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Reuters
5 days ago
- Climate
- Reuters
Sustainable Switch: Devastating Texas floods
July 8 - This is an excerpt of the Sustainable Switch newsletter, where we make sense of companies and governments grappling with climate change, diversity, and human rights on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Fridays. To receive the full newsletter in your inbox for free sign up here. Hello, Deadly downpours hit Texas, United States, over the weekend, with a death toll from the catastrophic floods reaching at least 96 people, as the search for girls missing from a summer camp continues. Meanwhile, a powerful typhoon struck southern Taiwan this week, killing two people and injuring more than 630 in a rare hit to the island's densely populated west coast. But before we get into the details of the flooding in Texas, please note that Sustainable Switch will be taking a short summer break, returning on July 24 with all the latest environmental, social, and governance developments. Now, in Texas, as search teams waded through muddy riverbanks and flew aircraft over the state's flood-ravaged central areas on Monday, hopes dimmed of finding survivors among dozens still missing from a disaster that has claimed at least 96 lives, many of them children. Taiwan also experienced extreme downpours as Typhoon Danas lashed the island with record winds and strong rain early on Monday, killing two people and injuring more than 630 in a rare hit to the island's densely populated west coast. The National Fire Agency said one person was killed by a falling tree while driving, and another died after their respirator malfunctioned due to a power cut. What happened in Texas? The flooding in Texas occurred after the nearby Guadalupe River broke its banks after torrential rain on Friday, the U.S. Independence Day holiday. State emergency management officials had warned on Thursday, ahead of the July 4 holiday, that parts of central Texas faced the possibility of flash floods based on National Weather Service forecasts. But twice as much rain, opens new tab as was predicted ended up falling over two branches of the Guadalupe just upstream of the fork where they converge, sending all of that water racing into the single river channel where it slices through Kerrville, City Manager Dalton Rice said. Rice said the outcome was unforeseen and unfolded in a matter of two hours, leaving too little time to conduct a precautionary mass evacuation without the risk of placing more people in harm's way. Among the worst affected was Camp Mystic summer camp, where 700 girls were in residence at the time of the flooding, according to Texas Lieutenant Governor Dan Patrick. Officials confirmed that 27 campers and counselors were among those who had died, while 10 girls and a camp counsellor were still unaccounted for, as search-and-rescue personnel faced the potential of more heavy rains and thunderstorms while clawing through tons of muck-laden debris. Questions over accountability Debates intensified over questions about how state and local officials reacted to weather alerts forecasting the possibility of a flash flood and the lack of an early warning siren system that might have mitigated the disaster. Some experts questioned whether cuts to the federal workforce by U.S. President Donald Trump's administration made it harder for officials to accurately predict the severity of the floods and issue appropriate warnings ahead of the storm. Trump's administration has overseen thousands of job cuts at the National Weather Service's parent agency, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, leaving many weather offices understaffed, former NOAA director Rick Spinrad said. Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer asked the Department of Commerce's acting inspector general to investigate whether cuts at the National Weather Service affected its response to central Texas flooding. He asked the watchdog to scrutinize the office's communications with Kerr County officials. On Monday, Patrick vowed that the state would "step up" to pay for installing a flash-flood warning system in Kerrville by next summer if local governments "can't afford it." ESG LENS U.S. President Donald Trump ramped up his trade war, telling 14 nations, from powerhouse suppliers such as Japan and South Korea to minor trade players, that they now face sharply higher tariffs from a new deadline of August 1. Trump also threatened leaders of developing nations in the BRICS grouping meeting in Brazil with an additional 10% tariff if they adopt "anti-American" policies. The bloc includes Brazil, Russia, India, and China among others. Click here to sign up for the Reuters Tariff Watch newsletter to keep up with all the latest tariff news. Think your friend or colleague should know about us? Forward this newsletter to them. They can also subscribe here.
Yahoo
22-07-2025
- Climate
- Yahoo
At least 14 dead in ‘once-in-a-century' storms in South Korea
At least 14 people have died and 12 are missing after five days of torrential rain in South Korea in what the national weather agency described as a 'once-in-a-century' event. The country's southern regions have received up to 600-800 millimetres of rain since Wednesday, some of the heaviest hourly rainfall on record. Torrential downpours hit Gapyeong, a resort town 70km east of Seoul on early Sunday, leaving at least two dead and four missing. One person was found dead after being swept away by the floods, and another was killed after their house collapsed because of the heavy rainfall. There are concerns that the death toll could continue to rise, with 12 people still missing according to the Ministry of the Interior and the Safety and National Fire Agency on Sunday. Over 2,000 public buildings have been damaged across the country, according to the ministry, with reports of damage to farmland and the death of livestock. Communication remains unstable in the areas hit by flooding, and many sites remain inaccessible, according to local reports. Footage shows heavy rainfall in the south of the country, with submerged vehicles, roads blocked by water, people wading through the streets and the extensive damage to farmland. In response to the floods, Lee Jae-myung, South Korea's president, ordered on Sunday for the areas that were hit the hardest by the extreme weather to be designated as special disaster zones, and the government has set up a multi-agency recovery effort. The majority of deaths have occurred in the southern county of Sancheong, with eight people killed and six others unaccounted for in the town following landslides, flash floods and the collapse of houses after experiencing almost 800 millimetres of rainfall since Wednesday. Earlier this week, three people were found dead in a flooded car, and a person was also killed after their car was buried by soil and concrete after an overpass collapsed in Osan, south of Seoul. Across the region, nearly 10,000 people have evacuated their homes since Wednesday, while more than 41,000 households have temporarily lost power, the BBC reports. South Korea also endured heavy rain and flooding in 2022, killing at least 11 people. The rain has mostly stopped in the worst-affected southern and central areas, with the rainfall moving north overnight and is expected to last until Monday in some areas, before a heatwave next week. Broaden your horizons with award-winning British journalism. Try The Telegraph free for 1 month with unlimited access to our award-winning website, exclusive app, money-saving offers and more. Solve the daily Crossword
Telegraph
20-07-2025
- Climate
- Telegraph
At least 14 dead in ‘once-in-a-century' storms in South Korea
At least 14 people have died and 12 are missing after five days of torrential rain in South Korea in what the national weather agency described as a 'once-in-a-century' event. The country's southern regions have received up to 600-800 millimetres of rain since Wednesday, some of the heaviest hourly rainfall on record. Torrential downpours hit Gapyeong, a resort town 70km east of Seoul on early Sunday, leaving at least two dead and four missing. One person was found dead after being swept away by the floods, and another was killed after their house collapsed because of the heavy rainfall. There are concerns that the death toll could continue to rise, with 12 people still missing according to the Ministry of the Interior and the Safety and National Fire Agency on Sunday. Over 2,000 public buildings have been damaged across the country, according to the ministry, with reports of damage to farmland and the death of livestock. Communication remains unstable in the areas hit by flooding, and many sites remain inaccessible, according to local reports. Footage shows heavy rainfall in the south of the country, with submerged vehicles, roads blocked by water, people wading through the streets and the extensive damage to farmland. In response to the floods, Lee Jae-myung, South Korea's president, ordered on Sunday for the areas that were hit the hardest by the extreme weather to be designated as special disaster zones, and the government has set up a multi-agency recovery effort. The majority of deaths have occurred in the southern county of Sancheong, with eight people killed and six others unaccounted for in the town following landslides, flash floods and the collapse of houses after experiencing almost 800 millimetres of rainfall since Wednesday. Earlier this week, three people were found dead in a flooded car, and a person was also killed after their car was buried by soil and concrete after an overpass collapsed in Osan, south of Seoul. Across the region, nearly 10,000 people have evacuated their homes since Wednesday, while more than 41,000 households have temporarily lost power, the BBC reports. South Korea also endured heavy rain and flooding in 2022, killing at least 11 people. The rain has mostly stopped in the worst-affected southern and central areas, with the rainfall moving north overnight and is expected to last until Monday in some areas, before a heatwave next week.
Sky News
07-07-2025
- Climate
- Sky News
Typhoon Danas: Two people killed and hundreds injured as 135mph winds hit Taiwan
Two people were killed and more than 500 injured as Typhoon Danas brought record winds of 135mph to Taiwan. The powerful storm tore across the island after making landfall along its southwestern shores late on Sunday. One person was killed by a falling tree while driving, said the National Fire Agency. Another person died after their respirator malfunctioned during a power cut. The storm reached winds of around 135mph (220kmph) as it tore through the southwestern county of Yunlin, reported the Reuters news agency. At least 700 trees were felled across a number of cities, while road signs and concrete electric poles were snapped off their bases. Power to nearly 700,000 homes was cut and more than 300 domestic and international flights were cancelled, according to government data. The storm dumped more than 60cms (23.6ins) of rain in places, causing landslides and flooding. More than 3,400 people were forced to evacuate, mostly from mountainous areas around the southern port city of Kaohsiung. In the southern city of Tainan, the structure of a large wooden gate to a major temple collapsed and was submerged in floodwaters. Typhoon Danas has since weakened, but is on course to hit eastern China. Maritime officials in eastern China's Zhejiang province raised the emergency response to the second-highest level, according to state broadcaster CCTV. On Monday, 121 passenger vessels and 64 ferry routes had been suspended across the province, CCTV added. Authorities in southern Guangdong province called hundreds of vessels to port to help evacuate more than 2,000 people from offshore facilities. Danas is expected to approach coastal areas between the cities of Taizhou and Fuzhou, according to the China Meteorological Administration. The typhoon is forecast to make landfall in China late on Tuesday.
Saba Yemen
07-07-2025
- Climate
- Saba Yemen
Typhoon Danas kills two, injures more than 300 in Taiwan
Taipei - Saba: Two people were killed and more than 300 others were injured in Taiwan as a result of Typhoon Danas today. The National Fire Agency announced two deaths in Tainan, southwest Taiwan. One person was killed when a tree fell on his vehicle, while the other died after his respirator failed due to a power outage in the city. More than 300 people were injured, and more than 3,400 residents of the mountainous areas surrounding the coastal city of Kaohsiung, southern Taiwan, were forced to evacuate their homes. The typhoon caused power outages to more than 580,000 homes, and schools and offices were closed across southern and central Taiwan. Maximum wind speeds reached 144 kilometers (89 miles) per hour, causing rainfall exceeding 60 centimeters (24 inches) in some areas, leading to landslides and flooding. Taiwan routinely experiences typhoons between July and October, but they are more common on its sparsely populated eastern coast facing the Pacific Ocean. The typhoon weakened as it moved toward the Taiwan Strait on an expected path to mainland China. Whatsapp Telegram Email Print more of (International)
