A balloon ban in California plus some worldwide weather in today’s Bwoglines! Editor’s note: mention of death.

Happening in the World: Cyclone Freddy made landfall in Madagascar on Tuesday just weeks after another tropical storm in the region. The damage has caused school closures, suspended traffic, and the flooding of coastal areas. Warnings were issued by the Federation of Red Cross and at least 7 thousand people were pre-emptively evacuated. The coasts remained rough before the cyclone touched down, leading to the drowning of at least one man. Cyclone Freddy came after a tropical storm last month and Cyclone Batsirai last year, damaging parts of the region that had yet to recover from the previous disasters. (BBC)

Happening in the US: Laguna Beach, a seaside city in California, considered a proposal that would ban the public usage of balloons. The purpose of this ban is to reduce the risk of wildfire and reduce the amount of balloon remains left in the water of the community’s nearby shores. This move comes after several other Californian beach cities have limited balloons and the enactment of a state law regulating foil balloons specifically. Environmental advocates endorse the bill, citing not only the dangerous effect on wildfires and the coasts, but also the threat balloons pose to animals and seabirds. (AP)

Happening in NYC: Cold rain will likely plague the city for the next couple of days due to a winter storm hitting a large portion of the United States. The northern Midwest and Northeast, particularly the Great Lakes area, are potentially looking at over 12 inches of snow at higher elevations, and about 2 to 4 inches for lower elevations across Upstate New York and central New England. As the city is on the warmer side of the snow track, it will likely see rain and sleet this afternoon and continuing into Thursday. (The Gothamist)

Happening in Our Community: Dr. Leonard N. Moore, the George Littlefield Professor of American History and the former vice-president of diversity and community engagement, will discuss his book “Teaching Black History to White People” at Columbia Climate School today. The event will include a virtual presentation and a discussion on the African-American experience and history. The event will take place on Zoom from 12 to 1:30 pm.

Balloons via Bwog Archives