Weather disasters cost $20 billion more than last year: NGO

PARIS - The ten most expensive weather disasters this year caused more than $170 billion (150 billion euros) in damage, $20 billion more than in 2020, a British aid group said Monday.

Each year, UK charity Christian Aid calculates the cost of weather incidents like flooding, fires and heat waves according to insurance claims and reports the results. 

In 2020, it found the world's ten costliest weather disasters caused $150 billion in damage, making this year's total an increase of 13 percent.

Christian Aid said the upward trend reflects the effects of man-made climate change and added that the ten disasters in question also killed at least 1,075 people and displaced 1.3 million.

The most expensive disaster in 2021 was hurricane Ida, which lashed the eastern United States and caused around $65 billion in damages. After crashing into Louisiana at the end of August, it made its way northward and caused extensive flooding in New York City and the surrounding area.

Spectacular and deadly flooding in Germany and Belgium in July was next on the list at $43 billion in losses.

A cold snap and winter storm in Texas that took out the vast state's power grid cost $23 billion, followed by flooding in China's Henan province in July that cost an estimated $17.6 billion.

Other disasters costing several billion dollars include flooding in Canada, a late spring freeze in France that damaged vineyards, and a cyclone in India and Bangladesh in May. 

The report acknowledged its evaluation mainly covers disasters in rich countries where infrastructure is better insured and that the financial toll of disasters on poor countries is often incalculable.

It gave the example of South Sudan where flooding affected around 800,000 people.

"Some of the most devastating extreme weather events in 2021 hit poorer nations, which have contributed little to causing climate change," the report's press release noted.

In mid-December, the world's biggest reinsurer, Swiss Re, estimated natural catastrophes and extreme weather events caused around $250 billion in damage this year. 

It said the total represented a 24 percent increase over last year and that the cost to the insurance industry alone was the fourth highest since 1970.

Agence France-Presse

Typhoon Lekima death toll in east China rises to 28

BEIJING, China— The death toll from Typhoon Lekima (Philippine name: Hanna) rose to 28 in eastern China, said local authorities on Sunday, as rescue teams worked to locate the missing after the storm triggered a landslide and forced more than a million people to evacuate.

The monster storm arrived in Wenling city in the early hours of Saturday, packing winds of 187 kilometres per hour (116 miles per hour), with waves several metres high hitting the coastline.

On Saturday, national television station CCTV said that 18 people had died in a landslide triggered by the storm's downpours in the municipality of Wenzhou, around 400 kilometres (250 miles) south of Shanghai.

It was unclear if the further 10 deaths announced Sunday resulted from the same incident.

Twenty people were still missing, according to Zhejiang provincial authorities.

"Currently, search and rescue work from various regions is still ongoing," they said on social media platform Weibo.

More than a million people were evacuated from their homes ahead of the typhoon, the official Xinhua news agency reported. Some 110,000 people were housed in shelters.

In Zhejiang province alone, nearly 300 flights were cancelled, and ferry and rail services were suspended as a precaution.

On Sunday, footage from state broadcaster CCTV showed rescue workers on boats navigating through Linhai city, where streets were completely submerged in muddy water.

Local Chinese media reports also showed teams pulling stranded citizens from bright orange inflatable boats, with skies starting to clear as the storm moved further up the coast.

Lekima has entered Jiangsu province north of Shanghai and is expected to hit Shandong province later on Sunday, state broadcaster CCTV reported. Both provinces have already issued a red alert for torrential rain.

source: philstar.com

Super Typhoon Lekima slams into southeast China

SHANGHAI, China — Super Typhoon Lekima (Philippine name: Hanna) slammed into southeastern China early Saturday, bringing torrential rain and heavy winds that knocked out power, downed thousands of trees and forced more than one million people from their homes, state media reported.

The monster storm made landfall in the early hours in Wenling City packing winds of 187 kilometres per hour (116 miles per hour), and was expected to churn up the east coast towards Shanghai, Xinhua news agency said.

More heavy rain was forecast for the Shanghai area as well as the eastern provinces of Anhui, Fujian, Jiangsu and Zhejiang, with authorities warning of possible flash floods, mudslides and landslides caused by the downpours.

In Zhejiang province alone, nearly 300 flights were cancelled, and ferry and rail services were suspended as a precaution.

More than a quarter of a million people were relocated in Shanghai, where the high-speed maglev train that links the city to one of its airports was suspended.

More than 110,000 people were housed in shelters.

China issued a red alert as the storm approached on Friday, before downgrading the level to orange as winds eased on Saturday morning.

The storm had earlier swept past the northern tip of Taiwan on Friday, where nine people were injured, thousands of homes lost power temporarily and more than 500 flights were cancelled.

Last September, Typhoon Mangkhut slammed into mainland China where authorities evacuated more than two million people, after it left a trail of destruction in Hong Kong and Macau and killed at least 59 people in the northern Philippines.

source: philstar.com

Massive clean-up in Hong Kong after typhoon brings trail of destruction

HONG KONG, China — Hong Kong began a massive clean-up Monday after Typhoon Mangkhut raked the city, shredding trees and bringing damaging floods, in a trail of destruction that has left dozens dead in the Philippines and millions evacuated in southern China.

The death toll in the Philippines, where the main island of Luzon was mauled with fierce winds and rain, rose to 65 overnight as rescuers pulled more bodies from a huge landslide in the mountain town of Itogon.

National police spokesman Senior Superintendent Benigno Durana told AFP that 43 other people are missing, and more than 155,000 people remain in evacuation centres two days after the typhoon struck.

After tearing through Luzon and pummelling Hong Kong and Macau, the storm made landfall in mainland China late Sunday, with two reported dead in Guangdong province.

Authorities there said they had evacuated more than three million people and ordered tens of thousands of fishing boats back to port before the arrival of what Chinese media had dubbed the "King of Storms".

In the high-rise city of Hong Kong, the government described the damage as "severe and extensive" with more than 300 people injured in Mangkhut which triggered the maximum "T10" typhoon alert.

The monumental task of cleaning up the city began as residents, some in suits and ties, struggled to get back to work on roads that remained blocked by felled trees, mud and debris.

Schools were closed, along with bus services, and travel disruption saw commuters piling onto platforms trying to board infrequent trains after trees fell on overhead lines.

Landslides and severe flooding affected some areas, with over 1,500 residents seeking refuge in temporary shelters overnight.

The storm, with gusts of more than 230 kilometers per hour (142 mph), sent buildings swaying and waters surging into homes and shopping malls, with some roads waist-deep in water.

Windows in tower blocks and skyscrapers were smashed as people cowered inside.

In the neighbourhood of Heng Fa Chuen, thousands of rocks and pebbles from the sea covered parkland along the coastline which had been battered by pounding waves.

The city's main Victoria Park had become an obstacle course with hundreds of trees down and many completely uprooted.

Emergency teams were sawing apart some of the biggest trees blocking roads and pathways across the city in a clean-up operation that is likely to take days.

In the neighboring gambling enclave of Macau, all 42 casinos shut down for the first time in its history as the storm approached.

They opened again on Monday but Macau was still in recovery mode after severe flooding hit parts of the city, forcing emergency workers to rescue people from their shops and homes using boats and jetskis.

As the storm moved past the enclave Sunday, streets became submerged under water gushing in from the harbour.

The government and casinos have taken extra measures in recent times,  determined to avoid a repeat of Typhoon Hato which battered Macau last year, killing 12 people and drawing accusations it was ill prepared for a major storm.

source: philstar.com

Taiwan shuts down as ‘Megi’ strikes

TAIPEI, Taiwan -- Taiwan went into shutdown Tuesday as the island faces its third typhoon in two weeks, with thousands evacuated, schools and offices closed across the island and hundreds of flights disrupted.

Typhoon Megi (Philippine name: Helen) is expected to make landfall in eastern Taiwan later Tuesday but is already bringing widespread violent winds and torrential rain as it nears the island.

More than 5,000 people have been evacuated from their homes and around 2,000 are in shelters, according to the Central Emergency Operation Center.  About 36,000 households have lost power due to the typhoon so far.

A total of 575 international and domestic flights were cancelled as of Tuesday morning, and 109 delayed. Most trains were also halted.

Television footage showed powerful waves surging past breakwaters in northeastern Yilan county and outlying Orchid Island.

Ahead of the storm, more than 3,700 tourists had already been evacuated at the weekend from Orchid Island and Green Island -- both popular with visitors.

At 0030 GMT, Megi was 220 kilometers (137 miles) southeast of the eastern county of Hualien, packing gusts of up to 198 kilometers (123 miles) per hour.

It is moving at 18 kilometers (11.2 miles) an hour -- slower than previously forecast -- delaying the time of landfall to around 0900 GMT Tuesday, according to Taiwan's weather bureau.

Hualien and Taitung, which are also popular with visitors for their coastlines and landscapes, will be in the firing line.

Those areas are still trying to recover from damage brought by Super Typhoon Meranti earlier this month -- the strongest storm for 21 years to hit Taiwan.

Meranti, which left one dead in Taiwan before killing another 28 as it moved to eastern China, was followed closely by the smaller Typhoon Malakas.

Mountainous regions in eastern Taiwan could see a total of up to 900 millimeters (35 inches) of rain through Wednesday, increasing the risk of landslides.

More than 35,000 soldiers are on standby to help with disaster relief.

source: interaksyon.com

One dead as Neoguri hits Japan's Okinawa

TOKYO -  One man died, more than 500,000 people were urged to evacuate and hundreds of flights were canceled as a strong typhoon brought torrential rain and high winds to its southwestern islands and could bring heavy rain to Tokyo later this week.

Typhoon Neoguri weakened from its original status as a super typhoon but remained intense, with gusts of more than 250 km per hour (155 mph). It was powering through the Okinawa island chain where emergency rain and high-seas warnings were in effect.



Hundreds of flights were cancelled in Japan and more than 500,000 people urged to evacuate as a powerful typhoon brought torrential rain and high winds to southwestern islands and was forecast to reach Tokyo later in the week.

The storm will be at its most powerful as it passes Okinawa, some 1,600 km (1,000 miles) southwest of Tokyo on Tuesday, but the Japan Meteorological Agency (JMA) warned of heavy rains and potential flooding in Kyushu, the westernmost of Japan's main islands, as well as heavy rain in the rest of the nation as the storm turns east.

"People must take the utmost caution," Keiji Furuya, state minister in charge of disaster management, told a news conference.

One man was missing after his boat was swamped by high waves, NHK national television said. Several people suffered minor injuries from falls.

More than 50,000 households in Okinawa lost power and an oil refinery halted operations. Television footage showed street lights rocking in high winds and branches being blown down largely deserted streets.

There are no nuclear plants on Okinawa but there are two on Kyushu, which lies in the area through which the typhoon is likely to pass after hitting Okinawa. There is another on Shikoku island, which borders Kyushu and could also be affected.

All are shut down due to national policy and the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear plant, which was wrecked by an earthquake and tsunami in March 2011, is on the other side of the country.

"When the wind blows most strongly, it's impossible to stand. You have to hold on to something," said Kei Shima, a self-employed Okinawa resident in her 30s.

"The lights are fading in and out, like the house is haunted. The rain is getting stronger and falling sideways."

Neoguri was roughly 110 km (68 miles) southwest of Kumejima of island at noon (0300 GMT) and moving north at 25 kph (16 mph), with sustained winds of 180 kph (110 mph).

Kadena Air Base, one of the largest U.S. military facilities on Okinawa, was on its highest level of storm alert and all outside activity was prohibited.

Nansei Sekiyu KK, a Japanese refiner wholly owned by Brazil's Petrobras, said it had suspended oil refining operations at its 100,000 barrels-per-day Nishihara refinery in Okinawa on Monday evening.

A JMA official said the storm will maintain its strength as it heads north but gradually turn to the east, making landfall in Kyushu before raking its way up the main island of Honshu and coming close to Tokyo on Friday.

"But it will be weaker by then, so that Tokyo can mainly expect a lot of rain, and maybe some gusts of wind," he added.

Around two to four typhoons make landfall in Japan each year but they are unusual in July.

source: interaksyon.com

Australian among Yolanda dead - Australia foreign affairs

SYDNEY - An Australian man widely identified as a former priest who blew the whistle on child sex abuse in the Catholic Church is among the dead from a typhoon that devastated the Philippines, according to reports.

The department of foreign affairs on Sunday said a 50-year-old New South Wales man had been killed, although it declined to confirm his identity.

But the Australian Broadcasting Corporation and other media said he was former priest Kevin Lee, who was removed from his parish responsibilities in Sydney last year after admitting to marrying a woman in secret.

Lee spoke out about abuse in the Catholic Church on an ABC program, Unholy Silence, last year. He was believed to be living in the Philippines with his Filipina wife and young baby.

Super typhoon Yolanda (international name: Haiyan) ripped through the Philippines and is now bearing down on Vietnam. A regional Philippine police chief on Sunday said 10,000 people were believed to have killed in one province alone.

source: interaksyon.com

Calamity areas still without electricity a day before 'Yolanda' makes landfall

MANILA - As the country braces for a super typhoon, the Department of Energy (DOE) said electricity has yet to be restored in all areas affected by a string of calamities that struck last month.

In a report, the DOE said power has been restored in all towns belonging to the Ilocos Sur Electric Cooperative franchise area, and in 23 municipalities served by Ilocos Norte Electric Cooperative, except for remote barangays.

In Cagayan province, 18 out of its 29 towns have been energized, according to a report by the National Electrification Administration (NEA). The three provinces were in the path of Typhoon Vinta, which left the Philippine area of responsibility early this week.

In the Cagayan II Electric Cooperative (CAGELCO II) franchise area, power has been restored in all 12 municipalities it serves. For Cagayan I Electric Cooperative's franchise area, however, the municipalities of Abulug, Ballesteros, Buguey, Calayan, Claveria, Gattaran, Pamplona, Sanchez Mira, Sta. Ana, Sta. Praxedes, and Sta. Teresita, and parts of Appari and Gonzaga remain without power.

Moreover, the towns of Flora, Luna, Pudtol and Santa Marcela in Apayao province, which CAGELCO II also serves, still have no electricity.

The National Grid Corporation of the Philippines reported that it has completed the repair of the Magapit-Sta. Teresita-Sta. Ana 69-kiloVolt (kV) transmission line segment as of 6:00 p.m. yesterday. It also restored the Tuguegarao-Magapit-Camalaniugan 69-kV line segment as early as the evening of November 4.

"Total power restoration of municipalities and barangays affected by the recent Typhoon Vinta is expected in two to three weeks’ time," the DOE said.

Of the areas affected by Typhoon Santi, on the other hand, a total of 20 barangays in Nueva Ecija still don't enjoy electricity 24/7 because of "accessibility concerns."

"Power restoration on household level of barangays under Nueva Ecija I Electric Cooperative franchise area is targeted for completion on November 19, while [Nueva Ecija II Electric Cooperative - Area 2] by tomorrow," the DOE said.

As to the quake-hit Bohol, 94 percent of households has been energized.

"[The] remaining unenergized households still have to undergo further inspections for damages before receiving power," the department said.

The country is bracing for Typhoon Yolanda, which the weather bureau said is far stronger than those that entered the Philippine area of responsibility in the past two months.

source: interaksyon.com

‘Eat Bulaga-Indonesia’ Hosts Bring Relief Goods To Flood Victims

Offering help to Filipinos devastated by the recent flooding are Uya Kuya and Rian Ibram, hosts of “Eat Bulaga-Indonesia.”

The comedic duo personally brought the relief goods to the country, a matter which Vic Sotto found commendable.

“Siyempre kami naman eh natutuwa na hindi nila tayo nakalimutang tulungan,” said he in an interview with GMA News.

Sotto, known to some fans as “Bossing,” only has good words for his Indonesian counterpart, Kuya.

“He’s okay, mabait siya, marami siyang talent,” he said. “Sikat na sikat yan sa Indonesia, very famous, pero hindi mo siya kakikitaan ng kahit kaunting ere.”

But Kuya, it seems, is not one to return the favor. “The bossings of ‘Eat Bulaga Philippines’ is handsome but I think I’m more handsome than him,” he jested in the same GMA News report.

Ibram was more “diplomatic” than Kuya. “This is our first time in Manila, it’s so good to be here, it’s an honor,” he said.

He went on to crow about “Eat Bulaga-Indonesia” raising good numbers ratings-wise after only several weeks of airing.

“People like to join us, it’s a good TV show, not only a show, but a life,” he said.

Kuya and Ibram appeared in a segment of the long-running noontime show which aired Saturday. To entertain studio audiences, Kuya allowed for several magic tricks.

When he asked for a kiss from Pauleen Luna, Sotto kidded him, “Ang kay Pedro ay kay Pedro...” – which prompted thunderous laughter from the crowd. Sotto and Luna are rumored to be an item.

Kuya and Ibram also jammed with the “Eat Bulaga Philippines” hosts on the song “Dahil Sa’yo” and “Bahay-Kubo,” which they translated in Bahasa.

In the end, the duo asked the hosts to also visit them in their home country. They also shared that they will continue urging their countrymen to help Filipinos who suffered during the recent typhoon via a fund-raising drive.

source: mb.com.ph

Typhoon Haikui strikes east coast of China

(CNN) -- Typhoon Haikui slammed into the east coast of China on Wednesday morning, pummeling the area around the business metropolis of Shanghai with heavy wind and rain.

The storm's winds were at "severe typhoon" strength when it made landfall in the province of Zhejiang, about 225 kilometers (140 miles) south of Shanghai, the China Meteorological Administration said. The winds diminished to typhoon strength as Haikui moved inland.

A severe typhoon is considered to have maximum sustained wind speed of between 150 and 184 kilometers per hour (93 and 114 mph). A typhoon has maximum sustained winds of between 118 and 149 kilometers per hour (73 and 93 mph).

Hundreds of thousands of people had been evacuated from Haikui's path as it approached, the third tropical cyclone to hit China's east coast in less than a week.

Chinese officials had relocated 374,000 people from Shanghai and 250,000 from Zhejiang, according to the state-run newspaper China Daily.

Although the storm's winds are expected to weaken as it moves overland, it will continue to dump large amounts of rain on the surrounding area, raising the risk of landslides and flooding.

"The rain is the bigger impact going forward," said CNNI Meteorologist Taylor Ward. "We have already had up to 8 inches in some locations."

Ward said another 6 to 10 inches of rain were expected to fall, with "maybe isolated amounts greater."

Haikui was moving northwest at 20 kph (12 mph) but was expected to slow over the coming two days, he said.

source: CNN

2 dead, 163 injured, traffic paralyzed by typhoon-strength storm

TOKYO — A typhoon-strength storm brought travel chaos to Japan on Tuesday, as violent winds and rain killed at least two people and left tens of thousands of people stranded in 23 prefectures.

Gusts of up to 150 kilometers per hour have been recorded in western Japan, with coastal areas likely seeing even stronger winds, Japan’s weather agency said.

At least 163 people suffered injuries across the country, knocked over by sudden gusts or hit by flying debris, public broadcaster NHK said.

With the agency warning of possible tornadoes in the western part of Japan, airlines grounded over 550 flights and a number of train services were suspended.

An 81-year-old man died in central Toyama prefecture when the wind blew over a shed, trapping him underneath, police said.

In Kagawa Prefecture, Shikoku, a 69-year-old woman was crushed to death when a warehouse collapsed, police said.

Forecasters said an expanding low pressure system in the Sea of Japan (East Sea) was forcing a cold front over the country, where it was bringing heavy rains and strong winds.

“This is like the core of a typhoon, but it is staying for a long time, whereas a typhoon usually moves rather quickly,” a spokesman for the Japan Meteorological Agency said, adding that it was a “rare” situation.

The meteorological agency said on its website the strong winds would move northwards into Wednesday, producing waves up to 10 meters high.

“In particular, ferocious winds are expected at sea (in the north) on the Sea of Japan side. Please be extremely wary of violent winds and high waves.”
The agency also warned heavy rain could trigger landslides and flooding.

Japan Airlines canceled 288 domestic and seven Asia-bound flights, affecting more than 32,000 passengers.

All Nippon Airways grounded 336 domestic flights, affecting nearly 40,000 people.

East Japan Railways, which operates a vast train network in the eastern and northern regions, including Tokyo, cancelled some commuter lines and a number of long-distance services.

The nation’s main bullet train, linking Tokyo and Osaka, was experiencing delays after a brief suspension, but was running as of early evening.

A number of trucks were blown over by the winds, creating localised traffic jams in Toyama prefecture.

NHK also reported a recently-constructed 10,000-ton tanker, which was moored off Ehime Prefecture, had run aground.

A train, carrying some 170 passengers, was stranded on the Seto-Ohashi Line for seven hours due to heavy winds on a bridge linking the main islands of Honshu and Shikoku, the network said.

Many companies sent employees home early. Canon told about 14,000 workers mostly in Tokyo and neighbouring Kanagawa prefecture to leave before the storm worsened.

“Most of them use public transportation to commute. The rain isn’t so strong yet (in Tokyo) but the storm is likely to intensify and could disrupt train and other services,” said company spokesman Hirotomo Fujimori.

Fujitsu permitted 25,000 employees in Tokyo and neighbouring prefectures to go home early if they wish, according to a company spokesman.

source: japantoday.com