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      Flash Flooding Leads to Evacuations and Rescues in Central Vermont

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      The downpour took place exactly a year after a storm caused devastating flooding in some of the same towns.Heavy rain late Wednesday and early Thursday caused flash flooding and forced dozens of overnight rescues and evacuations in central Vermont, affecting some of the same towns that were devastated by record rain and flooding a year ago.One death in the state is believed to have been caused by the extreme weather, Jennifer Morrison, the state’s commissioner of public safety, said at a news conference Thursday morning, though she added that the cause had not been confirmed. The death occurred when a vehicle was swept into floodwater in Peacham, east of Montpelier, she said.The rainfall, attributed to the passing remnants of Tropical Storm Beryl, totaled as much as 5 or 6 inches in some locations, and was expected to continue on Thursday. The National Weather Service in Burlington predicted “excessive rainfall risk” through 8 a.m. Friday in and around Burlington, Middlebury, Stowe and Montpelier, the state capital, where floodwaters inundated the downtown area on July 10, 2023.A flood watch was in effect Thursday morning for much of Vermont and northern New York. Two rivers — including the Winooski, downstream from Waterbury — had yet to crest, officials said.State officials at the news conference said that three bridges had been destroyed by floodwaters and three others damaged, in locations including Norton, Charleston, Morristown and Barnet. The officials stressed that the situation remained dangerous, and urged residents to stay away from rivers, where flood-borne debris continued to pose hazards.Among the places hardest hit on Thursday was Barre, a city of 8,500 next to Montpelier that was devastated by the two-day storm last summer. Local media outlets reported on Thursday morning that Barre’s Main Street was again underwater.More than a dozen swift-water rescue teams, including one from New Hampshire and another from Connecticut, made 118 rescues from Wednesday into Thursday, officials said. Rescues were continuing in Lyndonville, northeast of Montpelier.Mental health counselors were deployed in some communities on Thursday morning to assist residents experiencing trauma, officials said.“I know last night’s flooding — in many of the very same communities impacted on the same day last year — is devastating for these families, business owners and community members,” Gov. Phil Scott wrote on his Facebook page Thursday morning. “My team, emergency responders and local leaders are working around the clock to help ensure public safety, and we will act as quickly as possible in recovery.” More

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      Deadly Flooding and Landslides in Nepal

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      In this monsoon season, so far there have been more than 60 weather-related fatalities. With roads cut off and more rain expected, the toll could rise.Landslides and floods set off by torrential rains have killed at least 15 people in Nepal in the last 24 hours, officials in the small Himalayan nation said on Sunday, expressing fear that with further heavy rains expected, that number could rise.Eighteen people were also injured in the flooding over the past 24 hours, and two are missing, said Dan Bahadur Karki, a police spokesman. Dozens of people were evacuated to safety, including some pulled from the rubble of their damaged homes.Officials said the landslides had hampered vehicle traffic in most parts of a country where the terrain already makes travel difficult. Highways were damaged, as were the serpentine roads that connect cities with mountain villages. Military and police forces were deployed to help clear the roads.Koshi, Gandaki and Bagmati Provinces, in the east and center of the country, were among the hardest hit. Weather experts predict that heavy rainfall could affect the remaining provinces as the rain heads west.Nepal, which is among the places most vulnerable to climate change, routinely faces landslides and floods. Last year’s monsoon affected nearly 6,000 households, damaging homes and flooding fields. Since the beginning of the current monsoon season in June, at least 62 people have lost their lives, according to the country’s home ministry. Most of the deaths were because of flooding, but lightning was also a factor.Political instability and widespread corruption have complicated a disaster response already short on resources.The coalition government in Kathmandu is in disarray again, with a new alliance seeking to topple the current prime minister, Pushpa Kamal Dahal. If he is ousted, the country will get its second government since the parliamentary elections held in November 2022. More

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      River Surges Over Wisconsin Dam Amid Heavy Rain, Imperiling Small City

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      Residents in Manawa, a city in rural Wisconsin, were instructed to seek higher ground as a bulging river flowed over the Manawa Dam.The area near Manawa Dam received more than five inches of rain in about four hours, causing the Little Wolf River to overflow it.WGBAEmergency officials in Manawa, Wis., were rescuing people stranded on flooded roads on Friday after a river overflowing from torrential rain spilled over a local dam.The Little Wolf River began overpowering the Manawa Dam around 12:30 p.m. local time after the area near the dam received more than five inches of rain in about four hours on Friday morning, said Kurt Kotenberg, a meteorologist at the National Weather Service in Green Bay, Wis.Emergency officials were rescuing drivers who had become stranded while trying to flee, Mr. Kotenberg said. “People were in cars on roads that were flooded,” he said. Some were rescued “standing on the hoods of their cars,” he added.As of Friday afternoon, Mr. Kotenberg said there had been no reports of deaths or injuries from the flooding.Heavy rain in the Midwest in recent weeks has drawn attention to the vulnerability of dams in the region. The Rapidan Dam in southern Minnesota came close to failing last month.The Manawa Dam is near the northern side of the Wisconsin city, on the edge of the Manawa Mill Pond. The city, home to roughly 1,400 people, is about 50 miles west of Green Bay. Mr. Kotenberg said it would take time to determine whether the dam had cracked.In an advisory, the Weather Service urged Manawa residents to seek higher ground if possible. Mr. Kotenberg clarified that residents should try to do so while sheltering in place and not try to flee by flooded roads.In a message posted on Facebook, the Waupaca County Sheriff’s Office said rescue personnel were “diligently working” to help vulnerable people in Manawa and urged residents to avoid entering the city.In another message, officials urged residents in the affected area to boil tap water before drinking it, saying “the public should assume the water is unsafe to drink due to contaminants.” More

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      Floods Force Rescues in Iowa and South Dakota

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      Parts of the Upper Midwest remained under flood warnings on Sunday morning, after days of heavy rain pushed some rivers to record levels.More than a million people in the Upper Midwest were under flood warnings early Sunday morning, after days of heavy rain caused major flooding, forced evacuations and led to rescues in Iowa and South Dakota.The flood warnings were in place for rivers in parts of Illinois, Iowa, Nebraska, Minnesota, Nebraska, South Dakota and Wisconsin. Some of the warnings were scheduled to end later on Sunday; others were in effect until further notice. A flood warning means that flooding is imminent or already occurring.In Iowa, several rivers have been peaking above levels reported during a 1993 flood that left 50 dead across the Midwest, according to that state’s governor, Kim Reynolds. She declared a disaster for 21 counties on Saturday, calling the flooding “catastrophic” on social media.In South Dakota, torrential rain has fallen across the central and eastern parts of the state for three days, and some areas have received up to 18 inches.Gov. Kristi Noem of South Dakota told reporters on Saturday that the worst flooding was expected to occur in the state on Monday and Tuesday as water coursed downstream and into rivers. She added that the Big Sioux River, one of the state’s major waterways, was expected to reach record levels.Other parts of the United States are grappling with a heat wave that has coincided with a spike in heat-related illnesses over the past week in some regions. Dulles, Va., and Baltimore are among the cities that have broken temperature records. Dangerously hot conditions were forecast for parts of Delaware, New Jersey and Pennsylvania until Sunday evening, the National Weather Service said.The flooding in the Midwest has caused devastation in Rock Valley, Iowa, where the Rock River rose to a record level early Saturday. That led city officials to issue emergency evacuation orders for many of the city’s 4,000 residents. The city was without clean water because its wells had been contaminated by floodwaters, the local authorities said on social media.Sioux City Fire Rescue, which helped to evacuate people from Rock Valley, said on social media that many people and animals stranded in floodwaters in the city had been rescued by emergency teams with boats. In neighboring Nebraska, Gov. Jim Pillen said in a statement that he had authorized a military helicopter to help with search and rescue operations.Volunteers stacking sandbags in Hawarden, Iowa, a town of about 2,000 where some residents were evacuated.Tim Hynds/Sioux City Journal, via Associated PressAbout 15 miles southwest of Rock Valley, parts of Hawarden, Iowa, were also evacuated, city officials said on social media. Hawarden has a population of about 2,000.In Sioux Falls, S.D., emergency services rescued nine people from floodwaters, Regan Smith, the city’s emergency manager, said at a news conference on Saturday. Emergency services responded to five stranded drivers, 30 stalled vehicles in water, 10 calls about water problems and 75 traffic accidents, he added. More

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      Parts of Florida May See Up to a Foot of Rain This Week

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      Forecasters warned of flooding that could be severe by Friday.The wet season will take hold of South Florida this week, with some areas of the state expected to receive up to a foot, or even more, of rain through Friday. This could cause flash flooding in urban areas — but it may also help ease the drought conditions across the region.“The Keys and southwest portions of the peninsula will have the great risk for excessive rainfall and associated flash flooding, but the threat extends to the southeast coast and into portions of Central Florida as well,” warned forecasters with the Weather Prediction Center Monday morning.Here is what to expect:There will likely be some rain on Monday, but the heavier rainfall is expected to kick off Tuesday and last through Friday.Over the next few days, two to eight inches of rain could fall north of Interstate 4, which runs between Tampa and Daytona Beach. The heavier rain is more likely to fall south of the interstate, where 10 to 15 inches of rain could fall.Flooding will most likely be largely contained in urban areas and will most likely worsen as the week progresses.The South Florida rainy season began officially on May 15 and runs through October 15. It is when there is ample moisture in the air, and the region sees the majority of its rain for the year during this period. This week, the amount of moisture in the air is expected to be well above average, even for the rainy season.The flooding risk will come from storms bringing a deluge of rain but moving very slowly, increasing the amount that falls. This will be particularly problematic in urban areas with poor drainage.Overall, river flooding shouldn’t be an immediate concern early in the week, because a drought in the southern peninsula is causing river levels to run below the 25th percentile for mid-June.The forecast amounts are still quite uncertain, especially after Tuesday, which is the reason for the broad range in the amount of precipitation in the forecasts. More

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      At Least Four Dead as Storms Batter Houston Area

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      Buildings were damaged in Houston and school officials canceled classes in the city on Friday, citing the destruction.Glass and debris covered the streets in Houston as heavy rains swept through the state.KBTVFour people were killed and more than one million people were without power as intense thunderstorms swept through Texas on Thursday evening, bringing heavy rain, destructive winds and dangerous flooding to portions of the state that had already been inundated this month.There were reports of blown-out windows, shredded building facades and downed power lines in Houston as a powerful storm tore through the downtown area. Four people were killed by falling trees, said Mary Benton, a spokeswoman for the mayor’s office. At least one of the victims was inside a vehicle she added. The public school district in Houston said all schools would be closed Friday.Ahead of the storm, the National Weather Service in Houston warned people to take cover and brace for winds up to 80 miles per hour.Forecasters had also issued a tornado warning for the area as well as a special marine warning for the area including the Galveston Bay.More than one million customers were without power across Texas, most of them in the Houston area, according to Poweroutage.us. CenterPoint Energy, the provider in southeast Texas, said it had received reports of downed power lines and advised customers that its call centers were overwhelmed.

      Share of customers without power by county

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      Source: PowerOutage.us
      Notes:

       Counties shown are those with at least 1 percent of customers without power.
      By The New York Times

      Local news broadcasts reported considerable damage in downtown Houston, where a club emerged from the storm missing a brick wall, metal sign posts appeared twisted by the force of the winds and blown out windows.Forecasters issued a string of flash flood warnings across the state earlier in the afternoon, warning Texans in those areas to seek higher ground and avoid driving through flooded roadways.Images and videos circulating on social media emerging from east-central Texas on Thursday showed vehicles that appeared to struggle driving through flooded roads in College Station, Texas, which was under a flash flood warning through the evening.One video posted in the evening showed strong winds whipping large panel structures at Minute Maid Park, where the Houston Astros were playing the Oakland Athletics.The Weather Prediction Center said earlier Thursday that more than 12 million people across Texas, Louisiana and Mississippi faced the threat of excessive rainfall that could produce flash flooding and warned of potential heavy rains and flooding north of the Houston area on Thursday night.Lina Hidalgo, the top executive of Harris County, which includes Houston, said earlier on social media that rain was expected to move through Harris County “fairly quickly” on Thursday night.“But the worst case scenario is that heavy rain could hit the East Fork of the San Jacinto River, impacting residents and eventually causing more flooding as we get into the weekend,” she said.Portions of Harris County, including areas near the San Jacinto River, were already been hit with major flooding earlier this month. The flooding prompted Ms. Hidalgo to issue a disaster declaration that would bring federal aid to Harris County residents who were affected by the storms. More

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      East Texas, Already Soaked, Prepares for a ‘Nightmare Scenario’ of More Rain

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      Some places in Texas have seen a year’s worth of rainfall since January.In a densely forested region of East Texas called the Piney Woods, rivers are still in moderate to major flood stage after recent weeks of heavy rainfall. Now, the region is preparing for what forecasters are calling a “nightmare scenario” with another round of excessive rain, which could lead to more considerable flooding on Thursday into Friday morning.“It’s just an insane amount of rain,” said Jimmy Fowler, a meteorologist at the National Weather Service in Houston, “that just seems to keep falling over the same area.”This week’s forecast calls for an additional three to five inches of rain in the same part of Texas, southeast of Dallas and northeast of Houston, where “considerable rainfall amounts have occurred this month,” forecasters said.“Over the last 14 days, portions of eastern Texas have received five to 10 inches of rain, with localized amounts as high as 15 to 20 inches,” Marc Chenard, a senior forecaster with the Weather Prediction Center, an arm of the National Weather Service, said Tuesday afternoon. “This is 400 to 600 percent the normal rain for this two-week period.”

      Where streams and rivers flooded

      Minor

      Moderate

      Major

      Source: National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
      Notes:

       Minor flooding is defined as causing minimal or no property damage.
      Moderate flooding
      could lead to inundation of structures and roads, causing some evacuations.
      Major flooding could lead to extensive inundation of structures and roads, causing
      significant evacuations.
      By Bea Malsky

      This week, some isolated areas could see six to 10 more inches, Mr. Chenard added. And it will fall on saturated ground. Since January, some towns, like Huntsville, Texas, have already exceeded the 51 inches of rainfall they would typically receive in an entire year.While some of the river gauges that are in flood stage now are still short of the record-high levels seen during Hurricane Harvey in 2017, the past few weeks have been a compounding onslaught of heavy rainfall, especially across the Piney Woods region, Mr. Fowler said.Because the ground is so saturated, Mr. Fowler said, it would most likely only take a storm producing one to three inches of rain in an hour to cause flash flooding.Wednesday is supposed to be relatively dry, but it won’t be enough time to dry out the ground before Thursday’s rain. If anything, the water that evaporates will just add to the moisture in the air, helping fuel the rainfall on Thursday.Forecasters with the Weather Prediction Center warned that if the forecast computer weather models continued to show the “bullseye” of excessive rain lingering over the already flooded region, then they would most likely increase the probability of flash flooding to a higher level.Confidence is high among forecasters that rain will drench the region again Thursday. However, there were a few outliers in the computer models Wednesday that showed the rain farther north, which would be good news for the waterlogged Piney Woods.The flood concern will move east across the South as the multiple waves of storms move over Louisiana from Thursday into Friday. By the start of the weekend, East Texas may begin to dry out, but rounds of rain will pound Southern Mississippi and Alabama, which have also been stuck in a similar rainy pattern recently. More

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      Dam Collapses in Western Kenya, Killing at Least 40

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      The country has been pummeled by heavy rains that have caused widespread flooding, part of a broader deluge that has devastated segments of East Africa.A dam collapsed in western Kenya early Monday, killing at least 40 people after a wall of water swept through houses and cut off a major road, the police said.The collapse of the Old Kijabe Dam, in the Mai Mahiu area of the Great Rift Valley region that is prone to flash floods, sent water spilling downstream, carrying with it mud, rocks and uprooted trees, a police official, Stephen Kirui, said.Vehicles were entangled in the debris on the roads, and paramedics treated the injured as waters submerged large areas.The rains in Kenya have caused flooding that has already killed nearly 100 people and postponed the opening of schools. Heavy rains have been pounding the country since mid-March, and the Meteorology Department has warned of more rainfall.Kithure Kindiki, the interior minister, ordered the inspection of all public and private dams and water reservoirs within 24 hours starting on Monday afternoon. The ministry said recommendations for evacuations and resettlement would be done after the inspection.The Kenya National Highways Authority warned motorists to brace for heavy traffic and debris that blocked roads.The wider East African region is experiencing flooding because of the heavy rains. At least 155 people have reportedly died in Tanzania, and more than 200,000 people have been affected in neighboring Burundi.A boat capsized in Garissa County, in Kenya, on Sunday night, and the Kenyan Red Cross said that it had rescued 23 people but that more than a dozen people were still missing.Kenya’s main airport was flooded on Saturday, forcing some flights to be diverted. Videos shared online showed a flooded runway, terminals and cargo section.More than 200,000 people across the country have been hit by the floods, with houses in flood-prone areas submerged and people seeking refuge in schools.President William Ruto has instructed the National Youth Service to provide land for use as a temporary camp for those affected. More