Floods Cause Major Destruction in Cambodia

Floods submerge half of Cambodia, killing at least 30 people, inundating 67,000 homes, displacing thousands of families

At least 30 people have been killed in Cambodia in recent floods triggered by heavy rains, exacerbated by Typhoon WUTIP, and the overflowing of Mekong River.

The floods have inundated at least 67,000 homes affecting more than 600,000 people and forcing about 10,000 families to abandon their homes and seek shelter in higher grounds.

Floodwaters have destroyed about 100,000 hectares of rice paddies.

Some 385 schools, 30 health centers and 245 Buddhist pagodas have also been inundated, said the National Committee for Disaster Management (NCDM).

“Ten out of the kingdom’s 24 cities and provinces are being hit by the Mekong River and flash floods,” said NCDM .

“As water still continue to rise, there will be more people affected and evacuated in coming days,” he told Xinhua.

People push their motorcycles through a flooded area near the Royal Palace in central Phnom Penh, Cambodia. Photo credit: Reuters/Samrang Pring

Related Links

• Floods in Thailand Kill 23, Force Thousands of Evacuations October 2, 2013
• WUTIP Hammers Central Vietnam October 1, 2013
• WUTIP Making Landfall in Central Vietnam September 30, 2013
• Typhoon WUTIP Headed for Vietnam, Laos, Thailand September 29, 2013
• USAGI Disaster Update: 25 Dead; 7,100 Homes Destroyed September 23, 2013
• FEWW New Hurricane Scale September 3, 2008
• Satellite Imagery

WUTIP Hammers Central Vietnam

UPDATED at 06:00UTC

• Typhoon WUTIP has left dozens of people dead or injured in central Vietnam, as of posting.

• The storm has destroyed or damaged up to 100,000 homes, and much of the public infrastructure in central Vietnam. Large scale crop losses have also been reported.

• Powerful winds have destroyed national power lines, causing widespread power losses throughout the region and beyond.

• The worst affected areas are the central provinces of Quang Binh, Ha Tinh, Quang Tri, and Thua Thien Hue.

• As of 1:00 a.m. local time on Tuesday (18:00UTC on Monday), Typhoon WUTIP had moved west to Laos , where it’s expected to weaken to a tropical depression, said a report.

Powerful Winds, Torrential Rains Pounding Central Vietnam as WUTIP Crosses the Country

High winds and heavy rains brought by Typhoon WUTIP are triggering flash floods in central Vietnam,  forcing the authorities to evacuate tens of thousands of people from several  provinces, while more flooding and landslides are expected to hit the region in the coming days.

Search continues for 74 missing in triple boat sinking

Meantime, search continues for 74 people missing after three fishing boats sank in the South China Sea on Sunday due to Typhoon WUTIP, said a report.

“The boats, all from south China’s Guangdong Province with 88 fishermen aboard, were lost on Sunday afternoon near Shanhu Island of the Xisha Islands, about 330 km from China’s island province of Hainan,” the report said.

WUTIP Making Landfall in Central Vietnam

Powerful winds, torrential rains lashing Indochina Peninsula as WUTIP targets Vietnam

Typhoon WUTIP is lashing eastern coast of Indochina Peninsula with high winds and heavy rains as it moves closer to landing in central Vietnam.

Typhoon WUTIP is about to make landfall on the east coast of central Vietnam with sustained winds of about 140 km/hr gusting up to 170 km/hr. The typhoon weakened slightly overnight to the equivalent of a Cat 1 hurricane force.

Typhoon WUTIP (TY 20W)

• Current position: Near 17.2ºN, 107.5E (03:32UTC on Monday, September 30, 2013)
• Movement: 25 km/hr, 280 degrees
• Max Sustained Winds: 140 km/hr
• Max Wind Gusts: 170 km/hr (expected to increase to 245km/hr)

Expected landfall: About 06:00UTC on September 30, 2013

Typhoon WUTIP. Visible/Shortwave IR Satellite Image recorded at 04:32UTC on Monday, September 30, 2013. Source: CIMSS/SSEC/WISC.

Typhoon WUTIP – Water Vapor Satellite Image, with the projected path superimposed. Image recorded at 04:32UTC on Monday, September 30, 2013. Source: CIMSS/SSEC/WISC. FIRE-EARTH Enhancement.

74 missing after typhoon sinks boats in South China Sea

Forty seven people are reported missing after Typhoon WUTIP capsized three fishing boats in the South China Sea on Monday, said a report.

Related Links

• Typhoon WUTIP Headed for Vietnam, Laos, Thailand September 29, 2013

Typhoon WUTIP Headed for Vietnam, Laos, Thailand

Extreme rains from WUTIP to exacerbate flooding in Indochina Peninsula

Typhoon WUTIP is currently a Cat 2B and expected to intensify to a Cat 3B hurricane force, headed directly toward Vietnam.

Typhoon WUTIP (TY 20W)

• Current position: Near 16.7ºN, 111.5ºE (05:32UTC on Sunday, September 29, 2013)
• Movement: 17 km/hr, 260 degrees
• Max Sustained Winds: 175 km/hr (expected to increase to 195 km/hr)
• Max Wind Gusts: 225 km/hr (expected to increase to 245km/hr)

Typhoon WUTIPVisible/Water Vapor Satellite Image, with the projected path superimposed. Image recorded at 05:32UTC on Sunday, September 29, 2013. Source: CIMSS/SSEC/WISC. FIRE-EARTH Enhancement.

Typhoon WUTIP. Visible/Shortwave IR Satellite Image recorded at 04:32UTC on Sunday, September 29, 2013. Source: CIMSS/SSEC/WISC. FIRE-EARTH Enhancement.

Flood Disaster in Thailand

The deputy PM responsible for flood management has assured the public that a scenario like the 2011 devastating floods in which all major dams in Thailand reached full capacity would not happen. Unless, off course, there’s more heavy rain in the north!

“He said the major dams in Thailand are now at half of its capacity and can contain more than 10,000 million cubic meters,” said a report.

He said earlier that the flood situation this year was “not worrying,” and that it’s “under control,” adding that “Bangkok would be 100 percent safe unless there is more heavy rain in the North for a couple of days.”

Related Links

• USAGI Disaster Update: 25 Dead; 7,100 Homes Destroyed September 23, 2013
• USAGI Poses a Severe Threat to Hong Kong: The HK Observatory   September 22, 2013
• Cyclone PABUK Chasing Typhoon USAGI September 21, 2013

• Typhoon USAGI Eying Taiwan September 19, 2013
• USAGI Intensifies to Super Typhoon Force  September 20, 2013
• Global Disasters/ Significant Events – September 21, 2013 September 21, 2013
• FEWW New Hurricane Scale September 3, 2008
• Satellite Imagery