Citizen Journalist: #floods

Showing posts with label #floods. Show all posts

Thursday, November 3, 2022

Floods and stormy weather batter Britain, temperatures plummet below freezing point in many rural parts of the north

Numerus flood warnings are in place for areas like Yeovil, Derby, and the Lake District and London suburbs. Warning of a yellow thunderstorm is there for London, the south and parts of Wales. Storm Claudio has been lashing parts of the country, causing chaos on the roads and in coastal towns. The Met department issued more than 20 separate flood alerts across the nation, apart from yellow weather warnings for parts of the south east of England and North West Scotland. Residents should install flood protection measures to reduce the impact of the floods. In London, heavy rain fell overnight with rise in river levels. There are possibilities of floods in low-lying land, roads and riverside gardens and disruption in rail services. Flooding has led to closure of many stations. Signal failure due to floods has contributed to the agonies of the travelers. UK weather: Britain wakes up to widespread flooding and warnings after night of downpours.

In such a scenario, people have to be prepared to face floods and associated travel problems. These could be due to various reasons like signal failure or cars struggling to navigate surrounding roads. Meanwhile, forecasters have warned Brits to be prepared to "get their ice scrapers out" and prepare for frost to cover this week. Temperatures could drop to below freezing in many rural parts of the north tonight before plummeting further to -2C. Areas in the South will need to brace for chilly nights in the low single figures, as a November chill finally arrives following an unseasonably warm spell. Motorists have to be careful of the freezing temperatures ahead. As the Met Office said in a tweet - "Some of us may need our ice scrapers in the next few days as temperatures dip close to freezing."

Thursday, October 13, 2022

Australia in the fury of floods with homes in Melbourne flooded, forecast says rivers will remain dangerously high for days

Melbourne happens to be the second-most populous city of Australia. Its population is around 5 million. The authorities advised some residents to move out of the suburb in northwest of Melbourne. There are similar instructions for hundreds in the Victoria state cities of Benalla and Wedderburn. Hundreds of homes in Victoria were flooded and many more remain isolated by floodwater. In the words of Victoria Premier Daniel Andrews - most of the state was experiencing a “very, very, significant rainfall event and it comes, of course, with the ground completely sodden.” The forecast of the Met department is of more rain throughout the next six-to-eight week period. Obviously, people will have to endure the situation for some more time. Daniel Andrews also mentioned about many homes without power. Homes Inundated by Swollen Rivers in Australian Floods. The State Emergency Service carried out more than 100 flood rescues in Victoria in the past 48 hours.

Last month the Bureau of Meteorology declared that a La Niña weather pattern, usually associated with above-average rainfall in eastern Australia, was underway in the Pacific. It said that the La Niña event may peak during the current Southern Hemisphere spring and return to neutral conditions early next year. Incidentally, La Niña is the cooler flip side of the better-known drying El Niño pattern. It is the third La Niña since 2019 when Australia became the hottest and driest year on record. That year witnessed wildfires fueled by drought that directly or indirectly led to the death of hundreds of people, destruction of hundreds of homes and loss of millions of acres of woods, farmland and city fringes. Sydney, the capital of New South Wales and the largest city of Australia beat its 1950 record last week to make 2022 its wettest-ever year.

Monday, October 10, 2022

At least 25 people dead in central Venezuela landslide after days of torrential rain and floods

Flooding and days of torrential rain has led to landslide that swept through a town in central Venezuela near Caracas, the capital. It left at least 25 people dead with reports of more than 52 people are also missing. It happened after the banks of five small rivers burst after relentless rain. The cascading waters along with rainfall from surrounding mountains deposited large amounts of mud, rocks, debris and large trees through neighborhoods. Vice president Delcy Rodriguez of Venezuela said one of the worst hit areas was the community of Tejerias. This is located about 40 miles southwest of Caracas. These led to damages to businesses and farmland. The force of the moving water carried away the pumps normally used to power the community's drinking water system. At least 25 killed as landslide caused by floods tears through Venezuelan town. These deaths bring the total number of lives lost in recent weeks to at least 40. The reason is the heavy rains due to the La Nina weather pattern.

The priority for the administration now is to locate people still trapped under mud and rocks throughout the town. In the meantime. The military and rescue personnel are trying to locate survivors. The vice president speaking from a flooded street in Tejerias said - "We have lost boys, girls. What has happened in the town of Tejerias is a tragedy." The state television channel carried images of muddy streets filled with tangled tree branches and large rocks. It seems one of the flooded rivers, the El Pato, swept away several houses and shops.

Tuesday, September 27, 2022

Hurricane Ian struck the western tip of the island, left millions of Cubans without power and is headed towards Florida

The hurricane knocked out power across all of Cuba. Initially, there was loss of power in the western provinces, but later the entire grid collapsed. That meant nearly 11 million people were left without electricity. Hurricane Ian made landfall as a Category 3 storm and devastated Pinar del Rio province. That meant destruction of large numbers of the country's most important tobacco farms. The authorities had to arrange evacuation of tens of thousands of people as the disaster left behind damaged houses and floods. The US National Hurricane Center said Cuba suffered "significant wind and storm surge impacts." The hurricane had struck with top sustained winds of 125mph and it could gain strength as it moves over the Gulf of Mexico and nears the southwestern coast of Florida. Already orders are given for millions of people of Florida to leave. Hurricane Ian leaves 11 million in Cuba without electricity as it heads towards Florida. Warning is given to residents as well as holidaymakers to take precautions and not be complacent. This is because the hurricane could become a Category 4 storm, with wind speeds of 140mph across the whole state.

Deanne Criswell, spokeswoman for the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), held an emergency briefing at the White House. She summed up the grim situation and said - “The storm surge is going to be significant, and you put 20 inches of rain on top of that…. We are talking about impacts in parts of Florida that haven't seen a major direct impact in nearly 100 years." Incidentally, Hurricane Ian is heading towards the Florida Keys. This is a popular holiday destination consisting several islands, some less than a mile wide. US President Joe Biden cancelled a planned trip and called mayors in three Florida cities to assure them federal support is ready to deploy food, fuel and shelter. FEMA has already set up 29 emergency community shelters. Ron DeSantis, the governor of Florida, has declared a state of emergency and urged residents to be prepared. There are predictions of floods for much of the Florida peninsula midweek. This could lead to heavy rainfall for the southeast of the US later this week.

Monday, September 5, 2022

Catastrophic floods devastate Pakistan with death toll nearly 1300, hundreds of thousands of people are living in relief camps

The flood situation in Pakistan is grim. Death toll is nearly 1,300 even as relief operations continue. Humanitarian aid in the form of basic necessities like food, shelter, medicines are the need of the hour. Aid has started to flow in from a number of countries. The first such assistance flight from France has landed in Islamabad. Innumerable number of people are forced to live in relief camps across Balochistan, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Sindh, and Punjab. Agencies of the government as well as private NGOs are continuing with their relief operations. These are described as a "humanitarian disaster of epic proportions." Large portions of the country continue to be submerged under water. This is especially in the provinces of Balochistan, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Sindh in the south. On a rough estimate, nearly 1.5 million houses have suffered damages. Moreover, a large number of livestock has perished in the floods. 1,300 Dead In Pakistan's Devastating Floods, Over 5 Lakh Displaced.

Initial estimate of the damages have been put at USD 10 billion. However, international organizations are carrying out surveys. More than 700,000 families have received a lump some cash relief (per family). An amount of ₹ 18.25 billion has been already been disbursed on this account. Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif went to a social media platform and wrote - "Despite challenges, Benazir Income Support Programme rolled out its operations within no time.” The authorities have called on the international community to support Pakistan. They have also assured the nation that the government would try to bring back normalcy at the earliest. The floods have drowned nearly a third of the country and affected more than 33 million people. The natural calamity came after four heatwaves and multiple raging forest fires. These highlight the effects of climate change in this part of Asia.

Wednesday, August 31, 2022

The Midwest and the South of the U.S. faced severe storms, damaging winds, heavy rains and flash floods

Three people died due to severe storms accompanied by damaging winds, heavy rains and flash floods in parts of the Midwest and the South. The dead included a couple of two children in Michigan and Arkansas apart of a woman in Ohio. Loss of power led to cancellation of classes in many schools as well as problems to hundreds of thousands of homes and businesses in Indiana and Michigan. One of the girls killed in the Michigan City was a 14-year-old who was electrocuted in the backyard of her home. She had come into contact with an electrical line knocked down by a thunderstorm. In the Detroit-area community of Warren, two boys were hospitalized. One of them touched a power line that was down. Moreover, in Arkansas, an 11-year-old boy lost his life after being swept into a storm drain during heavy rainfall. A woman who tried to help the child was also pulled from the drain and had to be moved to a hospital for treatment. 3 killed, including 2 children, after severe storms hit the Midwest and South.

The National Weather Service revealed that slow-moving thunderstorms brought heavy rainfall to the area and caused localized flash floods. An official of the weather service in Tulsa, Oklahoma, said – “Those heavy rains, when they fell, a lot of them fell really quickly and in a short time." In Ohio, a woman lost her life after a tree fell on her behind her home in Toledo. At that time, a strong storm had passed through the area. Threw were widespread storms in Michigan, Ohio and Indiana. High speed winds downed branches of trees and power lines at different locations. Mississippi Gov. Tate Reeves declared a state of emergency after excessive rainfall added to the problems in one of the water-treatment plants. It caused to low water pressure through much of the capital city. Incidentally, a swollen Pearl River led to floods in Jackson. It happened after storms dumped heavy rain. The flooding in Mississippi was less severe than flooding that caused death and destruction recently in Kentucky. At the time, the floods left at least 39 dead and robbed thousands of families of all of their possessions.

Tuesday, August 30, 2022

Greenland is losing ice at a fast rate with global sea level rise

A study in the Nature Climate Change journal reveals widespread loss of ice from Greenland. The extent of loss could result in global sea level rise of nearly a foot. There is no apparent way to prevent this from happening even if the world stopped releasing planet-heating emissions immediately. The overall loss could trigger at least 10 inches of sea level rise, irrespective of the climate warming scenarios. That would be a matter of concern because it would be equal to the total rise over the last century from Greenland, Antarctica and thermal expansion. Researchers from the Geological Survey of Denmark and Greenland made note of changes in ice-sheet volume in and around Greenland. It seems meltwater runoff was the primary driver. Subsequently, relying on "well-established theory," they rang the danger bells. The Greenland ice sheet -- equivalent to 110 trillion tons of ice -- will cease to exist as the ice sheet reacts to the changes that have already occurred. Greenland ice losses set to raise global sea levels by nearly a foot, new research shows. The authors did not specify a timeline but their prediction is that the change in sea levels can occur by the end of the century.

Massive sheets of ice sheets can melt at a fast rate when the air temperature is warm. Moreover, the warmer ocean water also erodes the sheet around the edges. Incidentally, a current report released earlier this year by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration cautions that coastal regions of the United States could expect 10 to 12 inches of sea level rise in the next three decades. This could mean increase in the frequency of high tide floods and storm surges would spread further inland. In case all the ice melted, it would lift sea levels by roughly 25 feet around the world. This extent of sea level rise could leave some places devastated. The amount of ice that melted in Greenland between July 15 and 17 alone was approximately 6 billion tons of water per day. That is a whole lot of water.

Thursday, August 25, 2022

Severe rain and floods kill more than 900 in Pakistan

Pakistan is passing through a crisis. It witnessed severe rains and flooding this summer. The country’s Minister for Climate Change told a section of the media that Pakistan needs international assistance. It is a "humanitarian disaster" and thousands have no shelter and food. The communication lines have broken and people do not have the basic amenities. The death toll has crossed 900 and the dead include 326 children. Heavy monsoon rains and floods since June have affected more than 2.3 million people in the country. This is as per the United Nations' Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs OCHA. It reveals at least 95,350 homes are destroyed. Most affected regions are the southeastern province of Sindh and the southwestern province of Balochistan. Over 900 killed by Pakistan monsoon rains and floods, including 326 children. Apart from loss of livestock, nearly 1,864 miles of roads and 129 bridges are damaged. These have cut off access to many flood-affected areas.

The governmental National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) of Pakistan wants international funding for flood relief, rehabilitation, and the reconstruction of damaged infrastructure. Sherry Rehman, Minister for Climate Change, spoke at the NDMA briefing. She compared the situation to record flooding in 2010. She also mentioned about the "unprecedented humanitarian disaster" in parts of Balochistan and the Sindh region. The forecast is of more heavy rain and floods. Schools in Balochistan and Sindh will remain closed in anticipation of a fresh spell of monsoon rain expected towards the end of the week. China indicated that it would provide emergency humanitarian aid to Pakistan. These would include tents apart from cash. Monsoon rains are not new to Pakistan but this year was an exception. About 15 inches of rain poured down in the course of a few hours in Pakistan's largest city, Karachi. This July was the wettest in three decades.

Thursday, August 18, 2022

Heavy rainfall after days of hot, dry weather leads to floods across England and Wales

Parts of Scotland received a week's rainfall in just 24 hours. Heavy rainfall has led to flooded roads across England and Wales. These downpours have come after a long stretch of hot, dry weather in the UK. The Met Office on its part issued yellow thunderstorms warnings cautioning against travel disruption, power cuts and lightning. The Environment Agency has issued several flood alerts for some areas of Midlands and England. South-east England faced the longest heatwave in 15 years with temperatures crossing the threshold of 82F on nine consecutive days. The heavy rain resulted in flooding on tracks in the area and speed restrictions had to be imposed in some place for safety. Videos on the social media revealed the difficult conditions people had to face. UK weather: Thunderstorms warning as heavy rain hits and roads flood. An official of the BBC Weather explained that there is heavy rain in August but in this case, it probably “causing problems as a result of how dry it's been in the lead up."

In Scotland, surface water was affecting many routes and the authorities urged motorists to take care. In Somerset, there is more than 50 tonnes of mud on the road following a recent mudslide. That has to be removed to allow movement of traffic. Moreover, a suspected lightning strike had caused signaling problems and power failure. These left many people stranded on trains with corresponding delays. There is a warning for swimmers. They have to be careful of sewage and pollution at beaches along the English coastlines. There is a caution for flash floods in some areas. The Met Office advised those who live in an area prone to flooding to "have a grab bag with things like water and insurance details and anything you might need, ready to go."

Wednesday, August 10, 2022

Floods in Seoul take lives, paralyzes the city – another instance of climate crisis

Torrential rainfall led to floods and landslides as Seoul witnessed death of at least nine persons. Forecasters cautioned about more rain to come. Three died when they were trapped in a flooded semi-basement. Many others suffered injuries and whereabouts of at least seven more are not known. Record rainfall kills at least 9 in Seoul as water floods buildings, submerges cars. The authorities have evacuated hundreds of people and made available aid in the form of tents, blankets and other essentials. They have also launched cleanup and rescue operations. This is because of damages to houses, shops, retaining walls and other pieces of infrastructure.

The rainfall recorded was the highest since authorities began keeping records in 1907. Photos in social media showed people wading across roads up to their thighs in water. In parts of Seoul, there was blockage of drains. These led to travel problems in the streets and subway stations. The Seoul Metro suspended services in some portions because of the floods. Damages included crumbling of parts of pavement apart from damaged vehicles that were swept up by floodwater. Loss of power left many without power in some areas south of the Han River. Yoon Suk Yeol, president of South Korea sent condolences to the victims. He also assured about conducting an on-site inspection and work to prevent additional damage. He realized the need to review the disaster management system. This is necessary in view of increasing instances of climate crisis. Countries in East Asia are experiencing more intense rainfall. The summer monsoons could grow stronger and more unpredictable due to global warming. This is according to the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change. Parts of Japan also faced similar situation as parts of Hokkaido reporting floods with possibilities of flash floods and landslides.

Monday, August 1, 2022

Floods in Kentucky leave at least 28 dead

Kentucky is a state of the United States. It has the Ohio River in the north and the Appalachian Mountains in the east. Heavy rains in the region have devastated the eastern parts of Kentucky and floods have taken a heavy toll of lives. The authorities confirmed loss of lives of at least 28 people. The figure could increase as more rains threaten the region. Andy Beshear, Governor of Kentucky confirmed death of at least four children. He added that more bodies have been recovered but details have yet to come out. At least 28 dead in devastating Kentucky flooding, with more expected, governor says.

The Governor also mentioned about "widespread damage" that displaced thousands of people. There are reports of power outages for thousands apart from washed out roads that have affected travel. Many homes are destroyed and schools are flooded. He would visit some of the regions to see for himself the impact of the floods. There are more rains forecast and search and rescue teams have been deployed to locate those who are reported to be missing. So far, aircraft and boats have rescued more than 600 people. Incidentally, the destruction in Kentucky is the latest extreme flooding event to take place in the U.S. in less than a week. Las Vegas witnessed heavy downpours coupled with flash floods. These led to rise in water levels on the road and parking garages in busy parts of city. It seems the mega drought in the region has dried up the soil. As a result, the region became so dry that it could not absorb the heavy rains. That factor probably contributed to the flooding. Kentucky is trying to establish shelters. Last week, President Joe Biden has already approved a disaster declaration.

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Monday, March 7, 2022

Deadly tornado kills seven in Iowa, millions under threat of storms from Atlanta to Philadelphia

Parts of the United States face threats of storms after a tornado left seen people dead in Iowa. The dead included two children, and dozens of homes felt the impact. Media reports say the storms could affect millions of people from Atlanta to Philadelphia. The main threats would come in the form of isolated tornadoes and damaging winds. There would also be heavy rain especially across the Ohio River Valley. The authorities have issued flood warnings. This is because of continuous rainfall in the region over the past two weeks. That has saturated the soil and it would mean floods.

It is necessary for people to take advance action and be prepared to face such situations. There could be power failures and powerful torches, batteries and electrical generators could help. Knowledge on location of storm shelters and medical facilities are important. Climatic disturbances like tornadoes and heavy rainfall would make travel difficult. In fact, residents should avoid going out and stock up on essentials like food, clean water, and medicines.

Source -

edition.cnn.com dated 7 March 2022

Monday, May 29, 2017

Floods in Sri Lanka leave a trail of 164 dead and 104 missing

The devastating floods and landslides which hit Sri Lanka have left at least 164 dead with another 104 still missing as per information furnished by the Disaster Management Centre. More than 400,000 people have been affected by the severe rains and strong winds that began on May 24. Over 100,000 people have been relocated.
Those who were residing in low lying areas towards southern Sri Lanka were advised to evacuate because of threats of rivers overflowing because the Met department had warned on still more rains accompanied by strong winds.
This has been reported in thestatesman.com dated 28 May 2017.

The Met Department clarified that the depression in the east central Bay of Bengal had intensified in to a Cyclonic storm "MORA" and was gradually moving away from the island. However, under its influence, thee would be cloudy skies, and windy and showery conditions all over the country. The winds could reach up to 80kmph.
Aid has continued to pour into Sri Lanka and rescue teams continue with their search and rescue operations while other teams were engaged in distributing dry ration and food to those who were stranded in their houses that had been inundated by water.

Image courtesy wikimediacommons.org

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Monday, December 5, 2016

Floods in Thailand kill 14 and tourism sector badly hit

Floods in Thailand have killed 14 people and has also adversely affected southern holiday islands because the December-January period is high season for tourism who want to spend their Christmas and New Year in the exotic locations.
It seems a low pressure system has brought heavy rain to parts of the south that include the islands of Samui and Pha Ngan in the Gulf of Thailand. Floods have also severed the rail link to the south and Malaysia.
This has been reported in thehindu.com dated 6 December 2016.

Tourism has been a rare bright spot for the economy of the country that has struggled to gain traction since the army seized power in a bloodless coup in 2014 and put an end to months of political unrest. As per National Disaster Warning Centre, a total of 14 Thai people have lost their lives in various accidents that have been caused by the weather in different parts of the south.
Southbound trains have been halted in between because of flooding. Some areas have seen 447 mm of precipitation in the past 7 days - this is 380 mm more than the average for this time of year.
December is usually the beginning of the dry season when tourists arrive on palm fringed beaches to celebrate Christmas and New Year and the tourism ministry expects a record 32.4 million arrivals this year. But - the weather is playing truant. It may be recalled that widespread floods in 2011 had taken a heavy toll of more than 900 people and caused major disruption to industry.

Image courtesy wikimediacommons.org

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Tuesday, September 27, 2016

Tourist season in Kaziranga National Park to start from October 1 instead of November 1

The government of Assam has announced that Kaziranga National Park would be thrown open for tourists from October 1 this year instead of November 1. The gates would be opened by Assam Forest Minister. The date for opening of the national park, famous for its one-horned rhino population, has been advanced this year as per the instructions of Assam Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal in August.
This has been reported in thestatesman.com dated 27 September 2016.

The elephant rides and jeep rides would be made available for tourists from October 1 but, there will be restrictions on the total distance of the Jeep Safari circuit because of ongoing repair works inside the park.
Due to severe floods in last two months, more than 80 percent of the park was submerged. The floods have washed away some small bridges inside the park and damaged the roads inside to a large extent.
Work is going on at a fast pace to meed the deadline. Normally the park is opened for tourists on November 1 and it gets closed on April 30 every year. Initially, only Western range, Bagori range, Central range and Kohora range would be opened for the tourists. Repair work on the roads in going and, once all the works are completed, the other ranges would also be opened for tourists.
The main attraction of the park is the one-horned rhino population. However, tourists also come to see the tigers, elephants, water buffaloes, hog deer, bear and other wildlife species apart from reptiles and winged species.

Image courtesy wikimediacommons.org

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Thursday, September 22, 2016

Hyderabad flooded due to heavy rains, two men reported killed

Hyderabad is faced with a flood situation following heavy rains in city that have disrupted normal life as water entered low-lying areas to create huge traffic blocks at most of the important locations and junctions. It forced many people to vacate their houses.
This has been reported in timesofindia.indiatimes.com dated 23 September 2016.

The usually dry Musi river is now in spate due to unrelenting rain that Hyderabad has seen over the past few days. The flooding has resulted in inundation of areas on the river bank. The river originates in the Anantagiri Hills near Vikarabad and flows through vast stretches of Hyderabad. Irrigation officials have already opened eight flood gates of the Musi project in Nalgonda to allow the water to flow downstream.
Due to the heavy rains, roads have caved in at two different places bringing traffic to a crawl.
Met department has predicted that rains would continue for the next three days with similar intensity. This is attributed to a cyclonic formation over the west-central Bay of Bengal.

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Friday, July 29, 2016

Floods and landslides in Nepal leave at least 77 dead

The toll in floods and landslides in Nepal have reached 77 with hundreds of others forced to flee their homes as torrential monsoon rains wreaked havoc in the country and army had to be deployed for rescue and relief operations. The heavy rains have resulted in massive floods and landslides in many parts of the country, putting thousands of lives at risk.
This has been reported in thestatesman.com dated 29 July 2016.

Incessant rains have swept away many houses and bridges and, apart from the 77 dead, another nine persons are still missing. The worst-hit district was Pyuthan. In this district, at least 36 have died and dozens of houses have been swept away. Moreover, nearly 200 families have been displaced due to floods and landslides.
Floods have also swept away four micro-hydropower projects and majority of the affected people were earthquake victims who were living in quake-damaged houses after repair. Tens of thousands of Nepalese continue to live in tents following last year's devastating earthquakes that killed nearly 9,000 people.

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Thursday, July 28, 2016

Global warming and rise in sea level could take its toll on US military bases

Global warming is set to present a major problem to the US military because many of its bases located along the Atlantic Ocean and Gulf of Mexico will be increasingly vulnerable to floods and power-packed storms as the planet warms. This has been indicated in the report by the Union of Concerned Scientists that covered 18 military bases. The research concluded that the military could risk losing land and strategic assets in the coming decades due to sea level rise.
This has been reported in thestatesman.com dated 28 July 2016.

In the opinion of the team, by the year 2050, most of these sites will see more than 10 times the number of floods they experience today. ... in 2070, all but a few are projected to see flooding once or twice every day. And, the worst part is that these are not the worst-case scenarios.
The sea level rise will have its effect on US bases from Florida to Maine. The assumptions are that there would be a moderate rate of ice sheet melt that will continue to increases over a period of time with an ultimate rise of 3.7 feet above 2012 levels, globally, by the end of this century.
Another scenario, assumed a "more rapid ice sheet loss and projects an ultimate rise of 6.3 feet above 2012 levels" across the planet by the year 2100.

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Monday, July 25, 2016

Floods in Assam affect Rhino homelands in Kaziranga National Park

Floods in Assam affect Rhino homelands in Kaziranga National Park The floods in Assam has been described as critical with the Brahmaputra river overflowing in several districts. As a result, houses have been submerged and agricultural fields affecting nearly 12.5 lakh people and inundating Kaziranga National Park which is the homeland of rhinos.
An adult male rhino drowned in a river in the park due to the floods and its carcass with its horn intact was recovered near Siga camp under Agoratoli camp. This was close on the heels of another such dead rhino which had been found there two days ago.
This has been reported in timesofindia.indiatimes.com dated 25 July 2016.

Assam State Disaster Management Authority (ASDMA) has confirmed that the deluge has washed away large portions of the main roads in Morigaon, Jorhat and Dibrugarh districts and has snapped road communications apart from breaching river embankments in Kokrajhar, Jorhat, Bongaigaon, Dibrugarh and Golaghat districts. As a result, water has rushed into vast tracks of human habitation.
The Brahmaputra and its tributaries are said to be overflowing in 18 districts of the state, flooding Rhino homelands in Kaziranga National Park and Pobitora Wild Life Sanctuary. Five hog deer were killed by speeding vehicles when they were crossing NH-37 from the Park towards highlands of Karbi Anglong district. There are 16 animal corridors on the NH-37 through which various types of animals from the Park side cross over to Karbi Anglong hills during floods.

Image courtesy wikimediacommons.org

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Friday, July 22, 2016

Floods in China leave more than 40 dead

China is faced with floods because of intense seasonal downpours across the country and it is believed to be the country's worst flooding in years. As per official figures, at least 42 people have died and 74 are missing. Emergency and rescue teams are struggling to help provide assistance to the needy.
This has been reported in news.sky.com dated 22 July 2016.

Relief workers have been dispatched to central China's Henan province where fifteen people are reported to have died and eight more are missing. Authorities are making efforts to rebuild a section of a dyke along a branch of the Yangtze river in Hubei province. This is one of the worst hit areas where flash floods have led to evacuation of thousands of people.
Economic costs of the flooding has already risen to hundreds of millions of pounds and President Xi Jinping has said that the country needs to be prepared for more hardship to come and warned officials that, if found negligent in their duties, they will be severely punished.

Image courtesy wikimediacommons.org

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