At least 265 dead in floods, landslides as rains batter East Africa

NAIROBI, Kenya - Two months of relentless rains have submerged villages and farms and sent rivers of mud crashing into houses across East Africa, with at least 265 killed, according to an AFP tally, as meteorologists warn of more to come.

The extreme downpours have affected close to two million people and washed away tens of thousands of livestock in Kenya, Somalia, Burundi, Tanzania, South Sudan, Uganda, Djibouti and Ethiopia.

With a tropical storm headed for Somalia and more rain forecast across the region in the coming weeks, fears are rising over waterborne diseases and the prospect of hunger as crops are destroyed.

In Burundi, 38 people died on Wednesday night after heavy rains triggered landslides that swept through hillside communities in the northwest of the country, according to a provisional police toll on Thursday.

"It happened in the night, when everyone was at home, and landslides hit three very steep hills and buried everything in their path," a witness told AFP.

"Whole families were buried alive in their homes or in the fields. It was terrifying."

Kenya has been hard hit with 132 killed and 17,000 displaced, schools, roads, and health centers flooded, and water systems clogged across the country, government spokesman Cyrus Oguna said in a statement on Tuesday.

The "weather forecast has indicated that the current rains are not expected to cease until the end of December 2019," the statement said. 

In South Sudan, the UN refugee agency UNHCR said nearly a million people have been affected by floodwaters which submerged whole towns, compounding an already dire humanitarian situation after six years of war. 

Flooding has also affected 570,000 people in Somalia, according to the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA).

The European humanitarian agency ECHO meanwhile warned of a tropical storm due to hit northeastern Somalia on Friday, bringing the threat of more flash floods.

'Multiple landslides'

In Tanzania, 55 people have died, according to an AFP tally of police figures, including 30 in flash floods in the northeast in October, 15 whose car was swept away by floodwaters in the town of Tanga, and 10 who drowned last month in northern Mwanza.

In Uganda, eight people have died and over 80,000 have been displaced by flooding and mudslides this week, Disaster Preparedness Minister Musa Ecweru said in a statement.

Days of heavy rainfall on Mount Elgon on Tuesday caused "multiple landslides in... Bududa district killing four people, injuring five and displacing over 6,000 people".

In Sironko district, also on Mount Elgon, "two adults and two children were killed" and over 4,000 people affected.

"The risk of more flooding and landslides is real," the minister warned.

Ethiopia has also been affected, with 22 people dying in a landslide in the south of the country in October.

Djibouti has also experienced unusually heavy rains, with a joint government and United Nations press statement reporting that some areas received "the equivalent of 2 years of rainfall occurred in one day" in heavy downpours two weeks ago.

"Some 10 people (7 children) have reportedly been killed," said the statement, adding that 250,000 were affected countrywide.

Warm Indian Ocean waters to blame

The extreme weather is blamed on the Indian Ocean Dipole -- a climate system defined by the difference in sea surface temperature between the western and eastern areas of the ocean.

At the moment, the ocean around East Africa is far warmer than usual, resulting in higher evaporation and moist air flowing inwards over the continent as rain: the hallmarks of a "positive" dipole.

Scientists say the strength of this dipole is of a magnitude not seen in years, perhaps even decades.

These waters around East Africa have been about two degrees warmer than those of the eastern Indian Ocean near Australia -- an imbalance well beyond the norm. 

The heavy rains have also wrought destruction in central Africa, with scores killed in the Democratic Republic of Congo, including 41 in the capital Kinshasa last week.

In the Central African Republic, OCHA says around 100,000 people have been displaced.

source: news.abs-cbn.com

Powerful storm lashes Japan, snarls holiday travel

TOKYO - A powerful tropical storm lashed Japan Thursday, bringing strong winds and torrential rain that prompted warnings of landslides and flooding, and sparked evacuation advisories and travel chaos at a peak holiday period.

Severe Tropical Storm Krosa -- one notch below a typhoon -- was churning slowly just off the southwestern coast of Japan, packing wind gusts of up to 160 kilometers per hour.

Authorities issued a voluntary evacuation advisory to around 550,000 people in the storm's path and Japan's Fire and Disaster Management Agency said four people had sustained minor injuries with one person more seriously hurt.

The agency also said that a party of 18 people including children got stranded during a barbecue in a valley when the river rose rapidly. They have since been evacuated to higher ground and should be rescued later Thursday.

Krosa also sparked travel chaos as people returned to major cities following the Obon holiday.

More than 600 domestic flights were cancelled to and from cities in western Japan and bullet train services were either scrapped or sharply reduced.

Ferries connecting the southern Shikoku island and other parts of Japan were also cancelled as high waves lashed the coast.

Krosa weakened significantly from earlier in the week as it stalled in the Pacific Ocean but it boasts an unusually large eye, meaning it is likely to dump rain over a wide area.

It is also moving very slowly -- 20 kilometers per hour -- so the rain is expected to last for an extended period.

source: news.abs-cbn.com

New storm heading for U.S. leaves 22 dead in Central America

Tropical Storm Nate gained strength Friday as it headed toward popular Mexican beach resorts and ultimately the US Gulf coast after dumping heavy rains in Central America that left at least 22 people dead.

Nate, which currently has 50 mile (85 kilometer) per hour winds, is forecast to reach hurricane strength by the time it makes landfall in the United States late Saturday on the north coast of the Gulf of Mexico.

New Orleans, where levees were breached during Hurricane Katrina in 2005, and other cities on the US Gulf coast were under hurricane watch.



The US National Hurricane Center warned of possible "hurricane conditions" by Friday night on Mexico's Yucatan Peninsula, where Cancun and other Caribbean resorts are located.

By late Saturday, those fearsome winds could drive a "life-threatening storm surge" onto southern US states along the Gulf of Mexico.

"Nate is expected to make landfall... as a hurricane," the Center said.

As of early Friday, the storm was located directly offshore from Belize, just south of the Yucatan Peninsula, with winds of 85 kilometers (50 miles) per hour that were expected to strengthen.

"The main threat to Belize is expected to be mostly thunderstorms and heavy rain which are causing localized flooding," the country's government said in a statement. It warned people in low-lying areas to go to higher ground, and for boats not to venture to sea.

- Evacuations, mudslides -

On Thursday, intense rains from the storm forced thousands from their homes, uprooted trees, knocked out bridges and turned roads into rivers in Costa Rica, Nicaragua and Honduras.

Nicaragua bore 11 of the deaths, according to Vice President Rosario Murillo.

In Costa Rica, where a national emergency was declared, eight people died, including a three-year-old girl, after they were hit by falling trees and mudslides. An alert was issued for people to be wary of crocodiles that might be roaming after rivers and estuaries flooded.

Three other people were killed in Honduras.

More than 30 people are listed as missing in the three countries.

Nicaragua's Murillo said that 800 people had been evacuated, nearly 600 homes were flooded and 14 communities were isolated because of rains that had been falling for days.

More than 5,000 people were put up in shelters in Costa Rica after having to abandon their homes because of flooding and the risk of unstable ground giving way.

In the Gulf of Mexico, some offshore oil and gas rigs were evacuated ahead of the storm's advance, the US government Bureau of Safety and Environmental Enforcement said in a statement.

The United States is recovering from two major hurricanes: Hurricane Harvey that tore through Texas in August, and Hurricane Irma in September.

Another powerful storm, Hurricane Maria, ripped through the Caribbean in late September, wreaking destruction on several islands, including Dominica and Puerto Rico.

- Hurricane season -

Central America, the Caribbean, Mexico and the southern United States suffer an Atlantic hurricane season every year that runs from June to November.

The unstable weather brings heightened risk of flooding and mudslides in many poor Central American nations.

This year's season has been intense, with some areas in Central America getting up to 50 percent more rain than average for September and October.

Costa Rica declared three days of mourning for those killed by Tropical Storm Nate, and President Luis Guillermo Solis, warned that, although the storm had passed, it was too early to say the danger had gone.

"This situation is deceptive because it will rain this weekend and the ground is saturated, so landslides are possible," he said.

source: news.abs-cbn.com

75 pct chance 'Hagupit' to hit PH: PAGASA

MANILA - Weather bureau PAGASA on Wednesday said there is a 75 percent chance that Typhoon Hagupit will make landfall in the Philippines, particularly in Eastern Samar, this Saturday.

According to PAGASA Deputy Administrator Dr. Landrico Dalida, Jr., the country should prepare for two scenarios: that of Hagupit making landfall, and that of the typhoon changing track.

At present, there is a 75% chance that it will hit land, and 25% of it changing track.

"So far, as of this time, nakikita po natin na mayroong 75 to 25 percent ratio. Ibig sabihin, may 75% na mag-landfall, at 25% po na ito ay magre-curve," Dalida said.

He added: "Sa Sabado ng hapon, tatama ito sa Eastern Samar which is 75% po ang probability and 25% it will curve northward."

In case Hagupit makes landfall, the provinces of Eastern Samar, Cebu, Panay and Mindoro will be affected, before it exits through the West Philippine Sea by Sunday or Monday.

In case it changes track due to the effect of other weather systems in the area, Hagupit will bring rain to the provinces of Samar and Bicol region, as well as in Northern Midnanao.

Dalida added that it is important that all local government units should be prepared by Friday, which is very critical.

Once the typhoon hits land, it is expected to pack maximum sustained winds of 160 kilometers per hours, and gusts of up to 190 kph.

It may also bring storm surges 3 to 4 meters high in Eastern Samar, as well as 5 to 22 millimeters of rain.

Based on latest data from state weather bureau PAGASA, "Hagupit"was spotted 1,543 kilometers east of Davao City.

The typhoon, which will be named 'Ruby' once it enters the PAR on Thursday, was packing maximum sustained winds of 140 kilometers per hour (kph) near the center and gusts of up to 170 kph.

Hagupit was moving west northwest at 30 kph.

44 provinces 'critical'

Forty-four provinces were also declared critical areas by NDRRMC and PAGASA. There provinces are expected to experience heavy to intense rains, and strong winds from 95 to 110 kilometers per hour.

These provinces are Agusan del Norte, Agusan del Sur, Aklan, Albay, Antique, Biliran, Bohol, Bukidnon, Camarines Norte, Camarines Sur, Camiguin, Capiz, Catanduanes, Cebu, Compostela Valley, Davao del Norte, Davao Oriental, Dinagat Island, Eastern Samar, Guimaras, Iloilo, Lanao del Norte, Lanao del Sur, Leyte, Marinduque, Masbate, Misamis Oriental, Misamis Occidental, Negros Occidental, Negros Oriental, Northern Samar, Occidental Mindoro, Oriental Mindoro, Palawan, Quezon, Romblon, Samar, Siquijorr, Sorsogon, Southern Leyte, Surigao del Norte, Surigao del Sur, Zamboanga del Norte and Zamboanga del Sur.

The provinces of Batangas, Davao del Sur, Laguna, Maguindanao, North Cotabato, and Zamboanga Sibugay are also expected to experience moderate to heavy rains.

The weather bureau warned the typhoon is bringing heavy rain, which could trigger flash floods and landslides in mountainous areas.

The National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC) urged the public to heed warnings and to follow instructions given by local government officials.

In a press conference, NDRRMC Executive Director Usec. Alexander Pama asked residents of provinces on the typhoon's path to heed the warning from authorities.

"Ang umpisa po ng disaster risk reduction ay sa mga indibidwal, sa mga pamilya. At tayo po ay nakikiusap sa ating mga kababayan na tayo po ay makinig sa mga warning ng mga namumuno sa barangay, at kung puwede po ay sundin," Pama said.

He also warned fishermen from going out to sea once Typhoon 'Hagupit' enters the Philippine Area of Responsibility (PAR).

Meanwhile, the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) said it has prepared 100,000 family food packs ready to be distributed to those who will need assistance.

DSWD regional offices have also prepared 30,000 food packs per region.

The agency added that it has ensured that all food stockpiles will be kept safe in case their offices are affected by storm surges.

source: www.abs-cbnnews.com

Flights cancelled due to strong rains

Several airlines cancelled flights on Tuesday morning due to strong rains brought by the combined effects of tropical storm "Maring" and the enhanced southwest monsoon (habagat).

The Manila International Airport Authority (MIAA)said 52 flights were cancelled this morning.

MIAA General Manager Angel Honrado said all morning flights of Philippine Airlines and PAL Express were cancelled. An assessment was still being conducted about the status of PAL's afternoon flights.

Tiger Air also cancelled all its Manila outbound flights and corresponding flights, waiving the charges and issuing refunds to affected passengers.

As of 11:30 a.m., Cebu Pacific cancelled the following flights:

5J787/788 Manila-Butuan-Manila

5J385/386 Manila-Cagayan de Oro-Manila

5J857/858 Manila-Zamboanga-Manila

5J339/340 Manila-Kalibo-Manila

5J791/792 Manila-Butuan-Manila

5J965/968 Manila-Davao-Manila

5J506/507 Manila-Tuguegarao-Manila

5J373/374 Manila-Roxas-Manila

5J975/966 Manila-Davao-Manila

5J327/328 Manila-Legazpi-Manila

5J659/660 Manila-Tacloban-Manila

5J995/996 Manila-General Santos-Manila

5J901/902 Manila-Caticlan-Manila

5J899/900 Manila-Caticlan-Manila

5J523/524 Manila-Naga-Manila

Ramp operations suspended

The MIAA said ramp operations at Terminals 3 and 4 have been "temporarily suspended" until further notice.

Earlier, Honrado said the ramps were flooded.

"Yung rampa natin malalim din ang tubig may kalaliman deep. Too deep for safety purposes kaya naghihintay ang mga airlines sa weather, kung itutuloy," he told dzMM.

source: www.abs-cbnnews.com

Storm Quinta slams into Eastern Samar, Leyte

Tropical Storm Quinta slammed into Homonhon Island in Eastern Samar at between 7 to 8 p.m. Tuesday, state weather bureau PAGASA said.

The storm is causing heavy to intense rains over Samar, Leyte, Cebu and Northern Bohol.

It may cause floods and landslides in Samar, according to the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council.

The storm, with international name Wukong, is bringing estimated rainfall of 10 to 20 mm per hour (heavy to intense) within its 350-kilometer diameter.

"These could bring floods and landslides, particularly in landslide-prone areas like southern Leyte and Samar," PAGASA's Nathaniel Servando said.

Servando said storm surges of up to 4 meters (13 feet) were also expected along coastal areas in the region.

Public storm warning signal number 2 is raised over Northern Samar, Eastern Samar, Western Samar, Leyte, Southern Leyte, Biliran and Northern Cebu including Camotes Island in the Visayas, as well as Dinagat Island in Mindanao.

The areas are expected to experience winds of 61 to 100 kilometers per hour in the next 24 hours.

Meanwhile, storm signal number 1 is hoisted over Sorsogon, Catanduanes, Albay, Masbate including Ticao and Burias Island, and Romblon in Luzon; Aklan, Capiz, Antique, Iloilo, Guimaras, Negros Provinces, Bohol, Siquijorm and rest of Cebu in the Visayas; and Siargao, Surigao Del Norte, and Camiguin in Mindanao.

Quinta made second landfall over Abuyog in Leyte province just past midnight, according to PAGASA.

The storm is packing maximum sustained winds of 75 kph near the center and gustiness of up to 90 kph. It is moving west at 24 kph.

Quinta  is expected to be at 30 km south of Coron, Palawan by Wednesday night.

The storm will be around 560 km west northwest of Coron, Palawan or outside the Philippine Area of Responsibility (PAR) by Thursday night, PAGASA said.

"Residents living in low lying and mountainous areas under public storm warning signal #2 and #1 are alerted against possible flashfloods and landslides. Likewise, those living in coastal areas under public storm warning signal #2 are alerted against big waves or storm surges generated by this tropical cyclone," the weather bureau warned.

It also advised owners of fishing boats and other small seacraft not to venture out into the seaboards of Luzon and over the eastern seaboard of Visayas and Mindanao.  - with reports from ANC; Agence France-Presse

source: abs-cbnnews.com

Elementary, high school classes suspended in Cagayan, Isabela, Batanes

TUGUEGARAO CITY - The provincial governments of Cagayan, Isabela, and Batanes on Thursday ordered the suspension of classes in elementary and high school as these provinces are now under under storm signal No. 2 due to tropical storm "Dindo."

These provinces will have 61 to 100 kph winds within the next 24 hours.

Regional Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (RDRRMC) chairman Norma Talosig said tropical storm Dindo has maintained its strength as it continues to move toward extreme Northern Luzon.

These areas continue to have moderate to heavy rains since Wednesday night.

Talosig said no evacuation has been implemented yet in Cagayan province. "We have not monitored any casualty nor evacuation," she said.

She said residents in the low-lying areas along the Cagayan river and mountain slopes were already advised to be alert for possible flashfloods and landslides.

The Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) emergency and clearing crews are now deployed in all parts of the mountainous areas where erosion usually occur within the road networks during typhoons.

source: interaksyon.com

Florida braces for more flooding from Debby

MIAMI - Tropical storm Debby drifted slowly toward Florida's Gulf Coast on Tuesday, threatening to dump another round of heavy rains on areas already reeling from flooding, US forecasters said.

Debby, which has been raking the coast with strong winds and rains since the weekend, is on a path to sweep across north-central Florida as it heads eastward to the Atlantic Ocean, where it is expected by Friday.

The Miami-based National Hurricane Center (NHC) said Debby was about 70 miles (113 kilometers) west of Cedar Key, Florida. It had maximum sustained winds of 40 miles (64 kilometers) per hour and was moving toward the east at three miles (five kilometers) per hour.

Parts of northern Florida were expected to receive a total of over two feet (61 centimeters) of rain. Some areas were due to get up to four feet (1.2 meters) of flooding caused by a storm surge and rising waters.

The storm also downed trees, upturned catamarans and drowned turtle nests along the Gulf, according to local media.

Authorities also closed several bridges and roads, including parts of Interstate 10, northern Florida's main interstate highway.

"Even though Debby continues to slowly weaken, coastal flooding will continue during the next day or two due to persistent onshore winds," the NHC said in a bulletin.

"The combination of a storm surge and the tide will cause normally dry areas near the coast to be flooded by rising waters during the next high tide today."

Florida Governor Rick Scott declared a state of emergency on Monday as power outages and flash floods heralded the storm's approach.

President Barack Obama called Scott as he traveled on his Air Force One jet "to ensure the state had no unmet needs" as it responds to extreme weather and flooding from Debby, White House spokesman Jay Carney said.

The president "expressed condolences" for the loss of life as well as extensive damage to homes.

Carney said federal emergency authorities would be in close contact with the state, and that the Obama administration "stood ready to provide additional assistance if necessary."

At least one woman was reported to have died in a tornado that local media attributed to Debby, and state authorities warned that more deadly twisters were possible.

Alabama search and rescue workers were also searching for a man who may have drowned in rough surf on Sunday, according to local media.

source: interaksyon.com

'Ambo' may intensify into typhoon; Luzon and Visayas brace for more rains

MANILA, Philippines - Tropical Storm "Ambo" may intensify further into a typhoon as it gains more strength, while hovering over the sea. Despite not making a landfall, five areas in Luzon are now under storm signal number 1.

Ambo picked up strength and now packs 85 kilometers per hour of winds near the center with gustiness up to 100 kph. It slightly slowed down to 13 kph as it travels north northwest. A slow-moving storm likely gains more strength as it gets more water vapor over the ocean.

Public Storm Signal No 1 has been hoisted over Aurora, Isabela, Cagayan, Babuyan Islands and Batanes. These areas could expect twigs and branches of small trees may be broken, while some banana plants may be tilted or downed and some houses of very light materials (nipa and cogon) may be partially unroofed.

Landslide and flashflood alerts are also up over the said areas, according to the Philippine Atmospheric Geophysical Astronomical Services Administration (Pagasa).

As of 10 am, Ambo was spotted 200 km east northeast of Casiguran, Aurora.

Pagasa said Ambo would slowly but surely move out of the country in the next three days but may also intensify into a typhoon.

It is expected to be 240 kilometers northeast of Aparri, Cagayan by Sunday morning, 350 km northeast of Basco, Batanes by Monday morning, and 680 km northeast of Basco, Batanes by Tuesday morning.

Though still weak, Ambo is pulling the southwest monsoon or hanging habagat, which is already bringing cloudiness and scattered rains over the western section of the country including Visayas.

Meanwhile, Pagasa has discoyraged small vishing boats and other sea vessels from venturing out in the seabords of Luzon and Visayas as waves could reach up to nearly 5 meters high due to the prevailing monsoon winds.

More than 19 storms are expected to visit the country this year, according to Pagasa.

source: interaksyon.com

Pinoys abroad warned vs. donation scams for 'Sendong' victims

Filipinos, especially those based abroad, were warned Monday against falling for scams claiming to raise funds for victims of tropical storm "Sendong" (international name: Washi).

In the United Arab Emirates, Consul General Benito Valeriano particularly warned against new Facebook and Twitter accounts soliciting such donations.

"They can always send their donations to the Philippine ... Red Cross (PRC). If there's any official advisory from the Department of Foreign Affairs in Manila regarding this matter, we will let the public know," Valeriano said in an interview posted Monday night on Gulf News.

Valeriano said Filipino expatriates who wish to give financial assistance to the victims should send it through credible and recognized organizations.

Online donations can be made through the website of the PRC, he said.

Last weekend, flash floods from Sendong hit several areas in Mindanao and Visayas, particularly devastating Iligan and Cagayan de Oro cities.

Nearly 700 had been confirmed killed as of Monday evening.

The Gulf News report said the Filipino Community in Dubai and the Northern Emirates (Filcom-DNE), the umbrella organization of 99 groups in the UAE, have begun collecting funds through its member groups for the victims of the devastating storm.

"We have requested all heads of Filipino organizations in the UAE to seek assistance from their members who have something extra to give—be it Dh 1, Dh5, or whatever is convenient for them," Alan Bacason, president of Filcom-DNE, told Gulf News. — KBK, GMA News

source:gmanetwork.com

As residents slept, flash floods entered homes, killing 180 in Mindanao

A storm slashing through the southern Philippines has triggered flash floods and landslides that have killed nearly 180 people and forced about 100,000 from their homes, government and army officials say.

"Most were already sleeping when floodwaters entered their homes," Iligan City Mayor Lawrence Cruz said. "This is the worst flooding our city has experienced in years."

Tropical Storm Sendong, with winds gusting up to 90km/h, hit Mindanao late on Friday and swept across the island, bringing heavy rain that also grounded domestic flights and left wide areas without power.

In Iligan City, which is usually spared the disastrous consequences of passing storms, residents were apparently caught by surprise despite warnings of the approaching storm. Officials said Saturday morning that they couldn't recall the last time such a powerful flood smashed into their city.

Photos sent in by YouScoopers showed cars piled on top of each other, scenes that recalled the epic Typhoon Ondoy in Manila in 2009.



Army spokesman Colonel Leopoldo Galon said emergency workers had recovered 97 bodies, most of them children, who drowned in floods in Cagayan de Oro City. Seventy-five people drowned in Iligan City. The national disaster agency said five miners were also buried in a landslide.

"I can't explain how these things happened, entire villages were swept to the sea by flash floods," Galon told Reuters, saying the death toll could rise as hundreds of people were unaccounted for.

"I have not seen anything like this before. This could be worse than Ondoy," he said.

Television images showed bodies covered in mud, piles of cars and wrecked bridges and homes. Helicopters and boats searched the sea for survivors and victims.

Rescue boats pulled at least 15 people from the sea, another army spokesman, Lieutenant-Colonel Randolph Cabangbang, told reporters.

Iligan City Mayor Lawrence Cruz said many people were caught by surprise when water rose one meter high in less than an hour, forcing people onto roofs.

"Most of them were already sleeping when floodwaters entered their homes," he said. "This is the worst flooding our city has experienced in years.

The national disaster agency said it could not estimate crop and property damage because emergency workers, including soldiers and police officers, were evacuating families and recovering casualties.

The social welfare department said about 100,000 people were displaced and brought to more than a dozen shelters in the two cities.

Six domestic flights of Cebu Pacific were cancelled due to the rain and near-zero visibility in the southern and central Philippines. Ferry services were also halted, stranding hundreds of people. — Reuters, HS, GMA News

source:gmanetwork.com