Page 16 - Floods

Assam floods: Over 2.6 lakh affected; situation worsens

The flood situation worsened in Assam on June 30, claiming two more lives and and affecting over 2,62,000 people in 12 districts. Five major rivers, including the Brahmaputra swelled up.

Midwestern US flooding collapses rail bridge, forces evacuations, kills 2

A railroad bridge collapsed during flooding in the Midwestern US that has forced water rescues, led to evacuations, caused at least one death and brought additional misery during a vast and stubborn heat wave. The bridge connecting North Sioux City, South Dakota, with Sioux City, Iowa, collapsed into the Big Sioux River late Sunday, an emergency manager said. Local media images showed a large span of the steel bridge partially underwater as floodwaters rushed over it. South Dakota Gov. Kristi Noem said at a news briefing Monday that the bridge was the main rail link from her state into Iowa. Some of its trusses collapsed, Jason Westcott, an emergency manager in Union County, South Dakota, told KCAU-TV. There were no reports of injuries from the collapse, which occurred around 11 pm. The bridge's owner, BNSF Railway, had stopped operating it as a precaution during the flooding, spokesperson Kendall Sloan said. Trains are being rerouted. We have damaged roads. We have damaged bridges

Rescuers find one dead person, two still missing in Switzerland floods

Rescuers in Switzerland have found the body of one of three people who had gone missing on Saturday after massive thunderstorms and rainfall in the southeast of the country caused a rockslide, Swiss authorities say. The other two are still missing. One woman was pulled out alive from the rubble earlier on Saturday morning. Today is a sad day, said Ignazio Cassis, member of the Swiss Federal Council, who addressed reporters Sunday after travelling to the region to show solidarity with the victims on behalf of the Swiss Federal Government. A team of 200 rescuers has been searching for the missing people since Saturday with excavators, specially-trained search dogs, drones and army helicopters. But the likelihood of finding them alive is low, William Kloter from the Swiss police, who is heading the rescue operations, told reporters Sunday. Search operations had to be halted during the night due to heavy rain. The rockslide hit a group of three houses in the municipality of Lostallo i

Assam floods claim 26 lives so far, 161K people affected in 15 districts

According to the flood reports of the Assam State Disaster Management Authority (ASDMA), one person died in Hailakandi district on Tuesday after drowning in flood waters

Flood situation worsens in Assam, more than 100,000 people affected

The flood situation in Assam worsened on Monday with over 1.05 lakh people reeling under the deluge across eight districts, an official bulletin said. According to the daily flood report of the Assam State Disaster Management Authority (ASDMA), more than 1,05,700 people are hit due to the floods in Baksa, Barpeta, Darrang, Dhemaji, Goalpara, Karimganj, Nagaon and Nalbari districts. Karimganj is the worst hit with over 95,300 people suffering, followed by Nagaon where nearly 5,000 people were affected and Dhemaji with more than 3,600 people reeling under flood waters, it said. Till Sunday, only around 6,000 people were suffering in flood waters across four districts of the state. The total number of people losing their lives in this year's flood, landslide and storm stands at 34. The administration has been operating 11 relief camps in one district, where 3,168 persons have taken shelter, and running three relief distribution centres in one district. The authority has distributed

Flood prevention work to be completed before onset of monsoon: Haryana govt

Haryana's Minister of State for Irrigation and Water Resources, Abhe Singh Yadav Friday visited several villages in the Ambala and Kurukshetra districts, where significant damage had occurred during the 2023 floods. He directed the officers to implement protective measures in crucial areas prone to flooding. According to an official statement released here, Yadav inspected various sites of the border dam of Tangri River along with the officers and also directed them to the drains cleaned and widened so the flood water can be easily managed during the monsoon season. He directed the officials concerned that flood prevention works be completed before June 30. The embankments at crucial points on the Markanda River must be strengthened using sandbags or cement concrete bags to ensure their strength, the statement read. Yadav further urged residents to remain vigilant and to report any flood-related information to the officials of the Irrigation Department. He mentioned that during th

After rare flash flood emergency, Florida prepares for more heavy rainfall

A tropical disturbance has brought a rare flash flood emergency to much of southern Florida as residents prepared to weather more heavy rainfall on Thursday and Friday. Wednesday's downpours and subsequent flooding blocked roads, floated vehicles and delayed the Florida Panthers on their way to Stanley Cup games in Canada against the Edmonton Oilers. The disorganised storm system was pushing across Florida from the Gulf of Mexico at roughly the same time as the early June start of hurricane season, which this year is forecast to be among the most active in recent memory amid concerns that climate change is increasing storm intensity. The disturbance has not reached cyclone status and was given only a slight chance to form into a tropical system once it emerges into the Atlantic Ocean after crossing Florida, according to the National Hurricane Centre. Regardless of development, heavy rainfall is forecast to continue across portions of the Florida peninsula during the next few days,

Assam: More than 625K affected by devastating floods, 5 more dead

The flood situation in Assam deteriorated on Monday with five more persons losing their lives, while over 6.25 lakh are reeling under the deluge across 10 districts, an official bulletin said. According to the daily report of the Assam State Disaster Management Authority (ASDMA), three people at Sonai and one person at Silchar revenue circles of Cachar district died due to the flood. Besides, one more person lost his life in Kamrup Metropolitan district owing to landslides, it said. With this, the toll in this year's flood, landslide and storm rose to 23. The report said more than 6,25,000 people have been impacted due to the floods in Cachar, Dhemaji, Dibrugarh, Dima Hasao, Hailakandi, Hojai, West Karbi Anglong, Karimganj, Morigaon and Nagaon districts. Nagaon is the worst hit with nearly 3.64 lakh people suffering, followed by Cachar with more than 1.36 lakh people and Hojai with over 90,000 people impacted, it said. Till Sunday, around 5.35 lakh people were affected across 10

Sri Lanka shuts schools as floods and mudslides leave 10 dead, 6 missing

Sri Lanka closed schools on Monday as heavy rain triggered floods and mudslides in many parts of the island nation, leaving at least 10 people dead and six others missing, officials said. The education ministry announced that the reopening of schools would depend on how the weather develops. Heavy downpours have wreaked havoc in many parts of the country since Sunday, flooding homes, fields and roads, and forcing authorities to cut electricity as a precaution. Six people died after being washed away and drowning in the capital, Colombo, and the remote Rathnapura district on Sunday, according to the disaster management center. Three others died when mounds of earth collapsed on their houses, and one person died when a tree fell on him. Six people have gone missing since Sunday. By Monday, over 5,000 people had been moved to evacuation centers and more than 400 homes had been damaged, the center said in a statement. Navy and army troops have been deployed to rescue victims and provi

Thousands of children in Afghanistan affected by ongoing floods: UNICEF

Tens of thousands of children in Afghanistan remain affected by ongoing flash floods, especially in the north and west, the UN children's agency said Monday. Unusually heavy seasonal rains have been wreaking havoc on multiple parts of the country, killing hundreds of people and destroying property and crops. The UN food agency has warned that many survivors are unable to make a living. UNICEF, the UN children's agency, said the extreme weather has all of the hallmarks of an intensifying climate crisis, with some of the affected areas having experienced drought last year. The World Food Programme said the exceptionally heavy rains in Afghanistan killed more than 300 people and destroyed thousands of houses in May, mostly in the northern province of Baghlan. Survivors have been left with no homes, no land, and no source of livelihood, WFP said. UNICEF said in a statement Monday that tens of thousands of children remain affected by ongoing floods. The international community must ...

Manipur: Over 188K affected by floods, more than 24,000 houses damaged

A total of 1,88,143 people have been affected by floods in Manipur following incessant rainfall in the aftermath of Cyclone Remal, a state minister said on Thursday. It has also damaged at least 24,265 houses in the last few days, he said. Altogether 18,103 people have been evacuated and 56 relief camps were set up, Minister for Water Resources and Relief & Disaster Management Awangbou Newmai informed. In a post on Facebook, he said: "Held a brief meeting with Additional Chief Secretary, Deputy Commissioner Imphal West & East, Directorate Relief and Disaster Management to review the flood situation, and strategising for immediate action on relief, search and rescue operations." Around 401 hectares of crop have been affected, too, he said. Relief materials have been distributed to Imphal East, Imphal West, Bisnupur, Noney, Churanchanpur, Senapati and Kakching, the minister said. Newmai said three persons have died and nine people suffered injuries, while one is missing due to ..

16 people killed in floods in Afghanistan's Baghlan, Badakhshan provinces

According to local officials in these provinces, 500 houses have been completely or partially destroyed in the floods

Brazil's flooded south sees 2 deaths, experts warn of surge in fatalities

The first two deaths from waterborne bacterial disease were reported in southern Brazil, where floodwaters were slowly receding, and health authorities warned additional fatalities were likely. Rio Grande do Sul state's health secretariat confirmed the death of a 33-year-old man due to leptospirosis on Wednesday. On Monday, authorities registered that a 67-year-old man had died from the same infectious disease. Since the beginning of May, 29 cases of the waterborne disease have been confirmed in the state. The flooding over about a two-week period killed at least 161 people, with 82 still missing, state authorities said Wednesday. More than 600,000 people were forced from their homes, including tens of thousands who remain in shelters, they said. Health experts had previously forecast a surge in infectious diseases including leptospirosis and hepatitis B within a couple weeks of the floods, as sewage mixed into the floodwaters. There are those who die during the flood and there is

Flash floods due to heavy rains kill 68 people in western Afghanistan

Flash floods from heavy seasonal rains in the province of Ghor in western Afghanistan have killed at least 50 people, a Taliban official said on Saturday, adding the death toll was based on preliminary reports and might rise. Dozens others remain missing, said Abdul Wahid Hamas, spokesman for Ghor's provincial governor. He also said the province suffered significant financial losses after thousands of homes and properties were damaged and hundreds of hectares of agricultural land destroyed following Friday's floods, including the capital city Feroz Koh. Last week, the UN food agency said the unusually heavy seasonal rains in Afghanistan have killed more than 300 people and destroyed thousands of houses, mostly in the northern province of Baghlan, which bore the brunt of floods on May 10th. Survivors have been left with no home, no land, and no source of livelihood, the World Food Organisation said. Most of Baghlan is inaccessible by trucks, said WFP, adding that it is resorting to

Flash floods, cold lava flow hit Sumatra, Indonesia, killing 15 people

Heavy rains and torrents of cold lava and mud flowing down a volcano's slopes on Indonesia's Sumatra island triggered flash floods that killed at least 15 people and injured several others, officials said Sunday. Monsoon rains and a major mudslide from a cold lava flow on Mount Marapi caused a river to breach its banks and tear through mountainside villages in Agam and Tanah Datar districts in West Sumatra province just before midnight on Saturday. The floods swept away people and submerged more than 100 houses and buildings, National Disaster Management Agency spokesperson Abdul Muhari said. Cold lava, also known as lahar, is a mixture of volcanic material and pebbles that flow down a volcano's slopes in the rain. By Sunday, rescuers had pulled out 11 bodies in the worst-hit village of Canduang and recovered four other bodies in the neighbouring village of Sungai Pua, Muhari said. The agency said in a statement that at least seven villagers were injured by the flash floods, and ..

Floods likely to worsen in Brazil's South, where many who remain are poor

More heavy rain is forecast for Brazil's already flooded Rio Grande do Sul state, where many of those remaining are poor people with limited ability to move to less dangerous areas. More than 15 cm (nearly 6 inches) of rain could fall over the weekend and will probably worsen flooding, according to the Friday afternoon bulletin from Brazil's national meteorology institute. It said there is also a high likelihood that winds will intensify and water levels rise in the Patos lagoon next to the state capital, Porto Alegre, and the surrounding area. As of Saturday morning, heavy rains were falling in northern Rio Grande do Sul, while Porto Alegre and the southern part of the state were receiving drizzle. Carlos Sampaio, 62, lives in a low-income community next to soccer club Gremio's stadium in Porto Alegre. His two-story home doubles as a sports bar. Even though the first floor is flooded, he said he won't leave, partly out of fear of looters in his high-crime neighbourhood, where poli

Over 300 killed as flash floods, heavy rains wreak havoc in Afghanistan: UN

The UN food agency says more than 300 Afghans have died in flash floods that also destroyed more than 1,000 houses in the northern province of Baghlan. The World Food Agency said Saturday it was distributing fortified biscuits to the survivors of one of the many floods that hit Afghanistan over the last few weeks following unusually heavy rainfall.

Brazil reels from massive flooding as it faces risk from new storms

Authorities in southern Brazil rushed on Wednesday to rescue survivors of massive flooding that has killed at least 100 people, but some residents refused to leave belongings behind while others returned to evacuated homes despite the risk of new storms. Heavy rains and flooding in the southern state of Rio Grande do Sul since last week also have left 128 people missing, authorities said. More than 230,000 have been displaced, and much of the region has been isolated by the floodwaters. More storms are expected in the state, with lightning strikes and wind gusts reaching up to 100 kilometers per hour (62 mph) in the south, according to Ctia Valente, the meteorologist in the state's situation room. Staffers of the state's civil defense agency told The Associated Press they have been struggling to persuade residents of the city of Eldorado do Sul, one of the hardest hit by the floods, to leave their homes. It is located beside Porto Alegre, near the center of the state's coastline. At

Brazil floods death toll rises to 90, dozens still stranded: Report

The flooding has hampered rescue efforts, with dozens of people still waiting to be evacuated by boat or helicopter from stricken homes

Floods in Southern Brazil kill at least 75 over 7 days, 103 people missing

Massive floods in Brazil's southern Rio Grande do Sul state have killed at least 75 people over the last seven days, and another 103 were reported missing, local authorities said Sunday. At least 155 people were injured, while damage from the rains forced more than 88,000 people from their homes. Approximately 16,000 took refuge in schools, gymnasiums and other temporary shelters. The floods left a wake of devastation, including landslides, washed-out roads and collapsed bridges across the state. Operators reported electricity and communications cuts. More than 800,000 people are without a water supply, according to the civil defence agency, which cited figures from water company Corsan. A rescue team pulled an elderly man in serious medical condition into a helicopter from a remote area in the Bento Gonalves municipality, according to footage from military firefighters. Torrents of brown water poured over a nearby dam. On Saturday evening, residents in the town of Canoas stood up