Storms and Floods

Tropical Storms - Roundup of Tropical Storms:

In the southern hemisphere: Tropical cyclone (tc) 17p (Iris), located approximately 444 nm north of Brisbane, Australia, is tracking southeastward at 09 knots.

Newsbytes:

Russia - More than 800 homes have been flooded in 11 Russian regions. More than 800 dwelling houses in which over 2,200 people live, as well as 3,000 residential properties remain flooded in the Tuva, Khakassia, Altai, Irkutsk, Saratov, Volgograd, Rostov, Voronezh, Lipetsk and Ryazan Regions according to local sources. Ten low-water bridges and five roads were also inundated. More than 400 people have been relocated due to security concerns, including 119 children, 61 of them staying in temporary accommodation shelters.

Namibia - Following heavy rainfall in southern Angola, the seasonal floods, known as ‘efundja’ arrived in northern Namibia. Although efundja results in devastating flooding that causes damage to road infrastructure, property, the displacement of people from their homes and at times loss of income to businesses, efundja also usually brings plenty of fish and water to the usually dry part of the country. It also improves grazing for livestock as many farmers in the north struggle to feed their animals when it has not properly rained.

Mississippi, USA - Flood Control Engineering Likely Has Worsened Floods. Flood control work in the Mississippi River and its tributaries has likely made floods worse in Mississippi and Louisiana, researchers say. Using 500 years of data from tree rings and from sediment in oxbow lakes — bends that once were part of the Mississippi River but became lakes when the river changed its path slightly — they say the river has flooded more often and poured more water into those states over the past 150 years than any previous period. Climate change may be responsible for about one-quarter of the difference, they estimate. Engineering, such as building levees and creating a straighter, narrow channel for navigation, is likely responsible for the rest.