Category Archives: Natural Disasters

Flash flood watch under way for 80m in eastern US as heatwaves broil west

Posted on by

Western Georgia sees ‘one-in-1,000-year rainfall event’ as homes and businesses flood

More than 80 million people in the eastern US were under flash flood watches late on Monday, marking still more extreme weather in a country reeling from record heatwaves in some regions, as the US increasingly feels the effects of the climate crisis.

In Georgia, the threat of torrential downpours became a reality Sunday afternoon, spurring a flash flood emergency in western portions of the state, CNN reported.

Continue reading...

China earthquake kills dozens as tremors shake locked-down Chengdu

Posted on by

Deadly quake in Sichuan leaves at least 46 dead, and was also felt in provincial capital where millions are confined to their homes

At least 46 people have been killed in a strong earthquake that struck south-western China and was felt by millions of people confined to their homes under a strict Covid lockdown in Chengdu.

The 6.6-magnitude quake hit about 26 miles (43km) south-east of the city of Kangding at a depth of about six miles, the US Geological Survey (USGS) said.

Continue reading...

Pakistan: fears for areas cut off by floods as damage to roads hampers relief effort

Posted on by

PM vows government will not disappoint flood victims as economic losses estimated at more than $10bn

There are growing fears for people living in communities in Pakistan cut off by devastating flooding caused by unusually strong monsoon rains, as damage to major roads hampers the military-led relief effort.

On a visit to a badly flooded area in the north-western province of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa on Monday, the prime minister, Shehbaz Sharif, described the rains as “unprecedented in the last 30 years”. “I have never seen such devastation in my life,” he said, vowing that his government “won’t disappoint” flood victims.

Continue reading...

Pakistan floods kill 580 and bring misery to millions

Posted on by

Government accused of inaction as downpours leave schools destroyed, homes ruined, crops failing and cholera on the rise

More than 580 people have died and thousands have lost their homes across Pakistan as torrential rains batter the country.

An estimated 1 million have been affected by heavy rainfall, flash floods and landslides since July as Pakistan endured more than 60% of its normal total monsoon rainfall in three weeks.

Continue reading...

China floods leave at least 12 dead, with thousands evacuated

Posted on by

Another 12 missing in flash floods in Sichuan and Gansu, as some areas receive double their monthly rain in less than two days

Flash floods in south-west and north-west China have left at least a dozen dead and put thousands of others in harm’s way, state media has reported.

In the south-western province of Sichuan, at least six people have died and another 12 are missing after torrential rain triggered flash floods, state-owned news outlet CGTN reported on Sunday.

Continue reading...

Almost 1,000 firefighters tackle ‘mega-fire’ in southern France

Posted on by

Authorities say blaze brought under control but likely to take days to extinguish amid drought conditions, heat and strong winds

Nearly 1,000 firefighters backed by water-dropping planes have been deployed to battle a massive blaze in France’s southern Gard region that burned 600 hectares (1,500 acres) and forced the evacuation of residents.

Local authorities said on Friday the wildfire had been brought under control but would take days to extinguish.

Continue reading...

Federal government pledges $1,000 disaster payment for NSW flood victims as threat moves north

Posted on by

Deluge moves to Hunter and mid-north coast as Anthony Albanese announces one-off payment to people in 23 areas

The federal government will provide one-off $1,000 payments for people in 23 flood-affected areas across New South Wales, the prime minister, Anthony Albanese, announced on Wednesday, as the flood threat moved north.

Rain eased in areas of Sydney hit by flooding but concern remained for the state’s Hunter and mid-north coast regions, with flooding expected to continue into Wednesday evening.

Continue reading...

Efforts to move cargo ship stranded off Sydney suspended after tow lines snap in wild weather

Posted on by

MV Portland Bay anchored in a sheltered position after wind and torrential rain prevented towing the ship to safety

Efforts to tow the stricken cargo ship MV Portland Bay to deeper waters were suspended overnight after lines being used to pull the vessel broke in extreme weather.

As wild winds and torrential rains continued to lash Sydney’s coast, it could be Wednesday before it was safe to tow the 170-metre ship into port.

Continue reading...

NSW floods: Sydney braces for two more days of flooding as state smashed by rain and wind

Posted on by

SES perform 252 flood rescues overnight and thousands urged to evacuate as threat of inundation remains in Hawkesbury and Nepean

The New South Wales State Emergency Service reported more than 5,300 requests for assistance on Monday night, including 252 flood rescues, mainly of drivers stuck in cars and residents needing to be relocated.

The wild weather continued in NSW through the night, with heavy rain and strong winds lashing the state.

Continue reading...

Sydney flooding: communities evacuated and residents rescued as torrential rain batters region

Posted on by

NSW State Emergency Service issues emergency alert text messages as severe weather threatens low-lying areas

Thousands of people in low-lying areas around Sydney are being asked to evacuate as residents and holiday-makers face “dangers on multiple fronts” in the region’s third major flooding event since March.

Emergency services minister Steph Cooke warned affected communities between Newcastle and Batemans Bay needed to be prepared to evacuate “at short notice” and should reconsider travel plans as an east coast low set in.

Continue reading...

Cyclone numbers have fallen since start of 20th century, study suggests

Posted on by

Scientists warn that while total number of cyclones may be decreasing, global heating will see a higher proportion of more damaging storms

Global heating has coincided with fewer tropical cyclones forming each year around the globe compared with the second half of the 19th century, according to a new study.

The average annual number of cyclones fell by 13% across the 20th century, with steeper declines seen after 1950.

Continue reading...

‘Too much suffering’: survivors talk of quake’s deadly toll in Afghanistan

Posted on by

5.9-magnitude earthquake leaves children buried under rubble and villages destroyed in already impoverished country

Sitting on a hill overlooking the remote Gayan district, Abdullah Abed pointed towards several freshly dug graves. “They screamed for help,” he said of his son Farhadullah, 10, and daughter Basrina, 18. “We tried to save them but by the time we pulled them out of the rubble, their voices had gone quiet.”

Today they lie buried beside 10 other family members lost in the 5.9-magnitude earthquake that struck eastern Afghanistan in the early hours of Wednesday. An estimated 250 people have died in the hard-hit district, many of them now buried next to Abed’s children, among the more than 1,150 people feared dead and 1,500 injured across Afghanistan’s eastern Paktika and Khost provinces. It was Afghanistan’s deadliest quake in two decades.

Continue reading...

Fears grow for Afghanistan earthquake survivors left without shelter

Posted on by

First shipments of international aid arrive in country as officials say death toll has risen to 1,150

There are growing fears for the health and wellbeing of survivors of Wednesday’s earthquake in Afghanistan, as the death toll rose to 1,150 and the first shipments of international aid arrived in the impoverished country.

“There are no blankets, tents, there’s no shelter. Our entire water distribution system is destroyed. There is literally nothing to eat,” Zaitullah Ghurziwal, 21, told an AFP team that reached his village in Paktika province.

Continue reading...

Marseille, Alexandria and Istanbul prepare for Mediterranean tsunami

Posted on by

Risk of significant tsunami within next 30 years is nearly 100%, Unesco says, as it urges coastal cities to become ‘tsunami-ready’

A tsunami could soon hit major cities on or near the Mediterranean Sea including Marseille, Alexandria and Istanbul, with a nearly 100% chance of a wave reaching more than a metre high in the next 30 years, according to Unesco.

The risk of a tsunami in Mediterranean coastal communities is predicted to soar as sea levels rise. While communities in the Pacific and Indian Ocean, where most tsunamis occur, were often aware of the dangers, it was underestimated in other coastal regions, including the Mediterranean, Unesco said.

Continue reading...

Afghan quake: at least 1,000 people killed after 5.9 magnitude tremor

Posted on by

Toll expected to rise after deadliest quake in two decades strikes during night near Khost, 95 miles south of Kabul

A powerful earthquake in a remote area of Afghanistan’s Paktika province has killed at least 1,000 people and injured at least 1,500, with the toll expected to rise in the impoverished country.

According to Taliban officials, hundreds more were injured in what appears to have been the deadliest quake in two decades, striking during the night with heavy rain hampering rescue efforts.

Continue reading...

‘Not a 24-hour operation’: Shane Fitzsimmons defends Resilience NSW response to floods

Posted on by

Inquiry hears of residents’ anger that disaster agencies treated flood response as a ‘nine-to-five job’

New South Wales disaster management agencies have defended their rescue and recovery response to the record-breaking floods that claimed 13 lives earlier this year.

An upper house committee inquiry also heard that fewer than 10% of flood victims across the state have received crucial disaster relief funds.

Continue reading...

Flood alerts issued as more torrential rain forecast to hit China

Posted on by

At least 15 people were killed last week and new low pressure system across region will bring more disruption

Record-breaking rains that have battered parts of China and east Asia in the last week are expected to worsen, with authorities warning of an increased risk of floods.

In the first week of China’s flood season, extreme rainfalls have caused floods and landslides, destroyed roads and infrastructure, and led to the deaths of at least 15 people. Floods, landslides and disruptions to water and electricity were reported in Shaoguan, in northern Guangdong province, and more than 800,000 people in Jiangxi were reportedly affected by torrential rains that have so far hit 80 of the province’s counties and damaged more than 76,000 hectares (188,000 acres) of cropland.

Continue reading...

Thousands forced to flee as wildfires sweep through New Mexico

Posted on by

Five counties under state of emergency as high winds fan ferocious flames across US south-west

Wind-driven wildfires destroyed hundreds of structures in northern New Mexico and forced thousands to flee mountain villages as blazes burned unusually early in the year in the parched US south-west.

Two wildfires merged north-west of Las Vegas, New Mexico, and raced through 15 miles (24km) of forest driven by winds over 75mph (121km/h), destroying more than 200 buildings, state authorities said.

Continue reading...

Tropical storm Megi: Philippines death toll rises to 123 as landslides bury villages

Posted on by

Focus now on retrieving bodies, says mayor, after strongest storm to hit archipelago this year devastates communities

The death toll from landslides and floods in the Philippines rose to 123 on Wednesday with scores missing and feared dead, officials said, as rescuers dug up more bodies with bare hands and backhoes in crushed villages.

Most of the deaths from tropical storm Megi – the strongest to hit the archipelago this year – were in the central province of Leyte, where a series of landslides devastated communities.

Continue reading...

Dozens killed in Philippines landslides and floods as tropical storm Megi hits

Posted on by

More than 17,000 people flee their homes as landslides engulf villages, cutting off roads and power

Rescuers hampered by mud and rain have used their bare hands and shovels to search for survivors of landslides that smashed into villages in the central Philippines, as the death toll from tropical storm Megi rose to 42.

More than 17,000 people fled their homes as the storm pummelled the disaster-prone region in recent days, flooding houses, severing roads and knocking out power.

Continue reading...