Tens of Thousands Hit by Waterborne Diseases as S. Asia’s Deadly Floods Recede

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More deaths and diseases follow the deadly floods in S. Asia

Outbreaks of malaria, dengue, diarrhea and respiratory infections have hit tens of thousands of people in Bangladesh, India and Nepal as the waters from the worst floods in recent years recede, aid agencies have said.

Severe floods have killed up to 1,500 people in South Asia since July, leaving tens of thousands displaced, in open air.

About 40,000 people have been infected in Bangladesh and Nepal, while multiple communities have been entirely wiped out in India’s eastern state of Bihar, Save the Children said.

An estimated 17 million children need protection, healthcare and basic nutrition in India alone, the agency said.

Deadly Floods, Landslides Displace or Impact Millions across South Asia

Deadlier than average monsoon rains wreak havoc in India, Nepal and Bangladesh

Incessant rains have destroyed roads, bridges and other public infrastructure, washed away crops and killed scores of people and farm animals across South Asia.

The floods have ruined hundreds of thousands of homes, affecting or displacing up to 10 million people, according to local news.

Sierra Leone mudslide

The death toll in Sierra Leone mudslide has passed 500, with at least 600 others still missing.

Congo

Meanwhile, a massive landslide in eastern Congo buried a village last week, and may have killed hundreds of people.

Additional information on increasing threats of landslides in central and west and Africa are available from FIRE-EARTH PULSARS.

Sri Lanka Hit by a Deadly Double Whammy

Sri Lanka’s deadly floods exacerbate dengue crisis, warns Save the Children – more rainfall forecast

Hundreds killed or missing, and about 500,000 are displaced in the flooding and mudslides triggered by incessant rains, authorities said.

Meanwhile, a surge of dengue fever cases have been reported by NGOs with 53,000 dengue fever cases recorded across the country since January.

“The humanitarian situation in Sri Lanka right now is alarming. The impact of these early monsoon season downpours has been far more devastating than what we’d normally expect this time of year,” said Save the Children Country Director in Sri Lanka.

“We’re particularly worried we could start seeing a further increase in the number of dengue cases because of the stagnant water that the floods will leave in their wake, which is the last thing needed by families and communities that have already lost so much.”

Additional Information:

• http://reliefweb.int/organization/save-children

Deadly Floods, Landslides Affect 3.7 Million People in S. China

Dozens dead or missing, 200,000 displaced in southern China floods three days

Floods, landslides and mudslides have left dozens of people dead or missing and at least 197,000 others displaced in southern China since Saturday, according to the Ministry of Civil Affairs.

According to the Ministry, by 9 a.m. Monday, about 3.7 million people in seven provinces, including Hubei and Sichuan, and Chongqing Municipality, had been affected by the disasters.

Extreme weather events has destroyed thousands of homes and 20,900 hectares of crops, with the direct economic losses estimated at about US$407.9 million, the officials said.

In northwest China’s Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, at least 13,000 people were displaced after torrential rains battered region , the report said.

’14 dead in floods, hailstorms across 3 Chinese provinces’

“Floods and landslides have caused 13 deaths in southwest China’s Guizhou Province and central China’s Hunan Province while a hailstorm had killed one in northern Shanxi Province as of Thursday morning, the Ministry of Civil Affairs said.

“Guizhou has reported nine fatalities and nine missing with about 65,600 people evacuated, due to heavy rainfall and landslides this month, said the ministry in a statement.

“Hunan has confirmed that four people have died, six remain missing and 157,000 people have been evacuated, while Shanxi reported one death and one missing, the statement said.

Floods Destroy or Damage Thousands of Homes in Java, Leave Dozens Dead or Missing

Deadly floods, landslides wreak havoc across central Java, Indonesia

Dozens of people were killed and dozens more were reported missing in floods and landslides that hit 16 districts in Central Java, the National Disaster Mitigation Agency (BNPB) said.

“The natural disasters were triggered by heavy rain which fell since Saturday afternoon until mid night,” the National Disaster Mitigation Agency (BNPB) said

Floods and landslides in Central Java have severely affected the following areas: Purworejo, Banjarnegara, Kendal, Sragen, Purbalingga, Banyumas, Sukoharjo, Kebumen, Wonosobo, Pemalang, Klaten, Magelang, Wonogiri, Cilacap, Karanganyar and Kota Solo, Antara reported.

Powerful Tornado Destroys Dozens of Homes in Chiba, Japan

Tornado tears through central Japan

A powerful tornado tore through central Japan, destroying or damaging more than 100 homes and injuring about a dozen people in Chiba city, near Tokyo.

The tornado reportedly uprooted scores of utility posts, and damaged cars and trains.

Meanwhile, Tropical Storm ETAU moved closer to Kii Peninsula, Japan, threatening to dump up to 20 inches of rain on the western part of the Kansai region, which would trigger severe flooding and landslides.

 

Floods, Deadly Mudslides Bury Hundreds of Villages in Bangladesh

¼ Million people stranded in Bangladesh as floods, deadly mudslides bury hundreds of villages

Flash floods and deadly mudslides have drowned hundreds of villages in low-lying areas of Bangladesh, including southeastern districts of Cox’ Bazar, Bandarban and Chittagong, destroying scores of homes and leaving about 250,000 people stranded since June 24.

At least two dozen people have lost their lives and many more are injured, according to reports.

The victims are facing food shortages as well as lack of safe drinking water, and are at the risk of being affected by water-borne diseases, according to the government’s Disaster Management Information Center (DMIC).

Deadly Floods Affect Tens of Thousands in Georgian Capital

Dozens dead or missing in Tbilisi after floods inundate hundreds of homes

Extreme rain events have caused flooding in large portions of the Georgian capital Tbilisi deluging buildings, triggering landslides and leaving dozens of people dead or missing.

The Kura River, which passes through the city, has breached its banks flooding Tbilisi’s zoo, and causing dozens of wild animals to escape.

More than 40 wild animals including bears, lions, jaguars, tigers, wolves… and a hippo are roaming the flood ravaged city.

Authorities have found several dead people and dozens of dead animal in and around the zoo area, according to the social media reports.

 

12 Disaster Zones Declared in NSW, Australia

State of emergency declared in New South Wales amid deadly weather

More than two days of cyclonic storms with pounding rain and gale-force winds  have prompted the NSW premier Mike Baird to  declare disaster in a dozen areas between Sydney’s Northern Beaches and the Hunter Valley in the Australian state of New South Wales (NSW).

The disaster declarations cover Dungog, Newcastle City, Maitland, Cessnock, Gosford, Warringah, Great Lakes, Lake Macquarie, Pittwater, Port Stephens, Singleton and Wyong, said the Baird in a statement.

At least three people were killed in the town of Dungog, north of Newcastle, on Tuesday, and police retrieved the body of a fourth victim near Maitland, north-west of Newcastle, late Wednesday, said a report.

The State Emergency Services (SES) issued an evacuation order for several areas warning residents to leave immediately.

Related Links

• ‘Storm of the Century’ Batters NSW, Killing Three, Destroying Homes  April 21, 2015

‘Storm of the Century’ Batters NSW, Killing Three, Destroying Homes

Deadly storms pound NSW, leave ‘whole streets decimated’

Powerful storms packing “cyclonic” winds  and torrential rains have battered the Australian state of New South Wales (NSW), killing at least three people, destroying many homes, and cutting power to hundreds of thousands of customers.

The deaths occurred in Dungog, where 312mm of rain fell in under 24 hours.

The worst affected areas are Sydney and the regions of Hunter, Central Coast and Illawarra, said officials.

“There is no doubt this is a very severe storm event, indeed it is a once in 10-year event,” said NSW Premier Mike Baird.

“We have lost some homes. There is a number of roofs taken off. We have also lost life. It is a huge storm event that is wreaking havoc across NSW.”

“We haven’t seen this sort of weather pattern, this east coast low or one as severe as this in years,” said SES Deputy Commissioner Steven Pearce told ABC News.

“The consistent gale force winds which are actually cyclonic in some areas with gusts up to 135km/h.”

“I haven’t seen a storm of this magnitude in my time here at the SES and, indeed, this would be the largest storm operation in the last 10 years,” he said.

“We’ve never seen these cyclonic winds last for 24 hours straight. That’s what’s caused the majority of the damage.

Media player: “Space” to play, “M” to mute, “left” and “right” to seek.

“We’ve had over 6,500 requests for assistance and on top of that, with the enormous amount of rainfall – up to 320 millimetres in over 24 hours – we’ve seen about 80 flood rescues. We’ve seen homes washed away, whole streets decimated.”

Latest Global Emergencies – February 2015

7 Million Afghans in need of humanitarian aid

Afghanistan: Some 3,700 civilians were killed and 6,850 others wounded in 2014, a 22% increase in casualties on 2013; there were 21% more women and 40% more children casualties (UNAMA/UNHCHR, 18/02/2015).

About 7 million are in need of humanitarian aid in 2015. Badghis, Helmand, Kunar, Nangarhar, and Wardak most need assistance (UNICEF, 21/01/2015, OCHA, 25/11/2014).

• At least 805,400 IDPs were reported as of January 2015 (UNHCR, 31/12/2014).
• 3.4 million people are severely food insecure, while 5.4 million need access to health services and 1.7 million need protection (IPC, 01/11/2014).
• 517,600 children under five suffer from Severe Acute Malnutrition (SAM), and eight provinces show Global Acute Malnutrition (GAM) rates above 15%, breaching the emergency threshold. (UNICEF, 21/01/2015, OCHA, 31/07/2014).

Meantime, multiple avalanches in Afghanistan have buried more than a dozen villages killing hundreds of people and leaving many missing. The number is expected to rise, officials said.

Bolivia: Drought and Deluge

Drought has destroyed at least 120,000 hectares of soy crops and affecetd an addition 240,000 hectares in the municipalities of Cuatro Cañadas and Pailón in the eastern department of Santa Cruz, said the Association of Oilseed and Wheat Producers (ANAP), said a report.

Meantime, extreme rain events, severe hailstorms and widespread flooding  have affected 54 municipalities in six other Bolivian departments, 30 of which have declared states of emergency, killing dozens of people, affecting up to 100,000 people and destroying more than 8,000 hectares of crops.

Myanmar: Some 90,000 people have been displaced due to continuing violence between government troops and multiple armed groups in Kokang, Shan state. —ACAS

Kenya: The number of reported cholera cases has risen in the past week to 644, from 186. The outbreak was declared in Homa Bay, Migori, and Nairobi counties on 13 February. at least 17 people have died, most in Migori, and there are fears that the outbreak will spread due to the lack of safe drinking water. —ACAS

Nigeria: At least 564 cholera cases have been reported in Nigeria since January, with a fatality of rate of 8.3%. A resurgence of cases has occurred in Kano and Kaduna states. —ACAS

Mozambique and Malawi: Cholera Outbreak – Feb 2015

A cholera outbreak in Mozambique (started on 25 Dec 2014) has been exacerbated by extensive flooding since January 2015. As of 22 Feb, a total of 3,478 cholera cases had been recorded, with a death toll of 37. New cases continue to be reported in the provinces of Nampula, Niassa and Tete. (OCHA, 23 Feb 2015)

Malawi: On 13 Feb, the first confirmed case of cholera was registered in the country, whci borders Mozambique. To date 34 cases, including two deaths, have been confirmed in Nsanje district (all outside displacement sites), while another five cases were confirmed in Mwanza district. (OCHA, 25 Feb 2015)

Dominican Republic:
Heavy rainfall starting in mid-February 2015 caused flooding and landslides in the Dominican Republic. As of 21 Feb, more than 4,000 houses had been affected and 20,000 people were seeking shelter with family and friends. A red alert was in effect for three provinces. (Govt, 21 Feb 2015/Reliefweb/)

Southeast Europe
Torrential rains have caused major flooding in the southern and south-eastern parts of Albania since the beginning of February 2015. Some 42,000 people have been affected, numerous houses have been damaged, more than 3,500 heads of livestock killed, and 17,000 acres of farm land flooded. The Albanian Government is preparing to declare a state of emergency for the worst affected areas. (IFRC, 6 Feb 2015)

Macedonia: Torrential rains and snow melt have caused severe flooding the eastern region of the country. More than 170,000 people have been affected. (ECHO, 6 Feb 2015)

Bulgaria and Greece have also been affected by flooding.

Peru: Torrential rains and hail have triggered flooding and landslides, affecting several parts of Peru including Arequipa, Loreto, Cusco, Amazonas, and San Martin. Since the beginning of February 2015, various districts of the forest areas were under a state of emergency as a result of weeks of rains. In the departments of Loreto and San Martín, more than 30,000 people have been affected and 2,000 are homeless. An orange alert is active for the Amazon River and a red alert is active for other major rivers at the Peruvian jungle. Authorities are coordinating to provide aid to people affected by the ongoing rains, hail, flooding, and landslides. (OCHA, 9 Feb 2015)

Chile: Thousands of hectares of land stretching from northern to southern Chile have been affected by drought for eight years.

In many parts of Chile, January was one of the driest since records began, exacerbating the ongoing drought that started in 2007, said a Chilean meteorologist.

The drought is also hampering copper production, a water-intensive operation, in the world’s largest producer of the metal, said a report.

 

Floods Devastate Malawi, Affecting 638,000 People

Malawi Floods Situation Report  by UNOCHA, UNICEF and FAO

28 January 2015

• Some 638,000 people affected countrywide, according to Department of Disaster Management Affairs/OCHA situation report 23 January 2015

• [More than ¼ million people have been displaced in Malawi floods including] 174,000 in 3 most affected districts—Chikwawa, Nsanje and Phalombe.

• At least 15 of country’s 28 districts are affected.

• 79 deaths have been reported.

• At least 153 people missing in Nsanje District.

• 181 Schools occupied by displaced people (Reports from District Education Managers 26 .01.15)

• An estimated 116,000 households have lost their crops and livestock.

• More than 63,000 hectares of land is submerged under floodwater, including 35,000 hectares of cropland.

• A state of emergency has been declared for 15 of Malawi’s 28 districts.

• Floods have destroyed thousands of homes, washing away scores of livestock, and submerging hundreds of hectares of crops, a senior official said.

• Untold numbers of goats and chickens have perished where waters rose with unexpected speed, raising the risk of livestock disease outbreaks.

FIRE-EARTH Models show that Malawi is facing its worst ever flooding.

Related Links

• Malawi Floods Devastate Half the Country January 17, 2015
• Disaster Declared as Deadly Floods Swamp Third of Malawi January 14, 2015
• Thousands Displaced by Deadly Floods in Malawi January 11, 2015

Malawi Floods Devastate Half the Country

500 Dead or missing, ¼ million displaced in Malawi floods

Malawi floods are a “national tragedy that urgently needs both local and international response,” the president has said.

The floods have devastated half the the country’s 28 districts, destroying thousands of homes, washing away scores of livestock, and submerging hundreds of hectares of crops, a senior official said.

Last week, the Malawi president declared more than a third of the country disaster areas, as torrential rains inundated large swathes of land, destroying crops, homes, roads, railroads and other infrastructure.

“I flew over some parts of the Lower Shire but we could not find anywhere to land,” said the country’s vice president. “It’s a big challenge we have before us.”

“Most of Nsanje and East Bank are submerged under two to three meters of water, which has transformed these vast plains into a giant lake engulfing houses and bridges,” said Doctors Without Borders’ mission head in Malawi’s south, AP reported.

“Sanitation will be compromised now with waterborne diseases such as cholera, dysentery and typhoid likely to occur,” said Malawi’s health ministry spokesman.

“Sanitation will be compromised now with waterborne diseases such as cholera, dysentery and typhoid likely to occur.”

Death and devastation in Mozambique

Malawi shares a river system with neighboring Mozambique, where floods have displaced up to 20,000 families, killing at least 52 people.

Related Links

• Disaster Declared as Deadly Floods Swamp Third of Malawi January 14, 2015
• Thousands Displaced by Deadly Floods in Malawi January 11, 2015

Disaster Declared as Deadly Floods Swamp Third of Malawi

Floods Kill Many in Malawi and Mozambique

At least 52 people have been killed and about 50,000 forced to flee their homes amid severe flooding in Malawi, UNOCHA reported.

Authorities have declared more than a third of the country disaster areas, as torrential rains inundated large swathes of land, destroying crops, homes, roads, railroads and other infrastructure.

Heavy rain is expected to continue for at least another week or so, forecasters said.

“People have fled into schools and churches on higher ground, others are in the open because there is not enough space,” a senior official  told  the AP.

Mozambique

The National Institute for Disaster Management activated institutional orange alert country wide. A total of 9,652 families have been affected, with Maputo city, Gaza, Nampula and Cabo Delgado provinces being most affected.

A group of 25 schoolchildren were swept away by floodwaters earlier this week, said reports.

Zimbabwe

Heavy rains have been falling throughout Zimbabwe since early December 2014. According to the Department of Civil Protection, 11 deaths were reported and over 1,500 people have been affected by rainfall and flooding country-wide.

Related Links

• Thousands Displaced by Deadly Floods in Malawi January 11, 2015

Thousands Displaced by Deadly Floods in Malawi

Deadly floods force thousands out of their homes

At least 6 people are dead and thousands more displaced after severe flooding triggered by extreme rain events submerged large regions across  the southeast African country, nicknamed “The Warm Heart of Africa.”

The disasters have been described as national crisis, but the authorities have yet to declare a state of emergency, said reports.

The extreme weather events have destroyed more than a thousand homes and thousands of hectares of crops.

“The Department of Climate Change and Meteorological Services has warned of high rainfall amounts which will eventually trigger flash floods in the country for the next two to three weeks,” said a report.

Largest ‘Natural Disasters’ in 2014 Cost $110B: Munich Re

2014 Costliest Catastrophes: Cyclone HUDHUD, Storms, Floods, Earthquake, Drought

Some 980 disasters left at least 7,700 people dead globally and cost about $110 billion in damages, according to Munich Re.

The five costliest ‘natural catastrophes’ were Cyclone HUDHUD in India (cost of $7 billion), winter damage in Japan ( $5.9 billion), floods in India & Pakistan ($5.1 billion), earthquake in China ($5 billion) and drought in Brazil ($5 billion), said the reinsurance company based in Munich, Germany.

The greatest losses in North America last year were due to an unusually cold winter, with heavy frost lasting for weeks in many parts of the USA and Canada, as well as heavy snowfalls and blizzards, especially on the East Coast, said a report.

Total cost of damage and the economic loss from a magnitude 6.0 earthquake that struck Napa Valley, California on 24 August was more than $700m.

[Source: Münchener Rückversicherungs – Gesellschaft, Geo Risks Research, NatCatSERVICE]

[NOTE: The above report by Munich Re appears to be limited in scope. FIRE-EARTH]

Disaster Declared in 8 Thai Provinces amid Deadly Floods

CLIMATE CHANGE DISASTERS
EXTREME WEATHER EVENTS
DEADLY FLOODS
MASS DISPLACEMENT
CROP DISASTERS
STATE OF DISASTER DECLARED
SCENARIOS 900, 888, [500,] 477, 444, 117, 111, 071, 070, 066, 047, 027, 025, 023, 022, 012, 011, 09, 02
.

Disaster hits Thailand again!

Deadly floods triggered by Extreme rain events have inundated thousands of villages and communities across southern Thailand, affecting tens of thousands of people and leaving more than a dozen dead or missing, said reports.

The head of military junta in Thailand has declared states of disaster for eight southern provinces of Pattani, Songkhla, Surat Thani, Nakhon Si Thammarat, Phatthalung, Narathiwat, Trang, and Yala, which have been submerged since mid-December, with at least 200,000 households affected.

Deadly floods have forced about 250,000 people out of their homes in Thailand and Malaysia so far this month.

Related Links

• 100,000 People Displaced amid Malaysia’s ‘Worst Ever’ Floods December 25, 2014

100,000 People Displaced amid Malaysia’s ‘Worst Ever’ Floods

CLIMATE CHANGE DISASTERS
EXTREME WEATHER EVENTS
DEADLY FLOODS
MASS DISPLACEMENT
CROP DISASTERS
SCENARIOS 900, 888, [500,] 477, 444, 117, 111, 071, 070, 066, 047, 027, 025, 023, 022, 012, 011, 09, 02
.

Will someone declare state of emergency in Malaysia?

Deadly floods have killed at least 4 people and forced more than 90,000 others to flee their homes across six states in northern Malaysia since last week.

The worst affected areas are the states of Kelantan, Terengganu, Pahang, Perak, Perlis and Kedah.

The Malaysian Prime Minister Najib Razak is “facing heavy criticism over the timing of his holiday abroad amid the worst floods in the country,” said the Malaysian Insider.

He is in Hawaii playing golf with the U.S. Disaster President, according to reports.

“[A]s floods worsen in the country, there has been almost no demonstration of urgency and leadership from the National Security Council chaired by the Prime Minister,” said Malaysia Chronicle, describing the floods as Malaysia’s “worst natural disaster in recent history.”

Related Links

• Thousands Evacuated amid Severe Flooding in LK, MY, TH December 22, 2014

State of Emergency Declared in Martin County, FL due to Coastal Erosion

EXTREME WEATHER & CLIMATIC EVENTS
STORM SURGES
COASTAL FLOODING
HIGH WIND
STATE OF EMERGENCY
MAIN SCENARIOS: 900, [500,] 444, 117, 111, 071, 070, 066, 064, 047, 027, 025, 024, 023, 010, 09, 02
.

Martin County issues emergency proclamation due to coastal erosion

Martin County, Florida has issued an emergency proclamation declaring a state of emergency due to massive waves and high winds that are causing coastal erosion, according to local officials.

“My daughter said it was like a tsunami! The water rushed by our house and into the road,” said a  woman who lives along the beach on Hutchinson Island.

“One massive wave flooded the entire street,” she added.

Martin County is located in the Treasure Coast region of The Sunshine State, and has a population of about 160,000.

The county is included in the Port St. Lucie, FL Metropolitan Statistical Area, which is also included in the Miami-Fort Lauderdale-Port St. Lucie, FL Combined Statistical Area.

The following forecast is reprinted with the permission of our colleagues at EDRO.

Posted by edro on December 7, 2009

What Florida Might Look Like in 2014

The World Is Rapidly Collapsing. To fathom the reasons for world’s rapid collapse, the following basic premises should first be understood:

• The sum total of human activities on the planet is exponentially INCREASING.

• Humans consumptions of energy and resources continue to increase in parallel to its activities.

• Pollution including  greenhouse gas emissions resulting from increased energy consumption is accumulating.

• The increase in the consumption of energy and resources is enlarging humans ecological footprint.

• The impacts of humans’ ever-enlarging ecological footprint and the accumulating pollution have driven most of the planetary-scale ecosystems to the verge of collapse.

• In the absence of any intervention by the forces of nature, the large-scale ecosystem such as the atmosphere, climate, oceans, soil … will completely collapse, rendering the planet unable to support large species.

• We can say with the maximum degree of certainty that in the absence of any ‘remedial action’ by natural forces the state of our planet would progressively worsen [NOT improve] with time.

• Based on the evidence, including enhanced seismic and volcanic activity, WE BELIEVE, the earth is trying to maintain planetary “homeostasis.”

• However, there is a high price to pay for the nature’s balancing act functions.

• Planet earth is effectively becoming “smaller,” less hospitable. The quality of nature’s services are generally deteriorating, becoming more rudimentary

• The effect of Nature’s balancing act functions, as harsh as they may be, should be viewed as desperate last measures: Survival of some, or extinction of all.

EDRO Moderators believe that the impact of global climate change, including extreme rain events, storm tides, and rising sea levels caused by both melting ice and slowing down [or disappearance ] of Gulf Stream could flood large swaths of eastern United States, especially the coastal areas of Florida.

Cities and population centers both on the Atlantic and Gulf coasts could experience complete or partial inundation for some of the year, most of the year, or permanently.

About 40 percent of Florida’s more densely inhabited areas, home to more than 65 percent of the population, could be impacted by the climatic events, rendering most of the existing cities effectively uninhabitable and affecting up to 90 percent of Florida’s population.

USGS Digital Elevation Map of The United States

The elevations correspond to the following legend:

Plotted on these maps are:

• White – State, country, coast outlines
• Gray – County outlines
• Black – Rivers and major streams
• Red – US Highways
• Light red – Interstate Highways
• Magenta – National Parks and Monuments

USGS Digital Elevation Map of Florida

Some of the areas most prone to flooding are marked on the map. The markings are meant as an indication only. They do not represent exact locations. Source of images: Unisys Weather. Images may be subject to copyright.

State of Emergency Declared in Florida County for Coastal Erosion

EXTREME WEATHER & CLIMATIC EVENTS
STORM SURGES
COASTAL FLOODING
HIGH WIND
STATE OF EMERGENCY
MAIN SCENARIOS: 900, [500,] 444, 117, 111, 071, 070, 066, 064, 047, 027, 025, 024, 023, 010, 09, 02
.

St. Johns County issues emergency proclamation due to coastal erosion

St. Johns County, Florida issued an emergency proclamation on Monday declaring a state of emergency due to coastal storm erosion, said a report.

St. Johns County engineers and officials from various state agencies have determined recent severe wind, high tides, and storm surges have caused coastal erosion, posing an immediate threat of substantial property damage to homes and other buildings.

“Due to the severity and acceleration of the erosion and the vulnerability of numerous homes, the county deemed it prudent to expedite the permitting process in order to provide homeowners with the greatest amount of time to protect their property.” Read more…

High tide and strong winds inundated several streets in St. Augustine, the county seat and the largest city in St. Johns County, on Monday.

St. Augustine (population: ~ 14,000), located in Northeast Florida, is the oldest continuously occupied European-established settlement in the continental U.S.

St. Johns County (population: ~ 200,000; area of 2,130 km²) is included in the Jacksonville Metropolitan Statistical Area.

Disasters in Asia and the Pacific This Week

EXTREME WEATHER & CLIMATIC DISASTERS
EXTREME RAIN EVENTS
WIDESPREAD FLOODING
CROP DISASTERS
MAIN SCENARIOS: 900, 888, [500,] 477, 444, 117, 066, 047, 027, 025, 023, 022, 012, 011, 09, 02
.

Philippines: Tropical Depression SINLAKU Impacts Regions IV-V, VI, VII, X, XI and CARAGA

• About 80,000 people were affected
• More than a dozen dead or missing
• 330 Houses destroyed
• 2,660 Homes damaged
• Various crops destroyed

Indonesia: Continued flooding affected multiple Provinces

Flooding continued across Indonesia affecting tens of thousands of people acros Aceh, Banten, Central Sulawesi, West Java and West Sumatra Provinces.

Floods triggered 17 landslides across North Sumatra, West Sumatra, Central Java, West Java and East Kalimantan Provinces, killing at least five people, leaving hundreds of others displaced and damaging/ inundation  thousands of houses.

Viet Nam

Tropical Depression SINLAKU strengthened over the South China Seas bringing heavy rains, high winds and widespread flooding to the east-coast provinces of Binh Dinh and Phu Yen.

Preliminary dame reports indicate:

• 4,000 hectares of agricultural crops destroyed
• Hundreds of homes destroyed or damaged
• About 1,800 households evacuated

State of Emergency Declared in Gaza due to Extreme Weather Events

DISASTERS CAUSED BY CLIMATE CHANGE
EXTREME WEATHER
EXTREME RAIN EVENTS
FLASH FLOODING
MASS EVACUATIONS
STATE OF EMERGENCY DECLARED
SCENARIOS  888, 560, 477, 444, 220, 200, 178, 111, 100, 080, 071, 070, 069, 027, 025, 023, 05, 03, 02
.

Severe Flooding in Gaza: UN Declares State of Emergency

A two-day Extreme Rain Event triggered severe flooding in Gaza, forcing hundreds of residents to flee the ruins of their homes, and prompting the United Nations Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA) to declare a State of  Emergency across the war-devastated coastal enclave.

“We are very concerned about such severe storms this early in the season and on the back of unprecedented damage and destruction caused by the recent conflict,” said the UN’s Director of Operations for UNRWA in Gaza.

“We are particularly concerned for those families still seeking adequate shelter and preparing for the winter months, and for the impact the flooding is already having on children unable to attend school.”

“Gaza City is one of five areas in the Gaza Strip, a coastal enclave where UNRWA serves some 1.3 million Palestine refugees across all Areas,” said the UN agency in a statement.

“As a precautionary measure, 63 schools in Gaza City are closed today for the afternoon shift, affecting almost 65,000 students. Forty-three schools in the North Area of the Strip are also now closed.”

“In December 2013, the fiercest winter storm the region has seen for many years, Alexa, hit the Strip, and brought torrential rains and widespread flooding that displaced thousands. Such devastation exacerbates the already poor humanitarian situation for refugees and non-refugees in Gaza, which is dealing with the aftermath of a recent conflict, and an acute fuel and energy crisis.”

The latest episode of War on Gaza, which lasted 50 days, and ended in late August, killed more than 2,100 Palestinians, most of them civilians, said the UN.  A small number of Israeli soldiers and ‘civilians’ in Israel were also killed.

Dozens Dead or Missing in Morocco Floods

DISASTERS CAUSED BY CLIMATE CHANGE
MAJOR DISASTERS
EXTREME RAIN EVENTS
DEADLY FLOODING
SCENARIOS 900, 477, 444, 111,  097, 071, 070, 066, 047, 027, 025, 023
.

EREs Trigger Deadly Flooding in S Morocco

Dozens of people are dead or missing in southern Morocco after severe flooding, triggered by Extreme Rain Events (EREs), swamped large swaths of the semi-desert country, authorities said.

The floods have destroyed or severely damaged scores of homes across  several regions including  Agadir, Guelmim, Marrakesh, Ouarzazate and Tiznite, according to reports.

Hundreds of tourists were forced to evacuated the affected areas.

Deadly Storms Continue to Wreak Havoc in Italy

EXTREME WEATHER & CLIMATIC DISASTERS
EXTREME RAIN EVENTS
SEVERE FLOODING
DEADLY MUDSLIDES
CROP DISASTERS
SCENARIOS  900, 888, 444, 111, 070, 066, 027, 025, 024, 023, 022, 09, 02
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Mudslides triggered by EREs claim more lives in Italy

Extreme weather events have left at least a dozen people dead in Italy during the past four weeks.

The Liguria region has received more rain over the past two weeks than it normally gets in the entire year, said a report.

Extreme Rain Events (EREs) since mid October have swamped large swathes of Italy, inundating homes, businesses and infrastructure, causing damage estimated at up to two billion dollars so far.

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Flooding Forces Thousands to Evacuate in Italy November 6, 2014

Flooding Forces Thousands to Evacuate in Italy

EXTREME WEATHER & CLIMATIC DISASTERS
EXTREME RAIN EVENTS
MAJOR FLOODING
MASS EVACUATIONS
CROP DISASTERS
SCENARIOS  900, 888, 444, 111, 070, 066, 027, 025, 024, 023, 022, 09, 02
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Extreme Rain Events (EREs) Plague Entire Western Italy

Flooding and mudslides have destroyed orchards, vineyards in Tuscany, Liguria, and Veneto regions of Italy, said officials

Mass evacuations were ordered in coastal areas of Tuscany and Liguria, as extreme rain events triggered severe flooding and mudslided. Authorities issued a “red alert” for most of Liguria.

“Schools have been closed in Carrara, which is halfway between Florence and Genoa, while trains have also been stopped,” said a report.

In the Tuscan city of Carrara, halfway between Florence and Genoa, more than 200 meters of riverbank collapsed into Carrione River, with floodwaters trapping hundreds of families inside their homes.

The Po River in Lombardy rose by more than two meters in 24 hours on Wednesday.

The lagoon city of Venice was also flooded by high water.

Piemonte and parts of Liguria have also been put heightened alert amid EREs, said reports.