Page 3 - Flood

Texas officials face scrutiny over response to catastrophic flooding

Before heading to bed before the Fourth of July holiday, Christopher Flowers checked the weather while staying at a friend's house along the Guadalupe River. Nothing in the forecast alarmed him. Hours later, he was rushing to safety: He woke up in darkness to electrical sockets popping and ankle-deep water. Quickly, his family scrambled nine people into the attic. Phones buzzed with alerts, Flowers recalled Saturday, but he did not remember when in the chaos they started. What they need is some kind of external system, like a tornado warning that tells people to get out now, Flowers, 44, said. The destructive fast-moving waters that began before sunrise Friday in the Texas Hill Country killed at least 43 people in Kerr County, authorities said Saturday, and an unknown number of people remained missing. Those still unaccounted for included 27 girls from Camp Mystic, a Christian summer camp along a river in Kerr County where most of the dead were recovered. But as authorities launch

Two die as floods hit rivers in over 60 villages in Odisha's Balasore

At least two persons died in flood in Odisha's Balasore district, even as the number of affected villages came down to 60 with the water levels in several rivers, including Subarnarekha, receding, officials said on Wednesday. Fire and Emergency Services personnel recovered the body of a 90-year-old man, identified as Dibakar Giri of Kusuda village in Bhograi block, while members of an Odisha Disaster Rapid Action Force (ODRAF) team found the body of Rakesh Singh in the flood water, they said. Singh hailed from Bishnupur village and was swept away in the floodwater currents on Tuesday. People of around 60 villages in northern parts of the district continued to grapple with inundated roads and fields, as heavy rains under the influence of a low-pressure belt lashed the region, an official said. The plight of the people in these villages has aggravated due to the release of water from dams in neighbouring Jharkhand, he said. The number of flood-hit villages was 100 in Balasore distri

10 dead, 34 missing as cloudburst, flash floods hit Himachal's Mandi

Relief operations are in full swing, with emergency shelters established and essential supplies such as tents, blankets, and food being distributed

Red alert issued in Mandi; Beas river flooded after heavy rainfall

The India Meteorological Department has warned of light to moderate rainfall at many places in the districts of Bilaspur, Solan, Shimla, Sirmaur, Hamirpur, Mandi, and Kangra

J-K: Chenab river overflows amid heavy rainfall, casualties in Doda

Doda-Kishtwar-Ramban Range Deputy Inspector General, Shridhar Patil, acknowledged the situation and urged people to stay away from rivers and overflowing streams

Flood-like situation in Bihar's Nalanda district after Falgu river swells

Several areas in Bihar's Nalanda district experienced a flood-like situation as portions of some small dams were damaged due to a sudden rise in water level in Falgu River following heavy rainfall in neighbouring Jharkhand over the past few days, officials said on Saturday. According to a statement issued by the Disaster Management Department (DMD) of the Bihar government, "Authorities released 73,000 cusecs of water from Uderasthan Barrage (in Jehanabad) due to a sudden increase in water level in Falgu River on June 19. The release of water from the barrage damaged portions of certain small dams causing a flood-like situation in several areas in Hilsa, Karaiparsurai and Ekangarsarai in Nalanda district." The authorities concerned are providing relief materials, including food packets and drinking water, to the affected people. Temporary tents have been set up for the victims, it said. Two teams of NDRF have been deployed in the area for relief and rescue operations.

Watch: Flood situation in Assam critical; several dead | Northeast floods | Assam floods | Manipur

The flood situation in the Northeast remained critical as the toll due to deluge and landslides triggered by heavy rain has risen to 36.

More than 100 stranded tourists evacuated safely from Sikkim's Lachung

The evacuation of the stranded tourists from Lachung began this morning with coordinated effort from the local administration

Record floodwaters in eastern Australia leave 1 person dead, 3 missing

Record floodwaters on Australia's east coast left one person dead and three others missing, officials said Thursday, as more heavy rain was forecast in the area. Some 330 people were rescued in the flooding emergency in New South Wales state north of Sydney. The area has been hit with heavy rain since Tuesday. The flooding exceeds local records set in 1929. News South Wales Premier Christopher Minns said some areas were forecast to receive as much as 30 centimetres of rain in the next 24 hours. He said 50,000 people were warned to prepare to evacuate or be isolated by floodwaters, telling reporters: We are bracing for more bad news. The body of a 63-year-old man was recovered from a flooded house in Moto in New South Wales on Wednesday afternoon, Fire and Rescue Commissioner Jeremy Fewtrell said. A coroner will determine whether a pre-existing medical condition played a part in his death, he added. Three people including a 60-year-old woman, a 25-year-old man and a 49-year-old man

Uttar Pradesh govt approves Rs 200 crore for flood protection projects

The Uttar Pradesh government has approved Rs 200 crore for flood protection projects in the vulnerable districts ahead of the monsoon season, officials said on Sunday. According to an official statement, the funds will focus on strengthening the embankments along the Saryu, Ganga, Rapti and Rohin rivers. The irrigation department has been directed to urgently implement the state and NABARD-funded projects, which include building RCC pillars, embankment repairs, anti-erosion measures, and setting up new pumping stations, the statement said. Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath has emphasised timely completion of the projects and zero tolerance for negligence, it added. The key projects include allocations for pumping stations and embankment work at Gorakhpur, bridge replacements at Amethi, embankment strengthening at Shravasti, slope pitching at Azamgarh, anti-erosion measures at Ghazipur, protection work at Bulandshahr, and embankment construction at Sitapur, the statement said.

Weather extremes of 2024 leading to intense floods, droughts: Report

Weather extremes of 2024 are wreaking havoc with how water moves around the planet, contributing to ferocious floods and crippling droughts, according to a new report. India saw record-high precipitation, along with countries in West Africa and Europe, it found. Global warming, caused by fossil fuel burning, is increasing the strength and rainfall intensity of monsoons, cyclones and other storm systems, an international ream of researchers, led by those at The Australian National University (ANU), said. "2024 was a year of extremes but was not an isolated occurrence. It is part of a worsening trend of more intense floods, prolonged droughts, and record-breaking extremes," lead author Albert van Dijk, a professor of water science and management, ANU, said. About four billion people, or half the world's population, from across 111 countries are estimated to have experienced their warmest year yet. "Rising sea surface temperatures intensified tropical cyclones and droughts in the Amaz

Centre, Karnataka govt should resolve issue related to drought aid: SC

The Supreme Court on Tuesday said the Centre and the Karnataka government should resolve the issue of release of financial assistance from the National Disaster Response Fund (NDRF) to the state for drought management. Attorney General R Venkataramani, appearing for the Centre, requested a bench of Justices B R Gavai and K V Viswanathan that he needed some time to file an affidavit in the matter. "You should resolve it," the bench said. The apex court was hearing a plea filed by the Karnataka government seeking a direction to the Centre to release financial assistance from the NDRF to the state for drought management. During the hearing, the bench asked, "How much amount is released so far?" The counsel appearing for Karnataka said the state requested for Rs 18,171 crore and has been granted Rs 3,819 crore. The bench posted the matter for further hearing in January. On April 29, the Centre told the apex court that around Rs 3,400 crore has been released to the Karnataka governme

Cyclone Fengal aftermath: Flood warning, heavy rain in Puducherry and TN

Tamil Nadu and Puducherry remain on high alert, battling relentless rainfall and looming flood threats, even as Cyclone Fengal weakens in the region

Landslide, flash floods hit Indonesia's Sumatra; 16 dead, 6 missing

Rescuers in Indonesia recovered 16 bodies under tons of mud and rocks or that were swept away in flash floods that hit mountainside villages on Sumatra Island, officials said Monday. Six people are still missing, officials said. Mud, rocks and trees tumbled down a mountain after torrential rains over the weekend and rivers burst their banks, tearing through four hilly districts in North Sumatra province, washing away houses and destroying farms. Police, soldiers and rescue workers used excavators, farm equipment and their bare hands to sift through the rubble looking for the dead and missing in Semangat Gunung, a resort area in Karo district, said Juspri M. Nadeak, who heads the local disaster management agency. Rescuers recovered six bodies after a landslide hit two houses and a cottage late Sunday, he said. Nine injured people managed to escape, he said. Rescuers on Monday were still searching for four missing people, including two children. Rescuers on Sunday pulled two bodies

China provides Rs 3 cr assistance to Sri Lanka after natural disasters

China has provided financial assistance to the tune of Rs 30 million to compensate for damage caused due to natural disasters from January to October this year, the government said on Saturday. Furthermore, material assistance worth 10 million Yuan is expected from China under the Emergency Humanitarian Assistance Programme, a statement from the President's Media Division (PMD) said. Sri Lanka saw two rounds of massive flooding this year with over two dozen deaths and displacement of more than 50,000 people across the country. The Chinese financial assistance totaling approximately Rs 30 million has been forwarded to the Treasury, the PMD said. Earlier on October 30, the Chinese Embassy in Sri Lanka had handed over USD 1,00,000 (approximately LKR 30 million) and relief material worth LKR 400 million as aid on flood relief to President Anura Kumara Dissanayake. In addition, the Department of National Budget has allocated further financial provisions to the Ministry of Defence for t

Crowd of Spain's flood survivors toss mud, shout insults at King Felipe VI

A crowd of angry survivors of Spain's floods tossed mud and shouted insults at Spain's King Felipe VI and government officials when they made their first visit to one of the hardest hit towns on Sunday. Government officials accompanied the monarch who tried to talk to locals while others shouted at him in Paiporta, an outskirt of Valencia city that has been devastated. Police had to step in with some officers on horseback to keep back the crowd of several dozens. "Get out! Get out! and Killers! the crowd shouted among other insults. Bodyguards opened umbrellas to protect the royals and officials as protestors launched mud their way. After being forced to seek protection, the king remained calm and made several efforts to speak to individual residents. One person appeared to have wept on his shoulder. He shook the hand of a man. It was an unprecedented incident for a Royal House that takes great care to craft an image of a monarch who is liked by the nation. But the public rage ov

Understanding the deadly floods that have taken over 200 lives in Spain

In a matter of minutes, flash floods caused by heavy downpours in eastern Spain swept away everything in their path. With no time to react, people were trapped in vehicles, homes and businesses. Many died and thousands saw livelihoods shattered. Four days later, authorities have recovered 205 bodies 202 of them in the eastern Valencia region, two in Castilla La Mancha and one in Andalusia. They continued to search for an unknown number of missing people on Friday. Thousands of volunteers were helping to clear away the thick layers of mud and debris that still covered houses, streets and roads, all while facing power and water cuts and shortages of some basic goods. Inside some of the vehicles that the water washed into piles or crashed into buildings, there were still bodies waiting to be identified. Here are a few things to know about Spain's deadliest storm in living memory: What happened? The storms concentrated over the Magro and Turia river basins and, in the Poyo riverbed,

Spain mounts biggest disaster recovery operation as death toll reaches 211

In a televised statement, Sanchez said the government was sending 5,000 more army troops to help with the searches and clean-up in addition to 2,500 soldiers already deployed

Spain searches for bodies after unprecedented flooding claims 158 lives

Crews searched for bodies in stranded cars and sodden buildings Thursday as residents salvaged what they could from their ruined homes following monstrous flash floods in Spain that claimed at least 158 lives, with 155 deaths confirmed in the eastern Valencia region alone. More horrors emerged Thursday from the debris and ubiquitous layers of mud left by the walls of water that produced Spain's deadliest natural disaster in living memory. The damage from the storm late Tuesday and early Wednesday recalled the aftermath of a tsunami, with survivors left to pick up the pieces as they mourn their loved ones. Cars were piled on one another like fallen dominoes, uprooted trees, downed power lines and household items all mired in mud that covered streets in dozens of communities in Valencia, a region south of Barcelona on the Mediterranean coast. An unknown number of people are still missing and more victims could be found. Unfortunately, there are dead people inside some vehicles, Spain

Devastating flash floods cause around 95 deaths, destruction in Spain

Flash floods in Spain turned village streets into rivers, ruined homes, disrupted transportation and killed at least 95 people in the worst natural disaster to hit the European nation in recent memory. Rainstorms that started Tuesday and continued Wednesday caused flooding across southern and eastern Spain, stretching from Malaga to Valencia. Muddy torrents tumbled vehicles down streets at high speeds while debris and household items swirled in the water. Police and rescue services used helicopters to lift people from their homes and rubber boats to reach drivers stranded atop cars. Emergency services in the eastern region of Valencia confirmed a death toll of 92 people on Wednesday. Another two casualties were reported in the neighbouring Castilla La Mancha region, while southern Andalusia reported one death. Yesterday was the worst day of my life, Ricardo Gabaldon, the mayor of Utiel, a town in Valencia, told national broadcaster RTVE on Wednesday. He said six residents perished a