Tracking latest Climatic Disasters
27/12/2021- Tracking
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Tracking around the globe
Typhoon Rai (Philippines): A massive super typhoon known as “Rai” (“Odette” in the Philippines) struck the island nation on Dec. 16 with the force of a Category 5 hurricane. This was the 15th typhoon and second super typhoon to hit the Philippines in 2021.
Officials evacuated more than 309,000 people into shelters as winds over 121 mph (195 km/h) battered the islands. According to the vice governor of Surigao del Norte province, almost 95% of houses in Dinagat island lost their roofs during the storm. As of Dec. 20, the typhoon has claimed more than 200 people and another 50 remained missing as authorities worked to reach the hardest-hit areas.
For the latest information and how you can help, please visit our Super Typhoon Odette (Rai) profile.
Derecho – United States: Just five days after the record-breaking tornado outbreak of Dec. 10-11, a second major weather system devastated portions of the United States. A massive derecho, a long-lasting and fast-moving line of thunderstorms usually seen in much warmer months, swept across 660 miles (1,060 km) in just over 10 hours, wreaking havoc from New Mexico and Colorado through Kansas, Nebraska, Missouri, Iowa, Minneapolis, Wisconsin and Michigan. At least five people died, including three people in two separate car crashes when dust kicked up by the storm reduced visibility on the roads to zero.
Flooding – Multiple Countries
Iraq: The semi-autonomous region of Kurdistan was the site of heavy rains overnight on Dec. 16-17 that left streets filled with muddy water and at least 12 people dead. Meanwhile, the Kirkuk province just to the south of Kurdistan saw Iraqi security forces rescue dozens of people who were trapped in their homes because of the rain.
Republic of Congo: The rainy season, which began in September, has proven to be relentless. As of Dec. 16, multiple rivers have overflowed their banks and killed 15 people, left nine more missing and displaced 6,550 across six departments around the country.
South Africa: Multiple days of severe thunderstorms have left six people dead and more than 1,000 homes damaged due to hail, lightning, strong winds and heavy rain. Officials are still working on cataloging the full extent of the damage as the weather is still preventing them from reaching all of the affected areas.
Spain: Heavy rain has been falling regularly since late November in northern parts of the country. The accumulation of moisture accompanied by new rainfall and snowmelt led to flooding along the Arga and Ebro rivers on Dec. 10-11. At least two people died, while thousands more have been affected by the floods left roads underwater and covered with debris after landslides.
Severe weather – United States: The toll from the extreme weather that raced across the U.S. heartland last week is slowly being counted as people, families and communities begin the long road to recovery. Some students returned to classrooms on Dec. 15, weaving through debris-covered streets and past shattered homes. Traditional learning was pretty much off the agenda as teachers worked to ensure their students felt safe, secure and loved after the catastrophic events of Dec. 10-11.
The quad-state tornado has officially been classified as an EF-4, the second-strongest tornado on the Enhanced Fujita scale. Kentucky was one of the hardest-hit areas from these tornadoes, so it is almost inevitable that bourbon is playing a role in helping to raise money for relief and recovery.
For complete coverage and how you can help, please see our December 2021 Tornado Outbreak profile.
Volcanic eruption – La Palma: Almost three months after it began erupting, La Cumbre Vieja’s unrelenting ash and lava flows stopped almost as suddenly as they started. As scientists make their way to the crater to see what changes have happened in the volcano, residents are cautiously beginning to clean up and rebuild what the volcano has taken away from them.