A few flooding sites from around the world today. Something is clearly awry with the weather.
2 Dead, 6 Missing as Torrential Rains Lash the Philippines
Posted by The Extinction Protocol
July 23, 2012 – MANILA – Two people were killed and six others are missing in the Philippines as floods inundated parts of Manila and nearby areas while a storm tore through the country’s north, authorities said on Saturday. The civil defense office said rescuers are on standby to help residents evacuate if necessary as creeks and open sewers in the capital overflowed from overnight rains, swamping nearby slums and causing traffic jams. The rains began to ease by midday after plunging some areas in knee-deep waters, but civil defense chief Benito Ramos said he could not rule out further flooding as runoff from nearby mountains descends into Manila Bay. “All that rain up there would eventually find their way here,” he told AFP, referring to the mountains to the east of Manila. –Strait Times
Torrential Rains Hammer Central Nigeria Killing 35
July 24, 2012 – NIGERIA - Authorities in central Nigeria say a flood triggered by heavy rains killed at least 35 people. Plateau state Red Cross Chief Mnasseh Pampe said Monday several other Jos residents remain missing and rescue forces expect the death toll to rise further. He says the flood waters washed away many homes in the area — often built with mud — leaving some 200 residents displaced. Nigeria is currently experiencing its annual rainy season, which comes with torrential rains that challenge the country’s infrastructure, often leading buildings to collapse and people to drown as many build houses in flood plains. –ABC News
Beijing swamped with heaviest rainfall in 60 years- 37 dead, 50,000 forced evacuations
July 23, 2012 – BEIJING — The heaviest rainfall in six decades caused widespread havoc in this capital over the weekend, killing at least 37 people and forcing the evacuation of 50,000 others from waterlogged neighborhoods and villages, according to the state news media. More than six inches of rain fell overnight Saturday into Sunday, collapsing roofs, downing power lines and turning highway underpasses into ponds that engulfed scores of cars and buses. About 80,000 passengers at Beijing Capital International Airport were stranded overnight after fierce thunderstorms forced the cancellation of 500 flights, the state-run Xinhua news agency said. The sewer system of Beijing, a city poised on the edge of the Gobi Desert, is ill-equipped to handle heavy precipitation; residents in low-lying areas are accustomed to dealing with minor flooding after rainstorms. Officials said the rain, which began at noon and stretched into the early morning, was the heaviest since 1951. The city’s flood control bureau said the downpour in the city’s southwestern Fangshan district brought 18 inches of water and forced the evacuation of hundreds, including 350 students who were trapped at a military training site. Among the dead were a police officer electrocuted by a falling power line and another person struck by lightning. Elsewhere in the country, at least 10 people drowned or perished in landslides, including four people killed in northern Shanxi Province when their truck was swept away by a swollen river, the state news media reported. –NY Times
July 23, 2012 – AUSTRIA - Heavy rains hit the province of Styria, in central Austria, causing floods, landslides and mudslides. One person has been killed in Austria after torrential rains triggered mudslides and flooding across several provinces. Whole provinces were inundated with rivers of mud. 360 people living in an alpine region were forced to evacuate their homes after a torrent of mud swept through. The rain has destroyed houses, cut off villages and damaged roads. More rain is forecast over the coming days. –Sky News