TEXAS DROUGHT AND WILDFIRES

Astronauts aboard the International Space Station photographed east-central Texas on September 6, 2011, highlighting numerous smoke plumes caused by wildfires burning across the state. Smoke plumes are clearly visible to the east of Austin; to the north of Houston; to the northwest of Lake Sam Rayburn and Toledo Bend Reservoir; and to the west of Shreveport, Louisiana. Diffuse smoke is moving offshore into the Gulf of Mexico. Part of an ISS photovoltaic radiator panel is visible at image top center.

Wildfires have blazed across Texas for several days, but the drought conditions that fed the flames have been building for many months. The ten-month period through July was the driest in Texas state history. Entire lakes have dried up. Since last November, almost 1,500 homes have burned in nearly 21,000 fires across the state. Two deaths so far have been attributed to the fires, which have forced the evacuations of thousands of residents. The Texas drought and wildfires come on the heels of the Arizona wildfire, the largest in that state's history.


Ranch owner Myron Calley looks at a drying pond at his ranch near Snyder, Texas on August 12, 2011. Some Texas cities, including Waco and Tyler, have broken their record for 100-degree consecutive days.

An air tanker drops fire retardant on a fire in The Cliffs development on August 31, 2011 near Possum Kingdom Lake, Texas.

Sailboats are left high and dry at Benbrook Lake in Benbrook, Texas on August 16, 2011.

A rain gauge stays dry on the edge of a pasture on July 28, 2011 near Canadian, Texas.

Two firefighters break from battling a wildfire off Foster School Road near Needville, Texas on September 7, 2011.

Motorists drive through a dust storm along Highway 191 between Midland and Odessa, Texas on July 29, 2011. The dust cloud accompanied a line of storms that brought much needed precipitation to the drought stricken area.

Insulators on a power line are washed from a helicopter in Galveston, Texas on April 28, 2011. As the prolonged drought causes dust buildup on the lines, electricity distributors are using helicopters to clean equipment to prevent outages.

A cryogenic tank from the Space Shuttle Columbia was discovered in an evaporating lake bed on the shoreline of Lake Nacogdoches in east Texas, part of debris from the 2003 Columbia disaster, on August 3, 2011.

A portion of the Cypress Creek Arm of Lake Travis dry on July 20.

Spectators gather near the Congress Street bridge in downtown Austin, Texas July 27, 2011, to watch the bats make their nightly flight for food. The largest urban bat colony in the world lives below the bridge. The drought has killed off crops, and that in turn has killed off pests the Mexican free-tailed bats eat, so they begin their nightly hunt earlier, while it's still light outside.

Eddie Ray Roberts, superintendent of the waste and water department, walks on the bed of Lake E.V. Spence in Robert Lee, Texas on August 7, 2011. Roberts makes the trek toward the water line daily to check on the pump that is feeding Mt. Creek Reservoir nearly 1.3 million gallons of water daily. Every few days, Roberts or members of his small department must relocate the pump because of the receding water line

An underweight longhorn stands in a field near Stoneham, Texas in an area that was part of a 5,000-acre wildfire in June on July 14, 2011.

A white tail doe stands by a water tank on a ranch near San Angelo, Texas. Most of the wildlife in the region relies heavily on the watering holes maintained for livestock.

Charred appliances and a fireplace are all that remain of a home in Possum Kingdom Lake, Texas on August 31, 2011, the day after a wildfire swept through the area.

Dead fish sit mired in the mud of O.C. Fisher Lake on July 25, 2011 in San Angelo, Texas. The 5,440 acre lake which was established to provide flood control and serve as a secondary drinking water source for San Angelo and the surrounding communities is now dry.

A home burns in Steiner Ranch west of Austin, Texas on September 4, 2011

Flames engulf a road near Bastrop State Park as a wildfire burns out of control near Bastrop, Texas September 5, 2011.

Allen Hoffman runs towards the home of Patrick McAlister as smoke engulfs the house while a wildfire burns out of control near Bastrop, Texas September 5, 2011.

A burned ridge line smolders on September 7, 2011 east of Bastrop, Texas

A series of large wildfires approaches Bastrop, Texas on Highway 71on September 5, 2011.

The chimney of a house remains standing as the rest of the building burns to the ground near Bastrop, Texas September 5, 2011. Sixty separate wildfires, whipped by strong winds, were burning across Texas on Monday.

Bastrop, Texas smolders on September 6, 2011.

A melted basketball goal remains after a wildfire near Bastrop, Texas September 6, 2011. The Bastrop County Complex fire has destroyed up to 600 homes, the most of any single fire in Texas history.

Ryan Joseph Terranova packs up his belongings moments before evacuating his home in Bastrop, Texas, as a huge fire approaches on September 5, 2011. The fire destroyed nearly 500 homes during a rapid advance fanned in part by howling winds from the remnants of Tropical Storm Lee, which brought no rain.

A photograph sits amid the remains of a home in the Steiner Ranch on September 6, 2011 outside Austin, Texas

Eric Kemper looks at a letter written by his sister-in-law, who was killed in Iraq, that was stored in a fireproof cabinet after his home was destroyed by fire near Bastrop, Texas September 6, 2011.

Hillary Polly looks through belongings as Thomas Polly tries to pry open a fireproof gun safe with his father Louie Polly amongst the rubble of their burned house September 7, 2011 near Bastrop, Texas.


A statue stands charred in front of the remnants of a home on the east side of Lake Bastrop on September 6, 2011 in Bastrop, Texas.

KHADAFI FAMILY LIFE REVEALED IN AFTERMATH

A rebel fighter poses for a photo as he sits on a two-seater couch framed by a golden mermaid with the face of Aisha Khadafy

Algeria said this week that it had allowed a two-vehicle caravan of Col. Muammar Khadafi's relatives, including his second wife and three of his children, into the country. The flight of his relatives provides new evidence of surrender by the Khadafi clan as rebels tighten their hold on Tripoli, the capital. Khadafi's wife, Safiya, daughter Aisha and two of his sons, Mohammed and Hannibal, all crossed into Algeria. The spouses of Khadafi's children and their children arrived as well. This post gives us a glimpse of how those family members lived while in power in Libya. The value of these images isn't in their artistry or aesthetic, but in their storytelling information as we seek to uncover more behind the scenes of the Khadafi regime that spanned forty-two years

A rebel walks around downed wires, broken glass, exercise machines, and pool toys at an indoor pool at Hannibal Khadafy's home in Tripoli.

n anti-Khadafy fighter inspects what's left of the furnishings in a bedroom at Hannibal Khadafy's house. The complex overlooks the Mediterranean Sea.

A portrait of Khadafy family members, torn and defaced, is next to an armored car at Hannibal Khadafy's house.

A concealed staircase leads to a tunnel at Hannibal Khadafy's house in Tripoli. He fled with his brother, Mohamed, sister, Aisha, and mother, Safiya, to Algeria. The family was allowed in on "humanitarian grounds," according to the Algerian government. Moammar Khadafy has not been found.

As rebels, looters, and simply the curious rifled through what's left of the estates of Moammar Khadafy and his sons, most were struck by the rather mundane furnishings and peculiar habits they accumulated. In Hannibal Khadafy's home, a torn image of the son was discovered

Hannibal Khadafy''s marine uniform was left behind.

A Libyan rebel poses for a souvenir picture outside the mansion of Muatassim Khadafy, a son of the embattled leader and the nation's national security adviser before the government abandoned Tripoli. Muatassim lived more ostentatiously than his brothers. His farmhouse in the Ain Zara neighborhood of Tripoli was protected by high walls and gates. A fountain in the driveway featured horse-drawn carriages and a pool bungalow was festooned with Roman columns at the entrance and topped by gold domes. One of the fighters touring the complex commented, “It’s like some Aladdin castle,” according to The New York Times. “He doesn’t care about the Libyan people. Just living in heaven.”

A Libyan rebel inspects a clinic at an underground network of bunkers under the mansion of Muatassim Khadafy in Tripoli. Muatassim was described as “ambitious and competitive” and a potential successor to his father in a diplomatic cable from 2009 released by WikiLeaks.

The swimming pool at Muatassim Khadafy's manse is pock-marked and empty. Before becoming Libya's national security adviser, Muatassim was considered by Western envoys a non-factor in Libyan political life, a playboy with few interests outside accumulating the accoutrements of a jet-setting lifestyle.

A Libyan shows a certificate of honor given to Seif Khadafy, the son of the Libyan leader, by Al Ahli soccer club at Hannibal Khadafy's house. (Zohra Bensemra/Reuters) #

Much of the furnishings of Muatassim Khadafy's bathroom have been stripped, but rebels find a place to take a break in the jacuzzi

A rebel tries out a safety bunker in the underground compound of Muatassim Khadafy in Tripoli. Khadafy's father, Moammar, still remains at large despite swarming rebel forces. Some rebels believe he's holed up in his hometown of Sirte.

Rebels walk through the underground compound of Muatassim Khadafy, whose whereabouts remain unknown.

A rebel flips through paperwork in the underground compound of Muatassim Khadafy

Libyan rebels avail themselves to a washroom in the mansion of Muatassim Khadafy. Much of the exterior of the house was charred and damaged.

Photos litter a table in Aisha Khadafy's house in Tripoli. The daughter of Libyan leader Moammar Khadafy has fled to Algeria.

In the past week, Aisha Khadafy's house in Tripoli had been an attraction for many Libyans, who posed for pictures and combed through the detritus of the only first family most have known. So many people were amassing at the house that rebels closed it to the public.

Pillows and debris float along the swimming pool at the house of Aisha Khadafy.

Clothes spill out a closet and cover a bed in a children's room at the house of Aisha Khadafy, the daughter of the Libyan leader. Algerian officials said that she had given birth to a daughter while her family was awaiting permission to cross into Algerian territory. The extended family seeking asylum included many young children

A Libyan rebel walks through the compound of Muatassim Khadafy

Rebel fighters and civilians tour Aisha Khadafy's house in Tripoli on Aug. 24

Rebels help themselves to some clothes in the house of Aisha Khadafy.

Aisha Khadafy's house featured an elaborate swimming pool.

The house of Aisha Khadafy was one of the more fashionably decorated among the Khadafy clan.

Moammar Khadafy's farm house near Abu Grein was one of several estates and mansions he owned. Some Libyans who surveyed the homes were surprised that they were not as ornate as expected.

Among the mementos left behind at Hannibal Khadafy's house: A photograph of his father, Moammar (left), brother Seif, and mother, Safiya

Rebels survey the house of Al-Saadi Khadafy, son of Libyan dictator Moammar Khadafy, in Tripoli on Aug. 24. Libyans hunting Moammar Khadafy have offered a $2 million bounty on the fallen dictator's head.

Rebels walk along an escape corridor inside the house of Al-Saadi Khadafy

Rebels rollick on a bed at Moammar Khadafy's farm house near the town of Abu Grein