Blog note. Jesus indicated that ‘fearful sights’ (various natural disasters) would occur leading up to the time known as the Tribulation and Great Tribulation (a combined seven year period of great destruction on earth). Although these types of things have occurred in the past for centuries and thousands of years, they could be identified as the ‘season of the times’ due to the ferociousness of these events. They would be occurring in greater intensity, severity, frequency, size, duration, scope … just like the pains that a woman experiences in labor the farther along she is in the labor process. We are in the ‘season of the times’ that comes just before the seven (7) year Tribulation/Great Tribulation period
… And great earthquakes shall be in diverse places, and famines, and
pestilences; and fearful sights and great signs shall there be from heaven.
(Luke 21:11).
… And there shall be signs in the sun, and in the moon, and in the stars; and
upon the earth distress of nations, with perplexity; the sea and the waves
roaring; (Luke 21:25)
… Men’s hearts failing them for fear, and for looking after those things which
are coming on the earth: for the powers of heaven shall be shaken; (Luke 21:26)
… This know also, that in the last days perilous times shall come. (2 Timothy
3:1)
Jesus is giving a series of prophecies about what to look for as the age of
grace comes to a close. These verses are several of many such prophecies from
throughout the Bible. 2017 was the worst year in recorded history for the
intensity, frequency, severity, duration and occurrence of a large number of
severe natural disasters worldwide. Earthquakes, volcanoes, hurricanes,
typhoons, cyclones, torrential flooding, unprecedented wildfires in unusual
places, devastating droughts, excessive/scorching heat setting records everywhere,
record snowfalls in Europe and Russia. Snow in the Arabia. This list can go on.
Most studied Eschatologists believe these ‘fearful sights’ and massive natural
disasters are all part of the ‘CONVERGENCE’ of signs that this Biblical and
prophetic age is closing. Most people who study prophecy are familiar with the
routine reference(s) made that these things will be like a woman having
labor pains, growing in intensity, frequency, size and duration.
Alaska’s hot, dry summer leads to droughts in some areas
RACHEL D’ORO. Associated Press•September 6, 2019
ANCHORAGE, Alaska (AP) — In one Alaska village, officials are barging in jugs of water and shutting off the public water supply 12 hours each day. In another, automatic flush toilets have been switched to manual flushing, and restaurants are serving meals on paper plates.
Alaska’s hot, dry summer has led to extreme measures for severe drought conditions in the Native communities of Nanwalek and Seldovia in the Kenai Peninsula, prompting regional officials to issue a disaster declaration.
The arid conditions are more widespread in the vast state — exacerbated by wildfires still burning. Anchorage, Alaska’s largest city, is still fielding smoke drifting from a major wildfire in the Kenai Peninsula this late in the season.
The city is considered to be in extreme drought, according to the National Integrated Drought Information System, while the Kenai Peninsula communities are placed in the lesser severe drought category.
But Anchorage has plenty of water in its system, unlike a handful of small communities that rely on snow melt and rain like Nanwalek and Seldovia to fill their reserves. Their water shortages are acutely felt.
Such scenarios could become more common with climate warming, said Brian Brettschneider, an associate climate researcher at the University of Alaska Fairbanks’ International Arctic Research Center. That doesn’t mean it will happen every year, he noted.
“But the probability of this type of summer increases with time as the earth warms,” he said.
Even some recent rains didn’t quench the thirsty conditions in Nanwalek and Seldovia.
“What rain we did have just absorbed into the ground,” Gwen Kvasnikoff, the tribal administrator in Nanwalek. “The water rose, and it fell again.”
In an average year, the area receives nearly 9 inches of rain from June to August. This summer, it received slightly less than 3 inches.
To conserve the limited supply of water, villagers are using water from the local lagoon for flushing toilets and other nonfood uses, Kvasnikoff said.
Water in 5-gallon jugs is being shipped in to the community of nearly 300. Residents also got some help from the nearby village of Port Graham, which initially had lower-than-normal water levels in its dam until locals plugged some leaks in the system last month. With a larger watershed, that community recently offered water to Nanwalek residents, who took them up on their offer.
Nanwalek’s water tank has only 55,000 gallons in it, less than a two-day supply in normal times when the village goes through about 30,000 gallons a day. So local leaders also are shutting off the water system between 9 p.m. and 9 a.m. daily. Because the tanked reserve is standing still at night, residents must boil their water to ward off possible contamination.
“Thankfully, no one is getting sick,” Kvasnikoff said.
Seldovia, 10 miles to the northeast, also received a fraction of its normal rainfall. From June to August, the community of about 220 fulltime residents received slightly more than 1 ½ inches, compared with the average of about 5 ½ inches.
“The watershed ceased to recharge, and it dried up on us,” City Manager Cassidi Cameron said. “It was kind of a perfect storm.”
Seldovia has about 16½ days of water left in its reservoir, as of Thursday, she said. To conserve, people are using non-potable water for nonfood uses like laundry. The school has turned off the automatic flushing in toilets and joined restaurants by using disposable plates and utensils. The thrice-weekly senior meals program has been put on hold, and the library is operating under abbreviated hours.
“We’re minimizing as much water use as we can as a municipality,” Cameron said.
Over the weekend, some rain is forecast for parched south-central areas, including the two villages, but it’s not expected to be a super wet storm, according to the National Weather Service.
Next week is expected to return to drier conditions, meteorologist Louise Fode said. Overall, however, the area is expected to begin a wetter pattern, but it won’t be as wet as expected this time of year, she said.
“So it’s not going to instantly relieve the problems that we’re seeing in Seldovia and Nanwalek,” she said.