Weather

Citation

(2002), "Weather", Disaster Prevention and Management, Vol. 11 No. 5. https://doi.org/10.1108/dpm.2002.07311eac.003

Weather

Weather

10 January 2002 – Russia

Heavy floods have forced thousands of people in southern Russia to flee their homes, as rivers broke their banks due to warmer weather after heavy snowfalls. In the Krasnodar region, several thousand residents were evacuated as melting ice caused the Kuban River to rise more than half a metre above its critical level. Hundreds of buildings were flooded in several villages along the river bank, a spokesman for Russia's Emergency Situations Ministry said. It is the first winter flooding in the area in half a century, said ministry spokesman Oleg Grekov. The situation has been aggravated by a huge ice sheet clogging the Kuban estuary into the Sea of Azov, where ice-breakers and tugboats are working to clear the jams. The army has also been using explosives to break the ice-dams after record cold temperatures in the previous weeks. Most local residents were warned in advance and have been placed in hotels and boarding houses away from the danger area. Central Russia is currently witnessing its coldest winter in years, while the Far Eastern region of the country suffered massive snowfalls earlier in the week. In the south, snow is still piled up to 150 centimetres, and is expected to melt as temperatures rise again in the coming days. This has raised the prospect of further flooding.

11 January 2002 – Sumatra

A flash flood killed 21 people as it swept through a village on the island of Sumatra while residents were sleeping, police and aid workers said. Scores of homes were also swept away when a river burst its banks due to heavy rain and swept through Dempo Utara early yesterday, said Syarifuddin, a humanitarian worker at the Pagar Alam hospital. "All 21 bodies were buried in a mass grave yesterday", he said. The flood swept through the village, 220km south-west of the provincial capital Palembang, at 03.00 hrs. The New River had burst its banks after a week of incessant rain, local police chief Budi Susanto told the state Antara news agency. A mosque and two bridges were also destroyed. Floodwaters one metre high had also inundated the districts of Tungkal and Muara Enim, also in South Sumatra province, and were lapping at the doors of a local hospital.

14 January 2002 – Indonesia

Reports from Indonesia say severe flooding caused serious damage and disruption to the country's second largest city of Medan. Rescue officials were quoted as saying thousands of homes were flooded and the airport was closed when three rivers burst their banks after hours of seasonal rain. Thousands of people fled their homes as flood waters rose up to three metres. Floods in Medan capital of North Sumatra province have killed at least four people, left seven others missing and closed the airport, reports said today. "Part of the runway has been submerged and the airport has been temporarily closed to all flights, international or domestic", Siregar, an employee at Polonia airport in the North Sumatra city, said, as quoted by AFP today. Siregar said as quoted by the news agency, that the airport would reopen as soon as the water recedes. It closed for more than 24 hours after similar floods in the area on 29 December. Heavy rain since yesterday swelled the level of the Babura river and at least two others in the city. One man drowned and two others are missing after the Tuntungan river burst its banks early today, said a Medan police officer, Tampubolon. It is also reported that three people drowned and another five are still missing after the Sunggal river rose yesterday.

15 January 2002 – Flooding triggered by heavy rain killed at least nine people in Indonesia's North Sumatera province, officials said today. A further five people were missing. Jakarta, to the south-east on Java island, was also hit by flooding, which paralysed parts of the city. No casualties were reported. Hundreds of residents on Sumatera island fled as flood waters measuring up to two metres deep inundated their homes. "The latest data we have is nine people died but the number can climb up because waters are still high in some parts outside Medan", said Abdul Hakim Hasibuan, an official from North Sumatera's flood taskforce. Water levels in the main parts of Medan, the provincial capital, began to subside today after two days of heavy rains but weather officials said another wave of floods could hit the island due to the persistently high rainfall.

19 January 2002 – A two-day downpour in Indonesia's province of North Sumatera subsided on 15 January. Officials told Reuters that 13 people were killed and at least five people remain missing. The torrential rains have stripped the trees from neighbouring hillsides, leaving many to fear more dangerous floods in the near future. A provincial spokesperson told reporters that the main priority is to search for the missing people.

29 January 2002 – A landslide caused by heavy rain killed five people in a suburb of the Indonesian capital today, officials said. Three of the victims were children, officials said. Four houses were partially buried by mud and rocks and hundreds of residents in South Jakarta fled their homes fearing further incident. Yesterday, one person drowned in the rising waters while another received a fatal electric shock in his flooded home, reports said. Indonesia's Java island is currently entering its rainy season.

30 January 2002 – Heavy rains continued to pound the city yesterday, causing massive floods, a landslide and severe traffic jams in almost all parts of Jakarta. As of last night, the huge floods had caused eight deaths, two missing and almost 10,000 people evacuated from their inundated houses across Greater Jakarta. A landslide occurred in Pejaten, South Jakarta and killed six. In Cileduk, also in South Jakarta, some 200 families were trapped in their inundated area, where the floodwater had risen to 250 centimetres. And as of last night they had not yet evacuated. At least two people were reported missing in the area. The other areas most severely affected by the floods included Cipulir in South Jakarta, where flood waters reached up to 70 centimeters and up to 10 centimetres inside the Cipulir Mall, in Cipinang, East Jakarta. "The flood here started early Monday morning. Yesterday morning the water had submerged us. But then the water rose even more and within 30 minutes reached up to 2.5 metres. As a result, many families could not escape the flood and are trapped inside their houses", said Mrs Muchar, a mother of three in the Cileduk Indah housing complex. She said that the water current in the area was very strong and that was why two children went missing, presumably swept away. "We are trapped here and have almost run out of foods and even my two-month-old-baby could no longer drink milk as we ran out of it", said Mrs Lubis, a mother of three children in the area. The flood in Cileduk was apparently caused by the overflow of the Angke River. Every year floods in the area hit them. So far, there were no rescue teams in sight. In Tangerang, about 7,000 houses were inundated by the floods in six districts, with the water level in Jatiuwung and Periuk Jaya up to between three and five meters. Two people were reportedly killed.

30 January 2002 – Torrential rains caused flooding in several parts of Indonesia today, forcing thousands to evacuate their homes and killing three people on the island of Bali. Water spilled over a dam in Northern Bali, sweeping three villagers to their deaths and triggering a landslide. Three other people are missing. In Jakarta, at least 13 people died during the weekend as a result of the floods. Indonesia is entering its rainy season. Officials have forecast regular downpours until the end of February. Waters had reached five feet in some districts, as rivers burst their banks in the city. The Indonesian army has dispatched 300 rubber dinghies to worst-affected districts, many of which were cut off by rising waters. Thousands of people were forced to head to mosques and schools on higher ground while dozens of houses in poor districts close to rivers were washed away, witnesses said. Officials said tens of thousands of homes were flooded. In West Kalimantan, rising waters have inundated 20 schools and left 3,000 people temporarily homeless. Large parts of East Jawa, including the provincial capital Surabaya, were also under water.

31 January 2002 – The death toll from widespread flooding in Indonesia's capital and other cities has reached 33, news reports said today. Sections of Jakarta were paralysed as rivers and streams burst their banks after days of torrential rains. Thousands of residents have left their homes or moved belongings to higher floors. The Republika newspaper reported the death toll had reached 33 across the nation. This included ten victims in Jakarta, seven in the capital's satellite town of Bekasi, five on the resort island of Bali and two in Indonesia's second-largest city of Surabaya. Officials could not immediately confirm the death toll. Indonesia is currently entering its rainy season, expected to continue through February. Yesterday, Environment Minister Nabiel Makarim said waters had reached 5 feet in some districts in the city of 11 million people. The rains appeared to diminish yesterday and today. Still, local authorities were on high alert in anticipation of more flooding.

1 February 2002 – Constant overnight rain has triggered more flooding in Indonesia's capital Jakarta early today, exacerbating the hardship for hundreds of thousands of residents already forced to flee their homes. Local media says that 40 people had been killed throughout the vast archipelago this week from flooding and landslides triggered by monsoon rains that some officials said would peak in Jakarta in the middle of February. More than 300,000 residents in Jakarta have been taking shelter in mosques, churches and even graveyards to escape some of the worst floods in the capital in decades, giving rise to health fears. From last night floods began to inundate roads again in Jakarta including the airport highway and landslides have blocked the railway connecting the metropolis and the West Java provincial capital of Bandung.

3 February 2002 – Floodwaters yesterday reached the heart of Jakarta, including the presidential-palace complex and the central business district, causing widespread chaos and threatening to cripple the capital. As water levels reached nearly 3m at the peak of the floods in some parts of town, the government came under harsh criticism for not responding quickly enough. With the Meteorology and Geophysics Agency warning of more heavy rainfall on the way, thousands of Indonesians packed shops and supermarkets yesterday, to stock up on food and other essentials. Jakarta's main thoroughfares and the National Monument landmark near the presidential palace were under 50cm of muddy brown water, causing massive traffic jams. Road, rail and air traffic were badly disrupted, while factories, offices and schools have closed. More than 17,000 phone lines have been cut. Jakarta police spokesman Senior Commissioner Anton Bachrul Alam said thousands of extra police were deployed yesterday to secure floodgates and prevent looting of homes and shopping complexes. National Police chief General Da'i Bachtiar said: "All our forces, including reserve units, are deployed to help flood victims and secure the city". A week of heavy, nearly continuous rains has driven nearly 200,000 people out of their homes. At least 50 people have been killed across Indonesia, with 24 in Jakarta alone. Dealing a blow to the economy, residents in Jakarta and other flood-affected urban centres stayed away from work, and shops remain closed. The situation is similarly dire elsewhere in the country, with local media reporting the destruction of crops and the evacuation of villages across Sumatra, Borneo and Java. This year's flooding is the worst in six years and could have destabilising effects on President Megawati Sukarnoputri's position. Agriculture-Ministry official Sutarto Alimuso said on Friday (1 February) the flood had ruined 100,000 hectares of rice fields, jeopardising this year's 53 million-tonne harvest target. Logistics agency Bulog says Indonesia will import more rice to sustain its 210 million population, but experts warned of a looming food shortage and increased poverty.

4 February 2002 – Heavy rain has again fallen on Jakarta, adding to the misery of tens of thousands already suffering from the worst floods to hit the capital in decades. Commuters faced hours of delays today as several major roads leading to the central business district were partially blocked by waist-high waters. Residents were forced to abandon plans to dry out soggy belongings amid fears the rains could cause already swollen rivers to burst their banks. Over the weekend, waters reached the heart of Jakarta for the first time, washing into office blocks and shopping centers and forcing the evacuation of guests at a five-star hotel. At least 25 were killed in and around the capital since the floods began a week ago, according to media tallies. Police are on alert in case of looting. Many areas of the capital, home to around 12 million people, are without power supplies. There were no new floods reported today, but the Meteorology and Geophysics Agency forecast that rain would continue to fall for the rest of the week. Thousands of houses remained under as much as two meters of dirty water. Coastal areas and poor districts close to the city's many rivers have been worst hit. At least 300,000 people are sheltering in makeshift refugee centers set up in mosques and schools. Wealthy residents have temporarily moved to hotels. Rivers and drains clogged with rubbish have worsened the flooding. Widespread illegal logging in mountain areas upstream from Jakarta is also a factor, environmentalists say.

5 February 2002 – Thousands of Indonesians driven from their homes in Jakarta by flooding, which left at least 30 people dead, returned, today. A total of 380,000 people were left homeless, office blocks inundated and roads in some areas flooded with up to eight feet of water, over the last ten days. Floodwaters had receded today, although some low-lying areas remained closed to traffic. The municipal health agency reported, yesterday, that thousands of people were suffering from diarrhoea and skin ailments, caused by contact with polluted water. Municipal authorities said the clean-up could take weeks. Authorities said at least 30 people have died in the flooding. Coastal areas and districts close to Jakarta's many rivers have been worst hit.

6 February 2002 – Floods and landslides triggered by torrential rain have killed at least 30 people and left a dozen missing on the Indonesian island of Java. A series of flash floods hit the Situbondo and Bondowoso districts, police spokesman Lt Col. Sad Harun said. One of the 30 people confirmed dead was a police officer trying to co-ordinate rescue attempts. Many of the victims were swept away by the waters as they tried to retrieve possessions from their homes. At least 12 villagers are still missing. Search and rescue teams from Surabaya, the capital of East Java province, have been dispatched to the worst hit areas. Many houses remain under water. Thick mud and floods were blocking several roads in the region, hindering relief efforts. The rainy season has caused chaos throughout Indonesia since it began last month. Thousands of people returned to their homes in Jakarta after the worst floods in three decades covered large swathes of the capital last week. At least 30 people died. Relief efforts are now focusing on preventing an outbreak of waterborne diseases. The municipal health agency says thousands of people are suffering from diarrhoea and skin ailments from contaminated water.

7 February 2002 – Australian and Canadian tourists were stranded on the Indonesian island of Bali, after floods and landslides cut the main north-south highway overnight, the Australian government said today. Indonesian police and rescue authorities had reached the area on foot. The Australians contacted the Australian consulate-general, in Denpasar, after the mountain highway from Singaraja to the capital Denpasar was blocked by torrential rains. All are believed to be safe. The death toll from Indonesia's worst flooding in decades and landslides across the vast archipelago has reached 125, according to the Jakarta Post newspaper.

7 February 2002 – The death toll from disastrous floods and landslides across Indonesia has reached 116 and about 120,000 hectares of rice fields have been destroyed, an English-language newspaper said today. The Jakarta Post daily quoted local authorities as saying that at least 68 people have been killed in East Java since floods and landslides hit the province late last month. At least 33 have been killed and five others are missing in Jakarta alone, the paper said.

7 February 2002 – More than 140 people have died across Indonesia in two weeks of crippling floods, local officials said today. The rainy season has caused chaos throughout the country since it began last month. Thousands were forced from their homes in Jakarta last week after the worst floods to hit the capital in 30 years. At least 30 people died in Jakarta, police said, and another 30 in the nearby industrial towns of Tangerang and Bekasi. In east Java, flooding engulfed several towns, including Situbondo and Bondowoso, where 75 died. Another eight people died from landslides in northern Bali last week, local officials said. The national disaster agency said it could not confirm the death toll because reports were still coming in from stricken areas. Thick mud and floods are blocking several roads in eastern Java, hindering relief efforts that now focused on preventing disease. Floods hit large parts of Indonesia every year. Environmentalists say illegal logging of hillsides is often a factor in the disasters.

9 February 2002 – The worst floods to hit Jakarta in decades have receded and most of the 330,000 displaced residents have returned home. At least 147 people died in flood-related incidents nationwide, including 57 in Jakarta and surrounding towns. Hundreds of homes were destroyed and mountains of garbage blight some areas. Thousands of people are suffering from diarrhoea, influenza or skin disorders. Jakarta's Governor Sutiyoso has rejected calls to resign despite criticism of the authorities' failure to put effective flood-control measures in place. Environmentalists have blamed the disaster on the uncontrolled development of green spaces and natural water catchment areas, along with broken or blocked drains. Regional Infrastructure Minister Sunarno says the government has ordered property developers not to carry out major developments in the Greater Jakarta area for the next six months to allow for an environmental assessment.

14 February 2002 – Jakarta has flooded thousands of homes for the second time in a month. After three days of intermittent downpours, a spokesman for Jakarta's Flood Control Centre says parts of the city have again been affected by floodwater, ranging from 10-50cm deep. Hundreds of people are said to be taking shelter around public buildings and on the sides of a main road in East Jakarta. Earlier this month, heavy flooding left at least 67 people dead and more than 330,000 people homeless.

17 February 2002 – Police in Indonesia say at least seven people have been killed and several more injured in a landslide in the Central Java province. Torrential rain triggered the landslide in Semarang district, 400km east of Jakarta. It caused a group of hilltop luxury houses to slide down on top of five homes below burying the victims. Last week another landslide destroyed dozens of houses in the area. Unrelenting rain has battered Java and other islands in the archipelago for several weeks, killing at least 150 people.

22 February 2002 – Parts of Jakarta were flooded again on today, adding misery to thousands of flood victims amid the solemn celebration of Idul Adha (Islamic Day of Sacrifice). Parts of East and South Jakarta such as Kampung Melayu, Jatinegara, Cililitan, Kalibata, Pasar Minggu as well as Bukit Duri in Manggarai were inundated. Heavy downpour occurred in many parts of Jakarta today, causing water levels in inundated areas to rise again. As of this afternoon, residents in these areas were still staying at refugee camps. "We are not expecting anything … It's hard enough for us to survive in this kind of situation. We can't even think of performing Idul Adha prayers since the mosque is still covered in mud", Amirul, a resident of Kampung Melayu who with all of his family sought refuge on the grounds of Santa Maria Elementary School, said on Friday afternoon. At least 1,000 residents were still staying at the schoolyard. No Idul Adha offerings, such as goat meat of beef, were delivered to the refugees here. In some parts of Kampung Melayu, locals had to clean the mosque of thick sediment.

14 January 2002 – New Zealand

New Zealand is mopping up after some of the country's worst summer flooding in 50 years. Heavy rains and floods have struck several parts of the country, washing out bridges and roads, and flooding hundreds of homes and holiday campsites. The overnight storms and flooding caused most damage on the east coast of South Island. Sudden heavy rain in the Canterbury region left a number of roads blocked by slips and landslides. The waters rose so fast that roads and bridges were washed away – residents were left paddling in the streets. In the seaside village of Akaroa near Christchurch, hundreds of residents were forced to evacuate as overnight flooding swept through homes and cut off the town's water supply. Emergency workers were kept busy clearing drains as the floodwaters poured through the community. Further south in Dunedin City, three days of heavy rain caused more damage to roads and farmland. The Coromandel Ranges near Auckland is usually a picture postcard summer destination. But a swollen creek sent a torrent of mud, logs and water through the town, forcing dozens of evacuations. New Zealand weather experts are predicting more extreme weather this year.

15 January 2002 – After a weekend that brought some of the worst summer flooding in 50 years, MetService has forecast a further 20-50mm of rain for mid and south Canterbury between 03.00 and 15.00 today. The rain could cause more problems as the ground is already waterlogged. During the past few days about 200mm of rain fell in the area from Kaikoura to south Canterbury, washing out bridges and roads and causing slips and rock slides on highways. Dozens of homes were evacuated and floods in Banks Peninsula are estimated to have caused $500,000 of damage. Lower parts of the South Island were also badly hit. Slips and rock slides made driving dangerous. State Highway 1 between Ashburton and Timaru remains closed by flood damage at Orari, near Geraldine. Traffic is being diverted through Rangitata, Geraldine and Winchester. The Automobile Association expects the detour to be in place till tomorrow. A section of State Highway 72 near Ashburton is also closed because of a bridge washout. In the North Island residents and roading contractors were mopping up yesterday after the Tararu Stream, 3km north-west of Thames, burst its banks, forcing 25 homes to be evacuated. A washed-out bridge and several slips closed other roads in the area. Regional council staff said protection works at Tararu saved residents from worse damage. On the Hauraki Plains, the Waitoa River broke its banks in several places and the Waihou and Piako rivers were still high. Predicted rain will slow the rate at which the region's rivers drain away. The Maungakirikiri bridge, in the Kaueranga Valley south of Thames, was closed yesterday to all but emergency traffic after being shunted 30cm downstream. The floodwaters washed away a vehicle with a boat and trailer attached, smashing it against the bridge. About 30 trampers trapped overnight on Saturday (12 January) were allowed to drive across the bridge to safety on Sunday. In Napier, retailers were taking flood concerns to the city council after being inundated by surface floodwaters for the second time in weeks. In both recent storms, Napier and Bastings received a month's rain in less than two hours.

8 February 2002 – Ferries resumed sailing between Wellington and Picton yesterday after heavy seas kept them in dock on Waitangi Day. However, travellers still had to cope with massive delays. About 3,000 people had their travel plans disrupted by the weather. Sailings of the Lynx fast ferry were also cancelled today because of 4-5m swells in Cook Strait. Tranz Rail spokesman Alan McDonald said extra staff worked yesterday and any difficulties experienced by passengers in getting information were regretted. "We've been doing our very best to keep staff at the terminals and on the phones up to speed with developments as they happen, but it is a quickly changing environment." British tourists Helen Mears and Daniel Sergent were supposed to travel on the Lynx on Wednesday morning to begin a three-month cycling tour of the South Island. Yesterday afternoon they, and fellow tourist Niels Soeteman from Holland, were among many still waiting for a place on the Inter-islander. Ms Mears said it had been a struggle to find somewhere to stay last night, as accommodation filled with visitors in town for the world sevens rugby series. Mr McDonald said that while the Inter-islander ferries began sailing at about 10.00, there were still about 700 vehicles queued at the terminal yesterday afternoon.

14 January 2002 – Thailand

Hailstorms which hit five districts in Chiang Rai early on Saturday (12 January) severely damaged more than 5,000 buildings, homes, hospital buildings, schools and temples, and devastated several thousand rai of crops. While the extent of the damage was still being assessed yesterday, initial estimates put the bill at about 100 million baht. A 30-minute hailstorm was part of storms which hit villages in Muang, Chiang Saen, Mae Chan, Wiang Chai and Phan districts at about 03.00 on Saturday. Villagers said the hailstones were as big as oranges. Governor Rungrit Makarapong toured the damaged districts yesterday. He was accompanied by district officers, kamnans and village chiefs, MP Samart Kaewmeechai and Yongyuth Tiyapairat, a Chiang Rai MP and government spokesman. In Muang district, the storm uprooted trees and the hailstones tore holes in the roofs of houses, temples, schools, health stations and hospitals. A total of more than 2,000 homes in 13 villages were damaged. In Mae Chan, more than 1,000 houses in tambon Tha Khao Pluak were damaged, as well as 3,000 rai of crops. In Chiang Saen, more than 100 patients were moved to Mae Chan and Chiang Rai hospitals after the roofs of two buildings at the district hospital were left full of big holes. Ten houses of hospital staff were also damaged. More than 2,000 houses and tobacco, banana and lychee plantations were heavily damaged in the hailstorm. A total of about 1,000 houses in Wiang Chai and Phan districts were also damaged. Mr Rungrit said the province would initially use money from its five-million-baht emergency disaster relief fund to buy roof tiles for villagers. Suchin Dejkul, deputy chairman of a Chiang Saen village fund committee, said many villagers who borrowed from the fund to invest in their tobacco farms were in trouble as the storm destroyed their crops. The farmers were now unlikely to be able to repay loans, he said.

21 February 2002 – Tropical Thailand, the world's top rice exporter, appears to be on the verge of its worst drought for several years, which could force thirsty farmers to cut rice production, officials said today. This year at least 36 of Thailand's 73 provinces have already been touched by drought triggered by the "El Niño" weather phenomenon, Thai officials said. "We expect a very serious drought this year, worse than ever, due to the unusually long winter and El Niño", Charnchai Soontaramut, a top Interior Ministry official told Reuters. The US National Ocean and Atmospheric Administration said this month that evidence showed the El Niño effect was starting to kick in but its severity would only be clear later this year. Charnchai said drought had already hit 200,000 people in a 26,800- acre area with estimated damage to crops of 31 million baht. "I think the ministry can help relieve villagers on water consumption, but we may not be able to help them with water for farming, so we fear they will start a war for it", he said. Thai Prime Minster Thaksin Shinawatra during his weekly radio speech on Saturday (16 February) urged farmers, especially those who are outside irrigated areas, not to plant a second rice crop. Planting of the second of the country's two annual rice crops usually begins around February, about the same time that monsoon rains dry up. Meteorological Department director-general Prapansak Buranaprapa told Reuters the impact of El Niño on Thai weather would be felt at least 6-9 months from now, as a small reduction in rainfall during the monsoon season. "We might only get 10 percent less rain than a maximum rain of 1,200mm during the rainy season", Prapansak said.

18 March 2002 – More than one million families and nearly 20,000 schools nationwide have so far been affected by the dry spell, which has caused over 100-million-baht worth of damage. The Interior Ministry said over one million households were affected and three million rai of farmland was damaged. Because of the El Niño phenomenon, the dry season came earlier this year and caused more damage than usual in provinces such as Nakhon Sawan, Udon Thani, Khon Kaen, Satun, Phrae, Loei, Kalasin, Sukhothai and Nakhon Ratchasima. Many rivers dried up and the water levels of water in dams reached a critical point. The Office of the National Primary Education Commission said 19,674 of all 30,476 state-run primary schools faced water shortages, affecting over 6.63 million students. Of the nation's 2,669 public secondary schools, 185 lacked water for consumption three months a year. In Nakhon Ratchasima, water levels in Lam Phra Pleng Dam was so low that water discharging was stopped earlier this month, except for tap water production. Pattanawut Sitthipaet, head of Lam Phra Pleng Dam's water supply and maintenance project, said the level of water in the dam reached a record low in the past five years, but some villagers still illegally pumped water from the dam for use in off-season rice farming. Water-carrying trucks were sent from the dam to distribute water for local people living not farther than 5-10km away, he said. Only 20.7 million m³ of water currently remains in Lam Phra Pleng Dam with the capacity to keep 110 million m³ of water. Another major dam, Lam Takhong Dam which can contain 323 million m³ of water, has only 149 million m³ of water left. Many important waterways in the northeast, including the Moon, Chi, Yang, Sebuy and Lam Dome Yai rivers were drying up. Khamsing Nahom, president of Tambon Kham Khuen Kaew Administration Organisation in Ubon Ratchathani's Sirindhorn district, said the drought was very serious since even Ban Khan Puai along the Moon River was faced with water shortages. Villagers had to travel 2km on foot to take water from an artesian well since two nearest streams dried up and the level of water in the Moon river was too low. Also in Ubon Ratchathani, water shortages were reported in almost all areas near the Chi and Lam Dome Yai rivers. The hard-hit zone was Det Udom district, where nearly 100,000 locals were affected by water shortages and had to queue up for free water sent from the province. Damrong Suthichak, head of the provincial accelerated rural development office, said five teams with water-carrying trucks were sent to all drought-hit areas. He admitted water containers and ponds built by the Interior and Public Health ministries were ineffective as these were of low quality and there were many leaks. The Yang river, a major waterway of Yasothon and Roi Et, was thought to be already dry. Yasothon governor Wisut Wongwiriya said the province had an emergency plan to deal with the long hot summer forecast by the Meteorological Department. District and provincial rapid movement task forces and support teams were being deployed to help affected villagers, he said. Buri Ram governor Chalermpol Prathipavanich said severe water shortages were expected in the next 1-2 months since water in all nine reservoirs was under 40 percent of the total capacity. The province sent water-carrying trucks to affected areas and was seeking the production of artificial rain, he said. In the North, Kamol Piempaisal of the irrigation office 3 said fighting for water from the Sirikit and Bhumibol dams was expected in eight lower northern provinces where a total 134,344 rai of land was being used for off-season farming. In the south, residents of islands have been facing water shortages since January. A lot of fish in farms in two districts of Satun died due to salty water and hot weather. In Phuket, more than 200 elephants were at risk of food shortages with less bananas, sugar cane, pineapple and grass available.

17 January 2002 – Iran

The death toll from the devastating floods last Thursday (10 January) in southern Iran has reached 11 in Fars province, announced the deputy head of the provincial natural disasters department, Ali Liyaqat, told IRNA today. The toll rose after relief workers recovered the body of a woman from a pile of debris in a downtown street in Shiraz, he said, adding search operations for more probable casualties were still continuing. The police chief in the city of Farsan in the central province of Chaharmahal-o-Bakhtiari said that two people were drowned in flood waters in a nomadic region. Municipality workers are working round-the-clock to clean the city from sludge and evacuate inundated houses in Shiraz, Liyaqat added. Meanwhile, the head of the Red Crescent society of the Fars province, Abdor-Rassul Hemmati, said today that the floods have totally destroyed 900 houses in Shiraz. Residential and trade buildings are the worst hit from the flood which was triggered by torrential rains on last Thursday and Friday. About 73 families have been sheltered in three sports halls of the city, he said, adding the Red Crescent society had set up a camp with 80 tents to provide medicare for those affected. Officials were also estimating the total cost of the damage from the floods which also hit several other towns in the Fars province, Hemmati said. The flash floods have also caused huge financial damage. They brought down power lines and uprooted trees in the cities. Water supply in Bushehr in the Persian Gulf was cut and citizens were asked to economise because of fears that restoration may take a long time.

28 January 2002 – Malaysia

A landslide caused by heavy rain buried a communal longhouse in eastern Malaysia early today, and at least ten people were feared killed, police said. The national news agency, Bernama, reported that 16 had been killed in the landslide in the Simunjan district of jungle-clad Sarawak state on Borneo island. Police reached by telephone said at least ten were believed to have died and that police were unable to reach the area because of flooding. State Police commissioner Mohamed Yusoff Jaafar told Bernama that an unknown number of people were still trapped in the mud and several people were injured. Heavy tropical downpours in the past two days were believed to have caused the landslide. Longhouses are communal dwellings unique to some tribal groups in Borneo. Entire villages can live in one building – normally constructed on stilts -which traditionally have a communal living area and separate space for each family in the village.

1 April 2002 – A thunderstorm late yesterday afternoon wreaked havoc in the Klang Valley, killing a motorist and injuring several others when uprooted trees fell onto their vehicles. Flash floods and strong winds also blew away the roofs of several houses in Setapak Jaya. In Jalan Mahameru, a man, in his thirties, was killed almost instantly when an uprooted tree fell onto his car at about 16.30 hrs. Uprooted trees also fell on the road along Jalan Semarak, Jalan Pinang, Pudu, Jalan Tun Razak, and parts of Petaling Jaya, causing bumper to bumper traffic. About 31 houses in Setapak Jaya were affected by the downpour. A resident, M.K. Ramasamy, said they were resting in the house when suddenly strong winds blew away the roofs, causing rain to pour in and flood the living room.

5 February 2002 – Brazil

Fifteen hours of heavy rain has triggered mudslides and caused two rivers to burst their banks in Brazil. At least ten people were killed and six others are missing and feared dead. The rains have swelled the Santo Antonio and the Todos os Santos rivers, which run through the city of Teofilo Otoni. They have forced hundreds of people from their homes, destroyed a bridge and caused heavy flooding in six neighbourhoods in the city. Mudslides have knocked down 70 houses and 80 more have been completely submerged by the rising water. Ten bodies have been recovered and authorities are looking for six more believed to be buried beneath the mud. Authorities estimate some 400 people have been made homeless and another 1,600 had to flea their homes. Mayor Getulio Neiva declared a state of emergency in the city and closed banks and schools. State authorities have sent civil defence workers to help local fire-fighters.

8 February 2002 – Democratic Republic of Congo

At least 19 people were killed in eastern Congo by the worst storms in a decade, three weeks after a volcanic eruption razed much of the city of Goma, officials said yesterday. Howling winds and torrential rain battered the town of Uvira on Wednesday (6 February) night, sparking flash floods that destroyed about 70 homes, leaving more than 400 people homeless. "We do not yet have a final death toll", said Medard Majaribu, the administrator for Uvira district. "We have counted 19 dead and we have another report of up to 30 dead, but that has not been confirmed", he told Reuters.

9 February 2002 – A fierce storm caused floods that swept through an eastern Congolese town, killing seven people and leaving hundreds homeless, a rebel spokesman said today. More than 40 people were injured as mud houses collapsed when the heavy rains hit Uvira on Thursday (7 February), said Jean-Pierre Lola Kisanga, spokesman for the Congolese Rally for Democracy, the rebel group that controls the area. Florian Westphal, spokesman for the International Committee of the Red Cross, confirmed that seven people had been killed and said 20-30 people may still be missing. He said local Red Cross staff in Uvira estimated that 70 houses had been destroyed as the flood waters swept rocks and boulders from nearby hills through the port near Congo's border with Burundi. Many of the houses in the area are made of mud, Kisanga said in a telephone interview from the rebel's base in Goma, 110 miles north of Uvira. Last month, about 100 people were killed and tens of thousands made homeless in Goma when lava flows from a nearby volcano destroyed parts of that town.

19 February 2002 – Bolivia

Authorities said that a powerful thunderstorm raged through northern Bolivia today, causing flash flooding in La Paz and killing at least 22 people. Most of the dead were swept away by raging flood waters that turned the main downtown street El Prado into a muddy river, said Fire Department chief Rolando Buscara. Officials said the storm, which also spawned widespread hail, left more than 100 people injured. The torrential rains caught La Paz residents by surprise, stranding thousands of workers and pedestrians for hours and knocking out electrical power and telephone service in the downtown area. Scores of residents were forced from homes because of flood damage, police said. The government said a swollen river also flooded residential areas in the city's fashionable South Zone.

20 February 2002 – Rescue workers discovered more bodies in the rivers around Bolivia's capital today, bringing the number of dead to 52 in the most destructive thunderstorm in the city's history. The storm collapsed homes and cut electricity yesterday under a torrent of rain and hail. Many of the dead were vendors who ran to street underpasses where they drowned in flash flooding. At least 150 people were injured, and estimates of damage were in the millions. Bolivian President Jorge Quiroga declared a state of emergency in La Paz today. Quiroga, who donated blood, promised financial support for victims, but also appealed for foreign aid to help with reconstruction. Bulldozers cleared away mud from downtown streets, and rescue workers pulled bodies from bloated rivers south of La Paz. Anxious family members awaited news about missing relatives. The storm, which began about 15.00 hrs, yesterday and lasted nearly an hour, flooded streets in the city centre, turning the main street into a muddy river. The National Meteorological Service said the city has not had such an intense rain in the 50 years it has kept records.

21 February 2002 – At least 69 people died and thousands lost their homes as flash floods hit Bolivia's capital city of La Paz today. Juan del Granado, the mayor of La Paz, said: "We are sorry to inform you that the death toll has risen to 69". The crisis began yesterday when a powerful thunderstorm over northern Bolivia caused flash flooding in La Paz, killing around 22 people as they were swept away by raging waters. Today the floods trapped people in cars and homes, and streets were turned into turbulent rivers. Many buildings in the city centre were coated in mud, with some residential neighbourhoods left without electricity. Bolivia's government has declared the La Paz area as an emergency zone. The country's president, Jorge Quiroga, today announced a day of national mourning for the flood victims.

22 February 2002 – Bulldozers cleared mud from the streets, and rescue workers pulled more bodies from swollen rivers around Bolivia's capital, bringing the death toll from powerful rainstorms to 69 people. Mayor Juan del Granado said yesterday that another 150 people were injured and 122 families who lost their homes were sheltered at the city's main soccer stadium. He put the damage at $60 million. Among the latest bodies to be found were those of a retired army colonel and a policewoman who both drowned trying to rescue others, police said. The storm on Tuesday was the most powerful in the capital's history, collapsing scores of homes and cutting electricity under a torrent of rain and hail that quickly flooded La Paz, which is located at the lowest point of a natural bowl surrounded by the Andes mountains. Development Minister Ramiro Cavero said almost a gallon of water per square foot fell on the city in less than an hour Tuesday (19 February). Many of the dead were vendors who ran to street underpasses where they drowned in flash flooding. Bolivian President Jorge Quiroga declared a state of emergency in La Paz on Wednesday. Quiroga, who donated blood, promised financial support for victims, but also appealed for foreign aid to help with reconstruction. The United Nations Development Program, which is coordinating reconstruction efforts, pledged $150,000. Spain, Denmark, Norway and the USA each promised individual donations totalling $176,000. The National Meteorological Service said the city has not had such an intense rain in the 50 years it has kept records.

26 February 2002 – Three more bodies were found in central La Paz today, bringing to 63 the number of people killed in flooding after a powerful rainstorm hit the Bolivian capital last week. The bodies of the three women were found in the wreckage of a collapsed downtown building, said La Paz fire chief Rolando Viscarra. At least 30 people are still missing, said Sacha Llorenti, of Human Rights in Bolivia, expressing fears the number could double. There was also concern the death toll could still rise if bodies continue being found in rivers far downstream from the capital. Last week the bodies of four flood victims were discovered near a tropical village 125 miles from the capital. The storm and floods injured 100 people, left at least 515 homeless and destroyed 50 homes. Many of the dead were street vendors who ran to underpasses, where they drowned in flash flooding. La Paz mayor Juan del Granado has said it will take at least $100 million to rebuild the city.

20 March 2002 – Ecuador

Flooding and landslides triggered by heavy rains have left 13 people dead and more than 6,000 people homeless throughout Ecuador, officials said today. Torrential storms have drenched Ecuador for the past two weeks, causing rivers to overflow and flooding entire neighbourhoods of towns and cities. Civil Defense director Ricardo Avendano said the damage was worst in the coastal provinces of Manabi, El Oro and Guayas, where Guayaquil is located. Health Minister Patricio Jamriska said the government was considering declaring a health emergency in the flooded areas. Avendano said that the possibility of a renewed El Niño weather phenomenon this year could mean Ecuador's rainy season will stretch on longer than normal. Ecuador's rainy season normally runs from November until April. Fernando Zurita, director of the navy's Oceanographic Institute, said the rains will intensify at the end of March and in April.

23 March 2002 – The government of Ecuador has declared a state of emergency following heavy rains and flooding in various parts of the country, which left 13 people dead and hundreds of others homeless. Officials say the government will use special emergency funds to help rescue flood victims and repair the infrastructure in all the coastal provinces, and the low-lying areas of the highlands and Amazon regions. Correspondents say torrential rains are expected to continue pounding the worst affected regions, which provide most of Ecuador's agricultural produce.

9 April 2002 – Heavy rains pounded Ecuador, setting off flooding and landslides that have killed 23 people and forced hundreds from their homes since early last month, civil defence officials said. The torrential downpours have fallen in half of Ecuador's 22 provinces, the Civil Defense Institute said in a statement yesterday. Overflowing rivers, collapsing hillsides and other flooding have forced more than 1,400 families to evacuate their homes to sleep in makeshift camps in schools and other sites, the statement said. About 900 miles of roads and 74,000 acres of rice, banana, coffee and cocoa crops have been destroyed by the storms. Ecuador's rainy season normally runs from November until April. This year has seen much heavier rains than normal. The Meteorology Institute expects the heavy rains to continue through April and into May.

25 March 2002 – Bangladesh

At least 32 fishermen were missing and about a 1,000 people were left homeless after a storm swept over south eastern Bangladesh today, police said. "The fishermen were reported missing after two vessels sank in the Bay of Bengal during the storm," a police officer at Cox's Bazar, 420km (263 miles) from Dhaka, told Reuters. The storm destroyed more than 100 straw houses in the coastal district leaving nearly 1,000 people homeless, he said. "The storm blew at a maximum speed of 90km per hour and lasted an hour. It also dumped 26mm (1 inch) of rain that damaged several acres (hectares) of salt blocks on the shore", one weather official said.

4 April 2002 – At least five people were killed in heavy thunderstorms around Bangladesh, newspapers said yesterday. Four people died when they were hit by lightning Tuesday (2 April) in the south-eastern Chittagong and southern Luxmipur districts, the Jankantha daily said. Another person was killed in coastal Patuakhali district after a wall collapsed. The storms, common this time of year, left 50 others injured in the impoverished country and damaged homes and rice crops.

29 April 2002 – At least five people have been killed in tropical storms which battered parts of northern Bangladesh, flattening thousands of houses. At least 5,000 people were left homeless and 250 injured after the storms in Kurigram and Rangpur, two districts 150 miles north of the capital, Dhaka. The Sangbad and Prothom Alo newspapers report that two women and a child drowned when their boat sank in the Brahmaputra River in Kurigram. At least 50 people were injured by dislodged tin roofs or falling tree branches, the reports said. Two farmers died after being struck by lightning in Rang pur, where 3,000 mud-and-thatched or tin-roofed houses were smashed and nearly 200 people were injured, the reports said. Storms killed 12 people and injured 200 in other parts of northern Bangladesh on Saturday (27 April). Officials in the affected regions could not be reached by telephone.

1 May 2002 – Tropical storms and lightning strikes have killed at least 36 people, injured hundreds, and flattened thousands of homes and rice crops in northern Bangladesh. Local media reports ten people were killed yesterday as the storms knocked down thousands of trees and electricity poles in several districts. Storms killed 26 people in the north earlier this week. Most of the 300 people reported injured have been hurt by flying tree branches or collapsing houses in hardest-hit Sylhet and Sunamganj. Dozens of villages and towns are without power and fallen trees have disrupted road traffic.

3 May 2002 – A week of tropical storms and lightning has killed at least 59 people and injured dozens more in Bangladesh, news reports said today. The storms sweeping Bangladesh have left more than 5,000 people homeless since 27 March, the United News of Bangladesh news agency reported. The dead included 15 farmers killed by lightning while working in rice fields in pouring rain yesterday in Brahmmanbaria, Sylhet and Sunamganj – towns in a farming region 110 miles north-east of Dhaka, the news reports said. Also yesterday, another eight villagers were reported killed when their metal-roofed homes collapsed in the nearby villages of Kurigram and Mymensingh.

4 May 2002 – A ferry carrying nearly 400 passengers capsized in a storm in south-eastern Bangladesh yesterday night, and police said they feared many were dead. Up to 100 people were reported to have swum to shore or were picked by other boats after the triple-deck ferry Salahuddin went down in the Meghna River, said Bakhtiar Alam, police chief in the area. Other survivors may have been swept downstream, officials said. Two bodies were found floating near the site shortly after dawn today, Alam said. "We will not know how many people have drowned until the ferry is pulled out from under the water", he said. A rescue vessel from state-run Bangladesh Inland Water Transport Corp. had reached the site, and rescuers were trying to locate the sunken boat in the river, 40 miles south-east of the capital, Dhaka. The ferry sank nearly two hours into the journey from Dhaka to southern Patuakhali, 95 miles from Dhaka. At least 59 people have been killed in the last week by lightning and flooding.

6 May 2002 – Bangladesh Inland Water Transport Authority (IWTA) salvage vessel Hamza lifted the three-storied launch Salahuddin-2, (previously reported as ferry Salahuddin and Salauddin-2), from about 50 feet below the water yesterday night, 47 hours after it capsized in the midstream of the Meghna with about 400 passengers in Bangladesh, according to Bangladesh Shipping industry sources. As the ill-fated launch was brought to the surface, three vessels Agragami, Agrapathik and Agrani of the IWTA dragged the salvaged launch to the eastern bank of the river. Navy vessels, fishing boats and trawlers were collecting floating bodies from the river. Many bodies are believed to have been taken away by the current miles down the river. The death toll could rise further as the search continues. The launch which sailed from Dhaka, was overturned by a whirlwind in the river at Shatnol in Matlab upazila, some 45km off Chandpur district town, at 21.15, local time, Friday (3 May).

6 May 2002 – Rescue workers in Bangladesh have found at least 271 bodies after braving fresh storms and re-floating launch Salahuddin-2 that sank in the mighty Meghna river last week, police say. Up to 300 people are believed to have drowned when the three-deck vessel sank some 106 miles south of the capital, Dhaka, on Friday (3 May), in a storm in one of the country's worst ferry disasters since the 1980s. Witnesses and officials said fresh rainstorms sweeping much of the country today were hampering efforts to return bodies to relatives or bury them. "The ferry was re-floated late on Sunday night and towed to the shore", Manzur Elahi, an official in the district of Chandpur, where the ferry sank, told Reuters. "The death count has reached nearly 200. I cannot give the exact number of deaths yet but rescuers believe at least 50 more bodies had been swept away by strong current", he said, adding that rescuers were searching for those bodies. Later, police said 271 bodies had been recovered. Authorities have launched an investigation to determine why the ferry sank, but some survivors said it was badly overloaded. The number of passengers may never be known as most ferries do not keep passenger lists, officials said. A television reporter at the scene near Shatnal, a rural area, said a large number of bodies lay scattered on the river's shore. "This is an awful scene", he said by telephone. Home Minister Altaf Hossain Chowdhury cancelled a visit today to the site of the disaster after bad weather prevented his helicopter from taking off, his office said. Rescue officials said storms on Sunday forced them to suspend two attempts to re-float the ferry but resumed around midnight. Tugboats towed the ferry to shore later that night. Nearly 100 people were earlier rescued and others managed to reach the shore by themselves, officials said. Strong river currents may have swept some away. Officials said the storms and accompanying rains damaged hundreds of houses as well as rice fields with crops ready for harvest, and the weather is unlikely to subside. "The stormy weather is likely to continue for two to three more days", said Samarendra Karmakar, deputy director of Bangladesh meteorology department.

7 May 2002 – The Bangladesh Shipping Ministry has convened two separate committees to probe the incident in which about 300 passengers were feared to have died when ferry Salauddin-2 (previously reported as ferry Salahuddin), which was caught in stormy weather and sank in the river Meghna late on Friday (3 May) while on voyage Dhaka for Patuakhali. The vessel was carrying more than 400 passengers, according to government and shipping industry sources. Both committees have been asked to submit reports in seven days. Meanwhile, the authorities were also waiting for tug Hamza to arrive from Barisal. BIWTA salvage vessel Rustom, proceeded from Narayanganj to the site of the sinking yesterday morning, but was unable to raise the ferry, as Rustom's maximum capacity was less than 100 tonnes, officials said.

27 March 2002 – Philippines

A total of 28 people were killed and two others were missing after flash floods triggered by heavy rains swept through two southern Philippine provinces, disaster response officials said today. A tropical depression dumped heavy rains over Surigao del Norte and Surigao del Sur provinces in the south late last week, the Office of Civil Defense said, citing belated reports from the field. More than 50,000 people have also been displaced by the floods, which have already subsided. All fatalities were victims of drowning while two boys remain unaccounted for in the town of San Agustin, the office said. Delayed communication due to a power failure had also hampered relief operations.

27 April 2002 – India

A total of 11 people have been killed by lightning and falling trees during a severe thunderstorm near Calcutta. Four districts in eastern India were affected by the winds reaching up to 80km per hour. A woman and two children were struck by lightning inside their house in Gobalpur, while three children were hit as they ran through a field for shelter. In Jalpaiguri, three tea plantation workers were killed when uprooted trees fell on them, and two others were crushed by falling trees near Darjeeling, local police say. The 30-minute storm was brought on by a sudden low pressure area.

28 April 2002 – Colombia

A total of 14 people are dead and 23 missing in Colombia as a result of torrential rains that fell throughout the country in recent days. Eduardo Gonzalez, the director of the Office of Disaster Prevention, says the rains have caused flooding in central, northern and western parts of the country. "We also have ten people injured and 7,600 families whose homes and other possessions have been damaged", he said. Meteorologists believe the rains were caused by the El Niño phenomenon that reappeared this year in the Pacific.