Photo:
Pauline Branston delivers newspapers in Fredericton, New Brunswick, Canada, on
Wednesday, April 30, 2008. The St. John River is still rising and government
officials are warning that the flooding could be the worst seen in decades.The
St. John had risen so much that the International Bridge between Fort Kent,
Maine,and Clair, New Brunswick, was closed during the night amid fears that
the racing water could drag it down. Fort Kent residents evacuated their homes
and businesses Wednesday as the Canadian border town at the northern tip of
Maine was threatened with its worst flooding in nearly 30 years. (Andrew
Vaughan / AP)
Photo:
A dog looks out in the Maugerville area near Fredericton, N.B. on Thursday,
April 24, 2008, as the St. John River rises to new levels. Several roads are
flooded and dozens of homes have basements filled with water. (Andrew Vaughan
/ AP)
About 643,000 people were evacuated and some 56,000 houses destroyed and 104,000 damaged, the official Xinhua news agency said, citing an unnamed official at the Ministry of Civil Affairs.
"We've got experience of floods, but I've never known a flood like this," Zhong Shizhan, a resident of Mei county in Guangdong province, was quoted as saying by the Southern Metropolis Daily.
The National Meteorological Centre forecast heavy rain south of the Yangtze, China's longest river, and continued downpours in the south of the country until Thursday.
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One official said the rain had stopped in the northeastern Guangdong city of Meizhou where a local government Web site showed pictures of people standing waist deep in brown flood waters and others filling sandbags to keep the waters at bay.
Nearly 9 million people had been affected. Thirteen people were missing and 3.43 billion yuan ($446.8 million) of damage caused.
A total of 350,000 ha, or 1,350 sq miles, of crops had been damaged and 57,600 ha had been destroyed.
From Wednesday to Saturday, continuous rain, mudslides and floods hit the provinces of Hunan, Guangdong, Guangxi, Guizhou, Jiangxi and Fujian.
China's typhoon season is just getting under way in the south. Experts last month warned that the Yangtze could flood badly this year for the first time since 1998 when flooding killed more than 3,000 people.
Jilin's Tonyu county recorded temperatures of 41.6 degrees, the highest in local history, the report said.
June 12 2007 By Anis Ahmed
Dhaka - Floods and mudslides have killed nearly 100 people in Bangladesh, mostly in the port city of Chittagong where dozens of hillside homes were buried after monsoon rains, officials and rescuers said on Monday.
At least 84 people died in the city, including entire families, where hillside homes were swept away and many other houses collapsed in the worst such disaster in decades.
Much of the city of nearly five million people, Bangladesh's commercial capital, was flooded by waist to chest-high water, closing down businesses, offices and transport, city officials and witnesses said.
Rescuers including troops, firefighters, police and volunteers searched for people reported missing, but their efforts were hampered by flooded roads and no electricity after nightfall.
"It looks like we are living in a ghost city," one rescuer said. "Never before in my life I confronted such a calamity," said another.
The dead included five members of one family.
City officials said they were trying to supply dry or cooked food to stranded families, especially children.
President Iajuddin Ahmed and the head of the country's army-backed interim government, Fakruddin Ahmed, expressed deep shock at the loss of life and asked the district administration to do everything possible to ease victims' suffering.
"We are facing a hell of a situation here," one rescuer said by telephone. "It's still heavily raining and visibility has sharply declined. Roads are all under water," one rescuer said.
Weather officials said nearly 275mm of rain fell in Chittagong and neighbouring districts on Monday.
"The disaster caught us unawares, it struck suddenly," said Mokhlesur Rahman, Chittagong Divisional Commissioner.
Thunderstorms killed 15 people elsewhere in the country, including five in western Jhenaidah district alone, local officials told reporters.
Weather officials said heavy rains at the onset of the annual monsoon season have paralysed much of Bangladesh since Sunday, and raised fears of flash floods in low-lying areas.
The weather office said the monsoon, which officially began on Friday and will last until mid-September, was unusually active under the influence of a sea storm in the Bay of Bengal.
"Moderate to very heavy rain... is likely to batter the country for five more days," a weather department bulletin said. "The rain might trigger flash floods in the northern and eastern regions of the country."
Large areas along the Bangladesh coast have been submerged under 0.9-1.2m of water due to a moderate tidal surge triggered by the storm, officials said.
Some railway tracks between Chittagong and the capital Dhaka were also under water, although trains were still running with caution. Flights between Dhaka and Chittagong were suspended, aviation officials said.
Work at the country's main Chittagong port was partially disrupted, port officials said.
Additional reporting by Nizam Ahmed and Nazimuddin Shyamol in Chittagong.
4-Year Old Missing in Texas Flood
Publicado - Published: 20/06/2007
Deputy Fire Chief Fred Napp says at least one mobile home burned. He says there have also been reports of gas leaks. Napp says the predawn flood left confusion as neighbors took in children from other families fleeing the flood, making it hard to account for everyone.
Emergency officials say they'll thoroughly search the area for and make sure the mobile home park residents are accounted for.
Texas floods claim five lives
Rescue workers deal with muddy mess
photos
http://www.heraldde
http://www.heralddemocrat.com/articles/2007/06/20/local_news/news02.txt
10:54 a.m. Tuesday, June 19, 2007
The water swept a grandmother and her 5-year-old granddaughter to their deaths in the Fort Worth suburb of Haltom City. The girl's 2-year-old sister remains missing after the family's mobile home was carried off.
"We are still searching for the 2-year-old," said Texas Department of Public Safety Trooper Rebecca Uresti.
The flood killed at least 5 people. Among them -- 4-year-old Alexandria Collins.
"This was the sweetest little angel, and now she's not with us any more,' said Collins' neighbor Dannelle Simms. "They didn't have a whole lot to begin with, and now they have absolutely nothing."
Despite the heartbreaking losses, rescue workers are proud of the fact that they were able to rescue more than a dozen people from rooftops as the water kept rising.
People and animals were rescued using boats and bulldozersand 120 elderly residents in a nursing home had to be evacuated. Some are just overwhelmed with joy that with the help of friends they survived.
"I am so glad my neighbor woke up -- so glad," said flood survivor Lorenza Herandez.
Flooding after heavy rain devastated parts of Sherman, Haltom City and Gainesville.
More than 300 people had to be rescued Monday in Grayson County.
FACTBOX: The five Asian countries worst hit by monsoon floods
(Reuters) - Heavy rain and storms have triggered floods and landslides across large parts of Asia, killing hundreds of people. Here is an overview of the five Asian countries worst affected by this year's monsoon weather. INDIA, about 750 dead: -- Heavy rains and landslides have displaced more than eight million people since the start of this year's monsoon season, authorities in the affected states say. -- Northwestern Maharashtra state has been worst hit, with 362 recorded deaths. In southern Kerala state, 143 have been killed by floods and more than 27,000 displaced since the monsoon began in June. CHINA, at least 400 dead: -- Floods, landslides and lightning killed more than 150 people last week across vast tracts of China. More than 3 million have been displaced by this year's rain season. -- In recent weeks, parts of China have suffered the heaviest rainfall since records began. Last year was the country's second deadliest for floods and typhoons, with 2,704 people killed, according to the China Meteorological Association. The worst year on record was 1998, when 4,150 died in summer floods. PAKISTAN, nearly 350 dead: -- South-western Pakistan suffered severe early rainy-season storms and flooding while flash floods killed people in northern Pakistan. A powerful storm killed about 230 people in the biggest city, Karachi, on June 23. Three days later, a cyclone and subsequent floods killed 119 people in the state of Baluchistan, leaving 250,000 people homeless and 204 people missing.
BANGLADESH, nearly 150 dead: -- Nearly 130 people died in the port city of Chittagong and five million people across the country were either marooned or threatened by flooding in early June. In July, another 15 died and half a million were stranded in their homes by three days of relentless monsoon rains. -- Bangladesh's monsoon season runs until mid-September. Two-thirds of the low-lying country is regularly inundated during the monsoon, as rain-swollen rivers and streams flow into Bangladesh from the hills of bordering east India. AFGHANISTAN, about 100 dead: -- Floods and landslides have killed scores of people, destroyed roads and damaged thousands of homes. Very heavy snow melt has caused flooding in the mountainous north, as swollen rivers burst their banks after winter. Sources: Reuters Sun finally out after heavy rain floods TexasSAN ANTONIO, Texas (AP) -- The sun was finally out over south and central Texas on Sunday after days of torrential rain left an Amtrak train stranded, flooded roads and sent Boy Scouts on a camping trip fleeing for their lives
As much as 17 inches of rain fell in some areas between 10 p.m. Friday and 10 a.m. Saturday, said Pat McDonald, a National Weather Service forecaster. Dozens of people were rescued, some by helicopter, but no serious injuries were reported in the state's latest round of flooding. Only isolated showers were forecast through Tuesday, but several central Texas rivers were either at flood stage or expected to reach that level Sunday night or Monday, McDonald said. The high water posed little threat to homes but was a problem for some recreational areas and ranches, he said. A Boy Scout troop from suburban Fort Worth camping on the Guadalupe River had to make a quick getaway early Saturday when the water rose rapidly. No one was injured, but the troop lost five vehicles, including a 15-passenger van, to the waters north of San Antonio, Texas, the Fort Worth Star-Telegram reported. "I've never seen water rise like that," Juan Ramirez, one of 15 Scouts on the outing, told the newspaper. "We barely got out of our tent." An Amtrak train was halted Saturday morning in Knippa, Texas, a town about 75 miles west of San Antonio, after water covered the tracks, stranding 176 passengers. Buses drove most passengers Saturday evening to El Paso, Texas, where they boarded another train and were under way by 10 p.m., Amtrak spokeswoman Vernae Graham said Sunday. A few passengers caught trains at other stops between San Antonio and El Paso, Graham said. Don't MissLaura Delarosa, 30, of Dripping Springs, Texas, was arrested Saturday after rescue workers got her and the children -- a 9-year-old girl and a 7-year-old boy -- to safety. Authorities say Delarosa drove a minivan around road barricades south of Austin, Texas, and became stuck in floodwaters with the two children. She was charged with child endangerment. The National Weather Service confirmed a small tornado east of San Antonio near Seguin, Texas, on Saturday about 5:25 a.m. Four businesses and at least one house were damaged, Guadalupe County Sheriff's Cpl. John Batey said Saturday. Meanwhile, mudslides in Colorado forced at least 125 people to evacuate their homes near Alpine, about 100 miles southwest of Denver, and roads into the area were closed. At least 31 homes were damaged on two roads, said Page Croix, a dispatcher for the Chaffee County sheriff. "It was a deluge," she told The Denver Post. "Mostly cars are totally buried." No injuries were reported, and a shelter was opened for displaced residents. The mudslides Saturday night were caused by several days of rain in the rugged, steep area. E-mail to a friend Copyright 2007 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. More Than Foot of Rain Floods Texas No fatalities were immediately reported in the latest in a series of storms blamed for at least 11 deaths in the past week and a half. The downpour and winds were so treacherous early Wednesday that helicopters were forced to abruptly halt efforts to rescue people from rooftops. The rain was heaviest in the Marble Falls area, about 40 miles northwest of Austin in the Texas Hill Country, where Mayor Raymond Whitman said there were 32 high-water rescues. Much of the water had receded by Wednesday afternoon, but as much as 10 inches of rain was forecast to fall in the region overnight. Residents in two subdivisions near Buchanan Dam, northwest of Marble Falls, were asked to evacuate their homes. About seven families were being evacuated by helicopter because the roads were not passable. "The ground is fully saturated ... it could be severe," Whitman said. "If people do not pay attention and move to high ground, it is very possible that there will be fatalities." Parts of Oklahoma also were soaked Wednesday, with rain falling on Oklahoma City for the 15th consecutive day, breaking a 70-year-old record. Flooding closed some roads in central and northeastern Oklahoma."Anytime it rains there's going to be the threat of heavy downpours, it's not out of the question for any one area to get three inches," weather service meteorologist Ty Judd said Wednesday in Norman, Okla. In Texas, Whitman said three bridges were washed out in the Marble Falls area and the city water plant was damaged, leaving about two-thirds of the city without water. A temporary pump was being installed and city officials hoped water would be restored by Wednesday night. "This is the worst I've ever seen it in my lifetime," said Whitman, 47, who has lived in the town his entire life. Whitman Branch creek, typically just 2 to 3 feet wide in Marble Falls, stretched at least 100 feet across Wednesday. At least four Frito Lay trucks had washed away, spilling chips along the creek. One large truck emblazoned with the Doritos logo was stuck on its side in the still-running water. Paul Irvin found his sheet metal shop near the creek under 6 feet of water. "It was a sick feeling to see everything you've worked so hard for washing down," Irvin said. The weather was so stormy during the early morning that helicopter crews had to abandon several rescue attempts, Austin-Travis County Emergency Medical Services spokesman Warren Hassinger. He said four rescue attempts were halted before dawn and he didn't know what happened to the people needing help. One aborted rescue mission had attempted to get four people from the roof of a house in Granite Shoals, where water was about 4 feet from the top of the building. They had pulled a possible drowning victim from the water, Hassinger said. One successful helicopter-assisted rescue plucked a Williamson County sheriff's deputy and another person from atop the lawman's car along the San Gabriel River near Georgetown, Hassinger said. Whitman said some looting had been reported in flood-damaged areas, but he declined to elaborate. He said extra police officers would be on duty throughout the night and a curfew could be instituted if necessary. The Texas National Guard sent about 150 troops and 50 vehicles to help in central Texas and other areas from the Oklahoma state line to the Rio Grande Valley. The storm runoff also caused flooding downstream and flood gates were opened at several dams, the Lower Colorado River Authority said. In Parker County, west of Fort Worth, a county judge ordered mandatory evacuation of residential areas along the Brazos River after the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers opened the gates at the Possum Kingdom dam. Rains also drenched North Texas, flooding some streams and rivers and forcing the evacuation of at least 50 homes in a subdivision near Lake Granbury, about 60 miles southwest of Dallas. There, about 30 homes were destroyed, said Hood County Sheriff Gene Mayo. About 25 people were rescued from the water, trees and rooftops, he said. Ray Thomas and his wife fled their house on a peninsula between the North and South San Gabriel rivers at about 4:45 a.m., after hearing an emergency weather radio bulletin. "We're lucky we got out," he said. "In September we were praying for rain. What worries me now is the rain that's still to come." Copyright 2007 Associated Press. All rights reserved. 12-6-07 CHEHALIS, WASHINGTON, USA
Chehalis River swallows up homes, residents airlifted outThe freeway overpass in Chehalis was underwater, including Wal-Mart on the right. I-5, which runs below, was completely submerged.
A Centralia neighborhood that runs next to I-5 which is fully submerged at the right.
Flood waters from the Chehalis River inundate a neighborhood in Centralia.
Looking south, semi trucks sit stranded on high ground above the flooded Interstate 5 at Exit 77 in Chehalis.
Airplanes were moved to high ground at Chehalis Airport. Officials said it's the worst flooding in years in and around Chehalis and Centralia including Interstate 5.
The barrier on Interstate 5 between the northbound and southbound lanes is swept away in places as the highway passes through Chehalis.
(© 2007 CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved
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