At least 158 people have died in Spain’s worst flooding disaster in generations.
On October 31, more than 1,200 workers, aided by drones, were deployed to the rescue mission as rains continued to threaten parts of the country.
“Right now the most important thing is to save as many lives as possible,” PM Pedro Sánchez told victims in a visit to affected communities.
In some of the towns worst- hit in October 29 floods, people were left to the task of recovering bodies from the mud and wreckage.
A least 155 deaths were recorded in Valencia, while another two have been recorded in Castilla-La Mancha to the province’s west, and another, a British man, in Andalusia.
In the town of Paiporta, Valencia where a river burst its banks, at least 40 deaths have been recorded so far.
Officials haven’t disclosed the number of people still missing but said there are “many”, as the toll rose by about another 60 deaths on October 31.
More than 90 deaths were recorded on October 30 alone in the immediate aftermath of the torrential rains and flash floods, which largely affected Valencia, as well as Castilla-La Mancha in Andalusia, and as far south as Malaga.
The town of Chiva near Valencia received the equivalent of one year’s rainfall in just eight hours according to the Spanish meteorological agency Aemet.
Image source: AP
As further rain warnings were issued for the south and east of the country on October 31, King Felipe VI warned the emergency was “still not over” and PM Sánchez warned citizens to take shelter where necessary.
Meanwhile in flood-affected areas, hundreds are sheltering in temporary accommodation and beginning the slow, arduous task of clearing streets and recovering homes and businesses.
Many roads and the rail network connecting Valencia to the rest of Spain remain cut off.
Spain began an official three-day national mourning period on October 31 with flags at half-mast on government buildings and minutes of silence held.
Public anger is growing over how a developed European country appeared to fail to warn many communities of the flood danger in time.
Questions have been asked over whether disaster management services issued warnings too late.
The civil protection agency, deployed during national disasters, did not issue an alert until 20:15 local time on October 29, by which time several places in Valencia had been flooded for hours.
Authorities have called the downpours and flooding “unprecedented”.
Many factors contribute to flooding, but a warming atmosphere caused by climate change makes extreme rainfall more likely.
As many as 20,000 people are feared to have died after a powerful stom triggered devastating flooding in eastern Libya, according to a local official.
The storm sweeping across Libya’s Mediterranean coast dumped 400mm (16 inches) of rain on some areas in less than 24 hours, compared to the 1.5mm the country normally experiences in the whole of September.
This extraordinary deluge of water overwhelmed two key dams on the Wadi Derna river running through the city, destroying several key bridges as well.
Image source: AP
In Derna, a city of around 100,000 people, two dams collapsed due to heavy rain, leading to a huge tsunami-like torrent sweeping through the city
Residents of the city, who had been ordered by the local authorities to stay in their homes, reported hearing a loud blast before the city was engulfed in water and said floods reached nearly 10ft in places.
The flooding was trigged by Storm Daniel which hit the north African nation on September 10 and brought heavy rain.
Libyan rescue teams are now being helped by international crews in the Derna area
Libya’s rival governmentshave requested international aid and are liaising with each other
The mayor of port city Derna told Saudi TV News station Al Arabiya he estimated 18,000 to 20,000 died when two dams burst, releasing a tsunami of water as people slept.
His figures are based on the number of communities destroyed by the flood water, he told the channel.
Unrecovered bodies remain under rubble or in the sea, increasing the risk of disease.
The UN has warned of the danger of disease from contaminated water in Libya.
The organization currently has people on the ground in Derna and is directing its existing stockpiles of food in the country to the area.
Libya has been split between rival governments in the east and west for around a decade.
The country was under foreign control for centuries until it gained independence in 1951 and came under the control of dictator Colonel Muammar Gaddafi in 1969.
He ruled autocratically until he was toppled and killed in 2011 – in a rebellion assisted by Western military intervention.
In 2014, renewed fighting broke out, with Libya split between two administrations – one based in the east, and one in the west in the capital Tripoli. The two sides signed a ceasefire in 2020 but political rivalries continue.
In 2021, a Government of National Unity was formed in Tripoli with Abdul Hamid Dbeibeh as the internationally-recognised prime minister, but the following year the eastern-based parliament formed a rival – and rather similarly named – Government of National Stability.
South Carolina Governor Nikki Haley says rainfalls in parts of the state have been higher than at any time “in 1,000 years”, with at least six reported deaths as a result of the floods.
More than 13 inches has fallen in three days in the historic city of Charleston.
Schools will shut on October 5 and several inter-state highways have been closed.
The torrential rains have been made worse by a weather system connected to Hurricane Joaquin in the Caribbean.
Hurricane Joaquin is not expected to hit the eastern US, but the moisture associated with it is contributing to heavy rainfall.
“We haven’t seen this level of rain in the low country in 1,000 years. That’s how big this is,” Governor Nikki Haley said on October 4.
Photo NBC News
Nikki Haley urged residents to stay indoors.
“The water is not safe and a lot of areas across the state where you see this deep water, it’s got bacteria in it. So, stay inside and don’t get in there,” she said.
President Barack Obama has declared a state of emergency in South Carolina. The move means state and local authorities can receive federal help to deal with the flooding.
“We have every ambulance in the county out responding to calls. People are being moved from their homes in boats,” Georgetown County spokeswoman Jackie Broach told Reuters.
About 100 people were rescued from their cars on flooded roads on October 3.
In Charleston, many streets have been closed and sandbags have been piled up to keep floodwaters out.
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