• Tracking

Climatic Disasters from Oct.23

Cyclone Kompasu (Maring): A powerful tropical cyclone struck the Philippines on Oct. 12, sending water surging through the streets and landslides cascading through homes. At least 19 people died, while 13 others remained missing as of Oct. 14, according to the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council. Thousands of acres of farmland were damaged, and fishing grounds were also affected along with critical infrastructure. There were 325 homes damaged, 89 of which were completely destroyed. After striking the Philippines, Cyclone Kompasu (known as Maring in the Philippines) moved north and struck Hong Kong where it killed another person and injured five more. It also forced the closure of the Yantian port in the Chinese city of Shenzhen, one of the busiest ports in the world, adding pressure to the already strained global supply chain.

Flooding – Multiple countries

China: Heavy rainfall since early October has affected almost 1.76 million residents of China’s Shanxi region. Officials report at least 15 people have died while three more are missing. The severe weather also damaged close to 590,000 acres (238,460 ha) of crops and more than 3,700 miles (6,000 km) of roads. In addition, more than 1,700 cultural relics and heritage sites have been damaged by the flooding.

India: Dozens of people died as days of heavy rains brought landslides and floods to several parts of India. As of Oct. 17, 25 people were reported dead as rescuers search for more people who were swept away in the water or mud. India’s military is flying in relief supplies and more than 100 temporary camps have been set up to care for the thousands of people displaced by the floods.

Earthquake – Multiple countries

Greece: The island of Crete was struck by its second powerful earthquake in as many months. The 6.3 magnitude earthquake struck shortly after noon on Oct. 12 at a depth of only 5 miles (8.2 km) according to the National Observatory of Athens. A small tsunami was reported on the south coast of the island, though no significant damage was reported because of it. There were no reports of injuries, though the damage was expected to be extensive and similar to the previous earthquake in September.

Indonesia: Three people died on the Indonesian island of Bali when a 4.8 magnitude earthquake caused landslides that buried homes in rocks and mud. People fled their homes in panic when the earthquake struck in the pre-dawn hours, which helped minimize the number of casualties.

Hurricane Pamela: Thousands of people in Mexico’s Nayarit state were affected when Hurricane Pamela came ashore from the Pacific on Oct. 13. While there was extensive damage, there were no reported deaths or injuries in Mexico. After crossing Mexico, Pamela’s remnants moved into Texas and Oklahoma, killing two people in Bexar, Texas when they were caught in flash flooding.

Previous/ongoing disasters

Volcanic eruption – Spain: La Cumbre Vieja entered its fourth week of ongoing volcanic activity with a bang as a lava cone collapsed and “lava bombs,” blocks of molten lava the size of three-story buildings, flowed down the sides of the volcano. These new lava emissions have destroyed the few untouched buildings in the town of Todoque, bringing the total number of buildings destroyed to almost 1,200. The unearthly beauty of La Cumbre Vieja’s eruption isn’t limited to its lava; NASA satellites caught a mesmerizing bullseye of clouds caused when an eruption on Oct. 9 sent a wave of pressure straight into the air.

2021 Atlantic Hurricane Season: As of Oct. 18, officials are not monitoring any areas in the Atlantic basin. The end of hurricane season is not for another six weeks, meaning that there’s still time for more storms to develop.

North American wildfires: As of Oct. 18, the National Interagency Fire Center (NIFC) was reporting 33 active fires that had burned 2.7 million acres. Of those, 17 were considered large uncontained fires. There have been 47,525 wildfires in the U.S. in 2021, burning a cumulative 6.5 million acres.

After experiencing significant challenges last week, firefighters have finally started to get the KNP Complex fire in Sequoia National Park under control. As of Oct. 18, it was listed at just over 88,000 acres – approximately 1,000 acres larger than a week ago, but containment had increased by 25% to 55%. Firefighters are expecting the fire to continue to grow slowly, and full containment of the fire is expected to take several more weeks.

PaaClimate regularly updates a North American Wildfires Season disaster profile with information on the fires and advice on how funders can help address critical needs.