flood
Flood crisis grips Kurigram: thousands trapped, shortage of food-water intensifies
The Brahmaputra, Dharla, Teesta, and Dudhkumar rivers in Kurigram are witnessing a steady rise in water levels, leading to the trapping of approximately 12,000 families residing in low-lying areas across nine upazilas of the district.
As a result, the plight of the flood-affected people has intensified, with the families in the Char areas suffering the most.
Particularly in the Brahmaputra basin, they find themselves in dire distress as their homes remain submerged for five consecutive days. Many have been forced to abandon their houses and seek refuge on boats and elevated surfaces and face a scarcity of dry food and clean water.
Also Read: Onrush of upstream water, rain trigger flood in Kurigram
More than two hundred families, residing in ten chars including Purba Baladoba, Kalir Alga, Musarchar, and Sadar Char in the Brahmaputra river basin of Ulipur Upazila, have evacuated their homes and are currently living in inhospitable conditions aboard boats and elevated areas.
These families are unable to cook meals properly. Moreover, they are grappling with a lack of access to dry food and clean water due to the submersion of tube wells. Adding to their woes, the communication system has been disrupted, severing the rural road network in the river basin.
Additionally, approximately 100 hectares of land in the district have been inundated, resulting in submerged crops and posing difficulties for the flood-affected populace in providing fodder for their livestock.
Also Read: Incessant rains trigger fear of flood in Sylhet
Bangladesh Water Development Board’s Kurigram office said that water levels in all rivers of Kurigram remain below the danger level. As of noon, the Dudhkumar river's water level at the Pateshwari point is 4 cm below the danger level. Similarly, the Dharlar Setu point in Kurigram Sadar records a water level of 39 cm, Nunkhawa point on the Brahmaputra river at 55 cm, Chilmari point at 61 cm, and Kaunia point on the Teesta river at 89 cm, all below the danger level.
Expressing his concerns, Abdur Rahman from Baladoba Char said that 49 families reside in the char.
He said, "Most of the houses here are partially submerged in water. Many people are abandoning their homes and seeking shelter in elevated areas and boats. Due to the sinking of tube wells, clean water is scarce. Many individuals are compelled to survive on a single meal a day because cooking facilities are severely hampered."
Also Read: Short-term flood likely in Sylhet, Sunamganj as rivers keep swelling
176 dead, many more missing after Congo floods
The death toll from flash floods and landslides in eastern Congo has risen to 176, with some 100 people still missing, according to a provisional assessment given by the governor and authorities in the country's South Kivu province.
Rivers broke their banks in villages in the territory of Kalehe close to the shores of Lake Kivu. Authorities also reported scores of people injured.
South Kivu Gov. Théo Ngwabidje visited the area to see the destruction for himself, and posted on his Twitter account that the provincial government had dispatched medical, shelter and food supplies.
Several main roads to the affected area have been been made impassable by the rains, hampering the relief efforts.
President Felix Tshisekedi has declared a national day of mourning on Monday to honor the victims, and the central government is sending a crisis management team to South Kivu to support the provincial government.
Heavy rains in recent days have brought misery to thousands in East Africa, with parts of Uganda and Kenya also seeing heavy rainfall.
Flooding and landslides in Rwanda, which borders Congo, left 129 people dead earlier this week.
5th body found in Malaysia floods; over 40,000 displaced
Malaysian police have found the body of a young woman trapped in a car that was swept away by rushing waters, the fifth death of seasonal floods that have also forced more than 43,000 people to flee their homes.
Police said in a statement Monday that a 23-year-old woman reported missing was believed to be driving to work earlier in the day on a flooded road in southern Johor state when her car was washed away. Rescuers retrieved the car hours later and found her body.
A man driving to work in a palm oil plantation in Johor was similarly found dead recently after rescuers retrieved his car from floodwaters. Three older people also drowned.
Johor, the country’s second-largest state bordering Singapore with four million people, is the worst affected with over 40,000 evacuated to schools and community centers. The number of evacuees has dropped from over 50,000 a few days ago.
Several other states including remote areas on Borneo island were also hit.
Also Read: Study: 15 million people live under threat of glacial floods
Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim visited flood victims Sunday in Johor and vowed to speed up flood mitigation projects in the state. “This matter cannot be delayed and should be dealt with more seriously so that (flooding) does not happen again,” he tweeted.
The Meteorological Department has said the country was experiencing its sixth episode of continuous heavy rain from the annual monsoon season that started in November. In December, tens of thousands of people were also evacuated due to flooding.
Images posted by police in Johor showed roads and homes disappearing under muddy waters, with only rooftops visible.
Further rain and storms are predicted Tuesday in parts of Johor and eastern Malaysian states on Borneo, which could cause more flash floods. Authorities also warned waters in over a dozen rivers nationwide have reached dangerous levels.
UK announces additional support for flood-affected communities in Bangladesh
The United Kingdom has announced an additional £500,000 (Tk 60.6 million) in humanitarian support in response to last year’s flood in the Sylhet region of Bangladesh, in which 7.2 million people were affected.
Delivered by BRAC, this funding will provide water, shelter, livelihood opportunities, and improved nutrition for people affected in Sunamganj, Sylhet.
UK Development Director in Bangladesh, Matt Cannell, said last year’s devastating floods in the Sylhet region underline that Bangladesh remains vulnerable to the impacts of climate change.
Also read: Flood situation worsens in parts of Sylhet
“This new funding provides vital water, nutrition, shelter and livelihood opportunities to some of the worst affected communities in Sunamganj, Sylhet. The UK is proud to partner with BRAC to deliver this support,” he said.
This new UK support will ensure safe water and shelter for nearly 1,000 affected households and restore livelihoods and food security for more than 5,000 affected households.
BRAC Executive Director, Asif Saleh, said the floods in northeastern Bangladesh, which affected over 7.2 million people in June 2022, were the worst to hit Bangladesh in the last two decades.
Read More: UK to strengthen trade, investment, digital economy ties with Bangladesh: Indo-Pacific Minister
“They left a trail of destruction in nine districts, with Sunamganj being the worst affected. Significant efforts were undertaken to provide emergency response to meet immediate needs, but sustained humanitarian support is direly needed to help people recover and rebuild their lives. This partnership between the British High Commission and BRAC will be crucial in standing beside the people in Sunamganj and being a partner in their journey to build back better,” he said.
Weather, climate disasters hit millions, cost billions in 2022: UN
Weather and climate disasters, from extreme floods to heat and drought, hit millions and cost billions in 2022, the UN weather agency said Friday.
The clear need to do much more to cut greenhouse gas emissions was again underscored throughout events in 2022, the World Meteorological Organization (WMO) added.
"This year we have faced several dramatic weather disasters which claimed far too many lives and livelihoods and undermined health, food, energy and water security and infrastructure," WMO chief Petteri Taalas said.
"There is a need to enhance preparedness for such extreme events and to ensure that we meet the UN target of Early Warnings for All in the next five years."
While Global temperature figures for 2022 will be released in mid-January, the past eight years are on track to be the eight warmest on record, according to the WMO.
While the persistence of a cooling La Niña event, now in its third year, means that 2022 will not be the warmest year on record, its cooling impact will be short-lived and not reverse the long-term warming trend caused by record levels of heat-trapping greenhouse gases in our atmosphere.
Also, this will be the tenth successive year that temperatures have reached at least 1°C above pre-industrial levels – likely to breach the 1.5°C limit of the Paris Agreement.
The WMO will promote a new way of monitoring the sinks and sources of carbon dioxide, methane and nitrous oxide by using the ground-based Global Atmosphere Watch, satellite and assimilation modelling, which allows a better understanding of how key greenhouse gases behave in the atmosphere.
Greenhouse gases are just one climate indicator used to observe levels.
Sea levels, which have doubled since 1993; ocean heat content; and acidification are also at recorded highs.
The past two and a half years alone account for 10 percent of the overall sea level rise since satellite measurements started nearly 30 years ago, the WMO's provisional State of the Global Climate in 2022 report said.
And 2022 took an exceptionally heavy toll on glaciers in the European Alps, with initial indications of record-shattering melt.
The Greenland ice sheet lost mass for the 26th consecutive year and it rained – rather than snowed – on the summit for the first time in September.
Although 2022 did not break global temperature records, it topped many national heat records throughout the world.
India and Pakistan experienced soaring heat in March and April. China had the most extensive and long-lasting heatwave since national records began and the second-driest summer on record.
And parts of the northern hemisphere were exceptionally hot and dry.
Read more: Summer droughts now 20 times more likely due to climate change
A large area centred around the central-northern part of Argentina, as well as in southern Bolivia, central Chile, and most of Paraguay and Uruguay, experienced record-breaking temperatures during two consecutive heatwaves in late November and early December 2022.
"Record-breaking heatwaves have been observed in China, Europe, North and South America," the WMO chief said. 'The long-lasting drought in the Horn of Africa threatens a humanitarian catastrophe."
And while large parts of Europe sweltered in repeated episodes of extreme heat, the UK hit a new national record in July, when the temperature topped more than 40°C for the very first time.
In East Africa, rainfall was below average throughout four consecutive wet seasons – the longest in 40 years – triggering a major humanitarian crisis affecting millions of people, devastating agriculture, and killing livestock, especially in Ethiopia, Kenya and Somalia.
Record-breaking rain in July and August led to extensive flooding in Pakistan, which caused at least 1,700 deaths, displaced 7.9 million and affected 33 million people.
Read more: UN chief appeals to world to help badly flood-hit Pakistan
Cyclone Sitrang: Flood protection embankment is at risk in Bagerhat
Local authorities in Bagerhat district on Monday (October 24, 2022) said that vulnerable people would be evacuated to cyclone shelters to save lives as cyclone Sitrang was approaching towards Bangladeshi coast with a forecast to hit the country by early Tuesday (October 25, 2022).
The government has kept a total of 344 cyclone shelters ready in nine upazilas of the coastal district, which can accommodate around two lakh people along with their cattle.
Mohammad Azizur Rahman, Deputy Commissioner (DC) of Bagerhat, said that they were working to ensure that the impact of the cyclone could have minimum damage.
Read: Cyclone Sitrang: Everything you need to know
“We’ve taken allout preparations to face Sitrang by keeping dry food, medical teams and rescue teams ready,” he said.
In the district’s Sharonkhola, Mongla, Rampal and Morelganj upazilas, the local administration has been asking people to go to the nearest cyclone shelters through loudspeakers.
Heavy rains have been reported in the district.
Read Cyclone Sitrang: Flood protection embankment is at risk in Bagerhat
Mongla Meteorological Department has recorded 29mm rain from 6:00am to 9:00am on Monday morning. Rising water has started to inundate the low-lying areas, while high tide was impacting the Sundarbans.
The Mongla Seaport is also bearing the brunt. All kinds of loading and unloading of goods at the port have been suspended, while vessels have been asked to stay close to the shore.
A 30km-long embankment that protects Bagerhat from high tide is currently at risk too.
Read Inland water transport suspended as Cyclone ‘Sitrang’ approaches
According to Bagerhat Water Development Board (WDB), at least 100km of areas could go under water if Sitrang damages the embankment.
“The wind is blowing at a speed of 62kph within 54km of the cyclone centre, which has the possibility of reaching 88kph. We’ve asked the Mongla Port authorities to hoist cautionary signal no 7,” said Amaresh Chandra Dhali, Officer (acting) of Mongla Met Office.
Read Sitrang: Loading, unloading suspended at Chattogram Port; Alert-3 issued
Cyclone Sitrang: Heavy rains continue to batter Bangladesh amid flood warning across coastal region
Authorities have prepared more than 1,000 cycone shelters to evacuate people while all fishing boats and trawlers over North Bay and deep sea have been asked to remain anchored until further notice as Cyclone Sitrang is expected to cross southern Bangladeshi coast by early Tuesday.
The Bay of Bengal will remain very rough near the eye of the cyclone, the weather office said on Monday morning.
According to the latest bulletin of Bangladesh Meteorological Department, Sitrang may make landfall near Khepupara along Barishal-Chittagong coast, and because of the impact of the cyclone heavy rains would continue to lash the country.
Read: ‘Sitrang’ may hit a 730 km area in Bangladesh on Oct 25: State Minister
Authorities in Chattogram and other hilly districts warned that landslides could destroy homes and kill people if incessant rains continue.
UNB correspondents from across southern coastal region reported heavy rains since morning.
14 dead, 1 missing in iron mine flood in China
Chinese authorities said Saturday that 14 people had died and one remained missing after a flood at an iron mine earlier this month.
The search and rescue operation has ended and an investigation into the cause of the Sept. 2 flood is underway, the Tangshan city government said in a brief statement.
The mine is about 160 kilometers (100 miles) east of Beijing in Hebei province. Hebei is a major producer of iron ore and steel.
Alaska prepares for a major storm, fearing flood, power cuts
Residents on Alaska’s vast and sparsely populated western coast braced Friday for a powerful storm that forecasters said could be one of the worst in recent history, threatening hurricane-force winds and high surf that could knock out power and cause flooding.
The storm is the remnants of what was Typhoon Merbok, which University of Alaska Fairbanks climate specialist Rick Thoman said is also influencing weather patterns far from Alaska — a rare late-summer storm now is expected to bring rain this weekend to drought-stricken parts of California.
“All this warm air that’s been brought north by this ex-typhoon is basically inducing a chain reaction in the jet stream downstream from Alaska,” he said.
“It’s a historic-level storm,” Thoman said of the system steaming toward Alaska. “In 10 years, people will be referring to the September 2022 storm as a benchmark storm.”
Hurricane-force winds were forecast in parts of the Bering Sea, while in the small communities of Elim and Koyuk, around 90 miles (145 kilometers) from the hub community of Nome, water levels could be up to 18 feet (5 meters) above the normal high tide line, according to the National Weather Service. Flood warnings were in effect until Monday in parts of northwest Alaska.
In Nome, which has about 3,500 residents, Leon Boardway was working as usual Friday at the Nome Visitors Center, a half-block from the Bering Sea. “I just want to keep my door open and the coffee pot on,” he said after it had begun to rain and the winds picked up.
Also read; Tropical Storm Colin threatens a wet weekend for Carolinas
But few people were coming by. Residents, visitors and businesses in the town, famous for being at the end of the Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race and the setting for the dredging-for-gold reality show “Bering Sea Gold,” were boarding up windows and otherwise bracing for the storm.
“The ocean is getting worse out there,” said Boardway, 71, as he checked out the center’s webcam, which from its high perch has a good view of the swells.
“I hope everybody stays calm and everybody just gets in a good, safe position,” he said.
Typhoon Merbok formed farther east in the Pacific Ocean than where such storms typically appear. Water temperatures are unusually warm this year so the storm “was able to spin up,” Thoman said.
Meanwhile, a low-pressure system was expected to drop from the Gulf of Alaska and park off the coast of Northern California, producing gusty ridgetop winds before rains set in late Saturday, the National Weather Service said.
In the Sierra Nevada foothills northeast of the state capital of Sacramento, fire crews have been fighting what has become the largest wildfire in that state so far this year. While rain is needed, the storm was predicted to also bring winds that could spread the Mosquito Fire.
The storm will slow but not end California’s fire season because fuels are critically dry and a period of warmer, drier weather will follow, said Courtney Carpenter, a National Weather Service meteorologist.
Forecasters said the weather system will spread rain down the state’s central coast but little if any is expected in most of Southern California, where mountain and desert communities are dealing with the aftermath of too much rain.
Crews were clearing head-high mud flows in the San Bernardino Mountains east of Los Angeles, following flash-flooding Monday. Downpours from remnants of a Pacific hurricane caused devastation in Southern California, with winds topping 100 mph (160 kph) last weekend.
First responders on Thursday found the body of a woman missing since the mudslides tore through her mountain town. Her remains were discovered buried under mud, rocks and other debris near her home.
The deluges added to road and infrastructure damage in desert national parks from the summer’s punishing monsoonal thunderstorms.
Pakistan flooding deaths pass 1,000 in 'climate catastrophe'
Deaths from widespread flooding in Pakistan topped 1,000 since mid-June, officials said Sunday, as the country’s climate minister called the deadly monsoon season “a serious climate catastrophe.”
Flash flooding from the heavy rains has washed away villages and crops as soldiers and rescue workers evacuated stranded residents to the safety of relief camps and provided food to thousands of displaced Pakistanis.
Pakistan's National Disaster Management Authority reported the death toll since the monsoon season began earlier than normal this year — in mid- June — reached 1,033 people after new fatalities were reported in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and southern Sindh provinces.
Sherry Rehman, a Pakistani senator and the country's top climate official, said in a video posted on Twitter that Pakistan is experiencing a “serious climate catastrophe, one of the hardest in the decade.”
“We are at the moment at the ground zero of the front line of extreme weather events, in an unrelenting cascade of heatwaves, forest fires, flash floods, multiple glacial lake outbursts, flood events and now the monster monsoon of the decade is wreaking non-stop havoc throughout the country," she said. The on-camera statement was retweeted by the country’s ambassador to the European Union.
Read: Pakistan seeks international help for flood victims
Flooding from the Swat River overnight affected northwestern Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, where tens of thousands of people — especially in the Charsadda and Nowshehra districts — have been evacuated from their homes to relief camps set up in government buildings. Many have also taken shelter on roadsides, said Kamran Bangash, a spokesperson for the provincial government.
The unprecedented monsoon season has affected all four of the country's provinces. Nearly 300,000 homes have been destroyed, numerous roads rendered impassable and electricity outages have been widespread, affecting millions of people.
Rehman told Turkish news outlet TRT World that by the time the rains recede, "we could well have one fourth or one third of Pakistan under water.”
“This is something that is a global crisis and of course we will need better planning and sustainable development on the ground. ... We’ll need to have climate resilient crops as well as structures,” she said.
The government has deployed soldiers to help civilian authorities in rescue and relief operations across the country.
Meanwhile, the Pakistani army said in a statement it airlifted a 22 tourists trapped in a valley in the country's north to safety.