A hurricane that rapidly gained strength before making landfall is pounding Mexico’s Baja California.
Residents and tourists have been taking shelter and hotels have opened conference rooms so people can find a safe place to ride out the storm. Hurricane Odile made landfall as a Category 4 hurricane although it weakened to Category 3 shortly after landfall.
The National Hurricane Center said the storm made landfall around 9:45 p.m. near Cabo San Lucas with estimated sustained winds of 125 m.p.h. Mexican authorities had forced evacuations of coastal areas.
Forecasters with the NHC say that 5 to 10 inches of rain is likely over the region during the course of the storm with isolated areas receiving as much as 15 inches. Flooding is likely to cause significant damage as most of the region is very mountainous and landslides will mix with floodwaters.
At least 30,000 people are out of their homes. Most of the region has no electricity or clean drinking water.
Storms sparked in part by Hurricane Norbert off the Mexican coast have brought record amounts of rainfall to Phoenix resulting in massive flooding.
Governor Jan Brewer declared a state of emergency for the flooding and ordered all non-essential government workers to stay home because of the extremely dangerous conditions.
Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport recorded a record two inches of rainfall. Channel 12 in Phoenix reported some areas with rainfall totals surpassing 5 inches. The flood was called “the biggest in 44 years.”
“Occasionally we’ll get a storm that really dumps on the west end of U.S. 60, or the central part, but not to this extent over the whole urban area,” Steve Waters of the Maricopa County Flood Control District told AZCentral.com. “There is still rain coming from the southwest. We’re going to be in this for the better part of the day.”
Maricope County Flood Control District officials told people to avoid driving Monday.
At least 10,000 homes and businesses were without power as of Monday morning because of the storms.
A wave of thunderstorms rolled through Southern California Sunday causing massive flooding and landslides that left at least one person dead.
Two towns, Oak Glen and Forest Falls, were completely cut off from surrounding areas because of mudslides that blocked all roadways. At least 2,500 people are trapped including 500 campers at a Christian campground.
A U.S. Forest Service spokesman told KNBC-TV reported that the campground was hit hard with flooding and many campers had only seconds to escape a rush of mud and debris.
San Bernardino County Fire officials confirmed one person was found dead inside a car that was swept into a flooded creek.
Authorities were making reverse 911 calls to residents of the effected areas telling them to remain in their homes until maintenance workers could clear roads and officials were able to determine it was safe to travel.
The National Weather Service said that some areas received up to 5 inches of rain.
Typhoon Neoguri slammed Japan’s southern islands, and is now on a war path to the mainland.
Although the storm will no longer be called a super typhoon by the time it reaches the mainland, residents should still expect heavy rain, wind damage, power outages, and flooding Wednesday and Thursday.
“I’m calling the heads of municipalities not to hesitate in issuing evacuation warnings and don’t be afraid of being overcautious, “ said Keiji Furuya, the state minister in charge of disaster management.
Brg. Gen. James Hecker warned residents to take serious precautions.
“During the typhoon, do not go outside…anything not tied down, even small items, could become deadly projectiles.”
Drivers in Pensacola, Florida were stranded when the cross country storm pummeled the town with more than 2 feet of water.
More rain fell in a single hour during Tuesday’s storm “than during the entirety of Hurricane Ivan” according to The Weather Channel’s lead meteorologist, Kevin Roth.
Forecasters believe that Tuesday’s rain in Pensacola set a record, but no official data could be gathered due to damage to the National Weather Service’s equipment.
“It went on and on and on. It was relentless,” Cheryl Clendenon, who was stranded in her home in Pensacola Beach until a friend picked her up, told NBC News. “I used to like the sound of rain to help me get to sleep, but this was like Chinese water torture. It just did not stop.”
The current storm system hitting the country has killed 38 people in eight states.
United Nations officials confirm that four peacekeepers are missing after a supply convoy was hit by flash flooding in the Darfur region of Sudan. Two other peacekeepers who were caught in the raging waters were found alive by a rescue team a few hours after the incident according to the BBC.
The World Health Organization reports that at least 50 people have been killed in the flooding across Sudan in August. They estimate at least 300,000 people have been impacted in some way by the floods. Continue reading →
As a massive Idaho wildfire continues to burn virtually out of control, local officials say forecasts of heavy rain could bring another problem to the firefighters attempting to stop the blaze: flash flooding.
“If a storm moves over the fire and dumps a lot of rain in a short amount of time then that could be a flood risk,” Blaine County officials stated on their official twitter account. Continue reading →
The Amur river in eastern Russia has overflowed its banks and forced more than 20,000 people to flee flood waters.
RIA Novosti news agency says the Army and emergency workers have over 160 shelters set up providing clean water, hot food and medical supplies. Continue reading →
Heavy rains have deluged southern Missouri, resulting in a number of emergency evacuations and at least two deaths.
The city of Waynesville was hit so hard that police barricaded the downtown area to prevent looting and injuries in flooded neighborhoods. It was also the scene of one confirmed and one suspected death. Continue reading →
Typhoon Soulik has hit China with winds of at least 74 mph causing the Chinese government to launch emergency response plans.
Over 300,000 residents of the Fujian Province have been forced to evacuate their homes amid the winds, floods and landslides. Flights have been canceled and train service suspended throughout the region. Continue reading →