Earth ChangesS


Tsunami

Flash floods kill at least 3, displace hundreds in northwest Syria

Lina Altawell
Anadolu Agency
Mon, 09 Feb 2026 20:44 UTC
Severe flooding has devastated displacement camps after heavy rains swept through the area, destroying shelters and worsening conditions for displaced families.
Severe flooding has devastated displacement camps after heavy rains swept through the area, destroying shelters and worsening conditions for displaced families.
Flash floods triggered by heavy rainfall have killed at least three people and displaced hundreds of families in northwest Syria, creating "difficult humanitarian conditions" across multiple areas, Alekhbariah TV reported, citing a Syrian ministry statement issued on Monday.

The Ministry of Emergency and Disaster Management said several regions experienced sudden flooding from early Saturday through late Sunday night, damaging civilian communities and 22 displacement camps west of Idlib.

Two children were killed after being swept away by floodwaters in a rugged valley in the al-Assaliya and Ain Issa areas of the Turkman Mountain region in rural Latakia.

A volunteer with the Syrian Arab Red Crescent was killed, and six others were injured, including five Red Crescent volunteers, in a traffic accident involving the team traveling to respond and provide assistance to residents affected by the floods in the Turkman Mountain area.

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Snowflake

Best of the Web: Storm blasts Hawaii with 70-mph winds, 30 inches of rain and a foot of mountain snow

Jesse Ferrell
Yahoo! News
Mon, 09 Feb 2026 20:16 UTC
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Snow on the summit of Mauna Kea
A storm moved over Hawaii this past weekend, causing flooding, knocking down trees and power poles and dumping a foot of snow on the island's mountaintops.

On Monday morning, every spot in the state was under a flood watch, with widespread wind advisories and winter storm warnings on the mountains of Mauna Kea and Mauna Loa.

AccuWeather Meteorologist Alex DaSilva said that a stalled front draped across the Hawaiian Islands, combined with a slow-moving area of low pressure, led to major flooding and near-hurricane-force wind gusts.

Hawaiian Electric warned customers to prepare for extended power outages Sunday night, after power was restored to 45,000 customers lost power earlier in the day. As of Sunday night, 19,000 customers were still in the dark.

Winds gusted over 70 mph on the islands of Maui and Moloka'i, with gusts over 60 mph on Oahu, Lanai and the Big Island. Rainfall amounts exceeded 30 inches at Laupahoehoe on the Big Island, with 23.22 inches at Waikamoi on Maui.

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Arrow Down

Car nearly disappears down sinkhole in Brussels, Belgium

Colin Clapson
vrt.be
Mon, 09 Feb 2026 19:54 UTC
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© Brandweer Brussel
According to initial findings, the collapse was probably caused by a water leak. No one was injured and no gas leak was detected. The street was closed to traffic.

The residents of two houses were evacuated as a precaution, according to fire service sources. The water and gas supply to both houses was temporarily cut off.

A striking number of road subsidence incidents in Brussels

According to Brussels water company Vivaqua, a dozen road subsidence incidents have already been recorded in the Brussels Region since the beginning of the year.

These incidents can be explained by the poor condition of the sewerage system, combined with financial difficulties the water company is facing, which means it often cannot intervene as quickly as necessary. Of the 1,900 kilometres of sewerage network in Brussels, around 220 kilometres are in urgent need of repair.

(View video here)
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Doberman

Boy, 4, mauled to death by stray dogs in Maharashtra, India


The Hindustan Times
Mon, 09 Feb 2026 19:13 UTC
At around 10 am on Saturday, the boy was found lying unconscious in a pool of blood in the sugarcane field at Kenjal village which is around 48 kilometres from Pune.
© Hindustan TimesAt around 10 am on Saturday, the boy was found lying unconscious in a pool of blood in the sugarcane field at Kenjal village which is around 48 kilometres from Pune.
A four-year-old boy died after being attacked by stray dogs in a sugarcane field at Kenjal village in Bhor taluka Saturday morning. The son of migrant farm labourers from Jalgaon, the boy, had gone to answer the call of Nature while his parents were working in the field when the incident occurred, the police said.

At around 10 am on Saturday, the boy was found lying unconscious in a pool of blood in the sugarcane field at Kenjal village which is around 48 kilometres from Pune. Investigating officer, constable Mayur Nimbalkar from Rajgad police station, said that the boy had multiple bite injuries on his body. "He was found nearly 500 metres inside the sugarcane field and appeared to have been dragged by the dogs. There were wounds on his entire body, suggesting the involvement of two to three dogs. He was brought to Bhor rural hospital at around 11.30 am where the doctors pronounced him dead and referred the body for an autopsy," Nimbalkar said.

Initial fears that the boy might have been attacked by a leopard or any other wild animal were ruled out after an inspection by the forest department. Range forest officer Vasant Chavan who visited the site said that the injuries were caused by dogs. Besides, paw marks were found at the site and eyewitnesses too confirmed seeing a dog attacking the boy.
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Attention

Wife killed, husband injured in bear attack in Maharashtra, India


thehitavada.com
Mon, 09 Feb 2026 18:41 UTC
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People in Ramtek tehsil continue to grapple with man-animal conflict, as in one more incident, a couple was attacked by bears that led to death of the woman while the husband suffered serious injuries.

The couple is identified as Rajkumar Rajaram Bhalavi (45) and Sulochana Bhalavi (45), residents of village Umri. As per the reports, the couple went deep into the jungle to collect fire wood when they came under attack by two bears.

They were corner in Beat no 292 of reserve forest area when the two bears roaming attacked them as the two were cutting wood. The couple could not withstand the attack as the bears left them badly wounded.

The incident, as per Assistant Conservator of Forest (ACF) Govinda Luche, occurred around 3.30 pm.The attack was too power and Sulochana died on the spot.
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Doberman

Woman dies after being mauled by her own pit bulls in South Africa

Murray Swart
iol.co.za
Mon, 09 Feb 2026 18:27 UTC
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Faziela Swartz (44), who died after being attacked by dogs at her home in Mitchells Plain. Police have opened an enquiry docket into the circumstances surrounding her death.
A Mitchells Plain woman has been mauled to death by her dogs, raising concerns about public safety and calls for stricter controls around dangerous dogs.

Graphic video footage showed the attack, with one of the pit bulls biting her.

Police confirmed that SAPS members were called to a premises in Maralize Street, Morgenster, at about 1.53pm last Tuesday, following a complaint of a dog attack.

According to SAPS spokesperson Captain FC van Wyk, officers were informed that the victim had been attacked by her own two dogs inside her backyard.

Van Wyk said: "On arrival the 44-year-old victim was already taken to hospital by private vehicle. The members were informed by bystanders that the victim was attacked by her own two dogs inside her backyard. The neighbours tried to get the dogs away from the victim without success.

"She later died in hospital, on Tuesday, February 3, as a result of injuries sustained in the attack. An enquiry docket has been opened to investigate the circumstances surrounding her death. Both dogs were removed from the premises by Law Enforcement officers."
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Attention

Fin whale found dead on Oregon beach

Joni Auden Land
opb.org
Sat, 07 Feb 2026 10:57 UTC
A dead fin whale washed ashore on Sunset Beach in Clatsop County, Ore., on Feb. 7, 2026.
A dead fin whale washed ashore on Sunset Beach in Clatsop County, Ore., on Feb. 7, 2026.
A 46-foot-long fin whale washed ashore in Clatsop County on the Oregon coast Saturday morning. Officials from the Seaside Aquarium said the whale had already been dead for some time before washing up on the beach.

Fin whales are one of the largest whale species in the world, known for their incredibly long and slender bodies. Aquarium officials said that only the blue whale — the largest mammal on earth — is bigger.

A cause of death for the whale was not immediately identified. A necropsy, where a team of scientists collects samples of the whale to determine the cause of death, will take place sometime next week, according to the aquarium.

Last November, a humpback whale became beached near Yachats while it was still alive, kicking off a scramble by residents to push it back into the ocean. Rescue workers were not able to save the humpback before it died on the sand.

It's illegal for regular citizens to touch a live whale while it's stuck on land, and experts say trying to do so is extremely dangerous.

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Lightning

Lightning strike kills 11 cows in South Africa


CentralNews.co.za
Sun, 08 Feb 2026 10:43 UTC
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A devastating lightning strike has left small-scale farmers in Caguba Village reeling after it killed 11 of their cows while they grazed in an open field during a thunderstorm, wiping out what many call their "bank" for emergencies like paying school fees or lobola, and sparking urgent calls for government help to protect livestock in rural areas prone to severe weather.

The Tragic Lightning Strike Incident

The bolt hit on Thursday morning, 5 February 2026, as heavy rains pounded the area. The cows, belonging to two local farmers, were out grazing when the storm turned deadly. Mthandazo Mthimkhulu lost three of his animals, worth about R30,000, while Thandazile Mjokovana saw eight of hers die in an instant. Witnesses described a loud crack followed by the sight of the fallen cattle, some still smoking from the strike. No people were hurt, but the loss cut deep for families who rely on these animals for survival.
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Cloud Lightning

Tropical storm leaves 4 dead, thousands displaced in Philippines after flooding and a landslide


The Independent
Fri, 06 Feb 2026 14:32 UTC
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A tropical storm set off flooding and a landslide in the southern Philippines, leaving at least four people dead, displacing more than 6,000 and trapping residents in houses in two flooded villages, officials said Friday.

Tropical Storm Penha slammed ashore onto the southeastern province of Surigao del Sur from the Pacific late Thursday. It was last tracked Friday around noon off central Bohol province with sustained winds of up to 55 kilometers (34 miles) per hour and gusts of up to 70 kph (43mph), according to forecasters.

A couple and two children died Thursday night when their shanty was hit by a landslide in a quarry area that was set off by torrential rains in a village in southern Cagayan de Oro city, Office of Civil Defense regional director Antonio Sugarol said.

In southern Iligan city, about 55 kilometers (34 miles) southwest of Cagayan de Oro, a resident called the DZMM radio network Friday and pleaded to be rescued from the second floor of her house as floodwater rose and trapped her and three other family members.

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Attention

Three members of same family trampled to death by wild elephants in Jharkhand, India - at least 25 such deaths across the state in 11 days


New Indian Express
Thu, 05 Feb 2026 13:14 UTC
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In yet another incident of man-animal conflict in Jharkhand, three members of the same family were trampled to death by a herd of elephants in Chutki Punnu village under Gomia block in Bokaro.

Five other villagers are said to be injured and struggling for life and death in a local hospital in Bokaro.

According to Bokaro Divisional Forest Officer Sandeep Shinde, "The herd of elephants attacked their house for paddy and damaged a portion of it. When the trio tried to flee from the place, they were trampled to death by the elephants outside the house."

According to villagers, the herd of elephants entered the village on Wednesday evening, around 7 pm. The villagers managed to drive them away using torches, making noises and other methods.
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