Flash floods in Iran’s drought-stricken southern Fars province have killed at least 21 people, state television said Saturday. Heavy rains swelled the Roudbal river by the city of Estahban, according to the city’s governor Yousef Karegar. Karegar said rescue teams had saved 55 people who were trapped by the flash flooding, but at least six people were still missing. Flooding hit more than 10 villages in the province, he added. Iran’s interior minister, Ahmad Vahidi, shared his condolences with the families of the flood victims, state television later reported. Iran’s meteorology department had warned about possibly heavy seasonal rainfall across the country that is facing a decades-long drought blamed on climate change. The dangers of flash flooding have also been exacerbated by the widespread construction of buildings and roads near riverbeds. Also read: No improvement in Sylhet's flood situation In March 2018, a flash flood in Fars province caused the death of 44 people.  

Residents of Sylhet city have been suffering since Thursday as all major areas of the city, including houses, shops, and hospitals, went under water.  The low-lying areas of the city were submerged first. People were seen wading through the knee-to-waist deep water. People in the city were seen making concrete walls with bricks and cement at the entrances of their houses as makeshift dams to protect them from flood water Saturday. Read: Flood situation turns grim: Power supply to Sylhet, Sunamganj suspended Water also entered Sylhet MAG Osmani Medical College Hospital, causing immense suffering to the patients.   Local administrations opened several shelters, but they quickly became overcrowded. The inmates of the shelter homes now desperately need food, pure drinking water, and fodder.  The flood situation in Sylhet started turning into a terrible disaster Thursday afternoon as almost all the upazilas and municipal areas went under water. Electricity was cut off in the district on Saturday, although later it was restored partially in the city.

Some 35,000 people in Roumari upazila of Kurigam district have been marooned due to flash flood caused by recent heavy showers and onrush of water from hills. Fifteen villages in Datbhanga union of the upazila were flooded afresh on Monday as rivers flowing the areas continue to swell. The newly affected areas are – Char Gayata Para, Tekani village, Charkauwarchar, Charboyalmari, Okrakanda, Shaulmari, Mollarchar, Karaikandi, Mirzapur, Goulgram, New Chuliarchar, Bokbanda, Bikribil, Algarchar and Kashiabari. Read: Flash flood submerges fresh areas in Sherpur; Child drowns As many as 27 educational institutions in this area have been shut due to the worsening flood condition. The lack of food and drinking water is adding to the misery of the people of flood-hit areas. LGED engineer Jubayer Hossain said 22 kilometers of roads in Shaulmari, Roumari and Jadurchar Unions have been submerged in the recent flood. People are using boats to move from one place to another amid knee-to-waist deep water. Abdul Qayum Chowdhury, agriculture officer of the upazila, said 283 hectares of cropland were submerged in the upazila as Jinjiram, Dharni and Kaljani rivers keep swelling. Read: Sunamganj: Thousands affected by second round of flooding Roumari Upazila Project Implementation Officer Azizur Rahman said the low-lying areas of the upazila have been inundated due to heavy rains. The authority has so far allocated Tk 3 lakh for providing relief materials to the flood victims, he added. “A report has been submitted to the higher authorities and more relief will be provided again if allocation is given,” he added.  

Low-lying areas in six unions of Roumari upazila  have been inundated by flash flood triggered by the recent rains and onrush of upstream water, rendering 20,000 people marooned. Aman seedbeds and other paddy fields were submerged following the rise in water level of the Brahmmaputra and Jinjiram Rivers in India. Also read: Rain damages 412 hectares of croplands in Kurigram: DAE The flood-hit areas include Dharmapur, Chatkaraibari, Khetarchar, Gachbari, Italukanda, Kauniarchar, Kajaikata in Datbhanga union, Goytapara, Boalmari, Begularchar, Chatlakanda, Taluachar, Jhunkichar of Shoulmari union, Mandalpara, Natanpara, Chandarpara, Izlamari, Charaijalamari, Madartila, Char Isakuri, Boraibari, Chuliarchar, Jhaubari, Patadhoa Para, Bauar Gram, Dhublabari in Roumari union, Baishpara, Faluarchar, Baghmara, Baladmara of Bondaber union, Puraton Jadurchar, Kheuarchar, Namabakbanda, Dakkhin Algarchar, Char Lathial Danga, Pakhiura dhanarchar in Jadurchar union, Char Ghughumari, Khauria and Sukherbati in Char Shoulmari union. Abu Syed of Madartila village said his the paddy fields went under water due to the recent flash flood. “I have to harvest immature paddy to avoid huge loss.” Abdul Kaiyum, of Mandalpara village, said he brought one bigha of land under vegetable cultivation and now all  vegetables went under water due to the heavy rainfall. Also read: Over 200 houses damaged as nor’wester lashes Kurigram Salim Uddin, a farmer of Isakuri village, said I have brought my three bighas of land under paddy cultivation after harvesting maize but all my dreams dashed due to the rains. Abdul Kaiyum Chowdhury, Roumari Upazila Agriculture Officer, said the loseds caused by the rains might be little as many farmers have harvested their paddy from the field but vegetable crops land and Aman seedbed were badly damaged due to rains. Azizur Rahman, Project Implementation Officer of Roumari Upazila, said they are observing the overall situation closely. “Necessary steps will be taken if flood situation worsens further.”

Fifteen more villages in Jhenaigati upazila of Sherpur district have been inundated afresh due to onrush of water from hills, causing immense sufferings to the residents. A 14-month-old girl named Dia Moni, daughter of Rafiqul islam of Sari Kalinagar village in the upazila, drowned in the flood water while playing at the court yard, said Manirul Alam Bhuiya, officer-in-charge of Jhenaigati Police Station. Many roads  have been inundated by the flood water as three embankments at Moharoshi, Khoilkura, Ramerkura have collapsed, snapping road communications in the area. Several hundred people have been marooned in the upazila while a number of fish enclosures were washed away that caused huge losses to farmers. Shubho Basak, executive engineer of Local Government and Engineering Department (LGED), said a number of roads in Dhanshail, Panbar and Sutipara were damaged and potholes developed on Ahmednagar –Mohonganj road. READ: Over 4.18 lakh people affected by flash floods in 5 districts Besides, roads stretching from north bank of the Moharoshi River to Nalkura and Dakabor to Shalchura were inundated by flood water, halting road communications Jhenaigati Upazila Nirbahi Officer Faruk Al Masud said 10 metric tonnes of rice have been allocated from the administration for the flood victims and the chairmen of the local union parishad under the upazila were asked to assess the damages caused  by the flood.

A total of 18,749 fisheries, including enclosures and fish farms, in 11 upazilas of Sylhet have been inundated by the flash floods, forcing 2.13 crore fish fry and 2,305 tonnes of fish washed away in the flood waters, said Department of Fisheries on Sunday. Besides, there has been infrastructural damage due to the flood triggered by onrush of hilly water from India. Also read: Sylhet: Flood-hit city dwellers suffer crisis of gas, power and safe drinking water As a result, 15,163 fish farm owners of Sylhet district are counting a loss of Tk 2,173 crore, said Sylhet district fisheries officer Md Abul Kalam Azad. In this regard, the worst affected areas are Zakiganj, Gowainghat, Kanaighat, Bishwanath, Jaintapur and Beanibazar upazilas. Anwarul Islam, a fish farmer from Birshree area of Zakiganj upazila, said, “I have taken a loan of around Tk 2 lakh for fish farming in the pond. At the beginning of the flood, trying to save the fish by enclosing the pond did not help. All the fish have been washed away by the flood.” According to the Fisheries Department, 6,350 fish farms inundated in Zakiganj counting a loss of Tk 622 crore while 2,592 farms in Gowainghat inundated with a loss of Tk 140 crore, 2,350 farms in Kanaighat with a loss of Tk 64 crore, 2,150 farms in Biswanath with loss of TK 155 crore, 2,100 farms in Zaintapur with loss of Tk 174 crore and 1,402 farms in Beanibazar with loss of Tk 216.81 crore. Besides, 535 fish farms in Sylhet Sadar Upazila, 845 in Golapganj, 70 in Balaganj, 145 in Companyganj and 210 in South Surma have been flooded. Fisheries Officer Abul Kalam Azad said, “There has been a huge loss of fish farming in the district, which is irreparable. And the amount of damage is constantly increasing.” Meanwhile, the flood situation in Sylhet has improved a little. However, the Surma river is still flowing above the danger level at all points of Sylhet. Also read: Flood situation improves in Sylhet as water levels recede in major rivers According to the Flood Forecasting and Warning Center, the Surma River was flowing at 84 cm at Kanaighat Point and 12 cm above the danger level at Sylhet City Point on Sunday morning. At the same time, Kushiara River is flowing at 132 cm above the danger level at Amalshid point of Zakiganj and at 47 cm at Sheola point of Beanibazar.

Another 860 hectares of cropland were submerged in Harmandir Haor in Dirai upazila of Sunamganj  on Sunday night after the flood protection dam in Katakhali River collapsed. Following the authority’s instruction farmers of Sunamganj haor region have started harvesting  half ripen Boro paddy to reduce losses. According to locals,  water from the upstream have increased the water level in the rivers in haor region and created pressure at risky points of flood protection dams. Water overflowed from Patlai River into an extended part of Gurmar Hair and  later a dam beside Tanguar Haor watchtower broke down. As a result Boro paddy in South Sreepur union in Tahirpur upazila and North and South Bongshikunda union in Madhyanagar upazila went under water. Bimal Chandra Shom, Deputy Director of Agricultural Extension Department said this year Boro paddy has been cultivated on 2,22,805 hectares of land in Sunamganj  with production target of 14 lakh metric tons.  Harvesting in only 51,000 hectares of land has been completed so far, he said. READ: Second phase of flash floods hits Sunamganj haor region On March 30, Sunamganj haor region was hit by the first phase of flash floods which inundated at least 5,000 hectares of land affecting at least 27,000 farmers, he said. Prabir Kumar Goswami, Supervisor Engineer of Sylhet Water Development Board said, “From morning water level in the Surma River started decreasing and it will decline further  if it does not rain in the next 24 hours. But excessive water from Sunamganj haors is likely to enter haors in Netrakona”. Md Jahangir Hossain, Sunamganj Deputy Commissioner said,'' All the dams in Sunamganj haor region are at risk as rivers swell. We have instructed the farmers to cut 80% ripen paddy afer monitoring  the condition of the dams 24 hours.”

Nashville-based helicopter pilot Joel Boyers had just finished helping his fiancee earn her pilot’s license on Saturday morning, and they were heading home to celebrate, when he received a frantic call from a woman in Pennsylvania. Her brother’s home in Waverly, Tennessee, was underwater and he was trapped on a roof with his daughters. Could Boyers help? “I thought, ‘How would I feel if I told her I’m not even going to try?’” he said in a Thursday interview. “She just so happened to call the right person, because I’m the only person crazy enough to even try to do that.” The weather was terrible and Boyers had to contend with hills and high-voltage power lines on the way to Waverly, a small city about 60 miles (96 kilometers) west of Nashville. Just before reaching the town, he set down in a field to get his bearings and realized the internet was down, making it impossible to pinpoint the house he was looking for. He flew on anyway. READ: Crews scour debris for more victims after Tennessee floods “As soon as I popped over the ridge, it was nothing but tan raging water below me,” he said. “There were two houses that were on fire. There were cars in trees. There was tons of debris. Any way debris could get caught, it was. I knew no one was going to be able to swim in that.”A few people were out in boats, rescuing the stranded, and one person was helping with a jet ski, but Boyers was alone in the sky. He started flying up and down the flooded creek, grabbing anyone he could. Boyers, who co-owns Helistar Aviation, said he ended up rescuing 17 people that day. He’s proud of that, but said he’s the one who should be thanking them. “I literally prayed just days before this that God would give me some meaning in my life, and then I end up getting this call,” he said. He has flown over disasters, including floods, before, but “the cops are usually there, and my hands are tied. This time there weren’t any.” Saturday’s flooding killed 20 people, taking out houses, roads, cellphone towers and telephone lines, with rainfall that more than tripled forecasts and shattered the state record for one-day rainfall. More than 270 homes were destroyed and 160 took major damage, according to the Humphreys County Emergency Management Agency. To perform the rescues, Boyers had to maneuver around power lines, balance his skids on sloped rooftops, and hover over floodwaters. It took all the skills learned over 16 years flying, including for a television news station, for documentaries and for country music stars. “I don’t want to lie,” he said. “It was almost a little fun for me.” READ: At least 10 killed in Tennessee flash floods; dozens missing   It was also a powerful experience to go through with his fiancee, Melody Among, who acted as his co-pilot, spotting power lines, giving him sips of water and even taking the controls at times. “Her and I will be bonded to those people for life,” he said.At one point, he spotted four people on the ledge of a roof of a farm supply store where he was able to set down one skid, making three different trips to pick them all up. One was a woman who said she had watched her husband get swept away and had become separated from her daughter, who was on the roof of a nearby gas station. Boyers touched down and rescued the daughter too. The rescues of four of those people were caught on video by Jeani Rice-Cranford, who lives on a nearby hilltop and helped shelter the victims in her home afterward. “I’ve never seen anything like that,” Rice-Cranford said. “Not in real life.” Rice-Cranford and others had been lined up along the roadside — helplessly watching and listening to the screams — for more than two hours when Boyers showed up. During the rescue “there was a gust of wind, and the helicopter kind of shifted,” Rice-Cranford said. “We all just held our breath. We were just watching with our mouths open, hoping and praying that he would be able to get them.” That rescue stands out in Among’s mind. They got the mother first, “then we got the daughter and they reunited on the ground,” she said. “They were both hugging each other. It was very emotional.” At another point, they saw a house on a rise, surrounded by floodwaters but not yet engulfed. Boyers touched down, picking up two men, and saw a girl in the window who refused to come out. He flew out, dropped off one of the men and Among, and brought the other man back with him to hoist the girl into the helicopter. When he landed again, he was able to rescue the girl and a woman who was with her. “I’m in a little hole with power lines all around. It takes enormous energy to take off vertically like that,” he said. So he left the man briefly and then came back for him. “I just kept doing that over and over again until I was low on fuel.” All the time, he knew he really was not supposed to be doing any of this. “Every landing was pretty dangerous,” he said. He’s already had a conversation with the Federal Aviation Administration about it. READ: Death toll in floods that hit northern Turkey climbs to 70 “I know the FAA can take my license away if they see me flying like that,” he said. He assured them that he did not charge anyone for the rescue, no one was hurt, the helicopter was not damaged, and there were no law enforcement helicopters in the area. After he left Waverly, he stopped at an airport in the nearby town of Dickson to refuel and heard that the state police and National Guard still had not flown in because of the bad weather. Boyers said he heard from the woman who originally called him in her desperate search for a helicopter anywhere near Waverly. She said her family was safe, but he doesn’t even know if he rescued them or someone else did. Pulling people from the floodwaters isn’t the scariest thing he’s ever done, Boyers said. That would have to be flying through clouds on instruments only, with some of those instruments out of order. “Literally, it just felt like I was working,” he said. “Obviously I tabled the feeling wrenching in everyone’s stomach because of the devastation.”

Low-lying areas of Gowainghat and Companiganj upazilas in Sylhet district have been flooded due to onrush of hill water and heavy rains for the last couple of days, causing immense sufferings to local people. Roads, houses, seedbeds and schools went under water due to the flash flood. In Gowainghat upazila, Sari-Gowainghat and Gowainghat-Radhanagar road were submerged, disrupting vehicular movement. Besides, several hectares of Aman seedbeds went under flood water due to rise of water levels in the   Sari and the Pian rivers and heavy showers. The fish enclosures were also washed away by the sudeen flood. Also read: Rain brings respite in Dhaka after sizzling heat

Arshad Ali Sana, a 78-year-old resident of Pratapnagar village in Ashashuni upazila, died at his residence last week due to old-age complications. He died at 11am on Friday, but it was another 12 hours before his family could bury him. "We frantically searched for a proper burial place in the entire village for a good six-seven hours and then decided to build a concrete structure at the family graveyard to put the patriarch to rest. It was basically an above-ground burial," his son told UNB. The reason behind the family's ordeal -- wet ground in Pratapnagar village that is making burials impossible, causing further anguish for bereaved families. Also read Can shrimp farmers recover from Amphan-Yaas double blow? Residents say that the entire village was inundated due to flash floods triggered by incessant rainfall under the impact of the devastating Cyclone Yaas. Though the flood water has started receding in some areas, it has rendered the ground wet.