Re-Post: Nearing Midnight for May 1st (Part 1)

Calamity Strikes Again, Again, and Again

It appears that Australia is having the same type of historic tropical storm season North America experienced last year. Once again, that nation has been struck by a powerful cyclone. This time around, the northern region of the country was the target of nature's wrath.

With peak winds of 190 mph, Monica may be the most intense cyclone ever to impact Australia. At one point, the storm had central pressure of 879 mb. For reference, average sea-level pressure is 1013.25 mb, and the lowest pressure ever recorded in the Pacific Ocean was 870 mb in Typhoon Tip.

The threat to life and property was limited by the low population and desert condition of Australia's northern coast. Because of the dryness of the region, Monica quickly lost its strength upon making landfall. Still, several small communities suffered heavy damage from the storm.

Just a month ago, in my March 27 update, I was talking about how Australia had just been struck by the strongest cyclone in 30 years: "Larry was the most powerful tropical system to hit Australia since Christmas Eve 1974, when Cyclone Tracy made a direct impact on the northern city of Darwin, killing 65 people."

I'm surprised that the frequency of these tropical storms failed to spark debate over their rapid occurrences. The knowledge that these storms should be 30-year events makes me wonder if I've fallen into some time wormhole and entered the year 2040 A.D. The fact that we are seeing disasters pass by like a string of railroad cars demands some sort of explanation.

I had planned to only cite Monica in this week's update. As events would have it, Cyclone Mala suddenly appeared in the Indian Ocean and grew into a Category 4 storm. On Saturday, Mala made landfall on the nation of Burma.

I'd hate to think that the recent rash of deadly tropical storms is connected to global warming. If the burning of fossil fuels is to blame, we are all in very big trouble. The earth has only warmed by an average temperature of one degree. Any further warming would imply that Category 5 storms would become regular occurrences.

I doubt that global warming is the root cause for the destructive weather events of the past few years. Tropical storms are the result of a number of ingredients working together. The addition of carbon dioxide over several decade fails to explain why we've seen an abrupt shift to storms of Katrina's magnitude.

I am persuaded that Bible prophecy is the essential factor for understanding why we are seeing so many hurricanes, typhoons, and cyclones. The Word of God warns us that the calling card of the tribulation will be an increase in "birth pangs," and this seems to be the case.

The thing I find the most interesting about the birth pangs is how they imply finality. Once we reach a point where the indicators become a common occurrence, we can trust that the final end-time hour is very near. As believers in Christ, the only unknown factor is how bad things will get before our Lord calls us home.

"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; Men's hearts failing them for fear, and for looking after those things which are coming on the earth" (Luke 21:25-26).

-- Todd