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Here’s what we’re watching for the week of Nov. 8, 2021.

New or emerging disasters Flooding – Multiple Countries:

Sri Lanka: Several days of heavy rain left rivers overflowing and sent water rushing over the top of the Demodara Reservoir in the city of Badulla. As of Nov. 3, two people died in the flooding, while a third was killed by a lightning strike. Sri Lanka’s Armed forces have responded to the area to support the response and recovery operations. Colombia: Heavy rain in the Nariño province in the south of Colombia caused a major landslide in the village of San Miguel, near the border with Ecuador. The landslide destroyed two buildings and blocked the Junín-Pedregal highway after killing 14 people, injuring 10 and leaving officials searching for at least six more. Indonesia: Indonesia’s National Disaster Mitigation Agency reported that rivers along the slopes of Mount Arjuno in East Java overflowed, sending flash floods through five hamlets along the side of the mountain. As of Nov. 5, at least eight people died while rescuers saved another six people from the debris. The number of those still missing is unclear, but rescuers are continuing to search for those who are still unaccounted for.

Wildfire – Romania: Close to 100 personnel battled a wildfire in the Oituz Private Forest District on Nov. 1. With more than 60 firefighters on the ground and support from the Romanian Air Force, the firefighters faced steep terrain and the risk of unexploded ammunition scattered through the area, requiring a specialized explosives disposal unit from the Romanian Armed Forces.

Previous/ongoing disasters Mediterranean Migrants: While the infamous “Jungle” in Calais was officially demolished five years ago, thousands of Mediterranean Migrants are stuck in the rubble, awaiting a resolution to their asylum claims.

2021 Atlantic Hurricane Season: As of Nov. 7, officials are monitoring two systems in the Atlantic basin, including subtropical storm Wanda – the last name on this year’s list before the National Hurricane Center moves to the new list of additional names that replaces the Greek names previously used. Wanda has meandered through the mid-Atlantic for the past week and is currently drifting northeast near the Azores. The second system is off the coast of the Carolinas and is expected to move east in the coming days without developing significantly.

Please read our 2021 Atlantic Hurricane Season disaster profile for the latest information.

North American wildfires: On Nov. 5, the National Interagency Fire Center (NIFC) reported 11 active fires that had burned 405,427 acres. Of those, five were considered large uncontained fires. There have been 48,725 wildfires in the U.S. in 2021, burning a cumulative 6.5 million acres. Both those statistics are below the 10-year averages, despite some of the largest fires in history happening this year.