Turn around, don’t drown.

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) trademarked the phrase “Turn Around Don’t Drown” or TADD. Then worked closely with the Department of Transportation Federal Highway Administration to develop two officially sanctioned road signs. NOAA knows, and wants everyone to know, that even quite shallow flood waters are dangerous for both pedestrians and people in vehicles. As little as 18 inches of moving water can wash an SUV off the road. Get the facts at the TADD website, and download the brochure. It can be a lifesaver.

Let’s look at flooding in South Africa and Indonesia

PDC's Global Hazards Atlas centered on South Africa, showing 3-day rainfall accumulation

Coastal areas of South Africa: Rainfall in the Durban region of easterly South Africa, according to local news reports, was seen as welcome when it began on 01 December. The rain became deadly the next day, and despite some variability, continued through Sunday, 09 December. The flooding resulted in numerous rescues by the National Sea Rescue Institute (NSRI), but not all rescue efforts were successful. “Six children and an adult are missing after being trapped on an island in the Umzinto River, near Durban,” a local paper reported. “Due to excessive flood torrents on the river these seven people could not be reached,” an NSRI spokesperson said. Finally, on Tuesday, 11 December, the South African Weather Service reported “No Alert” for the Durban region. The rainfall had moved inland, resulting in alerts labeled “Severe Thunderstorms” for Free State, Gauteng, Limpopo, Mpumalanga, and Northwest Province. Those thunderstorms in Mpumalanga so weakened a bridge that it collapsed, killing at least six people. (Times Live) (RSOE EDIS)

PDC's Global Hazards Atlas centered on Indonesia, showing 3-day rainfall accumulation

Four cities in Indonesia: Days of heavy rain produced what local news sources referred to as “heavy flooding” in three cities on the Indonesian island of Java—Bandung, Yogyakarta, and Samarinda—and in Jambi on the island of Sumatra. Many homes were “isolated,” according to the Jakarta Globe, while rafts and canoes were used to navigate the streets, but lasting damage was limited by the fact that most of the homes in the worst-hit areas are built on stilts. On Wednesday, 12 December, the Badan Meteorologi, Klimatologi, dan Geofisika (BMKG), Indonesia’s national weather and climate service, was at last able to report the rain in Jambi, Yogyakarta, and Samarinda as “moderate,” and in Jambi, “light,” resulting in “No Warning.”

Want to learn more about flooding in all seasons and other types of disasters? Then, be sure to check out PDC’s Natural Hazards page! Also don’t forget to download the free Disaster Alert mobile app available for iOS and Android devices. PDC’s Disaster Alert will help you stay aware of hazards happening in your neighborhood and around the world!

Recent Flooding Events

Some flooding events that occurred last week are:

• Niger
• Niger River no longer flooding
• Many homes damaged (ReliefWeb)
• Western Australia
• Nullagine River flooding
• No remaining threat (Australia Bureau of Meteorology)

PDC is currently monitoring flooding events in: South Africa, Eastern Europe, Indonesia, Western Australia, British Columbia, the United Kingdom, Newfoundland and Labrador.

Looking Ahead

Over the next week, PDC will continue to monitor areas of high precipitation and keep a close eye on flooding across the globe. Want to find the most up-to-date information on flooding and other hazards occurring in your neighborhood or around the world? Then be sure to download PDC’s free Disaster Alert mobile app available for your iOS or Android devices today! Also be sure to continue to monitor PDC on Twitter, Facebook, and by way of the Global Hazards Atlas.