Today’s Critical Disaster Intelligence Brief — Jul 19, 2024
Today’s news is dominated by a series of natural disasters across the globe, including a deadly heat wave in Texas, devastating floods in Toronto, heavy rainfall and flooding in South Korea, a powerful earthquake in Chile, several tornadoes in the US, and wildfires in Southern Europe.
United States
- Texas is facing a deadly heatwave with millions of residents left without power following Hurricane Beryl. The lack of electricity is exacerbating the already dangerous heat, and several people have died. https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c0w4vnel55no#1
- The Federal Reserve has found that nearly one in five U.S. adults surveyed were financially affected by a natural disaster last year. This highlights the growing economic burden of disasters on American households. https://www.wsj.com/articles/pro-take-natural-disasters-are-costing-u-s-households-fed-finds-3193f3ce
- The National Weather Service has confirmed that a second tornado hit the Rochester region on Monday. https://www.yahoo.com/news/nws-confirms-second-tornado-hit-093701701.html
- An EF-1 tornado ripped through a town in New Hampshire, snapping as many as 1,000 trees and picking up a garage. https://www.yahoo.com/news/ef-1-tornado-ripped-hampshire-134107135.html
- The U.S. Gulf States are facing a growing risk of “knock-out blows” from successive disasters. Repeated extreme weather events can erode a community’s ability to take care of itself. https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/u-s-gulf-states-risk-knock-out-blow-from-successive-disasters/
Canada
- Drake’s Toronto home, known as “The Embassy,” was hit by floods. The Canadian rapper joked about the situation on Instagram, saying that the rushing floodwaters “better be espresso martini.” https://www.bbc.com/news/videos/cpd97p33y4jo#2
South Korea
- South Korea’s capital region experienced heavy rainfall, with some areas receiving over 355 millimeters of rain, which is 93% of the total rainfall for the entire monsoon season. The rainfall led to flooding and transportation disruptions, prompting authorities to issue an emergency disaster alert. https://news.yahoo.co.jp/articles/c8365240557004dfb54be64ccef42a74a8a03cca?source=rss
Chile
- A powerful 7.4 magnitude earthquake struck northern Chile near the Argentine border. The earthquake triggered widespread tremors and prompted warnings of possible tsunamis. However, there were no immediate reports of injuries or significant damage. https://www.nytimes.com/2024/07/18/world/americas/chile-earthquake-atacama.html
- A magnitude 7.3 earthquake also jolted northern Chile. https://www.livemint.com/news/earthquake-today-quake-of-7-3-magnitude-jolts-northern-chile-seismic-activity-tsunami-richter-scale-11721356730866.html
Philippines
- A waterspout was spotted off the coast of Misamis Oriental province. Footage of the column of air and water was captured and shared online. https://www.bbc.com/news/videos/c1we414lj89o#2
Europe
- Wildfires are raging across southern Europe amid a persistent heatwave, claiming at least two lives and injuring four others. The fires are devastating mountain forests and vegetation in several countries. http://www.china.org.cn/world/Off_the_Wire/2024-07/19/content_117318628.htm
The last 24 hours have been a stark reminder of the increasing frequency and severity of natural disasters across the globe. From deadly heatwaves to powerful earthquakes, the events of today raise serious concerns about the need for improved disaster preparedness, resilience, and climate change mitigation strategies. It also underscores the interconnectedness of our world, as these events impact not only individual countries but also global economies and the international community.
#naturaldisasters #heatwave #earthquake #flooding #wildfires #climatechange #disasterpreparedness #globalnews #breakingnews #worldnews
