Ramblings of a 70-year old: flash floods

Showing posts with label flash floods. Show all posts

Friday, October 28, 2022

Storm Nalgae strikes the Philippines and leaves at least 72 dead

Tropical storm Nalgae brought flash floods and landslides to provinces in the southern parts of the Philippines and left at least 72 dead. Nalgae, with maximum sustained winds of 59 miles per hour and gusts of up to 99.4 mph, made landfall in the eastern Catanduanes province. A spokesperson of the disaster agency reported the death of 67 people in the Maguindanao province. Apart from them, loss of lives was scattered in other regions. Another 33 are injured and 14 are missing. The storm could bring heavy and at times torrential rains over the capital, Manila, and nearby provinces. It will finally head towards the South China Sea. Death toll hits 72 as Tropical Storm Nalgae drenches Philippines. The capital experienced around 10 hours of continuous rain with mudslides, landslides and flash floods.

The Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration warned that Nalgae (known locally as Paeng) will continue to cause flooding and rain-induced landslides as it crosses the country. Search and rescue teams pulled bodies out from the water and thick mud following flooding and landslides in the south of the country. The country witnesses an average of 20 tropical storms every year. President Ferdinand Marcos Jr sent condolences to those who had lost their lives in the storm. He also reassured the public that emergency services were deploying with supplies of food and other items to the hardest-hit areas. According to the civil defense authorities, evacuation completed for more than 7,000 people ahead of the storm’s landfall. The coast guard also suspended ferry services through most of the archipelago nation due to rough seas. This left hundreds of vessels and thousands of passengers stranded at ports. Civil aviation authorities canceled more than 100 flights. Scientists warned that storms of this nature kills livestock and destroys key infrastructure. These are becoming more powerful as the world gets warmer because of climate change.

Sunday, October 9, 2022

Tragedy at Durga Puja immersion in Jalpaiguri, West Bengal when flash flood sweeps away at least 8 persons

The tragedy occurred along the banks of River Mal in the Jalpaiguri district of West Bengal. It is usual for devotees to gather at the venue of immersion to bid farewell to Goddess Durga and her retinue. They are Lakshmi, Saraswati, Kartik and Lord Ganesh, the children of Durga. Normally, such rituals rarely get prominence in the media but this was different. There was flash flood and the flow of water swept away some of the people and left a group of about 30-40 persons stranded in the middle of a river. The district administration rescued them and indicated that the deceased persons included an eight-year-old boy and a 13-year-old girl while the other six included three women. In addition, fifteen injured people required hospitalization. 2 children among 8 drowned in flash floods during Durga Puja immersion at Jalpaiguri in Bengal. The District Magistrate mentioned that there was no local prediction of rainfall. However, suddenly the water in the river rose, probably due to rainfall in higher areas like Sikkim.

The district administration suspended immersion at the spot where flash floods occurred and undertook rescue operations. Prime Minister Narendra Modi expressed grief over the incident. His office took to the social media to send condolences to those who lost their loved ones. A local political leader said - “Thousands had gathered on the banks of the river and suddenly the water rose. People had no time to rush to higher ground. Many were swept away.” Even though there has been little rain in the area for the last few days, there were reports of heavy downpour in the higher reaches and in the Bhutan hills. Incidentally, the Mal River originates in the hills, and the water accumulated in the higher reaches owing to the heavy rain there caused the flash flood. This river merges with the Teesta River in the region.

Thursday, August 11, 2022

Nearly half of the European Union faces worst drought in a 500-year record

Countries in the European Union are in a crisis. Severe drought is affecting agriculture, energy production and water supply. The picture is grim. France is handing out water; Serbia faces death of fish while Germany sees an evaporating river. In addition, Spain and Italy watch olive trees withering. This is the scenario of the EU as it suffers from the worst drought in a 500-year record. According to the EC's European Drought Observatory (EDO), nearly 47 percent of its land is now under drought conditions. Insufficient rainfall is the prime factor that led to drying out of the soil and consequent loss of plants and crops. In case dry weather continues, the situation could deteriorate. Climate crisis: Drought hitting nearly half of Europe - and it could last for months. Water levels in rivers, lakes and reservoirs across Western Europe are running low. Some have even dried up. As a result, there is stress on supplies of drinking water. This, in turn, hampers tourism and threatens the yield of crop. These have cascading effects.

These are the ill effects of global warming. Reasons of drought are many and the most serious one is lack of rainfall due to climate change. When rainfall comes in shorter and more intense bursts, the soil is unable to retain it. The result is flash floods and mudslides that wash away the soil. Moreover, the dry weather can and often does result in forest fires. These mean loss of greenery in the form of trees. The rise in temperatures lead to evaporation of water. Heatwaves are linked to global warming, and increase the demand of water as people seek to cool off. Right now, high temperatures and scant rainfall have drained the water levels of the Rhine. This is the commercial artery of Germany. Low water level is leading to delay in transporting the goods. These are pushing up freight costs several times. Moreover, low water levels in reservoirs lead to lower output of hydropower. Some countries that face this issue are Italy, Serbia, Montenegro and Norway.