Floods
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Boat

Waterworld: Drone footage captures historic Missouri flooding and damage


RT
Sun, 03 Jan 2016 19:25 UTC
Missouri flooding
© Oral R Friend / YouTube
A massive cleanup is underway in the US Midwest after three Missouri rivers reached levels not seen in winter since the times when Mark Twain was rafting the river as a teenager.

Sixteen states in total issued emergency weather warnings as mass flooding in the region claimed the lives of at least 31 people.

Heavy rainfall at the end of December, the worst since May 2011, caused the Mississippi, Meramec, and Missouri rivers to burst their banks.

"Flooding on the middle portion of the Mississippi River and some of its tributaries reached levels not seen during the winter months since records began during the middle 1800s," reported Accuweather.

The Mississippi River was 40 feet (13 meters) over the flood mark at one stage, while 17 million people faced imminent danger.

US President Barack Obama signed an emergency declaration, allowing federal aid to be used in the clean-up operations.

Visiting the affected-communities of Eureka and Cape Girardeau on Sunday, Missouri governor Jay Nixon described the damage as "almost as if you are living on some other planet."


Comment: If 2015 was 'a year of extremes' weather-wise in the US, one wonders what 2016 may have in store! For more on the recent historic flooding in the US Midwest, see also:

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Cloud Precipitation

Mississippi flood surge rushes South as St. Louis cleans up

Miguel Almaguer, Alastair Jamieson & Elizabeth Chuck
NBC News
Sat, 02 Jan 2016 22:34 UTC
Flooded field in Missouri
© Michael B. Thomas / Getty ImagesA flooded-out football field is seen at the Jefferson County Youth Association on Jan. 2, 2016 in Arnold, Missouri.
The swollen Mississippi River was pushing downstream at 10 times the speed of the Niagara Falls on Saturday, threatening more floods in rural southern Missouri and Illinois.

Two more levees along its course succumbed Friday, bringing to at least 11 the number of levee failures. In Arnold, Missouri, an estimated 150 homes were underwater.
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Cloud Precipitation

U.S. Midwest floods: Illinois Governor activates National Guard; death toll rises


Chicago Tribune
Sat, 02 Jan 2016 03:49 UTC
Missouri flooding
© Michael B. Thomas / Getty ImagesMissouri Department of Transportation workers and members of the Missouri National Guard work along Interstate 55 on Dec. 31, 2015, in Arnold, Mo.
The worst of the dangerous, deadly winter flood is over in the St. Louis area, leaving residents of several water-logged communities to spend the first day of 2016 assessing damage, cleaning up and figuring out how to bounce back — or in some cases, where to live.

Farther south, things were getting worse: Record and near-record crest predictions of the Mississippi River and levee breaks threatened homes in rural southern Missouri and Illinois. Two more levees succumbed Friday, bringing to at least 11 the number of levee failures.

Illinois Gov. Bruce Rauner on Friday ordered National Guard troops to active duty to assist in recovery efforts. Rauner visited six southern Illinois communities Friday.

In a statement on Friday, he said the step means soldiers will be ready at a moment's notice for local communities as flood waters could continue to rise over the weekend. About 20 soldiers were ordered to report to the guard's Marion Readiness Center.

The flood, fueled by more than 10 inches of rain over a three-day period that began last weekend, is blamed for 22 deaths. Searchers were still looking for four missing people — one teen in Illinois, two men in Missouri and a country music singer in Oklahoma.

The body of one missing Illinois teen, 18-year-old Devan R. Everett of Christian County, was found in floodwaters near Taylorville, the Springfield State Journal-Register reported.

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Cloud Precipitation

Tadcaster River Wharfe bridge-collapse captured in dramatic footage, UK


Daily Mail, UK
Wed, 30 Dec 2015 20:22 UTC
Tadcaster Bridge near York collapses
Tadcaster Bridge near York collapses
Dramatic footage has captured the moment when an ancient bridge collapsed into a swollen river.

People were evacuated from the area around the bridge over the River Wharfe in Tadcaster, North Yorkshire, after the collapse of the 18th century structure caused a gas leak.

The Press Association video shows the moment the stone side of the structure gave way, with parts dropping into the powerful river below and leaving the roadway and broken pipes clearly visible.

Tadcaster is 10 miles from York and has been affected by flooding caused by storms in recent days.

The bridge had already been closed due to fears over its structural safety before a crowd gathered at the riverside on Tuesday evening, as stone could be heard falling into the water and creaking noises could be heard.

Just before 5pm a huge chunk of the bridge fell into the water just a few feet below.

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Cloud Precipitation

Nightmare floods turn Irish roads into... a wakeboarding paradise


RT
Wed, 30 Dec 2015 17:15 UTC
Irish wakeboarder
© lindsay_whelan / Instagram

An Irish water sport enthusiast took advantage of recent bad weather and turned a flooded road into her very own wakeboarding playground.

Oisin Harding posted this video online of Lindsay Whelan wakeboarding down a street in Tipperary on December 28 with the title "Been real Irish about things." The video has since gone viral, with over 1 million views.

Whelan is a member of the Irish wakeboarding team and showed off her impressive skills while being dragged by a car. The road has been deluged for several days due to flooding in the area, and many praised Whelan for finally putting it to good use.

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Tornado1

Powerful North Atlantic storm Frank brings yet more flooding to UK, unprecedented warmth to Arctic

Andrew Griffin
The Independent, UK
Wed, 30 Dec 2015 20:42 UTC
storm frank
© NASA Satellite image shows Storm Frank approaching Britain. Arctic 'flip' on the way?
The powerful weather system that is set to bring "storm Frank" to the UK could lead temperatures in the north pole to be pushed over 50F hotter than normal.

The storm is set to bring yet more destruction to the UK after a week that has seen much of the north battered by terrible flooding. But that will come with a weather system that will cause huge disruption across the Arctic.

With those strange northern weather events will come an Icelandic storm that might be among the most vigorous ever, according to the Washington Post.


Comment: Notice that last part? That's the end result of all this. Some day soon, one of these flooding events is going to dump 10 stories of snow instead of 1 meter of rain...

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Bizarro Earth

Missouri in state of emergency as three major rivers are above flood capacity


RT
Wed, 30 Dec 2015 17:03 UTC
missouri flooding
© Kate Munsch / Reuters Submerged roads and houses are seen after several days of heavy rain led to flooding, in an aerial view over Union, Missouri December 29, 2015.
Missouri is in a state of emergency as flooding continues with record water levels expected over the coming days.

Seventeen million people in the US are currently living in areas with flood warnings, with 400 river gauges nationwide over their flood capacity. Missouri is one of the worst affected areas with three major rivers, the Missouri, the Meramec and the Mississippi all above the flood stage.
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Cloud Precipitation

Hundreds evacuated from floods in Northern Territory, Australia


New Zealand Herald
Mon, 28 Dec 2015 17:52 UTC
Floods Daly River Australia
500 people from the community of Daly River have been evacuated to Darwin.
Floods in Australia's Northern Territory have forced hundreds to evacuate, closed roads and there are reports of crocodiles moving in to the towns.

One woman is so far reported as dead and one man still missing in floodwaters, and 500 people from the community of Daly River have been evacuated to Darwin, with 390 currently being housed at the showgrounds.

Residents of the remote Nauiyu community reported saltwater crocodiles had made their way into town in the floodwaters. The crocodiles were seen on the local football field and the NT News reported one had been seen taking two dogs.

The Daly River is still above major flood levels at 14.68m, and is expected to remain so for several more days.


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Cloud Precipitation

UK flooding: Emergency services stretched to breaking point after "unprecedented" rainfall

William Worley, Tom McTague, David Connett
The Independent, UK
Sat, 26 Dec 2015 22:53 UTC
Mytholmroyd, West Yorkshire floods
© GettyIn Mytholmroyd, West Yorkshire, the River Calder burst its banks

As many as 2,000 homes in danger of being flooded tonight after nearly a month's rain falls in 24 hours

Emergency services are being stretched to breaking point overnight after "unprecedented" rainfall caused severe flooding in parts of England, Scotland and Wales, forcing thousands of people to be evacuated from their homes.

A total of 22 severe flood warnings - meaning there is a threat to life - have been put in place, with a further 238 less severe flood warnings and 146 flood alerts issued.

As many as 2,000 homes are in danger of being flooded tonight, and thousands of people are spending the night in temporary accommodation after nearly a month's rain fell in 24 hours.


The Prime Minister will chair a meeting of the Government's emergency Cobra committee this morning. Mr Cameron said he would take charge of the response to "ensure everything is being done to help".

The Environment Secretary, Liz Truss, said: "Our priority throughout this period continues to be protecting lives, protecting homes and protecting businesses."
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Cloud Precipitation

Met Office issues 2 red alerts on the same day for the first time ever as 5 inches of rain is forecast: 300 flood warnings are issued across Britain

Anthony Joseph
Daily Mail, UK
Sat, 26 Dec 2015 12:25 UTC
flooding in Mytholmroyd, West Yorkshire
There are more than 200 flood warnings across Britain as home and business owners prepare for serious flooding. Pictured is flooding in Mytholmroyd, West Yorkshire
The Met Office has issued two red alerts for potentially deadly rain in the same day for the first time ever, as severe weather is battering parts of Britain.

Red alerts are the highest possible warnings, meaning there is 'a danger to life'. It is extremely rare for the weather agency to issue them, with the two previous one coming a year apart.

The alert, which advises people to 'take action', expect disruption to travel and be prepared to evacuate their homes, is in place for Lancashire and Yorkshire & Humber.

Around five inches of rain is expected to fall today, almost as much as the average December rainfall in the UK, sparking more than 300 flood alerts.

Emergency services rescue residents from flooded homes on King Street in Whalley,
Emergency services rescue residents from flooded homes on King Street in Whalley, Lancashire, as the rain batters down
Rescue teams have been sent out to help people evacuate their flooded homes, as Boxing Day football matches and racing events were cancelled.


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