Floods
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China floods deadliest in 10 years, conditions set to worsen

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© UnknownFlooding has plagued 75% of the country
Flooding in China that has killed more than 700 people this year is the deadliest in a decade and looks set to worsen as the country gets deeper into typhoon season, the government warned Wednesday.

But officials, in the first high-level press briefing on weeks of deadly flooding plaguing much of the country's southern half, said a disaster on the scale of historic 1998 flooding on the Yangtze River would likely be averted.

A total of 701 people have died so far this year in flooding that has also left 347 people missing, Liu Ning, head of the country's flood control authority and vice minister of water resources, told reporters.

He said the annual rainy season would continue at least through August, and that more downpours were expected, further straining reservoirs and other water control projects, especially as the East Asian typhoon season has just begun.

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Pakistan: Torrential rains unleash death, destruction across country

pakistan, flood
Heavy rains are continued across the country unleashing death and disturbing the normal routine, Dunya News reported on Thursday.

The number of those died in the rain-related incidents in various parts of the country has been risen to 39 with fear of more causalities. Heavy rains lashed Lahore for the third consecutive day paralyzing life and deluging the low-lying areas, which resulted into long snarl-ups. Met office recorded 61mm rain in the metropolis today.

A 24-year-old cyclist electrocuted to death in Lahore, while 5 hurt as roof caved in in Ravi Road. Five people including two women and as many children injured as a wall collapsed due to incessant rain in Jalal Pur Bhattian. Two labourers died in Okara due to electric shocks; a couple died in Gujranwala as the roof of their house caved in. Three people trapped under debris of a roof in Gujrat; 8 hurt in Faisalabad wall collapse. Four people have been killed while 15 others injured in rain-related incidents in Dera Ismail Khan (DIK) and Tank.

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Kenya: Mombasa hit by freak rainstorm

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© ETN/Image via blogspot.com
A downpour of biblical proportions hit Mombasa, Kenya's coastal city, last weekend, flooding sections of the city - a phenomenon, considering that the city actually is built on an island connected to the mainland by the Makupa causeway and is supposed to drain the water straight into the Indian Ocean.

Some parts of the city were knee-deep under water, gradually even displacing parked cars. The ensuing floods caused havoc for businesses at level ground, with hawkers and street vendors scrambling to rescue their wares from being swept away.

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Northeast Kentucky deluged by rain, flooding

Kentucky flooding
© UnknownPike County residents clean up after the flooding.
Up to half a foot of torrential rain in northeastern Kentucky has led to swift-water rescues, propelled a truck into a tree and washed away homes and businesses -- and more severe weather is on the way.

"We're trying to get a hold on this. It's just awful," said Brandon Roberts, a spokesman for the Pike County judge executive, the top elected official in the county. "It's so bad. ... It's so bad. People might not even be aware it's raining. They're a hundred yards away from where they used to be."

Roberts said Wednesday that floodwater had washed "well over 200 homes," including a brick house, off their foundations. He added that the water picked up a Ford F-350 truck and carried it into a tree.

CNN meteorologist Sean Morris said there was an even a higher chance of thunderstorms and heavy rain in the region Wednesday than there was Tuesday. Some parts of Kentucky were under flood advisories, and over the next few days, some locations could get 2 more inches of rain, he said.

Roberts said that in a twisted way, more heavy rain could help cleanup efforts by clearing roads and driveways of accumulated mud and debris.

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More than 700 dead and 650,000 homes destroyed in Chinese floods

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© XinhuaSoldiers transfer people trapped by flood water on a rubber boat in Guang'an, Southwest China's Sichuan Province on July 19, 2010.
Torrential flooding across much of the nation has left 701 dead and hundreds missing, China's vice minister of water resources said.

At least 347 people are missing, Liu Ning told reporters in Beijing on Wednesday.

Ninety-percent of the casualties were caused by mountain floods, mudslides and landslides triggered by heavy downpours. About 645,500 houses had collapsed, he said.

More than 230 rivers were above warning levels; 25 of them saw their highest levels ever, he said.

More than 100 cities flooded, he said.

Liu cited torrential downpours between June 13 and June 27, and heavy rain on July 8 in southern China as particularly damaging.

"In southern China, the rainfall is 30 to 100 percent higher than the historical average," he said.

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India: Flood toll in Punjab and Haryana reaches 40

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© AP
Two more deaths due to floods were reported in Punjab's Mansa district Friday, taking the toll to 25, officials said. With this, the collective flood toll in Punjab and Haryana went up to 40.

The flood situation remained grim in Sardulgarh area of the district with several acres inundated and various villages submerged. Rescue work was on and the army and paramilitary forces were assisting the district administration in the relief operation.

'Over 9,000 acres of agriculture land has been inundated and several villages are submerged in water in the Sardulgarh area. Floods have damaged 19,452 houses in the district,' Deputy Commissioner Kumar Rahul told IANS.

'Flood water entered five more villages, namely Mirpur Kalan, Mirpur Khurd, Bhagwanpur Hingnan, Alipur and Bern, since Thursday,' he said, adding though the water level has receded at some places, the situation is still grim.

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Canada: Lightning, flooding hit Calgary

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© Gabe McClintock/Perspectiveye Photography
Emergency crews in Calgary had their hands full Tuesday with flooding and lightning strikes.

Rain, hail, thunder, lightning and flooding struck various parts of Calgary on Tuesday afternoon.

Fire crews and paramedics received almost 100 calls between 3 p.m. and 5 p.m. MT. Crews responded to everything from traffic accidents to false alarms downtown because of electrical overloads, said Barry Dawson, a spokesman for the Calgary fire department.

"We've had confirmed lightning strikes, working fires, smouldering fires, just about everything this afternoon. It's been absolutely crazy," said Dawson.

There were at least 13 cases of lightning hitting buildings in the city, he said. None have caused any serious damage.

Lightning is believed to have sparked a fire at a paper products warehouse at 10351 46th Street S.E. And firefighters had to remove smouldering attic insulation from a house on Arbour Glen Close N.W. that was hit by lightning.

Bizarro Earth

US: Another Day of Heavy Storms Likely in the Carolinas

It's not a question of "if," forecasters say.

It's a question of where heavy thunderstorms will form today in the Carolinas.

Yet another day of slow-moving storms is expected, with another threat of flash flooding and dangerous lightning strikes.

This is in the wake of Wednesday evening's storms, which pounded southern Mecklenburg and western Union counties, causing flooding and several cases in which houses were struck by lightning.

Earlier in the day, thunderstorms dropped heavy rain on portions of Stanly, Anson, Richmond and Montgomery counties, causing brief flash flooding there.

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Severe Storms hit Southeast Queensland

Severe thunderstorms have swept across Queensland's southeast, with flash-flooding carrying cars down Brisbane roads.

The storms struck at about noon (AEST) today, producing thousands of lightning strikes, strong winds and heavy rain.

Strathpine, Brisbane and Logan are among the hardest hit areas.

The Bureau of Meteorology (BoM) said the Brisbane CBD received more than 91mm of rain since 10am (AEST), leaving some of the city's roads under water and bringing traffic to a standstill.

Weatherzone.com.au reported the city received its heaviest 10-minute downpour of rain in at least eight years, receiving 25mm just after 11.40am (AEST).

In the Brisbane westside suburb of Milton, localised flooding carried cars down streets.

One local Milton resident, Tom Goldman, tried to drive his car through the severely flooded Haig Road, only to have the engine stall.

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Australia: Wild Thunderstorms Lash Victoria

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© Ben SwinnertonLightning lashed Melbourne for two consecutive nights.
Wild thunderstorms have lashed Victoria for the second night in a row, causing flooding and lightning to strike houses.

Areas northwest of Melbourne received up to 60mm of rain, while the storms also brought down trees and power lines.

Gisborne, about 50km northwest of Melbourne, was worst affected, with the State Emergency Service receiving more than 60 calls for flash flooding.

SES operations manager Tim Wiebusch said extra crews were needed to help clean up.

"The word back we've had from the crews is it's large storm water drains that aren't coping with the downpour,'' Mr Wiebusch said.