The death toll from heavy flooding in central Nigeria has killed at least 33 people. The flooding has not only destroyed homes and villages but has washed out roads and bridges compromising rescue efforts.
The flooding which has covered six districts has impacted over 12,000 people. Officials are warning that more flooding is likely over the next few days.
Last month, 39 people were killed in flooding in a nearby region.
The coordinator of the National Emergency Management Agency said hundreds of families are left homeless.
The death toll from Saturday’s twin earthquakes in northwestern Iran is now responsible for 306 deaths according to government officials. Officials attribute the climbing toll to injured dying in hospitals and reports of dead buried by family members before the arrival of government staff.
A 6.4 magnitude earthquake struck at 5:23pm local time followed by a 6.3 earthquake in the same area 11 minutes later. Officials report that 20 villages in the region were completely destroyed and hundreds of others have suffered varying levels of damage. Continue reading →
A forest fire on La Gomera in the Canary Islands forced the emergency evacuation of 1,000 people by ferry overnight. Road accesses have been cut by the fast spreading fire.
The overnight evacuations raised the total number of people evacuated since Friday to 5,000. The evacuees are being housed in a school gymnasium. Continue reading →
Food prices worldwide have jumped due to unusual weather patterns. Prices jumped 6% in July. The United Nation’s Food and Agriculture Organization food price index measures price changes for a basket of food including cereals, dairy and meat. The July index, while higher, is still below the all-time record in February 2011.
The FAO released a report for July when they normally avoid issuing a report. The given reason was the “exceptional market conditions” that the drought in the USA, excessive rains in Brazil and production problems in Russia have caused in the world supply. Continue reading →
Heavy rain caused in part by Tropical Storm Haikui has resulted in half of the Philippine capital to be covered in water. The flooding, neck-deep in some places, has virtually paralyzed the city.
Tens of thousands have been evacuated because of the flooding which is expected to get worse due to 24 straight hours of rain. At least nine people are reported dead from the flooding in Manila with reports of dozens of others in surrounding villages. Nine members of one family in Quezon City died when a landslide buried his face. Continue reading →
The drought in the Midwest is taking a toll on more than just farmers as rivers are drying up & water temperatures have risen to levels as high as 100 degrees.
The Iowa Department of Natural Resources reported that about 40,000 shovelnose sturgeon were killed last week in water as hot at 97 degrees. Illinois biologists are reporting tens of thousands largemouth and smallmouth bass died due to the torrid conditions. Continue reading →
Nearly 220 counties in a dozen drought-stricken states were added Wednesday to the U.S. government’s list of natural disaster areas as the nation’s agriculture chief unveiled new help for frustrated, cash-strapped farmers and ranchers grappling with extreme dryness and heat.
Source: Yahoo! News – Half of US counties now considered disaster areas
A strong typhoon hammered China and Hong Kong overnight disrupting air travel and leaving over a hundred seeking help from area hospitals.
Hundreds of trees have been blown down and flooding has been reported in multiple areas. Continue reading →
Flooding in Nigeria’s Plateau state has killed 39 people after rainfall caused a breach in a dam near the city of Jos.
The Red Cross reports that over 200 homes were destroyed or submerged. Most of the destroyed homes were huts made from mud. Officials say that at least 35 more people are missing and they expect the death toll to rise. Continue reading →
The heaviest rain to hit Beijing in 60 years has reporters and citizens questioning why better warnings were not given to residents. Reports say 37 people died in flash flooding that ravaged the city with seven more missing in the damage.
The storm struck Saturday night, shutting down airports and transportation systems. The airport was shut down through Monday and reports state most of the transportation systems are back to normal on Monday. Continue reading →
