Heavy Rainfall Triggers Damaging Floods, Potential Drought Relief in Eastern Africa

PDC Global Hazards Atlas, centered on the Horn of Africa, displaying accumulated rainfall over the past three days.

Over the week, parts of eastern Africa received significant heavy rainfall resulting in flooding in Ethiopia, Somalia, and Kenya (CPC). Elevated water levels along the Jubba and Shabelle River Basins triggered damaging floods in eastern Ethiopia and northwestern Somalia; while in Nairobi, Kenya, floods submerged estates and collapsed structures, causing injuries and deaths (CPC, Floodlist, Kenya Red Cross).

Eastern Africa’s first growing season of 2016 is underway, and although most of the region experienced drier than average conditions at the outset, ongoing heavy rainfall since April is expected to alleviate drought conditions across parts of Somalia and Ethiopia, allowing for some recovery of pastoral livelihoods (ReliefWeb/WFP). Heavy rainfall is expected to continue in the coming week, especially over southern parts of Ethiopia and Somalia, as well as central and western Kenya (CPC).

RVA Profile: Ethiopia

This Week in Hazards:

• This week marks the one-year anniversary of the first laboratory-confirmed cases of Zika virus in Brazil, heralding the arrival of the mosquito-borne disease in the Americas (WHO). Over the course of the year, Zika rapidly spread across the Americas, and as of May 5, active Zika virus transmission has been reported in more than 30 countries and territories throughout the region (CDC). In February, the World Health Organization declared Zika a “public health emergency of international concern,” as (then suspected, now confirmed) links to microcephaly and neurological disorders were observed (PDC). For more information on the Zika Virus outbreak in the Americas, click here.

• Mandatory evacuation orders remain in effect for the city of Fort McMurray in northern Alberta, Canada, due to a wildfire in the Regional Municipality of Wood Buffalo (Gov. of Alberta, RMWB). The wildfire, which began earlier this week, prompted the evacuation of 80,000 people, including all 105 patients of city’s only hospital (PAHO). As of May 5, much of Alberta remains at very high-to-extreme fire danger (CWFIS).

Current Hazard Warnings

Flood: United States (Arkansas, Oklahoma, Louisiana, Texas, Nebraska, Kansas, Iowa, Missouri), Somalia, Ethiopia, Kenya, Afghanistan, Tajikistan, Canada (Ontario)

Winter Storm: Canada (Quebec)

Wildfire: Canada (Alberta)

Drought: Micronesia, Melanesia, South/Southeast Asia, Southern Africa (Madagascar), the Americas (United States)

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