Restless earth: Louisiana sinkhole and Cascades slip quakes

Time for an update on the Louisiana sinkhole.

In August ABC News reported that a large sinkhole had opened up in Bayou Corne, in Assumption Parish, Louisiana. Originally the hole was 526 feet from northeast to southwest and 640 feet from northwest to southeast. Two workers had to be rescued when the boat they had tied their tree to fell into the sinkhole as it suddenly expanded.

Prior to the sinkhole's appearance in August, throughout the month of July residents had been puzzled by earth tremors. Assumption Parish is in an area where seismic activity is just about nil. The tremors were accompanied by bubbles in the water and a gas smell. The USGS got involved and brought testing equipment, but found nothing seismically related.

Then in August the sinkhole appeared. The gas smell intensified, and after a short period, an emergency evacuation was issued for residents living and working near the affected area.

On August 10 and then again on August 13 I blogged about it. Officials became concerned that the sinkhole and resultant bubbles and gas smell may be linked to work by Texas Brine in an underwater salt cavern. The sinkhole may be happening because a salt cavern that had been used to store butane and then plugged might have structural integrity problems. A sudden collapse could be catastrophic, releasing thousands of cubic feet of highly flammable material.

"The situation is made all the worrisome because the sinkhole is believed to be close to a well containing 1.5 million barrels of liquid butane, a highly volatile liquid that turns into a highly flammable vapor upon release. A breach of that well, Assumption Parish Sheriff Mike Waguespack has said, could be catastrophic," Fox News reported.

Like the failure of the Macondo Well in the Gulf of Mexico, officials deemed it necessary to test it, and either extract the gas or re-cap it. Officials from Texas Brine began working on a relief well.

Meanwhile, the sinkhole continued to expand. As answers were not forthcoming, residents began to get angry. Meetings were held. Then at one meeting, no officials from Texas Brine showed up, angering residents even more. Meeting venues were changed, and there were denials and allegations of coverup.

The Insurance Journal noted the serious impact to property and businesses.

Then today there is serious news. "Officials: High levels of gas in water wells by sinkhole — Potential health risk, fire/explosion — Immediate remediation needed — “Heed evacuation orders” "

And the tremors came back, and are being felt as far away as 45 miles, over in the next parish.
"A little before 2 p.m. Wednesday, reports began flooding officials' offices about tremors with loud thunder noises some 45 miles from Louisiana's giant sinkhole and about 140 miles northwest of the BP-wrecked Macondo Prospect oil well in the Gulf of Mexico. Even residents in brick houses were rattled by the quakes."

New flyover footage shows the road dissolving into the sinkhole
"Residents report that the entire salt dome area is sinking, that seismic activity is being felt and that chemicals are smelled miles from the sinkhole. Gas bubbling sites now total 17, the latest ones reported to be miles from the sinkhole as gas bubbles as far away as Lake Peigneur, 80 miles west of the sinkhole, are also increasing and alarming locals there."

This situation is so bad, and is repeated throughout the world. Earth changes that baffle officials and outpace man's remedies for stopping them are increasing like birth pangs upon a woman. God is demonstrating to us that the earth is the LORD's, and everything in it. (Psalm 24:1). We must trust Him, not man's solutions, not man's reports, not man's science. Science won't be able to explain why every island flees away. It won't be able to tell those that dwell on the earth why 100 lb hailstones fall from the sky. Or why the 1/3 of the sun blinks out. All those are future prophesied events that will occur in the Tribulation, described in Revelation 16:20, Revelation 16:9, Revelation 8:12.

Scientists can't explain to us right now the newly discovered phenomenon of silent earthquakes. Silent earthquakes are rippling under the Cascades Mountains in America's Northwest.
"Parts of Washington and Oregon are in the midst of silent earthquakes this week. You can't feel this so-called "slow slip" quake and it doesn't cause damage. Still, scientists want to learn more about the recently discovered phenomenon. Little is certain so far, but there's a possibility these deep tremors could trigger a damaging earthquake or serve as a warning bell for the Big One.'

Yes, we are receiving warnings for bigger quakes, all at the sovereign authority of God. In His grace, He is warning us that He is sovereign over us all. He welcomes people who repent of their sins, but the warning is if you do not repent, He is coming soon in judgment.

"Jesus said, “For judgment I came into this world, that those who do not see may see, and those who see may become blind.” (John 9:39)

"Now is the time for judgment on this world; now the prince of this world will be driven out." (John 12:31)

Jesus came to present His Light to the world so that those who repent would be saved. He also came for individual judgment, for those who refuse to repent will not be saved. Felix heard of the judgment to come, and he trembled. (Acts 24:25)

The Tribulation will be a time not so much of individual judgment as it is now, but more of corporate judgment. The eschatalogical (end times) judgments to come will soon be here,(Matthew 24:27-25:46) and none will escape. (Hebrews 12:23)

Are you ready to face Jesus, to Whom has been given all authority to judge men? (John 5:27).