MONUMENTAL DELUGE: The Latest Reports Of High Tides, Heavy Rainfall, Flash Floods, Sea Level Rise, Widespread Flooding, And Catastrophic Storms - DEVASTATING MUDFLOW Sweeps Cars Away And DESTROY Shops In Jizan, Saudi Arabia; And Flash Floods In 2 Regions Leave 9 Dead In Somalia! [PHOTOS + VIDEOS]

April 14, 2016 - EARTH - The following list constitutes the latest reports of high tides, heavy rainfall, flash floods, widespread flooding, sea level rise and catastrophic storms.

Devastating mudflow sweeps cars away and destroys shops in Jizan, Saudi Arabia

This biblical mudflow devastated the Aldair Bani Malik governorate in Jizan region, Saudi Arabia on April 13, 2016.

Cars, trucks, trees, rocks, houses... Everything was swept away. 

The furious water swept everything on its path!

And sirens or alarms were ringing loud!

A real apocalypse!

Saudi Arabia is experiencing extremely bad weather since a week.

The Jizan Region is situated in the southwest corner of Saudi Arabia and boarders Yemen. Its capital, Jazan City sits on the coast of the Red Sea and serves a large agricultural heartland that has a population of 1.5 million.

Jazan has a hot desert climate and average annual temperatures above 30 °C (86 °F). Heavy rain thus rapidly produce flash floods and mudslide resulting such rare and insane weather pictures.


WATCH: Monumental Earth Changes.

According to Saudi media, one person was killed and 32 others injured during the extreme rains on Wednesday.

This is not much considering that the mudflow and flashfloods unexpectedly swept through an open market, broke into shops, houses and mosques while sweeping away a number of vehicles.

Flash floods in 2 regions leave 9 dead in Somalia

Torrential rainfall in Somalia has triggered deadly flash floods in 2 regions of the country in the last week. Despite the recent rainfall, many parts of the country, in particular northern areas, are suffering from the worst drought in years. UNICEF recently announced it is providing 50,000 households with access to safe water.

Flash Floods in Awdal Region

Heavy downpours brought flash floods to northwestern town of Dilla on 07 April, leaving six people dead and injuring nine others, Awdal Governor Mohamud Ali Saleban has confirmed.

The rain and flooding continued for hours, wreaking havoc in the town and inundating vast tracts of land. The torrential rain is a dramatic swing from the drought conditions that have affected the area where deaths from malnutrition have been reported since March this year.

“Really, a disaster has happened. So far we’ve recovered six bodies. The national army, police and local people joined forces to carry out rescue operations. Nine people were injured and 13 people climbed trees to escape the floods… We share mourning with the affected households, a father had survived his entire family.” said Mr. Saleban during an interview with Somali channel, Horn Cable TV.

“A torrential downpour flooded Dilla. The victims include three women and a child. Shops and hotels have been damaged, and 17 people were rescued,” Dilla District Commissioner Ibrahim Abdi Haji told Somali media.

The heavy rain in northwestern Somalia forced streams to quickly overflow, catching destitute residents unprepared for the intense intensity of floods.

The Somaliland government has initiated rescue and relief efforts in the aftermath of flooding, and a delegation has visited Dilla.

Ruling Kulmiye Party Chairman and candidate for Somaliland Presidency in 2017 election, Musse Biihi Abdi along with Public Works and Housing Minister Ali Hassan Mohamed and Somaliland Road Development Agency Director-General Hassan Ali Osman has been briefed on the magnitude of havoc wreaked by the torrential rains in Dilla.

Abdi tasked Public Works Ministry and Road Authority to take immediate steps including construction of flood mitigation structures and renovation of existing water infrastructure dilapidated by years of conflict.

Rainfall – Figures and Forecast

Heavy storms were reported in parts of Awdal and Wooqoyi Galbeed regions in Somaliland between 06 and 07 April 2016.

According to Somali Water and Land Information Management Network (SWALIM), which is managed by the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), say that Dilla recorded 86mm of rain between 06 and 07 April, Jufa 100mm and Kalabaydh 148mm.

On Friday 08 April, SWALIM said in its latest forecast that “Wet conditions with moderate to heavy rains are expected to persist in the next three days in most parts of Somaliland and Puntland as well as Ethiopian highlands.”

South-central regions, where the Shabelle River ran dry a few weeks ago, will record light to moderate rains within the same period.

Floods in Gedo Region

Local media are reporting further flooding has struck in the country, this time in the south west region of Gedo.

Heavy rain fell between 10 and 11 April, triggering flash floods that left 3 young children dead in Garbaharey town, the regional capital of Gedo region.

Somalia Drought

The country was hit by floods from tropical storms in late 2013 , followed by severe weather conditions brought by Tropical Cyclone Chapala in 2015.

More recently however, the country has experienced severe drought conditions. Somalia has faced drought from October last year into this month, increasing the risk of famine and acute malnutrition, in particular for children. Many parts in the country, people have been struggling with a shortage of water for consumption.

In northern Somalia, UNICEF and the World Food Programme (WFP) are stepping up efforts to help communities cope with a severe drought exacerbated by El Niño conditions in Somaliland and Puntland.

“The communities have lived through four successive poor rainy seasons. Their ability to cope with the drought has been stretched to the limit,” said UNICEF Representative for Somalia, Steven Lauwerier. “Our concerted efforts are needed now to save the lives of tens of thousands of children and their families. Any delay from the international community will put their lives further at risk of hunger and disease.”

UNICEF says it is strengthening services at community level, deploying joint mobile health and nutrition teams to reach pastoral and other hard-to-reach groups. Malnourished children will receive an essential package of primary health care interventions, including emergency immunization. UNICEF is also providing 50,000 households with access to safe water via vouchers in the affected areas, and have repaired seven boreholes.

“The people of Somalia know all too well the dangers of drought, but a drought does not have to mean a disaster – the world must recognize that we can save lives if we act in time,” said WFP Country Director Laurent Bukera. “It is absolutely critical that we are able to sustain assistance to the people affected by this crisis, so we can stem the damage of undernutrition for mothers and children before it has lifelong consequences.”


WATCH: Report on the floods in Dilla, Awdal.

- Strange Sounds | Floodlist.

SOCIETAL COLLAPSE: Over 500 Killed In Two Weeks Of Chaos In Yemen - United Nations Report!

Reuters / Khaled Abdullah

April 3, 2015 - YEMEN - Two weeks of chaos in Yemen has killed at least 519 people, many civilians and children among them, the UN announced, as Houthi rebels continue their advance against exiled President Hadi’s loyalists who are supported by Saudi-led coalition airstrikes.

Another 1,700 people have been wounded over the past two weeks, UN Under-Secretary General for Humanitarian Affairs Valerie Amos, said in a statement Thursday. She voiced concern for civilians caught in the crossfire – especially after neighboring Saudi Arabia with allies launched an air-campaign last week in an effort to stop the advancement of Shiite Houthi rebels who deposed President Abedrabbo Mansour Hadi.

“Those engaged in fighting must ensure that hospitals, schools, camps for refugees and those internally displaced and civilian infrastructure, especially in populated areas, are not targeted or used for military purposes,” Amos said in a statement.

At least 90 children have fallen victim to the conflict so far, according to Amos, while some youths are being recruited as child soldiers. Tens of thousands flee their homes and crossing to Djibouti and Somalia. To aid civilians, UN is working with the Yemen Red Crescent.

Armed members of General's People's Commitee and forces loyal to President Abd Rabbuh Mansour Hadi stand guard as Houthis militants and allied former
President Ali Abdullah Saleh move towards to Aden's city center, Yemen on April 2, 2015. (Photo by Wail Shaif Thabet/Anadolu Agency/Getty Images)

Over 40 people were reported dead in clashes and airstrikes in the port city of Aden on Thursday. Though the allied Air Force target mostly military facilities, weapon depots and infrastructure, the strikes befell on civilians too.

The coalition says its week-old air campaign is showing some success, as the operation “has excellently achieved planned goals at all levels – air, ground, and sea,” its spokesman said, according to AFP. Coalition jets engaged at the entrance of the Red Sea, the Bab el-Mandeb strait, striking a military base, officials told Reuters. Overnight air strikes were also reported on the coastal town of Shaqra.

However, amid the chaos, al-Qaeda militants stormed the center of the coastal city of Al-Mukalla and captured the local prison, setting free about 300 inmates, many of whom are militants. A provincial al-Qaeda leader Khaled Batarfi is also believed to have escaped.

The Yemeni airspace has been declared a “restricted zone” by the coalition, while ships in the region have been urged not to approach Yemen’s ports due to the ongoing military operation.

A Chinese vessel still evacuated 225 people from Aden on Thursday with armed personnel ensuring their security. Russia too was quick enough to evacuate dozens of its nationals on board two flights from Yemen. The US also evacuated its personnel from the country where for years it has engaged in drone war against al-Qaeda elements.

Yemeni Shiite Huthi rebels and supporters take part in a demonstration in the southwestern city of Taez against the Saudi-led military intervention in the
country, on March 29, 2015. Saudi-led coalition warplanes carried out new air strikes in Yemen, targeting a rebel-held military base in third city Taez,
local officials and witnesses said. AFP PHOTO / STR (Photo credit should read STR/AFP/Getty Images)

While battle on the ground continues, Washington is helping its main ally in the oil-rich region to defend its border with Yemen by providing drone surveillance, a US military official told AP. The US is also reportedly taking an active role in the air operations center in Riyadh to coordinate strikes by the coalition air force. According to the source, US authorized aerial refueling for Saudi warplanes in their bombing campaign against the Houthis on a condition that refueling takes place outside of Yemeni airspace

The Houthis took power in the capital Sanaa early this year, forcing a democratically elected president Hadi, backed in 2012 by 99.8 percent of the voters as a sole candidate, to flee and set up a provisional capital in Aden. The rebels’ advancement on the port city further forced Hadi to retreat to Saudi Arabia and request an international intervention to reinstate his rule.


WATCH: Yemen's Turn.

On Thursday, striking another heavy blow to president’s loyalists, Houthis seized the presidential palace in Aden. With some skirmishes already happening on the border, Houthis are threatening to attack Saudi Arabia, if the aerial bombardment of Yemeni territory continues. - RT.

SOCIETAL COLLAPSE: Masked Al-Shabaab Gunmen Attack Kenya University - 147 People Killed!

Soldiers from the Kenya Defence Forces. (Reuters/Thomas Mukoya)

April 2, 2015 - KENYA - The death toll has risen to at least 147 people after the siege of Garissa University College in Kenya. The attack on the institution by masked Al-Shabaab gunmen, an Al-Qaeda splinter group, has ended, according to the government’s disaster agency.

The siege lasted nearly 15 hours. When it concluded, according to Reuters Interior Minister Joseph Nkaissery told Kenyan media: "The operation has ended successfully. Four terrorists have been killed."

In the early morning, about five gunmen from the Islamist militant group Al Shabaab stormed a Kenyan university campus during morning prayers, killing a number students and staff, and taking others hostage. Police and soldiers surrounded the college, and exchanges of gunfire have been going on all day.

"We are finding it difficult to access the compound because some of the attackers are on top of a building and are firing at us whenever we try to gain entry," a policeman at the university campus in Garissa said earlier.

Kenyan police have issued a dusk to dawn (from 6.30 pm till 6.30 am) curfew in four regions near the Somalia border, as a security precaution following the attack, Reuters reported.

Still from RT video

Somali Islamist group Al-Shabaab has claimed responsibility for the assault, saying it was holding Christians hostage inside the university.

Al Shabaab's spokesman Sheikh Abdiasis Abu Musab said the gunmen were holding Christian hostages inside. "We sorted people out and released the Muslims," he told Reuters.

Amnesty International has condemned the “horrific” attack and has urged authorities “to conduct a prompt, impartial and effective investigation to bring the perpetrators to justice.”

“Citizens and public servants in the north have repeatedly expressed fears about their vulnerability to Al Shabaab attacks, which the Kenyan government has failed to appropriately address,” Muthoni Wanyeki, Amnesty International’s Regional Director for East Africa said in a statement. “Learning institutions are meant to be safe places for students and their teachers. Their protection must be fully guaranteed.”

The United States in a statement from the White House on Thursday condemned the “cowardly” attack “in the strongest terms,” adding, “The United States is providing assistance to the Kenyan Government, and we will continue to partner with them as well as with others in the region to take on the terrorist group al-Shabaab.”

Still from RT video

The gunmen allegedly entered the university as students were heading to morning prayers. The attackers reportedly posed as worshipers among the students, and then started shooting indiscriminately.

Students who escaped the attack told security forces there were at least five gunmen, holding many others hostage inside. According to some accounts, the gunmen were also wearing suicide vests.

Just over a week ago, a terror threat alert was issued for Kenyan universities, Twitter users report.

Local senior security officials said there have been threats from a terror group. “We had the threats earlier on and alerted the institutions here,” said an anonymous security official, as quoted by Standard Media.

In the past, the Al-Qaeda-affiliated Somali terror group Al-Shabaab has conducted several attacks in Garissa and throughout Kenya, the biggest assault being an attack on a shopping mall in Nairobi in 2013.

- RT.

MONUMENTAL DELUGE: Floodlist – The Latest Reports Of High Tides, Heavy Rainfall, Flash Floods, Widespread Flooding, Sea Level Rise, And Catastrophic Storms!

November 11, 2014 - EARTH - The following list constitutes the latest reports of high tides, heavy rainfall, flash floods, widespread flooding, sea level rise and catastrophic storms courtesy of Floodlist.

16,000 Displaced in Uganda after River Semliki Overflows

Floods in Ntoroko, Uganda, after the River Semliki burst its banks. Photo: UNICEF

The United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) announced on Thursday 06 November 2014 that at least 16,000 people have been displaced by recent floods in Uganda. Around half of the displaced are thought to be children, according to UNICEF Uganda.

The floods occurred in the western Ugandan district of Ntoroko after the River Semliki burst its banks due to heavy rains. The areas worst affected are Bweramule sub county, Butungama sub county, Rwebisengo sub country and Rwebisengo town.

The river first overflowed around 01 November 2014. Initially around 500 people were displaced, but the affected area has since widened. Roads are submerged and many homes in the area have been damaged. Crops and livestock has also been badly affected.

The Ugandan newspaper The Monitor says that the area is frequently under water at this time of year.:

Floods are a chronic problem in Ntotoko which plague the district every rainy season, displacing hundreds of people and leaving a trail destruction.

The also point to human activities being responsible for the regular flooding of the River Semliki

Environment experts say overgrazing, and other alterations to the watershed have caused bank erosion and frequent changes to the course of River Semliki.

Aid and Relief
The Ugandan government have delivered some food aid for the victims after Vice President Edward Ssekandi visited Ntoroko last week.

UNICEF has prepositioned emergency medical supplies including 40,000 water purification tablets to health centres within the affected. However there is still need for additional support and relief items. UNICEF said “Affected population still need more items like food, non-food items, mosquito nets, soap, tents and emergency medicines.”

Floods Worsen in Somalia Leaving 21,000 Homeless

According to African Union Mission to Somalia (AMISOM), the total number of people displaced by the recent flooding in Somalia has now risen to 21,000.

The flooding struck in Beletweyne, in the Hiiraan region, South-central of Somalia, after the River Shabelle burst its banks in late October 2014.

Further heavy rainfall over the last 2 weeks has forced thousands more to leave their homes for higher ground. The affected families have settled in temporary shelters at a camp close to the AMISOM base camp, North Eastern Beletweyne.

Shabelle River floods in Beledweyne, Hiran, Somalia, October 2014. Photo: Abdikarim Hussein / twitter

Make shift houses in Internal Displaced Camp outside of Belet Weyne Capital of Hiran Region, Somalia on November 05, 2014 AU/UN IST / Photo Ahmed Qeys

Make shift houses in Internal Displaced Camp outside of Belet Weyne Capital of Hiran Region, Somalia on November 05, 2014 AU/UN IST / Photo Ahmed Qeys

Major Ali Hussein, an AMISON spokesman said

“We are looking at how we can evacuate them or offer medication, but they need much more than that. On the side of the food and so on, they are being provided with clean water by the use of water tankers but they need food and medicines urgently. There is possibility of water borne diseases outbreak, and they don’t have sanitation facilities”

Aid agencies have warned that the floods are likely to worsen the already fragile food security situation, with at least 1 million people in urgent need of humanitarian assistance across Somalia. A statement by the Food Agriculture Organization released last week indicates that the floods have left large areas with crops submerged, further exposing the population to food insecurity.

High Tide Floods in Ca Mau Province, Vietnam

Some areas of Ca Mau Province in southern Vietnam are under 50cm (20 inches) of water after unusually high tides over the past few days.

The high tide season along this coastline usually runs from December to March. The floods over the last few days have caught a few buy surprise. The average water level is 30 cm higher than in previous years, officials say.

VNS are reporting that the entire coastline of the province – all 252 km (156 miles) of it – has been been flooded. Furthermore, areas inland have also seen some flooding, including Nam Can Town in Nam Can District. More than 2,000 hectares of aquaculture farms and 1,000 hectares of crops and orchards have been damaged by the tides. Saline intrusion has long been of major concern to local industries such as shrimp and rice farming.

VNS say that local officials see the recent high tides as part of the effects of rising sea levels and climate change. As a response, the province is aiming to build a sea dyke along its eastern coastline, and also repair and make improvements to the existing western sea dyke.


Map:

Image: Google Maps.

Federal Aid for Nevada and Arizona after September 2014 Floods

FEMA announced on 06 November 2014 that federal disaster aid has been made available to the states of Nevada and Arizona to supplement state, tribal, and local recovery efforts in the area affected by severe storms and flooding that hit parts of the two states between 07 and 09 September 2014.

The storm and flooding at the time was said to be caused by the remnants of former Hurricane Norbert that hit parts of Mexico in the previous days. Heavy rain and flash flooding was also seen in parts of southern California.

Nevada
In Nevada the worst hit area was Moapa, which is about 70 km / 45 miles north east of Las Vegas, where 118 mm (4.67 inches) of rain fell on Monday 08 September 2014 – an extreme amount of rain in this desert area. Flood water was so high that vehicles floated along Interstate 15. Some flooding was also seen in the Las Vegas area.

Moapa after the floods in September 2014. Photo: Rlan Levi / Twitter

Arizona
Phoenix was one of the worst affected areas. Around 84 mm (3.3 inches) of rain fell in 24 hours between 07 and 08 September 2014. This beats the previous high of 74 mm (2.91 inches), set in 1933, and was more than the combined total normally seen in the 3 months of July, August, and September.

A woman died after her car became submerged in 10 feet of flood water in a residential area in east Tucson. Rescue teams couldn’t reach the victim in time.

A second victim drowned in her car after it was caught in flash floods in Oracle Junction, north of Tucson. A second passenger, the victim’s husband, managed to escape from the vehicle and survived.

Floods in Arizona, September 2014. Photo: Ld Keith / Twitter

In their announcement on the Nevada flood aid, FEMA said:

The President’s action makes federal funding available to state and eligible tribal and local governments and certain private nonprofit organizations on a cost-sharing basis for emergency work and the repair or replacement of facilities damaged by severe storms and flooding on the Moapa Band of Paiutes Reservation.

Federal funding is also available on a cost-sharing basis for hazard mitigation measures statewide.

- Floodlist.

MONUMENTAL DELUGE: Floodlist – The Latest Reports Of High Tides, Heavy Rainfall, Flash Floods, Widespread Flooding, Sea Level Rise, And Catastrophic Storms!

October 28, 2014 - EARTH - The following list constitutes the latest reports of high tides, heavy rainfall, flash floods, widespread flooding, sea level rise and catastrophic storms courtesy of Floodlist.

Athens and Antalya Inundated as Floods Strike in Southern Europe

After the storm surge in northern Europe, then flooding and storms in Slovenia, Czech Republic and parts of the Balkans, the severe weather thought to be caused by the remnants of Hurricane Gonzalez, moved to parts of southern Europe on Friday 24 October 2014.

Athens, Greece
Athens in Greece was left knee-deep in water after torrential rain caused flooding in central and western parts of the city. Local media say as much as 14 cm of rain fell in just 90 minutes on Friday. Emergency services received over 600 calls as hundreds of homes and businesses were inundated. The worst affected areas were Peristeri, Ilion, Perama, Menidi, Aegaleo, Aghioi Anargoiroi, Nikaia, Piraeus and Kamatero.

Remnants of Gonzalo flooded Athens, Greece. More than 300 cars were swept away, http://t.co/pKKkYlmBCJ pic.twitter.com/U22WhrsKcx
— The Weather Network (@weathernetwork) October 26, 2014

Hundreds of vehicles across the city were said to have been dragged away by flood water. In the suburb of Peristeri, the flooding was so severe that parked cars were dragged along on the torrent, ending in a pile up of around 30 vehicles.

A full assessment of the flood damage is expected to be completed later today, although it is understood there have been no casualties.

Καταστροφικές πλημμύρες στην ανατολική Βουλγαρία   - http://t.co/GkmtXWl5Z0 pic.twitter.com/6RrWvAvrtF
— 4news (@4newsgr) October 25, 2014

The severity of the flooding has prompted the Greek government to look into flood defences around the capital. Prime Minister Antonis Samaras has also announced compensation for those affected by the Athens floods.

Antalya, Turkey
Heavy rain also inundated the southern Turkish province of Antalya, according to CIHAN, the Turkish news agency.

The city of Manavgat was the worst affected by flash floods, which struck early on 25 October 2014. The heavy rain also increased levels of the Manavgat river which overflowed in some areas, which could mean more prolonged flooding in the district.

Yağmur Sel Afet Oldu Son 20 yılın en fazla yağmurun yağdığı Antalya, Alanya Manavgat başta olmak üzere afet yaşıyor pic.twitter.com/188ZXiwMWC
— Antalya Yasam (@Antalyasam) October 25, 2014

#manavgat da yağmur şiddetini artırıyor. pic.twitter.com/SzANkiJq30
— hsmsk (@simsekhalil07) October 25, 2014

Rainfall Figures
According to WMO, in the 24 hour period between 25 and 26 October, Alanya in Antalya Province received 59 mm of rain and the city of Antalya 93.4 mm of rain.

Northeast Monsoon Floods Claim 5 Lives in Southern India

File Photo: Monsoon rainfall in Chennai. Photo: McKay Savage / Flickr

The northeast monsoon combined with a cyclonic storm in the Gulf of Mannar region of the Bay of Bengal caused heavy rain to fall in parts of Tamil Nadu since Friday 24 October 2014. Over 100 mm of rain fell in Valparai in the last 24 hours. Flood warnings were issued for many of the low-lying areas of Tamil Nadu earlier today.

Heavy rainfall has also affected parts of Sri Lanka, where 75 mm if rain fell in Anuradhapura yesterday.
Elsewhere in India, the active North East monsoon has caused flooding in the states of Andhra Pradesh and Karnataka. Three people have died in the flooding over the last few days – 2 in Andhra Pradesh and one in Karnataka.

According to the Regional Meteorological Department “The northeast monsoon has been vigorous over Andhra Pradesh, Telangana and south interior Karnataka and active over Tamil Nadu and Kerala”.

Karnataka
In Karnataka, one person died after he was washed away in flash floods in Kollur, Bellary district on Saturday 25 October. Around 66.8 mm of rain fell in the area on Friday, inundating homes and other buildings.

Andhra Pradesh
In Andhra Pradesh, parts of Coastal Andhra and Rayalaseema regions have been worst hit over the last 24 hours. As much as 100 mm of rain fell in Kavali rainfall in 24 hours. Nellore saw 90 mm of rain fall.
On Sunday 26 October two women were swept away in the overflowing Edduvagu rivulet, near Madgula village, Guntur district.

Tamil Nadu
Two people were killed by floods on Saturday 25 October when they attempted to cross a swollen river in the Erode district.

On Sunday 26 October the heavy rains caused flooding in the in the Virudhunagar district of Tamil Nadu which left 250 people stranded in a forest. The victims were returning from a temple in Saptur and were caught in flash floods after a river overflowed. All 250 were later rescued by emergency teams.

The heavy rainfall continued into Monday 27 October. Flooding in Tirupur caused at least 5 houses to collapse and between 200 to 300 people marooned. All were later rescued.

Heavy Rain Prompts Flood Warnings for Norway And Sweden

File Photo: Heavy rain in Hordaland, Norway. Photo: Jill / flickr

Heavy rainfall has left parts of western Norway suffering from flooding and power outages. Roads have been blocked and traffic disrupted. However, so far the flooding has not caused any significant damage, despite flood warnings from MET Norway.

Mid to high level Flood warnings were issued for parts Sogn og Fjordane, Hordaland and Rogaland. Voss and around Vossovassdraget lake in Hordaland were thought to be at particular risk of flooding. A high level flood warning remains in place for this area.
Rainfall figures for the 24 hour period between 26 and 27 October 2014:

• Mjolfjell (near Voss), Hordaland – 65.4 mm
• Stryn, Sogn og Fjordane – 60.6 mm
• Sauda, Rogaland – 68.7 mm

Further heavy rainfall is expected until late Tuesday.

Flooding in Norway. AGAIN. http://t.co/aHVpuo5uSM pic.twitter.com/5UKg6IrRJu
— Camilla Borg (@CamillaBorg42) October 26, 2014

Parts of Rogaland county saw severe flooding in August this year after a period of heavy rainfall and thunderstorms.

Sweden
Some heavy rainfall has also affected parts of Sweden. Local media report that floods inundated the small village of Sälen in in Malung-Sälen Municipality, Dalarna County, after the Västerdal River burst its banks on Saturday 25 October 2014. River levels were thought to be about 1.5 to 2 metres above normal.

On Saturday 26 October, heavy rain in western Sweden flooded some towns around the coast. According to local media Northern Bohuslän suffered most from the heavy rainfall which pushed from the North Sea on Friday and Saturday night. A number of buildings were evacuated in the small town of Skee close to Strömstad.


2,500 Evacuated after Shabelle River Overflows in Somalia
After the flood predictions last week, the Shabelle River has burst its banks in Beledweyne, Hiran province, Somalia, forcing 2,500 from their homes.

The heavy rainfall in river catchment areas last week increased river levels of the Shabelle and Juba. In a report on 24 October, Somalia Water and Land Information Management said that the rivers were already at flood stage. Local media are now reporting that floods have forced 2,500 people to seek safety on higher ground away from the riverbanks.

According to Radio Ergo, “The affected families are reported to have camped at Eljale area, 3 km north east of Beledweyne”.

Flooding of the #Shabelle river in #Beledweyne, #Hiraan region of #Somalia. pic.twitter.com/2vsXroh6GY
— Abdikarim Hussein  (@Abdikarim_Abdi3) October 24, 2014

Hundreds displaced by floods in Beledweyne #Somalia http://t.co/Rs67dy6ZGC pic.twitter.com/veB6lTKjNu
— Radio Ergo (@RadioErgo) October 23, 2014

The same areas was hit by flooding in 2012 when over 3,00 families were displaced.

Further flooding is likely should river levels increase, especially in lower areas of the two rivers. SWALIM warns that the Shabelle could overflow at Balcaad and Kurtunwaarey and the Juba at Jamaame and Jilib.


Floods Damage Banana Crops as Honduras Awaits Tropical Storm Hanna

Heavy rainfall in the department of Colón on 25 October 2014 caused flooding in the municipalities of Balfate, Sonaguera and Iriona. River levels in the area are high and several families have been evacuated.

And things are about to get a lot worse in the next 48 hours as Tropical Storm Hanna moves inland over Honduras and Nicaragua. According to NOAA:

The deep convection associated with the remnants of Tropical Depression Nine have persisted and become better organized since yesterday so advisories have been re-initiated, with the system being upgraded to Tropical Storm Hanna. The main hazard associated with Hanna will be very heavy rainfall. Hanna could produce 10 to 12 inches with isolated maximum amounts of 15 inches across Honduras and northern Nicaragua. These rains will likely produce flash flooding and mud slides. This image was taken by GOES East at 1415Z on October 27, 2014.

Recent Rainfall in HondurasIn a 24 hour period between 25 and 26 October, 60 mm of rain fell in Roatan, Bay Islands. Between 26 and 27 October, 52.4 mm of rain was recorded in Yoro, department of Honduras.

Mosquito Increase

After the floods – Mosquito control begins in honduras. Image: COPECO

COPECO (Comision Permanente de Contingencias), the country’s disaster management agency, have now turned their attentions to controlling the mosquito population. It is feared that the prolonged floods would lead to an increase in mosquito numbers and therefore a higher risk of mosquito-borne disease

400 Hectares of Banana Crops Lost
Local media are reporting that so far the flooding, which initially began around 10 days ago, has damaged or destroyed at least 400 hectares of banana crops, causing considerable economic losses.

Jacobo Paz , head of the country’s ministry of agriculture (Secretaría de Ganadería y Agricultura – SAG), said that banana crops are particularly susceptible to floods. The ministry’s initial assessments indicate that banana farmers in the north of the country have been hardest hit.

- Floodlist.

INFRASTRUCTURE & SOCIETAL COLLAPSE: Rampaging al-Shabaab Jihadists Kill Dozens In Kenya - Nearly 50 Dead; Christians Specifically Targeted For Execution! [VIDEO]

June 16, 2014 - KENYA - Terrorists from al-Shabaab, the Somali al-Qaeda affiliate, attacked the small Kenyan coastal town of Mpeketoni near the tourist center of Lamu on Sunday and killed 48 people, according to officials in the east African nation.

Men watching the World Cup at a hotel were systematically executed while women were forced to watch, according to Kenya police commander David Kimaiyo. The terrorists said the execution was in response to the activity of Kenyan troops in Somalia. Kenya has sent troops there to counter al-Shabaab kidnappings and attacks.

Like Nairobi’s Westgate Mall attack last year, the Mpeketoni attackers reportedly gave life-or-death religious tests.

It is said Shakir Wahiyib, described as an enforcer for the Islamic State of Iraq and al-Sham (ISIS), has executed people who failed his “Quranic quiz” in Iraq. ISIS has captured large areas of northern Iraq in the past week and has posted videos of mass executions.

Christian Kenyans were specifically targeted for execution. “They came to our house at around 8 p.m. and asked us in Swahili whether we were Muslims. My husband told them we were Christians and they shot him in the head and chest,” a resident told CBC News.


WATCH: Deadly attack in Kenya leaves dozens dead.

 


The terrorist group joined al-Qaeda in 2012. It imposes an austere form of Sharia law on rural regions, engages in kidnapping and the murder of aid workers. It is suspected of aligning with al-Qaeda in Islamic Maghreb (AQIM) and Boko Haram, the Nigerian terror group reportedly responsible for the murder of an estimated 10,000 people and the kidnapping of school girls.

AQIM is takes inspiration from the religious teaching of Salafism in Saudi Arabia, which historically played a crucial role in the training of the CIA and Pakistan ISI organized and supported Mujahideen in Afghanistan.

Pakistani intelligence is directly involved in al-Shabaab terrorism. In July of 2010, after a bombing attributed to the group that killed 76 people watching the soccer World Cup final, a number of Pakistani nationals were arrested.

Abu Musa Mombasa, a Pakistani citizen, purportedly serves as al-Shabaab’s chief of security and training, according to a Long War Journal report posted in 2010.

In July of 201, the Christian Science Monitor reported “veteran insurgents from Iraq, Afghanistan and Pakistan have relocated to the chaotic country of Somalia in large enough numbers to spark worry inside the international community, according to Kenya’s foreign minister.”

Pakistan’s ISI and the CIA have worked together since the early 1980s to create terrorist organizations and radical Muslims. - Info Wars. 

INFRASTRUCTURE & SOCIETAL COLLAPSE: Global Terrorism And Increasing Incidents Of Car Bombings - Al-Qaeda Calls For Car Bombs Across America, Targeting Cities, Sport Events And Large Holiday Gatherings; Baghdad Car Bombs Kill Nine; Car Bombs Kill At Least 8 At Libya Army Academy In Benghazi; Kenya Police Park Massive Car Bomb Outside Their Offices After Missing Explosives In Car; Lebanon Car Bomb Kills A Hezbollah Leader; Suicide Car Bomb Kills 20 Soldiers In Central Somalia Town; 15 Killed In Car Bomb Blast In Afghanistan!

March 19, 2014 - TERRORISM - Al-Qaeda is using the latest edition of its magazine to call for car bombs across the United States and other "crusader countries."

The Spring 2014 edition of Inspire details how to build a bomb and suggests the best way to plan and execute a successful attack.

Unsurprisingly, the magazine notes that "America is our first target," and it recommends Washington (specifically restaurants and bars on M Street), Northern Virginia (including Arlington and Alexandria), Chicago, New York, and Los Angeles as specific targets.

In addition, it notes that a potential terrorist should look for places "flooded with individuals," including sports events—specifically the U.S. Open tennis tournament, campaign events, festivals, and holiday gatherings on Christmas, New Year's Eve, or New Year's Day.

"The important thing is that you target people and not buildings," notes the article, located in the magazine's "Open Source Jihad" section.

And with the Boston Marathon coming up next month, the article strikes a soberingly familiar note with a recipe on how to build a bomb using a pressure cooker—the type used in the April 2013 attack.

Top defense and Homeland Security officials have warned about an increasing risk from individuals who work alone to plan or carry out a terrorist attack without direct instructions from a terrorist organization.

DHS Secretary Jeh Johnson said last month that the Boston Marathon bombing could be "a sign of the future" and that terrorist threats from so-called "lone wolf" or "self-radicalized" terrorists are in many ways harder to detect.

DHS didn't immediately respond to a request for comment on the magazine article. - National Journal.

Baghdad Car Bombs Kill Nine

Iraqis stand near burnt out vehicles after a car bombing in Baghdad on March 7, 2014 (AFP Photo/Ali Al-Saadi)

A series of evening car bombs targeting commercial neighbourhoods of Iraq's capital killed at least nine people on Saturday, security and medical officials said. The five blasts also wounded dozens, the latest in a months-long surge in bloodshed that has hit the country with less than two months left before national parliamentary elections.

The attacks, all car bombs at markets or commercial shopping areas of the Sadr City, Amil, Amin, Shuala and Qahira neighbourhoods, killed nine people in all, said police and medical sources who spoke on condition of anonymity.

More than 30 people were wounded, they said.

No group immediately claimed responsibility for the bloodshed, but Sunni militants, including those linked to the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant jihadist group, are often blamed for carrying out coordinated mass-casualty bombings.

Iraqi Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki has singled out Saudi Arabia and Qatar for effectively waging war on Iraq, accusing the two Gulf states of backing militant groups.

He told France 24 in an interview this month that Riyadh and Doha provide political, financial and media support to militant groups, and also accused the Saudis of supporting global "terrorism".

Elsewhere in Iraq on Saturday, a gun attack on the outskirts of the confessionally mixed city of Baquba killed a mother and her son, while a car bomb in the predominantly Sunni city of Tikrit near the home of a police colonel wounded 15 people.

More than 230 people have been killed already this month, according to an AFP tally.

Iraq is grappling with its worst prolonged period of violence since it emerged from a bloody sectarian war that left tens of thousands dead in 2006-07.

Analysts and diplomats have urged the Shiite-led government to reach out to the Sunni community, who allege they are mistreated by the government and security forces.

But with elections looming on April 30, political leaders have been loath to be seen to compromise. - Yahoo.

Car Bombs Kill At Least 8 At Libya Army Academy In Benghazi

Men stand next to a car damaged after an explosion exploded outside a Libyan army base in the
eastern city of Benghazi March 17, 2014. Credit: REUTERS/Stringer

A powerful car bomb attack targeted a military academy in Libya's eastern of city of Benghazi on Monday, killing at least eight people and wounding more than a dozen, hospital and security officials said.

An American schoolteacher was also killed by gunmen in December. Western diplomats are concerned the violence in Benghazi will spill over to the capital, Tripoli.

Instability in the eastern city is part of the struggle a weak central government faces in controlling armed groups, militias and brigades of former rebels who once battled Muammar Gaddafi and now refuse to disarm.

A first bomb exploded at the front gate of the academy as soldiers were leaving a graduation ceremony, security officials said. Several cars parked outside exploded. One or two other bombs exploded around the same time, wounding 18, security and hospital officials said.

In a separate explosion hours later in Benghazi, one person was killed when another car bomb went off near the state oil firm Brega Petroleum Marketing Co, which sells fuel products inside Libya, a security source said.

No group claimed responsibility for the bombings in Benghazi, where Libyan armed forces have been battling militants from hardline Islamist groups such as Ansar al Sharia, listed as a foreign terrorist organization by Washington.

The government called the academy bombing a "terrorist act" and declared three days of mourning, according to a statement.

Most countries have closed their consulates in Benghazi and some foreign airlines have stopped flying there since the U.S. ambassador and three other Americans were killed in an Islamist militant attack in September 2012.

Gunmen killed a French citizen earlier this month, while police found seven Egyptian Christians shot dead execution-style on a beach outside Benghazi, home to several oil firms. No one has claimed responsibility for that killing. - Reuters.

Kenya Police Park Massive Car Bomb Outside Their Offices After Missing Explosives In Vehicle

Kenyan troop stand guard at the Garrisa airstrip near the Somali-Kenyan border. Photo: REUTERS

Kenyan police failed to realise that a car that they impounded from a Somali man and stored outside their anti-terror unit offices for a week was packed full of explosives already attached to a Nokia detonator.

The blue Toyota four-wheel-drive was only thoroughly checked when foreign counterterror officers believed to be from the FBI saw the vehicle and recognised it was on an international alert list.

Six separate pipe bombs made up of a total of 130lb of plastic explosive were welded into the vehicle’s rear seats, enough to collapse a multi-storey building, according to Kenyan police.

An AK-47, 250 rounds of ammunition, detonators and grenades were also found when a full search was eventually carried out and completed on Tuesday.

The vehicle was impounded in the Kenyan port city of Mombasa on March 11, and the driver, a Somali, and his passenger, a Kenyan of Somali origin, were arrested and charged with illegally importing a vehicle.

Fresh charges linked to international terrorism will now be drawn up, prosecutors in Mombasa said.

Security sources in the city said initial investigations suggested one of the men had called telephone numbers also contacted by suspected terrorists linked to Kenya’s Westgate attack in September, but this could not be confirmed.

“This is a continuous investigation process and it is not correct to give details before everything is known,” Robert Kitur, Mombasa police chief, told The Telegraph.

The amount of explosives were enough to cause “mass destruction”, but the potential target was not yet known, another senior official, Nelson Marwa, Mombasa county commissioner, said.

The vehicle was a collection of parts from different cars, he added.

"It is a Toyota ... the chassis does not belong to that vehicle, the engine does not belong to that vehicle, the number plate does not belong to that vehicle," Mr Marwa said.

Islamic extremists in Somalia have vowed to continue attacks on Kenya, following the Westgate siege in September, when 67 civilians died after four gunmen took over the upscale mall in the capital, Nairobi.

They were sent by al-Shabaab, Somalia’s al-Qaeda-linked militia, which on Monday carried out a suicide bombing of a hotel in southern Somalia where African Union soldiers had gathered. Eight were killed.

Separately, Uganda’s intelligence services have warned that al-Shabaab cells may be planning to hijack petrol transport lorries and use them as improvised truck bombs. - Telegraph.

Lebanon Car Bomb Kills A Hezbollah Leader

A suicide car bomb attack has killed at least four people in a Hezbollah-dominated area of the Bekaa Valley in Lebanon, near the border with Syria.

Among those killed in the attack, which struck the village of al-Nabi Othman late on Sunday, was Hezbollah's local leader Abdul Rahman al-Qadhi, according to Al Jazeera's Ehab al-Okadi, reporting from Lebanon.

"The blast was carried out by a suicide attacker. Hezbollah members knew he was about to carry out the attack, and tried to stop the vehicle. That was when the attacker detonated the vehicle," a Lebanese security source told AFP.


WATCH: Lebanon car bomb kills a Hezbollah leader.

Hezbollah-dominated areas in eastern Lebanon and south Beirut have suffered a series of deadly attacks, many of them suicide car blasts, since the powerful Shia movement acknowledged sending fighters to Syria to support President Bashar al-Assad's troops as they battle rebels.

The latest attack was claimed by Jabhat al-Nusra in Lebanon, as well as by the little-known Liwa Ahrar al-Sunna in Baalbek, a Sunni Muslim armed group opposed to Hezbollah's involvement in the Syrian conflict.

"Liwa Ahrar al-Sunna in Baalbek officially takes responsibility for the heroic martyrdom [suicide] operation 'revenge for Yabrud' in the village of al-Nabi Othman," the group said on Twitter.

It also warned Hezbollah and the Lebanese army - which Sunni groups in Lebanon say has sided with the Shia movement - to: "prepare for the transfer of the battle of Yabroud into Lebanese territory."

The attack came hours after the Syrian army, backed by Hezbollah fighters, captured Yabroud, a former rebel bastion in Syria near the Lebanese border.

Hezbollah and Lebanese security forces have said many of the car bombs used in previous suicide attacks came from Yabroud.

Lebanon has been dragged into Syria's violence by different political groups announcing support for rival parties to the war next door. - Al Jazeera.

Suicide Car Bomb Kills 20 Soldiers In Central Somalia Town

Buloburde (RBC) At least 20 soldiers, including two senior officers were killed in a suicide car bomb that hit a hotel in Buloburde town, where government and AMISOM officials were sleeping around 2.20p.m local time on Tuesday morning, RBC Radio reports.

The Chief military officer in Hiran region, Col. Mohamed Amin Aadan Jesow was among those killed in the attack, according to former Hiran governor Yusuf Ahmed Hagar who has survived from the attack.

At least six soldiers of the AMISOM forces from the Djibouti contingent were killed in the attack.

According to local sources, the suicide car bomb with no lights was seen suddenly as it approached Hotel Camalow as most of the hotel guards and security officials were sleeping. Heavy explosion was heard as then a fierce gun battle followed, the locals said.

Al Shabab militant group claimed the attack saying the attack was well planed aimed to destroy the invaders of AMISOM those seized the town last week in non resistances operation.

AMISOM Spokesman Col. Ali Aden Houmed has confirmed the death of three Djiboutian soldiers and three Somali soldiers in the attack.

Somalia government forces and the AMISOM troops took the town of Buloburde is 125km from Beletweyne in South Central Somalia from Al Shabab on Thursday last week. The town was described an al Shabaab stronghold and their supply nerve center. - RBC Radio.

15 Killed In Car Bomb Blast In Afghanistan

Separately, a suicide bomber killed 15 people in an attack yesterday on a busy marketplace in northern Afghanistan, officials said.

The Taliban have threatened to kill anyone who takes part in the elections, and eight people involved in political campaigning have been killed since electioneering started last month. A group of election officials has also been kidnapped. It was not clear if the bombing was related to the election.

At least 47 people were wounded when the suicide bomber driving a three-wheel rickshaw blew himself up in Maimana, the provincial capital of Faryab province, the Health Ministry said in a statement.

“It was a bazaar day and everybody was busy buying or selling when the bomber detonated his explosives,” Faryab governor Mohamedullah Batash told Reuters. Two children were among the dead, the UN said.
Nicholas Haysom, the top UN official in Afghanistan, said such bombings could be a war crime.

“Their use in a distinctly civilian location such as a market is atrocious and cannot be justified,” he said in a statement.

The UN said such bombs - called improvised explosive devices - have killed 190 civilians in Afghanistan so far this year, a 14% increase from the same period last year. - Gulf Times.

INFRASTRUCTURE & SOCIETAL COLLAPSE: Multiple Bombs Rock Mogadishu, Somalia - At Least 11 Killed!

January 01, 2014 - SOMALIA - Three bombs exploded within an hour outside a hotel frequented by government officials in a heavily fortified district of the Somali capital on Wednesday, killing at least 11 people.

Fire burns at the scene of an explosion outside the Jazira hotel in Mogadishu January 1, 2014.
Credit: REUTERS/Feisal Omar

The attacks on the Jazira hotel, one of the securest places in Mogadishu, underscore the security challenges facing President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud, whose election by lawmakers last year was hailed by many as a way to end two decades of conflict.

The first two bombs came in quick succession and were followed by heavy bursts of gunfire by Somali security forces. The third blast took place about an hour later when a bomb went off inside a car that was being searched by the military.

At least one of the first two bombs appeared to be a suicide bomber, police said.

There was no immediate claim of responsibility but the Islamist rebel group al Shabaab has carried out a campaign of attacks over the past two and a half years in Mogadishu.

"First we heard a big crash and the security forces immediately opened fire," said Abdullahi Hussein who lives 300 meters behind the hotel. "After a few minutes another explosion took place and there was more gunfire."

Soldiers assess the scene of an explosion outside the Jazira hotel in Mogadishu, January 1, 2014.
Credit: REUTERS/Feisal Omar

Abdikadir Abdirahman, the director of a private ambulance service, told Reuters at least 11 people had been killed and 17 others were wounded.

The attack will be an embarrassment to the government whose survival depends heavily on a near 18,000-strong African peacekeeping force. Donors pump in hundreds of millions of dollars into the Horn of Africa country every year to provide basic services.

A firefighter walks at the scene of an explosion outside the Jazira hotel in Mogadishu, January 1, 2014.
Credit: REUTERS/Feisal Omar

"This year, 2014 is going to be the strengthening of Somali forces and the elimination of the extremists," the newly appointed Prime Minister Abdiweli Sheikh Ahmed said in a statement on Wednesday.

The African forces helped drive al Shabaab out of the capital in August 2011, as well as other major urban centers, but the militants still hold sway over swathes of rural areas.

Islamist suicide bombers attacked the Jazira hotel in September last year as Mohamud was giving a news conference just two days into the job. He and the visiting Kenyan foreign minister were unhurt in that assault.

Police officers carry an injured man from the scene of a bomb attack outside the Jazira hotel in
Mogadishu January 1, 2014. Credit: REUTERS/Feisal Omar

An attack on Kenyan shopping mall in September that killed dozens of people highlighted the militants' ability to strike beyond Somalia's borders. - Reuters.

DISASTER IMPACT: Somali Region Appeals For Aid After Cyclone - UN Says As Many As 30,000 Need Help; Over 300 Dead; "Countless" Die-Off Of Animals; Entire Villages Destroyed; Roads And Homes Washed Away!

November 15, 2013 - SOMALIA - Somalia's semi-autonomous region of Puntland has declared a state of emergency and is appealing for international aid after floods triggered by a cyclone killed at least 300 people and left hundreds missing.

The UN said some 30,000 people were in need of food, water, shelter and medical supplies, according to government estimates. Puntland's government has described the situation as a "disaster".

A cyclone that hit Somalia's north-eastern Puntland region at the weekend is known to have killed over
300 people and has caused extensive flooding. Many areas have been cut off. News and pictures
of the devastation are slowly emerging.

Thousands of livestock also died, and hundreds of homes were destroyed by the cyclone, known as 03A.
This man lost the majority of his flock, with 400 out of his 431 goats dying.

Camels too were affected by the surging waters. This camel was stuck in the mud and was
successfully rescued by young men using ropes.

Puntland forms the tip of the Horn of Africa and has its own government, but unlike neighbouring Somaliland, it has not declared independence from Somalia, which has been unstable since 1991 when President Siad Barre was overthrown.

Al Jazeera's Mohammed Adow, reporting from Puntland, said the situation was "grim" and that entire villages had been washed away by "raging floods".

He said the death toll was likely to rise as most of the affected villages were still cut off by the water.

"Aid is not reaching affected villages because of the damage done to infrastructure. [There are] long queues of stranded vehicles" on both sides of the road between the capital Garowe and the key port city of Bossaso.

'Livestock lost'

Our correspondent said large stretches of the road had been damaged and that officials had been sent on foot to try to reach affected areas.

"Torrential rains, high wind speeds and flooding has created a state of emergency, with 300 persons feared dead, hundreds others unaccounted for, and countless livestock lost," the government said in a statement.

The death toll could not be independently verified, but weather experts from the UN Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) confirmed flooding was severe.

A major bridge on the highway between the inland town of Garowe and coastal Bossasso was washed away.

It took several days for aid to reach one of the worst-affected areas, Karhis - between the districts of
Dangoroyo and Eyl - which rarely receives rain.

Puntland marines distributed dates, nutritious biscuits and sugar to those left destitute by the floods. This
family lost most of their possessions in the raging waters that swept away their compound of huts.

This woman, who thanked the marines for the food they gave her, said she had been separated from her family.
She also lost 90 goats in the floods.

Journalist Ahmed Awil Jama said about half a kilometre from where the marines were distributing food,
it was too dangerous to travel because of the fast-moving water. The authorities have appealed to
international aid agencies to help with air-drops of relief supplies, including clean water,
non-perishable food, tents, blankets and medicines.

"Given that Puntland is a semi-arid region, it rarely rains but when it does, to an extent we have seen... the impact is devastating," Hussein Gadain, a senior FAO technical adviser, said

Infamous pirate hotspots such as the port of Eyl - from where Somali men have launched attacks far out into the Indian Ocean - are some of the worst affected.


WATCH: Somali region appeals for aid after cyclone.

"Many fishermen are missing and feared dead, the storm has destroyed entire villages, homes, buildings, and boats," the statement added.

The World Food Programme said it was "working closely" with local authorities "to assess the needs in Puntland in the aftermath of the cyclone". - Al Jazeera.

EXTREME WEATHER: Powerful Tropical Cyclone Unleashes High Wind Speeds And Flooding In Somalia - As Many As 100 Dead; Scores Injured Along The Coast Of Puntland State; National Disaster Emergency Declared!

November 12, 2013 - SOMALIA - As many as, 100 people are believed dead in Somalia's northeastern region of Puntland after a powerful tropical cyclone storm unleashed high wind speeds and flooding that washed away hundreds of houses and livestock across its path along the vast coast of Puntland State, Garowe Online reports.

FILE PHOTO: Previous Somali flooding.

Puntland President Abdirahman Mohamed Farole who Monday held a press conference in Puntland Capital of Garowe has declared, a "Natural Disaster Emergency" in the worst-hit areas of the state and called for immediate response to the calamity, urging the international aid agencies to organize emergency supply delivery via airdrops.

He said, as the storm pattern is expected to expand further inland and continue up to Wednesday, there would be substantially more casualties if the much-needed relief efforts are not coordinated properly soon.

The government said in statement that many people are without access to food, water and medical care, endangering more lives in the aftermath of the tropical cyclone storm.

According to the government press statement, the storm made landfall in the vast coastal area of Puntland, particularly between Eyl, Beyla, Dangorayo and Hafun districts along the eastern coast to Alula district at the tip of the horn of Africa.

Local reports add that faraway Bari regional district of Alula and a number of nearby fishing villages have been witnessing massive destruction and loss of life since Saturday when cyclones with life-threatening flooding began to wreak extraordinary damages in Somalia's northeastern coastal towns and villages along the Indian Ocean.

Reliable sources tell Garowe Online News Agency that nomadic communities remain most affected by the storm and Puntland government has began to deploy teams who would handle the victims amid struggle for survival and set up makeshift evacuation shelters and command posts for the people displaced by the storm surge.

Puntland Disaster Management and Rescue Committee which has been appointed today by President Farole and International NGO's have not confirmed the latest death toll and GO was unable to independently confirm the accurate number of casualty figures. - All Africa.