April 17, 2016 - EARTH - The following list constitutes the latest reports of high tides,
heavy rainfall, flash floods, widespread flooding, sea level rise and
catastrophic storms.
Floods hit Santiago, Chile cutting water service to millions
Heavy rains have caused severe flooding and cut water service to millions of people in Chile's capital, Santiago.
Authorities say the Rio Mapocho flooded several districts of the
city and landslides killed at least one person. Seven others are
missing and people along the Costanera Center shopping center were being
evacuated Sunday.
City officials say water service was cut to at least 3 million people due to contamination caused by the flooding.They've urged residents to limit water use until the problem is past.
Electricity also was cut to tens of thousands of people in the Chilean capital on Sunday.
WATCH: Widespread flooding in Chile.
23 killed by flooding in Afghanistan
At least 23 people were killed as heavy rainfall and floods hit
Afghanistan's Badghis province on Saturday night and Sunday morning.
Based on the reports we have received so far, 23 people, including women
and children, have been confirmed dead due to downpour and flooding in
Jawand, Balamurghab and Abkamari districts," a police official told
Xinhua news agency.
An Afghan man tries to get out of flood water after a heavy rain in Samangan province, northern Afghanistan, April 17, 2016.
Afghan men push a car trapped in flood water after a heavy rain in Samangan province, northern Afghanistan, April 17, 2016.
Afghan men wade through flood water after a heavy rain in Samangan province, northern Afghanistan, April 17, 2016.
Rainstorm and flooding hit several parts of Afghanistan, including the
capital city Kabul, on Saturday night and parts of the country were
still receiving heavy rain.
Malawi declares "State of Emergency" as flooding kills dozens
Floods in Malawi
Ten days of persistent rains in the north of
Malawi have killed dozens, injured others while destroying over 1000
houses and affecting about 17,000 families.
The impact of the rain has made President Peter Mutharika to declare a state of emergency as local authorities call for help.
The disaster has wreaked havoc on the densely populated country,
where most people survive on subsistence farming. Crops of maize have
been destroyed, villages wiped out, homes swept away and livestock
killed.
Ethel Khosa, is one of the survivors, but unfortunately she lost two of her children and her home.
"It all started yesterday late in the evening when we were sleeping. Suddenly, the house collapsed on us," she said.
"We call all religious organizations to come and support the people in a
situation of lack, at the level of housing and other basic products
which can help," said Patricia Kaliyati, Malawi Minister of information.
Many of those forced from their homes have taken refuge in schools,
disrupting education for around 350,000 pupils. Unicef is providing
tents so that the schools can set up temporary learning spaces while
still offering accommodation to families at night.
WATCH: Malawi declares "State of Emergency" as floods kill dozens.
Flooding hits North Island, New Zealand with more heavy rain on way
Coromandel residents told how they were caught out by fast-rising floodwater after the heavens opened on Sunday.
Cars have been left stranded on flooded roads and homes are water-logged after the North Island was drenched in rain.
Many fences are down as farmers wait for the morning to see if livestock in flooded paddocks have made it through the night.
Tellic Evans from White Star Honey at Colville at the northern end of the Coromandel Peninsula said174ml of rain fell on her farm on Sunday.
A severe weather watch was upgraded to a warning at 6.30pm on Sunday, she said but by then it was too late.
"It' had already hit us by then," Evans said.
"We've got stock that are up to their bellies in water because we didn't
move them to high enough ground because we thought it wasn't going to
rain that much."
Paddocks and fences are damaged, neighbours closer to the
foreshore have already lost stock and a number of homes, including her
own, are surrounded by flood water
The Colville School is also affected.
The Coromandel Peninsula and parts of west Auckland bore the brunt of the heavy downpour.
Flooding in Colville, in the Coromandel, on Sunday.
THAMES VALLEY CIVIL DEFENCE
The rain stopped at about 9pm and Evans hoped to see flood water recede with the low tide.
But she won't be able to do anything for her animals until dawn on Monday.
"We couldn't get to them because they were surrounded. It's like, leave them and hope we don't lose them."
Elsewhere, one car had to be rescued while driving through water
in Albert St, Coromandel, while the nearby town of Colville was
flooded.
Fire Service shift manager Daniel Nicholson said a driver was trying to
get through a "small river of water" in Coromandel at 4.50pm.
They were trapped in their car as they attempted to get to higher ground but were eventually freed, he said.
Fire crews also responded to floods in Colville at 5.30pm.
MetService had warned of heavy rain in Northland brought upon by a trough of low pressure moving southeast from the subtropics.
In Auckland there were consistent showers during the day, with several flooded houses west of the city.
A loungeroom in a Ranui home was flooded, while a basement of a house in
Titirangi was flooded, requiring portable pumps to get water out,
Nicholson said.
MetService warned more wet weather was on its way for Sunday night, with
rainfall of 50mm to 80mm expected to fall on the Coromandel up until
9pm.
February 29, 2016 - AFRICA - Here are more stories of deadly lightning strikes.
Lightning bolt kills 3 in Malawi
Lightning killed three men and injured one in Lilongwe on Friday
afternoon in the city's low density Area 43 where the four were working,
Police confirmed.
Lilongwe Police identified the three as Wedson Nkhunumbu,37, of Magombo
Village, T/A Champiti, Ntcheu; Douglas Kachuma, 38, of Kaunde Village,
T/A Mlumbe in Zomba; and 22-year-old, Isaac Ngolombe, from Donda
Village, T/A Chimoka in Lilongwe.
The police further identified the survivor as Enusu Pinto, 23 from Kanyenda Village, T/A Maganga in Salima.
Lilongwe Police spokesperson, Kingsley Dandaula, told Mana that the men
met their fate as they were working on the foundations of a brick fence
on a plot belonging to one of the residents of the area.
"Rain started pouring and before the four men could find shelter
lightning struck them killing Nkhunumbu, Kachuma and Ngolombe on spot
while Pinto lied unconscious," explained Dandaula. - All Africa.
Two children killed by lightning bolt in Namibia
Two minors died after being struck by lightning at Kambowo village, the Kavango East Police confrmed on Thursday.
The lightning strike happened at around 18h00 on Wednesday at a
homestead at Kambowo village. According to police sources the incident
reportedly happened while the children were playing at home.
The deceased minors who died instantly after being struck by lightning
were identified as six-year-old Tracy Shitoka Likoro and five-year-old
Gloria Kantema.
The police mortuary services were called to the scene shortly after the fatal incident to collect the children's remains.
"The two bodies were transported to Rundu State Hospital mortuary,"
Chief Inspector Chrispin Mubebo, the acting regional crime
investigations coordinator of Kavango East, confirmed.
Kambowo village is some 25 km east of Rundu along the Trans-Caprivi Highway in Rundu Rural Constituency of Kavango East Region. - New Era.
January 14, 2016 - SOUTHERN AFRICA - A major highway in Mozambique has split after two bridges collapsed as a result of heavy flooding that has killed 25 people and displaces tens of thousands in the country, officials say.
Parts of the country are also without electricity after torrential rains knocked down 10 pylons, reports say.
Heavy rains have also devastated neighbouring Malawi, where 48 have been killed about 70,000 have been homeless.
The southern African states have been hit by late summer storms.
The bad weather is expected to continue for several days.
'Stranded in buses'
On Monday, Malawi's President Peter Mutharika declared a third of the
country a disaster zone and urgently appealed for foreign aid.
In Mozambique, overland travel from the north to the centre and south has become impossible aftertwo bridges collapsed on the EN1 highway, reports the BBC's Jose Tembe from the capital, Maputo.
There is growing concern for bus passengers stranded on either side of the bridges, he says.
They have been forced to sleep for two nights on the buses and are running out of food, our reporter adds.
The Licungo River is flowing so rapidly that it is impossible to reach them, even by boat, he says.
These are the worst floods on the Licungo since 1971, our correspondent says.
The Zambezi River has also risen beyond flood alert level on its
middle and lower stretches, making some roads in the Zambezi basin
impassable.
Mozambique's electricity utility EDM said it would take a week to restore power supply in the north.
Most of the north has been without electricity since Monday when 10
pylons were knocked down, according to Mozambique's independent
television station STV.
The pylons are on the transmission lines carrying power from the Cahora Bassa dam to various parts of Mozambique. - BBC.
March 10, 2015 - EARTH - The following list constitutes the latest reports of high tides, heavy rainfall, flash floods, widespread flooding, sea level rise and catastrophic storms.
Madagascar Floods – Relief Efforts Increased as More Rain Expected
Madagascar was battered by heavy rains during the first days of March 2015.
Since then 25 people have died, 4,800 houses have been destroyed and
35,000 people forced from their homes in the capital Antananarivo.
According
to the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies
(IFRC) “People are seeking shelter wherever they can, including
schools”.
Madagascar is bracing itself further heavy rainfall this
week. The situation could be made worst still by the chance of yet more
rain that may come in the wake of Tropical Cyclone Haliba, despite the
cyclone taking a path into the Indian Ocean and away from land.
Twenty-two towns remain on high alert, ready to evacuate should the
expected rainfall lead to further floods.
Antananarivo region, Madagascar, 2015. Malagasy Red Cross Society.
Red Cross Response
With
more heavy rains expected this week, the Malagasy Red Cross Society has
teams and materials positioned and ready to respond to growing needs
following already extensive flooding which has left thousands homeless.
“Malagasy
Red Cross Society has deployed volunteer teams to the affected sites,
where they have built 80 emergency shelters in Grand Tana, using
prepositioned stocks by the Indian Ocean Platform for Regional
Intervention (PIROI). Teams are involved in conducting damage
assessments and sharing messages with communities to ensure they remain
on alert for the possibility of further flooding and the need for
evacuation”.
So far the PIROI has
delivered 57 tonnes of emergency supplies from warehouses in
Antananarivo and Reunion to support the Malagasy Red Cross Society in
responding to the crisis. Water-borne Diseases
The
Red Cross say there is particular concern about the outbreak of
water-borne diseases, given the damage done to water points. They say
that Red Cross teams are assisting in delivering potable water and
conducting hygiene promotion sessions with those living in temporary
sites.
Argentina Floods – 12 Dead, Around 4,000 Remain Displaced
At
least 12 people have been killed in the flooding that affected the
three provinces of Cordoba, Santa Fe and Santiago del Estero in Argentina over the last 10 days.
Improved
weather conditions in some areas has meant that some of those displaced
by the recent floods have been able to return home. However, as many as
4,000 people are still waiting to return to their homes. Santiago del Estero
According
to the local civil defence agency (Defensa Civil de la Municipalidad de
Santiago del Estero) around 3,500 people have been evacuated in the
province as a result of flooding since 05 March 2015, when heavy
rainfall pushed levels of the River Dulce to overflow.
Heavy rain
between 05 and 06 March 2015, resulted in a house collapse in La Banda
that injured a young child. Two people have died in the floods in
Santiago del Estero, according to state newswire Telam. Santa Fe
The flood waters have started to recede and the province is now let with the clean up of the damage left behind.
Newspaper La Nacion reports
that there is now an increased threats of diseases such as
leptospirosis, gastroenteritis, conjunctivitis, dermatitis and
respiratory infections. The flooding damage sewage systems and has left
contaminated, stagnant water in the streets. Ministry of Health of the
province of Santa Fe is delivering medication tp help combat the spread
of such diseases. Córdoba
Our earlier report of 03 March 2015
said that at least 2,000 people had been evacuated in the province as a
result of recent flooding. The worst affected areas include Totoral,
Jesús María, Caroya, Ascochinga, Idiazabal and Balnearia.
Floods, 17/02/2015, Córdoba. Photo: Humberto Millares / Gobierno de Córdoba
Improved
weather conditions in some localities has meant that some of those
evacuated have been able to return home. Currently around 1,500 people
remain displaced, most of them in the small town of Idiazabal. Around 10
people have been reported killed in the floods in Cordoba.
Floods in Idiazábal, Córdoba, Argentina, March 2015. Photo: Gobierno de Córdoba
UPDATE – Marapa River Overflows as State of Emergency Declared in Tucuman
Local authorities have declared a State of Emergency throughout the province of Tucumán in northwest Argentina after several days of heavy rainfall caused rivers to overflow and increased the threat of landslides in the area.
Around 300 families have already been evacuated in the southern part of the province. Authorities have told around 7,000 more people that they may also need to evacuate their homes should levels of the nearby Marapa river rise further. Most of those affected are located in Graneros and La Madrid, an area which suffered from major flooding in 1992, affecting around 10,000 people.
Floods in La Madrid, Tucumán, Argentina. Photo: Government of Tucumán
According to Tucuman government, dozens of trucks and buses were in place, ready and waiting to carry out an evacuation operation unprecedented in the area. The government of Tucumán say that the entire population of La Madrid could be evacuated.
Governor of Tucumán, José Alperovich, said, “We will try to evacuate all if water continues to rise…we are on full emergency”.
Local leader Dardo Herrera told Telam, the state news agency, “we are prepared to face a very complicated situation and there is no history of an operation of this magnitude in our people.”
According to Telam, levels of the Escaba dam were so high yesterday 09 March 2015 that it was necessary to open the flood gates, which could further complicate the situation.
Tucumán is the fourth province in Argentina to be hit by flooding in this month. Yesterday FloodList reported that at least 12 people have been killed in the flooding that affected the three provinces of Cordoba, Santa Fe and Santiago del Estero in Argentina over the last 10 days.
Floods in Nampula Province, Mozambique
Three days of torrential rain in the province of Nampula, northern Mozambique, has caused severe flash floods that have damaged road and rail networks and left 8 districts cut off.
According
to Agência de Informação de Moçambique (AIM), the districts affected
are Mossuril, Larde, Moma, Liupo. Mogincual, Mozambique Island, Angoche
and Mogovolas. Storms have also caused power outages in the area over
the last 3 days.
Quoting independent television station STV, AIM
said that around 2,500 families have been affected by the floods and at
least 500 houses have been destroyed in Mossuril.
The province of
Cabo Delgado is also suffering from torrential rain. AIM said that flash
floods have damaged a bridge in Ancuabe district.
Mozambique is still recovering from the massive floods that struck in January this year. At least 117 people died and 157,000 were affected by the floods, most of them in the province of Zambézia.
Malawi Floods – Concern Over Cramped Conditions in Displacement Camps
In
a statement of 04 March 2015, the International Federation of Red Cross
and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC) said that the current situation in
for flood victims in Malawi is precarious.
With
further heavy rains expected to fall in already saturated parts of
Malawi over the coming week, the situation could become worse as more
people seek shelter in the temporary camps that have been established
along the periphery of the flood waters. Cramped Conditions in Displacement Camps
230,000
people were displaced by the floods, some of the worst seen in the
country in recent years. Michael Charles, IFRC’s acting regional
representative in southern Africa said that accommodation in some camps
for those displaced is extremely cramped.
“The situation is
precarious,” said Michael Charles, IFRC’s acting regional representative
in southern Africa. “In some camps, family tents that were designed to
accommodate six people have been housing 30 individuals. In the larger
tents, designed to accommodate between 20 and 30 adults, up to 100
people have crammed inside. Everyone is desperate to find shelter, even
if it means living virtually on top of their neighbours.” IFRC to Scale Up Response
IFRC is ramping up its efforts to assist those displaced by the floods and aims to assist more than 46,000 people.
“When
the flooding began in January, the scale of the emergency was still
unclear,” said Charles. “Together with the government and other
partners, we conducted assessments and now know that at least 230,000
people have lost their homes and are struggling to survive. It is vital
that we scale up our activities if we are to safeguard the lives of
these vulnerable people and ensure that they survive this flood and
future environmental extremes.” More Emergency Funding Required
With
the scope of the disaster becoming more clear, IFRC has revised its
emergency appeal upwards and is now requesting 4 million Swiss francs in
emergency funding to support activities related to the provision of
shelter, health care, access to clean water and proper sanitation, and
reuniting families separated by the flooding. Building Resilience
In
addition to providing for the immediate needs of 46,712 people, the
revised appeal seeks to address the resilience and longer-term
development of affected communities. The appeal will be sufficient to
help 100 families build more resilient permanent houses as a pilot
project for further flood-resistant housing.
“Building flood
resistant shelter is a key component of the revised appeal,” said Naemi
Heita, IFRC regional disaster risk management coordinator. “Malawi
experiences flooding every year, and we want to ensure that people are
better prepared for future flooding. We also want to minimize the impact
the flooding has had on their livelihoods.” Distribution of Seeds and Root Cuttings
Up
to 638,000 people lost their crops during the floods, leaving them
unable to feed themselves or their families. To help compensate for this
loss, and improve food security and nutrition in affected areas, the
Red Cross is distributing root cuttings and seeds of basic food crops,
such as cassava and sweet potato, to all households with access to land.
LENE VENDELBO, Danish Red Cross. Southern Malawi, Feb 2015
March 2, 2015 - EARTH -
The following list constitutes the latest reports of high tides, heavy
rainfall, flash floods, widespread flooding, sea level rise and
catastrophic storms.
Madagascar Floods – 19 Dead and 37,000 Displaced
The flood situation in Madagascar
is worsening. The latest report from Madagascar’s disaster management
agency, the Bureau National de Gestion des Risques et des Catastrophes
(BNGRC) said that further assessments of the flood disaster that struck on 26 February show that 19 people have been killed, 36,956 have been displaced and over 60,000 affected by the disaster.
517
houses have been destroyed and 1,698 damaged in the floods. BNGRC also
report that the floods have damaged 6,339 hectares of rice fields.
Three
regions of the country have been affected. Over 2,000 people have been
displaced in Alaotra Mangoro region. The worst affected region is
Analamanga where 18 of the deaths occurred, many of them around the
country’s capital, Antananarivo. The remaining fatality occurred in
Vakinankaratra region. High Alerts
BNGRC issued a list of around 20 districts or communities still on high alert as of 01 March 2015.
However,
there is hope for some relief ahead, as levels of the Ikopa and Sisaony
rivers are expected to fall in the next 24 hours so long as there is no
further heavy rainfall. More Rain
Yesterday
did see some heavy rain fall in northern parts of the country. Antalaha
in the Sava Region saw 53 mm of rain in 24 hours to 01 March 2015,
according to WMO.
Floods Return to Jakarta
Parts of Jakarta, Indonesia, were once again under water on 28 February 2015, just 2 weeks after severe flooding forced thousands to evacuate their homes.
Jakarta’s
Disaster Mitigation Office (BPBD) said this time there have been no
evacuations, although a number of houses have been flooded in Kampung
Pulo, East Jakarta. Flood water was reported to be as high as 150cm in
some areas after heavy rain had increased levels of the Ciliwung River.
Kampung Pulo, East Jakarta, floods 28 February 2015. Photo: BPBD Jakarta
Flooding has also been reported in Bukit Duri, Tebet, South Jakarta.
Bukit Duri, South Jakarta, floods 28 February 2015. Photo: BPBD Jakarta
Rainfall Figures
The
heaviest of the rain fell in the hills around Bogor and Puncak,
catchment areas for some of Jakarta’s many rivers. According to WMO,
62.1mm of rain fell in 24 hours in Bogor to 01 March 2015. Bogor is
around 50 km (30 miles) south of Jakarta.
Over the last 24 hours,
other parts of Java and Indonesia have also seen some heavy rainfall. In
Cirebo, Java, 75 mm of rain fell in 24 hours to 02 March 2015,
according to WMO figures. In South Sulawesi, Makassar saw 76.1 mm of
rain during the same period.
More Floods in Malawi as Cholera Spreads in Camps for Flood Victims
Further flooding has hit southern parts of Malawi,
while 39 cases of cholera have been reported in the camps set up for
the victims of the flooding that hit the country in January 2015.
According
to Malawi’s Department of Disaster Management Affairs (DoDMA), floods
have struck once again in the southern districts of Chikwawa and Nsanje
after heavy rain in the southern Region. Rising River Levels and Calls for Evacuation
In a statement made on 27 February 2015, Paul Chiunguzeni, secretary of the DoDMA, said water levels in Shire River, Mwanza River and all other waters bodies in the areas continue to rise. He continued:
“As a result of these developments, The Department of Disaster Management Affairs (DoDMA) wishes to appeal to the people in the affected areas to leave all low lying areas and move upland. Those that are already in upland areas must remain there at all cost. In the same vein, the people are being advised against crossing rivers and streams because doing so is a life threatening risk.” Cholera Outbreak
Meanwhile in the camps for the 230,000 already displaced by the floods in January, there has been an outbreak of cholera. Two people have died and 39 cases of the disease have been reported, according to UNICEF. These are the first cases of cholera seen in the country for over 3 years.
Cholera outbreaks often follow after flood disasters, where drinking water becomes contaminated by flood water.
There has also been an outbreak of cholera in neighbouring flood hit Mozambique, where 37 people have died from the disease.
UNICEF Representative in Malawi, Mahimbo Mdoe said:
“As humanitarian actors in Malawi, we need to move quickly to stop any further spread of this disease. These displaced populations are extremely vulnerable, particularly those with low-immunity, such as malnourished children.
UNICEF is working to support the Government with mobile health services, as well as safe water, sanitation and hygiene services, which are critical factors in preventing the spread of cholera.”
February 26, 2015 - EARTH - The following list constitutes the latest reports of high tides, heavy rainfall, flash floods, widespread flooding, sea level rise and catastrophic storms.
1 Hour of Rain Floods Sao Paulo, Brazil
Just 1 hour of heavy rain was enough to flood the streets of Sao Paulo, Brazil, yesterday 25 February 2015.
One man is reported to have died as a result of the severe weather seen across the city.
Brazil’s biggest city is currently suffering one of its worst droughts in 80 years.
Yesterday’s downpour won’t be enough to replenish the city’s water supplies. However, it was enough to bring the city’s traffic to a standstill, as vehicles were trapped in deep flood water.
WATCH: Severe floods engulf Sao Paulo.
Some reports claim the flood water was so deep in some areas that vehicles were either submerged or swept away.
The heavy rain was part of a severe thunderstorm and strong winds. A man died after he was electrocuted by falling power cables.Sao Paulo’s authorities have declared a state of alert for some areas of the city.
Thousands Displaced by Floods in Northern Bolivia
Flooding has forced more thousands from their homes in the department of Pando in the far north of Bolivia. Authorities say that 1,069 families have been affected.
Heavy
rainfall over the last few days has forced the river Acre to overflow.
In some areas it is 14 metres above normal levels. Some residents living
close to the river Acre have been evacuated. Levels of the river
Tahuamanu are also said to be extremely high.
Further heavy
rainfall has been forecast for the next 24 hours and the situation is
expected to worsen. Heavy rain is also expected in southern areas of the
country.
So far the worst affected area are thought to be the
department capital, Cobija, and the small town of San Pedro de Bolpebra,
which sits of the banks of the river Acre, on the border with Peru and
Brazil.
The Latin Post reports
that the mayor of San Pedro de Bolpebra said that his town had been
almost completely swept away by flood waters. Quoted in The Latin Post,
Mayor Romulo Terrazas said.
“The
river waters rose to 14m [46ft] above their normal level, so between
the community and the authorities we have decided to rebuild a new town
to avoid more damage”
The video clip below shows an aerial view of the flooding from the River Acre around San Pedro de Bolpebra.
WATCH: Massive flooding in Bolivia.
Aid Distribution
The
national and departmental governments are working together to provide
humanitarian assistance to the flood victims. The Bolivian government
have distributed blankets and mosquito nets for 600 of the displaced.
Since
October (the start of the rainy season) more than 20,000 families have
been affected in 76 municipalities of 9 departments, with 39
municipalities calling a state of emergency. As many as 313 houses and
more than 13 000 hectares of crops were damaged. The worst affected
departments since October 2014 are La Paz, Chuquisaca and Cochabamba.
With
continued heavy rainfall, the country is fearing a repeat of the
terrible floods of February 2014, which were some of the worst the
Bolivia has seen. At least 56 people died in the floods, which also
killed 150,000 cattle, destroyed 43,000 hectares of farmland and
affected 58,000 families. The region of Beni was particularly badly affected.
ESCAP Report: 2014 Asia and Pacific Region Floods Cost US$16 Billion
A
recent report by the United Nations Economic and Social Commission for
Asia and the Pacific (ESCAP) says that river-basin floods in the region
during 2014 incurred economic losses of US$16 billion.
According
to the Natural Disasters in Asia and the Pacific: 2014 Year in Review
report, river basin floods incurred the highest economic losses of all
the natural disasters to strike in the region.
Other costly disasters included Cyclone HudHud (US$11 billion) in India, followed by the Ludian earthquake in China (US$6 billion), and the tropical cyclones Lingling and Kajiki in Japan (US$5.2 billion). In 2014 Over Half of the World’s Natural Disasters Were in the Asia And Pacific Region
The report underlines that the Asia and Pacific
region is one of the most vulnerable to natural disasters. In 2014,
over half of the world’s 226 natural disasters occurred in the Asia and
Pacific region.
Although it was a year without a single
large-scale catastrophe caused by an earthquake or tsunami, the region
experienced severe storms, cross-border floods and landslides, which
accounted for 85 percent of all disasters. In total, over 6,000
fatalities were caused by natural disasters, compared to 18,744 deaths
in 2013. Approximately 79.6 million people were affected by natural
disasters across the region.
Photo: IFRC. A flood victim taking refuge on roof of a house in Srinagar during the floods in Kashmir, 2014.
Need for Regional Co-Operation
The report says that the region was found largely unprepared in its response to cross-border floods and landslides.
Such
disasters, which may very well be on the rise because of climate
change, require improved regional information exchanges and the joint
coordination of operations for effective early warning and evacuations.
The report calls for strengthened regional cooperation to address
cross-border disasters.
There has been some success in regional co-operation however, in particular with regards to the deployment of new technologies.
The
report notes the integral role of regional cooperation for sharing
real-time information of storms, floods and other disasters, and helping
to forecast hazards and disseminate early warning information across
countries.
2014 saw extensive use of innovative technologies –
space applications, geo-spatial tools and techniques, navigation and
crowdsourcing – for the monitoring and assessment of major disasters.
From their origin across oceans to their landfall, storms were tracked
and monitored continuously by a constellation of weather satellites,
radars and a range of monitoring networks across the region. Effective Early Warning Systems
The
last year saw growing successes with regards to disaster risk
reduction. Despite severe weather events in the region, such as cyclone
Hudhud and typhoon Hagupit, the number of deaths as a result of natural
disasters has fallen from the 18,744 deaths seen in 2013 to around 6,000
last year.
ESCAP’s report says effective early warning systems has played a huge part in significantly reducing death tolls.
“One
important lesson from 2014 is that end-to-end early warning systems
save lives,” said Ms. Shamika Sirimanne, Director of ESCAP’s ICT and
Disaster Risk Reduction Division. “The successful preparation for
cyclone Hudhud and typhoon Hagupit lies not only in the ability to
predict the movement and intensity of storms, but also the capacity to
engage and mobilize vulnerable communities in disaster preparedness.”
The
41 fatalities associated with cyclone Hudhud, a Category 4 storm, were
considered relatively low, as were the 18 fatalities linked to Hagupit, a
Category 3 typhoon.
According to the report, the Asia-Pacific
region experienced five severe droughts in 2014, which affected 31.5
million people. The report calls for greater attention to slow-onset
disasters, such as droughts, which receive the least attention but
affect the poorest of the poor in the region. Towards a New Global Framework For Disaster Risk Reduction
Leaders
and decision-makers across Asia and the Pacific are preparing to
finalize a new global framework for disaster risk reduction, which will
replace the 2005 Hyogo Framework for Action in March 2015 in Sendai,
Japan. The lessons from 2014 clearly show that building resilience
remains a key priority in protecting lives and assets in the Asia and
the Pacific. About ESCAP
The
United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific
(ESCAP) is the regional development arm of the United Nations for the
Asia-Pacific region. It was established in 1947 and has its headquarters
in Bangkok, Thailand.
ESCAP is up of 53 Member States and 9 Associate Members, with a geographical scope that stretches from Turkey in the west to the Pacific island nation of Kiribati in the east, and from the Russian Federation in the north to New Zealand in the south, the region is home to 4.1 billion people, or two thirds of the world’s population.
Torrential
rains and flash floods have hit northern and northwestern Pakistan
causing landslides and washing away several shops and bridges, officials
and local media reports said on Wednesday.
At least five people have been killed and several injured in rain-related accidents in parts of the northwestern Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, which borders neighboring Afghanistan, and in its capital Peshawar.
The roof of a house collapsed on the outskirts of Peshawar due to the heavy rains, killing three women and injuring two others, local Geo TV reported.
Meanwhile, two people were killed in the Mohmand Agency tribal region in another roof collapsing incident.
At least 10 shops and 55 boats were washed away in Charsadda district, located some 30 kilometers from Peshawar, due to swirling waters in Kabul River, still according to local media.
A bridge on Kurram River, which connects North Waziristan and the adjoining Bannu district, was also washed away.
Khyber Agency has also been hard-hit but residents of the town of Jamrud managed to rescue the passenger of four vehicles swept by flash floods.
Moreover, hundreds of passengers were trapped due to massive landslides in various areas of the Silk Highway, which connects Pakistan with China. Several parts of northern Pakistan have thus been cut off from the rest of the country.
Heavy rains also forced aviation authorities to suspend flight operations at Islamabad airport for at least four hours.
The Reshian and Lipa areas of Pakistani-administered Kashmir have also been cut off from the rest of the country as all roads have been blanketed with thick layers of snow.
The meteorological department has forecast more rains and snowfall for the next four days in northern and northwestern Pakistan.
www.aa.com.tr/en
File photo: Floods in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa in 2010. Photo: Oxfam International
Malawi Floods – UN Provides Food Assistance for 288,000
The
United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) said in a statement yesterday
that the WFP, in collaboration with the Government of Malawi and
humanitarian partners has provided the first round of emergency food
assistance to more than 288,000 flood-affected people.
The floods struck in January 2015 after long periods of heavy rain. According to UN OCHA, by 26 January, 63,531 hectares of land had been flooded in Malawi,
including wide areas of farmland, causing grave concern for crops and
future harvests. OCHA said that the floods displaced 74,000 people and
affected 638,000 people across 15 districts.
Flooding in Malawi – Aerial view of floods. Photo: George Ntonya/UNDP
2,700 Tons of Food
WFP said it has distributed more than 2,700 metric tons of food to cover the emergency needs of the flood-affected people.
Food
distriution has been carried out in 12 districts of Balaka, Chikhwawa,
Karonga, Machinga, Mangochi, Mulanje, Nsanje, Ntcheu, Phalombe, Salima,
Thyolo, and Zomba.
February distributions are starting this week
to reach the most vulnerable in Balaka, Blantyre, Chiradzulu, Chikhwawa,
Karonga, Machinga, Mangochi, Mulanje, Nsanje, Ntcheu, Phalombe, Rumphi,
Salima, Thyolo, and Zomba.
WFP say it has sent 550 humanitarian workers to areas cut-off by flood waters in order to deliver vital assistance.
Food and aid distribution in Malawi. Photo: Arjan van de Merwe/UNDP
Rapid Needs Assessments and Ongoing Food Insecurity
WFP,
other relief agencies and the Malawi government are currently
participating in a joint rapid food security assessment in order to
understand latest needs on the ground and the required duration of the
floods emergency response.
The assessment will also provide
recommendations on the duration of the ongoing lean season food
insecurity response, which had already identified nearly 700,000 people
in need of food assistance, and which is now running concurrently to the
response to the floods in Malawi. Funding Gap
Despite
contributions to food and aid distribution from Government of Malawi,
the UN Central Emergency Response Fund (CERF), Japan, the United Kingdom
and the United States, the WFP says there remains a funding gap of
US$3.3 million to cover the outstanding food requirements and logistics
services to support the entire humanitarian community.
WFP say that these needs will likely increase following the results of the food security assessment.
15,000 Evacuated after Floods in Dominican Republic
Heavy
rain and floods have prompted emergency authorities in the Dominican
Republic to evacuated over 15,000 people, mostly in the country’s north
and eastern regions.
Over 70 mm of rain fell in 24 hours between 20 and 21 February in Savana de la Mar, a town in the Hato Mayor province of the Dominican Republic.
Puerto Plata in the northern province Puerto Plata, saw 53.7 mm during
the same period. The following day the Las Americas airport area close
to Santo Domnigo saw 58.9mm of rain.
The worst affected districts
are Puerto Plata, Espaillat and María Trinidad Sánchez, which as of
yesterday were under red flood alert, while Santiago, Duarte, Sanchez
Ramirez and Hermanas Mirabal were on yellow flood alert.
WATCH: Widespread flooding in Dominica Republic.
The heavy rain caused rivers to overflow. Damage has been reported to crops and roads, as well as 1 bridge.
Emergency
Operations Center (COE) said that 3,979 homes have been flooded or
damaged and 20 completely destroyed. As of 23 February 2015, no injuries
or fatalities have been reported.
At one point more than 20,000
people displaced. According to the latest Emergency Operations Center
(COE) report of 22 February at 08:00 local time, that figure has since
fallen to 15,475.
The disaster management agency also said around 30 locations or communities have been cut off by the flooding.
File Photo: Floods and crop damage in Dominican Republic. Photo: Alejandro Chicheri, UN World Food Programme.
February 7, 2015 - EARTH - The following list constitutes the latest reports of high tides, heavy rainfall, flash floods, widespread flooding, sea level rise and catastrophic storms.
Southern Europe flooding update: Evacuations in Macedonia and Turkey
The
heavy rain that swept across southern Europe over the last few days has
left 100,000 people in the Republic of Macedonia affected by flooding.
The worst affected areas are the southern, southeastern, southwestern, and central parts of the country.
Agricultural land, electrical infrastructure, roads, and a large number of homes have been severely affected.
As local government officials work to mitigate the immediate damage,
World Health Organisation experts are working closely with the national
health authorities to determine the support the country needs.
In a statement today, WHO said:
WHO/Europe
has joined national disaster response officials in the former Yugoslav
Republic of Macedonia to respond to the floods that have affected a
large population of the country. Experts from WHO and national
authorities took stock of the situation at a crisis operations meeting
in Kocani city, located in the eastern part of the country.
Albania,
Bulgaria and Greece, as well as Macedonia have all been affected by the
flooding, which first struck over the weekend of 31 January 2015.
WATCH: Rain trigger floods in the Balkans.
Turkey
There are also some reports that flooding has now affected parts of
Turkey. The northwestern city of Edirne has been experiencing
record-high flood levels from the Tunca and Meriç Rivers, causing the
Provincial Crisis Center to order the evacuations.Around 1,500 people were evacuated from Karaağaç and the village of Değirmen has been completely evacuated,according to this report. Greece
The regions of Arta (Epirus) and Evritania (Central Greece) are the worst affected. A State of Emergency has been declared in Epirus and Evritania. Some landslides have been reported in the area of Nafpaktos.The river Evros is also reported as overflowing in East Macedonia and Thrace.
Bulgaria
A
state of emergency was declared in the municipalities of Smolyan,
Devin, Dalgopol, Avren, Topolovgrad, Strazhitsa, Bolyarovo and Burgas.
Four people have been killed - 2 in Blagoevgrad district and 2 in Devin. One person remains missing in Petrich.
Albania
The counties of Fier and Vlore are thought to be the worst affected.Some reports claim around 1,700 homes have been flooded, most of them (1,200) in Fier.
In a statement on the current flood situation in Albani, the WHO said today:
Three districts in southern Albania have been washed out overnight
after heavy rains caused the rivers Vjosa, Gjanica, and Osumthe to
overflow. WHO is on standby to offer possible support to national health
authorities as the situation unfolds.
Although no casualties
have been reported, many areas are affected by damage to road
infrastructure and electrical outages. Several cities and villages have
been cut off from land transport entirely, and the state police have
issued a public appeal for all citizens to refrain from travel to the
southern part of the country.
The northern part of Albania near
the border with Kosovo has also been inundated with heavy snowfall,
cutting off electricity to the city of Kukes and surrounding villages
and making road travel extremely hazardous. Although the National
Emergency Committee has not yet issued a statement regarding the
situation, the Ministry of Agriculture is keeping a close eye on the
region on behalf of the government.
WATCH: Flooding in the Balkans causes major losses to livestock and crops.
Malawi Floods and Deforestation
Some local observers are suggesting that deforestation in upland areas has contributed to the current flood disaster in Malawi, particularly around Blantyre and Zomba.
However,
there is some hope that the issue of deforestation will be addressed in
the country’s newly approved National Disaster Risk Management Policy. The Need to Tackle Deforestation
Talking to Thomas Reuters Foundation
last week, Paul Chiunguzeni, the principal secretary and commissioner
for Malawi’s Department of Disaster Management Affairs (DoDMA) spoke of
the need to tackle deforestation in upland areas.
Mr Chiunguzeni
highlighted the need to tackle deforestation in upland areas, after the
cities of Blantyre and Zomba experienced flash floods due to trees being
cut down on surrounding hills.
In the same article, Tamani Nkhono-Mvula, executive director of Malawi’s Civil Society Agriculture Network (CISANET) said that:
“The level of deforestation has contributed to the increased level of impact of the disasters.”
According
to the Trust article, the torrential rainfall that fell on the bare
hillsides around Blantyre meant that flash floods “barrelled down the
deforested Ndirande Mountain and Soche Hill, wreaking havoc on the
densely populated townships of Ndirande and Chilobwe”.
Deforestation
on Zomba mountain, combined with the torrential rain, resulted in flash
floods that caused destruction in nearby townships around the city of
Zomba, in particular Matawale township. Blantyre, Zomba and Mulanje
Blantyre
is Malawi’s second largest city, with over 1 million inhabitants. It is
also the country’s financial and commercial centre. It is surrounded by
the steep hillsides of Mount Soche, Ndirande mountain, Chiradzulu
mountain and Michiru Mountain.
However, large areas of the
hillsides have been cleared in recent years, for construction, fuel and
agricultural use. Deforestation has removed the natural barriers to
flooding that once surrounded the city, as well as causing soil erosion
and soil degradation.
It is a similar story in the city of Zomba, at the foot of Zomba Mountain in the Shire Highlands, southern Malawi. Further south, areas of Mulanje Mountain have also been subject to deforestation. Mulanje suffered severe flooding in early January 2015 when the heavy rains struck.
It
is hoped that Malawi’s new National Disaster Risk Management Policy,
which was approved by the Malawi Cabinet yesterday, will mean better
regulations to protect forested areas, and where possible, areas
stripped of trees will be reforested, and so protect surrounding areas
from floods and landslides.
The new policy has been a long time in
the making. In a statement yesterday, the president said works to have
the policy started in 1991 but were facing numerous challenges. It took
the recent floods – the worst in 40 years – to push the new disaster
policy forward.
The Malawi government statement said:
“The
policy, according to the February 4, DoDMA update on the flood
situation, would guide stakeholders in implementing programmes and
activities to effectively address disaster risks hence reducing the
impact of disasters amongst communities in the country”.
Flash Flood Damage, Soche Hill, Blantyre
One
of our contacts in Malawi, journalist Agnes Mizere, was able to visit
flood hit areas around Soche Hill in Blantyre. She told us of the
destruction caused by the flash floods and how the water raced down the
bare hillsides, taking with it rocks and debris, and destroying houses.
Several families there lost loved ones in the flash floods.
The
photos and captions below show the destruction left behind by the
floods. All photos and captions are courtesy of Agnes Mizere and are
used here with permission.
Disaster zone – Tragedy after flash floods from Soche mountain destroyed homes
Soche hill flash floods uprooted this house and it went downhill with newly created “rivers” locals told Agnes Mizere
A building in Chilobwe near the river that was destroyed during flash floods. Water came from Soche hill.
Flash floods ripped out infrastructure, including water pipes. Blantyre
Water Board workers putting new pipes where the “river” removed others.
All that reains of a house swept away after flash floods on Soche Hill
Damage caused by flash floods on Soche Hill, Blantyre, Malawi
Malawi Floods – UN Distributes Food to 200,000 Flood Victims
In
a statement yesterday, 04 February 2015, the United Nations World Food
Programme (WFP) said its food distribution program has managed to reach
almost 210,000 flood victims in Malawi. WFP now aims to scale up the
food distribution to reach a further 160,000 people.
Floods hit Malawi in early January. By late January the flood
had caused 79 deaths and left 153 missing. Over 600,000 people have
been affected by the flooding, which left over 63,000 hectares under
water. Crops and livestock have been badly hit, raising fears of poor
harvests and food shortages in the future. By late January the UN
reported that 174,000 people had been displaced by the floods and were
staying in relief camps. Many of the displaced in the relief camps were
in dire need of food.
Photo: IFRC, John Sparrow: The rivers rose again in the Lower Shire valley after heavy rains at the end of last week.
Aid efforts paused, blocked by fresh floods, and waited for the torrent to subside.
Food Aid Distributed to 210,000
By
the end of January, food distribution had reached nearly 210,000
people. More than 1,500 metric tons of food assistance had been
distributed in eight districts (Chikhwawa, Karonga, Machinga, Mulanje,
Nsanje, Ntcheu, Phalombe and Zomba).
Some of the hardest to reach
areas have been Chikhwawa and Nsanje. In order to distribute food aid in
these districts, WFP had to use its own helicopter.
WFP’s
assistance consists of maize, beans, vegetable oil and Super Cereal (a
flour fortified with vitamins and minerals). Meanwhile, WFP has also
provided 28 metric tons of High-Energy Biscuits to more than 34,000
people in Chikhwawa and Nsanje districts. The fortified biscuits are
often used in emergencies when people have no access to cooking
facilities. WFP Aims to Reach 160,000 More
WFP
is now working with the Government of Malawi and humanitarian partners
to bring food to an additional 160,000 people who have been affected by
the floods. This week, WFP will dispatch food to Mangochi, Thyolo,
Chiradzulu, Blantyre, Salima and Balaka districts.
WFP said that additional contributions and donations are urgently required to fill the funding gap.
Pineapple Express brings river of rain to drought-stricken California
A
so-called "atmospheric river of rain" began falling on Northern
California on Friday, bringing worries about flash floods, high winds
and mudslides but offering little relief to a state that has been left
parched by several years of drought.
The storm, also known as a
"Pineapple Express" because it develops from a ribbon of moist air
moving across the Pacific Ocean, was forecast to dump as much as 10 inches (25 cm) of rain in coastal mountains.
National Weather Service meteorologist Austin Cross said more than
three inches (7.5 cm) of rain had been already recorded in the hills of
western Sonoma County by early Friday afternoon.
Fire crews
responded to flooding in Siskiyou County, near the Oregon border,
placing sandbags to protect homes and minor mudslides were reported in
Washington state. Flash flood advisories were also issued for Sonoma,
Napa and Marin counties in Northern California.
High winds
caused more than 80 flights be canceled and hundreds more delayed at San
Francisco International Airport, knocked down trees and caused
scattered power outages.
According to Pacific Gas and Electric,
more than 114,000 homes and businesses lost power, although the
majority of them had been restored by late-afternoon.
Cross said heavy rains were expected to fall into Friday night and again on Sunday after a brief lull on Saturday.
Forecasters
say that while the soaking would provide some relief to the
drought-stricken state, it was not expected to make a significant impact, in part because the warm weather system would not add to mountain snowpacks.
The multi-year, record drought has prompted California officials to
sharply reduce water supplies to farmers and impose conservation
measures statewide.
Brian Fuchs, a
climatologist with the U.S. Drought Monitor, said that experts were
optimistic when California was hit with several strong storm in December
but those hopes largely evaporated when January saw very little
precipitation.
January is typically the state's wettest month, he said, with little rain falling between mid-April and December.
Fuchs said the drought's intensity was lessened in some areas,
including Marin County, after December's rains and a small section of
the state, on the eastern edge of San Bernardino County, was no longer
considered to be in drought.
"It's one little corner of the
state, a desert region that had more precipitation than they usually do
and that was enough," he said, adding that it would not make a major
impact on the larger crisis.
Zimbabwe – 1 Missing after Heavy Rain Floods Harare
Zimbabwe is suffering a further bout of heavy rainfall which has caused flooding in the capital Harare.
Meteorological
Services Department of Zimbabwe (MSD) reported that 158 mm of rain fell
on Sunday 01 February 2015 in the Mabelreign area of the city.
WMO
reported 64 mm of rain in 24 hours between 01 and 02 February 2015 in
Harare. Further heavy rainfall has been forecast across the country over
the next few days as a deep low pressure system is expected to develop
in the Mozambique channel by Friday 06 February 2015. 1 Missing, Several Rescued
Homes
and businesses in Harare have been damaged by the flooding. One person
is missing in the floods after his car was swept away by flood waters.
Several other motorists had to be rescued from inside and on top of
their vehicles. Police have appealed for motorists to drive with caution
and not cross flooded rivers, streams and bridges. Poor Drainage and Poor Planning to Blame
Local
media say the current flood situation in Harare is “less of a natural
disaster and more the result of poor planning, lax enforcement and
decisions based on political expediency.” VOA Studio 7 report that:
Damaged
watersheds, illegally built structures and the neglect of drainage
systems are some of the factors that have made the people much more
vulnerable to enormous floods.
Urban planners in the ministry of
local government, speaking on condition of anonymity, told Studio 7 that
lack of vision has seen the total collapse of the infrastructure.
Blaming poor drainange for harare’s flood woes isn’t new.
Harare city council didn't fix the drainage system at all. Samora Machel avenue is flooding already
Harare regularly sees flooded roads in times of heavy rain. The photo below is from March 2013.
Harare floods, March 2013. Photo: Siyabonga
The accusations come at the same time that Human Rights Watch issued a report accusing the Zimbabwe government of maltreatment of victims of the Tokwe Mukorsi floods.
The report suggests that the floods could have been avoided and were
part of a strategy to relocate 20,000 people to smaller land plots then
force them to grow sugar cane to contribute to a government-owned
ethanol project. 18 Flood Deaths in 2015
The Zimbabwe Herald
reported that 8 other people died when a car they were travelling in
was swept away while crossing a flooded bridge near Kadoma in January
2015, after the driver did not take advice from other motorists to wait
for the river to subside.
