Ian Patrick, FISM News
As water shortages hit Iran and wildfires burn through the Western U.S., the rest of the world has struggled with containing damage caused by massive flooding. China, India, Germany, Belgium, and Nigeria have been grappling with the deadly natural disasters.
In the city of Zhengzhou, capital of the Henan province in China, a year’s worth of rain poured down in just a few days. The resulting severe flooding killed 25 people in the city, while downing power supplies and stranding residents at home, in offices, and on public transportation. In areas where the flooding has gone down, crews have begun cleanup. There are over 50 confirmed deaths in the Henan province itself, according to state media, and people are still missing.
1/3 Some really distressing videos coming out of Zhengzhou in central China – this driver looks rather calm under pressure. But other videos on WeChat show what appear to be people clearly struggling to keep their heads above the flood waters. Death toll so far is 1, 2 missing pic.twitter.com/P8dEk1B1iC
— Bill Birtles (@billbirtles) July 20, 2021
In India, authorities report that the Western state of Maharashtra has been hit by monsoon rains which caused landslides and flooding in low sea-level areas. In just 24 hours, parts of the western coast received 23 inches of rainfall. As of Friday, the death toll stands at 112, most of which were caused by the numerous landslides. Some citizens have been trapped by the landslides and electricity was knocked out for some regions.
At least 67 people in western India were killed after heavy rains triggered landslides and floods.
Hundreds of towns were without power.
Summer monsoons are common but officials say they are unusually heavy (23 inches in 1 day), which experts attribute to the climate crisis. pic.twitter.com/qD7EMiSlUK
— AJ+ (@ajplus) July 23, 2021
Likewise, western Germany and Belgium have been dealing with the aftermath of floods from last week. In Western Germany, the worst natural disaster in over fifty years resulted in 170 confirmed deaths so far, as cleanup crews and rescue teams continue the search for thousands of missing people. Sabine Lackner, deputy chief of the Federal Agency for Technical Relief, said any missing person now found is likely to be deceased.
Belgium’s crisis center had a similar message after dealing with their flood cleanup and searches. The center said that, given the search for over 400 missing people continues, “there is unfortunately a very strong chance that they will be among the fatalities.” The burst rivers and flash floods in the nation have killed a reported 37 people so far.
At least 200 people were killed by floods in Germany and Belgium. Dozens are still missing, with some telecom lines still down.
2 months of rain fell in 2 days. Some in Germany blamed lack of preparedness, as such extreme weather is likely to repeat due to the climate crisis. pic.twitter.com/nRX8KxZX9Z
— AJ+ (@ajplus) July 20, 2021
In Nigeria, flooding began on July 9 in the city of Jalingo in the Taraba State, found in the northeastern area of the country. The main city of Lagos, found in the southwestern part of the country, was then hit on July 16. The disaster destroyed around 300 homes and displaced over 4,000 people in Jalingo, according to Floodlist. There are no reports as of yet on displacements and destruction in Lagos.
PHOTOS: From Lekki To Oshodi, Flood, Traffic Gridlock Take Over Lagos
After the heavy rainfall, flood and traffic gridlock are the reality of commuters in Lagos. pic.twitter.com/70JmXoGVgb
— Punch Newspapers (@MobilePunch) July 16, 2021