flood
Hiker missing in Utah flooding as monsoon hits US Southwest
Authorities have been searching for days for an Arizona woman reported missing after being swept away by floodwaters in Utah’s Zion National Park as strong seasonal rain storms hit parts of the U.S. Southwest.
National Park Service officials said rangers and members of the Zion Search and Rescue Team were in the Virgin River area Sunday looking for Jetal Agnihotri, 29, of Tucson.
They said Agnihotri was among several hikers who were swept off their feet Friday afternoon by rushing water in the popular Narrows area in the park, known for its spectacular red-rock cliffs and narrow canyons, in southern Utah near the Arizona border.
All of the hikers except Agnihotri were found on high ground and were stranded until water levels receded.
Rain can turn hiking in the park deadly when the moisture runs off the desert landscape and quickly fills canyons with water, rocks and debris, especially during the summer when seasonal afternoon thunderstorms develop. The storms can lead to flooding in normally dry washes and in areas stripped of vegetation by wildfires that have plagued the drought-stricken region. Vegetation normally slows and partially absorbs precipitation.
Read:31 dead in India flash floods & landslides
On Sunday, an approximately 20-mile (32-kilometer) stretch of Colorado's main east-west highway, Interstate 70, was temporarily closed because of the risk of flooding and mudslides from forecasted storms in Glenwood Canyon, where a wildfire burned in 2020.
Elsewhere in Utah, flooding in Moab, the gateway to Arches National Park, on Saturday night closed trails in the city on Sunday as crews assessed the damage. A video posted on the city's Twitter account showed a creek gushing under a downtown bridge.
Meanwhile, in New Mexico, officials at Carlsbad Caverns National Park said about 150 tourists were evacuated late Saturday night after being stranded by rising water.
Park officials told people at the visitor's center to wait there for hours because of flash flooding.
Authorities said several rivers and streams in New Mexico have nearly reached historic flood levels not seen since the 1960s due to recent heavy rainfall.
In Arizona, emergency crews rescued four hikers stranded in Sabino Canyon east of Tucson on Friday and helped 41 students and staff from Marana off school buses that got stuck in high water when the storms began to move in.
More than 3 inches (7.62 centimeters) of rain fell Saturday in the mountains northeast of Tucson, according to the National Weather Service.
The rain comes amid a drought that scientists say is the worst in the U.S. West in 1,200 years and aggravated by climate change. Colorado River reservoirs have fallen to historic lows as a result. Earlier this week, states that rely on the river missed a deadline for deciding how to cut the amount of water they use from the river.
For Nevada, recent storms have given the Las Vegas metro area its wettest monsoon season in 10 years.
“Most locales in Arizona, New Mexico, the California deserts, southern Nevada, and a few other scattered areas have measured at least 200 percent of normal (rainfall) over the past 2 months,” the U.S. Drought Monitor said in a report issued on Aug. 11.
Flood death toll rises to 140
The death toll from this season's floods in the country rose to 140 with another death in Sylhet in 24 hours till Thursday morning.
The total deaths were recorded from May 17 to August 18, according to the Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS).
Of the deceased, 79 were from Sylhet, 43 from Mymensingh, 17 from Rangpur and one from Dhaka division.
Also read: Flood death toll rises to 139
One hundred and eight people drowned in floodwaters, 19 died by lightning strikes, three from snake bites, one from diarrhoea, and nine others due to other reasons.
Around 33,994 people were hit by floods during the same period.
Thirty-seven upazilas, including 33 in Sylhet, three in Rangpur and one in Chattogram divisions were affected by floods.
Also read: Vast areas in Paikgachha of Khulna flooded as dam collapses
Sylhet, Sunamganj and Moulvibazar were the worst-hit districts, with 13, 11 and five upazilas affected by floods respectively.
Flood death toll rises to 139
The death toll from this season's floods in the country rose to 139 with another death in Rangpur in 24 hours till Tuesday morning.
The total deaths were recorded from May 17 to August 15, according to the Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS).
Of the deceased, 78 were from Sylhet, 43 from Mymensingh, 17 from Rangpur and one from Dhaka division.
Read: Low-lying areas of coastal districts face flood risk
One hundred and eight people drowned in floodwaters, 18 died by lightning strikes, three from snake bites, one from diarrhoea, and nine others due to other reasons.
Around 33,186 people were hit by floods during the same period.
Thirty-seven upazilas, including 33 in Sylhet, three in Rangpur and one in Chattogram divisions were affected by floods.
Sylhet, Sunamganj and Moulvibazar were the worst-hit districts, with 13, 11 and five upazilas affected by floods respectively.
Khulna: Embankment collapses again
KAn embankment constructed by the residents of Khulna’s Koyra upazila to prevent riverbank erosion has collapsed yet again due to increased water pressure.
Locals fear that vast areas of the upazila will be inundated by high tides in the Kopotakkho river if the embankment in the Charamukha isn’t repaired soon.
According to Masud Rana, a local UP member, 200 metres of the embankment along the Charamukha canal in Vedkashi union have already collapsed, leaving some 15,000 people in 10 villages stranded.
Also read: Embankment goes into riverbed in Khulna
Besides, different species of fish, including shrimp, have been swept away, he said.
M Mashiul Abedin, a sub-assistant engineer of Satkhira Water Development Board (Division-2), said that some 2,000 people, including his men and local residents, are working to repair the broken dam.
The Water Development Board has provided some sacks and bamboos for this work, he said, adding that the work at the main point will start soon.
Also read: Wrongly built embankment in Khulna faces demolition as trees start dying
Earlier, on July 18, around 3,000 people of South Bedkashi union built the broken 300-metre dam on their own. But after a month, the Board did not take any initiative in the issue.
As a result, the ring dam broke again due to the increased water pressure, causing huge sufferings to the local residents.
Vast areas in Paikgachha of Khulna flooded as dam collapses
Vast areas in Sholadana union of Paikgachha upazila have been flooded following the collapse of a dam due to tidal surge at Bhangaharia of Khulna district on Sunday.
A 30 feet area of No23 dam of local Water Development Board collapsed on Sunday afternoon due to the tidal surge at Boyarjhapa of Bhangaharia.
Several hundred fish enclosures were washed away and a vast tract of crops land inundated.
Abdullah Al Mamun, a local UP member, said due to the inclement weather, the river water of Shibsha River was flowing above its danger mark.
Due to the tidal surge, a 30-feet area of the embankment collapsed, flooding a vast tract of land.
Read:Tidal surge inundates 18 Jhalakati villages
The river water also entered the houses, he said.
If the authorities concerned do not take any effective measures now, new areas will be flooded soon, he added.
Abdul Mannan Gazi, Chairman of the Union Parishad, said preparation has been taken to repair the damaged parts of the dam.
Raju Hawladar, assistant engineer of Water Development Board, said all preparations have been taken to repair the dam.
Mamtaz Begum, Upazila Nirbahi Officer of Paikgachcha upazila ,assured of repairing the dam.
Low-lying areas of coastal districts face flood risk
Several low-lying areas of coastal districts and their offshore islands and chars are likely to be inundated by tidal surges, the weather department said on Saturday.
The districts are Satkhira, Khulna, Bagerhat, Jhalakathi, Pirojpur, Barguna, Patuakhali, Bhola, Barishal, Laxmipur, Chandpur, Noakhali, Feni, Chattogram and Cox’s Bazar.
According to the weather department, a steep pressure gradient (pressure changing rapidly between two areas) persists over the North Bay and adjoining coastal areas of Bangladesh.
Read: Caution for maritime ports: Low pressure over Bay intensifies
Squally weather may affect the maritime ports, the North Bay and adjoining coastal areas of Bangladesh.
Maritime ports of Chattogram, Cox’s Bazar, Mongla, Payra have been advised to keep hoisted local cautionary signal No 3.
All fishing boats and trawlers over the North Bay have been advised to remain close to the coast and proceed with caution until further notice.
Official death toll from flood rises to 138
The death toll from this season's floods in the country rose to 138 with another death in Habiganj district in 24 hours till Tuesday morning.
The total deaths were recorded from May 17 to August 9, according to the Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS).
Of the deceased, 78 were from Sylhet, 43 from Mymensingh, 16 from Rangpur and one from Dhaka division.
Read: Flooding death toll rises to 135 as one more die
One hundred and seven people drowned in floodwaters, 18 died by lightning strikes, three from snake bites, one from diarrhoea, and nine others due to other reasons.
Around 30,756 people were hit by floods during the same period.
Thirty seven upazilas were affected by floods, including 33 in Sylhet, three in Rangpur and one in Chattogram divisions.
Sylhet, Sunamganj and Moulvibazar were the worst-hit districts, with 13, 11 and five upazilas affected by floods respectively.
Flood death toll rises to 137 as one more die
One more person died due to floods across the country in the 24 hours to Wednesday morning.
The number of reported fatalities, from May 17 to August 3, rose to 137, according to the Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS).
Of the deceased, 77 were from Sylhet, 43 from Mymensingh, 16 from Rangpur and one from Dhaka divisions.
Read:Unilever Bangladesh donates Tk 50 lakh to employees affected by flood
One hundred and seven people drowned in the floodwaters, 18 died in lightning strikes, two from snake bites, one from diarrhoea, and nine due to other reasons.
Also, around 28,540 people were hit by floods during the same period.
Forty-four upazilas were affected by floods, including 33 in Sylhet, three in Rangpur, seven in Mymensingh and one in Chattogram divisions.
Sylhet, Sunamganj, Netrokona and Moulvibazar were the worst-hit districts, with 13, 11, seven and five upazilas affected by floods, respectively.
Flood: Death toll stands at 136
The death toll from floods in the country rose to 136 with another death in Sylhet district in 24 hours till Tuesday morning.
The total deaths were recorded from May 17 to August 2, according to the Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS).
Of the deceased, 76 were from Sylhet, 43 from Mymensingh, 14 from Rangpur and one from Dhaka division.
Read:Flood damages property, crops worth over Tk 86811 crore: Enamur
One hundred and seven people drowned in floodwaters, 16 died by lightning strikes, two from snake bites, one from diarrhoea, and nine others due to other reasons.
Around 24,838 people were hit by floods during the same period.
Forty four upazilas were affected by floods, including 33 in Sylhet, three in Rangpur, seven in Mymensingh and one in Chattogram divisions.
Sylhet, Sunamganj, Netrokona and Moulvibazar were the worst-hit districts, with 13, 11, seven and five upazilas affected by floods respectively.
People living in fear as Teesta flowing above danger level in Lalmonirhat
The residents along the Teesta River are passing their days in fear of possible flood as the Teesta River was flowing above its danger level on Monday.
The Teesta River was flowing 25 cm above its danger level around 6 pm on Monday due to onrush of water from the upstream, creating panic among the local residents.
Also read: Teesta banks erosion: Over 50 houses washed away in 45 days
Executive Engineer of Water Development Board, Nilphamari Dalia Division, Md Asafuddoulla said the char areas along the Teesta river have been inundated due to the rise in water level.
Also read: Teesta swells in Lalmonirhat, forces opening of 44 barrage gates
However, all the gates of the Teesa Barrage were kept open due tackle the situation.