Page 13 - Natural Disasters

Tornadoes rip through Texas, Oklahoma, Arkansas; at least 18 dead

At least 15 people, including two kids, have died as powerful storms ravaged the states of Texas, Oklahoma and Arkansas in the central US, destroying homes and plunging thousands into darkness amid rising temperatures over the Memorial Day weekend. Seven fatalities were reported in Cooke County, Texas, near the Oklahoma border, where a tornado Saturday night ripped through a rural area near a mobile home park, officials said. Storms also caused damage in Oklahoma, where guests at an outdoor wedding were injured. "It's just a trail of debris left. The devastation is pretty severe," Cooke County Sheriff Ray Sappington said. The dead included two children, aged 2 and 5, and three members of a family, the sheriff said. A tornado tore apart houses and businesses, flipped mobile homes and knocked down trees and power lines. Areas near the community of Valley View were especially hard-hit. Sappington said 60 to 80 people were injured at a truck stop called the AP Travel Center on Inters

Widespread rains cause damage to property in Kerala; heavy downpour likely

The ongoing spell of heavy rains in Kerala has affected normal life, with scores of houses suffering damage, roads being submerged, trees uprooted, flood water entering houses and trains running late as a result of the steady downpour that continued to lash the state on Saturday. Flood water entered houses, schools and shops located in low-lying areas of Kuttanad in coastal Alapuzha district. Potholes appeared on roads, posing a threat to vehicle users in many places there. Meanwhile, the Indian Meteorological Department today forecast heavy rainfall at one or two places in Thiruvananthapuram, Kollam, Pathanamthitta, Alappuzha, and Kottayam districts. At Kaikulangara in Kollam district, a family of four had a narrow escape as the tiled roof of their house collapsed due to heavy showers. Residents of the house escaped with minor injuries and were taken to a nearby hospital, police said. Another house in Kannettumukku here was completely damaged following downpour in the small hour

Disasters caused over half million internal displacements in 2023: Report

India experienced over half a million internal displacements due to floods, storms, earthquakes, and other disasters in 2023, a significant dip from around 2.5 million displacements in 2022, according to a global report released on Tuesday. In Delhi, identified as a "flood displacement hotspot", the Yamuna River overflowed after heavy rains on July 9, 2023, prompting authorities to evacuate residents from their homes. The report by the Geneva-based Internal Displacement Monitoring Centre (IDMC) said around 27,000 displacements in the national capital. On July 9, Delhi recorded 153 mm of rainfall in just 24 hours, the highest single-day rainfall since July 25, 1982. Overall, South Asia reported around 3.7 million internal displacements in 2023, with disasters causing 3.6 million, the lowest figure since 2018. Researchers attributed the decline in displacements due to disasters partly to the El Nino event, which brought below-average rainfall during the monsoon and a weaker cyclone

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

Over 15,000 houses damaged in hailstorm in Manipur: CM Biren Singh

Over 15,000 houses were damaged in the hailstorm that hit Manipur on Sunday, Chief Minister N Biren Singh said. Addressing a press conference on Monday, Singh said several vehicles were also damaged in the disaster. "The state sustained massive damage in yesterday's hailstorm. Further assessment is going on. So far, 15,425 houses have been severely damaged. The Imphal West district is worst affected with 6,053 houses being damaged," Singh said. "A total of 5,600 houses were damaged in Imphal East, while in Churachandpur district, 540 houses were damaged," he said. The hailstorm damaged 1,179 houses in Bishnupur, 800 houses in Thoubal, 292 in Kangpokpi, and 200 in Ukhrul, he added. Singh said 42 relief camps were opened following the disaster, and relief materials were being provided through the deputy commissioners. "A total of Rs 6.19 crore has been sanctioned to meet the relief expenses, of which Rs 50 lakh each for the valley districts and Rs 40 lakhs each for the hill distric

70 people killed by flooding in Kenya; more rain expected through weekend

Flooding and heavy rains in Kenya have killed at least 70 people since mid-March, a government spokesperson said on Friday, twice as many as were reported earlier this week. The East African country has seen weeks of heavy rains and severe flooding in Kenya's capital, Nairobi, as well as in the country's western and central regions. Kenya's government spokesperson Isaac Mwaura on Friday refuted claims that hundreds of people have died in the ongoing flooding and said the official tally now stands at 70. Five bodies were retrieved on Friday from a river in Makueni county, east of the country, after a lorry they were travelling in was swept off a submerged bridge, local station Citizen TV reported. Another 11 were rescued. Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua said on Friday at a news briefing that the government had set aside 4 billion Kenya shillings (USD 29 million) for emergency relief efforts, but did not provide further details. More than 130,000 people are currently affected with

Tipping point: Climate disasters have cost India over $120 bn since 2000

About 2 per cent of the total deaths in 2022 were due to forces of nature, NCRB data shows. Over 8,000 people lost their lives due to such events that year compared to 6,800 in 2018

Invest in 'resilient infra' to ease impact of natural disasters: PM Modi

Vulnerable nations must get international support, Prime Minister Narendra Modi says at international conference

Asia world's most 'disaster hit' region with rising climate crisis: Report

WMO climate report reveals record high temperatures in Asian countries with flooding and heat waves are major issues in India

Asia world's most disaster-prone region in 2023, shows WMO report

Asia continued to bear the brunt of weather, climate and water-related hazards in 2023, making it the world's most disaster-hit region, according to a new report by the World Meteorological Organization. Floods and storms led to the highest number of reported casualties and economic losses, and the impact of heat waves intensified, said the World Meteorological Organization's (WMO) State of the Climate in Asia - 2023 report. According to the report, sea-surface temperatures in the northwest Pacific Ocean hit record highs, and even the Arctic Ocean experienced a marine heat wave. "Many countries in the region experienced their hottest year on record in 2023, along with a barrage of extreme conditions, from droughts and heat waves to floods and storms. Climate change exacerbated the frequency and severity of such events, profoundly impacting societies, economies, and, most importantly, human lives and the environment that we live in," said WMO Secretary-General Celeste Saulo. Citing

Heavy rains: UAE grapples with flood damage, death toll in Oman rises to 18

Heavy rains lashed the United Arab Emirates on Tuesday, flooding out portions of major highways and leaving vehicles abandoned on roadways across Dubai. Meanwhile, the death toll in separate heavy flooding in neighboring Oman rose to 18 with others still missing as the sultanate prepared for the storm. The rains began overnight, leaving massive ponds on streets as whipping winds disrupted flights at Dubai International Airport, the world's busiest for international travel and the home of the long-haul carrier Emirates. Police and emergency personnel drove slowly through the flooded streets, their emergency lights flashing across the darkened morning. Lightning flashed across the sky, occasionally touching the tip of the Burj Khalifa, the world's tallest building. Schools across the UAE, a federation of seven sheikhdoms, largely shut ahead of the storm and government employees were largely working remotely if able. Many workers stayed home as well, though some ventured out, with the

Afghanistan flash floods kill 33, injure 27; hundreds rendered homeless

Afghanistan is among the most vulnerable countries against natural disasters, including floods, earthquakes, avalanches, landslides and drought

At least 18 dead, 2 missing as landslides hit Indonesia's Sulawesi island

A search and rescue team found 18 people killed by landslides on Indonesia's Sulawesi island and are still looking for two missing, officials said Monday. Rescuers found about 14 bodies in Makale village on Sunday afternoon and four in South Makale, said Mexianus Bekabel, the chief of Makassar Search and Rescue. We are still looking for two more victims, but fog and drizzle made the search difficult and officers in the field were overwhelmed, Sulaiman Malia, chief of the Tana Toraja district Disaster Management Agency, said on Monday. Loosened by torrential rain, mud poured from surrounding hills onto four houses just before midnight Saturday in the Tana Toraja district of South Sulawesi province, said local police chief Gunardi Mundu. He said a family gathering was being held in one of the houses when the landslide hit. Dozens of soldiers, police and volunteers joined the search in the remote hillside villages of Makale and South Makale, Mundu said. Rescuers early Sunday managed t

At least 13 people killed, nearly 15,000 displaced by flooding in Kenya

Heavy rains pounding different parts of Kenya have led to the deaths of at least 13 people and displaced some 15,000, the United Nations said, as forecasters warned more rains can be expected until June. The U.N Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, citing the Kenya Red Cross Society, said Thursday that nearly 20,000 people have been affected. That includes the estimated 15,000 displaced by heavy rains and flash floods across the country since the start of the wet season in mid-March. The East African country has seen thousands of people killed by flooding in previous rainy seasons, mostly in the lake regions and downstream of major rivers. The Kenya Red Cross Society told The Associated Press that five major roads were cut off by the floods, including Garissa Road in northern Kenya, where a bus carrying 51 passengers was swept away on Tuesday. All passengers were rescued. Kenya's disaster management agency issued a flood warning to residents of Lamu, Tana River and

Russia, Kazakhstan battle worst floods as major rivers burst banks

The Kremlin said Putin was being updated regularly on the situation but had no current plans to visit the area while emergency services tried to deal with rising waters

Guatemala's Prez issues natural disaster declaration amid 44 forest fires

Guatemala's president issued a natural disaster declaration Wednesday as 44 forest fires continue to burn across the Central American country. President Bernardo Arvalo said that 80% of the fires were started by people. Farmers often burn stubble and grass in their fields around this time of year in preparation for planting. The current situation is not a coincidence, 80% of those fires were set, Arvalo said. Authorities canceled classes across three central provinces to protect students from the prevailing smoke. One of the largest fires is near a suburb of Guatemala City, the capital. The declaration frees up funding for fire fighting efforts. Guatemala is more accustomed to dealing with its restive volcanoes than forest fires.

Earthquake of 5.3-magnitude hits Himachal Pradesh's Chamba district

Tremors were felt in parts of north India as a 5.3-magnitude earthquake hit Chamba district of Himachal Pradesh on Thursday. The earthquake struck at 9.34 pm, the National Center for Seismology said. Mild tremors were also felt in Chandigarh and parts of Punjab and Haryana. The quake lasted for a few seconds. "I felt a strong jolt lasting a couple of seconds. Just when I was thinking of rushing downstairs, the tremors stopped," said Sanjay Kumar, a Chandigarh resident.

WATCH: Taiwan earthquake turns swimming pool in Taipei into massive waves

In the video clip circulating on social media, a man can be seen caught up in the pool amid the heavy waves caused by the earthquake

Taiwan's strong earthquake leaves roads cracked, buildings tilted: WATCH

Taiwan experienced its biggest earthquake in 25 years, which occurred 25 km south-southeast of Hualien County Hall at a depth of 15.5 km

Natural disasters cause $65bn loss in APAC in 2023; 91% loss uninsured: Aon

As per the report, 398 natural disaster events occurred globally in 2023, resulting in an economic loss of $380 billion in the year.