The Rhone (top of photo) was swollen by rains at the end of the week and during the weekend, but water levels fell Sunday
BERN, SWITZERLAND – Genoa, Italy is cleaning up after Liguria’s Friday floods, which followed those of a week earlier centred around nearby Spezia. Four people are reported dead and scores injured after flash floods 4 November.
France’s Var region was hard hit by floods over the weekend, with a retired couple missing and presumed dead after their car was washed away in flooding. Le Monde reports that 1,300 people were evacuated, with more than 300 ml of rain falling in three days, an amount normally seen in three months.
Switzerland’s southern regions, notably Ticino, and some Alpine areas in other cantons were on high alert at the start of the weekend with water levels high, but by late Sunday Meteo Swiss had lifted the danger alerts, with water levels falling for the Rhone and Lakes Lugano and Majore.
Swiss natural disaster alerts are listed on a federal web page, www.dangers-naturels.ch
BERN, SWITZERLAND – Four specialists from the Swiss Humanitarian Aid Unit (SHA) were dispatched to Thailand by the Swiss government, which is also supplying CHF100,000 to help Thailand and Cambodia organize their flood aid efforts.
The team of four experts is made up of a water specialist, microbiologist, and two experts on flood containment and coping measures, says Bern. “They will provide their expertise in the areas of water management, the measuring of water quality, and in evaluating the condition of the dams and embankments.”
GENEVA, SWITZERLAND – Dublin is under water and three people are dead, five missing in Liguria, in northwest Italy, as heavy rains led to floods Monday and Tuesday. Thailand’s continuing woes from rivers swollen by weeks of heavy rain resulted in the second airport in the capital, Bangkok, being closed Tuesday 25 October.
Dublin is almost back to normal Wednesday after several public transport services shut Tuesday, following torrential rains the previous day and night. Other parts of Ireland still have roads shut due to flooding. The rainfall in October has set a record for the country.
Italy’s popular tourist towns in Cinque Terre, along the Ligurian coast, have been hit by high winds and rain. Three people have died and five are missing according to Spezia police Wednesday morning. Authorities are asking residents of the area to stay home if possible and to not drive their cars.
Links to other sites: Bangkok Post, CBS, Irish Times, TSR (Fr)
THAILAND – The Thai government has ordered the shut down of Bangkok’s second airport as floodwaters advance towards the nation’s capital.
The cabinet also ordered a five-day holiday for Bangkok and 20 other provinces affected by the worst flooding in decades, amid warnings a high tide would surge up the capital’s main river and escalate the disaster.
The Don Muang airport is used mainly for domestic flights.
Thailand has been hit by heavy monsoon rain since July, leading to flooding which has hit swathes of the country and left more than 360 people dead.
Links to: BBC News, Bangkok Post
Loetschental, mud and flooding 10 October 2011
LAUSANNE, SWITZERLAND – The canton Valais resort of Leukebad (Loeche-les-bains in French) suffered heavy damages in some areas from mud slides and heavy rains Sunday night.
The heavy rainfall in the region also affected the area around Loetschental forced authorities to briefly close the Gampel-Steg road, used by drivers taking their cars on the train between canton Bern and Valais, with quickly rising waters threatening to flood the road’s bridge.
The BLS line that carries the cars was briefly closed.
Police closed the road between Loèche and Loèche-les Bains at 06:15 Monday morning 10 October after a bridge was washed out. A detour was put in place.
Several inhabitants in the villages of Wiler and Blatten were evacuated as a preventive measure, with rivers rising rapidly. The Goppenstein and Blatten valley road was closed due to the risk of falling rocks and overflowing torrents.
A surveillance flight was carried out to assess the situation.
Loetschental Monday 10 October, awash in mud, with swollen rivers
The heavy rain in Leukerbad and Loetschental began soon after a cold front moved in rapidly at sunset, from the north (left in photo)
GENEVA, SWITZERLAND – Hurricanes and tropical storms in Asia and North America, torrential rains in Africa: heavy rains and flooding are causing heavy damage and deaths. Irene drifted from a hurricane to a tropical storm by the time it hit New York, and while damage was less than feared, the storm killed 16 people in six US states over the weekend. Staten Island firefighters rowed scores to safety when flooding reached five feet, nearly two metres.
Eastern Uganda has had torrential rains that have rotted crops and poisoned some of the maize aid supplies, with cholera and hepatitis outbreaks feared. A government official says that water purification tablets and mosquito nets are urgently needed to stem poor sanitation related diseases.
Southwestern Nigeria, around the city of Ibadan, has had heavy flooding, with at least 20 people dead after a dam broke.
Fifteen provinces in Thailand have been warned to expect heavy monsoon flooding, as the country hunkers down for continuing torrential rains, with high sea waves of two to three metres expected in the Andaman Sea.
Links to other sites: allAfrica, Bangkok Post, BNO news, NY Times
Hurricane Irene, now downgraded to Tropical Storm, has crossed into Canada leaving floods in the States of Vermont, Pennsylvania and New York in the US, but causing less damage that it had been anticipated.
The commuting “nightmare” is set to continue in the US, as the transit system shut down ahead of the storm and was being slowly restored.
Some of the worst flooding in years ravaged Vermont’s countryside knocking homes and washing away at least one person, says CNN.
Philadelphia in Pennsylvania was not spared and flooding is reported around the city.
In addition, Pennsylvania and New Jersey residents are seeing waters rise as hours’ worth of rain funneled into rivers and creeks.
Australia creates flood tax
Displaced Afghan refugee Gul Hassan is taking refuge on a road side near Hajizai Afghan refugee village which was destroyed by recent floods; August 2010 (UNHCR / R. Ali)
Geneva, Switzerland (GenevaLunch) - Monsoon floods that devastated Pakistan in 2010 continue to cause extreme hardship in the face of a funding shortfall, the International Organization for Migration (IOM) in Geneva says.
“This natural disaster, unprecedented in terms of destruction of housing and infrastructure, has necessitated an unprecedented response,” the IOM notes in a statement issues 27 January.
The UN agency coordinates some 300 agencies and NGO (non-governmental organization) groups involved in the Shelter Cluster programme to re-house people in the region.
It says international donors have contributed US$1.1 billion or 56 percent of a UN appeal for US$1.96b launched in September 2010. Agencies in the Shelter Cluster appealed for US$322 million and have received US$126m or 39 percent.
Some 11 million people were left homeless, with 1.7 million houses destroyed. Punjab province alone saw twice as many people lose their homes as did in the 2010 earthquake in Haiti. Those caught by the floods include Afghan refugees.
Millions have been helped but “unless more funding is forthcoming, at least half a million families who lost their homes and need help to rebuild either a one-room or a transitional shelter will receive nothing,” according to the IOM.
States of emergency have been declared 30 November in four states in Venezuela, including in the capital Caracas, ravaged by torrential rains for more than a week, causing flooding and mudslides. Thousands of people have lost their homes and are taking refuge in more than 800 emergency shelters. Twenty-one people are believed dead, according to AP, eight of them confirmed 30 November. The Venezuelan army has taken charge of emergency efforts in the western state of Falcón, one of the worst affected.
President Hugo Chavez said that he would shelter five to ten families in the presidential palace.
Links to other sites: BBC, El Universal (Spa)
Dozens of people died in flooding and landslides in North Korea as typhoon Kompasu struck the divided peninsula earlier this month, North Korean state media confirmed 15 September. The typhoon caused heavy damage to railways and roads and washed away 30,000 hectares of farmland. Kompasu caused the death of five people in South Korea 2 September.
The North is recovering from heavy flooding last month, and even in a good year its agriculture struggles to feed its 23 million people. South Korea offered 13 September to send food aid and cement to rebuild houses.
Links to other sites: AP, Reuters, Straits Times
Pakistan/ Floods/ A young Afghan boy stands next to his home damaged by flash floods in the Hazijai Afghan refugee village in the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province (photo: ©2010 UNHCR / R Ali
Geneva, Switzerland (GenevaLunch) – One-fifth of Pakistan is under water and while floodwaters are receding in some places, the need for basic shelter in flooded areas in Pakistan has become critical, say Geneva-based humanitarian organizations, who are launching appeals for more public support. International Office for Migration (IOM) Director General William Lacy Swing, who has been visiting the area, says “these floods are one of the most extreme humanitarian disasters in living memory.”
The flooding is causing enormous displacement problems in Pakistan as well as in neighbouring Afghanistan, where the number of returning refugees is growing rapidly.
Appeal triples in size to US$120 million
The UNHCR (UN High Commissioner for Refugees) issued a broadcast appeal late Tuesday 30 August, featuring its Goodwill Ambassador Angelina Jolie. That UN agency says that “with nearly 20 million people estimated to have been affected, the needs of the victims are outpacing the ability of humanitarian organizations to provide assistance. Last week UNHCR revised upwards its global appeal for the Pakistan flood operation to US$120 million from US$41 million.”
Young Afghan boy stands next to his home damaged by flash floods in the Hazijai Afghan refugee village in the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province (photo ©2010 UNHCR / R. Ali)
Geneva, Switzerland (GenevaLunch) – Hundreds of thousands of Afghan refugees in Pakistan are victims of the recent catastrophic flooding that has affected large swathes of Pakistan, according to the UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), which notes that the refugees’ evacuation from their settlements has opened a debate concerning the land the villages are built on.
“Dozens of Afghan refugee villages have been damaged, and several are completely destroyed. In Khyber Pakhtunkwa province (PDF map) alone, more than 12,000 dwellings in refugee villages have been swept away leaving almost 70,000 people homeless,” reports UNHCR.
The Geneva-based UN group says it has the agreement of the relevant government ministries that refugees will be resettled in their villages and says it hopes “that moves by land speculators are stymied.”
Displaced Afghan refugee Gul Hassan is taking refuge on a road side near Hajizai Afghan refugee village which was destroyed by recent floods; August 2010 (photo ©2010 UNHCR / R. Ali)
Pakistan is home to 1.7 million Afghan refugees, many of whom have been in the country since the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan in 1979. When the settlements were built they were often on the edges of towns; now towns and cities have grown, and the land has become more valuable. In March, the government and UNHCR signed an agreement on extending the refugees’ permission to stay until end 2012.
UNHCR has seen its mandate extended as a result of the extreme flooding in Pakistan. It is one of only a few international agencies in the remoter areas of the country and has been in the lead in providing help to Pakistanis whose homes have been devastated by the waters.
Up to 20 million Pakistanis may have been affected by the flooding, more rains are on the way, with another month to go in the official monsoon season, and the government is struggling to cope with the extent of the disaster.
Links to other sites: Alertnet, Dawn, The Nation, UNHCR, UNOSAT and Reuters AlertNet map of recent flood damaged areas
The floods heading south along the Indus River in Pakistan have reached Sindh province, the southernmost region in the country, but may now coincide with higher than usual tides in the Arabian Sea to create a washback into the countryside south of Karachi, the country’s largest city. According to the Pakistan Met Office’s Flood Forecasting Division, the Indus River flood surge was expected to reach Kotri, near Hyderabad 22 August at noon.
The south of the country is very flat, and offers little refuge from the floods. Up to 20 million people have been displaced by the flooding that originated in extremely heavy monsoon rains in the country’s northwest. The UN is reporting that many people will suffer hunger as their entire livlihood has been swept away and the response to the catastrophe is too slow.
Links to other sites: Bloomberg, Washington Post, World Meterological Organization
Bern, Switzerland (GenevaLunch.com) - The 18 August Swiss Solidarity fundraising day for victims of the massive flooding in Pakistan and neighbouring regions pulled in pledges of CHF13.1 million in aid by midnight. The new pledges, with previous donations since early August of over CHF3 million, bring the total to CHF16.1m.
See related article: Appeals for Pakistan aid, GenevaLunch 18 August 2010
(video) Geneva, Switzerland (GenevaLunch.com) – International organizations based in Geneva continue to send out urgent messages about the desperate state of humanitarian affairs in Pakistan, where more than 20 million people have been affected by flooding, and the rains continue to worsen the situation. Swiss Solidarity (La Chaîne du Bonheur in French), for its part, is holding a major fundraising appeal today, 18 August, to raise money for several aid groups who are working in Pakistan. Donations can be made by phone, 0800 87 07 07, or online.
Also making urgent appeals because current funds won’t cover the cost of the most basic food, water, shelter and medical care needs in Pakistan:
WHO is providing an overview of the developing health crises in Pakistan. UNHCR is running several human interest stories on their flickr pages, including one about a family that doesn’t even have enough food to break the Ramadan fast that is just starting.
Officials now say 138 people have died in floods in Brazil’s state of Rio de Janeiro after the heaviest rainfall on record provoked massive mudslides. Continuing rain has hampered rescue efforts, few of which have been successful, and the death toll is expected to continue to rise. The city of Rio had more than nine inches of rain Monday, closing the airport, subway system and major highways, AP reported.
Links to other sites: New York Times/AP, Statesman/AP
Geneva, Switzerland (GenevaLunch) – Work on the new tram line between the Cornavin train station and Bernex at 21-22 January provoked a water leak from the Rhone river. Workers have been repairing the leak and cleaning up flooding that affected several cellars on the street, near the Place Bel-air. Traffic has been rerouted in the area while the work goes on, expected to last through the day Monday.
It’s been a rough end to the week in Ireland, which first lost its World Cup qualifying match to the French under questionable circumstances Wednesday 18 November, and then heavy rains set in. The country, like Britain, has massive flooding in many parts of the country: Galway was virtually cut off for much of Friday, access roads and the city centred in Ennis, County Clare were closed, Thomastown and Kilkenny in the south were badly hit by rivers that broke their banks, and parts of Cork were at one point under a metre of water. Clean-up costs are being estimated at tens of millions of euros in what one official says is the worst flooding the country has seen in 30 years.
Links to other sites: Irish Times, RTE
Eleven people are missing after heavy rain and flooding washed out bridges and roads, and put towns under several feet of water in England and Scotland. The storms were expected but their impact nevertheless caught many areas by surprise. Cumbria in England, on the border with Scotland, was the worst-hit area. Heavy rain and gale-force winds are forecast in the area and for much of the UK in the next few days. Flood alerts are continuing and some rail service is likely to be disrupted.
The UK weather service has told Britain to expect heavy rain Thursday and Friday, accompanied by widespread flooding in northwest England and southwest Scotland. A tidal surge in the Irish Sea could spell flooding in and north of Aberystwyth, Wales and gusting up to 70 miles per hour in some areas could add to the weather woes.
At least 90 people have died in floods and torrential rains as tropical storm Mirinae lashed coastal regions of the central part of Vietnam 3 and 4 November. Many people are missing as their houses have been flooded and rivers have overflowed, according to official reports. In Phu Yen province, the hardest hit, 65 people have been reported dead, and 15,000 people have been evacuated. Soldiers in boats and helicopters are bringing food to people who have been without for two or three days.
In the port city of Da Nang, city officials sent a rescue vessel to take off 12 crew members from a Cambodian ship carrying rolled steel to Ho Chi Minh City shortly after it caught fire and sank as it sheltered from the storm 3 November. Press Association, Saigon GP Daily
Just a week after Typhoon Ketsana caused massive flooding in the Philippines, including major flooding in the capital, Manila, Typhoon Parma hit land in Luzon late Saturday 3 October, promising to dump 20-50 cm new rain on the area. Winds of 145 kph, gusting up to 185, wreaked havoc, but the larger concern was more flooding and mudslides. Manila avoided a direct hit as the storm changed course, but northern regions are reporting heavy damage and four deaths. Al Jazeera, CNN
Geneva, Switzerland (GenevaLunch) – One hundred forty deaths have been attributed to weekend flooding in the Philippines, drenched Saturday by tropical storm Ketsana, which dumped a record amount of rainfall: 410.6 millimetres in nine hours in the Manila metropolitan area. Ondoy, as the storm is called in the Philippines, submerged parts of the city and the Rizal area, affecting more than 400,000 people. The storm was heading late Monday Philippines time across the Sea of China towards Vietnam, but the WMO (World Meteorological Organization) in Geneva says the country is bracing for yet more rain. The rainfall is the most received in such a period since 1967.
Video,Associated Press
Links to other sites: CBS News
Taiwanese rescuers located up to 700 people 11 and 12 August who were earlier feared engulfed in mudslides in the mountainous south of the country, in Kaohsiung county. “We have found around 700 people alive in three villages last night and 26 more this morning. We are deploying 25 helicopters to evacuate them,” said Richard Hu, a senior official in the rescue effort. The worst flooding in 50 years left at least 60 people dead and many hundreds still missing, after typhoon Morakot passed over the island and dumped 200 cm of rain in 24 hours. A rescue helicopter crashed into a mountain side in remote Pingtung County 11 August, killing all three people on board. CNA, Reuters
Chinese authorities evacuated almost one million people from coastal areas in Fujian and Zhejiang provinces ahead of typhoon Morakot, which made landfall early morning 9 August in China. Sustained winds of over 110 km per hour, and reports of 9-metre waves caused floods and destroyed buildings. Thousands of fishing boats were warned to return to harbour. The typhoon had already wreaked havoc in Taiwan: the BBC shows dramatic footage of an empty hotel being undermined by up to 200 cm of rain in 24 hours as the storm passed over the island. In the Philippines, the storm caused widespread damage, flooding and mudslides.BBC, CNN, Reuters, Xinhua
A dam burst in the state of Piaui, in northeastern Brazil, and flooded the nearby town of Cocal de Estação, sweeping away at least 500 houses and cutting the electricity supply. Among the four confirmed dead were two young girls, aged 10 years and 12. The region has been inundated by rains for the past month. More than 2,500 families had been evacuated from the area at the beginning of May because of fears the dam would burst. They were scheduled to return home Friday, 29 May. O Globo (Por), BBC
Flooding in Bujumbura, Burundi displaced more than 8,000 people and damaged more than 1,200 homes. An excess of rain combined with a lack of drainage channels caused the flooding. Victims are currently depending on charity for food and shelter, and certain areas remain inaccessible. All Africa
Neuchatel, Switzerland (TSR, Fre) – Switzerland continued to be battererd by heavy rains and storms Wednesday, but floodwaters receded slightly in the Neuchatel area, parts of which have been hard hit. Police in the canton received more than 1,000 phone calls between 15:00 and 20:00 from people worried about caves and other spaces being flooded. The rail line between Neuchatel and Bern is closed and is not likely to be re-established before Sunday, reports TSR.
Snow fell near Crans-Montana, down to 2,000 metres Thursday morning
[Update and photo added, 10:15]
Switzerland (RSR, Fre) – Vaud, Jura and Fribourg are among the cantons worst hit by floods as heavy rains continue throughout Switzerland. Meteoswiss Wednesday night raised the alert (3 on a scale of 3), noting that 100 litres of water per square metre can be expected in 24 hours.
Low roads are cut off in the Chablais area, some 50 campers have been evacuated near Villeneuve and train lines are affected in some areas, notably between Bern and Fribourg and around Délémont. More than 100 firefighters are out fighting the water, for a change and police are advising people in affected areas to strictly limit car travel.
The snow line is expected to be between 1,900 and 2,400 metres, lower in some spots, with Thursday remaining very wet in the Alps. Meteoswiss is forecasting sunshine and drier weather late Friday, for western Switzerland.
- Dangerous weather conditions map for Switzerland
- Le Temp’s list of rivers to watch. Note that three Alpine passes have fresh snow and travellers should be aware they may not be open: Furka, Nufenen, Grimsel
