Page 2 - Natural Calamities

At least 32 dead in massive US storm after Kansas reports 8 fatalities

Violent tornadoes ripped through parts of the US, wiping out schools and toppling semitractor-trailers in several states, part of a monster storm that has killed at least 26 people as more severe weather was expected late on Saturday. The number of fatalities increased after the Kansas Highway Patrol reported eight people died in a highway pileup caused by a dust storm in Sherman County on Friday. At least 50 vehicles were involved. Missouri recorded more fatalities than any other state as it withstood scattered twisters overnight that killed at least 12 people, authorities said. The deaths included a man who was killed after a tornado ripped apart his home. "It was unrecognisable as a home. Just a debris field," said Coroner Jim Akers of Butler County, describing the scene that confronted rescuers. "The floor was upside down. We were walking on walls." Dakota Henderson said he and others rescuing people trapped in their homes on Friday night found five dead bodies scattered in the

Significant rise in flood frequency in High Mountain Asia since 2000: Study

The frequency of floods in High Mountain Asia (HMA) has increased significantly since 2000 due to climate change, according to a new study. The study, conducted by a team of scientists including environment expert Sonam Wangchuk, analysed 1,015 floods since 1950. Since 1950, the region's average temperature has shown a steady rise, warming at a rate of 0.3 degrees Celsius per decade. Meanwhile, precipitation patterns have changed in complex ways, both in terms of location and timing, the scientists said. They said this rapid warming, combined with shifting rainfall patterns, is affecting the region's water cycle and increasing flood risks. "In terms of temporal trends, the frequency of recorded flood events since 2000 has generally increased compared to the earlier period, with pluvial floods and snowmelt floods exhibiting a more considerable rise," the authors said. "The study confirms that flood frequency has risen, but a key additional finding is a rise in the unpredictability

7.6 magnitude earthquake shakes Caribbean sea southwest of Cayman Islands

A magnitude-7.6 earthquake shook the Caribbean Sea southwest of the Cayman Islands Saturday, according to the US Geological Survey, and some islands and countries urged people near the coastline to move inland in case of a tsunami. The quake struck at 6:23 pm local time in the middle of the sea and had a depth of 10 kilometers, the USGS said. Its epicenter was located 130 miles (209 kilometers) south-southwest of George Town in the Cayman Islands. The US National Tsunami Warning Center said there is no tsunami alert for the U.S. mainland but issued a tsunami advisory for Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands. Hazard Management Cayman Islands urged residents located near the coast to move inland and to higher ground. It said wave heights of 0.3 to 1 meter are expected. Puerto Rico Gov. Jenniffer Gonzlez Coln said in a statement she is in contact with emergency agencies after the tsunami advisory, but did not recommend anyone leave the coast. The Dominican government also issued a

24 dead as fire crews try to corral LA blazes before winds return this week

Firefighters scrambled Sunday to make further progress against wildfires that have destroyed thousands of homes and killed 24 people in the Los Angeles area as forecasters again warned of dangerous weather with the return of strong winds this week. At least 16 people were missing, and authorities said that number was expected to rise. The National Weather Service issued red flag warnings for severe fire conditions through Wednesday, with sustained winds of 80 kilometres per hour and gusts in the mountains reaching 113 kilometres per hour. The most dangerous day will be Tuesday, said weather service meteorologist Rich Thompson. "You're going to have really strong gusty Santa Ana winds, a very dry atmosphere and still very dry brush, so we still have some very critical fire weather conditions out there," Thompson said at a community meeting Saturday night. Los Angeles County Fire Chief Anthony C Marrone said 70 additional water trucks arrived to help crews fend off flames spread by ..

30,000 under evacuation orders as wildfire whips through Los Angeles

Firefighters scrambled to corral a fast-moving wildfire in the Los Angeles hillsides dotted with celebrity homes as a fierce windstorm hit Southern California on Tuesday, fanning the blaze seen for miles as scores of residents abandoned their cars and fled on foot to safety with roads blocked. Nearly 26,000 people in more than 10,000 households and more than 13,000 structures are under threat from the blaze, said Kristin Crowley, fire chief of the LA Fire Department. One resident described seeing people crying and screaming as they ran away carrying their children and pets. Officials said the worst of the winds are expected overnight Tuesday into Wednesday. Forecasters predicted the windstorm would last for days, producing isolated gusts that could top 100 mph (160 kph) in mountains and foothills including in areas that haven't seen substantial rain in months. Roughly half a million utility customers were at risk of having their power shut off to reduce the risk of equipment sparki

Heavy rains lash Tamil Nadu, 'Fengal' continues to moves towards coastline

The government had already declared November 30 a holiday for educational institutions

Bomb cyclone knocks out power, downs trees across northwest US; 1 dead

A major storm swept across the northwest US on Tuesday evening, battering the region with strong winds and rain and causing widespread power outages and downed trees that killed at least one person. The Weather Prediction Centre issued excessive rainfall risks through Friday and hurricane-force wind warnings were in effect as the strongest atmospheric river a large plume of moisture that California and the Pacific Northwest has seen this season overwhelms the region. The storm system is considered a bomb cyclone, which occurs when a cyclone intensifies rapidly. Downed trees struck homes and littered roads across northwest Washington. In Lynnwood, Washington, a woman died Tuesday night when a large tree fell on a homeless encampment, South County Fire said in a statement on X. In Seattle, a tree fell onto a vehicle, temporarily trapping a person inside, the Seattle Fire Department reported. The agency later said the individual was in stable condition. Trees are coming down all ov

LDF, UDF hold hartal in landslide-hit Wayanad over lack of Central aid

The dawn-to-dusk hartal called by the ruling LDF and opposition UDF in Wayanad district in Kerala on Tuesday saw shops largely remaining closed and vehicles blocked in many areas. The CPI(M)-led LDF and the Congress-headed UDF announced hartals separately to protest against the lack of Central assistance for the landslide victims in the mountain district even months after the disaster. Both the ruling and the opposition parties wanted the BJP-led union government to declare the landslide calamity as a national disaster and provide required assistance for the relief and rehabilitation of the survivors at the earliest. While the LDF alleged that the denying of Central assistance to Wayanad was due to political reasons and the union government had grudges towards the state, the UDF criticised the Left government in the state for the continuing plight of the landslide survivors. In many places, those supporting the hartal blocked vehicles, causing traffic snarls since morning. The ...

Latest typhoon lashes Philippines, causing tidal surges, displacing masses

A powerful typhoon wrecked houses, caused towering tidal surges and forced hundreds of thousands of people to flee to emergency shelters as it cut across the northern Philippines on Sunday in the sixth major storm to hit the country in less than a month. Typhoon Man-yi slammed into the eastern island province of Catanduanes on Saturday night with sustained winds of up to 195 kilometers (125 miles) per hour and gusts of up to 240 kph (149 mph). The country's weather agency warned of a potentially catastrophic and life-threatening situation in provinces along its path. There were no immediate reports of casualties from the typhoon, which was forecast to blow northwestward on Sunday across northern Luzon, the archipelago's most populous region. The capital region of metropolitan Manila would likely be spared from a direct hit but was placed, along with outlying regions, under storm alerts and warned of dangerous coastal storm surges. The rain was minimal, but the wind was very strong a

No provision to declare calamity as 'national disaster': Nityanand Rai

The MoS stated that the financial assistance provided under SDRF and NDRF is by way of relief and not for compensation

Typhoon Kong-rey hits Taiwan: 2 dead, 500 injured amid widespread damage

The Ministry of National Defence said that it had mobilised to support regional recovery from Typhoon Kong-rey

Tropical storm battering Philippines leaves 23 dead in flooding, landslides

Widespread flooding and landslides set off by a tropical storm in the northeastern Philippines on Thursday left at least 23 people dead, swept away cars and prompted authorities to scramble for motorboats to rescue trapped villagers, some on roofs. The government shut down schools and offices except those urgently needed for disaster response for the second day on the entire main island of Luzon to protect millions of people after Tropical Storm Trami slammed into the country's northeastern province of Isabela after midnight. The storm was blowing over Aguinaldo town in the mountain province of Ifugao after dawn with sustained winds up to 95 kph and gusts up to 160 kph. It was blowing westward and was forecast to enter the South China Sea later on Thursday, according to state forecasters. At least 23 people died, mostly due to drowning in the hard-hit Bicol region and nearby Quezon province but the toll was expected to rise as towns and villages isolated by flooding and roads ...

Dana to bring very heavy rain in south Bengal; over 170 trains cancelled

Cyclonic storm 'Dana', formed over east-central Bay of Bengal on Wednesday, is set to bring heavy rainfall in several southern West Bengal districts, including Kolkata, the IMD said. Eastern and South Eastern railways cancelled a large number of trains on October 24 and 25, in view of the cyclone. The storm is likely to intensify further into a severe cyclonic storm over northwest Bay of Bengal and make landfall between Bhitarkanika National Park and Dhamra port in Odisha early Friday with wind speeds of up to 120 kmph, the India Meteorological Department (IMD) said. The cyclone lay 420 km southeast of Paradip, 450 km south-southeast of Dhamara and 500 km south-southeast of Sagar Island at 8.30 am on Wednesday, it said. The Met warned of heavy to very heavy rainfall with extremely heavy downpours in isolated places in the south Bengal districts of North and South 24 Parganas, Purba and Paschim Medinipur, Jhargram, Kolkata, Howrah and Hooghly districts on October 24 and 25. Advisin

Govt to relocate families from Uttarkashi after Varunaavat landslide

Visuals from the area have shown the sensitivity of the region due to the landslide

With super typhoon winds, Yagi whirls towards Southern Chinese provinces

Packing maximum sustained winds of 209 kph (130 mph) near its eye, Yagi registers as the world's second-most powerful tropical cyclone

Odisha CM Majhi announces Rs 10 cr aid for calamity-hit Kerala, Tripura

Odisha Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi on Wednesday announced a grant of Rs 5 crore each for Kerala and Tripura to support recovery efforts following natural disasters in both states. Majhi expressed his condolences for the devastation caused by these calamities during telephonic conversations with Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan and Tripura Chief Minister Manik Saha. The Chief Minister's Office (CMO) said Majhi conveyed Odisha's readiness to assist with post-disaster recovery and reconstruction. Kerala was struck by a severe landslide, while Tripura has experienced significant flooding. In light of these events, Majhi said, "Odisha will provide Rs 5 crore each from the Chief Minister's Relief Fund (SMRF) to support the recovery efforts in both Kerala and Tripura." Both Vijayan and Saha expressed their gratitude for Odisha's support. Majhi also thanked the leaders for their assistance to Odia residents in their states during recent natural disasters.

CM Naidu urges Centre to declare floods in Andhra Pradesh national calamity

Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu has said the recent torrential rain and subsequent floods in Andhra Pradesh, particularly in Vijayawada, is the "biggest disaster" he has witnessed in the state in his political career. Naidu on Monday also said he will request the central government to declare the flood in the state as a national calamity. At least 17 people have been killed in rain-related incidents and the floods. "In my career, this is the biggest disaster...We had some events like Hudhud hurricane and Titli cyclone but compared to these, here the human suffering and property loss is the biggest," Naidu told a press conference at the NTR district collectorate late Monday. The collectorate in the district, one of the worst hit by the incessant rain in the state and floods, has been turned into a temporary secretariat by the chief minister. Naidu said all reports related to the calamity will be sent to the Centre and he will request it to liberally give funds to the state to ...

Thousands evacuated as cyclone builds off India, Pakistan's coast

More than 18,000 have been evacuated since Sunday from cities near the coast, disaster management authorities said

Sindh CM mobilises local authorities as heavy rainfall wreaks havoc

Pakistan Meteorological Department (PMD) has predicted that Sindh will get significant rainfall and thunderstorms on Monday as well

Disaster-prone Southeast Asia also best prepared, offers lessons: Survey

Southeast Asia is among the regions most prone to natural disasters, but a new analysis released Thursday shows its people also feel the best equipped to deal with them. It seems logical that the countries in and around the Pacific Ring of Fire, vulnerable to earthquakes, typhoons, storm surges and other dangers, are also the best prepared, but the survey by Gallup for the Lloyd's Register Foundation shows that's not always the case in other regions. Frequent exposure to hazard isn't the only factor that determines how prepared people feel, Benedict Vigers, a research consultant with Gallup, told The Associated Press. The report found the Association of Southeast Asian Nations has played a key role in disaster risk reduction, and Vigers said the region's wider approach includes widespread and effective early-warning systems, scaled-up community approaches and regional cooperation, and good access to disaster finance. Southeast Asia' success in feelings of disaster preparedness can