Environment

In China's latest test of the US response to its escalating claims of islands in the South China Sea, Reuters reports that Beijing has "nearly finished building almost two dozen structures on artificial islands in the South China Sea that appear designed to house long-range surface-to-air missiles." Predictably, such a development will likely raise questions about whether and how the United States will respond, given its vows to take a tough line on China in the South China Sea. The structures appear to be 20 meters (66 feet) long and 10 meters (33 feet) high.

Update: according to an update posted moments ago by the Nevada Weather Service in Reno, the Flash Flood Warning has been canceled as the water has receded in the Dayton Retention Pond and it is no longer expected to fail.

4:25 PM UPDATE: Lyon County Emergency Management - water has receded in the Dayton Retention Pond and it is no longer expected to fail. pic.twitter.com/IetvjiH3AH

— NWS Reno (@NWSReno) February 22, 2017

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The Japanese government is due to lift evacuation orders in heavily contaminated areas around Fukushima. Evacuees from the Fukushima Prefecture village of Iitate are now being pressured to return to their homes despite dangerous levels of radiation according to a report released by Greenpeace They say that the radiation levels there are comparable to Chernobyl’s exclusion zone.

California is bracing itself for more floods and emergency evacuations as 3 dams are at risk of collapse, according to officials.  As FEMA officials prepare residents to evacuate the area surrounding the Oroville dam, two more dams have caused authorities in the State to worry. Attention has shifted to Morgan Hill and Anderson Reservoir. Beforeitsnews.com reports: Anderson Reservoir is rapidly filling up and over its recommended capacity. The reservoir is only supposed to be at 68 percent capacity, but it is at 100.04% capacity.

European scientists have warned of a possible nuclear “incident” in the Arctic circle after finding radioactive Iodine-131 over large parts of Europe.  According to the Institute for Radiological Protection and Nuclear Safety, scientists do not know the origins of the radiation and are worried that its detection in Europe may indicate some kind of nuclear incident in the vicinity of the Arctic circle.