floods
South China floods force tens of thousands to evacuate
Major flooding has forced the evacuation of tens of thousands of people in southern China, with more rain expected.
The manufacturing hub of Guangdong suspended classes, office work and public transport amid rising waters and the threat of landslides.
In the neighboring province of Jiangxi, almost 500,000 people have seen damage to their homes and their lives uprooted.
Roughly the same number have been affected in Guangdong, largely in the cities of Shaoguan, Heyuan and Meizhou.
The heavy rainfall has collapsed roads in some parts of cities and swept away houses, cars and crops, and more rain is forecasted for coming days. Chinese authorities on Sunday issued the year’s first red alert, the most severe warning, for possible mountain torrents.
Read: South Asia floods hampering access to food, clean water
In Zhejiang province a little further north, rescue crews in inflatable boats brought out residents trapped in their homes in inundated villages.
China regularly experiences flooding during the summer months, most frequently in central and southern areas that tend to receive the most rainfall. This year’s flooding is the worst in decades in some areas and comes on top of strict COVID-19 regulations that have strangled travel, employment and ordinary life in much of the country.
China’s worst floods in recent years were in 1998, when more than 2,000 people died and almost 3 million homes were destroyed, mostly along the Yangtze, China’s mightiest river.
The government has invested heavily in flood control and hydroelectric projects such as the massive Three Gorges Dam on the Yangtze.
Globally, more intense tropical storms are on the rise as a result of climate change, leading to increased flooding that threatens lives, crops and groundwater.
Yellowstone National Park to partly reopen after floods
Yellowstone National Park will partially reopen at 8 a.m. Wednesday, after catastrophic flooding destroyed bridges and roads and drove out thousands of tourists.
The Park Service announced Saturday that visitors will once again be allowed on the park’s southern loop under a temporary license plate system designed to manage the crowds: Those with even-numbered plates and motorcycle groups will be allowed on even-numbered days, and those with odd-numbered or vanity plates on odd-numbered days.
Commercial tours and visitors with proof of overnight reservations at hotels, campgrounds or in the backcountry will be allowed in whatever their plate number.
Visitors had been flocking to Yellowstone during its 150th anniversary celebration. The southern loop provides access to Old Faithful, the rainbow-colored Grand Prismatic Spring, and the Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone and its majestic waterfall. It can be accessed from the park's south, east and west entrances.
READ: Heavy downpour floods Chattogram city; 4 killed in landslides
“It is impossible to reopen only one loop in the summer without implementing some type of system to manage visitation,” Yellowstone Superintendent Cam Sholly said in a news release. “My thanks to our gateway partners and others for helping us work out an acceptable temporary solution for the south loop while we continue our efforts to reopen the north loop.”
The north loop is expected to remain closed through the summer, if not longer. Officials say it could take it could take years and cost more than $1 billion to repair the damage in the environmentally sensitive landscape.
Floods in Sylhet, Sunamganj, Netrakona likely to deteriorate further in 24 hours: Forecast
The flood situation in the Sylhet, Sunamganj and Netrokona districts may further deteriorate in the next 24 hours, said Flood Forecasting and Warning Centre on Friday.
Water levels in 13 points of the country’s rivers are flowing above the danger level and in the next 24 hours, the water level of Teesta may remain near or above the danger level
The flood condition may further worsen in the low-lying areas of Lalmonirhat, Nilphamari, Rangpur, and Kurigram districts, it said.
Also read: Flood in Sylhet: PDB warns for life safety
All the major rivers of the country are in spate.
According to the numerical weather forecast of meteorological agencies, there is a chance of medium to heavy rainfall (somewhere very heavy) at some places of the northern and north-eastern regions of the country along with adjoining states of Assam, Meghalaya and Sub-Himalayan West Bengal of India in next 72 hours.
Also read: Worsening floods threaten power supply in Sylhet: officials
As a result the Brahmaputra-Jamuna, the Ganges-Padma, the Surma, the Kushiyara, the Teesta, the Dharla, the Dudkumar and all other major rivers may continue swelling in the next 48 hours , said the forecast.
Worsening floods threaten power supply in Sylhet: officials
The flood situation in Sylhet is worsening and officials are worried that the deluge may shut down the grid.
Due to the flood, Kumargaon 132/33 KV grid substation, which supplies electricity to the whole of Sylhet, is about to be shut down.
Suranjit Singh, engineer of Kumargaon 132/33 KV grid substation said, water has already entered the switchyard of the substation.
Also read: SSC exam postponed for worsening flood
“It will not take long for water to enter the control room if it keeps raining like this. This grid substation must be shut down if water enters the control room.”
He said that the shutdown of the grid will cut off power throughout Sylhet.Since Thursday night more areas in Sylhet have been flooded. Water is rising further in the flood-hit areas.
Meanwhile, Shahjalal University of Science and Technology (SUST) has been closed till June 25 as the flood situation has worsened.
Also read: SUST closed till June 25 amid flooding
SUST authorities came up with the decision at an emergency syndicate meeting Friday morning.
Besides, army has been deployed in different areas of Sylhet to control the heavy flooding, said an ISPR release.
Over 1.5mn children at risk as devastating floods hit north-eastern Bangladesh: UNICEF
Over 1.5 million children are at increased risk of waterborne diseases, drowning and malnutrition due to extensive flooding in north-eastern Bangladesh, says UNICEF on Monday.
The UN agency is on the ground with the government and non-government partners to respond to the urgent safety, health, nutrition and clean water needs of children and their families.
Over four million people in five districts of north-eastern Bangladesh – Sylhet, Sunamganj, Habiganj, Netrokona and Maulvibazar – are affected by extensive flooding.
Sylhet and Sunamganj have been most affected, with water flowing above dangerous levels. Agricultural land and critical infrastructure, including power stations and schools, have been submerged.
Cases of diarrhoea, respiratory infection, and skin diseases have already been reported. At least three children have died after being struck by lightning, said UNICEF.
READ: Bidya Sinha Mim appointed UNICEF National Ambassador in Bangladesh
Hundreds of schools have been closed, further jeopardizing the education of children. After 18 months of pandemic school closures in the last few years, children are once again missing out on learning.
“The damage to lives, homes and schools is heartbreaking. In this disaster, as in most others, children are the most vulnerable. UNICEF is on the ground to protect children and to meet their urgent needs, supporting the Government and working closely with our local partners,” said Sheldon Yett, UNICEF Representative to Bangladesh.
UNICEF said it is supporting the government of Bangladesh’s flood response by supplying clean water, hygiene kits, therapeutic milk and learning kits.
UNICEF also works closely with the Department of Social Services to ensure that social workers stand ready to protect the safety and security of children. Raising awareness about drowning prevention in communities is at the centre of the response.
Surma, Kushiara rivers to be dredged to restore navigability: FM
The Surma and the Kushiara rivers in Sylhet will be dredged to restore their navigability and prevent floods in this area, said Foreign Minister Dr AK Abdul Momen on Wednesday.
“The government will extend all possible assistance, including relief, to alleviate the sufferings of the people of Sylhet affected by flash floods,” he said while distributing relief among the flood victims in Sylhet.
Also read: No improvement in Sylhet's flood situation
Momen said 33 shelters have already been set up for the flood-hit people in Sylhet Sadar and more shelters will be set up if necessary.
“Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has always stood by the people in any difficult time, including during natural disasters,” he added.
Second phase of flash floods hits Sunamganj haor region
Upstream water running down hills following torrential rain in Meghalaya and Cherrapunji of India triggered a second phase of flash floods to hit Sunamganj on Sunday, overflowing the extended Gurmar Haor in Tahirpur upazila.
The flooding has risked some 2,000 hectares of crops that are close to maturing for harvest. Farmers have been considering bringing forward their harvest since the first phase of flash floods.
Khasrul Alam, a farmer from Golabari village, said from Saturday night water level in the haor increased and broke the old permanent dams at the edges.
“If the water continues to enter croplands throughout the day, crops will get damaged. If the water pressure declines in the meantime our crops will be saved,” he added.
Following the instruction from the administration, farmers in the haor region were seen rushing to cut half ripened crops as Matian Haor, Shonir Haor, Mohalia Haor, Somsar Haor again faced the risk of being flooded.
Also read: Irregularities in maintenance of haor dams irk Agriculture Minister
In the last 24 hours, 13 mm rainfall was recorded in Sunamganj as upstream mountain flooding continued to raise water level in rivers and haors in the region.
According to the Water Development Board (WDB), at 12pm on Sunday water level in the Surma River was recorded at 5.87 cm, having risen 80 cm in the last 24 hours. Meanwhile, the water level in Jadukata River increased 71 cm and in the Patlai River by 43 cm.
On March 30, Sunamganj haor region was hit by the first phase of flash floods which inundated at least 5,000 hectares of land causing Tk 100 crores worth of losses to farmers.
Karuna Sindhu Chowdhury, Chairman of Tahirpur upazila parishad, said they had been struggling to save crops of Gurmar Haor for the last 15 days.
“With the assistance of farmers, local leaders, and WDB officers, a risky dam in the Bagmara area was reformed but the second phase of the flood has already overflowed the high edges of the haor. Usually we don’t need dams in these areas. Already locals are working to resist the water from entering,” he said.
Mujibur Rahman, a farmer from Joypur village said, “We are guarding the dams every night along with the administrative staff.”
Rayhn Kabir, Tahirpur Upazila Nirbahi Officer (UNO) said, ”The dams are not broken but damaged and are not in a very good condition as water pressure keeps increasing. The dams in the Tanguar haor area are at most risk as any of them can collapse at any moment.”
Also read: Flash floods damage crops worth Tk 100 crore in Sunamganj haors
Iqbal Al Azad, Jamalganj UP Chairman said,”We have instructed farmers to harvest 80% ripe crops to reduce their losses along with protecting the dams.”
“Rainfall is likely to decline both upstream and downstream from Sunday”, said Md Jahangir Hossain, Sunamganj Deputy Commissioner quoting the Met Office.
“The dams made of earth have weakened after handling water pressure for the last 15 days. But if we can hold on for a day or two more by working on the damages the danger will have passed as upstream rains are the main reason for flooding here,” he added.
According to the district Agricultural Extension Office, this year Boro paddy has been cultivated on 222,805 hectares of land in Sunamganj aiming at a production of 14 lakh metric tonnes.
So far, harvesting has been completed on just 30,530 hectares of land - around 14 percent of the area cultivated.
According to WDB, 536 -km crop protection dams in 12 upazilas were to be established and reformed at 12 upazilas in Sunamganj, under 727 projects spending Tk 122 crore.
Floods in South Africa’s Durban area kill more than 340
Heavy rains and flooding have killed at least 341 people in South Africa’s eastern KwaZulu-Natal province, including the city of Durban, and more rainstorms are forecast in the coming days.
The death toll is expected to rise as scores of people, including whole families, are missing, officials said Thursday.
The persistent rains have wreaked havoc in the province, destroying homes, collapsing buildings and washing away major roads.
Also read:32 die in Zimbabwean bus accident
The damage to Durban and the surrounding eThekwini metropolitan area is estimated at $52 million, eThekwini Mayor Mxolosi Kaunda said Thursday.
At least 120 schools have been flooded, causing damage estimated at more than $26 million and bringing officials to temporarily close all schools in the province.
At least 18 students and one teacher from various schools have died in the floods, Education Minister Angie Motshekga said.
“This is a catastrophe and the damage is unprecedented. What is even more worrying is that more rain is expected in the same areas that are already affected,” Motshekga said in a statement issued Thursday.
Police used stun grenades to disperse residents in the Reservoir Hills areas of Durban who were protesting what they said was the lack of official assistance, according to South African media reports.
The South African National Defense Force has deployed troops to assist with rescue and mop-up operations.
Also read:South Africa's Durban area hit by heavy floods, 45 dead
The floods have knocked out water and electricity to large parts of Durban and the surrounding eThekwini metropolitan area and it will take at least a week to restore those services, according to officials.
President Cyril Ramaphosa visited is convening an emergency Cabinet meeting to declare the floods a national disaster so that funds can be released to help repair the damage. He visited several areas hit by the floods and mudslides on Wednesday.
Fourteen crocodiles that were swept away from a farm in the Tongaat area north of Durban have been recaptured, according to wildlife officials.
South Africa's Durban area hit by heavy floods, 45 dead
Prolonged rains and flooding in the Durban area of South Africa have claimed the lives of at least 45 people, damaging the port, major highways and surrounding areas in KwaZulu-Natal province, according to local officials.
South Africa's military has been deployed to Durban and the surrounding eThekwini metropolitan area on Tuesday to assist with rescue operations as residents flee flooded areas.
Some people have been swept away by surging waters, say officials. Durban port, the largest and busiest shipping terminal in sub-Saharan Africa, has been inundated with floodwaters that carried away shipping containers and left them in a jumbled pile.
Authorities are providing shelter for several hundred people whose homes and possessions were washed away by the floods and technicians are working to restore electricity to areas where power had been knocked out.
READ: Dams needed to boost Australia's flood resilience: PM
Emergency services have for several days been responding to urgent calls for help from people stuck in their houses but the number is beginning to decrease, emergency services spokesman Robert McKenzie told The Associated Press on Tuesday.
“There are still cases of collapsed buildings where operations are still continuing,” he said.
“Most of our power stations have been flooded and our teams are working hard to restore power to the affected areas," Moxilisi Kaunda, mayor of the eThekwini metropolitan municipality, told a press briefing Tuesday.
“Our teams are on the ground to try and return the situation to normalcy," he said. "We continue to assess the damages, we cannot be sure of the extent of the damages at the moment.”
Flash floods in Boro-producing areas bodes ill for days ahead
Farmers in the haor areas of Sylhet, Netrakona and Sunamganj are living in fear that they may be deprived of their boro paddy’s harvest, as flash floods following incessant rainfall in India’s bordering hilly areas have largely inundated their fields.
Besides the affected farmers, the overt similarities with a similar chain of events in 2017 will have people worried across all sections of society. Back then, it prolonged a hike in the price of rice.
Policymakers will be hoping and praying there is no repeat of that, given the upward pressure on prices that is already a reality gripping the populace.
In Netrakona, the farmers of haor areas in Khaliajury upazila are busy harvesting their green and ripe paddy, fearing losses caused by onrush of water downstream.
Executive Engineer of Netrakona Water Development Board ML Soikat said “The water level of Dhanu River has risen 10 cm on Monday noon due to rainfall in India’s Cherrapunji. As a result, the Dhanu river was flowing 58 cm below the danger mark.”
Jashimuddin, upazila agriculture officer, said 370 acres of land in Kirtankhola, Laxmipur, Chunai, Baiddarchar, Katkailer Kanda, Taktar, Monijan, Lebria, Hemnagar, Gangabadar, Nayakhal, Bagani,Boilong and Dakatkhali haor area has been inundated, creating panic among the upazila’s boro farmers.
Many farmers are trying their best to harvest their boro paddy before it matures, in order to cut down on their losses.
Read: Char people of Kurigram rebuild their lives defying flood and erosion devastation
Sujon Mia and Anwar Hossain, two farmers of Puranhati and Laxmipur villages in the upazila, said normally they would give it another 10-15 days to harvest the paddy, but they became
helpless and went for early harvest –in which case their immature paddy would be used as fodder.
On a positive note, Engineer Soikat said there is no report of damage along the 183-km embankment in the haor area, and they are trying to reinforce it by dumping bamboo and GO bags.
In Sunamganj, the residents of Shantiganj upazila have been spending sleepless nights to protect the Shaldia Haor flood protection embankment since a crack was discovered on the surface.
The water level of Surma has touched its danger level, and the water level of all the rivers including the Jadukata, Rokti, Boulai, Patlai, Naljur, Kalni, Chalti, Dharain and Chela, has increased due to the sudden onrush of hill water.
The crop lands in Tahirpur upazila in the district are the worst-affected, as the flood control embankment for the Tanguar haor collapsed.
Crop fields in Choto Kanlar Haor of Sadar upazila and Manuarkhola haor in Shalla upazila are also submerged for the same reasons as above.
On the other hand, 25,000 hectares of boro paddy are at risk of inundation as a crack developed on the protection embankment at Karchar Haor in Bishambharpur upazila on Tuesday morning.
Bishambharpur Upazila Nirbahi Officer Sadi Ur Rahim Zahid said they are trying their best to protect the crops.
Deputy Commissioner Jahangir Hossain said this year, a 530-km long levee has been built, and it is difficult for the Water Development Board to protect such a long embankment. As such, he sought help from all stakeholders in taking steps to protect the dam.
According to Sunamganj office of the Department of Agriculture Extension, some 222,805 (2 lakh 22 thousand 805) hectares of land have been brought under boro cultivation and they set a target to produce boro paddy worth Tk 3,200 crore.
In Sylhet, farmers of Companiganj upazila are a worried lot, as their paddy fields too lie submerged, following the sudden onrush of waters in the last two days.
Read: Reopening: Flooding robs of Kurigram students’ enthusiasm
Some 400 bighas of cropland are already under water in Companiganj, according to the upazila agriculture department. And the worst hit areas are Fuksha Haor, Bhai Kuri, Moter Kuri, Dewar Kar, Kapna Kuri, Daila Haor, Akhai Kuri, Kanglaghati and Daram Haor of the upazila's South Ranikhai Union.
Deputy assistant agriculture officer Pankaj said that although only 50 bighas of paddy land in Ichakals union is under water, the Patharchauli Haor protection dam is liable to be breached at any moment. "A disaster is waiting to happen," he told UNB.
Alamgir Alam, chairman of East Islampur union parishad, said that with the help of locals, a dam was built in Rauti Haor. However, the dam breached in strong currents, submerging paddy fields, Alamgir added.
Raihan Parvez Rony, upazila agriculture officer, said, If the flow of hill water continues, all the boro crops in the upazila will be damaged.
Boro has been cultivated across 5,850 hectares of land in the upazila this year, said the officer.
Fakhrul Ahmed, deputy assistant engineer of the Sylhet Water Development Board, said that an 8.561 km-long crop protection dam has been constructed at Haor area in Companiganj. And yet he adds: “Although the dam is strong enough, it will be difficult to protect the area’s crops in case of an overflow.
Upazila nirbahi officer Lusikanta Hajong said the low-lying areas were flooded by the sudden onrush of hill water. However, our crop protection dams are still in the safe zone. A list of affected farmers is being prepared.