Floods
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Bizarro Earth

Flooding spreads in Saskatchewan - emergencies declared in three more communities

Saskatchewan flooding
© Roy Antal/Canadian PressCity crews install sandbags along Rotary Park in Regina. By Saturday 13 communities in the province had declared emergencies because of rising floodwaters.
Two First Nations and a rural municipality have been added to the list of Saskatchewan communities under flood emergencies.

The James Smith First Nation, the Cowessess First Nation and the regional municipality of Fish Creek bring the total number of communities that have declared emergencies to 13.

"We're still seeing in the rural areas significant impact to infrastructure such as roads either overtopping or having to be cut, so most of the rural municipalities are still facing some challenges," Duane McKay, Saskatchewan's commissioner of emergency management, said Saturday.

Highway 3, just west of Spiritwood, was closed Saturday because of flooding.
Meanwhile, the Water Security Agency said sandbagging and other efforts to keep the water out of the town of Radisson, northwest of Saskatoon, were holding.

The agency said the good news is that water levels appear to be going down a little around Radisson.

"With the snow cover there being decreased and it seems it's calming a little bit and we're hoping that we've seen the worst of that situation," said agency spokesman Patrick Boyle.

"The town has done a lot of mitigation work to facilitate the flow of water away from the community in Radisson."

Cloud Precipitation

Nearly a foot of rain falls in Jackson County, Mississippi

Jackson flooding
© Tim Isbell / Sun HeraldCindy and Roy Smith brave flood waters to wade their way into neighborhood on Brandon James Drive.
South Mississippi should brace for more showers through Saturday morning as a low pressure system hovers over the area, dropping nearly a foot of rain in east Jackson County, officials said.

The National Weather Service on Thursday morning registered rainfall at 1.71 inches in Gulfport, 4.27 inches in Biloxi and 7.12 inches in Pascagoula.

Radar estimates showed rainfall could have been even higher in Jackson County, meteorologist Mike Efferson said. "Anywhere from 10 to 12 inches," he said. "It was significantly higher in the northern half of the county and along that eastern border that meets up with Alabama.

The Coast will see a redevelopment of showers and thunderstorms Thursday afternoon with possibly another 1 to 3 inches to fall on already soaked soil, while some isolated areas could see significantly more, he said.

Cloud Precipitation

Flash floods kill 16 in Saudi Arabia after heaviest rainfall in 25 years

saudi flood
© AFPFlooding of Saudi lake - File photo
Sixteen people have been killed and three more are missing in Saudi Arabia after downpours caused flash floods in several areas of the desert kingdom, the civil defense authorities said on Wednesday, the AFP news agency reported.

Two others died in flash floods in neighboring Oman, local media reported, as cloudbursts swept across most Gulf countries.

The official Saudi SPA state news agency quoted a civil defense statement as saying people died in several areas including in the capital Riyadh, Baha in the south, Hail in the north and in the west.

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14 killed, 4 missing in heavy Saudi rainfall

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© WAMFourteen people have died and four are missing due to torrential rain according to the Saudi Civil Defense General Directorate.
Fourteen people have died and four are missing due to torrential rain, said the Saudi Civil Defense General Directorate.

From Monday night until midday Tuesday, Saudi authorities received more than 4,213 reports from across the kingdom of accidents resulting from torrential rainfall.

Classes have been suspended in affected areas of the country.

Cloud Precipitation

Texas floods as up to seven inches of rain falls after storms hit much of the South

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© AP Photo/ Houston Chronicle Reports indicate that at least 80 cars were stranded in the surrounding area of Houston, Texas after heavy storms battered the South over the weekend
A number of severe thunderstorms have moved across much of the South, prompting warnings across several states.

The onslaught of storms have dumped more than seven inches in some areas and flood warnings were still in effect around Houston, Texas until Sunday morning.

According to local affiliates quarter-size hail and winds up to 60 mph were reported in South Texas.

The stretch of bad weather extended all the way to Tennessee, where a number of stray animals were 'on the loose.'

The Fayette Country Animal Rescue was damaged by the storm sending an unknown number of animals into the area near Interstate 40.

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© AP Photo/ Houston Chronicle Officials with the Houston Fire Department were encouraging individuals to stay home during the storms
Currently there are no reports of any deaths or injuries from the storms.

Cloud Precipitation

Death toll from north Afghanistan flash flooding rises to 20

Afghanistan flood
© Unknown
The death toll from the latest devastating floods in northern Afghan following heavy rains in the area has climbed to 20 people, local officials say.

Zabihullah Akhtari, an official at Balkh governor's office, said on Thursday that nearly 2,000 households have been affected in the provincial capital Mazar-i-Sharif - located over 300 kilometers (186 miles) northwest of Kabul - and three nearby towns.

He added that eight people were killed in Sholgara district, seven in Kishindih, four in Charkint and one in Mazar-i-Sharif.

Cloud Precipitation

Worst of U.S. Midwest flooding may not be over

Major river flooding this week

Many tributaries of the Mississippi and Ohio rivers are forecast to reach, surpass or remain at major flood stage over the next several days. As of late Monday afternoon, more than 150 gauges were in flood stage across the USA, almost all of them in the upper Midwest.
Midwest flood map
© NOAA
As of Tuesday morning, more than 150 gauges were in flood stage across the USA, almost all of them in the upper Midwest.

Bizarro Earth

Record flooding threatens Midwest, Mississippi river

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© AFP Photo / Scott OlsonBicycles sit in floodwater outside an apartment building April 19, 2013 in Des Plaines, Illinois.
Torrential downpours along the Mississippi River have forced Midwesterners in half a dozen states to fight back floodwaters, which risk reaching record levels.

Illinois, Missouri, Michigan, Indiana, Iowa and Wisconsin all experienced flooding as heavy rainfalls hit the region Wednesday - posing a sharp contrast to the drought which months prior endangered commercial barge traffic on the Mississippi River.

On Friday, barge shipping was halted on parts of the Illinois and Mississippi Rivers as flooding prompted the US Army Corps of Engineers to close several locks until at least the middle of next week.

Seven Mississippi River locks were closed in total between Thursday evening and Friday morning as water topped dams.

The problem is set to intensify, as crests on the rivers are expected to be reached on Sunday at the earliest in more northern areas and several days later further south.

River levels are expected to exceed flood stage by 12 feet (4 meters) in some parts of Missouri and Illinois, running the risk of inundation, mass displacement of residents, and untold property damage.

Cloud Precipitation

Flash flooding bearing down on Chicago

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A tarp covers the infield at Wrigley Field in Chicago as a heavy rain falls Wednesday. More rain is expected Thursday.
The National Weather Service issued a flash flood warning for much of the Chicago area Thursday. The flooding comes as a powerful spring storm that snarled air traffic from Denver to Chicago moved into the U.S. heartland Thursday, tormenting the region with everything from heavy snow to severe thunderstorms.

The emergency is for DuPage and Cook counties in Illinois. Widespread flooding already has been reported in the region. About 3 to 5 inches of rain have fallen in the past 24 hours, and an additional 1 to 2 inches of rainfall are expected.

"Emergency management reported that numerous roads and interstates were closed due to flooding. Reports of stranded vehicles have also been relayed in addition to flooded homes and other buildings. Some municipalities have also declared states of emergency due to the flooding," the weather service said.

Better Earth

Buenos Aires flooding causes severe disruption

Cleanup and rescue operations begin in Buenos Aires after torrential rain causes widespread flooding and severe disruption in Argentina's capital. About 167mm of rain hit Buenos Aires, a record in the city for the month of April. Clogged drains are being cleared and emergency services have been using boats to assist people left marooned