Flooded fields in Akkar area of Tartus province, northwestern Syria.
Four people were killed on Saturday as their car slid off a bridge into a heavy rainfall-induced water stream in the northwestern Syrian province of Tartus, the local Sham FM radio reported.
Numerous villages in the province had experienced heavy downpours and suffered the subsequent widespread flooding, said the report, citing Provincial Governor Hassan Hassan.
The governor added that plastic houses were submerged, and vast areas of agricultural land were inundated, as the rivers, streams, and channels overflowed onto surrounding villages' fields.
Meanwhile, the rainwater seeped into residential areas in the nearby Karad and Kartou villages, with damage still unknown.
Torrential rains that turned avenues into rivers killed at least 11 people in Rio de Janeiro, the fire department said Sunday.
The rainstorm hit northern parts of Rio particularly hard, where people died in a landslide, drownings, and electrocutions. Firefighters were still searching for a woman who went missing after her car fell into a river as of Sunday evening.
Water from the storm reached the roofs of cars on some stretches of Avenida de Brasil, a major thoroughfare in the city.
Mayor Eduardo Paes decreed the situation an "emergency" and urged people to stay home for their own safety, and so as not to disrupt rescue and recovery efforts.
Eighteen people were killed and 35 injured in a landslide in the Choco region of Colombia on a highway near the town of Carmen de Atrato.
The landslide occurred due to heavy rains.
Governor of Antioquia, Andres Julian Rendon, said search and rescue teams had been dispatched to the region and many victims were trapped under the soil.
Vice President Francia Marquez wrote on X that the government is closely monitoring the situation.
An announcement from the Emergency Center said it received reports of landslides simultaneously, and it was noted that many more victims could be under the soil than initially thought.
The death toll from recent landslides in northwestern Colombia rose to 36, according to an official tally Sunday, as rescuers continued to look for at least seven people.
Earlier, officials had put the toll from Friday's landslides, which hit a road linking the cities of Medellin and Quibdo, at 23 dead.
"To all the families of the victims, my heartfelt condolences," said President Gustavo Petro.
Pope Francis also offered prayers for the victims from the Vatican.
Rescuers, using sniffer dogs and bulldozers, have been racing against the clock to find survivors.
Videos shared on social media showed part of a mountain breaking loose and crashing down onto a line of cars, as screams broke out.
The landslides in Colombia's Choco department, which lies on the Pacific Ocean, followed more than 24 hours of intense rain.
The Ombudsman's Office warned of "high risk of new landslides."
"We call for all necessary actions to be taken in order to safeguard the lives of people who are at risk in the area," the office said in a bulletin.
Adeshola Ore, Rafqa Touma and Australian Associated Press Guardian Mon, 08 Jan 2024 18:52 UTC
Residents in north-eastern Victoria are bracing for further flooding in the coming days, after heavy rainfall inundated the state and forced two towns to evacuate.
An evacuation order was issued for parts of the Goulburn Valley town of Seymour, in central Victoria, shortly before noon on Monday, before similar orders were put in place for sections of nearby Yea.
An emergency evacuation order was issued for the northern Victorian town of Rochester on Monday evening.
About 30 homes in Goornong, about 30km north-east of Bendigo, and six homes in Redesdale have been evacuated after water inundated the properties.
Emergency services said the rain was expected to move to Shepparton and Wangaratta midweek.
Purwakarta Regency was hit by a landslide (Instagram/@bpbdpurwakarta).
Several regions in West Java, including Cimahi, Karawang and Purwakarta, have been hit by natural disasters including floods, landslides and windstorms, forcing thousands of residents from their homes.
According to the West Java Disaster Mitigation Agency (BPBD), 1,643 residents have been evacuated due to major flooding since Jan. 1 in Karawang regency, which has impacted four districts and five villages.
Meanwhile, more than 1,700 residents have been displaced due to landslides around the foot of Mount Anaga in Purwakarta regency, which occurred on Thursday.
On a day of relentless rain, Villa General Belgrano, a quaint town nestled in the Córdoba province of Argentina, found itself at the mercy of a fierce and unforgiving flood. The incessant downpour led to an alarming surge in water levels, transforming peaceful streets into turbulent rivers, and leaving a trail of destruction in its wake. Houses, public infrastructure, and life as the residents knew it, were all caught in the relentless grip of the floodwaters.
The Onset of Crisis
The storm descended upon Córdoba with unrelenting vigor, causing severe flooding across various cities within the province. Villa General Belgrano bore the brunt of its fury, with overflowing streams flooding the streets, turning them into torrents of rushing water. The neighboring city of Los Reartes wasn't spared either, as it too faced intense rainfall, hail, and strong gusts. The storm's impact wasn't just limited to flooding, it also disrupted the rhythm of daily life, leading to the suspension of events like the Festival of Dressage and Folklore of Jesús María.
Wide areas of the Pas-de-Calais department in the north of France have been flooded for the second time in recent months after heavy rainfall caused rivers to rise.
Christophe Béchu, Minister of Ecological Transition, visited affected areas on 04 January. "I understand the exasperation, I understand the fatigue, I understand the anger and I understand the fear of reliving it again," the Minister said.
Rivers in the north of France have been on alert since late December 2023. As of 04 January, the Aa River was at Red Alert stage (highest) while the Hem, Canche, Lys-Plaine and Lys-Amont remained at Orange level. Authorities said levels of many rivers including the Aa peaked on 03 January but will likely remain high for some time.
According to the latest report from the government of Pas-de-Calais department, around 189 municipalities have been affected by the recent flooding. At least 1,299 homes have been damaged, some of them severely, promoting the fire departments and local authorities to evacuate a total of 371 people.
Transport delays will continue on Wednesday as train services get back on track after rain and strong winds from Storm Henk lashed large parts of the UK.
More than 300 flood warnings were also in place across England and Wales on Wednesday morning, while 10,000 homes remained without power.
The UK's rail network was hit by flooding and power cuts on Tuesday afternoon, with many operators reporting ongoing issues for the morning commute.
Greater Anglia said it was still experiencing "severe disruption", with "do not travel" warnings in place on routes in Norwich, Colchester, Peterborough and Cambridge, while South Western Railway said disruption linked to the storm was likely continue throughout the day.
Great Northern Rail said services would be delayed from Cambridge to Ely and Kings Lynn until 10am on Wednesday as they work to repair damaged overhead wires and remove a damaged train.
Eastern Australia is grappling with the repercussions of heavy rainfall that has sparked flash flooding in parts of Southeastern Queensland and Northern New South Wales. Over the past 72 hours, these regions have endured an intense deluge, with some areas witnessing more than two months' worth of rainfall. In a startling report, the town of Springbrook in Queensland recorded a staggering 514 mm (20 inches) of rain in a span of 48 hours, significantly overshooting the average for January.
Heavy rains on Christmas eve resulted in the Bellspruit River, which runs under the Mbonontathu bridge, bursting its banks, causing water to overflow onto the N11 road near the Limit Hill robots, in Ladysmith town. Six people are dead and 10 are missing.
Six people have died and 10 people are missing following floods that swept through Ladysmith in KwaZulu-Natal on Christmas Eve.
KZN department of cooperative governance and traditional affairs said search and rescue teams who worked on Christmas day to find those missing, will resume on Tuesday,
Heavy rains on December 24 resulted in the Bellspruit River, which runs under the Mbonontathu bridge, to burst its banks, causing water to overflow onto the N11 road near the Limit Hill robots, in Ladysmith town.
This resulted in severe damage to infrastructure, and several vehicles were swept away.
Flash floods killed over a dozen people in the small town of Ladysmith in KwaZulu-Natal province, South African officials said Saturday.
"As of Friday, 29 December 2023, a total of 21 bodies have been recovered," said police spokesperson Colonel Robert Netshiunda.
The floods hit the town on Christmas Day, destroying about 1400 homes, with the death toll expected to rise as an unconfirmed number of people are still missing, he said.
Search and rescue teams have been scouring rivers to recover bodies, Netshiunda added. The operation is expected to continue throughout the weekend.
Tragedy hit one family in Ladysmith set to bury seven of its members who were killed when floods swept their vehicle into the river. Rescue teams recovered the bodies of Vincent Msimango, his wife, two children, brother and niece, and nephew earlier this week, local news outlet Eyewitness News reported on Saturday.
KwaZulu-Nata province has witnessed devastating floods lately.
In June, heavy rainfall triggered deluges that killed seven people, and another seven went missing, in and around the city of Durban.
In April last year, devastating floods hit the coastal province killing more than 440 people.
"We have about 50% of the world's wealth but only 6.3% of its population. This disparity is particularly great as between ourselves and the peoples of Asia. In this situation, we cannot fail to be the object of envy and resentment. Our real task in the coming period is to devise a pattern of relationships which will permit us to maintain this position of disparity without positive detriment to our national security. To do so, we will have to dispense with all sentimentality and day-dreaming; and our attention will have to be concentrated everywhere on our immediate national objectives. We need not deceive ourselves that we can afford today the luxury of altruism and world-benefaction."
~ US State Department, 1948
- George Kennan
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This interesting analysis from the Judge interview with Max Blumenthal [Link] Max Blumenthal: Hamas Still Stands.
Comment: Update January 15
AFP reports: