SUMMARY: Severe storms in Northeast Florida and Southeast Georgia have raised lightning safety concerns after two Ware County teens, Joey Nelson Jr. and Randall Martin III, died while fishing. Within 24 hours, a lightning strike ignited a house fire in St. Johns County, though no one was home. Another strike at St. Augustine Beach Pier hospitalized two individuals, one seriously. Mayor Dylan Rumrell urged caution during thunderstorms, emphasizing the importance of seeking shelter when thunder is heard. The National Weather Service reports over 500 U.S. lightning deaths since 2006, with fishing as the leading risky activity. They advise avoiding tall trees and using enclosed shelters during storms.

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SUMMARY: Emergency crews in Kerrville, Texas, suspended their search for victims of catastrophic July 4th flooding due to new heavy rain and flash flood warnings. The Guadalupe River’s rapid rise flooded roads and bridges, forcing evacuation of search teams. The floodwaters surged 26 feet in 45 minutes, destroying homes and camps, including Camp Mystic, where at least 27 campers and counselors died. The disaster exceeded a 100-year flood event and caught many off guard amid a lack of warning systems. Kerr County endured 120 billion gallons of rain. Nearby San Antonio also faced deadly flash floods earlier this summer, highlighting the region’s vulnerability.

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SUMMARY: At Hungary’s 1,000-year-old Pannonhalma Archabbey, restoration workers are rescuing about 100,000 historic handbound books from a severe infestation of drugstore beetles. These beetles burrow through book adhesives and paper, threatening the abbey’s vast collection of 400,000 volumes, including ancient codices and manuscripts. To eradicate the pests, books are sealed in oxygen-free plastic sacks for six weeks. Climate change, causing higher temperatures, is believed to have increased beetle reproduction cycles, heightening the threat. The abbey aims to preserve its priceless cultural and religious heritage in line with Benedictine rules that emphasize safeguarding all monastery property.

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