Floods
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Tsunami

Storms wash away vehicles and flood homes across the Middle East

Major flooding in Khasab, Oman
Major flooding in Khasab, Oman
Vehicles were washed away in floods in Oman and homes were flooded in Syria as storms brought torrential rain and hail to countries across the Middle East.


Tsunami

Thousands evacuated in Canary Islands as storms, floods hit Spanish islands

A vehicle is swept away by water into a ravine near El Caidero
© REUTERS/Borja SuarezA vehicle is swept away by water into a ravine near El Caidero
Thousands of people have been evacuated after a storm slammed into a holiday hotspot popular with Brits.

Over 3,000 people had to be evacuated in badly hit parts of Gran Canaria as Storm Therese wrought havoc, causing floods and landslides in a storm that has lasted the best part of a week.

Brits were caught up in what is one of the worst storms to hit the Spanish Canary Islands in decades. Entire communities were cut off due to flooding, with evacuated people taken to makeshift shelters.

Over 40,000 Brits are believed to live in the Canary Islands, while Gran Canaria is popular with tourists, particularly during the looming Easter holidays.

Damage from the storm has been extensive. Heavy runoff in the remote El Cadeiro area of Gran Canaria caused access to be completely cut off for one family. A drone had to be deployed by local police in order to deliver vital medicine to the isolated residents.


Comment: Related: March snowfall on Canary Islands, Spain as Storm Therese makes its way across Europe


Tsunami

Mozambique floods kill 18 as heavy rains continue

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A second wave of heavy rains has triggered floods across Mozambique, leaving 18 people dead, thousands displaced, and infrastructure damaged, the National Institute for Disaster Risk Management and Reduction (INGD) said Monday.

In a post on US social media platform Facebook, the agency said most of the deaths were due to drowning, while 31 accommodation centers nationwide are sheltering around 10,000 people, including four centers in the southern province of Inhambane hosting roughly 4,000.

According to INGD, the 2025-2026 rainy and cyclonic season has affected nearly 1 million people nationwide, killed 285, flooded tens of thousands of homes, and damaged schools, roads and agricultural areas.


Tsunami

Two dams breached in Zimbabwe causing flooding

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FLOODING experienced over the weekend in Gwanda District, Matabeleland South Province, which caused infrastructure damage and disrupted traffic movement, has been attributed to breaches at Insindi Dam and Mtshabezi High School Dam.

In a statement, the Zimbabwe National Water Authority (Zinwa) dismissed rumours that Mtshabezi Dam had breached and caused the flooding.

"The Zimbabwe National Water Authority (ZINWA) wishes to inform stakeholders and the public that Mtshabezi Dam, which is full and spilling, is structurally safe and has not breached, as has been inferred in some social media posts and audios.

"What has been confirmed to have breached is Mtshabezi High School Dam. Information to the effect that Mtshabezi Dam has breached should thus be disregarded. Members of the public are advised not to circulate such information, as it may cause unnecessary alarm," reads the statement.


Tsunami

Five killed in Oman after vehicles swept away by floodwaters, civil defense says

Oman Civil Defence and Ambulance Authority said ⁠seven people were rescued after a vehicle carrying 10 people was swept away in a wadi in the Wilayat of Barka, while the other three were found dead
Oman Civil Defence and Ambulance Authority said ⁠seven people were rescued after a vehicle carrying 10 people was swept away in a wadi in the Wilayat of Barka, while the other three were found dead
At least five people have died in Oman over the past 24 hours after vehicles were swept away by floodwaters, authorities said on Monday.

Oman's Civil Defense and Ambulance ‌Authority said ‌seven people were rescued ‌after ⁠a vehicle carrying ⁠10 people was swept away in a wadi in the Wilayat of Barka, while the other three were ⁠later found dead.

In ‌a ‌separate incident, two citizens ‌died after their vehicle was ‌carried away by floodwaters in a wadi in the Wilayat of Al-Maawil, ‌with their bodies later recovered.

Authorities said the ⁠deaths ⁠came as heavy rains affected parts of the country.

Oman has experienced deadly flooding in recent years, including in April 2024 when flash floods killed at least 20 people and inundated large areas.


Tsunami

Thousands affected as heavy rains trigger widespread flooding in central Colombia

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Heavy and continuous rainfall has triggered severe flooding in the central region of Colombia, leaving more than a thousand families affected in and around the municipality of Facatativá, local authorities said.

The downpour, which began on March 18, caused rivers and streams—including the Río Botello—to overflow, inundating neighborhoods such as Los Manzanos and La Selva, located approximately 40 kilometers west of the capital Bogotá.

According to local reports, floodwaters reached levels exceeding one meter inside homes, forcing widespread evacuations as emergency teams rushed to the affected areas.


Tsunami

Flash flood warnings due to heavy rainfall in the United Arab Emirates

Flash flood warning in UAE as intense rain continue
© storm_aeFlash flood warning in UAE as intense rain continue
Rainfall affected several parts of the UAE on Saturday with the National Centre of Meteorology (NCM) warning of rainfall accumulation and potential flash floods in some areas due to the unstable weather conditions.

The NCM urged the public to exercise caution, avoid valleys and low-lying areas where water may accumulate, and stay away from flood-prone locations, particularly in mountainous regions.

A rainfall accumulation alert was issued for some coastal and internal areas from 10:30am until 8:30pm, while a separate flash flood warning for mountain areas was in effect from 1:15pm to 8:30pm.


Tsunami

Best of the Web: Hawaii Storm: 100,000 without power amid flash floods - 15 inches of rain in 24 hours, 46 inches in 5 days - heavy snow on summits (UPDATED)

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Forced evacuations as water rises at Otake camp
Over 100,000 people are without power in Hawaii as a rare storm pummels the entire state with dangerous thunderstorms, high elevation snow, and several inches of rain.

The storm stretch comes as the Kona low weather system drags tropical moisture over the islands, raising the threat for at least a foot of rainfall in the hardest‑hit areas.

Governor Josh Green issued an emergency proclamation on Monday. "A Kona low weather system is expected to produce prolonged heavy rainfall that could lead to flash flooding statewide, with the highest likelihood of flooding impacts across the smaller islands and urban areas," a news release from Green's office said.

Now, the website Power Outages is reporting on the failures impacting customers across the state. As of reporting on Saturday morning, there were more than 120,000 customers without power in Honolulu.

Honolulu was the hardest hit area. The East of Honolulu is reliant on power lines bringing electricity to the area from Windward Oahu. According to a report from Hawaii New Now, these transmission lines have been damaged, impacting service in the area.


Comment: Update March 15

BigIslandNow.com reports:
A powerful Kona low continues sweeping through the Hawaiian Islands, bringing strong winds and heavy flooding rainfall. The entire Big Island was put under a flash flood warning shortly after 9 p.m. Saturday, March 14, as heavy rains continued to fall.

Hawaiʻi County officials say residents should continue to avoid all unnecessary travel because of significant risks of flash flooding and strong, locally damaging winds.

The storm produced heavy rainfall and strong wind gusts Saturday throughout large areas of Hawaiʻi Island, as well as flash floods that closed multiple sections of Highway 11 in Kaʻū. causing the county to urge residents in those areas to shelter in place.

Some areas in Kaʻū received 10 to 15 inches of rain in 24 hours. Moderate to heavy rainfall was expected to remain in place over Kaʻū through Saturday evening, leading to significant flash flooding.
Update March 16

SFGATE.com reports:
Hawaii saw multiple rain records fall after a slow-moving kona storm dropped major precipitation across the different islands.

The island of Maui saw the heaviest rainfall, with multiple areas reporting over 20 inches of rain and one location logging as much as 46 inches of precipitation March 10-15, according to the National Weather Service.



Cloud Precipitation

Spain just had its wettest winter in 47 years

Vehicles drive through floodwater on a street in Spain after record winter storms brought the heaviest rainfall in nearly 50 years.
© Siahay Photo CornerVehicles drive through floodwater on a street in Spain after record winter storms brought the heaviest rainfall in nearly 50 years.
Spain has just lived through its wettest winter in nearly half a century, with a relentless chain of storms turning quiet villages into flood zones and forcing emergency evacuations across parts of the country.

Between late December and mid-February, eleven consecutive storms swept across the Iberian Peninsula, bringing record rainfall, flash floods and landslides. According to Spain's national weather agency AEMET, the rainfall recorded during this period is the highest seen in 47 years, marking a dramatic shift for a country far more used to worrying about drought than overflowing rivers.

For many residents and expats living in southern Spain, the scenes have been striking. Regions famous for sunshine and dry landscapes suddenly found themselves dealing with swollen rivers, damaged roads and communities cut off from the outside world.

A chain of storms that changed the Spanish winter

The turning point came when Storm Leonardo hit the south of the peninsula, particularly Andalusia, bringing intense rain and powerful winds.

Tsunami

Flooding wreaks havoc in Tucumán Province, Argentina - 7 inches of rain in just a few hours

People rescue a man during a flood in Agua Azul, Tucumán Province, on March 11, 2026.
© Walter Monteros / AFPPeople rescue a man during a flood in Agua Azul, Tucumán Province, on March 11, 2026.
A series of storms have caused major flooding in Argentina's northern province of Tucumán, leaving dozens of people evacuated, streets and highways submerged, fallen trees and homes under water.

The region has been experiencing heavy rainfall since December, with around 800 millimetres recorded on average a month - about 70 percent of the typical annual total.

However, 170 millimetres fell within just a few hours on Sunday night, causing rivers to burst their banks and groundwater levels to overflow.

On Wednesday, Tucumán Governor Osvaldo Jaldo visited the town of La Madrid, one of the worst-affected areas, to supervise assistance being provided by the provincial government to affected families.