Earth Changes and the Pole Shift
Please Place Evidence of the 7 of 10 Plate Movements Here
Kojima had created small snips of Konstantin's animation of the 7 of 10 Plate Movements.
Here is the full 7 of 10 Animation by Konstantin.
This blog is the place to document ongoing earth changes related to the 7 of 10 plate movements as described by the Zetas.
ZetaTalk: 7 of 10 Sequence
written October 16, 2010
The 7 of 10 scenarios describe plate movements, and for this to occur something has to release the deadlock, the current stalemate where the plates are locked against each other. Once the deadlock is broken and the plates start moving, sliding past each other, new points where the plates are locked against each other develop, but these are weaker locks than the one at present. The current lock, as we have so often stated, is the Indo-Australian Plate which is being driven under the Himalayans. This is no small lock, as the height of the Himalayans attests. Nevertheless, the activity in this region shows this likely to be the first of the 7 of 10 scenarios to manifest. Bangladesh is sinking and the Coral Sea is rising, showing the overall tipping of the Indo-Australian Plate. Now Pakistan is sinking and not draining its floods as it should, while Jakarta on the tongue of Indonesia is also sinking rapidly, showing that the tilt that will allow Indonesia to sink has already started.
Meanwhile, S America is showing signs of a roll to the west. Explosions on islands just to the north of the S American Plate occurred recently, on Bonaire and Trinidad-Tobago, and the Andes are regularly being pummeled. There is a relationship. As the Indo-Australia Plate lifts and slides, this allows the Pacific plates to shift west, which allows S America to shift west also. This is greatly increased by the folding of the Mariana Trench and the Philippine Plate. But it is the Indo-Australian Plate that gives way to incite change in these other plates, and this is what is manifesting now to those closely following the changes. Once the folding of the Pacific has occurred, Japan has been destabilized. We are not allowed to give a time frame for any of these plate movements, but would point out that it is not until the North Island of Japan experiences its strong quakes that a tsunami causing sloshing near Victoria occurs. There are clues that the New Madrid will be next.
Where the N American continent is under great stress, it has not slipped because it is held in place on both sides. The Pacific side holds due to subduction friction along the San Andreas, and the Atlantic side holds due to the Atlantic Rift's reluctance to rip open. What changes this dynamic? When S America rolls, almost in step with the folding Pacific, it tears the Atlantic Rift on the southern side. This allows Africa freedom to move and it rolls too, dropping the Mediterranean floor above Algeria. What is holding the N American continent together has thus eased, so that when the Japan adjustments are made, there is less holding the N American continent in place than before, and the New Madrid gives way. We are also not allowed to provide the time frame between the Japan quakes and New Madrid. Other than the relationship in time between the New Madrid and the European tsunami, no time frame can be given. The sequence of events is, thus:
- a tipping Indo-Australia Plate with Indonesia sinking,
- a folding Pacific allowing S America to roll,
- a tearing of the south Atlantic Rift allowing Africa to roll and the floor of the Mediterranean to drop,
- great quakes in Japan followed by the New Madrid adjustment,
- which is followed almost instantly by the tearing of the north Atlantic Rift with consequent European tsunami.
Source: http://www.zetatalk.com/index/zeta584.htm
Tipping Indo-Australia Plate with Indonesia sinking,
http://zetatalk.com/7of10/7of10-23.htm
http://zetatalk.com/7of10/7of10-24.htm
http://zetatalk.com/7of10/7of10-25.htm
http://zetatalk.com/7of10/7of10-26.htm
http://zetatalk.com/7of10/7of10-28.htm
http://zetatalk.com/7of10/7of10-30.htm
http://zetatalk.com/7of10/7of10-31.htm
http://zetatalk.com/7of10/7of10-32.htm
http://zetatalk.com/7of10/7of10-34.htm
http://zetatalk.com/7of10/7of10-37.htm
Folding Pacific
http://zetatalk.com/7of10/7of10-33.htm
http://zetatalk.com/7of10/7of10-38.htm
http://www.zetatalk.com/info/tinfx351.htm
http://zetatalk.com/7of10/7of10-47.htm
South American Roll
http://zetatalk.com/7of10/7of10-39.htm
http://zetatalk.com/7of10/7of10-40.htm
http://zetatalk.com/7of10/7of10-41.htm
http://zetatalk.com/7of10/7of10-42.htm
http://zetatalk.com/7of10/7of10-43.htm
http://zetatalk.com/7of10/7of10-44.htm
http://zetatalk.com/7of10/7of10-45.htm
http://zetatalk.com/7of10/7of10-47.htm
African Roll
http://www.zetatalk.com/7of10/7of10-46.htm
http://zetatalk.com/7of10/7of10-47.htm
http://zetatalk.com/7of10/7of10-48.htm
http://zetatalk.com/7of10/7of10-52.htm
Japan Quakes
http://www.zetatalk.com/7of10/7of10-53.htm
http://zetatalk.com/7of10/7of10-54.htm
New Madrid
http://www.zetatalk.com/7of10/7of10-59.htm
http://www.zetatalk.com/7of10/7of10-60.htm
http://zetatalk.com/7of10/7of10-61.htm
http://www.zetatalk.com/7of10/7of10-62.htm
http://zetatalk.com/7of10/7of10-63.htm
http://zetatalk.com/7of10/7of10-64.htm
http://zetatalk.com/7of10/7of10-65.htm
http://zetatalk.com/7of10/7of10-68.htm
European Tsunami
http://zetatalk.com/7of10/7of10-70.htm
http://zetatalk.com/7of10/7of10-71.htm
http://zetatalk.com/7of10/7of10-72.htm
http://zetatalk.com/7of10/7of10-73.htm
http://zetatalk.com/7of10/7of10-74.htm
Due to the slowing of the 7 of 10 plate movements by the Council of Worlds the impact of some of the events described above will be lessened.
The Zetas explain:
ZetaTalk: Pace Slowed
Written May 19, 2012
The effect of the thousands of humming boxes placed along fault lines and plate borders can be seen in several incidents that have occurred since the start of the 7 of 10 plate movements. The lack of tsunami during the 7 of 10 sinking of the Sunda Plate is one such example. We predicted at the start of the 7 of 10 scenarios in late 2010 that the Sunda Plate sinking would occur within 2-3 weeks, yet it dragged on through 2011. At the time we had predicted tsunami on the Sunda Plate, in general equivalent in height to the loss of elevation for a coastline. None of this occurred due to the slower pace.
The pace of mountain building in S America, where slowed, has still resulted in rumpling up and down the Andes, and stretch zone accidents likewise in lands to the east of the Andes. The shape of S America has clearly changed. Will the islands in the Caribbean be spared? At some point, as with the magnitude 7.9 quake in Acapulco on March 2, 2012 a significant adjustment will need to occur, and this will include depressing the Caribbean Plate so it tilts, sinking the islands and lands on that portion of the plate to the degree predicted. But the S American roll will likely continue to avoid the magnitude 8 quakes we originally predicted in deference to slow rumpling mountain building. The African roll was anticipated to be a silent roll in any case, so the slowed pace would not affect the outcome.
Will the slowed pace prevent the 7 of 10 scenarios for the Northern Hemisphere? Bowing of the N American continent has reached the point of pain, with breaking rock booming from coast to coast, but still there have been no significant quakes in the New Madrid area. Yet this is past due, and cannot be held back indefinitely. What has and will continue to occur for the Northern Hemisphere scenarios are silent quakes for Japan, which has already experienced drastic subduction under the north island of Hokkaido where mountain building is occurring as a rumple rather than a jolt. However, the anticipated New Madrid adjustment cannot be achieved without trauma. But this could potentially occur in steps and stages such that any European tsunami would be significantly lessened.
All rights reserved: ZetaTalk@ZetaTalk.com
Source: http://www.zetatalk.com/7of10/7of10109.htm
ZetaTalk , Written March 10, 2012
What happens when the pace of plate movement is slowed? The likelihood of tsunami is definitely reduced, as can be seen in the sinking on the Sunda Plate. The sinking occurred, and is almost complete, yet the possibility of tsunami we predicted for various regions on the Sunda Plate were avoided. The height and force of a tsunami is directly related to the degree of displacement in the sea floor, and if this happens in steps rather than all at once the displacement will be less for any given step.
This bodes well for the European tsunami. If the Council of Worlds is still imposing a slower pace on the 7 of 10 plate movements, this tsunami will definitely be lessened. The tear in the North Atlantic will be slight, each time. The amount of water pouring into this void will be less, each time. And the rebound toward the UK will likewise be less, each time. But our prediction is the worst case situation, and it also reflects what the Earth changes, unabated, would produce.
But what does a slower pace do to land masses where jolting quakes are expected? Does this reduce the overall magnitude of the quakes anticipated? Large magnitude quakes result when a catch point along plate borders is highly resistant, but snapping of rock finally results. Usually there is one place, the epicenter, where this catch point resides and a long distance along the plate border where smaller quakes have prepared the border for easy movement. A point of resistance within the body of a plate, such as the New Madrid, can likewise resist and suddenly give.
There is no way to lessen the resistance at these catch points, though the tension that accompanies such points can be reduced so that the quake itself is delayed. What this means for a slower 7 of 10 pace is that large magnitude quakes will be spread apart in time, and their relationship to our predictions thus able to be camouflaged by the establishment. Where sinking (such as the Caribbean Island of Trinidad) or spreading apart (such as to the west of the Mississippi River) are to occur, these land changes will eventually arrive. But like the sinking of the Sunda Plate, a slower pace unfortunately allows the cover-up time to maneuver and develop excuses.
All rights reserved: ZetaTalk@ZetaTalk.com
Andrey Eroshin
http://www.baomoi.com/Bien-Cua-Dai-Hoi-An-Ke-den-dau-bo-bien-tiep-t...
Oct 21, 2014
jorge namour
South American Roll
20/10/2014
Orange alert for the Cerro Negro / Chiles complex, which borders Colombia-Ecuador.
2014-10-21 17:23:45.2 0.62 N 77.99 W 2 4.6 COLOMBIA-ECUADOR BORDER REGION
2014-10-20 22:24:55.7 0.68 N 78.12 W 2 4.4 COLOMBIA-ECUADOR BORDER REGION
2014-10-20 19:33:22.5 0.72 N 77.98 W 10 5.7 COLOMBIA-ECUADOR BORDER FELT
http://www.emsc-csem.org/Earthquake/earthquake.php?id=405042
http://www.earth-of-fire.com/orange-alert-for-the-cerro-negro-chile...
Chiles volcano - photo Ingeominas
The monitoring network of Cerro Negro de Mayasquer and Chiles, the "Siamese" volcanoes on the border between Ecuador and Colombia, reported increased seismic activity in the area, with earthquakes associated with the fracturing of rocks.
The total earthquakes until 13 October of around 25,000 events, characterized by epicenters located between 1,000 and 4,000 meters south-west of Chiles volcano, with a magnitude between 0.7 and 3.5 and a depth of between 300 and 7,000 meters (summit is located at 4700 meters). These earthquakes were not felt Ecuadorian side, but perceived by the inhabitants of Cumbal in the Chiles reserve. Slight inflation of the volcano is recorded.
Analysis of this activity was done in collaboration between IGEPN and Ingeominas.
The volcano Cerro Negro de Mayasquer - photo Ingeominas
Cerro Negro, to the left & Chiles, snowy, to the right - photo Minard Hall, 1985 (Escuela Politécnica Nacional, Quito) / in GVP
On October 20, at 2:33 p.m. local, an earthquake of magnitude 5.9 / 5.8 centered on the southwest flank of the volcano Chiles, 6 km depth was recorded, along to Tufiño of falling objects, damage of glass and other minor damage, and felt at Cumbal, Colombian side.
At that time, it's over 39,000 volcano-tectonic earthquakes were counted in 22 days, associated with the fracturing of rocks, accompanied by a lower proportion of earthquakes LP and VLP type, in connection with fluid movements. GPS stations on the southeast flank of the volcano indicate an increase of the inflation in the last days.
The alert level has risen to orange, Colombian side, following recent events. The IGEPN indicates that we are dealing with an initial phase of magmatic intrusion and is considering the possibility of a phreatic eruption at Chiles with production of ballistic missiles, ash fall or mud flows.
20/10/2014 Earthquake - M 5.8 - doc Geoscope / IPGP
Oct 23, 2014
SongStar101
Jamaica’s world renowned 7-mile beach is eroding at an alarming rate!
http://jablogz.com/2014/10/jamaicas-world-renowned-7-mile-beach-is-...
http://globalnews.ca/news/1596593/famed-jamaican-7-mile-beach-erodi...
But now this unique shoreline of unrivaled beauty known as Seven Mile Beach is facing a serious threat that could see the beach completely disappear in as little as 30 years.
According to a report by Fox News, some sections of the beach are now barely wide enough for a decent-sized beach towel and according to the Jamaican National Environment and Planning Agency, sand is receding at a rate of over a metre each year.
“The beach could be totally lost within 30 years,” said Anthony McKenzie, a senior director at the agency.
Shrinking coastline long has raised worry for the area’s environmental and economic future. Now the erosion is expected to worsen as a result of climate change.
Fearful of losing their main draw, some alarmed hoteliers in the area are pressing the government to refill the beach with dredged sand, a pricey step many experts say is a temporary fix at best.
Plans are being readied to build submerged breakwaters which theoretically could slow loss of shoreline, using an initial $5.4 million in grants from a U.N. climate change convention.
Oct 26, 2014
Stanislav
Malaysia
According to an expert, during heavy rain, the soil in the cleared hilly areas in Cameron Highlands erodes and the existing dam is no longer capable of containing a large quantity of water. This situation causes major floods. — TRP pic by Mokhsin Zamani. Source: therakyatpost.com
The floods that struck Bertam Valley today. — Bernama pic. Source:.therakyatpost.com
6 November, 2014. Cameron Highlands floods: Three dead, five injured
Three people were killed and five others were injured after heavy rains caused flash floods and a landslide at Cameron Highlands on Wednesday night (Nov 5).
The body of a 13-year-old boy, R Punesh, a student of Sekolah Menengah Kampung Raja, and an Indonesian vegetable farm worker, Anipan, 48, were found at 8.45am and 9.20am respectively on Thursday . A Nepalese vegetable farm worker, Md Yousuf Miya, 66, was found buried in Jalan Ulu Merah, Ringlet at 8.30pm on Wednesday.
Cameron Highlands district police chief, DSP Wan Mohd Zahari Wan Busu confirmed that to date, three people were killed while five others were injured in the 6.30pm incident on Wednesday. He said the body of the student was found by a security team and villagers about five kilometres from where he drowned in Sungai Telom, Kuala Terla in Kampung Raja.
Last year, Ringlet Lake in Bertam Valley at Cameron Highlands overflowed, causing a mud flood, killing four people and damaging more than 100 houses.
Source: channelnewsasia.com
9 November, 2014. Ringlet residents say flash floods worst ever
Residents of Ringlet consider this year's flash floods as the worst to hit the area even when compared with a similar incident due to the release of water from the Sultan Abu Bakar Dam in Lembah Bertam last year.
A vegetable lorry attendant, K.Kumaresan, 40, said this was the worst flooding in his 26 years living in Ringlet as water levels were waist high.
"We've experienced floods before but not as bad as what is happening now," he told Bernama when met at the Ringlet Multipurpose Hall today.
Recounting the incident, Kumaresan said water from the river gushed into his house in a blink of an eye and all he could think about at the time was to save his four family members.
"I took them (family) to a higher place and I didn't manage to salvage any important documents," he said. Source: themalaysianinsider.com
Nov 9, 2014
Stanislav
Thailand and Malaysia
ZetaTalk: High Tide Excuses
Written January 22, 2011
Rain has been overused by the establishment as an excuse for the obvious sinking. The establishment is now switching to high tides as an excuse, claiming that a storm surge is creating a high tide. Since the cause of a storm surge can be away from the shore, and not easily determined by the common man busy with his daily activities, this excuse is less easily challenged. The high tide or storm surge excuse will also move to tsunami, blaming a quake in some locale or another. But eventually, when the flood waters do not drain, the truth will out. Pakistan shows the process, as flooding in July was claimed to be slow draining due to continued rain up river, along the Indus River highlands. It was months later, almost half a year later, that it was acknowledged by NASA that the flood waters were not going to drain. The people on the ground, those affected, already knew this. It was not until the issue left the media, and those around the world would presume that the Pakistan floods had receded, that NASA made this admission.
The same process would occur in Indonesia, were it not for what is to soon follow. Our predictions were not just for the sinking of the plate tongue holding Indonesia. They were for islands in the Caribbean to disappear and Central America to be crushed. The locks at Panama are used for shipping worldwide, to bypass having to go around the tip of S America. This will not be out of the news, but will be a continuing subject due to the impact on business. The press does not, in fact, hold the public captive, like sheep, waiting to be told what to think! Look at commerce. Commerce involves a lot of face-to-face meetings and interaction. Phones are used, and cannot be blocked as commerce would likely halt then. The same is true of the Internet, which is used by universities, defence departments, and especially commerce to an immense degree. How do you stop people from talking? How do you stop awareness of the Straits of Gibraltar spreading by 125 miles and Africa moving 50 miles further east?
So of course plate movement will have to be admitted, and to the degree that our predictions are associated with this people will discover ZetaTalk, even without the assistance of the Puppet Master's determination to inform the public and encourage the formation of strong survival communities. We have stated that the establishment will become shrill in attacking our message, and ourselves as the source, as the truth of our predictions comes to light. Look at the past 15 years, since ZetaTalk began. Alternate emissaries or spokespersons have been pushed upon the public, though were not accepted. NASA associates were given the stage to pronounce our theories to be hogwash, and as long as NASA has a modicum of respect this will continue. The Earth changes have been blamed on the Sun, even when the Sun did not cooperate, or on some mythical galactic alignment. The noise level will increase, so that the public increasingly sets about discerning the truth for themselves. ZetaTalk aligns with the facts, and has the track record, and thus will emerge the winner in this war.
ZetaTalk: High Tide Excuses
23 December, 2014. 'New Moon' phenomenon triggers extraordinary floods in East Coast
"Although rainfall is no longer heavy, flood waters do not seem to recede due to the new moon phenomenon as it causes higher tides than normal.
KUALA LUMPUR: The new moon phenomenon, when the moon is closest to the earth and causes high tide, is among the factors that triggered extraordinary flooding in the east coast this year.
Meteorological Department National Weather Centre senior meteorological officer Dr Mohd Hisham Mohd Anip said the flood situations worsened with the presence of northeast monsoon winds blowing consistently across the South China Sea to Malaysia starting November until March.
"Besides that, previously incessant rainfall caused water from the upstream to not reach the confluence and resulted in overflowing rivers," he said when contacted by Bernama today.
He said they predict the heavy rainfall since last week due to northeast monsoon winds in Kelantan, Terengganu and Pahang will continue until early January.
"However, the weather is expected to be more favourable today until tomorrow with many of our forecasts showing showers in only one or two areas in the affected states," he said.
Dr Mohd Hisham explained that the northeast monsoon wind brought about heavy rainfall in three episodes, namely the first episode which ended in November, the second episode between Dec 16 and 19 followed by the third episode which started on Monday and will last until tomorrow.
"Although the weather is expected to be good on these two days, we predict a fourth episode to start from Dec 28 to 30 and it may continue until early January," he said.
Dr Mohd Hisham said they do not dismiss the possibility that floods may hit low-lying areas near the river after Dec 28.
"During the northeast monsoon season, the east coast is expected to experience four to five episodes of heavy rainfall for between three to seven days in November until January 2015, as well as western Sarawak and Sabah from January until March 2015. "Therefore, people living by the river and in low-lying areas are advised to prepare for any possibility, including floods," he said.
Meanwhile, the Meteorological Department said in a statement today that strong northeast winds with speeds of 60 kilometres per hour in the coastal areas of the east coast, Sarawak, Sabah and Labuan is expected to last until tomorrow. In addition, rough seas and waves of up to 5.5 metres will pose a danger to beach and shipping activities, including to workers on oil platforms.
The statement added that the coastal areas of Kelantan, Terengganu, Pahang and east Johor are vulnerable to a rise in sea levels until tomorrow. Source of article and image: english.astroawani.com
Floods in Thailand's Su-ngai Kolok border district as weather bureau warns of more rains until Wednesday. Source: twitter.com
Nine South provinces face floods, landslides. phuketgazette.net
The second waves of floods in the east coast states of Kelantan, Terengganu and Pahang continued to worsen on Tuesday (Dec 23), forcing more people out of flooded homes overnight. Source: theborneopost.com
21 December, 2014. Authorities said the floods in Kelantan are the worst of the past decade after rain fell continuously for more than 12 hours Saturday, swelling the number of flood victims at relief centres state-wide to almost 20,000.
"I was told this is the worst flood season over a ten year period. Luckily the authorities are ready to serve the 20,000 people seeking refuge at the relief centers" said Local Government, Housing, Health and Environment Committee chairman Datuk Abdul Fattah Mahmood. Heavy rain that started at 3am on Saturday worsened the flood situation.
The official Kelantan flood portal at ebanjir.kelantan.gov.my reported that Pasir Mas, especially Rantau Panjang town, had been crippled by floods since Wednesday. Source: news.asiaone.com
19 December, 2014. Nine South provinces face floods, landslides
As the National Disaster Warning Center issued a warning yesterday that nine provinces in the South face the risks of floods and landslides until Saturday, a soldier died in a boat accident while helping villagers escape deep flooding in Narathiwat province.
In Yala's Than To district, a landslide killed a seven-year-old girl and injured her parents.
The provinces facing severe flooding are Surat Thani, Nakhon Sri Thammarat, Phatthalung, Songkhla, Trang, Satun, Pattani, Yala and Narathiwat.
Master Sergeant First Class Channarong Malicheun of the Narathiwat Special Task Force 36 was killed late on Wednesday night as the flat-bottom boat that his team was using to remove locals overturned and sank in the strong currents of Sungai Kolok River in Sungai Kolok district. As of press time, his body had yet to be found.
The situation in the province is critical, as Sungai Kolok, Bang Nara and Sai Buri rivers have overflowed by two meters, causing the Sungai Kolok border pass to be temporarily closed. People are advised to use the Tak Bai border pass instead. Source: phuketgazette.net
19 December, 2014. Narathiwat Declares Emergency Following Worst Floods In Nine Years
Narathiwat province in southern Thailand has declared a natural disaster emergency in all 13 districts after being struck by the worst floods in nine years that has claimed three lives.
Governor Nattapong Sirichana said a soldier had been reported missing, believed to have been washed away by the floodwaters that had destroyed 12 houses, forced the closure of 115 schools and triggered landslides at stretches of eight roads.
A total of 115,853 people had been affected by the floods, he said.
He also said that the body of a 14-year-old boy, Sulaiman Yusuf, was found in the Golok River. Sulaiman, who had lived in Jarenket in Sungai Golok town, was washed away by the strong current when playing in the water with friends, according to authorities.
A 30-year-old man drowned in a river in Kg Bandi in the Muang Yala district in Yala province. An eight-year-old boy was found dead in the Pattani River in Pattani.
The soldier was washed away by the strong currents while helping residents to evacuate in Sungai Golok.
This evening, the three districts of Takbai, Sungai Golok and Weang bordering Malaysia remained flooded. Source: bernama.com.my
23 December, 2014. Floods hit Thailand and Malaysia
Parts of southern Thailand and northern Malaysia have experienced severe flooding in recent days after heavy rains hit the region. Despite mass evacuations, at least four people are known to have died so far.
The daily rainfall totals across the south of Thailand have been in excess of 50mm for the last few weeks. On Monday, Pattani recorded 84mm of rain whilst Hat Yai had 92mm. The floodwaters now stand waist-deep or higher in many areas.
The flooding has been in place now for many days in Narathiwat province in southern Thailand. According to the provincial governor, Natthaphong Sirichana, the floods are likely to continue into the new year, and there is the potential for flash floods over the entire province.
South of the border, torrential rains in the northeastern Malay peninsula continue to fall. The state of Kelantan is suffering what has been dubbed the worst flooding in the past decade.
One local resident declared ‘in all my years, this is the first time I've had to come to an evacuation centre.’ Another added ‘my whole house was submerged. I don't even want to go home.’
More than 20,000 have been affected. Water levels did recede in some parts of the state over the weekend but other areas remain inundated. Source: aljazeera.com
23 December, 2014. 36 far South districts now hit by floods
With 36 districts in the four southernmost provinces of Songkhla, Pattani, Yala and Narathiwat declared disaster-hit areas, the municipality area of Pattani has also been inundated and the water has reached the suburbs of Songkhla's Hat Yai district, reports said.
In Pattani province, pushed by the high tide, the Pattani River quickly overflowed to swamp the provincial town's business area, with nearly all roads 30-50 centimetres under water.
About 11pm on Monday, high waves and tides pushed up the water level in the Songkhla municipality to hit the Kao Seng community, forcing residents of more than 20 households to evacuate. Source: bangkokpost.com
22 December, 2014. East coast floods ‘extraordinary’, says Shahidan
The floods inundating east coast states in Peninsular Malaysia, especially in Kelantan, have been regarded as extraordinary, and all quarters must view the matter seriously to avoid untoward incidents. Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department, Datuk Seri Shahidan Kassim said, currently, several major rivers in the states were reported to have returned to the danger level, and more people might have to be evacuated.
“At the same time, the water levels of rivers have gone up again in Gua Musang. People are being re-evacuated in Kuantan, Pahang and Besut in Terengganu. “Take cognizance of this phenomenon because the continuous rain can result in a bigger (second) wave (of floods),” he told Bernama when visiting a flood relief centre at Sekolah Kebangsaan Sri Tumpat 2 here this evening. As of tonight, more than 16,000 flood victims had been evacuated to 60 relief centres in eight districts in Kelantan.
The floods had also caused almost 200 residents in Gua Musang to be evacuated after the water level in Sungai Galas, Sungai Lebir and Sungai Kelantan exceeded the danger level following heavy rain since yesterday.
Shahidan also expressed regret that some residents in the state were turning the floods into a festival by swimming and bathing in flood waters, an act that could result in a mishap for them.
“This is not an ordinary flood...this is extraordinary. Do not regard it as a festival.
“This time around, the current is strong...and I hope everyone will extra careful,” he said Source: themalaymailonline.com
Indonesia
A family on a motorbike struggles to drive along the flooded main road connecting Buntu and Kroya, in Cilacap regency, Central Java, on Sunday. JP/Agus MaryonoChildren look at inundated paddy fields in Mujur village, Kroya district, Cilacap regency, Central Java, on Saturday. (JP/Agus Maryono). Source: thejakartapost.com
21 December, 2014. Thousands evacuate as floods inundate Bandung homes
Around 15,000 homes in Bandung regency, West Java, were inundated following heavy rain over the past few days, while more floods and bad weather are expected throughout the archipelago in the coming week. Bandung regency Disaster Mitigation Agency (BPBD) chief Marlan said residents in seven districts who previously insisted on saying in their flooded homes were being evacuated.
“Many of them who had chosen to stay have requested evacuation help,” Marlan told The Jakarta Post. The affected districts are Baleendah, Banjaran, Bojongsoang, Cicalengka, Dayeuhkolot, Rancaekek and Soreang. More than 4,000 people have left their homes since floods hit on Friday morning. “The number continues to grow because evacuations are ongoing,” Marlan said. The agency has prepared shelters in the districts, including at police and military headquarters and houses of worship.
Heavy rain caused the Citarum River to overflow, pouring water into Baleendah, Dayeuhkolot and Bojongsoang districts. Flooding worsened after a section of the riverbank collapsed in Cileunyi. Roads were also inundated in Baleendah, Bojongsoang and Dayeuhkolot, while flooding has also forced state-owned electricity company PT PLN to shut down three power stations in Baleendah for safety.
A spokesman for PLN’s West Java and Bandung distribution office Agus Yuswanta said the shutdown affected around 1,800 homes in Parung Halang, Andir, Cigado, Cikarees, Cieunteung and Kulalet.
“We will turn on the power once authorities deem it is safe for us to do so,” Agus said.
Heavy rains have also triggered floods in Sumatra and Java.
Land transportation was cut off and around 760 houses were inundated in 16 villages in Gresik regency in East Java as of Friday. Hundreds of families were evacuated after a flash flood hit Bojonegoro regency in East Java on Friday.
Floods also damaged 526.5 hectares of farmland in eight districts in Indragiri Hulu regency in Riau, where farmers recently started a new planting season.
Authorities in Padangpariaman regency in West Sumatra have issued flood and landslide warnings in their area, which includes a section of the Trans-Sumatra highway and the Minangkabau International Airport. Source: thejakartapost.com
23 December, 2014. Floods claim lives in N.Sumatra, Cilacap still
Floods were still engulfing areas across the country on Sunday, killing two children in a village in North Sumatra. The victims, identified as Ilham and Ikram, were swept away by swift currents in South Securai village, Babalan district, Langkat regency on Sunday afternoon.
Ilham father’s Sumadi said the children were riding their bicycles near the flood location and slipped and fell in a hole and were swept away by the river current. “The swift current swept them down to the river. The were found dead by rescuers,” Sumardi told The Jakarta Post on Monday.
The victims were buried in their village on Monday.
Sumardi said the floods in the village frequently took place during the rainy season, hoping the government would pay attention to the flood problem in their village.
“The recurring floods have claimed a lot of lives here,” he said.
On Monday, floods engulfing thousands of homes in a number of regions in North Sumatra started to recede, including in Langkat. However, residents have complained about various sicknesses following the floods, including skin irritation. They expressed difficulty in getting medication because of the lack of flood command posts.
“The floods have started receding from Sunday morning, but many residents experience skin irritation from exposure to flood water. Unfortunately, medicine does not exist here,” said resident Kurniawan, of Tangkahan subdistrict, Medan Labuhan district Source: thejakartapost.com
Sri Lanka
23, December, 2014. 3 Killed in Sri Lanka Floods and Mudslides
Three people died and more than 60,000 had to be evacuated to safer locations due to floods and mudslides caused by heavy rains around Sri Lanka, officials said Tuesday.
The Disaster Management Center said that three days of heavy rain in 15 districts also injured two persons and destroyed 1,900 homes.
Hospitals and government offices were inundated and some inmates of a prison were transferred to other facilities.
It is monsoon season in some parts of Sri Lanka, but many other areas not normally affected are also experiencing non-seasonal rain.
Dozens of people were killed in October when mudslides buried homes of tea plantation workers in the country's central hills. Source: abcnews.go.com
Dec 23, 2014
SongStar101
Flash floods kill 25 in Sri Lanka, leave thousands marooned
FLASH floods have killed at least 25 people in Sri Lanka and left more than a quarter of a million marooned in their homes, disaster officials say.
Heavy rains, which have battered the island for much of the week, were still being reported in 14 of Sri Lanka's 25 administrative districts, with the central highlands - one of the world's key tea producing regions - the worst hit.
Sarath Lal Kumara, the deputy director of the Disaster Management Centre, said on Thursday that 25 people were now known to have died and a further 36 remained missing.
Most of the deaths were due to landslides engulfing homes.
The disaster management centre said more than 265,000 people had been cut off in their homes by the floods and thousands more had either sought refuge with relatives and friends or else been given emergency shelter.
"We have housed some 18,845 people from over 5000 families in 102 relief camps", Mr Kumara said.
Many of the evacuations took place in the central district of Matale after authorities declared it a danger zone over landslide fears.
Bhadra Kamaladasa, the director general of irrigation, said that around half of the country's 71 main reservoirs were overflowing.
In the west coastal town of Chilaw at least five fishermen had gone missing. The main motorway and the town were under six feet of flood water, police said.
The Railway Department announced the disruption of several key services as the tracks remained submerged.
The floods are some of the worst in Sri Lanka since early 2011 when unusually heavy monsoon rains left at least 64 people dead and drove more than one million people out of their homes.
Dec 24, 2014
SongStar101
Media local authorities admit Jakarta is sinking!
http://news.yahoo.com/special-report-jakarta-sinking-feeling-too-re...
Special Report: In Jakarta, that sinking feeling is all too real
JAKARTA (Reuters) - The Ciliwung River flows from a volcano south of the Indonesian capital, through the heart of one of the world’s most densely populated cities and almost into Jakarta Bay. Almost, because for the final mile or so of its course, the river would have to flow uphill to reach the bay.
The same is true for the rest of the half-dozen sewage-choked rivers that wind though central Jakarta. Unable to defy gravity, they've been redirected to canals that drain into the sea.
The reason these conduits are necessary is that Greater Jakarta, an agglomeration of 28 million people, sits on a swampy plain that has sunk 13 feet (4 meters) over the past three decades.
“Jakarta is a bowl, and the bowl is sinking,” said Fook Chuan Eng, senior water and sanitation specialist with the World Bank, who oversees a $189 million flood mitigation project for the city.
The channels of the Ciliwung and other rivers are sinking. The entire sprawl of Jakarta’s north coast - fishing ports, boatyards, markets, warehouses, fish farms, crowded slums and exclusive gated communities - it’s all sinking. Even the 40-year-old seawall that is supposed to keep the Java Sea from inundating the Indonesian capital is sinking.
Just inside the seawall sits the Muara Baru kampong, or village, that is home to more than 100,000 people. It is now at least 6 feet below sea level, and residents like Rahmawati, a mother of two small children, gaze upward from their front stoops to view the sea.
“When there’s a high tide, the ships float almost at the same height as the seawall – we can see the ships from here,” said Rahmawati, who like many Indonesians goes by one name.
Flooding from overflowing rivers and canals in the area is at least an annual event that forces Rahmawati and the rest of the kampong to evacuate to public buildings nearby. High-water marks from the last big flood, in 2013, are still visible on the walls of the kampong.
“WORST SINKING CITY”
Jakarta is sinking because of a phenomenon called subsidence. This happens when extraction of groundwater causes layers of rock and sediment to slowly pancake on top of each other.
The problem is particularly acute in Jakarta because most of its millions of residents suck water through wells that tap shallow underground aquifers. Wells also provide about a third of the needs of business and industry, according to city data.
"It’s like Swiss Cheese underneath,” the World Bank’s Fook said. “Groundwater extraction is unparalleled for a city of this size. People are digging deeper and deeper, and the ground is collapsing."
The effect is worsened by the sheer weight of Jakarta's urban sprawl. Economic development in recent decades has transformed the city’s traditional low-rise silhouette into a thickening forest of high-rise towers. The weight of all those buildings crushes the porous ground underneath.
Previous articles in this series have focused on rising seas, which are climbing as the warming atmosphere causes water to expand and polar ice to melt. Ocean levels have increased an average of 8 inches globally in the past century, according to the United Nations-backed Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change.
But in many places - from metro Houston, Texas, and cities on the U.S. East Coast to the megacities of Southeast Asia - the impact of subsidence, due mainly to groundwater extraction, has been greater. Manila is sinking at a rate of around 3.5 inches a year. Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam, is subsiding 3 inches a year, and Bangkok around an inch.
This has been happening even as populations around the world have tended to concentrate along low-lying coastal land. In 2010, an estimated 724 million people around the world lived in what researchers consider low-elevation coastal zones - coastal areas 10 meters or less above sea level. That number increased 34 percent from 538 million people in 1990, according to a Reuters analysis of data developed by the Socioeconomic Data and Applications Center at Columbia University.
The phenomenon has been most pronounced in Asia, home to the top five nations in terms of population growth in vulnerable coastal areas. In China, that population rose 29 percent to 162 million during the 20-year period; in India, the increase was 43 percent to 88 million; and in Bangladesh, it was 46 percent to 68 million.
In Indonesia, the number of people living in vulnerable coastal areas was 47.2 million - one of the highest totals in the world, and up 35 percent since 1990.
Higher seas, sinking cities and more people mean worsening impacts from storms and floods. And the frequency of these events is increasing, too. Recorded floods and severe storms in Southeast Asia have risen sixfold, from fewer than 20 from 1960 to 1969 to nearly 120 from 2000 to 2008, according to an Asian Development Bank study.
No city is subsiding faster than Jakarta. As a whole, the city is sinking an average of 3 inches a year, far outpacing the one-third inch annual rise in mean sea level in the area. The coast near Jakarta is sinking at a much greater average of six inches a year – and in some places as much as 11 inches - according to a 10-year study by a team of geodynamics experts from the Institute of Technology Bandung.
Today, 40 percent of the city is below sea level.
“Jakarta is the world’s worst sinking city,” said JanJaap Brinkman, a hydrologist with the Dutch water research institute Deltares, who has spent years studying the city’s subsidence and helping devise solutions for it.
Little can be done to halt the slow upward creep of the seas. But it is possible to stop subsidence. Jakarta has regulations limiting the amount of water that can be extracted daily from licensed wells. A public-awareness campaign on television urges viewers to “save groundwater for the sake of our nation.” But enforcement is weak, and illegal wells are rife in the city.
About three-fourths of residents rely on groundwater. Many of them are refusing to connect to the piped water distribution system because it is more expensive, is not always available and sometimes looks dirty coming out of the tap.
The city has a moratorium on new mall construction, mainly to ease notorious traffic congestion, but has otherwise not tried to temper the building that weighs on the ground below.
WATERSHED MOMENT
Unable to stop itself from sinking, Jakarta has focused its attention on walling off an inevitable inundation from the sea. A February 2007 storm was literally a tipping point for moving the government to act.
A strong monsoon storm coinciding with a high tide overwhelmed ramshackle coastal defenses, pushing a wall of water from Jakarta Bay into the capital. It was the first time a storm surge from the sea had flooded the city. Nearly half of Jakarta was covered by as much as 13 feet of muddy water. At least 76 people were killed, and 590,000 were left homeless. Damage reached $544 million.
As Jakarta cleaned up, then-President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono formed a task force to come up with a strategy to deal with more frequent flooding.
One option discussed was to move the overcrowded capital to higher elevations southeast of the city or to another island altogether, said Robert Sianipar, a top official from the Coordinating Ministry of Economic Affairs, which convened the task force. With 5,585 people per square km (0.4 square mile), Jakarta is among the 10 most densely populated cities in the world.
Another thought was simply to abandon the old city district of north Jakarta.
Both ideas were dismissed. Jakarta is the economic hub of Indonesia, contributing 20 percent of the nation’s gross domestic product. Allowing the sea to claim 40 percent of the capital city, home to nearly half of Jakarta's population, was unthinkable, Sianipar said. “If we abandon north Jakarta, that would cost $220 billion in assets – not to count the number of people and productivity that would have to be replaced,” he said.
The group decided to focus on bolstering coastal defenses and refurbishing the crumbling flood canal system. The Dutch government offered technical assistance.
The height of the existing 20-mile seawall was raised in 2008. But as that structure slips under the waves, it offers little protection against another big storm surge, or even a moderately high spring tide. At high tide in some places, the city’s old seawall can barely be seen poking above the water's surface, both because the sea is rising and because the wall itself is sinking into soft alluvial sediments.
The World Bank warned in a 2012 report that catastrophic floods would soon become routine in Jakarta, “resulting in severe socio-economic damage.”
The task force was still trying to decide on an overall strategy when the World Bank’s prediction came true in January 2013: Parts of the city were submerged under 6 feet of water after a heavy monsoon storm. Days later, President Yudhoyono ordered the task force to take a bolder approach.
The result was the National Capital Integrated Coastal Development Master Plan, better known as the “Giant Sea Wall” or the “Great Garuda," for its resemblance from the air to the bird-god of Hindu mythology that is Indonesia’s national symbol. The $40 billion complex will include a 15-mile outer seawall and 17 artificial islands that will close off Jakarta Bay.
Construction of the first stage of the plan, a new 6-foot-wide inner seawall just behind the existing one, was launched on Oct. 9. The inner seawall is aimed at buying time, holding off another inundation until the new outer wall of the Great Garuda provides long-term protection.
The Great Garuda won’t, however, restore the flow of some of the sinking city's 13 rivers and various canals into Jakarta Bay.
Some of the channels drain into floodwater retention lakes, a magnet for new migrants from outlying provinces who squat illegally around their perimeters. Pumping stations then spew the highly polluted water from these lakes the last few hundred yards into Jakarta Bay.
More and bigger such lakes will soon be needed to discharge the water of all other rivers and canals, including the large flood canals, according to the NCICD Master Plan. “You’re talking about pumping lakes up to 100 square kilometers,” said Victor Coenen, Indonesia chief representative for Dutch engineering and consulting firm Witteven+Bos, who was part of the government’s Dutch consulting team. “Where do you find room for that in a densely populated city?”
The Great Garuda would solve that problem by creating a single gigantic storage lake in Jakarta Bay, enclosed by the inner and outer seawalls and fed by pumping stations onshore. “If it comes to that, I’d prefer to have the one big black lagoon offshore,” Coenen said.
To prevent the Great Garuda from looking like a great black lagoon, the city must address another huge priority – providing clean piped water to most of its citizens and setting up waste treatment facilities so the rivers and canals no longer have to function as open sewers.
“NOT A DROP TO DRINK”
Jakarta under Dutch rule was known as Batavia, styled "the Queen of the East" for its distinctive colonial architecture and tree-lined canals. Closer inspection of the coast revealed "a dismal succession of stinking mud-banks, filthy bogs and stagnant pools (that) announces to more senses than one the poisonous nature of this dreadful climate," British writer John Joseph Stockdale observed in his 1811 book, "Island of Java."
Then as now, "stagnant canals" functioned as open sewers and exhaled "an intolerable stench." In the wet season, "those reservoirs of corrupted water overflow their banks in the lower part of town, and fill the lower stories of the houses where they leave behind an inconceivable quantity of slime and earth."
Today, the city has just one small wastewater treatment plant that serves the central business district. Almost everyone uses septic tanks or dumps waste into neighborhood sewers that flow into the canal system.
The slime has mounted over the centuries in the canals, and their embankments have risen in a failing effort to contain the flood waters. The canals that flow to the sea or into the coastal retention ponds have lost up to 75 percent of their capacity, said Brinkman at Deltares.
The city is near the end of a three-year project to deepen the canals and increase the height of their walls. But the homes alongside them are often below the level of the canals now, leaving no "vertical escape" to the rooftop in a flood, he said.
A city with an extensive canal system and a tropical rainforest climate should not have a water shortage. Yet only about a quarter of Jakarta’s population is connected to the city’s piped water system. Half draw their water from wells, and the other quarter buy from vendors who get their water from both legal and illegal public wells.
Some city residents who could have access to piped water prefer to use groundwater because connection fees – a month’s minimum wage - and additional charges on the bill make it much more expensive than a backyard well.
Piped water is also unpopular because it is often filthy when it comes out of the tap. There’s a good reason for that: Half of Jakarta’s water supply comes from the basin of the Citarum River, which the Asia Development Bank has dubbed “the world’s dirtiest river.” It is so clogged with industrial and agricultural effluents and waste from the teeming settlements along its banks that it almost seems like you could walk across parts of the river.
Groundwater is hardly better. Seventy percent of the wells in the city are contaminated by the E. coli bacteria from leaking septic tanks, according to a study conducted by the city government.
The water crisis has been a boon to the increasing ranks of water vendors who drag long carts filled with 5-gallon (20-liter) jerrycans of water around the kampongs. One jerrycan costs about 500 rupiah (4 U.S. cents).
They are especially prevalent in the coastal districts, where subsidence has allowed saltwater to flow into the water table, making well water undrinkable. And in some areas along the coast, piped water is only sporadically available during the day.
The Jakarta government does not publish data on the volume of groundwater use. But the city’s new governor, Basuki Tjajaja Purnama, said illegal use of groundwater had reached “alarming levels.” He said he will start enforcing a 2008 law that imposes fines of up to 1 billion rupiah ($80,000) and jail terms of six years for those who misuse groundwater.
The concrete jungle is not only an intensive water user; it has also taken over natural drainage sites and green areas, preventing the water tables below from being recharged. Instead of seeping into the ground, monsoon rains now wash into the canals and out to the sea.
In 2009, the Ministry of Environment came up with a novel idea to restore the water tables: It issued a decree requiring homeowners and commercial buildings to store rainwater in 3-foot-deep “biopore cylinders” on their properties to absorb and store rainwater. The decree has no enforcement mechanism, and the city environment ministry could not say how many cylinders had been installed.
ON THE MOVE
The city has recently tried another tack in its water wars: evicting settlers to create green areas along the coast.
Tens of thousands of squatters occupy large swaths of the Muara Baru kampong, behind the seawall and around a retention pond, scavenging, collecting green mussels or shrimp from the dirty water, or picking up work in the boatyards.
Every year, the floods come, people evacuate to public buildings, and the kampong sinks some more. “It’s not that bad,” says Sukiman, a 41-year-old father of three and a neighborhood chief in Muara Baru. “We can live here.”
But Muara Baru’s days appear to be numbered. The city has begun shifting the residents to create green space and to restore the Pluit retention pond, which had become clogged with garbage and waste.
Those who have a residency card may be eligible to get an apartment in new high-rise public housing projects. Those buildings, going up alongside luxury apartments and retail stores, will add to the weight pressing down on steadily subsiding land and - as with other besieged coasts around the world facing rising sea levels - only worsen the problem.
Dec 24, 2014
Stanislav
Malaysia and Indonesia
Aerial view of Kuala Krai District. Source: facebook.com
Water is everywhere. Source: facebook.com
Floods in Malaysia. Source: facebook.com
Looking at this is just sad. I wonder how are my cousins doing there. Source: facebook.com
Chief Minister of Perak Datuk Seri Dr Zambry Abd Kadir (fourth from right) reviewing the situation in Kampong Labit. Source: thestar.com.my
Flooding South Bandung. Metrotvnews.com, Bandung: Floods inundate Baleendah district, Bandung regency, West Java, on Sunday (21/12). Heavy rains Bandung and the surrounding area since the last few days resulted Citarum river overflowed, at least four districts in the South London area, among others Baleendah, Dayeuhkolot, Bojongsoang and Andir, flooded. MI / Ramdani / fz. Source: foto.metrotvnews.com
A university student leader says the worsening floods in the country is an occasion for both Pakatan Rakyat and Barisan Nasional to work together to alleviate the suffering of the flood victims. – The Malaysian Insider pic, December 24, 2014. Source: themalaysianinsider.com
A farmer tries on Wednesday to round up his ducks as they float along in floodwaters inundating a paddy field in Kroya, Cilacap. A number of farmers say widespread flooding in the regency has inflicted huge financial losses as waters swept away thousands of chickens and significant amounts of livestock. (JP/Agus Maryono). Source: thejakartapost.com
24 December, 2014. Record floods displace thousands in Indonesia, Malaysia
Record-breaking rainfall has displaced nearly 100,000 people in Indonesia and Malaysia, forcing residents from their homes and stranding tourists during the region’s rainy season.
Almost 62,000 people have been evacuated in Malaysia, a Fire and Rescue Department chief told The Anadolu Agency on Wednesday. He added that between 100 to 200 others – mostly tourists -- were stranded at a national park in Pahang state during the heaviest rainfall in 40 years.
"They are stranded in three resorts around the national park. We are using helicopter and boats to retrieve them,” Wan Mohd Nor Ibrahim said in a text message. “The utmost priority would be their safety."
Visitors and staff at the Mutiara Taman Negara Resort were stranded after riverbanks overflowed across the park, which spans more than 1 million acres and recorded its highest rainfall since 1971. Ibrahim said the flood situation across Malaysia’s East Coast states was getting worse day by day, making it necessary to establish more evacuation centers. Explaining that the people of the region are familiar with the rainy season, he said, “It was just that this year, we didn't expect such rainfall which causes unexpected chaos."
In Indonesia, more than 34,500 people have been displaced on the islands of Java and Sumatra amid heavy downpour that left around 7,370 homes submerged since last week. Sutopo Purwo Nugroho, national disaster management agency spokesperson, said in a press release that “there were no fatalities" in the flooding in the provinces of Aceh and West Java.
Around 28,000 people were forced to take shelter in makeshift tents and buildings located on higher ground in Aceh’s Tamiang Regency as water levels reached heights of 40 –150 cm. Meanwhile, more than 6,600 others have evacuated their homes in West Java since the Citarum River – the largest and longest in the province – began overflowing Thursday.
"People in the area are familiar with the Citarum River overflow caused by floods," said Sutopo. He adding that disaster management officials, police and soldiers have been helping in evacuation efforts and setting up tents, public kitchens and health services. Source: worldbulletin.net
24 December, 2014. Floods displace 120,000 people in Indonesia's Aceh
Floods in Indonesia's Aceh province in the northern tip of Sumatra island have displaced at least 120,966 people, an official said here Wednesday. Water levels rose to 400 cm in the districts of North Aceh and East Aceh, Sutopo Purwo Nugroho, spokesman of national disaster agency, told Xinhua over phone.
Those being trapped or affected by the floods are being evacuated by soldiers, police, and local disaster agency officials, the spokesman said.
Other areas being inundated by the waters include the provincial capital, Banda Aceh, the districts of Aceh Tamiang, South Aceh, Pidie, and Lhoksemawe, said Sutopo. Emergency relief aid has been sent to the centres of evacuation, he said.
Rescue personnel and the affected people badly required rubber boats, fast food, blankets, and baby food, Sutopo said. On Tuesday, the agency reported that the number of evacuee stood at 28,000 people. Indonesia is frequently struck by floods and landslides during this time of the year. Source: business-standard.com
24 December, 2014. Gua Musang residents say 'flash floods worst ever'
“The floods tragedy this year has been exceptionally extraordinary and frightening.”
Devastated by the flash floods, Kampung Batu Papan residents have been crying foul since their village was turned into ‘an island’ after devastating flash floods hit the area. Parts of Gua Musang were heavily flooded since Dec 21 and may roads cut off as torrential downpour caused havoc for households in days and merely three days after residents found themselves bailing out water from their homes after the second wave of severe weather hits the East Coast
Describing the floods as the worst in the last 30 years, resident Ibrahim Ismail said he almost gave up hope as he painfully sees his house was submerged and damaged in the flood waters. "The floods this year has been extraordinary and equally frightening as 100 per cent of the residents had to be evacuated. As far as I can remember, this has been the worst tragedy occurred in Batu Papan, even in 2001 was not as bad,” said Ibrahim.
An approximately, 200 homes in Kampung Batu Papan were damaged in floodwaters.
“I woke up at around 2am and the water seemed subsided. This morning, water level has tremendously increased and this has been the occurrence since yesterday. This marks the first after residing in this area for the last 30 years this had to be the worst. Totally unexpected,” said another resident, Mohd Alif Yusof. Source: english.astroawani.com
24 December, 2014. Worst floods in 28 years for two Terengganu villages
Villagers have described the severe floods which struck two villages in the Telemong state constituency here as the worst in the last 28 years. Telemong assemblyman Datuk Rozi Mamat said this year’s floods were worse than the floods in 1986 as the two villages were the first to be hit by the fast-flowing Sungai Telemong.
“The river overflowed about 2am and there was no time for the villagers to salvage their belongings.
“Some of them were not prepared at all as they have never been through this calamity and much of their property has been destroyed,” he told reporters today. Rozi said that initially the two villages ran short of food as they were cut off by the floods and food supplies could not be delivered immediately as the authorities were hampered by strong currents and heavy rain.
Kampung Basong Development and Security Committee (JKKK) deputy chairman Basong Mohd Salleh said usually only 10 families would be affected every time there were floods, but the number had increased to 70 families involving 300 people.
“The floods this time are very severe and I am also affected. My house has never been hit before but this time the water rose up to chest level at my house,” he said. Source: therakyatpost.com
24 December, 2014. 4m-high waves to hit 3 states
THOSE on the east coast have been warned to brace themselves for the worst floods in recent history.
A powerful combination of king tides and strong winds are expected to slam into Kelantan, Terengganu and Pahang, which are still dealing with slowly receding floodwaters.
Communities in coastal areas and along river mouths have been warned to ready themselves for immediate grab-and-go evacuations, as the worst is expected to unfold tonight or tomorrow. The high-alert notification follows not only the sustained rain in recent days, but is also in anticipation of tidal waves as high as 4.35m hitting the states.
This is expected to happen for two nights from yesterday. Many in coastal areas in Terengganu last night caught a glimpse of the power that comes with waves that high.
About 10pm, a little under two hours after 2.9m waves hit, residential areas were inundated by floodwaters that rose rapidly to about 30cm high.
The last time floods of this magnitude occurred was some 20 years ago.
Other states hit by the floods include Sabah, Sarawak, Labuan and Perak.
The department said the unusually high tides and floods were caused by a combination of three elements: the new moon, surges of strong winds and the perigee, or the point when the moon is closest to the Earth and its gravitational force is at its strongest.
“With the moon close to Earth and the stronger gravitational pull, the consequential stronger pull on water causes high tides.
“The new moon and perigee normally occur separately, but now, they are occurring almost simultaneously,” he told the New Straits Times, adding that strong winds of 60kph over the South China Sea were exacerbating the situation. Source: nst.com.my
24 December, 2014. Floods hit six states of Malaysia
Floods continued to ravage several states in Malaysia, sending more than 58,000 people to evacuation centers on Wednesday morning, reports reaching here said.
The northern state of Kelantan had the most number of evacuees followed by the states of Terengganu, Pahang, Perak, Sabah and Perlis.
In Kelantan, the number of evacuees rose by 3,164 overnight from 21,601, forcing the opening of 18 more relief centers to take the total to 114 Wednesday.
Twenty-three roads in eight districts in the state of Klelantan remain closed to traffic. Seventeen of these roads are closed to all vehicles.
According to official sources, the Kelantan Fire and Rescue Department plans to use helicopters to transport rescue boats to certain flood-hit areas in the state for the evacuation of flood victims.
In another northern state of Teregganu, 8,977 more people were evacuated overnight, raising to 21,606 the number of victims in the state. In the state of Pahang, 4,539 people in eight districts were moved to relief centers Wednesday morning, taking the total number of evacuees in the state to 10,825.
According to official sources, in the state of Perak, the districts of Hulu Perak and Kuala Kangsar are among the worst affected in the state. Up to 1,030 people in the two districts have been moved to relief centers. Source: news.xinhuanet.com
Thailand
24 December, 2014. 26,000 Thai families affected by floods
More than 26,000 families in Thailand's south have been hit by what has been described as the worst flooding in decades, while the army scrambles to step up relief efforts.
According to the Bangkok Post yesterday, Phatthalung province declared six districts disaster areas with flood waters in some areas as high as 1.5m, affecting 10,000 households.
The four southernmost provinces of Songkhla, Pattani, Yala and Narathiwat also said on Monday that 36 districts among them were disaster-hit.
The Pattani River quickly overflowed to swamp the provincial town's business area, with nearly all roads covered by up to 50cm of water. Source: straitstimes.com
Dec 24, 2014
Stanislav
Malaysia worst floods in history
Aerial view of the area manek - photos of daily light. facebook.com
An aerial view of the flood hit areas at the Taman Negara Resort in Kuala Tahan, Pahang. The floods in five states are said to be the worst in the country's history, with close to 100,000 evacuated. – The Malaysian Insider pic, December 25, 2014. Source: themalaysianinsider.com
The declaration of a 'state of emergency' by Putrajaya may prompt the large-scale coordinated effort needed to cope with what's said to be the worse floods in the country's history, says MP Tony Pua. – bombaFB pic, December 25, 2014. Source: themalaysianinsider.com
The surf conditions in Kuala Besut. Source: bloggerlelaki.com
The number of flood victims in Perak moved to evacuation centers rose to 1,650 people from 414 families until 12 noon today. Source: rakyatnews.my
The district is currently one of the worst-hit areas, causing part of the New Town Bukit Nenas flooded up to the roof of the house seen when reviewing photos Bernama here today. - Foto BERNAMA. Source: mstar.com.my
The flooding that hit Lintang and Lasah in Sungai Siput was the worst in decades, according to local residents. Source: parpukari.blogspot.ru
A villagers uses a boat to transport his motorcycle after Sungai Tembeling overflowed it banks yesterday. Pix by NAZIRUL ROSELAN. Source: nst.com.my
Kelantan view from air. Soure: twitter.com
Kuala Kangsar, Perak. The Arena Square in Kuala Kangsar which is located near the Sungai Perak river bank is also flooded. Source: thestar.com.my
Flood waters almost submerging a house in Kuala Krai, Kelantan. Source: thestar.com.my
Disaster zone: Kemaman is among the worst areas affected by the floods. — Bernama.
Bird's-eye view of a part of Kampung Kuala Tahan taken on Dec 24, 2014. The area is affected by the flood due to increasing water level in Sungai Tembeling. BERNAMAPIX. Source: thestar.com.my
Residents watch as the rising waters inundate Kuala Kangsar, December 25, 2014. — Bernama pic. Source: themalaymailonline.com
25 Decmber, 2014. Putrajaya should mobilise all available resources to mitigate the flood situation, even if it means declaring a state of emergency, said a DAP lawmaker.
Petaling Jaya Utara MP Tony Pua.said operations should be set up in areas which may be severely affected in the event of continuous downpour. "If a 'state of emergency' needs to be declared to ensure such large scale coordinated mobilisation, then Putrajaya must immediately declare a 'state of emergency'."
Pua said if the federal agencies remained lackadaisical and showed little sense of urgency, then Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak should return immediately. Najib was pictured enjoying a round of golf with United States President Barack Obama at the Marine Corps Base course in Kanehoe Bay, Hawaii.
More than 90,000 Malaysians, so far, have been displaced by floods in five states, the highest in the nation's history.
Pua called on the National Security Council to demonstrate leadership to tackle the worst floods in Malaysia's history.
"There has been almost no demonstration of urgency from the NSC," Pua said in a statement. Source: themalaysianinsider.com
25 December, 2014. Criticism rains on absent leaders as floodwaters rise
Kota Baru submerged in this year’s flood. Five states have been hit by the worst floods since 1971 and the prime minister is not here.
More than 90,000 people have been evacuated in the peninsula's east cost states as floodwaters rise due to incessant rain. While the floods are an annual event, this year's edition has been the worst in living memory.
Hence, the mounting criticism against Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak, who has been photographed having a round of golf with US President Barack Obama in Hawaii on Christmas Eve. This is not the first time a Malaysian prime minister has been under flak for not being around when floods hit the country hard. The last was in 2006 when then prime minister Tun Abdullah Ahmad Badawi was holidaying in Perth while floodwaters inundated Johor.
Pak Lah, as he is popularly known, came back but the damage was done. It is not known if Najib will cut short his annual year-end holiday and fly home to lead the relief operations.
Some of Najib's defenders say he is conducting golf diplomacy with the world's sole superpower and a photo opportunity of him in waist-deep waters will not necessarily help relief efforts.
But there are critics who say the prime minister should be in the country, rather than tweet or put Facebook status updates about what he has asked his government to do for relief efforts.
After all, the floods are an annual event and most agencies are equipped to handle it.
The point really is as simple as this. This is the biggest floods to hit Malaysia since 1971 and the prime minister is not here.
All the niceties and decrees through social media are lost on the flood victims, who are without electricity and are either trapped in their houses or in relief centres where politicians remain a rare sight Source: themalaysianinsider.com
25 December, 2014. Perak residents recount worst flooding in years
The flooding that hit Lintang and Lasah in Sungai Siput was the worst in decades, according to local residents.
Many recounted tales of devastation, describing how rapidly rising waters engulfed their homes up to rooftop level, as water from Sungai Perak and its tributaries inundated four areas state-wide. Abu Bakar Musa, 91, who was met at a relocation centre in SK Lasah yesterday, said this was the worst flooding to hit the area in recent history.
“I remember that there were similarly strong floods in the 1920s and 1930s, but since then there has been nothing as bad as yesterday.” Source: themalaymailonline.com
25 December, 2014. Declare emergency, DAP MP tells PM as flood evacuees climb past 90,000
Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak should declare a state of emergency today to boost rescue efforts as massive floods displace over 90,000 people in five states in peninsular Malaysia, a federal opposition lawmaker said.
Tony Pua reprimanded the federal governments seemingly lackadaisical efforts in tackling what he called “the worst natural disaster in recent history”.
“We call upon the Federal Government to mobilise all possible resources to mitigate the flood situation, including setting up operations in areas which hasn’t been flooded yet, but might be severely affected in the event of more rain and rising tides.
“If a ‘state of emergency’ needs to be declared to ensure such large scale coordinated mobilisation, then the Prime Minister must immediately declare a ‘state of emergency’,” the Petaling Jaya Utara MP said in a statement.
The DAP politician also said if the federal government agencies are taking “concrete steps” to tackle the flood woes in the prime minister’s absence, there wouldn’t be a problem with Najib taking his year-end holidays in Hawaii. Source: themalaymailonline.com
Dec 25, 2014
casey a
Malaysian PM had met with Obama in Hawaii yesterday.
Dec 25, 2014
Stanislav
@casey. Well, I guess it does not matter:) The idea is to show the scale of the flooding. Eventually, the difference in time. And the article could have been written yesterday.
Sri Lanka
25 December, 2014. More than 650,000 displaced in floods, landslides in Sri-Lanka
Rain in Sri Lanka triggering floods and landslides has displaced more than 650,000 people, officials said Thursday. The number of people displaced has increased by 150,000 since Monday, Disaster Management Centre (DMC) officials said, adding that there are signs the figures will rise.
Six days of heavy rains have flooded irrigation tanks and hydro-power reservoirs in the northern and central parts of the country, prompting irrigation officials to open sluice gates to prevent the tanks' breaching. Source: enca.com
Dec 25, 2014
casey a
yup.. but i suspect these south east asian leaders are panicking about painting themselves into a corner. As long as the announcement doesn't take place & the flooding continues to gets worse, they'll be forced to lie to their people. And the longer they lie, the more likely their people will get mad at them later.
Dec 25, 2014
Khan
In Jakarta, that sinking feeling is all too real-sunk 13 feet (4 meters) over the past three decades
Dec 23, 2014
A view of a section of the new seawall being constructed next to the existing one (R) in Muara Baru, north Jakarta, Sept. 30, 2014. REUTERS/Darren Whiteside
JAKARTA, Dec 22 (Reuters) - The Ciliwung River flows from a volcano south of the Indonesian capital, through the heart of one of the world's most densely populated cities and almost into Jakarta Bay. Almost, because for the final mile or so of its course, the river would have to flow uphill to reach the bay.
The same is true for the rest of the half-dozen sewage-choked rivers that wind though central Jakarta. Unable to defy gravity, they've been redirected to canals that drain into the sea.
The reason these conduits are necessary is that Greater Jakarta, an agglomeration of 28 million people, sits on a swampy plain that has sunk 13 feet (4 meters) over the past three decades.
"Jakarta is a bowl, and the bowl is sinking," said Fook Chuan Eng, senior water and sanitation specialist with the World Bank, who oversees a $189 million flood mitigation project for the city.
The channels of the Ciliwung and other rivers are sinking. The entire sprawl of Jakarta's north coast - fishing ports, boatyards, markets, warehouses, fish farms, crowded slums and exclusive gated communities - it's all sinking. Even the 40-year-old seawall that is supposed to keep the Java Sea from inundating the Indonesian capital is sinking.
Just inside the seawall sits the Muara Baru kampong, or village, that is home to more than 100,000 people. It is now at least 6 feet below sea level, and residents like Rahmawati, a mother of two small children, gaze upward from their front stoops to view the sea.
"When there's a high tide, the ships float almost at the same height as the seawall - we can see the ships from here," said Rahmawati, who like many Indonesians goes by one name.
Flooding from overflowing rivers and canals in the area is at least an annual event that forces Rahmawati and the rest of the kampong to evacuate to public buildings nearby. High-water marks from the last big flood, in 2013, are still visible on the walls of the kampong.
Source
Dec 26, 2014
Stanislav
Malaysia
103,000 evacuated in record-breaking Malaysia floods. Source: bharian.com
http://translate.google.com/translate?hl=en&sl=auto&tl=en&a...
Reduce military aid from a helicopter by means of 'winching' to Sek Keb Manek Urai hit. Source: bernama.com
http://translate.google.com/translate?hl=en&sl=auto&tl=en&a...
An aerial view of Kuala Krai town. Source: nst.com.my
Aerial view Kelantan. Source: twitter.com
The situation in Manek Urai, Kelantan. It was reported that the water level in Sungai Kelantan exceeded the danger level at Tangga Krai, Jambatan Guillemard and Tambatan Diraja. — Bernama pic. Source: therakyatpost.com
Some of the people who were rescued from Gunung Gagau are seen arriving on a boat at Hulu Terengganu on December 22, 2014. — Bernama pic. Source: themalaymailonline.com
The floods in the east coast, Perlis and Perak have displaced more than 100,000 victims to date and are said to be the worst in the country's history. Source: news.asiaone.com
26 December, 2014. Terengganu hit by worst floods in three decades
The floods, which inundated 20 villages in Bukit Besi state constituency, are regarded by residents as the worst since 1983.
Among the affected villages are Kampung Kuala Jengai, Kampung Rantau Panjang, Kampung Dendang, Kampung Jerangau Sungai, Kampung Minda, Kampung Shukor, Kampung Padang Ping and Kampung Lintang.
“This time, the floods are very bad. Since my village is flooded every year, I keep my valuable items on a raft,” he said when met by Bernama. Zulfadzli Supaat, 42, and Siti Salmiah Sikh Salim, 41, of Kampung Wa experienced harrowing moments when water entered their home at midnight. Teacher Zulfadzli had to call friends to help evacuate his teacher wife and their 45-day-old baby.
“It was a really anxious moment. The only thing on my mind was to evacuate my wife and baby. Thank god, both of them are safe. “This is the worst flood in my 14-year stay here. During past floods, the water only rose to my calf but this time it came up to my waist,” he said.
For senior citizen Mat Jais Jah, 84, the floods inundating his village this time reminded him of the one 31 years ago.
“The floods in 1983 were bad but this time it is worse as more people are evacuated. Fortunately, we have comfortable relief centres and food. Thank god, now all is provided by the government. “In 1983, we had to escape to hill tops in the village or squatted at houses of villagers built on high ground.
Meanwhile, chairman of Kampung Jerangau Sungai Development and Security Committee chairman Mohamad Jusoh, said more people were evacuated in the floods compared to previous years. Source: themalaymailonline.com
26 December, 2014. Parts of Kuala Lumpur hit by flash floods
Flood in Kota Baru, Kelantan.
A two-hour downpour caused the overflowing of Sungai Gombak, which spilled into the city centre.
"We received reports at 10.48pm that there was a flash flood in Jalan Pekeliling and at 11.10pm, we were informed that Jalan Tun Razak heading to Jalan Ipoh was also affected," a Federal Territories Civil Defence Department (JPAM) source said when contacted.
"However, the flood subsided after about one hour," the source added.
The flash floods also caused a traffic standstill at Jalan Pahang at midnight as some parts of the road were submerged in water.
Kuala Lumpur City Hall's Integrated Transport Information System (ItisDBKL) said Friday morning that the city has been cleared from any flood.
Social media was abuzz with photos from last night's flash flood, raising concern among netizens amid worsening floods in the east cost, Perlis and Perak.
More than 100,000 victims have been evacuated following the floods there, deemed to be worst in the country's history.
26 December, 2014. 103,000 evacuated in record-breaking Malaysia floods
More than 103,000 people have been evacuated due to flooding in four states in peninsular Malaysia during the heaviest rainy season downpour in decades.
Pahang state experienced the largest increase in the number of evacuees, as an additional 6,000 displaced persons brought the total to more than 35,700 on Friday, according to the Malaysian Insider news website. Of the displaced, nearly 20,000 are currently sheltered at 44 relief centers in the state capital of Kuantan.
In Kelantan, the number of evacuees decreased slightly from almost 35,000 to around 32,000 as six districts experienced an improvement in the flooding situation.
More people were also displaced in Terengganu and Perak, bringing the total evacuees in the states to more than 30,000 and 5,500, respectively.
Meanwhile, New Years celebrations have been canceled in Perak and Putrajaya city, Malaysia’s federal administrative center south of capital Kuala Lumpur.
Meanwhile, the cancelation of programs in Putrajaya was announced by the federal territories minister, who defended Prime Minister Najib Razak against criticism for being abroad as the country deals with the worst floods in four decades.
"Some say PM does not bother, ministers don't bother... all this is propaganda and slander," the Insider quoted Tengku Adnan Tengku Mansor as saying at a press conference at the ministry's Christmas open house Thursday. Source: worldbulletin.net
26 December, 2014. PM under fire as 118,000 flee worst Malaysia floods in decades
Malaysia's worst flooding in decades forced some 118,000 people to flee as premier Najib Razak came under fire after photos showed him golfing with US President Barack Obama during the storms. Source: dailymail.co.uk
Dec 26, 2014
Stanislav
Aerial view of residential areas and farms in Kelantan still flooded. - Photo by AFP, December 27, 2014. Source: themalaysianinsider.com
ZetaTalk: High Tide Excuses
Written January 22, 2011
Rain has been overused by the establishment as an excuse for the obvious sinking. The establishment is now switching to high tides as an excuse, claiming that a storm surge is creating a high tide. Since the cause of a storm surge can be away from the shore, and not easily determined by the common man busy with his daily activities, this excuse is less easily challenged. The high tide or storm surge excuse will also move to tsunami, blaming a quake in some locale or another. But eventually, when the flood waters do not drain, the truth will out. Pakistan shows the process, as flooding in July was claimed to be slow draining due to continued rain up river, along the Indus River highlands. It was months later, almost half a year later, that it was acknowledged by NASA that the flood waters were not going to drain. The people on the ground, those affected, already knew this. It was not until the issue left the media, and those around the world would presume that the Pakistan floods had receded, that NASA made this admission.
The same process would occur in Indonesia, were it not for what is to soon follow. Our predictions were not just for the sinking of the plate tongue holding Indonesia. They were for islands in the Caribbean to disappear and Central America to be crushed. The locks at Panama are used for shipping worldwide, to bypass having to go around the tip of S America. This will not be out of the news, but will be a continuing subject due to the impact on business. The press does not, in fact, hold the public captive, like sheep, waiting to be told what to think! Look at commerce. Commerce involves a lot of face-to-face meetings and interaction. Phones are used, and cannot be blocked as commerce would likely halt then. The same is true of the Internet, which is used by universities, defence departments, and especially commerce to an immense degree. How do you stop people from talking? How do you stop awareness of the Straits of Gibraltar spreading by 125 miles and Africa moving 50 miles further east?
So of course plate movement will have to be admitted, and to the degree that our predictions are associated with this people will discover ZetaTalk, even without the assistance of the Puppet Master's determination to inform the public and encourage the formation of strong survival communities. We have stated that the establishment will become shrill in attacking our message, and ourselves as the source, as the truth of our predictions comes to light. Look at the past 15 years, since ZetaTalk began. Alternate emissaries or spokespersons have been pushed upon the public, though were not accepted. NASA associates were given the stage to pronounce our theories to be hogwash, and as long as NASA has a modicum of respect this will continue. The Earth changes have been blamed on the Sun, even when the Sun did not cooperate, or on some mythical galactic alignment. The noise level will increase, so that the public increasingly sets about discerning the truth for themselves. ZetaTalk aligns with the facts, and has the track record, and thus will emerge the winner in this war
ZetaTalk: High Tide Excuses
28 December, 2014. Combination of natural phenomena contributed to floods, say climatologists
Adverse weather conditions resulting from a combination of the year-end monsoon, perigean spring tide and the La Nina phenomenon contributed to the worse-than-usual floods in northeastern Peninsular Malaysia which have displaced more than 160,000 people, said climatologists.
A perigean spring tide is a tide that occurs three or four times a year when the moon's perigee (its closest point to Earth during its 28-day elliptical orbit) coincides with a spring tide (when the Earth, sun and moon are nearly aligned every two weeks).
This is worsened by the current Northeast monsoon experienced by the east coast, where northeasterly winds bring moist air, causing parts of the country to experience four to seven days of continuous heavy rainfall.
"This is an exceptional phenomenon. The gravitational pull of the moon causes high tides which prevent waters from the rivers to flow into the sea.
"As a result, the water has no way to go but overflow its banks, which inundated low- lying areas like Kuantan, Kota Baru and Kuala Terengganu," said climatologist Professor Datuk Dr Shaharuddin Ahmad from Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia, citing the main towns of the three worst-hit states.
The Malaysian Meteorological Department had said the moon was closest to the Earth at 12.44am on Christmas Day, where it was as close as 364,791km from Earth, appearing as a super moon, or a larger than usual moon, even to casual observers. Climatologist Dr Ramzah Dambul from Universiti Sabah Malaysia, who is planning a trip to the affected areas as part of his research, did not discount the possibility that the La Nina phenomenon was a contributing factor as it usually brings severe thunderstorms.
He said the La Nina, coupled with the on-going monsoon, could have resulted in the worse than normal floods usually experienced by the states of Kelantan, Terengganu and some parts of Pahang.
"What we are probably seeing is the combined wind circulation from the two weather patterns which brings with it a lot of rain," he said.
Environmental Management & Research Association of Malaysia president Ellias Saidin, however, discounted overdevelopment as the cause of the floods, saying that the three states were not as developed as the western part of the peninsula. He said climate change which brought more rainfall and higher temperatures in the past few years could be one of the factors that contributed to the current situation.
"There are solutions to this, like flood mitigation projects, but it will be very expensive because it involves hundreds of kilometres of coastline and may involve relocation of people and animals as well," he said. The situation in Kelantan, Terengganu, Pahang, Johor and Perak is reportedly worsening, while the northern states of Perlis and Kedah reported that the flood situation has improved.
In Kelantan, as of yesterday, 81,925 evacuees were in relief centres, up from the 45,467 on Friday night, national news agency Bernama reported.
The total number of evacuees nationwide rose to more than 160,000 yesterday.
Rescue teams were reported to be struggling to reach inundated areas of northeast Malaysia as victims accused the government of being slow to provide assistance after the country's worst flooding in decades. Deputy Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin admitted rescuers were facing challenges with power outages and roads washed away by the floods. "I admit the situation is challenging to the rescue workers and we are trying our best to make sure that the food arrives to the victims depending on the flood situation," he was quoted as saying by The Star.
Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak who was severely criticised for playing golf in Hawaii with US president Barack Obama while parts of the country were under water, returned yesterday and went straight to Kelantan where he was briefed on the flood situation by the National Security Council before visiting some of the affected areas. – December 28, 2014. Source: themalaysianinsider.com
An aerial view of flooded streets of the National Park in Kuala Tahan, Pahang December 24, 2014. Credit: Reuters/Nazirul Roselan. Source: uk.reuters.com
A resident checking out his flooded house. Experts say a number of factors contributed to the floods in Kelantan and several other states. – AFP pic, December 28, 2014. Source: themalaysianinsider.com
The Malaysian Armed Forces will review its standard operating procedure in disaster management following severe floods that have struck the nation. — TRP pic by Mokhsin Zamani. Source: therakyatpost.com
27 December, 2014. Number of Malaysians displaced by worst-ever floods reaches 160,000
The number of people evacuated due to Malaysia's worst-ever floods jumped to more than 160,000 on Saturday, as Prime Minister Najib Razak reached the worst-hit state after cutting short a vacation in the U.S.
Najib arrived in Kelantan, which has the biggest problems among eight affected states, following his return from Hawaii on Friday after public criticism he had been absent as flooding worsened.
On Saturday, Najib announced an additional 500 million ringgit ($143.31 million) will be spent to aid victims after the flood subsides, following an initial government allocation of 50 million ringgit two days ago.
The number of people evacuated topped 160,000 at 0700GMT Saturday, according to the New Straits Times newspaper, a sharp increase from 100,000 a day before. The prime minister attended briefings with the National Security Council, the National Disaster Management and Relief Committee, state government and local emergency responders, a statement on Friday said.
Northeastern peninsular Malaysia, which is worst affected part of the country, is regularly hit by flooding during the annual "northeast monsoon", but this year's rains have been particularly heavy. Source: in.reuters.com
Dec 28, 2014
Stanislav
Southeast Asia floods 2014.
Malaysia fears third wave of worst-ever floods
‘Complete collapse’ in east coast flood response, NSC concedes. Source: kualalumpurpost.net
Photo taken on December 26 shows the situation in Kampung Manek Urai adversely affected by the floods. - Photo Fathil Asri. Source: bharian.com
Aerial view of Malaysia floods. hambaliabdullah.blogspot
REVIEW air in some areas around Kuala Krai are still flooded. Source: duniaitu.blogspot.ru
Important note: On satellite images is now a lot of clouds, so you can not see the "full picture" of floods in Malaysia. Satellite data MODIS
27 December, 2014
30 December, 2014. ‘Complete collapse’ in east coast flood response, NSC concedes
NSC secretary Datuk Mohamed Thajudeen Abdul Wahab was quoted by English daily The Star as saying that they were unable to execute their disaster management plan on the ground as their district level teams could not deploy.
"In the districts, the frontliners of our disaster management machinery include the village headman and district officers. But due to the magnitude of the floods, most districts were completely inundated. "Our entire district machinery collapsed as they had become victims themselves," he was quoted as saying in the report.
Thajudeen said they were severely disadvantaged during the peak of the floods between December 23 and 27, when it had been virtually "impossible" to access many areas, especially with the lack of communication as power was cut to avoid electrocution.
He said their biggest problem was figuring out where help was needed and the extent of the damage caused by the floods in each district, despite having managed to stockpile donations of food and supplies from the public and companies. "We could not use heavy vehicles; the currents were too strong to use boats and the winds were too turbulent to go by air," he said of the five-day period.
Thajudeen said the situation has become "slightly better" with the receding flood waters, allowing aid to be delivered by air and on the ground, but noted that there were still several areas where helicopters could not land. A total of five deaths were recorded in Kelantan, three in Pahang and two in Terengganu to date, according to data published by the NSC on its website.
As at 8am today, a total of 235,218 people have been evacuated from their homes in Terengganu, Kelantan, Pahang, Perak, Johor, Perlis, Selangor and Kedah.
Although floodwaters are gradually receding in Kuala Krai and Kota Baru, meteorologists have warned that the worst is not yet over in Kelantan, Pahang and Terengganu.
Reports continue to pour in on overcrowded shelters; intermittent communications services; shortage of food and water supply; rescue efforts hampered by power outages; and roads that have been washed away by the floods.
The extent of the worst flooding in decades has been such that Deputy Prime Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin, who is overseeing the government’s flood relief efforts, has warned that floods are worse than anticipated, saying that assets currently deployed were inadequate to face the floods of such proportions. Source: themalaymailonline.com
29 December, 2014. Floods in Malaysia and Thailand kill at least 24.
The worst flooding in Malaysia in more than a decade has killed 10 people and forced nearly 160,000 from their homes and more rain is expected, authorities said on Sunday.
Among the casualties, five were in the worst-hit state of Kelantan, in northeastern peninsular Malaysia. Over the border in southern Thailand, 14 people have been killed in the floods that began in mid-December.
Malaysian Prime Minister Najib Razak toured some of the worst-hit areas this weekend, following his return from a vacation in Hawaii on Friday. Najib was criticised for his absence during the calamity, after being photographed playing golf with President Barack Obama.
Northeastern Malaysia and southern Thailand are regularly hit by flooding during the annual northeast monsoon but this year the rain has been particularly heavy.
The Malaysian government said rain in Kelantan and southern Thailand would last for at least another week. An official in the southern Thai border town of Sungai Kolok said it would take up to two days for water levels to drop and for the border to be reopened Source: antaranews.com
30 December, 2014. Malaysia death toll up to 10, fears of fresh flooding
Ten people have been killed in Malaysia's worst flooding for 30 years and over 219,000 displaced from their homes, local media reported on Tuesday (Dec 30), with residents worried about further inundation.
While the waters were beginning to recede on Tuesday, more bad weather was forecast over the next two days, with intermittent to heavy showers predicted for the northeastern states of Kelantan, Terengganu and Pahang. The region is regularly hit by flooding during the annual monsoon, between November and March, but this year's storms have been unusually powerful.
"In my 42 years of living in Kelantan, I have never witnessed such a storm and destruction," said Ee Su Chuong, 42, the owner of an auto repair shop in Kota Bharu in Kelantan - the worst-hit state. "But our fear is there could be another fresh round of flooding. We are certainly worried." Ee also said that electricity had not been fully restored in Kota Bharu.
As waters receded, images of overturned vehicles and victims returning to their homes to salvage their belongings were splashed across local newspapers. Another area badly affected by the storm is Kuala Krai district, also in Kelantan - one of Malaysia's poorest states - where thousands of homes are totally submerged. "I hope there isn't a third wave like people have been saying," Kuala Krai resident Maznah Abdul Rahman, 55, was quoted as saying by The Malay Mail.
Prime Minister Najib Razak - who has come under fire for what was seen as the government's slow response to the crisis - announced an additional 500 million ringgit (US$143 million) assistance after touring parts of Kelantan over the weekend. Najib also ordered all his cabinet ministers to return to work, cutting short their traditional year-end holidays to manage the flooding crisis.
Truck drivers have complained of diesel shortages as many petrol stations have been submerged. At relief centres, workers are struggling to cope with a lack of clean water and unsanitary conditions. The government has postponed the start of the school year by one week in light of the floods. Source: channelnewsasia.com
Sri Lanka
30 December, 2014. 30 dead, 1 million hit by Sri Lanka floods
At least 30 people have died, six are missing and about a million more were affected by floods in Sri Lanka caused by non-stop rains since Friday, an official said Monday.
'At this moment, we have 30 dead and six missing, and we have 33,346 families displaced as a result of the rain in 626 localities,' Anthony Milroy of Sri Lanka's Disaster Management Centre said.
He said the heavy rainfall had subsided in the southern part of the country, but continued to pour down on the northeastern part, the region most affected by flood.
Milroy said about 100,000 people have been displaced by the rain and about a million have been otherwise affected, but he was unable to provide any details about relief efforts underway.
According to reports, several roads were blocked and communications were affected in practically the entire country.
Authorities have evacuated Mutur and Somapura, in Koddiyar Bay, in northeastern part of the country.
Sri Lanka commemorated Friday the 10th anniversary of the tsunami that devastated a considerable part of the country, leaving over 35,000 people dead and over another 5,000 missing. This year, the Sri Lankan government selected the theme 'Safety Sri Lanka -- let us unite to eradicate disasters' on National Safety Day, which has been an annual event held Dec 26 since 2006. Source: khaleejtimes.com
Philippines
This is an aerial view of Loboc town in Bohol, hit by heavy flooding in the aftermath of Seniang. Photo courtesy of the Philippine Army, Bohol Capitol, Edcom Bohol. Source: rappler.com
30 December, 2014. ‘Unprecedented’ floods in Bohol as Seniang kills 11
Bohol Governor Edgar Chatto says Loboc town experienced 'unprecedented flooding,' with residents unable to anticipate the water level rise. Two days of heavy flooding and landslides killed 11 people as tropical storm Seniang (Jangmi) crossed the Visayas on Tuesday, December 30, with water in some areas "neck deep," officials said.
Seniang, which was forecast to bring up to 15 millimeters (0.6 inches) of rain per hour, barreled through fishing and tourist areas on Tuesday, with about 1,700 people being evacuated ahead of its arrival.
Bohol is among the provinces hardest hit by floods, and is now under a state of calamity.
Five people were killed after a landslide buried a house in Tanauan town, Leyte province, the region's civil defense spokeswoman Blanche Gobenciong told Agence France-Presse (AFP). "We are focused on floods and landslides because, while the storm's winds are weak, it will bring heavy rain," national civil defense chief Alexander Pama told DZMM radio. An 8-year-old girl drowned after raging floodwaters washed away her family's shanty home in the coastal town of Ronda in Cebu province, regional civil defense officer Allen Cabaron told AFP, adding that 6 of the girl's housemates are missing.
Two teenage boys, meanwhile, died from electrocution while wading through floodwaters in Loon in Bohol province, Cabaron added.
Rivers burst their banks, covering roads and highways in knee-deep floods that washed out bridges and stalled vehicles, Cabaron said, adding that floods in some areas were "neck-deep.”
‘Unprecedented flooding in Bohol’. In an interview on ANC, Bohol Governor Edgar Chatto said heavy flooding hit Bohol, with the municipalities of Loboc and Maribojoc the focus of rescue and relief efforts.
“The water of the river rose to heights that are unprecedented. It’s been a long time since the [Loboc] river rose to this level, and maybe also [with] the high tide compounding the problem, the water was not able to exit the river. We are now sending choppers to towns to bring food items with the local disaster council,” Chatto said.
While residents were ordered to evacuate, Chatto said they did not expect the damage from the storm to be this devastating. “This is an unprecedented level. It has never happened for quite some time.” Source: rappler.com
30 December, 2014. 'Seniang' kills 29, leaves 10 missing
Flash floods and landslides triggered by Tropical Storm Seniang (Jangmi) left at least 29 people dead and 10 missing, including in areas still recovering from last year's Typhoon Yolanda (Haiyan), officials said Tuesday.
Seniang, packing winds of 65 kilometers per hour (kph) and gusts of 80 kph, dumped heavy rains Monday on southern Mindanao, where floods destroyed bridges and highways, sending thousands of residents to evacuation centers. The storm then pushed its way through eastern and central islands, where most of the deaths occurred Tuesday. Source: sunstar.com.ph
30 December, 2014. Floods, landslides kill at least 13 in Visayas, Mindanao; many more missing
Floods and landslides from torrential rains spawned by tropical storm "Seniang" have killed at least 13 persons, several of them children, since Monday, with many more still missing, various reports said.
At least seven of the fatalities, four of them children, were killed by landslides that struck Catbalogan City, Samar and Tanauan, Leyte Tuesday morning.
In Catbalogan, two children were confirmed dead in the landslide that struck Burak, Barangay Mercedes at 4 a.m. As of this posting, rescuers were scrambling to save an undetermined number of other persons who remain buried in the rubble, according to the city disaster rescue and rehabilitation office.
In Tanauan, Blanche Gobenciong, Region 8 director of the Office of Civil Defense, said at least five persons, including three members of a family -- two of them children -- were killed by a hundred-meter high landslide that buried at least five houses at the boundary of Barangays Cabuynan and Sto. Nino.
A fourth family member, a man who had been pinned down by huge rocks and fallen trees, was rescued and brought to a hospital in Tacloban City.
Catbalogan officials said at least 20 houses perched on hillsides were swept down the slopes towards the national highway by sliding earth they described as wide as a city block. Source: interaksyon.com
Dec 30, 2014
Stanislav
Aftermath of Malaysia worst ever floods. MODIS Data
Dec 31, 2014
Stanislav
Philippines:
From NASA Earth observatory
Jan 4, 2015
SongStar101
Update as of Jan 2, 2015 Ongoing Floods
http://reliefweb.int/map/philippines/2-january-2015-asia-severe-wea...
SRI LANKA
• The death toll due to the ongoing floods in Sri Lanka has increased to 39, while 38 416 people remain in shelters, more than 24 500 houses have been damaged and over 1 million people have been affected, the majority of which (930 100) in Eastern province, as of 2 January (DMC-SL).
MALAYSIA
• The situation in many flood-affected areas in Peninsular Malaysia is improving, as of 2 January. In Kelantan, Terengganu, Pahang and Perak states, many evacuees have been allowed to return to their home places (approx. 84 500 remain in shelters).
• In Sabah (Borneo island) heavy rainfall caused river overflows and evacuation preparations are ongoing, as of 2 January. In the next 24h locally heavy rainfall may still affect the state of Sabah.
• According to media (as of 31 December), at least 21 people were killed in Malaysia.
INDONESIA
• Floods and landslides affected several parts of Indonesia in the last two weeks.
• In Aceh province several regencies have been affected by floods, with more than 120 000 people displaced, as of 24 December. Worst affected was Aceh Timur.
• In Riau province at least 1 900 people were displaced from floods, as of 26 December.
• In Gorontalo, approx. 1 760 were displaced.
• In West Java province two people were killed and 119 people were displaced from landslides, as of 28 December. Another 4 400 people were displaced from floods.
THAILAND
• Several provinces of southern Thailand were affected by floods during the last two weeks. At least 13 people have been killed and more than 550 000 people have been affected. As of 2 January, the situation has improved, except in parts of Yala province, where floods continue affecting many areas.
PHILIPPINES
• In southern and central Philippines, due to the passage of the Tropical Storm JANGMI (locally known as SENIANG) on 28-31 December, at least 53 people were killed and more than 225 000 people were affected.
Jan 5, 2015
Derrick Johnson
Floods, landslides hit North Sumatra regencies
A number of regencies and cities in North Sumatra were hit by floods and landslides on Thursday due to heavy rains over the past several days.
No casualties have been reported, but thousands of residents have evacuated and a number of villages have been cut-off as the landslides destroyed major transportation routes.
In Langkat regency, the floods swamped 10,000 homes. In Tanjung Pura district, 6,150 homes were affected; in Hinai district 684, in Batang Serangan 425, in Wampu 606 and in Sawit Seberang 300.
As many as 21 elementary schools in a number of districts were also engulfed by the floods, forcing authorities to suspend school.
Langkat Disaster Mitigation Agency (BPBD) acting head Iwan Syahri said the floods in Langkat had expanded. As of Thursday afternoon the floods had swamped five districts with up to a meter of water, he said.
“The worst hit was Tanjungpura, where the water level reached a meter inside residents’ homes,” Iwan told The Jakarta Post.
Tanjungpura district chief Surianto said the floods in the district were triggered by heavy downpours that started on Jan. 14. As of Thursday at noon, he said, the floods had expanded to a number of villages, such as Pematang Cengal Barat, Pekubuan, Lalang, Baja Kuning and Teluk Bakung. He added that all of the affected residents had taken shelter in tents erected by the government.
Langkat Regent Ngogesa Sitepu said the local BPBD, local police, Indonesian Military, Indonesian Red Cross and volunteers had arrived in the flooded areas to provide help to residents whose homes were engulfed.
“The teams have been deployed. They have distributed aid to shelters, located in six locations,” Ngogesa said at a flooded location in Tanjungpura.
In Simalungun regency, pouring rain over the past several days triggered a landslide in a hilly area in Pamatang Raya district, cutting access connecting three villages in the agricultural region. As of Thursday, the three isolated villages remained cut-off.
The Simalungun regency administration held a coordinated meeting with regional working units on Thursday in Pamatang Raya to deal with natural disasters in the region.
Simalungun Regent Jopinus Ramli Saragih has deployed heavy machinery to clean debris covering the road in Lokung, Raya Bayu and Dalig Raya villages.
“We are making efforts to reopen the roads and then take necessary measures to deal with residents affected by the landslide,” said Jopinus.
Earlier this year, three areas in Simalungun were detected as prone to floods and landslides triggered by the heavy rainfall since December 2014.
In Central Tapanuli regency, heavy downpours from Tuesday until Wednesday also triggered a landslide in Silantom village, Pa-ngaribuan district. The landslide has disrupted traffic on the Trans-Sumatra highway connecting Pangaribuan village and Sipirok.
North Sumatra Police chief spokesman Sr. Comr. Helfi Assegaf said no casualties were reported in the landslide. He added that local police were currently working together with the local public works office and Bina Marga Directorate General to bring in heavy machinery to clear landslide debris.
- Floods inundate thousands of homes in Langkat regency, forcing residents to evacuate
- Landslides block access roads in Simalungun and Central Tapanuli
Source: http://www.thejakartapost.com/news/2015/01/16/floods-landslides-hit...Jan 16, 2015
Stanislav
Borneo, Indonesia and Malaysia
5 January, 2015. It’s the ‘ponding effect’, not floods — DID engineer
SIBU: Although places such as Kampung Bahagia Jaya, Kampung Jeriah, Sentosa Road, and Ulu Sungai Merah Road are often flooded, those are not floods, technically.
Sibu Drainage and Irrigation Department (DID) engineer Ting Sing Kwong said the correct technical term was ‘ponding effect’.
Ting explained these low-lying residential areas built on peat soil continued to sink, making these residential areas susceptible to the effect of a pond – when it rains, the water will flow into the ‘ponds’.
“Worse still, the surrounding areas are higher, so definitely the rain water will flow down into it, and stay there for days before flowing out.”
Ting said before the rainy season began, his department had cleared drains in Teku area, where Kampung Bahagia Jaya is located, and other low-lying areas.
“Those are not flash floods, either. Flash floods come and go fast, probably in a few hours. But the water in these low-lying areas stays and remains in the ‘pond’ for days.”
He admitted the stagnant water was inconvenient to the residents, adding his department would find solutions to alleviate the situation this week.
He noted that the land was still sinking in these low-lying peat soil areas.
According to residents in Sentosa Road, the water level was thigh-deep in the current water retention period.
In some parts, it was at waist level.
One house cleaner said the front portion of Sentosa Road was already impassable to cars.
She said she had to go out with an alternative route at the back, and if the rain continued, she might soon be stranded. “The water level of the alternative route has nearly reached the road. I cannot afford to be stranded because I need to go out to work, failing which I shall earn less and that will be insufficient to feed my family.” One owner confirmed the ground floor of his house had been flooded and he had moved his properties and household items to higher grounds.
Another man said his family had moved out to stay temporarily with his younger brother in another part of the town.
“Our family members are mostly working.”
He said the situation they faced was worrying and very common. Source: theborneopost.com
8 January, 2014. Flash floods instill fear among people in low-lying areas
SIBU: People in the outskirt, especially in low-lying areas, are still gripped with anxiety as flash floods have become a threat to lives. Divisional engineer of the Department of Irrigation and Drainage, Ting Sing Kwong, confirmed yesterday that this had been a concern of late.
He said the situation was quite serious on Monday, with knee-deep water recorded in some areas such as Tun Ahmad Edruce Road, Ling Kai Cheng Road, Ulu Sungei Merah Road, Kampung Sentosa, Kampung Jerriah and Teku Road.
He said the sinking of roads was a major problem, and coupled with days of heavy downpour, the water could not be flushed out in time. Ting said another reason was development in water catchment areas.
“This causes rainwater to rush down and settle in low-lying areas.” A resident of Kampung Sentosa complained that water had risen more than a week ago, but due to the poor drainage system and the sinking land, the flood water was still there.
“We have been soaked in water for days,” the housewife said.
At Tun Ahmad Edruce Road, a motorist said he was caught by the rising water on Sunday night as he was driving home.
“The road was dark. I was caught in a dilemma as I did not know how deep the water was. Should I drive through the flooded road or turn back?” He said he could not turn back because it was a one-way lane. He therefore tried his luck to drive through, “and luckily, I made it”.
Ting reminded townsfolk that King Tide level was still high.
“The tide will go down within days but for now, let’s all be alert.” Source: theborneopost.com
28 October, 2014. Sibu racing with king tide, rising waters — Engineer
SIBU: The Department of Irrigation and Drainage (DID) here will speed up efforts to improve the drainage system in low-lying areas as the threat of floods has heightened in the current year-end wet season.
The flood in Ulu Sungai Merah. Floods has currently hit Sibu, mostly on the outskirts. Divisional engineer Ting said DID will speed up drain upgrading works as the year-end wet season sets in.
Divisional DID engineer Ting Sing Kwong told The Borneo Post yesterday that his department had observed flood waters rising, adding it had coincided with the king tide that set in on Friday.
For more than a week from now, he said water levels stayed high, adding the tide had come in with the rain. “We have already surveyed the water situation in Teku Road and Kampung Jeriah, and this will be our priority in drainage improvement works which we shall begin shortly.”
Ting said they would do drainage works in stages, and after completion in Teku and Kampung Jeriah, they would move on to the next. The engineer said his department had observed that the current flood situation was not serious, adding that water was only a few inches high in Teku and other low-lying areas, mostly on the outskirts. He admitted that apart from the rain and the king tide, floods had set in partially due to drain blockages.
“Some lanes and roads in Teku are also sinking. This is another contributing factor.”
On the current king tide situation, Ting said it had not reached the alert level.
“We shall continue to monitor the situation. If the rains worsen, the situation could pose a danger.”
Ting expected the water level in the next king tide in November to be higher.
He said his department would keep vigil on the ‘fluid situation’ in the current year-end wet season. Meanwhile, residents in low-lying areas from Hua Kiew Road to Kapor Road have been able to sleep soundly at night so far despite current flooding.
The residential areas here used to be the worst-hit and residents have been putting up with floods each time it poured. “(But) Not anymore,” said a resident in Foochow Lane, William Um.
The officer of a firm here said since the flood gate and pump station were built near the central market to control the water in their low-lying areas, floods were rarely seen.
Um appreciated the timely efforts of the government in building the flood gate and pump house.
He hoped the government would continue building the Sibu Flood Mitigation project, which DID said would cost over RM600 million as it was being carried out in phases.
The project is already into Phase Two, running from Upper Lanang Road to its mid-section near Ek Thei Road.
Ting said in an earlier interview they would continue with Phase Three of the project after completing Phase Two and after they had received federal funds. According to the flood mitigation plan, the engineer said the whole town would be protected by a flood bund running from Lanang Road to Seduan.
He said more flood gates and pump houses would continue to be built. Source: theborneopost.com
15 August, 2014. Engineer: Sinking of land causes frequent flooding
Chief engineer of Department of Irrigation and Drainage (DID) Ting Sing Kwong said the sinking of land was one of the causes of frequent flooding in low-lying areas. The chief engineer made this statement yesterday when answering the doubts of The Borneo Post readers, who had called in to express their worries over the flooding. One of them said he and his family had suffered enough with the frequent floods in areas from Hua Kiew Road to Kapor Road these few years.
He said he had lived there for three decades and flooding had never occurred that frequently. “A major flood used to hit once in a decade, but we now face serious floods once every few months.”
In his reply, Ting said he himself grew up in that area and agreed flooding in these areas have got worse compared to before.
He said over the years, development on the peat soil area had caused water underground to be drained. “This is what is happening in areas from Hua Kiew Road to Kapor Road and in other low-lying areas. This is a natural phenomenon.”
Ting admitted that land sinking was another serious problem. On the floods in these areas last weekend, he said it was due to the king tide last Saturday followed by frequent rain since last week.
It had been raining frequently since the beginning of the month.
“On Dec 1, 44.5mm of rain was recorded. It continued to rain daily until today (Monday). Last Saturday, we had up to 55mm rain.”
However, the flood last weekend did not reach the alert level.
Fortunately, with drainage improvement, the water receded faster, he said .
He added that the flood would reach its height on Monday night, and if the rain stopped, it would eventually go down.
Ting assured that his department was watching closely, saying the water levels in Kapit, Song, Julau and Kanowit had already gone down. The water level in Sibu would go down too if the rain stops. Source: theborneopost.com
Jan 20, 2015
Stanislav
7 of 10 Africa Rolls. East African rift.
Source: pubs.usgs.gov
Source: wikipedia.org
Before mankind’s theory of plate tectonics was developed, man looked at great mountain ranges pushed high into the sky or great rifts torn open in the Earth and pondered. Now plates have been identified, their direction of motion identified, but the pondering persists, as it ought. There are arguments and exploration. Some call the Indo-Australian Plate two plates, one for India and one for Australia, but we call them one as they move as one, though there is bending at points in the middle. There are platelets, as at the juncture of Central and South America, though platelets moves as one with the larger plate. And there are fault lines internal to plates, where diagonal or stretch or compression stress on a plate breaks rock on occasion.
Where plates can be identified by either magma filled voids or mountain building along their edges, fault lines or rifts are not always visible on the surface. Fault lines have more quakes than quiet rock, and occasionally have massive quakes, as has been recorded on the New Madrid fault line in the past. The line of the San Andreas can clearly be seen in the deserts of California. With the advent of images from satellite, one can see lake chains where the ground has torn and dropped, as in the African Rift valley or Canada, and the stress on the N American Plate tearing it apart can be intuited from the St. Lawrence Seaway. Great falls in the interior of a plate imply a fault line too.
Internal fault lines announce themselves by the frequency of earthquakes there, or volcanic eruptions due to breaks in the crust. Crevasses can indicate fault line stress, as in Mongolia, or may only be old sea mud dried into rock, as the Grand Canyon presents. It is not always possible to predict where the plates will adjust due to internal faults. The new Eurasian seaway we have predicted is not visible nor known at present, though the stretch from Scandinavia to southern Russia is apparent. Internal adjustments along a fault line can be expected during the Pole Shift or 7 of 10 plate stress when the fault line is not bounded at its end by the plate, so that part of the plate is free to move, or in a stretch zone that has an outlet on the edge of a plate.
ZetaTalk Chat Q&A for August 30, 2014
We have described the bowing process for S America, during the 7 of 10 S American roll, as one where the east coast of S America is pulled taut, stretched, and thus drawn down, losing elevation. This also happens in Africa, during the 7 of 10 African roll, where elevation is lost in the African Rift Valley. This is certainly the case then in N America, where the N American continent is bowing under the stress of having Mexico pulled west during the compression in the Pacific, while the top part of the continent remains firmly in place. The southeast of the US is being pulled down as the Atlantic Rift pulls apart. It is being pulled down due to the bowing of the N American continent. It is absolutely in the stretch zone and this is being expressed in many ways.
ZetaTalk Chat Q&A for July 7, 2012
Southern Africa floods
Malawi
A Preliminary Response Plan will be presented to the Office of the Vice President today, 21 January, based on which resources will be mobilized to support immediate interventions in affected areas. The plan is based on 121,000 people being displaced by the recent floods, with 50 people killed and 153 still missing.
WFP began food distributions to some of the flood-displaced in Chikwawa district on 16 January. Maize, beans, oil and Super Cereal (fortified corn soya blend) coming from in-country stocks for lean season assistance will need to be replaced once the crisis is over.
Distributions are continuing. High-Energy Biscuits arrived in Malawi on 20 January, from WFP’s Dubai Humanitarian Response Depot. These are intended for the most vulnerable, including children. Distributions will begin once supplies have been transported to the most affected areas.
Mozambique
In Zambézia Province alone a total of 117,685 people (23,893 households) have been affected by floods, which has destroyed 4,963 houses, 378 classrooms, 6 health centers and 51 bridges. The death toll due to flooding, lightning and collapsed houses has increased to 64. Around 50,481 people (11,662 households) are being hosted in 49 accommodation centres.
Immediate needs identified include shelter, WASH and food. Logistics support may also be needed to improve the effectiveness of the response.
Assistance is being provided by air, including medicines and food. Search and rescue operations are also continuing. Members from the Humanitarian Country team have also deployed to Zambézia Province to support the Government in the coordination, planning and response.
In total, 137,614 people have been affected by floods across the country.
Madagascar
Rains continue to fall over most of Madagascar, not only exacerbating the impact of Tropical Storm Chedza, but also causing flood conditions over the north of the country. The soil is saturated and river levels are high, including around the capital Antananarivo.
According to the latest provisional information from the National Bureau for Risk and Disaster Management (BNGRC), the number of people affected has increased to 117,181 (although not all affected require humanitarian assistance), with 35 people dead.
This increase is due in part to heavy rains in Boeny and Sofia regions and new data from Manakara and Morondava. The response is continuing.
Source of map: reliefweb
NASA Earth observatory
An aerial photograph of the devastating floods in Mozambique. Pic Qari Ziyaad Patel. Source: twitter.com
19 January, 2015. Flood Death Toll Across Southern Africa Reaches 260
The likely death toll from flooding and torrential rain in Mozambique, Malawi and the Indian Ocean island of Madagascar reached 260, with about 360,000 people driven from their homes. Seventy-one people have died in northern and central Mozambique, with 80,000 displaced, Rita de Almeida, spokeswoman for the country’s National Disaster Management Institute, said on Monday by phone from the capital, Maputo.
In Malawi, at least 176 people are feared to have died, while about 200,000 have fled their homes, Vice President Saulos Chilima told reporters on Jan. 17 in Nkula, 100 kilometers (63 miles) north of the commercial capital, Blantyre. The southern districts of Nsanje, Chikwawa and Phalombe, which border on Mozambique, were worst hit, he said.
In Madagascar, which lies offshore of Mozambique, tropical storm Chedza claimed 13 lives and displaced at least 80,000 people, the island-nation’s National Office for Disaster Management said in a statement issued in the capital, Antananarivo. Heavy rain is forecast across Madagascar, northern Mozambique, Malawi and Zambia and southern Tanzania over the next few days, which may worsen the flooding situation, the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs in southern Africa, said in an e-mailed statement.
Schools Flooded
Data collated by the UN showed 54 people confirmed dead in Malawi, with 153 missing. It estimated that crop damage will affect 638,000 people, while about 200,000 students are unable to attend class because their schools have been flooded or are being used to shelter flood victims.
The floods are the worst in Malawi’s history, President Peter Mutharika said on Jan. 16, during a visit to displaced people in Balaka, 150 kilometers east of Blantyre Source: bloomberg.com
19 January, 2015. Malawi floods: Food security a major concern
Flash floods caused by days of torrential rain have swept away roads and bridges, destroyed thousands of hectares of crops and raised fears of a cholera outbreak in the southern half of the country.
More than 200 people are confirmed dead and many are missing or trapped in inaccessible areas. The floods have also left crops and farm land in 15 out of 28 districts under water. The crop damage has raised fears of a poor harvest. Last year, Malawi’s farmers harvested 3.9 million tonnes of the staple crop, maize, providing a surplus of almost one million tonnes.
Rescue organisation Gift of the Givers hand out food parcels to some of the 200,000 people who have been displaced by flash floods in Malawi on 19 January 2014. Picture: Gift of the Givers
Jakhura yesterday described the flooding as the worst disaster in Malawi’s history.
“The situation is tragic and we’ve never had such a flood disaster in Malawi.” Source: ewn.co.za
19 January, 2015. Malawi faces 'unprecedented' flood disaster
The waters may be receding and the rainfall subsiding but Malawi is only now coming to terms with the "unprecendented" floods that hit the southern half of the country last week.
At least 176 people lost their lives and another 200,000 have been displaced when heavy rains submerged homes, schools, and in places, washing away an entire village.
The Malawi Defence Force has reportedly rescued at least 4,000 people, but there are fears that many more still need help. At least 153 people are unaccounted for:
"It has shocked all of us: from government, to donors to the people," Robert Kisyula, national director of international NGO World Vision Malawi, told Al Jazeera on Saturday. "People hung on to trees,waiting for the waters to subside, as they usualy do, but water kept on coming and they were washed away.
"These were unprecedented floods, don't let anyone tell you otherwise," he said.
Malawi isn't the only southern African country to be hit by floods last week. In neighbouring Mozambique, floods left at least 38 people dead and displaced tens of thousands as well. There is speculation that Mozambique's 2014 flood plan helped the country better prepare for a disaster, as compared to Malawi, which seemed to have been caught completely off-guard.
It is a charge Paul Chiunguzeni, Malawi's head of the department of disaster and relief, denies.
"We have had mixed success with the relief efforts because in the early days of the disaster, rescue efforts were hampered by bad weather," Chiunguzeni said.
He told Al Jazeera that his country "did not have the resources" to handle the aftermath of the massive floods. President Peter Mutharika has already declared 15 of the 28 national districts disaster zones and Chiunguzeni echoed his president's call for international assistance. Source: aljazeera.com
Jan 21, 2015
Stanislav
Sinking land in Jakarta proved by radar (SAR) satellite ENVISAT ASAR.
I managed to get an image and process ENVISAT ASAR. These satellite images prove that the land is sinking in Jakarta. Zetas Right Again!
How is this possible and what is radar satellites?
Interferometric synthetic aperture radar,
abbreviated InSAR (or deprecated IfSAR), is a radar technique used in geodesy and remote sensing. This geodetic method uses two or more synthetic aperture radar (SAR) images to generate maps of surface deformation or digital elevation, using differences in the phase of the waves returning to the satellite or aircraft. The technique can potentially measure centimetre-scale changes in deformation over spans of days to years. It has applications for geophysical monitoring of natural hazards, for example earthquakes, volcanoes and landslides, and in structural engineering, in particular monitoring of subsidence and structural stability.
Wikipedia.org
Four images time-series from 2007 - 2009.
Envisat
Envisat ("Environmental Satellite") is an inoperative Earth-observing satellite still in orbit. It was launched on 1 March 2002 aboard an Ariane 5 from the Guyana Space Centre in Kourou, French Guiana, into a Sun synchronous polar orbit at an altitude of 790 km (490 mi) (± 10 km (6.2 mi)). It orbits the Earth in about 101 minutes with a repeat cycle of 35 days. After losing contact with the satellite on 8 April 2012, ESA formally announced the end of Envisat's mission on 9 May 2012
ASAR (Advanced Synthetic Aperture Radar) operates in the C band in a wide variety of modes. It can detect changes in surface heights with sub-millimeter precision. It served as a data link for ERS 1 and ERS 2, providing numerous functions such as observations of different polarities of light or combining different polarities, angles of incidence and spatial resolutions.
wikipedia.org
To put it simple, principle is that the program compares a previous image with the later and thus calculates the "difference".
But 7 of 10 began in 2010 and the current image from 2007 to 2009?
In fact, 7 of 10 are deployed for a long time (meaning the activity of the plates start an observer at the beginning of the 21st century, or at the end of 20)
Jan 28, 2015
Stanislav
Jakarta
A driver pushes his Baja vehicle through flood waters outside the Presidential Palace, after heavy seasonal rains flooded parts of Jakarta February 9, 2015. Photo: Reuters. Source: todayonline.com
9 February, 2015. Parts of Jakarta flooded as peak of rainy season approaches
Heavy rain has hit Indonesia's capital since Sunday night. Several areas of the city have been inundated with 20-40 centimetres (cm) high waters, slowing down traffic and worsening traffic jams.
In some areas in West Jakarta, floods have reached 60 cm deep.
Jakarta's Disaster Mitigation Agency recorded 49 flood prone spots in the city. Twenty-two of those are in Central Jakarta where the main business district, Istana Negara and City Hall are located.
People have been seen waddling in calf and knee high deep waters around the National Monument. So far, bus operations at four TransJakarta corridors have been disrupted.
Authorities warn rain will continue until late Monday night and the coming days.
The Meteorology, Climatology and Geophysics Agency reported Jakarta and its surrounding satellite cities are entering the peak of the rainy season this week. Heavy rains will last up to the third week of February. Source: channelnewsasia.com
9 February, 2015. Roads impassable as heavy rain floods parts of Jakarta
After a night of heavy rain in the Greater Jakarta area, dozens of areas throughout the Indonesian capital experienced moderate to heavy flooding today (Feb 9), with traffic grinding to a complete halt and the precipitation showing no signs of abating as of around 3pm (Singapore time). Public transportation was severely affected, with the TransJakarta busway ceasing operations on at least half of its corridors in the morning.
“We’re sorry for the interrupted TransJakarta services due to floods caused by heavy rain,” the bus operator said on its Twitter account, @PT_TransJakarta. “We hope you would understand and be patient. Thanks.”
The Jakarta Police’s traffic division counted 52 flooded roads as of noon, in all parts of the city.
“There’s 16 [flooded] areas in Central Jakarta, 11 in North Jakarta, 10 in West Jakarta, nine in South Jakarta, and six in East Jakarta,” said Adj Senior Commander Budiyanto of the Jakarta Police.
Train services were also disrupted as the Tanah Abang and Kota train stations were flooded. The KRL commuter trains from Jakarta’s satellite cities Bogor and Depok could go no further than Manggarai station in South Jakarta. Source: todayonline.com
Australia, Queensland
In warning about the effects of the pole shift tides, we have often mentioned that a slosh can run up river. This prevents the rivers from draining, and thus, rivers will rise beyond their flood level, to an astonishing degree. Where the current flooding along coastal Queensland is not due to the pole shift tides, it is related to the rising of the eastern edge of the Indo-Australian Plate. As the buoys in the area show, the entire region is rising. Water trapped between two land masses has difficulty redistributing quickly and smoothly, as every direction has water rushing about, trying to find the lowest level. The sudden rise in the floor of the seas around eastern Australia caused this water to flow west, primarily, and for the coast of Queensland, this included flowing up river. There has been, as we predicted, an attempt to disguise this slosh by pointing to the weather. Weather reports are pointing to rainfall along the coast, where this slosh is most noticeable. But why would rainfall on the coast cause such extensive flooding upriver? The cover-up over the effects of the plate movements in this region will not succeed, nor will it fool the public for long.
ZetaTalk Chat Q&A for December 31, 2010
Maybe repeat of QLD 2011 and QLD 2013? Queensland floods 2010 - 2011 and Eastern Australia floods 2013
9 February, 2015. Worst flooding in 48 years hits north Qld
A north Queensland town is mopping up after the worst flooding in almost 50 years hit the area, inundating homes, businesses and roads. Mareeba, inland from Cairns, was the worst hit when a month's worth of rain fell across a large chunk of the state's far north at the weekend.
"The last time we had a monsoonal event as big as this would have been in 1967," Tablelands Regional Council Mayor Rosa Lee Long told AAP.
"It will be significant as far as roads and property damage." One Malanda family had to be rescued after they became stranded when a river broke its banks, surrounding their home with water. Some roads have been washed out, while others are strewn with debris and blocked by landslides.
Areas between Cape Tribulation, north of Cairns, and Cardwell were hit over the weekend. About 723mm of rain was recorded at Mount Sophia, south of Cairns, 505mm at Malanda and 414mm in Cairns between Friday and Sunday. The February averages for Cairns, Malanda and Mount Sophia are 449mm, 335mm and 666mm respectively.
A driver had to be rescued from a bank on the Barron River after his ute become stuck in rising waters on Sunday evening.
Queensland Fire and Emergency received more than 30 other requests since midday Saturday for general flooding assistance with sandbagging and leaking roofs. Several flood watch warnings remain in place across the region on Monday.
Although the rain had eased on Monday, the weather bureau is warning those along the tropical north coast to expect another deluge this weekend. Bureau of Meteorology forecaster Andrew Mostyn said a tropical low is heading towards the far north and there'll more heavy rain from Thursday. "And, of course, with the catchments quite wet at the moment major flooding could be an issue," he told AAP.
The heavy rain has been good news for some though.
The Cairns Regional Council has lifted water restrictions after 330mm of rain fell on the Lake Morris dam over the weekend, almost filling the catchment.
It has also brought some relief to farmers who have struggled through a long period of drought. Source: au.news.yahoo.com
Feb 9, 2015
Stanislav
A policeman helps a motorist on flooded street outside the Presidential Palace after heavy seasonal rains flooded parts of Jakarta on Feb. 9. Darren Whiteside/Reuters. Source: blogs.wsj.com
10 February, 2015. Jakarta floods force nearly six thousand people to evacuate
Some 5,986 Jakarta residents have been forced to evacuate to safer places as the floods continue to inundate the capital city on Tuesday, according to the National Disaster Mitigation Agency (BNPB). "5,986 people are taking shelter in 14 locations. The number might increase because we are still waiting for more data from the field officers," BNPB spokesman Sutopo Purwo Nugroho stated here, Tuesday.
The Jakarta disaster mitigation office (BPBD) reported that floods have affected 307 neighborhoods located in 97 urban villages in 33 sub-districts. "The floods have affected 4,830 families comprising 15,517 people as their houses are inundated. Some 5,986 people are taking refuge in temporary shelters," he stated.
Of the total flood-affected neighborhoods, some 108 neighborhoods in 23 urban villages in eight sub-districts are located in West Jakarta. Some 8,237 inhabitants of 2,738 families are affected by the floods.
"Around 1,668 people have been evacuated in two locations. In Central Jakarta, 11 neighborhoods in eight urban villages in six sub-districts are inundated, but there is no evacuee," he revealed.
In South Jakarta, floods hit 38 neighborhoods in 21 urban villages in seven sub-districts, with the number of flood victims reaching 7,280 people of 2,092 families.
In East Jakarta, 60 neighborhoods in 27 urban villages in seven sub-districts are flooded. Currently, 1.8 thousand refugees are being accommodated at six temporary shelters.
At least 89 neighborhoods in 18 urban villages in five sub-districts are flooded in North Jakarta, forcing 2,518 people to seek shelter in six locations.
Incessant heavy downpours have triggered floods in parts of Jakarta since Sunday.
Floods in Jakarta are not only due to the overflowing rivers but also as a consequence of the poor drainage system and bad land spatial planning, according to BPBD.
The work in several business and commercial centers in Jakarta such as at Mangga Dua and Kelapa Gading areas has been paralyzed due to the flooding. Source: antaranews.com
10 February, 2015. It’s only just begun, Jakarta’s residents warned
Greater Jakarta residents are expected to be cautious for the next few days, as heavy rainfall was forecasted to continue after downpours all through the night triggered floods across the capital on Monday. Floodwaters with depths of 50 centimeters inundated several areas, including thoroughfares such as Jl. MH Thamrin, Sarinah, Jl. Medan Merdeka Barat and Jl. Medan Merdeka Utara in Central Jakarta, causing major traffic congestion.
The Jakarta Disaster Mitigation Agency (BPBD) reported that at noon there had been 107 places inundated, mostly in West and Central Jakarta. Many families were forced to leave their flooded houses.
Meteorology, Climatology, and Geophysics Agency (BMKG) spokesperson Harry Tirto said heavy rainfall was expected to continue in Greater Jakarta for the next one or two days. “The rain on Monday was only the beginning of this month’s high rainfall. Residents in Greater Jakarta should expect similar conditions for the next one to two days. We are entering the peak of the rainy season,” Harry told The Jakarta Post on Monday.
The floods also affected Commuter Line and Transjakarta bus routes, some of which halted operations or were redirected. The Tanah Abang railway station in Central Jakarta was closed as the railway tracks were inundated. Jakarta Governor Basuki “Ahok” Tjahaja Purnama also pointed out that the rising sea level off the capital’s north coast was a factor that had triggered severe flooding. “Furthermore, many of our pumps need to be repaired in order to work faster and better.”
The capacity of the city’s 44 reservoirs, he said, could not cope with the increasing volume of water caused by rising sea levels and incessant rain.
Commenting on floodwaters inundating the State Palace on Jl. Medan Merdeka Utara, Ahok said it should not have happened as all nearby water pumps and reservoirs were working. “The Pluit [Reservoir] and Manggarai [water channel] are working just fine so it’s bizarre that the State Palace is flooded,” he said.
The country’s flagship museum, the National Museum, has also been flooded for the first time in its history, according to Intan Mardiana, the museum director.
“Floodwater entered parts of the building this morning but we quickly resolved the issue by turning on three water pumps, which managed to drain the floodwater from the museum relatively quickly,” Intan said.
Floodwater started to enter parts of the museum as heavy rain hit the capital city on Monday morning. “The floodwater was up to the ankles.” It appeared that the drainage system surrounding the museum could no longer accommodate the excess rain water,” said Intan. The floodwaters inundating the museum began to recede at 1 p.m. “Today’s flood was the first ever in the history of the National Museum. We have never experienced such an event before,” said Intan. While most areas were affected by the floodwaters, Jatinegara district in East Jakarta, which was known as a flood-prone area, was unusually free of floodwater.
Joice Layla Andres, a resident of Bidara Cina, Jatinegara, said her home and neighborhood were free of floods despite heavy rainfall in Jakarta. “We are only flooded when it rains in Bogor. So heavy rains in Jakarta are not likely to affect my area,” she said.
In nearby Tangerang regency, 12 out of 29 districts also suffered from flooding. Source: thejakartapost.com
Feb 10, 2015
Stanislav
Interferogram (ENVISAT ASAR) show sinking in urban in West Java
Interferogram shows the subsidence rate in a year (8 pair images from October 2007 to 2009 January). Zetas Right Again.
How accurate a guide are the current elevation maps provided by Google and GPS? If they reflect land that lies on solid rock, on a plate that will remain level and not tilt, accurate enough. But as we have explained, Java and Sumatra are land that is rubble, scrapped up as the plate tongue has been pushed down in the past. It is an illusion of solid land when rubble can jumble and toss. The placement of Jakarta in the past involved some logic, as tests were made to determine if the rock beneath could sustain buildings. But sinking is occurring there, not admitted in the press. At some point the airport will become unusable. In addition to the issue of solid rock vs jumble, there is the issue of the accordion folding of the plate tongue. Some parts will rise, others sink, and this will not be an even process nor even predictable. Thus Google will not be a certain guide to what lands will sink or stay above the waves.
ZetaTalk Chat Q&A for January 22, 2011
Sinking land in Jakarta proved by radar (SAR) satellite ENVISAT ASAR.
I managed to get an image and process ENVISAT ASAR. These satellite images prove that the land is sinking in Jakarta. Zetas Right Again!
Four images time-series from 2007 - 2009.
Feb 17, 2015
Stanislav
15 countries account for 80% of the population exposed to river flood risk worldwide?
Argentina
http://translate.google.com/translate?hl=en&sl=auto&tl=en&a...
More than a thousand evacuees in Cordoba. eldiariodecarlospaz.com
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6 March, 2015. Argentina says 'worried' about soy field flooding in three provinces
Flooding in some of the soy-growing areas of Cordoba, Entre Rios and Santa Fe provinces has become "worrying" to the government as farmers get ready to start harvesting the 2014/15 crop, the agriculture ministry said in its weekly report on Friday.
The northern part of the Pampas grains belt has been whipped by storms this month, adding to moisture left by heavy rains in February, washing out roads and flooding wide areas.
"In some cases the water level is worrying in medium- and low-lying areas," the ministry report said. Argentina is the world's No. 3 soybean exporter and top supplier of soyoil and soymeal livestock feed.
The government expects a 2014/15 soy crop of 58 million tonnes, just above the 57 million tonnes forecast by the Buenos Aires Grains Exchange. On Thursday the exchange said it will probably cut its forecast once damage from the flooding can be assessed. Source: news.yahoo.com
6 March, 2015. Heaviest Floods in Fifty Years Force 6,000 Argentinians to Flee Their Homes
Severe Flooding in Brazil Forces More Than 80,000 to Evacuate
The heaviest rainfall in decades has caused flooding in much of central Argentina, forcing 6,000 people to leave their homes and killing at least one man.
In the northern province of Santiago del Estero, a 78-year-old man was crushed to death when the roof of his house fell in, and another man is reportedly missing in the central Argentinian province of Cordoba after being swept away by flooding. The other provinces to be affected are San Luis, Santa Fe and Catamarca.
In the province of Santa Fe, where rainfall in the past week has already reached half the yearly average, a state of emergency has been declared, while the government of Cordoba has declared the floods to constitute the worst weather disaster in fifty years. In mid-February, 1,000 people in Cordoba were evacuated and seven people lost their lives after more than 300 millimeters of rain fell on the province within 12 hours. The flooding was described by Provincial Governor José Manuel de la Sota as a "tsunami that fell from the sky."
Environmental campaigners attributed the flooding to high levels of deforestation in central Argentina, where forests were cleared to make way for agriculture. "The ‘catastrophe’ is not ‘natural': natural is when rain is filtered gradually to the surface (a sponge effect)," an environmental NGO in Cordoba told the Argentina Independent. "But the higher grounds are being cleared, burnt, and built upon, leaving the ground unprotected and impermeable." According to Greenpeace Argentina, the province retains less than four percent of its original native forests. Source: sputniknews.com
Mar 9, 2015
Mark
Stunning images reveal new volcanic land mass
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-2990553/Like-look-is...
The photographs were taken by three men who climbed to the peak of the land mass 40 miles (65 km) northwest of the capital, Nuku'alofa.
The island started forming in January after a volcano exploded underwater and then expanded creating a mile long, cone-shaped formation.
The island is made mainly of scoria, which is a dark coloured volcanic rock that can sometimes contain crystals.
The holes in the material form when gases that were dissolved in the magma come out of solution as it erupts
Scientists believe the dimensions of the new island are about 1.1 miles (1.8 km) by 0.9 miles (1.5km), and that it rises about 328ft (100 metres) above the sea.
Mar 12, 2015
Stanislav
Lakes in the high Andes drain into the Amazon basin, if they drain at all. The area in Bolivia experiencing the worst flooding normally is drained by two different rivers, but what happens when mountain building occurs in the Andes, and pressure from the crimp creates crumpling in the Andes. The top portion of S America is free to pull to the west, overriding the Caribbean Plate and the Cocos Plate just to the west. But the bottom portion of S America is blocked by the Nazca Plate, which resists. Crumpling in the crimp creates folds, which are points on the crust which drop and heave, alternately.
This is similar to the accordion fold that occurred on the Sunda Plate, wherein the rivers in northern Thailand heaved, blocking the river beds, and then at a later date relaxed, releasing the flood through Bangkok. . Flooding is likewise occurring along the coast of southern Brazil, due to a stretch there that drops the land when S America bows. The crimp in S America is opposite from the yaw point at Nigeria, where sudden flooding and imploding buildings are occurring because the top part of Africa is held in place at present while the bottom part is pulling toward the east, falling into the void of the Indian Ocean.
ZetaTalk Chat Q&A for February 4, 2012
Chile
27 March, 2015. Why the desert in northern Chile was flooded?
The first drops began to fall on Tuesday. And before long, they were transformed into a storm that turned the arid regions of Antofagasta, Atacama and Coquimbo, in northern Chile, in an unrecognizable place.
The rains caused floods of water and mud that left seven dead so far, about 20 injuries and extensive property damage.
But how is it possible that this traditionally desert area has become a quagmire? Why these sudden and devastating rains are due?
According to experts, it is not uncommon in the desert alluvial flows occur. "In principle we must understand that although northern Chile is one of the driest deserts in the world," he tells the BBC Francisco Ferrando, academic director of the School of Architecture and Urbanism at the University of Chile, "because the presence of the Andes and Altiplano plateau above 4000 meters in the Amazonian summer monsoon effects beyond the Andes are recorded ".
"This creates significant rainfall over this sector of the high mountains that result in alluvial flows down over the desert".
"This," he stresses, "occurs every summer." "What happened here was a type of storm that is not so frequent and called cutoff low," explains René BBC Garreaud, deputy director of the Centre for Climate Science and Resilience (CR2).
This is essentially a core of cold air aloft that emerges from the main flow of the westerlies and faces with warm air masses and loaded with high humidity coming from the Amazon basin. This combination led to an intensification of rains and mudslides triggered the north of the country.
As pointed Garreaud, low segregated take place once or twice a year and "always occurring have a significant effect, as a windstorm or an unexpected blizzard at the top of the range". "This time he said very heavy rainfall because a there was a supply of moisture from the tropical zone."
Moreover, the fact that rainfall would occur in a highly concentrated weather worsened the situation. "If they had given over 24 to 48 hours its effect would have been more beneficial," says the expert.
How much absorbed dry land?
One might imagine that as the soil dry parched expanse of water, have the ability to absorb rainfall without floods occur.
According to Ferrando, the problem is intensity. "The grounds have good infiltration capacity because they are very dry, but the intensity was such that far exceeded the absorption capacity and therefore a huge surplus of water that became surface runoff generated". In Chile, in general, "if it rains more than 60 mm in 24 hours a flood occurs. In the north, the threshold is much lower. With 4 or 5 millimeters falling in a day is likely that these movements occur mass ".
But it also says Garreaud, "although the soil absorbs a lot, not everything is filtered because it forms a film, a kind of crust that tends to waterproof the surface."
Accurate forecast As explained by experts, this is not the case primea time nor the last that it will rain this way in Atacama.
Ferrando recalled that other heavy rains occurred in 1991 and 1997. However, we do a novelty is that "climate change, there is no doubt affecting the country, these phenomena occur more frequently."
But if we know in advance that may occur, especially in summer, is it possible to avoid its consequences? Without going into the realm of how to handle the emergency, escaping the strictly scientific, there are things that can be improved.
According tells BBC Garreaud in meteorological terms, the forecast this time was very successful.
"We knew what was going to happen. On Saturday and Sunday and showed signs of precipitation were then marched to the 4 or 5 days." "The weather service warned of this phenomenon."
"But what is still missing," he says, "are systems that allow translating millimeters of rain that will precipitate -with the time when do-on the likelihood of floods".
In some areas, the records indicated that the rainfall in recent days equals accumulated in two years or three years.
"Because the rain is not the problem but the floods". "That's the hardest thing: to understand -and it depends on a number of factors like how rivers and other variables when rain turns into a stream of mud," he explains.There are international knowledge, "but in Chile, we have not adopted. We're a little deficit in that sense. There, we have much to improve," says the researcher. Source: bbc.co.uk
29 March, 2015. At least 12 dead in Chile during the worst flooding in decades
The rainstorm plaguing northern Chile has left at least 12 dead and 20 missing as reported Saturday the Chilean government. The latest death toll, delivered by Interior Minister Rodrigo Peñailillo, includes two new fatalities and an increase in the number of missing by the disaster that affects the regions of Coquimbo, Atacama and Antofagasta.
The president, Michelle Bachelet, said that the situation in the disaster area is "bleak" and stated that it is "highly presumptive" to increase the number of victims.
It is suffering its worst flooding Chile for over 80 years. Peñailillo indicated that a total of 4,634 victims and 5,584 people are in shelters provided by the authorities.
200 people isolated
In addition, more than 200 people remain isolated from heavy rains and floods last Tuesday, mainly in the region of Atacama.
The Chilean Government and emergency agencies have deployed a wide operating safely to put people remain isolated and delivered tons of water and food to the victims of one of the worst natural disasters in recent years in the South American country.
Torrential rains earlier this week in the three northern regions of the country resulted in overflowing rivers and landslides that swept away villages and left some serious damage throughout the area. Source: rtve.es
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27 March, 2015. Floods swamp Chile's Atacama region
The president of Chile has flown to the Atacama region in the country’s north where freak rains and flooding left at least seven people dead and others needing evacuation by air from swamped homes.
Communities in the desert region were struggling on Thursday to cope with a disaster that knocked out power and cut off roadways. Thunderstorms with torrential rains moved into the Atacama on Tuesday, causing the Copiapo river to overflow its banks. Fears of mudslides prompted authorities to evacuate thousands from their homes in “the worst rain disaster to fall on the north in 80 years”, said the deputy interior minister, Mahmud Aleuy.
TV images showed brown muddy waters flooding the streets and reaching a hospital in Copiapo city. Some people living along the river had to be rescued by helicopter because roads were blocked by water and mud. TV footage showed several families waiting on the roofs of their homes, including a man who had punched a hole through his roof to save his toddler.
As well as the seven dead, 19 people were listed as missing in three communities hit by flooding, officials said.
Desperate family members of the victims took to Twitter pleading for help in finding their loved ones.
The government declared a state of emergency, putting the region under military control, and President Michelle Bachelet flew to the area. “We’re living an extremely difficult situation,” she said. “The previous forecast was that there was a huge drought here, so the rains were not necessarily seen as a catastrophe. Foreseeing was really difficult because no one knew.”
The heavy rains came after several days of high temperatures and a drought that stoked raging wildfires in Chile’s south-central regions. The fires have burned nearly 93,000 hectares in the 2014-2015 season, far above the annual average of 59,300 hectares over the previous five years.
Earthquake-prone Chile is no stranger to the forces of nature. The national geological service Sernageomin said residents should be on alert due to increased activity at the Villarica volcano in the country’s south, which erupted on 3 March, forcing evacuations and disrupting air traffic.
The storms prompted Chile’s state-run copper giant Codelco to suspend work due to blocked roads. The company said on Thursday it was reopening sites in the north, including some of the world’s largest copper mines. Source: theguardian.com
Thailand dry season
The flood in Asok Montri road after the heavy downpour in Bangkok. (Photo by Nattapol Lovakij). Source: bangkokpost.com
Twitter user @nuto96 tweets via @js100radio an image of Asok intersection taken from a high-rise building at around 1.15pm. Source: bangkokpost.com
25 March, 2015. Why did it flood? Bangkok governor explains
Bangkok Governor says flooding outpaced pumps
Bangkok governor MR Sukhumbhand Paribatra blamed widespread flooding and the resulting traffic gridlock on Tuesday to unseasonably heavy rain. Speaking to reporters today in a press conference, MR Sukhumbhand said streets flooded because the downpour was unusually strong, falling at up 60-70 millimetres per hour.
The Bangkok Metropolitan Administration (BMA) was able to drain the runoff from major streets within two hours, except for Asok Montri Road, where it took three hours. Drainage was slow on Asok because the city was holding water in the adjacent Saen Saep canal to cope with the dry season, when there are normally shortages, the governor said. BMA permanent secretary Sanya Chenimit said Bangkok has more than 1,000 water pumps at 166 stations and can handle rain falling at a maximum 60 millimetres an hour. However, he noted, some pumps were out of service for repairs.
An obviously annoyed Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha said on Wednesday said he had ordered the National Council for Peace and Order (NCPO) and the BMA to explain why the city was so unprepared. MR Sukhumbhand said other hard-hit areas - such as a basement-level supermarket on Sukhumvit Road and Rama IX Soi 7 - are private property and not the BMA's responsibility, MR Sukhumbhand said. The Tops supermarket was inundated when a sewer pipe back-flushed into below-sea-level store. (View a full gallery of photos here)
The governor promised that the BMA will be more capable of coping with heavy rain when Bangkok's second large drainage tunnel under the Bang Sue canal is completed in September next year.
As for where he was during the flood, MR Sukhumbhand told reporters he couldn't reach the inundated area and, besides, his arrival would have only worsened traffic. As an executive, his job was to issue orders, not "dredge a canal" himself, he said. Source: bangkokpost.com
26 March, 2015. Bangkok dammed by garbage
With the rainy season only weeks away, we need to take action now to prevent flooding
Officials have blamed waterborne garbage for the floods that swamped areas of Bangkok following a freak summer storm on Tuesday.
Bangkok Governor MR Sukhumbhand Paribatra admitted that the release of floodwater had been too slow, but he put the blame on a mass of garbage clogging drainage pipes at wastewater-pumping stations. Other Bangkok Metropolitan Administration (BMA) officials, as well as some experts in flooding, joined him in pointing the finger at a garbage build-up in the city's wastewater system and canals that is slowing the flow and making it difficult to pump the water off the streets.
It took several hours to drain floodwater from streets in many areas of the city following Tuesday's downpour. Everyday life was disrupted and local businesses now face large clean-up bills. The city authorities might have been caught off-guard, not expecting so much rain to fall so quickly at this time of year. Normally, drainage pipes and canals are dredged a few weeks before the rainy season, which starts around May or June. Kangwan Deesuwan, director of the BMA's Drainage and Sewerage Department, said that he has instructed his officials at all district offices in the capital to focus on collecting garbage from the streets to prevent it from blocking the flow of rainwater. He also pledged to install more water pumps in flood-prone areas of the city by the end of next month.
Bangkok relies heavily on natural waterways like canals to drain floodwater from the city. Large drainage tunnels cover only a small area of the vast capital. This drainage shortfall often comes back to haunt Bangkok in the rainy season, when deluges can swamp whole districts in a matter of hours.
Many people treat the capital's canals as garbage bins, using them to discard everything from household waste to large items like old mattresses. That garbage load is swelled by the natural debris of leaves and branches swept into the drainage system during heavy downpours. The result is obstacles and blockages that exacerbate the flooding. That drainage pipes in many areas of the city are narrow makes the problem even worse. Structures built illegally on canal banks, such as shanty housing, make the situation worse by constricting waterways. As a result, after heavy rain we get heavier and longer floods on Bangkok streets. These problems must be addressed if we want to prevent the kind of scenes witnessed on Tuesday. Bangkok residents could make a start by avoiding throwing garbage into waterways. Source: nationmultimedia.com
Vietnam dry season
29 March, 2015. Unusual floods kill 3 in central Vietnam
Several floods triggered by unusual heavy rains over the last few days have claimed three lives in central Vietnam, authorities say. Two people in Quang Ngai and one in neighboring Quang Nam drowned as rainfall totals from March 24-28 in some areas hit more than 500 mm, the highest in March since 1965, Hoang Duc Cuong, director of the Central Meteorological Forecast Center, said Saturday.
Cuong called the heavy rains “unusual” as they occurred during the dry season. The flooding season in central Vietnam usually starts in July and lasts until December.
Floods over the last several days annihilated about 2,700 hectares of rice and other crops in Quang Ngai, local authorities said.
“We often fear droughts in March, which may reduce our crop yields. But this year major floods came, submerging our crops,” said Doan Nam Dat, a 61-year-old farmer in Quang Ngai’s Hanh Minh Commune.
Floods also damaged large areas of crops in Quang Nam and Thua Thien-Hue provinces. Source: thanhniennews.com
Mar 29, 2015
Stanislav
Jammu and Kashmir, India
A boy moves towards safer place from the flood hit Hamdania Colony in Srinagar on Monday. The flood hits Kashmir valley again following incessent rains. (Source: PTI Photo). Source: indianexpress.com
The mudslides hit houses in a village near the main city of Srinagar. Reuters. Source: bbc.com
Many areas of the main city of Srinagar are under water. EPA. Source: bbc.com
1 April, 2015. As more flooding looms, Kashmir remains vulnerable to disaster
As Kashmir braces for what could be its second major flood in six months, residents are worried that inadequate flood-control infrastructure in the region could see them facing yet more death and devastation. On Monday, the government of Jammu and Kashmir declared the region flooded after two days of incessant rains caused the waters of the Jhelum River to surge over the danger mark.
Landslides in the central district of Budgam buried several homes, killing 15 people. Another two people reportedly died in flash flooding in the state. A break in the weather has since allowed the Jhelum River to recede back to safe levels, but meteorologists predict heavy rains will return over the coming week.
"Given the weather forecast for the next few days, the flood threat is staring us in the face,” said Majid Rashid, a resident of the capital Srinagar.
In a region still reeling from massive flooding in September that killed more than 300 people, residents blame the government for not doing enough, quickly enough, to safeguard its citizens. "We haven’t witnessed any serious effort from the government to prevent floods, despite what happened last year," said Mehraj Nakash a shopkeeper in Srinagar’s business hub Lal Chowk.
COSTLY LESSON
The government insists it has learned from last year's flooding, which caused an estimated $16 billion worth of damage to the Kashmir region.
The state's flood-control department points to work it has already started on increasing the carrying capacity of the Jhelum and its flood spill channel (FSC).
The $3.4 billion project, 70 percent of which is to be funded by the central government, involves building a new 82-kilometre-long spill channel to help cope with future flooding. In total, the project would increase the capacity of the Jhelum and its flood channels from the current 43,000 cubic feet per second to 120,000 cubic feet per second.
“The project for increasing the carrying capacity of the Jhelum and the FSC is part of a comprehensive flood-control project for which we have got some interim funding and are expecting more in a few weeks from the central government,” said Javid Jaffer, Kashmir’s chief engineer for flood control. Designed to carry excess water from the Jhelum to Wullar Lake in north Kashmir, the supplementary Dogripora-Wullar spill channel would cut through over 2,200 acres of mainly agricultural land.
To some villagers, the security that project offers is worth sacrificing part of their farms.
“If some portion of my land comes under the flood channel I will consider giving it if I am properly compensated,” said Ramzan Lone, who lives in Kakapora. But others worry that the project could put them in greater danger, by bringing the river's excess water closer to their homes. "How would we be sure that the flood channel's banks wouldn't break?" asked Kawoosa villager Mohammad Subhan.
WORSENING RISK
With scientists warning that climate change-related floods will occur more frequently in the future, experts in Kashmir agree that the region needs an alternate flood channel.
An article published in Scientific American in March says worsening river floods will hit Asia - and particular India – hardest over the coming years. Kashmir’s own Department of Environment, Ecology and Remote Sensing has predicted that over the next 25 years the number of rainy days in the Himalayan region may increase by more than 15 days per year in Jammu and Kashmir.
But some experts are not convinced that the government's current plan to increase the Jhelum River's capacity will work. Syed Madni, former chief engineer of Kashmir’s flood control department, says cost factors such as the need to relocate villagers and buy up land make the new flood channel unfeasible.
And Shakil Romshoo, head of the earth sciences department at Kashmir University, is concerned that the proposed new spill channel doesn't have enough of a downhill angle to carry floodwater away quickly enough.
According to flood control chief engineer Jaffer, the government is already looking at alternative solutions to the new spillway while waiting for the results of a feasibility study being carried out by the Flood Control Department, with experts from Kashmir University. He suggests possibly using reservoirs or dams to hold water coming from the Jhelum's tributaries during times of imminent flooding – which would ease pressure on the river itself - and then releasing it in a controlled manner once the threat of flooding subsides.
EARLY WARNING NEEDED?
As well as finding ways to deal with flooding, the government says it is determined to get better at predicting floods before they happen. Authorities at the Indian Meteorological Department (IMD) say they are improving Kashmir's weather forecasting system through broadening its network of observational equipment.
"Strengthening of the network is one of our top priorities,” said Sonum Lotus, the regional director of IMD in Srinagar.
According to Lotus, by June the department will have added 21 automatic weather stations to the six already being used across the region and will have installed three new weather radars to relay real-time information from inaccessible sites. “If we had such a network in place before last year’s floods, it could have helped people and the government make better decisions,” Lotus said.
But many Kashmir residents feel the government's priority should be protecting people against floods, regardless of whether or not they can see them coming. “Establishing a network of early warning systems is good … but we are more worried about flood control,” said Yasin Khan, president of the Kashmir Traders’ and Manufacturers’ Federation, which has asked the Kashmir government to compensate traders for the losses they suffered in last September’s floods.
“If there was fool-proof flood control in place, we would not have had to rebuild our lives," he said. "And there would have been no need for us to plead before the government now." (Reporting by Athar Parvaiz; editing by Laurie Goering) Source: in.reuters.com
2 April, 2015. Flood water level rises in Kashmir
The water level in the Dal lake started rising once again on Thursday after fresh rainfall hit the valley, leaving over 2,000 people stranded at the blocked Jammu -Srinagar National Highway.
With the Met department predicting two more days of rainfall, the administration, the Army and the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) are on alert to deal with any emergency. Meanwhile, tour operators and hoteliers in the state have urged people not to cancel their trips to the valley and said the government and the media are blowing the news of Kashmir floods out of proportion.
Traders from the tourism industry say the recent flash floods in Kashmir have hit the tourism sector badly. Low influx of tourists during the spring has affected their business. The Jammu and Kashmir assembly yesterday erupted in uproar over the flood situation and the state government's response to the same.
Heavy rains and a landslide in the Valley have killed 17 people so far.
Fifteen people were killed when a hillside collapsed onto a house in Ledhan village, about 40 km (25 miles) from Srinagar, before dawn on Monday. Army and police used shovels and diggers to search for the missing. Police said two other people died in flash floods in another part of the state. Hundreds of people have fled their homes as Kashmir's main rivers began to swell and weather forecasters predicted further downpours in the region that was struck by devastating floods just seven months ago. Source: business-standard.com
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01 April, 2015. Landslide: Sinking, sliding land in Budgam triggers migration
Abdul Rehman, a resident of Suryasar in central Kashmir's Budgam, deserted his house like scores of others after land beneath shook and slid. Dozens like him now live in makeshift shelters like the Khansahib School building as the threat of landslides and caving-in threatens thousands of residents here.
Hundreds of kanals of land in Budgam district, 30 km away from Srinagar, is continuously shifting because of the prolonged wet spell in the Valley. "Our house was sinking inch by inch. I bundled my family in a vehicle and left the village," said Rehman. The district administration has fanned out men and machinery to stop the Laden like tragedy that left 16 dead in house collapse incidents. The villagers have been staying awake during nights since the fateful Monday and feeling of sinking land hasn't stopped.
"We have been complaining about drifting land since March this year. We are getting sleepless nights now," said Ramzan Rather, a local. Budgam superintendent of police (SP) Fayaz Ahmad Lone grappled the developing landslide situation the whole day on Wednesday. "We are on our toes. We are monitoring the situation and taking necessary steps," said SP Lone. Budgam's four tehsils of Chrar-e-Sharief, Beerwah, Chadoora and Khansahib is in the grip of high risk landslide situation.
Hundreds of families in these tehsils have shifted to safer locations following sinking and caving-in of karewas (terraced high lands with deep gorges and ravines). The district is spread over 1,370 square km with around 7.3 lakh population. The areas worst affected were Jawalpora, Brinjan, Hapatnaar, Freshnaar - all precariously perched on karewas facing deep slopes. Some houses were damaged in Lolipora and Rawalpora in the district. Three houses had sunk in Khansahib area.
Agriculture minister and local MLA Ghulam Nabi Lone, who paid whirlwind visit to affected families, said, "Instructions have been made that all major roads should stay open." Major landslides were also reported from south Kashmir's Shopian district where 45 families were evacuated. A chunk of road was swept by mountain debris on Srinagar-Muzaffarabad in north Kashmir's Uri area.
Experts warn of increasing threat of landslides due to ongoing rainfall. "Budgam karewas, which are repository of our 4 million years of history, is devoid of any vegetation. Highly wet land due to previous floods and recent snowfall is sinking and sliding under the influence of gravity. Houses should not have come up there in the first place," said Shakil Romshoo, head Earth Sciences, Kashmir University.
Romshoo said soil excavations and mushrooming of brick kilns have impacted the local ecology too. "These activities should be banned there. In fact, the government itself uses sand from there for development activities," he added, pointing towards the ongoing railway project. The district is set to receive more rainfall in the next 24 hours, accentuating fears among the administration, which is likely to issue instructions for those living in upper reaches.
Seven tehsils of Shopian district has already been warned by the administration of impending landslide situation. Kashmir had seen intermittent rain spell since Saturday, adding water to the ground water table that remains super saturated because of the September floods, which left more than 280 dead and thousands stranded and homeless. Source: hindustantimes.com
Chile
2 April, 2015. Death toll in Chile floods rises to 24, 69 missing
The death toll from floods devastating northern Chile has risen by one to at least 24, officials said Wednesday, as President Michelle Bachelet cancelled a trip to a regional summit to cope with the crisis.
Another 69 people, up by 12 from the last tally, remain missing, the National Emergency Office said. The flash floods broke out last week in the normally arid north, home to the world's driest desert. Entire towns have been submerged by water and thousands of people have been left homeless.
The number of dead found in thick mud left behind by the floodwaters has risen steadily as the clean-up continues. "I'm convinced that more bodies will appear," the mayor of the town of Chanaral, Yerko Guerra, told local media earlier Wednesday..
"Today marks one week since we were hit by the painful tragedy that lashed northern Chile," Bachelet said. "We still have a lot to do." Source: news.yahoo.com
31 March, 2015. El Niño floods Peru, Chile and Ecuador
In Peru, the Department of Tumbes is being affected by overflowing rivers. As a result of heavy rains on Friday and Sunday, the Government has officially declared a state of emergency in the region, a move that will allow for urgent investments to rehabilitate the affected areas.
The Tumbes River has flooded more than 7,500 hectares of crops, homes and roads. The source of the river is in the mountains of the neighbouring country of Ecuador, where flooding in recent days has caused at least 25 deaths.
Heavy rains caused the river flow to exceed the all-time record of 1,300 cubic metres per second, and reached 1,887 cubic metres per second.
According to the Regional Director of Agriculture, Diego Alemán Ramírez, 2,800 hectares of organic and conventional bananas, as well as 200 of lemons and 200 of cocoa, among others, have been flooded.
Atacama, the region with the world's driest desert, is suffering its worst flooding in recent years due to heavy rains that have hit the north of the country.
In Chile, where the weather is putting the table grape campaign in jeopardy at national level (from Copiapo to O'Higgins), the Government reported that 12 people have lost their lives as a result of the rains and floods in the regions of Coquimbo, Atacama and Antofagasta.
"It is affecting between 35% and 40% of the vines with Red Globe and Crimson Seedless grapes not yet harvested; about 4 million boxes of Red Globe and 2.5 million boxes of Crimson Seedless are estimated to have been affected," said the press release from ASOEX. Source: freshplaza.com
Lakes in the high Andes drain into the Amazon basin, if they drain at all. The area in Bolivia experiencing the worst flooding normally is drained by two different rivers, but what happens when mountain building occurs in the Andes, and pressure from the crimp creates crumpling in the Andes. The top portion of S America is free to pull to the west, overriding the Caribbean Plate and the Cocos Plate just to the west. But the bottom portion of S America is blocked by the Nazca Plate, which resists. Crumpling in the crimp creates folds, which are points on the crust which drop and heave, alternately.
This is similar to the accordion fold that occurred on the Sunda Plate, wherein the rivers in northern Thailand heaved, blocking the river beds, and then at a later date relaxed, releasing the flood through Bangkok. . Flooding is likewise occurring along the coast of southern Brazil, due to a stretch there that drops the land when S America bows. The crimp in S America is opposite from the yaw point at Nigeria, where sudden flooding and imploding buildings are occurring because the top part of Africa is held in place at present while the bottom part is pulling toward the east, falling into the void of the Indian Ocean.
ZetaTalk Chat Q&A for February 4, 2012
Indonesia
During 2012 - 2014, the number of casualties and people affected by natural disasters increased.
The Java islands remained highly prone to disaster events related to hydro-meteorological incidents.
The begining and end of the year were observed as the most critical times.
30 March, 2015. 17 percent of Indonesians live in landslide-prone areas: Agency
The National Disaster Mitigation Agency (BNPB) has revealed that 40.9 million Indonesians, or around 17.2 percent of the population, live in landslide-prone areas.
BNPB data and information center head Sutopo Purwo Nugroho said on Monday that disaster mitigation efforts for landslides were still minimal but, during the rainy season, people living in susceptible areas faced a medium-to-high risk of landslides.
"In fact, in 2014, landslide was the most deadly [type of] disaster, causing 408 deaths, displacing 79,341 residents and damaging 5,814 houses," Sutopo said.
Some of the 40.9 million residents would not be able to escape or protect themselves from landslides as 4.28 million of them were toddlers, 323,000 were people with disabilities and 3.2 million were elderly, according to Sutopo.
West Java, Central Java and East Java are the three areas most prone to landslide disasters. West Java’s Bogor, Bandung, Garut, Sukabumi, Cilacap and Cianjur; Central Java’s Wonogiri, Wonosobo, Temanggung, Banyumas, Semarang, Kebumen and Purbalingga; and East Java’s Ponorogo are some of the districts mapped out by the agency as being prone to landslides.
A map of landslide-prone areas has been distributed to relevant local administrations.
"However, the map had yet to be fully utilized when the administrations drafted the regional spatial plans," Sutopo said, adding that it was too costly to install early-warning systems for landslides in every region. "The key is proper spatial planning," he said as quoted by Antara news agency. Twelve people were killed and 11 houses buried after a landslide was triggered by heavy rain in Sukabumi on Saturday. A day earlier, a landslide triggered by rain also hit Jaraksari village in Wonosobo, killing one woman. Source: thejakartapost.com
16 February, 2015. Rainy season in Indonesia is generally between mid November to March. According to BNPB there are 75 districts/municipalities are affected by flooding in 2015. Aceh province was firstly affected on the early days of January. Landslide continues to be the deadliest disaster while whirlwind caused the most destructions. Central Java, West Java and East Java are the most frequently hit by disasters. Source: Reliefweb humanitarian snapshot in pdf
Apr 2, 2015
Khan
‘Everyday disasters’ driving flight from Sundarbans
April 7, 2015
Worsening floods and storm surges are driving exodus from the low-lying Sunderbans. (Reuters)
The end for Shibshankar Pal’s hopes of clinging to his home in India’s Sundarban islands came the night of July 14, 2014, when surging seas advanced on the house he had just reconstructed following floods a year earlier.
A tidal surge of as much as 21 feet – double a normal surge – ripped through the island village and soon swept away his home in Kusumtala village, Namkhana. He and his family fled to a flood shelter for more than three months, but then decided they could not rebuild again.
Instead, they decided to migrate to the slums of Baruipur, the nearest town, leaving the land and village where he and three previous generations had lived. Pal now does odd jobs and his wife travels to Kolkata to work as a maid. Worsening floods and storm surges linked to climate change are driving a growing exodus from the low-lying islands facing the Bay of Bengal.
The islands, along with mainland parts of the Sundarbans, are part of a 4,000-square-kilometre UNESCO World Heritage Site, the world’s largest mangrove ecosystem and a critical tiger habitat. But for some of the 4.4 million people who live in the Sundarbans, it is time to leave.
“The frequency of floods has increased a lot. Now a simple high tide or a tidal bore will breach the embankments and flood villages, destroy houses, paddy fields, ponds – in effect our livelihoods. It is no longer liveable,” Pal said.
Like thousands living in villages such as Boatkhali, Mousuni, Kusumtala and Pakhirala, he has seen global warming turn high tides and tidal bores – things communities have long lived with – into losses they can no longer survive.
More
Apr 8, 2015
Starr DiGiacomo
The bottom of the sea rising up in Hokkaido / Land showed up overnight
In Shiretoko peninsula of Hokkaido, the bottom of the sea has been rising since 4/24/2015.
It’s the coastal line of Rausu town.
According to a local resident, she noticed the coastal line is slightly higher than usual when she was picking seaweed in the morning of 4/24/2015.
It already became higher than her when she came back home.
It kept on rising and it became 300 〜 500m wide, 30m long and 10 〜 15m high by the morning of 4/25/2015.
It is seen still rising.
Land subsidence is seen in the surroundings but no sound or quake were observed. Because the rising land has marine organisms attached, it is assumed not to be a landslide.
Sapporo Regional Headquarters of Japan Meteorological Agency commented there has not been earthquakes observed in this week. No significant volcanic activities are not seen either. The cause of rising sea bottom is not known.
http://fukushima-diary.com/2015/04/the-bottom-of-the-sea-rising-up-...
Apr 26, 2015
jorge namour
SOUTH AMERICAN ROLL
VOLCANO Descabezado Grande in the Maule earthquake recorded earthquake in its main crater CHILE
According to a report from the National Service of Geology and Mining (Sernageomin) movement was at 04:00 hours and had a magnitude of 3.1.
http://www.emol.com/noticias/nacional/2015/05/02/715145/sismo-en-vo...
https://translate.google.com.ar/translate?sl=es&tl=en&js=y&...
SANTIAGO An earthquake of magnitude 3.1 was recorded this morning in the main crater of the volcano Descabezado Grande, located in the town of San Clemente, in the Maule region, according to reports from the National Service of Geology and Mining (Sernageomin ). The specialized agency said the move was captured at 04:00 hours. "There have been no replicas or other events associated with it", said the entity.
Similarly, "there is no report from the authorities or community at large about perceptions in nearby areas."
Sernageomin maintains the volcanic alert level green, which means "continuous monitoring of the situation with maximum feasible warn promptly any risk that could trigger an event of emergency."
The bulk of Laguna Verde, in the same region, in April introduced seismicity and also in green alert, constantly monitored by the specialized agency.
M 3.4 - MAULE, CHILE - 2015-05-02 05:57:55 UTC
http://www.emsc-csem.org/Earthquake/earthquake.php?id=439750
May 2, 2015
SongStar101
Nepal's Earthquake Made Mount Everest A Little Bit Shorter, Scientists Say
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2015/05/02/nepal-earthquake-shrinks-m...
In addition to taking a devastating humanitarian toll, the 7.8-magnitude earthquake that hit central Nepal on April 25 also shrank Mount Everest.
The world’s tallest mountain shrank by about one inch in the quake, according to information provided by UNAVCO, a nonprofit geoscience research consortium, to the site LiveScience. The analysis is based on data from the European Space Agency Sentinel-1A satellite, which passed over the affected area for the first time on April 29.
When the fault between the India and Eurasia tectonic plates slipped, causing the earthquake, strain was released that allowed the Earth’s crust to relax. That relaxation led to a slight reduction of the height of Everest.
In an email to The Huffington Post, Roger Bilham, a fellow at the Cooperative Institute for Research In Environmental Sciences and a professor in geological sciences at the University of Colorado Boulder, compared the process to suddenly releasing an eraser that's been squeezed. "Squeeze an eraser and it rises," he said. "Let go and it shrinks back to its original shape."
Bilham estimates that Everest shrank by one or two millimeters, while the Annapurna Range, a mountain range located in central Nepal closer to the earthquake, actually grew by 20 centimeters, or roughly 8 inches.
Data gleaned by the Sentinel-1A satellite is also useful to scientists interested in the mechanics of the quake itself.
"We want to know which parts of the fault slipped," Tim Wright, a geophysicist at the University of Leeds, told the BBC. "And that's important because it tells us those parts that did not, and which are still primed and ready to go in a future earthquake."
May 3, 2015
Khan
Three Dead, HundredsEvacuated as Waves HitCoastline From Mexico toChile
May 03.2015
Big waves lashing the Pacific coast from Mexico to Chile left three people dead and one missing, forcing hundreds to evacuate from the coastline.
http://sputniknews.com/latam/20150503/1021672190.html
May 4, 2015
Recall 15
Waves in Guatemala:
May 5, 2015
jorge namour
Japan: growing alert for the activity of the volcano Hakone
Registered about 14 earthquakes until this morning, and more than 1,000 tremors that already are affecting the area
May 7, 2015 17:05
http://www.meteoweb.eu/2015/05/giappone-cresce-lallerta-per-lattivi...
https://translate.google.com.ar/translate?sl=it&tl=en&js=y&...
http://volcansvanuatueruptionsgb.blogspot.fr/2015/05/07052015-hakon... PHOTO
Mount Hakone, one of the towns 'tourist favorite in Japan, just outside Tokyo and distant few kilometers from Fuji-san, continues to show a number of signs of activity' volcanic.
In the districts of Owakudani and Kamiyama were detected with increasing frequency "tremors", a phenomenon began on 26 April and, at the moment, not yet considered dangerous.
The Japan Meteorological Agency (JMA) has raised the level of alert from 1 to 2, opening the hypothesis of possible "minor eruptions." A total of 14 earthquakes have been established until this morning, more than 1,000 tremors that have hit the area, including numerous detectable with the aid of machinery.
Measurements have also made it possible to ensure that the crust around Mount Hakone and 'inflated by the end of April, increasing the risks, especially around Owakudani, rocks that could be launched from the volcano during eruptions small, inviting several thousand tourists who visit the area every day, full of onsen (traditional Japanese spas), to avoid potentially dangerous areas. CONTINUE...
http://www.earth-of-fire.com/2015/05/actualite-volcanique-de-la-sem... VIDEO
https://translate.google.com.ar/translate?sl=fr&tl=en&js=y&...
The last eruption of the identified concerns Hakone Owakudani and is dated from the year 1170 ± 100 years. (Global Volcanism Program - Hakoneyama )
May 9, 2015
casey a
6-centimeter uplift seen in Hakone, Japan. http://the-japan-news.com/news/article/0002138191
May 10, 2015
SongStar101
Florida
..where land in the southeastern US will be pulled under to the degree that water may lap at cities high in the Appalachian mountains, along the eastern seaboard, it will surely pull Florida under the water long enough to drown the populace totally. Those in boats will find they must contend with whirlpools and sloshing water that can capsize even large ocean going vessels. And those in skyscrapers likewise should not assume that their foundations will not be undercut and eroded. This is not a safe place.
Florida will lose 150 feet in elevation overall due to the pole shift, but not more than a couple feet prior to the pole shift itself and only inches prior to the week of stopped rotation. http://www.zetatalk.com/info/tinfx085.htm
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Sea rise threatens Florida coast, but no statewide plan
ST. AUGUSTINE, Fla. (AP) — America's oldest city is slowly drowning.
St. Augustine's centuries-old Spanish fortress and other national landmarks sit feet from the encroaching Atlantic, whose waters already flood the city's narrow, brick-paved streets about 10 times a year — a problem worsening as sea levels rise. The city has long relied on tourism, but visitors to the fortress and Ponce de Leon's mythical Fountain of Youth might someday have to wear waders at high tide.
"If you want to benefit from the fact we've been here for 450 years, you have the responsibility to look forward to the next 450," said Bill Hamilton, a 63-year-old horticulturist whose family has lived in the city since the 1950s. "Is St. Augustine even going to be here? We owe it to the people coming after us to leave the city in good shape."
St. Augustine is one of many chronically flooded communities along Florida's 1,200-mile coastline, and officials in these diverse places share a common concern: They're afraid their buildings and economies will be further inundated by rising seas in just a couple of decades. The effects are a daily reality in much of Florida. Drinking water wells are fouled by seawater. Higher tides and storm surges make for more frequent road flooding from Jacksonville to Key West, and they're overburdening aging flood-control systems.
But the state has yet to offer a clear plan or coordination to address what local officials across Florida's coast see as a slow-moving emergency. Republican Gov. Rick Scott is skeptical of man-made climate change and has put aside the task of preparing for sea level rise, an Associated Press review of thousands of emails and documents pertaining to the state's preparations for rising seas found.
Despite warnings from water experts and climate scientists about risks to cities and drinking water, skepticism over sea level projections and climate change science has hampered planning efforts at all levels of government, the records showed. Florida's environmental agencies under Scott have been downsized and retooled, making them less effective at coordinating sea level rise planning in the state, the documents showed.
The issue presents a public works challenge that could cost billions here and nationwide. In the third-most populous U.S. state, where most residents live near a coast, municipalities say they need statewide coordination and aid to prepare for the costly road ahead.
Communities like St. Augustine can do only so much alone. If one city builds a seawall, it might divert water to a neighbor. Cities also lack the technology, money and manpower to keep back the seas by themselves.
In a brief interview with the AP in March, Scott wouldn't address whether the state had a long-range plan. He cited his support for Everglades restoration and some flood-control projects as progress but said cities and counties should contact environmental and water agencies to find answers — though Scott and a GOP-led legislature have slashed billions in funding from those agencies. Spokespeople for the water districts and other agencies disputed that cuts have affected their abilities to plan.
"We will continue to make investments and find solutions to protect our environment and preserve Florida's natural beauty for our future generations," the governor said in a statement.
In St. Augustine, downtown streets around 19th century buildings built by oil tycoon Henry Flagler often close during nor'easters because of flooding. While the city's proximity to the sea has always made flooding a problem, residents say it's worsened over the past 15 to 20 years.
St. Augustine's civil engineer says that the low-lying village will probably need a New Orleans-style pumping system to keep water out — but that but no one knows exactly what to do and the state's been unhelpful.
"Only when the frequency of flooding increases will people get nervous about it, and by then it will be too late," engineer Reuben Franklin said. "There's no guidance from the state or federal level. ... Everything I've found to help I've gotten by searching the Internet."
Across coastal Florida, sea levels are rising faster than previously measured, according to federal estimates. In addition to more flooding at high tide, increasing sea levels also mean higher surges during tropical storms and hurricanes, and more inundation of drinking wells throughout Florida.
While South Florida water officials have led the charge in addressing sea level rise concerns in their area, their attempt to organize a statewide plan was met with indifference, documents show. The Scott administration has organized just a few conference calls to coordinate local efforts, records show. Those came only after Florida's water district managers asked DEP for help.
In a recent visit to Everglades National Park, President Barack Obama said the wetlands, vital to Florida's tourism economy and drinking-water supply, already are threatened by infusions of saltwater from rising seas.
The list of other problems across the state is growing. Miami Beach is spending $400 million on new stormwater pumps to keep seawater from overwhelming an outdated sewer system.
In St. Augustine, homes built on sand dunes teeter over open space as erosion eats at the foundations. Beachside hotel owners worry about their livelihoods.
Tampa and Miami are particularly vulnerable to rising seas — many roads and bridges weren't designed to handle higher tides, according to the National Climate Change Assessment. Officials say Daytona Beach roads, too, flood more often than in the 1990s.
South Miami passed a resolution calling for South Florida to secede from the more conservative northern half of the state so it could deal with climate change itself.
Insurance giant Swiss Re has estimated that the economy in southeast Florida could sustain $33 billion in damage from rising seas and other climate-related damage in 2030, according to the Miami-Dade Sea Level Rise Task Force.
Cities like St. Augustine have looked for help, but Scott's disregard for climate change science has created a culture of fear among state employees, records show.
The administration has been adamant that employees, including scientists, not "assign cause" in public statements about global warming or sea level rise, internal government emails show.
"I know the drill," responded Mike Shirley, manager of the Guana Tolomato Matanzas National Estuarine Research Reserve near St. Augustine.
Agency spokeswoman Engel said Phillips was a lower-level staffer whose views didn't necessarily reflect the entire administration. When asked whether staffers are told not to assign cause, Scott's office said "the allegations are not true".
Most towns say they cannot afford the cost of climate change studies or regional coordination.
"For us, it's a reality, it's not a political issue," said Courtney Barker, city manager of Satellite Beach. The town near Cape Canaveral used to flood during tropical weather, but now just a heavy rainstorm can make roads impassable for commuters.
"When you have to listen to that mantra, 'Climate change, is it real or not?' you kind of chuckle, because you see it," Barker said.
Scott administration officials are moving forward on a five-year plan that will provide basic guidance to cities dealing with sea level rise. Scott has appointed the Department of Economic Opportunity as the lead agency overseeing the project.
The DEO has received nearly $1 million in federal grants for the plan. More than half has been spent on staff time and travel or hasn't yet been allocated, according to documents. The rest, about $450,000, went to contract researchers who are helping create the document, due in 2016. Agency spokeswoman Jessica Sims wouldn't comment and refused requests for the program's manager to be interviewed.
In one grant-funded study, Florida State University researchers asked local leaders about sea rise. Some officials complained to researchers about the "poisonous political atmosphere" over climate change hampering progress. The AP obtained the report in a public records request.
"In some cases, especially at the local level, planners are constrained by perceptions among elected officials that there is a lack of reliable scientific information to support the existence of sea level rise," report authors summarized.
As for concerns over drinking water, water district officials said they were happy with the state's funding. But internal emails show frustration among those working behind the scenes to better organize a statewide sea level rise planning group.
"I often worry about the next generations; I think they will survive in spite of us," Dave DeWitt, a staffer at the Southwest Florida Water Management District, said in an email to colleagues. A district spokeswoman wouldn't comment on policy beyond the district.
St. Augustine officials say they need state-level coordination, or in coming decades much of historic downtown could be ankle-deep in water at high tide.
Franklin, the engineer, said, "Are we going to be early to the game in terms of planning for this, or late?"
May 12, 2015
Khan
India: Coastal people at their wits’ end
May 13, 2015
helpless:The sea surging on to the beach at Valiathura in Thiruvananthapuram. The worst affected are the fisherfolk who struggle to find a safe sanctuary for their boats. Photo: C. Ratheesh kumar
After every episode of sea erosion, construction of seawall is one of the major promises given to them by the visiting politicians.
Sea erosion is back to haunt the coastal areas of the city with advancing waves taking away several metres of land over the past three days.
But, this time around, the residents are not in a mood to shift to relief camps, even when requested so by officials. They are all staying put, asking for a permanent solution to the problem, in the form of a strong sea wall.
For the past few years, after every episode of sea erosion, construction of seawall is one of the major promises given to them by the visiting politicians.
“The sea wall does not exist in several stretches of the beach and the houses are all at the mercy of the waves. We are forced to shift to relief camps set up in schools several times every year. This situation has to end,” James, a resident here, says.
Last year, after a particularly severe episode of sea erosion, the government promised to build sea walls at Cheriyathura, Kochuthopp, and the surrounding areas. An amount of Rs.48 lakh was allocated from the 13th Finance Commission. But with work not reaching anywhere on this March 31, the funds lapsed.
Earlier this month, the Irrigation Department officials visited the area and submitted a report to the government with a suggestion for a 1,653-metre-long sea wall covering Kochuthopp, Kuzhivilakam, Valiathura, and Cheriyathura at a cost of Rs.12 crore. But the proposal will have to be sent to the Central government.
“The erosion can be controlled to an extent by arranging pulimuttu (groynes) along the coast,” Valiathura ward councillor Tony Oliver says.
Close to 33 families are still staying in various government schools in the area, after they lost their houses in last year’s erosion. A few have shifted to rented houses and with their relatives. A plan to build houses in the 2.65 acres of land of the Valiathura Sewage Farm has not taken off as the land is yet to be handed over to the Coastal Area Development Corporation.
Source
May 14, 2015
Derrick Johnson
(Over the last two years the ground movement has been causing the tunnel to close, this is just one more example of the havoc earth movements have on our infrastructure)
Failure of Wash. volcano runoff could be catastrophic
Spirit Lake Tunnel(Photo: Kyle Iboshi, KGW)
PORTLAND, Ore. — A tunnel dug to help drain a lake whose natural outlet was blocked when Mount St. Helens erupted in 1980 is narrowing. Experts say if it fails, Interstate 5 in Washington state could be inundated.
The Spirit Lake Tunnel was built after the 1980 Mount St. Helens eruption, when ash and debris blocked the lake's natural outlet into a local creek.
When lake levels began to rise, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers bored a 1.6-mile tunnel through bedrock to provide Spirit Lake a new outlet.
The tunnel opened in 1985. Last fall and spring, inspections found that the tunnel floor was rising. Geologists say shifting rock formations under the surface are to blame.
"The bottom of the tunnel is actually pushing up into the tunnel and deforming the shape," said Chris Budai, project engineer for the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers.
In October 2013, the tunnel had an opening of eight feet, six inches. One year later, the tunnel was constricted to seven feet, one inch.
In April of 2015, the uplift reduced the opening to six feet, eight inches.
"That was a pretty gross and significant movement that I had not seen in the 30 years I've been inspecting the tunnel," Budai said.
If the tunnel were to collapse, the lake could fill up and overflow, causing a catastrophe.
In a recent report, the U.S. Army Corps wrote that "this worst case possibility would destroy all transportation routes" to the west of the lake, in southern Washington along the Cowlitz Valley, including Interstate-5 and the main North-South rail lines.
The tunnel still has a ways to go before it can no longer drain the lake, said Budai.
"I don't think that is imminent," he said. "We have time."
The Army Corp of Engineers, which inspects and maintains the tunnel for the U.S. Forest Service, is now working on designs to fix the problem.
It hopes to make emergency repairs to the tunnel by later this year. So far, there is no price tag on the fix.
Two Washington senators and a congresswoman have raised serious concerns about the problem.
"Complete failure of this tunnel in the shadow of Mount St. Helens could be catastrophic to Washington state on multiple levels," Sen. Patty Murray (D-WA), Sen. Maria Cantwell (D-WA) and Rep. Jaime Herrera Beutler (R-WA) wrote in a joint letter to the head of various federal agencies.
Source: http://www.usatoday.com/story/news/2015/05/14/mt-saint-helens-volca...
May 17, 2015
Khan
Peru declares state of emergency in a district that is being swallowed by the earth
May 17, 2015
Peru authorities have declared a state of emergency in 19 locations Piscobamba district in the province of Mariscal Luzuriaga (department of Ancash, west). The decision is due to a large ground cracks gradually sink.
Source
May 18, 2015
casey a
5.4 magnitude Earthquake took place in Nevada on May 22. Next day there is a drop of 7 ft in Lake Mead's water levels.
this was zetatalk re: the methane hot spot east on the Four Corners are. Perhaps related.
May 24, 2015
Kris H
May 25, 2015
casey a
hmm. at the bottom it say "Water data courtesy of US Bureau of Reclamation"
The bureau of reclamation website shows that the lake mead's water level lost 7 ft @ 11pm on the 23 May. Before it & After it the water levels @ Mead are at 1077 ft., though.
When the drop in Mead's elevation levels happen, there is a drop in the water release rate from Hoover dam, also. But earlier in the day, there were even bigger drops in the rate at which water was released out of Hoover; yet the water levels at Mead remained @ 1077 ft.
The funny thing is in the next hour on the 24th, water levels have gone back to the 1077ft level. Either numbers are fudged or this was some sensor malfunction.
(trying to think of how else this could have happened. Wasn't sure which way colorado river flows. So, putting this here)
May 25, 2015
Stanislav
Philippines:
The barangay hall of Tinumigues in Lambayong town, Sultan Kudarat on Wednesdaay, June 24. Flashfloods brought about by continous heavy rains since Tuesday night temporarily displaced some 25,000 residents in four towns and one city in Sultan Kudarat province on Wednesday. MindaNews photo by Ferdinandh B. Cabrera
RESIDENTS of the village of Concepcion in Koronadal City find themselves cut off from the rest of the city after strong river currents swept away a portion of the village bridge. @AL SALUDO/CONTRIBUTOR
Floods in Cotabato. Source: interaksyon.com
25 June, 2015. No heavy rain, but bridge collapses, 3 dead in South Cotabato floods
Three people were killed, a major bridge was damaged and several areas of South Cotabato were submerged in flood waters following hours of light to moderate rain that started on Tuesday.
Tupi, South Cotabato Mayor Reynaldo Tamayo said separate landslides took place in Barangay Bunao and Lunen and killed three people.
Tamayo did not identify those killed but added that the landslides were triggered by the rain.
“A little rain here causes flood already,” said Sid Samaniego, municipal media relations officer.
Flooding was also reported on Tuesday in Legazpi City, Albay province. Edwin Fernandez, Inquirer Mindanao with Maricar Cinco and Michael Jaucian, Inquirer Southern Luzon. Source: newsinfo.inquirer.net
24 June, 2015. 3 die, 800 displaced in SouthCot, S. Kudarat floods
Three people have died while around 800 residents were displaced in parts of South Cotabato and Sultan Kudarat provinces as flashfloods and landslides hit the area early Wednesday.
Reports from local Disaster Risk Reduction and Management (DRRM) offices said the floods and landslides occurred following the almost non-stop heavy to moderate rains that started on Tuesday evening.
In South Cotabato, severe flooding were reported in the municipalities of Banga, Norala, Tantangan, Tupi and Koronadal City due to the swelling of several rivers and tributaries.
Landslides were also reported in Barangays Bunao and Lunen in Tupi after a portion of a mountain collapsed at the height of heavy rains early Wednesday.
In Banga town, the MDRRMO reported that some 280 families composed of 600 individuals have evacuated due to the flashfloods that affected eight barangays.
An initial 117 hectares of palay farmlands were damaged as a result of the floods in Barangays Yangco, Malaya, Cabuling, Reyes Punong Grande, Rizal, Rang-ay and Cinco.
Arman Palomar, Yangco barangay chairman, said 280 families were forced to leave their homes as early as 2 a.m. after huge volumes of floodwaters from nearby Banga River swept their area.
He said some 75 houses sustained various damages due to the floods that reached about four feet. Source: mindanews.com
India:
The Saurashtra region is the worst-hit by floods. Source: bbc.com
MI-17 V5 helicopters of Indian Air Force carrying out rescue and relief operation in Amreli district. Source: ibtimes.co.in
25 June, 2015. Floods kill 41 in western India
Flash flooding triggered by torrential rains has killed 41 people in India’s western Gujarat state, as the annual monsoon season hits the country, a disaster management official said Thursday.
Authorities have evacuated more than 10,000 residents mainly from coastal areas of Gujarat following heavy rains in the last 24 hours, the state government said in a statement.
The coastal district of Amreli was the worst affected, with 36 people killed in flood-related incidents, a duty officer in the state’s disaster control room said.
“There have been 41 deaths across the state with 36 in Amreli, three in Bhavnagar and two in Rajkot districts,” the official told AFP.
Thirteen of the deaths in Amreli occurred when two houses collapsed in the flooding, local police deputy superintendent Pinakin Parmar told AFP.
India normally sees flooding during the monsoon but the intensity of this year’s rains in Gujarat has surprised many.
The air force has been deployed to help with evacuations, including that of 44 passengers of a bus stuck on a flooded highway near Amreli town, the government’s statement said.
In photos released by the defence ministry, families were shown huddling on rooftops of flooded homes awaiting rescue, along with washed out train tracks and roads.
India’s weather bureau has forecast more heavy rain in Gujarat for the next two days.
As the monsoon sweeps across the country, flood warnings have also been issued in northern Jammu and Kashmir state — hit by floods last year that claimed about 300 lives.
Waters were receding in northeastern Assam following floods there last week. But more than 20,000 people were still waiting to return home after moving to higher ground after the rain hit, the Press Trust of India said.
Nearly 900 hectares (2,223 acres) of farm land was also still under water in that state, the news agency added.
The monsoon is vital for South Asia especially for crop production. India receives nearly 80 percent of its annual rainfall between June to September period. Source: tribune.com
Vietnam:
A man transporting rice cakes for sale on his bicycle, looks at his produce while standing on a flooded street in Vietnam's central ancient town of Hoi An on Nov 18, 2013. Photo: Reuters
24 June, 2015. Flash Floods Kill 7, Leave 4 Missing in Northern Vietnam
A disaster official says flash floods triggered by a tropical storm have killed seven people and left four others missing in a northern Vietnamese province.
Tran Viet Phuong in Son La province said Thursday that authorities are still searching for the four missing, including a four-year-old boy whose house was washed away.
Flash floods washed away more than 20 houses in the province, he said.
Tropical Storm Kujira which slammed northern coast on Wednesday has now dissipated, according to the national weather forecasters.
The storm has dumped up to 20 centimeters (nearly 8 inches) of rain on many parts of northern region over the past two days.
Vietnam is prone to flood s and storms, which kill hundreds of people each year. Source: todayonline.com
Jun 25, 2015
Stanislav
Jamaica
3 July, 2015. Sea Floods Rocky Point Community
Residents in Rocky Point, Clarendon, are now on edge as water from the sea has flooded the community.
This morning residents woke up to flooded streets and yards as high tides caused huge volumes of water to flood the entire Shearer Heights area. One resident, who gave her name as Pedro, said the water started flooding houses sometime around 1 a.m. when it was extremely windy.
"A lot of people house flood out and nobody cannot leave them premises and go anywhere, you can’t get nowhere to walk. People furniture and appliances get damaged by the sea water. We are scared man, we can’t come out," she told The Gleaner.
She said the drains are flooded and the situation is getting worse each day.
The affected residents said they have been experiencing the effects of this high tide for the last six weeks and fisher folk have been unable to venture out to sea.
However, one fisherman is feared lost at sea after he braved the weather and went out last night.
Another boat left in search of him at daybreak. Fishing equipment including huts and boats have also been damaged as a result of the strong winds.
Councillor for the Rocky Point Division, Winston Maragh, who visited the community this morning, said the main roads are inaccessible as they are flooded. He added that a senior citizen’s home and a basic school are also severely affected by the flood waters.
"Many persons have to park their vehicles in a yard on the hill and walk home, so it’s a serious problem," he said.
Maragh said based on the assessments carried out, 25 per cent of Rocky Point is currently flooded.
He has suggested a temporary solution of covering the area with river shingle and marl to give residents access to their homes.
However, he said the National Works Agency says a sea wall may be needed to solve the problem on a more long-term basis. Source: jamaica-gleaner.com
Jul 8, 2015
Khan
India: Over 4,500 people died in floods in last 4 years
23 Jul, 2015
Replying to a question in Lok Sabha, Minister of State for Water Resources Sanwar Lal Jat said that according to Home Affairs Ministry, 26,449 villages were affected by floods during the last three years and current year till July 19.
This includes the villages washed away partially or fully, he added.
As per statewise data on the number of lives lost due to the floods in the last three years, a total of 4,553 people were killed, with Uttarakhand topping the list with 800.
The total damages to crops, public utilities and houses during the last three years is estimated at Rs. 40,60,758 crores, the data revealed.
Jul 24, 2015
Khan
Pakistan: Old problems, unresolved- Floods in Bhudni nullah leave locals stranded
July 27, 2015
People stranded and traffic suspended in Bhudni Pul area. PHOTOS: MUHAMMAD IQBAL/EXPRESS
“Residents in Usmania Colony on Warsak Road have placed sand-filled bags on the sides of the nullah to protect houses from flooding,” said a local government councillor, Manzoor Ali. Four days ago on Thursday, the same colony had flooded with waste when garbage and rainwater mixed and seeped into houses and shops. However, the problem repeated itself on Sunday when the nullah flooded.
Some residents also took shelter on roofs. Standing water caused traffic to suspend on Peshawar-Charsadda Road, disconnecting parts of the district.
According to DC Riaz Mehsud, the district government diverted traffic from the route, and asked transporters to use the Peshawar-Islamabad Motorway instead to go to Charsadda. Ambulances were also deployed in vulnerable areas.
Rescue efforts and encroachment
Rescue 1122 teams have so far helped 40 people evacuate houses. The teams faced difficulties in evacuating the residents as encroachments blocked their access. Some people were also reluctant to leave their houses despite the flooding.
When contacted, Rescue 1122 Spokesperson Bilal Faizi said the teams included divers who were on the run—visiting flooded houses in rescue boats—to ensure timely evacuation and avoid loss of life.
Faizi added mostly children and older adults were the ones stranded
Minister for Information Mushtaq Ghani also visited Bhudni Pul and monitored the situation. He directed the district government, police, Provincial Disaster Management Authority (PDMA) and Rescue 1122 to forcibly evacuate people even if they refuse so that loss of life can be avoided.
Source
Jul 27, 2015
Khan
Sea wall along coastal road could lead to more floods in Mumbai.
July 27, 2015
Experts say it will stop channels of water entering the sea and cause flooding.
If there is one thing the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) has consistently shown when it comes to providing civic amenities and infrastructure congruous with the environment, it is that it never learns to do so.
While Sunday marked the completion of 10 years since the 26/7 Mumbai floods, it has now come to light that two of the BMC’s most ambitious plans Development Plan (DP) and coastal road will not do anything to prevent flooding in the city.
While the DP makes no specific provisions to arrest flooding, a sea wall to be constructed for the coastal road may actually cause more flooding, since it will stop channels of water entering the sea.
Wall of problems
Well-known architect P K Das has criticised the DP as well as the coastal road in public forums. He said, “A sea wall has been envisaged along parts of the coastal road. But construction of such walls is banned in the US and Europe.
Officials’ assumption that it will prevent storm surges is archaic. It will in fact lead to flooding, since the wall will prevent floodwater entering the sea. If a natural drainage channel underground is severed, it will result in a counter action and cause flooding in the city.”
Environmentalist Rishi Agarwal also said that it was possible that the sea wall might lead to what retaining walls along some of Mumbai’s rivers led to. “Retaining walls were built for Dahisar, Poisar, Mithi rivers, which actually caused rain water to head towards the land. So I am unsure of the impact of the sea wall on flooding.”
Road to troubles
Hussain Indorewala, assistant professor at Kamla Raheja Vidyanidhi Institute for Architecture, who has been studying the coastal road project, said, “The 2005 floods were mainly caused because of the intensity of rain, which was 125 mm/hour while our drainage systems are equipped to handle only 25 mm/hour.
The recent June 19 rains had an intensity of only 38 mm/hour and, even then, there was flooding. This means 26/7 may happen again. Besides, the coastal road will destroy mangroves which act as a natural absorption channel for flood water, on a large scale.”
According to Indorewala, the coastal road will further reduce the width of the Juhu nullah and Malad creek. “Mangroves near the Malad creek will be destroyed for the road to be constructed there. This means all areas adjacent to the Malad creek (upstream) will be flooded during monsoons,” he said.
The coastal road’s environment impact assessment report states that mangroves should not be destroyed. Raghavanand Haridas, an architect from Santacruz, also criticised the coastal road for its tremendous costs to the public exchequer. “In the erstwhile development plans, a ring road was proposed between Bandra and Borivli.
Why can’t that concept be developed? Why do we need the coastal road at all?” Today (July 27) is the last date for submitting suggestions and objections for the coastal road. The civic body has received around 60 of them so far. The draft development plan released by the civic body in February, also makes no separate provisions to prevent flooding.
Only broad outline
“We have made provisions for additional pumping stations in the DP. Besides, the Development Control Regulations (DCR) stipulate certain things such as distance of a building from a nullah and plinth height. But no other provision was made.
After all, the DP only gives a broad outline for the city. The specific departments should deliberate on this,” said V K Phatak, consultant to the BMC for the original draft DP. The DP is now being revised and suggestions/ objections are supposed to be incorporated.
Source
Jul 27, 2015