3 Dead, Hundreds Displaced After #Floods and #Landslides in #SriLanka
Photo by @Vidyallk
At least 3 people have died after heavy rain triggered a landslide in the Central Province of Sri Lanka.
The landslide occurred in Walapane, about 17 km north east of the city of Nuwara Eliya, on 30 November, 2019. One person is thought to be missing.
Sri Lanka’s Disaster Management Centre (DMC) says that stormy weather and heavy rain has been affecting wide areas of the country over the last few days.
Around 9 locations in the country recorded more than 100mm of rain in 24 hours to 01 December, 2019. Periya Pandivirichchan in Vavuniya district recorded 238mm and Yodha Wewa in Mannar District recorded 231 mm of rain during the same period. Further heavy rain of up to 150mm is likely, according to Sri Lanka’s Department of Meteorology. Strong winds of up to 80 km/h are also possible.
According to DMC over 4,100 people have been affected by the weather, in particular in Batticaloa and Ampara in Eastern Province. and Mannar in Northern Province. Almost 570 people have moved to safe locations after flooding in Batticaloa District.
Power supply has been cut to around 5,000 people after strong winds downed cable across the country. Roads have been blocked at several locations due to landslides or flooding.
Sri Lanka’s Irrigation Department said that the flood gates of at least 10 reservoirs have been opened.
DMC has urged the public to pay close attention to the weather forecasts and to be vigilant about the disasters in the area to minimize the damages caused by inclement weather.
Heavy rain has also been reported in southern states of India, including Tamil Nadu and Kerala.
Courtesy of floodlist.com
Heavy #Rain and Deadly #Floods in #Chihuahua and #Sinaloa, #Mexico
Flooding in Chihuahua, Mexico, 28 November 2019. Photo: Government of Chihuahua
Heavy rain has affected parts of northern Mexico over the last few days, with severe flooding reported in the states of Sinaloa and Chihuahua. Sonora and Baja California states were also affected.
One person died after being swept away by flash floods in the municipality of Guadalupe y Calvo, Chihuahua on 28 November, 2019.
The state government said it will request an Emergency and Natural Disaster Declaration for severe rains in 14 municipalities. As much as 141mm of rain fell in 24 hours to 28 November in Urique, which along with the municipalities of Batopilas, Chínipas and Morelos, was among the worst affected areas. According to Chihuahua Civil Protection, around 200 people were evacuated after floods and landslides in Batopilas, Chínipas and Urique municipalities.
In Sinaloa the governor, Quirino Ordaz Coppel requested a state of emergency for the municipalities of Culiacán, Elota, San Ignacio and Mazatlán. Schools have been closed across the state. Over 50 people were evacuated in Coyotitán in San Ignacio.
Flooding caused severe damage in the city of Mazatlán, with streets flooded to roof height of vehicles. Roads in the area, including the Mazatlán-Culiacán highway, have been closed. Mazatlán recorded 195mm of rain in 24 hours to 29 November.
Courtesy of floodlist.com
#Floods Displaced Over 2,000 in #Terengganu, #Malaysia
Flood rescues and evacuations in Terengganu, Malaysia, November 2019. Photo: Government of Malaysia
Flooding in Terengganu State in eastern Peninsular Malaysia has displaced over 2,000 people according to disaster agencies.
Floods hit the area after heavy rainfall from 27 November. Parts of Besut District recorded as much as 400mm of rain in 24 hours on 29 November. The Besut river in the district exceeded danger levels on 29 November, standing at 35.20 metres (danger mark is 35m) near Keruak. The Dungun in Kuala Jengal was also above the danger mark (21 metres), standing at 22.45 metres as of 30 November, 2019.
A total of 2,296 people from 648 families have been evacuated to relief centres in the districts of Besut (1,148 people), Setiu (553), Hulu Terengganu (112) and Dungun (483).
They are being given temporary shelter at 40 flood relief centres which have been opened in four districts, with 21 of the centres in Besut.
Courtesy of floodlist.com
Over 100 Dead, 18,000 Displaced After Recent #Floods and #Landslides in #Kenya
Floods have blocked roads in floods Tana River County, Kenya, October 2019. Photo: Kenya Red Cross Society (KRCS)
Flooding in Kenya has affected more than 160,000 people since the onset of the short rains in October, according to the Kenya Red Cross Society (KRCS).
At least 120 people have reportedly died, including dozens who lost their lives after a landslide in West Pokot County on 23 November.
KRCS said that nearly 18,000 who are displaced countrywide, including 10,000 in West Pokot County. According to Kenyan government, 16,000 houses have been destroyed across the country.
The UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (UN OCHA) reports that flash and riverine floods have affected at least 31 of the 47 Kenya’s counties, including in Central, Coastal, Eastern, Northern, Nyanza, Rift Valley and Western regions, and urban areas in Nairobi and Mombasa, according to the Government’s National Disaster Operation Centre (NDOC).
Landslides and mudslides have been reported in Meru, Murang’a, Taita Taveta and West Pokot counties, according to the Kenya Red Cross Society (KRCS).
Infrastructure including roads and bridges has been damaged, hampering effective humanitarian response efforts in affected areas. UN OCHA said: “Sections of roads and bridges have been cut-off, paralyzing transport and humanitarian access in Embu, Garissa, Isiolo, Kwale, Lamu, Machakos, Makueni, Mandera, Marsabit, Meru, Mombasa, Samburu, Taita Taveta, Tana River, Trans Nzoia, Turkana and Samburu counties. The Gurdis and Botula dams in Banisain Mandera County broke their walls or banks and require urgent repairs.”
Recent flooding has been reported in Bute and Gurar in Wajir County, where around 5,000 people have been displaced.
Flooding also affected over 3,000 people in Garissa and Tana River counties after heavy rains on 22 and 23 November led to massive flooding in the area, exacerbated by the bursting of Tana River. In Meru County at least 550 people were reportedly displaced in Tigania.
According to the Kenya Meteorological Department, heavy rains are expected to continue across the country over the next few weeks, mainly due to the positive Indian Ocean Dipole (IOD) measurements.
Flood alerts have been issued especially for Coastal, Northern and Western regions of the country, with the risk of landslides and mudslides expected in parts of the Central Highlands and parts of the Rift Valley, including West Pokot, Elgeyo Marakwet and Nandi counties.
Courtesy of floodlist.com
4 Dead as #Storms and #Flooding Hit #Italy and #Greece
Greece
Parts of Greece have seen torrential rain, strong winds and stormy seas since 24 November, 2019. Two people died after strong winds and stormy seas capsized a moored boat in Antirio.
Heavy rain caused flash flooding and landslides in Kineta, west of the capital Athens. The Fire Department say they received 47 calls for the Kineta area including 27 rescues. Parts of the surrounding road network were blocked.
Further north, around 6 buildings were damaged after flooding in Katerini in Pieria. The Fire Department also attended flood incidents in areas around Ierissos, Halkidiki and Thassos.
Flooding was also reported on some of the country’s islands, in particular Rhodes on 25 November. One person was found dead in a flooded building, 6 people were rescued and 7 others evacuated. The Fire Department received 190 calls for assistance, mainly for the areas in the north of the island including Ialyssos, Kremasti and the city of Rhodes. Greek Civil Protection have since declared a state of emergency for the island.
Italy
In Italy, part of a motorway viaduct near Savona in Liguria Region was washed away by a landslide and flood waters. The rain has caused numerous other landslides across the region, prompting around 100 evacuations.
In Piedmont Region, one person died after a vehicle was swept away by flood waters from the overflowing Bormida River in Sezzadio Municipality, Alessandria Province. Two others survived. Around 200 people were evacuated after flooding in the province, with around 160 others were left isolated.
In the Lombardy Region, the River Ticino burst its banks causing flooding in the of Pavia, prompting flood rescues.
Heavy snowfall and avalanches have also caused major problems in the north of the country. Around 500 people were evacuated in the Aosta Valley Region.
Meanwhile Venice has suffered yet further flooding from high tides, known as acqua alta. Peak tide level reached 1.3 metres on 24 November, prompting authorities to close some buildings. The city has been regularly flooded by high tides since mid-November.
Courtesy of floodlist.com
High tides, heavy #rain cause more #flooding across #Venice, northern #Italy
Venice has been hit by further high water levels after weeks of flooding brought the lagoon city virtually to its knees.
The famous St Mark’s Square was closed briefly on Sunday as the acqua alta (peak tide level) reached 130 centimetres (4.26 feet).
Tourists and Venetians were forced to wade through the high waters yet again after weeks of rain and wind caused further flooding across the city.
The city beloved around the world for its canals, historic architecture and art was hit by a high tide at 187cm 6.14 feet) on November 12. That was just short of the record of 194cm (6.4 feet) set in 1966 and caused the city’s worst flooding in 50 years.
In normal conditions, tides of 80-90cm (31.5 – 35 inches) are generally seen as high but manageable.
With four tides above 140cm (4.6 feet) since November 11, this is the worst month for high tides in Venice since 1872 when official statistics were first produced.
The UNESCO world heritage city is home to 50,000 people and gets around 36 million visitors every year.
Further west on the other side of Italy, a portion of a motorway bridge linking Savona to Turin collapsed on Sunday.
Fire service personnel inspected the bridge on the A6 highway near Savona, after huge chunks of concrete plummeted to the ground due to a landslide.
According to a first inspection, local authorities said that there were no confirmed reports of fatalities or injuries in the area but firefighters were checking the area by helicopter.
Governor of the Liguria region, Giovanni Toti, asked residents to remain in their houses as much of Italy has been pummelled by torrential rains in recent days, with widespread flooding, especially in the northern regions.
The worst of the heavy rain is now clearing away to the southeast, moving across Greece and heading towards western Turkey. There will be further showers across Italy later in the week but they will not be anywhere near as heavy or prolonged.
Courtesy of aljazeera.com
Deadly Severe #Floods Hit South East #France
Emergency services were called out to 2,300 interventions after floods in southeastern France from 23 November, 2019. Photo: Securite Civile France
Severe flooding in southeastern France has left at least 4 people dead with 1 person still missing. Hundreds have evacuated their homes and emergency services have carried out over 2,000 interventions, many by helicopter.
Some areas of southeastern France recorded almost 400mm of rain between 21 and 24 November.
Several rivers including the Argens, burst their banks, flooding homes and prompting dozens of high water rescues and evacuations. Thousands of homes were left without electricity and road and train transport was severely disrupted.
France’s Ministry of Interior said that emergency services had carried out more then 2,300 interventions in Var and Alpes-Maritimes departments. The government of Var department said that 625 people had evacuated their homes and were staying in 14 emergency accommodation centres.
The government of Var department reported flood-related fatalities in the villages of Le Muy and Cabasse. One person is still reported missing in Saint-Antonin-du-Var. Local media reported that 2 people died after their vehicle was trapped in flood water near the town of Tanneron on 24 November.
The town of Roquebrune-sur-Argens in Var Department was particularly badly affected and only accessible by boat or helicopter. Levels of the Argens river in the town jumped from around 3 metres to 7.12 metres on 23 November, the second highest level on record behind the June 2010 record of 7.7 metres.
The Endre river at Le Muy reached record levels of 2.88 metres on 23 November, beating the previous high of 2.72 metres set in November 2011.
Courtesy of floodlist.com
Deadly #Floods After 140mm of #Rain in 2 Days in #Djibouti, #Africa
Nine people have died in floods in Djibouti City, capital of Djibouti, after almost a year’s worth of rain fell in 2 days. The Government of Djibouti has declared a state of emergency.
News and information agency Agence Djiboutienne d’Information (ADI) said that 140 mm of rain fell in 48 hours to 21 November, 2019. According to WMO figures, average yearly rainfall in the city is around 164 mm.
Directorate-General for European Civil Protection and Humanitarian Aid Operations (DG ECHO) reported that 9 people have died and 30,000 families have been affected. Flooding has damaged buildings and infrastructure. According to ADI, fatalities include five members of the same family who died when their house collapsed during the heavy rain. The tragedy occurred in Balbala, a southern suburb of Djibouti City, located west of the river Ambouli.
The European Union activated its Copernicus emergency mapping service and one delineation map has already been produced. A DG ECHO regional rapid response expert has been deployed to Djibouti.
Courtesy of floodlist.com
Deadly heavy #rain triggers massive #landslides and flash #floods in West #Pokot County, #Kenya
Courtesy of Kenya Red Cross
Hours of heavy rain in western Kenya triggered massive landslides and flash floods in West Pokot County on 23 November, 2019.
The government of West Pokot County said that, as of 24 November, 54 people have been confirmed dead and 46 people are still missing. Sixteen survivors have been admitted to Kapenguria County Referral Hospital.
County officials said the catastrophic landslides hit Tapach, Weiwei and Batei Wards of West Pokot. Houses were damaged or destroyed by the gushing rivers of sludge, boulders and uprooted trees. Authorities said that more than 10,500 people have been displaced and there is an urgent need for humanitarian assistance.
The county government said that a multi-agency team comprising Kenya Defence Forces, Kenya Police, Kenya Red Cross and County Disaster Management Unit are on the ground. A medical team is also expected from Moi Teaching and Referral Hospital. Psychosocial support desk has been set up at Kapenguria County Referral Hospital.
Roads have been cut and bridges wiped out, severely hindering rescue and relief operations.
Heavy rain has also caused flooding and landslides in other areas of the country, including Taita Taveta, Tana River, Meru and Uasin Gishu counties.
Kenya Red Cross said that “Rains continue to pound Taita Taveta with heavy downpour experienced at the highlands of Wundanyi, Rongé and Vuria. Landslides have been reported at Mbengonyi, Mndangenyi, Msau and Mbale.”
In Tana River County, Kenya Red Cross reported that over 1,000 households have been displaced in Ziwani and other locations after the Tana River burst its banks.
According to Red Cross reports, a number of houses have been reportedly swept away after river Thanantu broke its banks in Mikinduri in Meru County. Families have been displaced in Turbo, Uasin Gishu County, after the Turbo River broke its banks.
Courtesy of floodlist.com
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