Storms
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Tsunami

Best of the Web: Massive cloudburst triggers flash floods in Kishtwar, India - at least 60 killed, 100 missing (UPDATE)

Vikas Mehta
news24online.com
Thu, 14 Aug 2025 11:35 UTC
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A massive cloudburst triggered flash floods at Chositi area in Jammu and Kashmir's Kishtwar on Thursday.

The incident took place at the starting point of the Machail Mata Yatra. As per reports, 15 people are feared dead in the incident.

"Rescue Operations have been started," said Deputy Commissioner Kishtwar, Pankaj Sharma.

Union MoS Dr Jitendra Singh said, "Just now spoke to DC Kishtwar Pankaj Kumar Sharma after receiving an urgent message from J&K LoP and local MLA Sunil Kumar Sharma. A massive cloud burst in Chositi area, which could result in substantial casualty. Administration has immediately swung into action, rescue team has left for the site. Damage evaluation and, necessary rescue and medical management arrangements being made."

J&K LG Manoj Sinha expressed grief over the cloudburst incident and his office posted a tweet on X, "Anguished by cloudburst in Chositi Kishtwar. Condolences to bereaved families & prayers for quick recovery of injured. Directed Civil, Police, Army, NDRF & SDRF officials to strengthen the rescue & relief operations and ensure all possible assistance is provided to the affected."


Comment: AFP reports:
At least 34 killed in Indian Kashmir flood triggered by 'cloudburst'

Powerful torrents driven by intense rain that smashed into a Himalayan mountain village in Indian-administered Kashmir killed at least 34 people on Thursday (Aug 14), a top local government official told AFP.

"We have found 34 dead bodies and rescued 35 injured people," said Pankaj Kumar Sharma, district commissioner of Kishtwar. "There are chances of more dead bodies being found."

An official in Kishtwar district, speaking to AFP on condition of anonymity, said initial reports "suggest around 50 people were washed away" in the flood.
Update August 15

tvcnews.tv reports:
At least 60 people have been killed, and more than 100 are missing, a day after sudden, torrential rain caused floods and landslides in Indian Kashmir, authorities and local media said on Friday .

On Thursday, gushing mudslides and floodwaters overwhelmed the town of Chasoti in Indian Kashmir, washing away pilgrims who had gathered for lunch before climbing up the hill to a popular pilgrimage spot.

Bags, clothes and other belongings, caked in mud, lay scattered amid broken electric poles and mud on Friday, as rescue workers used shovels, ropes and crossed makeshift bridges in an attempt to extricate people out of the debris.


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Lightning

Lightning kills 2 bison at Stuhr Museum in Grand Island, Nebraska

Jeff Bahr
York News-Times
Tue, 12 Aug 2025 11:02 UTC
This photo of bison at Stuhr Museum inme now to just one animal after two of the bison were killed by a lightning strike late last month.
© Josh SalmonThis photo of bison at Stuhr Museum in Grand Island was taken in December of 2022. The museum is home now to just one animal after two of the bison were killed by a lightning strike late last month.
Supporters of Stuhr Museum and staff members are sad after a lightning strike late last month caused the death of two of the museum's bison.

Stuhr believes the animals fell victim to a lightning storm that passed through July 30 or 31.

"The lightning actually knocked out our server in the Stuhr Building, so there must have been multiple strikes,' said Chris Hochstetler, the museum's executive director.

A couple of days later, staff members discovered that one of the bison had died. The day after that, the other one passed away.

A veterinarian who treated the animal said a bison struck directly by lightning usually dies instantly. It's also very common that if another bison is within 30 feet, he will die a couple of days later.

A nearby strike scrambles the animal's neurological system and heart. "They will succumb to that within two or three days, which is exactly what happened," Hochstetler said.
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Lightning

Lightning strike hits transformer causing huge fireball in South Carolina on August 11


Yahoo! News
Wed, 13 Aug 2025 17:49 UTC
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Intense scenes were caught on dashcam in South Carolina on August 11 after a powerful lightning strike hit a transformer along Highway 17 in Mount Pleasant.

Footage captured the moment the bolt of lightning struck, sending a column of flames erupting into the sky.

Fortunately, no one was injured and crews were quickly able to fix the power outages.

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Tsunami

3 dead in historic rain and flash flooding in Tennessee, authorities say

Marlene Lenthang and Kathryn Prociv
NBC News
Wed, 13 Aug 2025 17:33 UTC
Major flooding trapped cars and shut down parts of Interstate 24 on Tuesday.
© Chattanooga Fire DepartmentMajor flooding trapped cars and shut down parts of Interstate 24 on Tuesday.
At least three people have died after heavy rain and flash flooding lashed Chattanooga, Tennessee, overnight Tuesday and shut down interstates, stranded cars and prompted swift-water rescues.

A family of two adults and one child died after a tree fell on their car in East Ridge Wednesday morning, the Hamilton County Office of Emergency Management and Homeland Security.

At least one man is also missing in the floodwaters, authorities said. First responders saw the man being swept away and attempted to look for him by swift-water boat, but were unable to find him. The search for that man is a "top priority this morning at first light," the Office of Emergency Management said.

Chattanooga Airport recorded 6.42 inches of rain on Tuesday, the second wettest day in the city's history since records began in 1879, the National Weather Service Office in Morristown said.

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Windsock

Typhoon Podul lashes southern Taiwan leaving one person missing


Al Jazeera
Wed, 13 Aug 2025 17:11 UTC
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Typhoon Podul has blown through Taiwan's south with winds as powerful as 191km/h (118mph), leaving one person missing, forcing thousands of people to evacuate, schools to close, and hundreds of flights to be cancelled.

The typhoon made landfall on Wednesday, slamming into the southeastern city of Taitung at about 1pm (05:00 GMT), passing through the southern tip of the island and then passing into the Taiwan Strait some five hours later, Taiwan's Central Weather Administration (CWA) said.

One person was reported missing and 33 others injured, the government said.

It is expected to next make landfall on China's southern coast late on Wednesday or early Thursday, affecting Fujian and Guangdong provinces, according to Chinese state broadcaster CCTV.

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Tsunami

Seoul in South Korea hit by flash floods as record rain of 8 inches pounds capital region

Choi Hye-seung, Park Su-hyeon
The Chosun Daily
Wed, 13 Aug 2025 12:40 UTC
The Dongbu Expressway is submerged in water in Seoul, Aug. 13, 2025.
© YonhapThe Dongbu Expressway is submerged in water in Seoul, Aug. 13, 2025.
Torrential downpours swept through Seoul and surrounding areas on Aug. 13, triggering flood warnings, closing major roads and halting train services across the capital region.

The Han River Flood Control Office issued a flood advisory at 1:10 p.m. for the Jungnangcheon stream near Jungnang Bridge in the city's Dongdaemun district, warning of possible lowland flooding and river overflow.

Authorities sealed off all 29 city streams, including Cheonggyecheon and Anyangcheon, and shut several roads, among them the Jeungsan Bridge underpass, the Gaehwadong underpass and the Dongbu arterial road in both directions.

Heavy rain alerts were upgraded through the morning from advisories to warnings in northeastern, southwestern and northwestern districts. Seoul raised its emergency response to Level 2, forecasting flooding in nine districts including Gangseo, Eunpyeong and Mapo.

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Tsunami

Best of the Web: Cloudburst triggers flash flood in Uttarakhand, India - Death toll likely to hit over 70 (UPDATE)

Geeta Pandey, Nitin Ramola
BBC
Tue, 05 Aug 2025 15:06 UTC
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Rescuers are looking for dozens of people who are feared to be trapped after a massive cloudburst triggered heavy rains and flash floods in the northern Indian state of Uttarakhand.

Teams, including army and paramilitaries, have reached Dharali village in Uttarkashi district, which is believed to have borne the brunt of the floods.

Dramatic videos of the disaster show a giant wave of water gushing through the area, crumpling buildings in its path. A tourist spot, Dharali is populated with hotels, resorts and restaurants.

A cloudburst is an extreme, sudden downpour of rain over a small area in a short period of time, often leading to flash floods.

It took place at around 13:30 India time (08:00 GMT) when a large amount of water came down, swelling the Kheerganga river and sending tonnes of muddy waters gushing downwards on the hilly terrain, covering roads, buildings and shops in Dharali.


Comment: Update August 13

Agence France-Presse reports:
Officials in India say at least 68 people remain unaccounted for a week after a deadly wall of icy water swept away a Himalayan town and buried it in mud.

On top of four people reported to have been killed, the figure takes the likely overall toll of the Aug. 5 disaster to more than 70 dead.

Videos broadcast by survivors showed a terrifying surge of muddy water sweeping away multistory apartment blocks.




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Tsunami

Unseasonal hailstorms and flooding hit Saudi Arabia


travelandtourworld.com
Wed, 13 Aug 2025 11:19 UTC
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Saudi Arabia is facing a sudden weather crisis that is throwing everyday routines, plus trips and holidays, into chaos. On August 12, social media was quickly filled with clips of storms acting far from the summer script. The videos, shot from pockets of the kingdom, show the kind of downpours and hail that usually wait for winter.

Taif, in the south, was hit hard; the streets there ran with water and a chill that is never in the summer forecast has arrived. The force of the storms has triggered small-scale flooding and made the temperatures plunge, which is now leaving countless visitors rethinking schedules and wondering what to do next.

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Lightning

Two brothers killed in lightning strike in Uganda

Bakashaba Godfrey
theserverug.com
Tue, 12 Aug 2025 10:20 UTC
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A devastating incident has occurred in Sheema district, where two brothers, Tugabiirwe Demus, 14, and Twinomugisha Triva, 12, both pupils at St. Charles Lwanga primary school, lost their lives in a lightning strike on August 11, 2025.

According to eyewitnesses, the brothers were grazing goats in Kisizi central cell, Shuuku town council, when the incident occurred at around 5:45 pm. The lightning strike is believed to have been the cause of death, although the exact circumstances are still under investigation.

The Sheema district Police are investigating the circumstances surrounding the tragic event. The bodies were delivered to Kabwoohe health centre IV for a postmortem examination to determine the exact cause of death.

Greater Bushenyi Police Spokesperson, Sp Apollo Tayebwa, has urged the public to continue partnering with the Police in securing lives and property. "We strongly urge the public to continue partnering with Police in securing lives and property," he said.

The Police will provide updates on the investigation as more information becomes available. The community is in shock following the tragic incident, and the Police are working to ensure that justice is served.

Our thoughts and prayers go out to the family of the deceased brothers, who have lost two young lives in such a tragic manner. May they find strength and comfort during this difficult time.
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Lightning

Lightning deaths surge in India


gktoday.in
Wed, 13 Aug 2025 10:09 UTC
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The year 2025 has seen a sharp increase in lightning-related deaths in India. Between April and July alone, over 1,600 people died due to lightning and rain-related incidents. This rise is linked to changing climate patterns and expanding lightning zones across the country. Lightning now poses a growing threat not only in rural but also urban areas.

Rising Fatalities and Historical Data

Lightning kills more people annually in India than any other extreme weather event. From 1967 to 2020, over 101,000 deaths were recorded due to lightning. Nearly half of all weather-related deaths between 2002 and 2024 were caused by lightning. The World Meteorological Organisation reported about 1,300 deaths in 2024 alone. The eastern states bear the brunt, especially during the monsoon sowing season.

(More here)
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