Extreme FloodingThe IPCC sees changing climate and extreme flooding as “the most widespread direct risk to human settlements..., driven by projected increases in rainfall intensity and, in coastal areas, sea-level rise. Riverine and coastal settlements are particularly at risk, but urban flooding could be a problem anywhere that storm drains, water supply, and waste management systems have inadequate capacity. Flood magnitude and frequency could increase in many regions as a consequence of increased frequency of heavy precipitation events, which can increase runoff in most areas as well as groundwater recharge in some floodplains." Extreme flooding ocurred during January 1-13 2009 across parts of the Philippines. Flash floods and landslides caused the evacuation of nearly 200,000 from affected areas, leaving 11 people dead, with eight others missing. Storm surges were responsible for washing away hundreds of homes and capsizing numerous boats. Heavy rain, which commenced in late December and continued till the first week of January, caused floods that claimed the lives of five people in central Vietnam, with 10 others missing. The floodwaters inundated nearly 5,000 homes and flooded thousands of acres of rice paddies. In Fiji, copious rain fell during January 8-16, causing floods and landslides that forced thousands of people to leave their homes. Over a period of five days, more than 1,044 mm (41 inches) of rain fell over the town of Monasavu on Viti Levu. These floods were described as the worst floods in a generation, and 11 fatalities were reported. In South America, Peru and Brazil saw an unusually heavy start to their wet season (over the period November to March). Iquitos, the largest city in the Peruvian rainforest, received over 6 inches of rain within a 24 hour period. While heavy rain in Brazil's Sao Paulo helped farmers to increase coffee production, in other areas floods caused widespread damage. In Minas Gerais, flooding was responsible for three fatalities. On January 6-8, a 'Pineapple Express' brought mild temperatures and torrential rain to the Pacific northwestern U.S., melting snowpack from last month's record snowstorms and causing massive flooding, mudslides, and avalanches across the state of Washington. More than 30,000 people were directed to evacuate their homes due to extreme flooding. Roads and railways were cut as highway officials closed a 20-mile stretch of I-5 and Amtrak passenger service out of Seattle was shut down. A number of other cities, including Tacoma, declared a civil emergency. A number of precipitation records were set, including in Seattle where a record 58.2 mm (2.29 inches) of rain fell at Sea-Tac Airport, and in Olympia, which received a record 122.4 mm (4.82 inches) of rainfall. The Snoqualmie River at Carnation reached its highest levels since records began in 1932, measuring a height of 61.5 feet (7.5 feet above flood stage) on January 7. The National Weather Service considers the flood event to be among Washington State's most memorable. The cost of damage is estimated at $125 million. More heavy rain caused flooding across the southern U.S.A on January 7 2009. One home in Haywood County, NC was destroyed from a landslide. More than 52,000 were left without power in the Carolinas, although there were no reported deaths.
Previously in the U.S., and during the first two weeks of June 2008 heavy rain fell across parts of the Midwest, causing the worst floods in 15 years and numerous new record river crest levels that led to extreme flooding in the area. The worst hit state was Iowa, where 83 of its 99 counties were declared disaster areas. According to reports, the heavy rainfall caused nine rivers across Iowa to be at or above the previous record flood levels. The floods affected 36,000 people and submerged millions of acres of land. It has been reported that Iowa's losses are estimated to be in the billions of dollars.
Also, the heavy rainfall that fell during March 17-19 prompted the overflow of rivers across the south-central states, causing historical floods. Arkansas was impacted the greatest with several of its rivers reaching their highest level in nearly 90 years. The extreme floods washed out roads, damaged homes, and were associated with 17 fatalities across the affected states. The governor of Arkansas declared disaster areas in 39 Arkansas counties and President Bush issued a disaster declaration for 35 counties. In March, 15 new all-time record precipitation records were established across several of the affected states. Heavy rainfall on June 19 prompted extreme flooding and mudslides across parts of South Africa. The worst hit was the eastern province of KwaZulu-Natal, where four people died. According to reports, Scottburg, KwaZulu-Natal received a total of 128 mm (5 inches) of rain in just 24-hours, the highest rainfall amount for that day. In Kenya, flash floods triggered by heavy rain during June 13-16 2008 affected nearly 8,700 people. The floods destroyed a total of 1,538 hectares (3,800 acres) of farmland.
Flooding and landslides triggered by heavy rain affected the eastern parts of the Philippines during February 14-27. More than 294,000 people were affected and many houses were submerged. There were 45 fatalities with 31 others injured. According to reports, economic losses for the central and southern Philippines were estimated to be $22 million in infrastructure and agricultural damages.
Heavy rain that fell during February 20-26 2008 caused widespread floods across Kazakhstan, resulting in one death. About 12,700 people evacuated their homes and a total of 2,000 homes were destroyed The first week of June in 2007 saw Australia's New South Wales Premier Morris Iemma declare a natural disaster across a large area NSW after a day of severe weather. Energy Australia says 200,000 customers from the Hunter Valley to Sydney were without power. At least nine people have died and a coal tanker ran aground on the NSW coast.
Extreme flooding and landslides triggered by heavy monsoon rains affected parts of Bangladesh in June 2007 causing at least 135 fatalities and many others missing. On June 11, the port city of Chittagong, reportedly the worst hit, received 275mm (11 inches) of rain.
Page updated 5 February 2009
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