Unprecedented Rainfall and Major Flooding Around the World

[angelburst29]

Death toll in floods in Indonesia's Papua rises to nearly 80 March 17, 2019

Authorities in Indonesia raised the death toll from floods and landslides in the easternmost province of Papua to nearly 80 on Monday as President Joko Widodo called for the urgent evacuation of victims from devastated communities.

Landslides at waterfall kill two in Indonesia's Lombok March 17, 2019
Dozens of tourists were evacuated on Sunday from a waterfall site hit by landslides in the Indonesian holiday island of Lombok, where two people died, authorities said.

 

[thorbiorn]

There is a map of all recorded landslides 2007-2019 published March 13 by SVS: Global Landslide Catalog (update 2019)

Using the Global Landslide Catalog (GLC), a world map has been produced to show the location of 11,033 reported landslides triggered by rainfall for the period 2007-2019 (last update 02.29.19). In this version, all landslide locations have the same visual treatment without pointing out which ones had fatalities. This version has been created for kids and educational purposes.

Some of the landslides may be due to buildings, fields and infrastructure having been placed on locations where the removal of protective vegetations had led to more exposure of the soil

 

[angelburst29]

A motorway bridge over a New Zealand river was washed away in a severe rain storm on Tuesday, prompting the authorities to declare a state of emergency.

March 25, 2019 - New Zealand bridge washed away in severe storm

A bridge over the Waiho River breaks and washes away due to a swelling river, near Franz Josef, New Zealand in this still frame taken from social media video dated March 26, 2019. JACOB SCHONBERGER/via REUTERS

A motorway bridge over a New Zealand river was washed away in a severe rain storm on Tuesday, prompting the authorities to declare a state of emergency.

The storm battered the west coast of New Zealand’s South Island, forcing 300 km(186 miles) of road to be closed due to flooding, according to media reports.

Footage shown on local television and distributed on social media showed part of the Waiho Bridge, near the town of Franz Josef, breaking off in torrential river flooding and swaying loose in the rushing water, with the remaining sections soon collapsing.

In a short video posted on Facebook, Westland Mayor Bruce Smith declared a state of emergency and said the storm was expected to continue for another day.

“I have concerns about people’s lives in Franz Josef,” Smith said in the message, adding another bridge was also damaged.

The Meteorological Service of New Zealand said in a statement the storm was “a significant event even by West Coast standards”.


March 25, 2019 - Floods kill at least 18 in southern Iran, provinces on alert

At least 18 people were killed and around 100 others were injured in flash floods in Iran's southern Fars province, the semi-official Tasnim news agency reported on Monday, with more rain forecast following days of devastating floods in the north.

 

[angelburst29]

Iran evacuates flood-threatened villages after heavy rains kill dozens March 30, 2019

Authorities in Iran worked on Saturday to evacuate villages threatened by flooding in southwestern areas as forecasters predicted more of the heavy rains that have killed at least 45 people this week, state media reported.

President Rouhani inspects flood damage in northern Iran March 27, 2019
President Hassan Rouhani on Wednesday inspection on damage caused by flash floods in northern Iran and promised compensation to all those affected as the nationwide death toll reached 30.

Afghanistan floods kill 32, worsen already desperate situation March 30, 2019

Flash floods have killed at least 32 people in western Afghanistan, destroyed homes and swept through makeshift shelters that housed displaced families, a government official said on Saturday.

After drought and floods, Afghanistan confronts critical harvest March 28, 2019

Afghanistan's summer harvest will be one of the most critical in years, especially of wheat, its biggest cereal crop, as the country recovers from floods and the worst drought in decades, government and aid organization officials say.

Factbox: Cyclone Idai's death toll rises to 746, hundreds of thousands displaced March 30, 2019

Hundreds of thousands of people are in need of food, water and shelter after Cyclone Idai battered Mozambique, Zimbabwe and Malawi.

Amid ruined lives, Mozambique's cyclone survivors face cholera, diarrhea March 27, 2019

Dozens of fragile patients poured into a clinic in the wrecked Mozambican port city of Beira on Wednesday, as the government said it had confirmed the first five cases of cholera in the wake of deadly Cyclone Idai.

Cholera cases jump to 138 in Mozambique's Beira after cyclone March 30, 2019

The number of confirmed cases of cholera in the cyclone-hit Mozambican port city of Beira jumped from five to 138 on Friday,
as government and aid agencies battled to contain the spread of disease among the tens of thousands of victims of the storm.

Mozambique to start cholera vaccinations next week after cyclone
Mozambique will start a cholera vaccination campaign next week in areas ravaged by Cyclone Idai, the World Health Organisation (WHO) said on Thursday, after five confirmed cases were detected.

 

[angelburst29]

April 21, 2019 - Landslide in southwestern Colombia kills 17
Seventeen people have been killed and five injured in a landslide in the southwestern Colombian province of Cauca, the country's disaster relief agency said on Sunday.

April 22, 2019 - Death toll from Colombia landslide rises to 28
The death toll from a weekend landslide in the southwestern Colombian province of Cauca has risen to 28 people, the country's disaster relief agency said on Monday.

April 23, 2019 - Landslide kills three in Tanzania, several injured
A landslide triggered by rains killed at least three people at a mine in the northern Tanzanian town of Arusha on Tuesday and left several people injured, a senior police official said.

More than 50 believed killed in collapse at Myanmar jade mine

More than 50 people were feared to have been killed in Myanmar when jade miners and machinery were buried under a mound of tailings late on Monday, a member of parliament and a rescue worker said.

 

[Ca.]

https://twitter.com/x/status/1121003269684367360

Water levels in Fredericton surpass last year's and keep rising downriver
Posted: Apr 23, 2019 6:45 AM AT | Last Updated: April 24
Videos / Pic's / 7-9 minute read-Snip:

Floodwaters in Fredericton have surpassed 2018 levels at 8.35 metres. Last year's recorded peak was 8.31 metres.
Water levels in the capital are expected to stabilize over the next few days before starting to recede but they will keep rising farther down the St. John River.

"We're expecting that the flooding in the lower St. John River basin from Fredericton to Saint John will persist for at least the next five days," said JasminBoisvert, water resources specialist with the Department of Environment and Local Government.

https://twitter.com/x/status/1120782302966112257

Boisvert said water levels in the upper river basin are similar to those forecast over the weekend, but they have persisted longer than expected. This, coupled with more forecast rain, will create higher than expected water levels downriver, he said.

 

[angelburst29]

Rising waters were prompting further evacuations in central Canada on Thursday, with the mayor of the country's capital, Ottawa, declaring a state of emergency and Quebec authorities warning that a hydroelectric dam was at risk of breaking.

April 25, 2019 - Canadian capital of Ottawa declares state of emergency as waters swell

A man looks out at a flooded residential area in Gatineau, Quebec, Canada, April 24, 2019. REUTERS/Chris Wattie

Ottawa Mayor Jim Watson declared the emergency in response to rising water levels along the Ottawa River and weather forecasts that called for significant rainfall on Friday.

The prospect of more rain over the next 24 to 48 hours triggered concerns on Thursday that the hydroelectric dam at Bell Falls in the western part of Quebec could be at risk of failing because of rising water levels.

The dam is now at its full flow capacity of 980 cubic meters per second of water, said Francis Labbé, a spokesman for the province’s state-owned utility, Hydro Quebec. He said Hydro Quebec expected the flow could rise to 1,200 cubic meters per second of water over the next two days.

“We have to take the worst-case scenario into consideration, since we`re already at the maximum capacity,” Labbé said by phone.

The dam is part of a power station that no longer produces electricity, but is regularly inspected by Hydro Quebec, he said.

Death toll in South Africa floods and mudslides rises over 70

More than 70 people have been killed in South Africa after torrential rains along the eastern coast, officials said on Thursday, and rescuers were still recovering bodies.

Rohingya should move to island to avoid landslides: Bangladesh minister

Rohingya refugees in Bangladesh are at risk from landslides in the coming monsoon season and should be relocated to a remote island, the country's foreign minister said on Thursday, a move opposed by many refugees.

'Water is life': unexpected rainfall revives Iraq's historic marshlands

This time last year, most of Iraq's historic marshlands were dry, desiccated by upstream damming and a chronic lack of rainfall.

 

[Ca.]

May 1, 2019

Flood warnings are in effect for areas along the entire Mississippi River, as heavy rains move through the Mississippi Valley. Jericka Duncan reports from Davenport, Iowa, where a temporary levee failed, sending a wall of water into the downtown streets

Quad Cities Flooding after Barrier Breach from Mississippi River - WeatherNation

[Image from US Army Garrison-Rock Island Arsenal via Twitter] A flash flood engulfed parts of downtown Davenport, Iowa, on Tuesday evening, after a temporary barrier designed to hold back water from the Mississippi River failed. The rapid rise of flood waters has ended, but some of the downtown...

www.weathernationtv.com

Snip 3 Minute Read:

A flash flood engulfed parts of downtown Davenport, Iowa, on Tuesday evening, after a temporary barrier designed to hold back water from the Mississippi River failed. The rapid rise of flood waters has ended, but some of the downtown area is still inundated with water.

https://twitter.com/x/status/1123392088756764677

Emergency services, including the Davenport Fire Department, worked to evacuate and relocate residents and workers from affected homes and shops. Crews evacuated people from cars and buildings as water levels rose and pushed through the downtown. Some residents and business owners went to rooftops for shelter. Davenport Mayor Frank Klipsch said there were no reports of injuries.

Authorities warned locals to steer clear of the floodwater which had been contaminated by local sewage systems, according to a statement from Davenport Public Works.

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[angelburst29]

April 30, 2019 - Houses Swept Away by Landslide in Bolivia’s La Paz (+Video)
Houses Swept Away by Landslide in Bolivia’s La Paz (+Video) - World news - Tasnim News Agency

- World news -
No deaths were reported as authorities had cleared the area amidst fears of collapse after heavy rains. Local media reported that at least 17 houses were lost.


April, 27, 2019 - Evacuations Declared in Canadian Province Due to Flooding (+Video)
Evacuations Declared in Canadian Province Due to Flooding (+Video) - World news - Tasnim News Agency

- World news -
Montreal Mayor Valerie Plante said Friday after afternoon that her city had felt it had matters under control until a rainstorm dumping as much as 60 mm of rain on already flooded regions moved in, CTV News reported. The most serious flooding so far is in villages along the Ottawa River outside the downtown core. Ontario Premier Doug Ford visited Friday morning to meet homeowners and help fill some sandbags. He said the government is on "high alert" and has told Ottawa the province will help with whatever is needed.

 

[thorbiorn]

More from La Paz in Bolivia:

https://twitter.com/x/status/1124063603408166913

 

[Laura]

I've been watching a few recent flood videos on the weather site I frequent and it strikes me that flooding is really seriously catastrophic even if it comes due only to a lot of rain and no particularly devastating storms or other activity. There are so many cities and communities built on waterways, and so many floods of late, it just feels like the planet is trying to wash itself.

 

[Ca.]

As Sea Levels Rise, Expect More Floods - Eos

A new study unveils the increasing exposure of coastal communities to minor and extreme floods as sea levels rise.

eos.org

3 May 2019

The global mean sea level currently measures 77 millimeters higher than in 1993 when the satellite sea level record began. According to the Fifth Assessment Report from the United Nations’ Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, the global mean sea level is expected to continue rising throughout the 21st century. With 126 million Americans—40% of the total population of the United States—living along the coasts, rising seas could cause widespread property and socioeconomic damage in the coming century.

Coastal communities require adaptation and mitigation strategies for both frequent, minor flooding and extreme, high-water events (i.e., major flooding). Yet community responses differ for each type of flooding: Regular low-grade floods inflict chronic, cumulative damages, whereas extreme floods create substantial, acute losses. One challenge of strategic planning is that many statistical models struggle to simultaneously characterize both minor and major flood events resulting from rising sea levels.

To address this challenge, Ghanbari et al. developed a new model to facilitate a nonstationary analysis of coastal flood frequency. The mixture probability model simultaneously evaluates minor and major flooding under higher sea levels. The study incorporated data from 68 tidal monitoring locations around the country to estimate the type and frequency of flooding throughout the contiguous United States for both the present and future. The study also reports on flood exposure for 20 coastal cities.

The authors found that, generally, flood return periods shorten as sea level rises. For example, if sea levels climb by 15.24 centimeters, a 500-year flood will become a 10-year flood along the Pacific coasts. Throughout the country, coastal regions will experience increases in minor and major flood frequency if sea levels continue to rise. If sea levels rise by approximately 61 centimeters, the authors report that the majority of coastal communities will experience major floods multiple times (2–6 days) and more than 150 days of minor flooding per year, unless adaptation and mitigation strategies are adopted to increase flood thresholds in coastal cities.

The study found that not all regions would flood similarly in response to higher sea levels. The Pacific coast would see the most significant amplification in major flood frequency, followed by the southeast Atlantic coastline. The Gulf of Mexico and northeast Atlantic regions, however, would experience more frequency amplification in minor floods. Of the 20 cities the study assessed, the authors found that New York City would experience the highest increase in both minor and major flooding; Miami had the second-highest exposure.

The study represents a new approach for assessing flood risks associated with sea level rise and highlights the importance of planning for both chronic and acute flooding. The results offer actionable information to decision-makers in coastal communities throughout the United States. (Earth’s Future, https://doi.org/10.1029/2018EF001089, 2019)
—Aaron Sidder, Freelance Writer

Mississippi River to remain out of its banks into at least mid-June in Louisiana
May 11, 2019 6-7 minute read Snip:

Parts of the south-central United States hammered by severe weather and flash flooding this week will face long-term river flooding through the rest of May and even into June.

Southeastern Texas, including the Houston area, was hit hard by a couple rounds of flooding downpours, damaging winds and large hail this week. Ten inches of rain fell in Sugar Land, Texas, on Tuesday alone.

One more round of drenching thunderstorms and torrential downpours will target areas from eastern Texas to the lower Mississippi Valley through Saturday night before dry weather finally returns for Sunday and Monday. Another dry spell is expected later in the new week.

Even with the return of dry weather, the flooding on the Mississippi River will continue to get worse into the middle to latter portion of the month.

“River flooding may continue into June as floodwaters in rivers farther north travel southward and add onto the ongoing flooding along the lower Mississippi River,” AccuWeather Meteorologist Brett Rathbun said.

Rathbun added that rain and thunderstorms may return by Tuesday and Wednesday of next week, and that any additional rainfall during the rest of May will only make the flooding situation worse.

Moderate to major flooding is already occurring along nearly the entire length of the Mississippi River from the Iowa/Illinois border to west of New Orleans, Louisiana.

In addition, flooding is taking place along the Missouri, Sabine, Wabash and White rivers, as well as other creeks and streams in the central and southern United States.

https://twitter.com/x/status/1126938715186765824

https://twitter.com/x/status/1127267580341882880

https://twitter.com/x/status/1127023037382000641

https://twitter.com/x/status/1127163824585359360

 

[thorbiorn]

A landslide in China:

https://twitter.com/x/status/1139772657304399872

 

[mabar]

Interesting site

The Global Fatal Landslide Database: full dataset now online

Thanks to the hard work of Dr Melanie Froude, my colleague here at the Department of Geography at the University of Sheffield, we have now posted the full Global Fatal Landslide Database online. This is the dataset that underpins our paper of last year (Froude and Petley 2018) that explored the human cost of landslides from 2004 to 2016 inclusive. However, this new version adds a further year of data, covering 2004 to 2017 inclusive.

The dataset can be accessed via an ARCGIS web application, which allows mapping of the dataset at a range of scales. The full dataset looks like this:-

Whilst the application allows mapping at the national scale – this is the area around Nepal for example:-

The Global Fatal Landslide Database: an example of a national level map – the distribution of fatal landslides in the area around Nepal.
And more detailed mapping is also possible – this is the distribution of fatal landslides on the island of Java in Indonesia:-

An example of a map from the Global Fatal Landslide Database – the distribution of fatal landslides on the island of Java in Indonesia.

.

Over the last couple of years, Melanie has remapped all of the landslides to verify their locations. In each case a polygon has been constructed that define the area in which we believe that the landslide has occurred. In some cases this polygon defines the landslide itself; in others it defines for example the village in which the landslide happened (where this is the most precise description that we have found). The mapping tool allows you to display this data, or the centroid of the polygon to generate a point.

Melanie has written a guide to the dataset, which can be found here:

GlobalFatalLandslideDatabaseVersion2.pdf

This provides full details of the dataset, and of course its limitations.

Perhaps most importantly, the full dataset is now available to download. The manual provides detail of how to do this, via a free public ARCGIS account. We have released the data as an asset for free public use. However, please acknowledge the following open source license and acknowledge the source of the data by citation. The dataset is covered by a University of Sheffield copyright and database rights reserved 2019. For the full license see
Open Government Licence

When using data in a publication, please cite the following reference:

Froude, M. J. and Petley, D. N. 2018. Global fatal landslide occurrence from 2004 to 2016. Natural Hazards and Earth System Science, 18, 2161-2181, NHESS - Global fatal landslide occurrence from 2004 to 2016.

This paper is open access, so should be accessible to all.

If you are struggling to download the data, it is also temporarily available via a Google Drive folder:-

GFLD Version 2 Public – Google Drive

This contains zipped shape files for each data layer.

Melanie and I hope that you will find both the web app and the dataset to be useful. Putting this dataset together has been a huge piece of work, which I started in September 2002 and continue today (so almost 17 years, and counting), whilst the mapping of the landslides, and the collation of the dataset, has been thousands of hours of work by Melanie. However, we believe that the effort has been worthwhile, and the work will continue for the foreseeable future.

 

[angelburst29]

At least 15 dead as construction site wall collapses in western India

At least 15 people were killed, including three children, when a compound wall near a construction site fell on temporary huts of laborers in the western Indian city of Pune following heavy rain, a fire brigade official said on Saturday.

After deadly collapse, Congo vows to remove illegal miners from Glencore concession

Congo's interior minister vowed to remove all illegal miners by Sunday from a copper and cobalt mine run by Glencore following a landslide this week that killed at least 43 of them.

Death toll rises at Glencore mine in Congo after collapse
The number of artisanal miners killed by a landslide at a copper and cobalt mine run by Glencore in Congo rose to 43 on Friday and officials said the army would deploy at the mine as the search for more victims continued.

Death toll from flood in Irkutsk region rises to five people - source
Death toll from flood in Irkutsk region rises to five people - source

© Ravil Ahmetov/TASS

June 29, 2019 - Five people died and several were reported missing in the flood in the Irkutsk region, a source in emergency services told TASS on Saturday.

According to the ministry, 351 people suffered, including 33 children, in the flood. 97 injured were taken to hospitals, 251 injured, including 15 children, received ambulatory medical treatment.

Heavy rains caused floods in the Irkutsk region. According to the data received from the local department of the Emergencies Ministry, 4,042 residential buildings with a population of 9,919 people, including more than 2,269 children, were flooded. The floods affected 31 settlements and 17 sections of motor roads. The authorities imposed a state of emergency in the region.