Flooding on Four Continents!
PDC Global Hazards Atlas displaying PDC Integrated Active Hazards and 7-day rainfall
This week, significant flooding has affected Africa, South America, North America, and Asia, as well as the United Kingdom.
Asia: The continuing flash floods in Afghanistan’s northern province of Balkh have killed 20 and damaged 1,900 houses. The office of President Karzai reports that, floods have also cost lives and damaged property in Ghor and Baghlan provinces, although no figures were released. (ReliefWeb)
North America: The current flooding in the north-central U.S. is severe, in places reaching record levels, and the Significant River Flood Outlook suggests that flooding will continue throughout the coming week, and beyond. (NWS)
Below, we will take a closer look at the current flooding in Africa and South America.
Recent Flooding Events: East and Equatorial Africa
PDC Global Hazards Atlas focused on Africa, displaying PDC Integrated Active Hazards and 7-day rainfall
Kenya and Ethiopia: Significantly heavy rainfall during the last several weeks has led to flooding, river basin inundation, damaged crops, and the displacement of thousands of people throughout parts of Southern Somalia and eastern Kenya. Enhanced rainfall is expected further north into parts of the Oromia and Somali regions of Ethiopia during the next seven days. (NOAA)
Equatorial East Africa: Several consecutive weeks of significantly enhanced precipitation has negatively impacted equatorial East Africa with numerous floods, displaced people, infrastructure damage and fatalities. The potential for locally torrential rainfall is expected to further saturate ground conditions and possibly lead to additional flooding during the upcoming outlook period. (NOAA)
Recent Flooding Events: South America
PDC Global Hazards Atlas showing PDC Active Hazards and 7-day rainfall accumulation in northern South America
Ecuador: The European Commission Humanitarian Aid & Civil Protection Organization, citing local media, reports that rains in the northern Province of Esmeraldas caused overflow of a number of rivers in the Canton of Quininde, affecting about 3,000 families. The report also says that a number of small communities in Esmeraldas remain isolated because of rising floodwaters, and in the Province of Los Rios, 400 families were directly affected by floods, 30 were evacuated on 23 April and about 5,000 families remain isolated by the rising level of River Vinces. (ECHO)
Looking Ahead
PDC is currently monitoring flooding events/threats in: the U.S. (Upper Great Lakes area and North Dakota); England, many areas of Africa (Kenya, Somalia, Ethiopia, and elsewhere in Central and Eastern Africa), and South America (primarily Ecuador); and Afghanistan.
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.
