - At least 14 people have been injured, four of them seriously, after a commuter train traveling from Silicon Valley to Stockton derailed and two of its cars crashed into a local creek in California.

The incident took place in a rural area some 72km east of San Francisco on Monday night, Altamont Corridor Express (ACE) train officials told KCBS radio, adding that there were at least 214 passengers on the train at the time of the incident.

At least four of the 14 people hurt in the incident received “serious” but “non-life-threatening” injuries, the Alameda Fire Department said. Officials added that it was raining heavily at the time of the incident.

“It was dark, wet, it was raining. It was very chaotic,” Alameda County Sheriff's Sgt. Ray Kelly said, as cited by AP. “This is an absolute miracle that no one was killed, no passengers or first responders.”


WATCH: Train car derails, falls into creek.

According to Alameda County Sheriff's Department spokesman J.D. Nelson, one of the train cars has been partially submerged in the creek.

The first car that fell into Alameda creek was carrying six passengers and one crew member, Altamont Corridor Express train official Steve Walker said.Later all passengers were rescued and the injured were transported to the Alameda County Fair in Pleasanton. - RT.

PLAGUES & PESTILENCES: Measles Cases Continue To Rise In California, Officials Warn!

March 15, 2014 - CALIFORNIA, UNITED STATES - State health officials announced Friday that the number of measles cases in California was far higher compared to the same time last year.

An incoming kindergarten student gets his measles, mumps and rubella shot in this file photo. State officials are reporting increases in measles cases. (David McNew / Getty Images)

The California Department of Public Health confirmed 32 such cases so far this year, compared to three measles cases reported over the same period in 2013. The uptick in cases comes amid a record-setting flu season.

And the threat of transmission increases among foreign travelers who come from areas experiencing outbreaks, such as the Philippines.

"We can expect to see more imported cases of this vaccine-preventable disease,” said Dr. Ron Chapman, state health officer and director of the Public Health Department.

At least 10 cases were reported in Los Angeles County, seven cases were reported in Orange County and five in San Mateo County, officials say. Alameda and Santa Clara counties each reported one case and Contra Costa County reported four such cases, officials said.

At least seven cases included people who traveled to the Philippines, where a large outbreak is occurring. Two others had traveled to India and another to Vietnam, where measles is endemic.

Officials say immunization is the best defense against measles. In fact, they say the high immunization rates in California have kept preventable childhood diseases, such as measles, at record lows during the last 20 years. - LA Times.

GLOBAL FOOD CRISIS: Persistent Drought Conditions - 3 California Counties Declared Agricultural Disasters!

The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) has designated Alameda, Marin and Tehama counties in California as primary natural disaster areas due to losses caused by drought that occurred from Oct. 1, 2011, and continues.

“Assistance at this point and time is critically important for producers in California, especially in helping them keep their farmland healthy for the remainder of the year,” said Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack. “President Obama and I realize that during this time of disaster, federal assistance will be needed until conditions improve and farmers strive to recover from their losses.” Farmers and ranchers in the following counties in California also qualify for natural disaster assistance because their counties are contiguous. Those counties are:

Butte	Contra-Costa	Glenn	Mendocino
Plumas	San Joaquin	Santa Clara	Shasta
Sonoma	Stanislaus	Trinity

All counties listed above were designated natural disaster areas May 31, 2012, making all qualified farm operators in the designated areas eligible for low interest emergency (EM) loans from USDA’s Farm Service Agency (FSA), provided eligibility requirements are met. Farmers in eligible counties have eight months from the date of the declaration to apply for loans to help cover part of their actual losses. FSA will consider each loan application on its own merits, taking into account the extent of losses, security available and repayment ability. FSA has a variety of programs, in addition to the EM loan program, to help eligible farmers recover from adversity. USDA also has made other programs available to assist farmers and ranchers, including the Emergency Conservation Program; Federal Crop Insurance; and the Noninsured Crop Disaster Assistance Program. Interested farmers may contact their local USDA Service Centers for further information on eligibility requirements and application procedures for these and other programs. Additional information is also available online at http://disaster.fsa.usda.gov. - USDA FSA.