Tag Archives: Flood

Texas Brazos River surges, Houston braces for flooding

A house is flooded by water from the rain-swollen Brazos River in Richmond, Texas

By Jim Forsyth

SAN ANTONIO (Reuters) – The Brazos River in Texas surged to its highest level in more than a century on Wednesday, triggering floods in which at least six people have died.

Forecasters predicted more rain as the Brazos rose to levels not seen since 1913. The National Weather Service reported that the river hit 54.49 feet (16.6 meters) at Richmond, Texas, about 4 feet (1.2 meters) above the flood record set in 1994.

“This level of water in the river has not been seen in many of our lifetimes and we urge residents to heed these warnings,” Jeff Braun, director of the emergency management office in Fort Bend County, said on the agency’s website.

About 120 water rescues have been carried out in Fort Bend County, southwest of Houston. Evacuations were ordered over the past few days in areas spanning several counties, the website said.

A storm system dumped up to 22 inches (55.9 cm) of rain in just a few hours, killed at least six people last week, local authorities said.

In Simonton, in Fort Bend County, officials provided transportation to help residents leave their homes as well as security to prevent looting. The American Red Cross opened more shelters in the Houston area.

The National Weather Service forecast more rain for the Houston region through Sunday as a slow-moving storm system approached from the west.

Several rivers in southeastern and eastern Texas were in “major flood stage.” While relatively rare, forecasters have seen a number of such events in Texas over the past year, said National Weather Service meteorologist Patrick Burke.

More than 20 inches (50.8 cm)of rain have fallen over some parts of southeast Texas during the last month, 8 inches (20.3 cm)to 10 inches (25.4 cm) above normal, Burke said.

(Additional reporting and writing by Suzannah Gonzales, Ian Simpson and Brendan O’Brien; Editing by Colleen Jenkins and Jeffrey Benkoe)

Floods kill At least 55 in Pakistan

Residents use a bridge covered with floodwater after heavy rain in Nowshera District on the outskirts of Peshawar, Pakistan

By Asad Hashim

ISLAMABAD (Reuters) – Flash floods triggered by heavy rain in Pakistan have killed at least 55 people and rescuers were trying on Monday to help thousands of survivors including some cut off by a landslide in a mountain valley, officials said.

The weather system that brought the unusually heavy rain was expected to move northeast, towards northern India, although more isolated storms were expected in northern Pakistan, the Meteorological Department said.

Yousuf Zia, a disaster management official in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, said nearly 150 homes had been destroyed and tents and blankets were being distributed to the homeless.

“There are 30 people stranded by a landslide in the Kohistan Valley where we have sent a helicopter to rescue them,” Zia said.

Forty-seven people were killed and 37 injured in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Zia said, while eight people were killed in Pakistani-administered Kashmir, officials there said.

Landslides caused widespread damage to roads and communication infrastructure in the Pakistani side of Kashmir, they said.

One of the worst-affected districts was the Swat Valley, northwest of the capital, Islamabad, where 121 mm (4.76 inches) of rain fell on Sunday, the Meteorological Department said.

Flash flood watches issued in four Southern states ahead of thunderstorms

Portions of four Southern states are bracing for the possibility of flash flooding later this week.

The National Weather Service on Monday issued flash flood watches for parts of Texas, Oklahoma, Arkansas and Louisiana ahead of a series of thunderstorms that is expected to bring anywhere between three and 10 inches of rain to those regions between Tuesday and Thursday.

The flash flood watch states the heaviest rains are expected in eastern Texas, western Louisiana and southwestern Arkansas, increasing the risk of flash flooding in those communities.

The storms are expected to bring lighter precipitation totals across the Great Plains, South and Midwest over the next three days, and National Weather Service forecasts indicate that some parts of Missouri, Illinois and Mississippi could all receive three or more inches of rain.

Residents of all of the affected states are encouraged to monitor their local forecasts.

The service also said there is a slight chance of severe thunderstorms across the Southern Plains tonight, but had yet to issue any watches or warnings for those storms as of 1 p.m. Central time.

The flash flood watches come after California was hit with heavy rains over the weekend.

The National Weather Service’s unofficial totals show more than 10 inches of rain fell in parts of Monterey, Santa Clara and Santa Cruz counties between Friday morning and Monday morning.

The weekend storms also brought more than two feet of snow and wind gusts that topped 60 mph to some mountainous areas, the service said, including an 88-mph gust near Mount Diablo.

Those topped trees and power lines, knocking out power to thousands of homes and businesses.

Utility company PG&E said reported more than 265,000 of its customers in the Bay Area lost power during the storm, though all but 8,700 had their service restored as of Sunday morning.

Radar showed some California communities were receiving additional rain and snow Monday, and the National Weather Service warned that some areas could see another 10 inches of snow.

U.S. warns citizens to be ready to leave Iraq if Mosul dam collapses

BAGHDAD (Reuters) – The United States warned its citizens to be ready to leave Iraq in the event of what it has said could be a catastrophic collapse of the country’s largest hydro-electric dam near Mosul.

Iraqi officials have sought to play down the risk but Washington urged its citizens to make contingency plans now.

A U.S. security message cited estimates that Mosul, which is northern Iraq’s largest city and under control of Islamic State insurgents, could be inundated by as much as 70 feet of water within hours of the breach.

Cities downstream on the Tigris River such as Tikrit, Samarra and the Iraqi capital Baghdad could be inundated with smaller, but still significant levels within 24-72 hours.

“We have no specific information that indicates when a breach might occur, but out of an abundance of caution, we would like to underscore that prompt evacuation offers the most effective tool to save lives of the hundreds of thousands of people,” the security message said.

Iraqi Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi said on Sunday precautions were being taken, but described the likelihood of such a scenario as “extremely small”.

Islamic State seized the dam in August 2014, raising fears they might blow it up and unleash a wall of water on Mosul and Baghdad that could kill hundreds of thousands.

The dam was recaptured two weeks later by Iraqi government forces backed by air strikes from a U.S.-led coalition, but the disruption of maintenance operations has increased the likelihood of a breach.

An Italian company has been awarded a contract to make urgent repairs to the dam, which has suffered from structural flaws since its construction in the 1980s and requires constant grouting to maintain structural integrity.

Iraq’s minister of water resources said earlier this month there was only a “one in a thousand” chance the dam would collapse, and that the solution was to build a new dam or install a deep concrete support wall.

(Reporting by Isabel Coles; Editing by Mark Heinrich)

India Death Toll Rises to 270 as Heavy Rains, Floods Continue

The 100-year rains that have brought massive flooding to the coastal Indian state of Tamil Nadu are now to blame for at least 270 deaths, according to the latest reports on Thursday morning.

Al-Jazeera reported the death toll increase, saying that 14 inches of rain fell on the state’s already-waterlogged capital city of Chennai on Tuesday. Forecasts called for more rainfall.

India traditionally receives significant rainfall during its monsoon season, but this year’s rains have been reported to be the heaviest in a century. Al-Jazeera reported Thursday that Tamil Nadu usually only receives less than two inches of rain during the entire month of December.

The flooding was particularly significant in Chennai, one of India’s most populous cities and a major player in the country’s automobile industry. Reuters reported Thursday that 3 million people lacked access to basic services as a result of the floods, with one resident telling the news agency some people had all of their belongings washed away and had gone days without food.

The city’s flooded airport has been closed through at least Sunday, the BBC reported, and some train services have also been suspended. The military was deployed to aid in the relief efforts.

Reuters reported Thursday that Indian military personnel rescued 2,000 Chennai residents and that the country’s prime minister, Narenda Modi, has promised $150 million in relief funding.

But Assocham, an Indian trade association, said in a news release that it believes the flood could cause a financial loss of $2.25 billion as Chennai “has come to a virtual standstill and is in the grip of fear and panic.” In addition to the crippling effects on the city’s auto industry, Assocham said the engineering, tourism, information technology and textile sectors were also badly hit.

Rescue efforts were reportedly continuing, as water levels had not receded. Apart from the heavy rainfall, experts told Reuters that drainage been hampered by faulty design and garbage buildup.

Earlier published reports indicated the rainfall drove at least 200,000 people from their homes, and some unaffected residents were using social media to invite the displaced into their houses.

Modi blamed the significant rainfall on climate change, Reuters reported, and some experts have also said that the El Nino weather pattern could have intensified the monsoon season.

United Nations officials have warned that this year’s El Nino is expected to be one of the three worst in the past 65 years, and may interact with climate change to create unprecedented effects.

100-year rains displace 200,000 in India

At least 200,000 people in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu were driven from their homes after the heaviest rainfall in more than 100 years led to major flooding, according to published reports.

It’s the latest extreme weather to hit the region, which has been hammered by heavy rainfall. The BBC reported that floods have killed at least 188 people in Tamil Nadu in the past month.

The Australian Broadcasting Corporation reported 200,000 people have been displaced by the floods, and meteorologists expected more than 40 inches of additional rainfall in the next 48 hours.

According to Reuters, weather experts say El Nino is partly at fault for the historic rainfall and widespread flooding, as the weather pattern caused India’s monsoon season to intensify. The United Nations has warned that this year’s El Nino looks be one of the three strongest in the past 65 years and could have significant impact on the world’s economy and food supplies.

The flooding has been particularly bad in the coastal capital city of Chennai, one of India’s most populous areas and a major player in its automobile industry. The Times of India reported the city’s flooded airport will be closed through Sunday and at least a dozen trains were cancelled.

One Chennai resident told the BBC that the latest deluge began Monday and hasn’t let up, producing two to three feet of water in some parts of the city.

The BBC reported that about 60 percent of the city’s neighborhoods lacked power on Wednesday. Reuters reported a hospital was running short on fuel for its generators and oxygen for its patients.

According to The Times of India, some residents who still had electricity and Internet were using social media to invite those affected by the floods into their homes as relief efforts continued.

At least 10 dead following Winter Storm Cara, more extreme weather to come

The rain, snow and ice dumped by Winter Storm Cara caused multiple deaths throughout the country, according to media reports, and more extreme weather is forecast for the week ahead.

A USA Today report says at least six people died in ice-storm-related accidents in Oklahoma and Kansas. Flooding in North Texas claimed the lives of at least four more, according to Texas television station WFAA.

The complex and wide-reaching storm dumped more than 20 inches of snow in parts of Nevada, Oregon and California and 14 or more inches in Wyoming, Idaho and Colorado, according to The Weather Channel. An inch or more of ice accumulated on power lines in parts of Oklahoma.

USA Today reported Oklahoma’s governor, Mary Fallin, declared a statewide state of emergency and 100,000 customers did not have power Sunday afternoon. The Weather Channel reported those numbers were down to 58,000 by Monday morning, most of them near Oklahoma City.

Meanwhile, heavy rainfall in Texas helped Dallas break its annual record for precipitation.

USA Today reported Dallas has already received more than 4½ feet of rain this year. The annual total was just shy of 56 inches on Sunday, smashing the 53.54-inch record established in 1991.

WFAA reported “widespread flooding in several areas” of Texas. It said there were 446 car wrecks and 38 water rescue calls between Thanksgiving morning and Sunday evening.

As that storm dissipated, another one was brewing over the Northern Plains.

The National Weather Service has issued winter storm warnings in parts of South Dakota, Nebraska, Iowa, Kansas and Minnesota. Winter weather advisories were also in effect in parts of those states, plus North Dakota and Wisconsin on Monday morning.

CNN is reporting a foot of snow is expected in Minnesota, where the highest totals are forecast.

Winter Storm Cara brings more severe weather to central United States

More power outages and travel delays are being reported as Winter Storm Cara continues to pummel the central United States, and the threat of additional outages and disruption looms as the powerful storm is predicted to generate additional ice and snow throughout the weekend.

Parts of New Mexico, Texas, Oklahoma and Kansas were under ice storm warnings from the National Weather Service on Friday. Flood warnings were in effect in portions of Texas, Kansas, Oklahoma, Arkansas and Missouri. Numerous other advisories and warnings had been issued.

The Weather Channel predicts that 21 states will be subjected to snow, sleet or freezing rain by the time Cara dissipates. Cara is moving slower than usual because of a pattern in the jet stream.

The storm began dropping snow on the Pacific Northwest on Tuesday. The Weather Channel’s forecasts indicate Cara’s energy could linger over eastern states until the middle of next week, and caution that rainfall in warmer regions ahead of the snow could trigger flash flooding.

On Friday, meteorologists were concerned about an ice storm that was developing in a swath that stretched from eastern New Mexico into northern Texas, central Oklahoma, southeastern Kansas and northwestern Missouri. That’s where the icy precipitation was expected to accumulate the most and last the longest, according to meteorologists at AccuWeather.com.

They warned of a half inch of ice building up on certain exposed surfaces. AccuWeather’s senior vice president of enterprise solutions, Mike Smith, told the organization’s website that the storm could also cause “significant power failures” in certain parts of Oklahoma and Texas.

The Weather Channel reported a quarter of an inch had already built up in Woodward, Oklahoma, on Friday morning, and the entire town of Rockwell City, Iowa, was without power.

The snow has also led to travel delays and accidents throughout the country.

The Minnesota State Patrol had reported 139 crashes as of 9 p.m. Wednesday night, according to WCCO in Minneapolis. At least one of those accidents was fatal and 33 of them caused injuries.

Some motorists became trapped in the snow on roads in southern California, the California Highway Patrol told the Los Angeles Times. Officials in Idaho reported cars slid off roads there.

According to The Weather Channel, the heaviest snowfall was reported in Nevada, where an estimated 25 inches fell near Deeth. More than 20 inches of snow were reported in parts of California and Oregon, and 14 inches were reported Buhl, Idaho and Sinks Canyon, Wyoming.

It wasn’t just the snow that was accumulating, as an NBC News report indicated Dallas-Fort Worth broke its all-time rainfall record with Cara’s precipitation early Friday morning. More than 53 inches of rain have fallen there since the start of the year.

Two Dead, Six Missing in Kentucky Flooding

Kentucky Governor Steve Beshear has declared a state of emergency after flooding that left two people dead and six people missing.

Severe storms raged through the state dumping inches of rain in just hours over parts of the state already saturated from previous storms.  The flash flooding swept through rural areas, washing away mobile homes and vehicles.

Among the missing is a man being hailed as a hero for saving his father, uncle and sister.  Scott Johnson went back after saving the first three from the flood waters to get his grandmother and a teenage nephew.  He jammed his nephew into a tree before the flood water swept him away along with his grandmother.

The grandmother’s body was found Tuesday.  Johnson is still missing.

“It just wears your legs out to walk,” said Gary McClure, the local emergency management director. “You walk from here to there in that mud and you’re ready to sit down. It just pulls you down.”

The other confirmed death was a 65-year-old man whose SUV was being swept away by flood waters and he tried to exit the vehicle to escape.

Police say that the search area for the missing stretches more than 8 miles through rugged Appalachian Mountains terrain east of Lexington.  Over 500 homes and 1,200 residents live in the area.

The National Guard has been called into the area to help with search and rescue efforts.

The forecast for the region is calling for more rain which officials say has “nowhere to go but roads, homes and yards.”