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☆ 'Highly likely' Russia behind Ukraine dam collapse, international experts say
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-16 | by ( Anthony Deutsch | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

AMSTERDAM, June 16 (Reuters) - It is "highly likely" that the collapse of the Kakhovka dam in southern Ukraine was caused by explosives planted by Russians, a team of legal experts assisting Ukraine's prosecutors in their investigation said in preliminary findings released on Friday. Russian President Vladimir Putin has accused Ukraine of destroying the Kakhovka dam as a Western-backed tactic to escalate the conflict. Ukraine is investigating the blast as a war crime and possible criminal environmental destruction, or "ecocide". "Even in the highly unlikely scenario the dam, or indeed the area nearby, posed a valid military objective commensurate with eviscerating the dam, it is still afforded an elevated protection under international humanitarian law," she said. The ICC, the world's permanent war crimes tribunal, is also investigating the attacks on Ukraine's infrastructure, which may violate international law.

Persons: Vladimir Putin, Yousuf Syed Khan, Khan, Catriona Murdoch, Anthony Deutsch, Philippa Fletcher Organizations: Global Rights, International Criminal, Reuters, ICC, Thomson Locations: AMSTERDAM, Ukraine, Soviet, Kherson

Islamabad and New Delhi CNN —Tropical Cyclone Biparjoy has made landfall in India’s western Gujarat state, close to the Pakistan border, unleashing powerful gusts of wind that ripped up trees and toppled electricity poles. At landfall, Biparjoy was equivalent to a strong tropical storm with winds of 65 mph (100 kph), according to the Joint Typhoon Warning Center. Heavy rainfall warnings are expected to remain in place for northwest India through Saturday. Akhtar Soomro/ReutersBefore the storm, both India and Pakistan implemented mass safety measures to ensure minimal damage and loss of life. A man rides a motorcycle through a waterlogged street in Mandvi before the arrival of cyclone Biparjoy in the western state of Gujarat, India, June 15, 2023.

Persons: Biparjoy, Akhtar Soomro, Francis Mascarenhas Organizations: New Delhi CNN —, Typhoon Warning, Reuters, Livestock, PIA, National Disaster Management Authority, Residents, Getty, Shenzhen Institute of Meteorological, Chinese University of Hong Locations: Islamabad, New Delhi, India’s, Gujarat, Pakistan, India, Sindh, floodwater, Mumbai, Karachi, Mandvi, Pakistan's Sindh, AFP, Chinese University of Hong Kong, Asia

Islamabad and New Delhi CNN —Tens of thousands of people are being evacuated as India and Pakistan brace for the impact of Cyclone Biparjoy, which is expected to make landfall in densely populated areas across the subcontinent Thursday, putting millions of lives at risk. Mass evacuations have started in Pakistan’s Sindh province, with about 60,000 people sent to temporary shelters, according to local authorities. Residents evacuate from a coastal area of Keti Bandar before the expected arrival of Cyclone Biparjoy in Pakistan's Sindh province on June 13. In India’s Gujarat state, about 21,000 people have been evacuated from coastal areas, according to the state’s relief commissioner, Alok Kumar Pandey. People gather near the shore before the arrival of Cyclone Biparjoy at Clifton Beach in Karachi, Pakistan, on June 13.

Persons: Biparjoy, ”, Leela Ram Kohli, Alok Kumar Pandey, Rashmi, Sherry Rehman, Cyclone, Akhtar Soomro, Tauktae Organizations: New Delhi CNN, India Meteorological Department, Cyclone, AFP, Getty, PIA, Livestock, CNN, Authorities, Twitter, Shenzhen Institute of Meteorological, Chinese University of Hong, World Meteorological Organization Locations: Islamabad, New Delhi, India, Pakistan, Pakistan’s Sindh, Karachi – Pakistan’s, Keti Bandar, Pakistan's Sindh, Sindh, Badin, India’s Gujarat, Gujarat, Maharashtra, Mumbai, Balochistan, People, Clifton Beach, Karachi, Chinese University of Hong Kong, Asia, India’s

☆ Ukraine's dam disaster is 'unlikely' to derail its plans for a counteroffensive against Russia
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-09 | by ( Sam Meredith | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

Ukraine accused Russian forces of blowing up the dam, while the Kremlin denied the attack and said Kyiv intentionally sabotaged the dam to distract attention from its counteroffensive. The dam breach comes amid months of buildup to Ukraine's counteroffensive, a phase of the war that many see as potentially pivotal in Kyiv's pursuit of victory. A spokesperson for the General Staff of the Ukrainian Armed Forces on Friday, however, dismissed reports that a counteroffensive had begun, according to Reuters. Ukraine's government has repeatedly said there will be no public announcement of the start of the counteroffensive. Andrius Tursa, central and Eastern Europe advisor at Teneo, a political risk consultancy, said the destruction of the Nova Kakhovka dam may alter Ukraine's offensive plans — but was "unlikely to derail" them.

Persons: Andrius, Tursa Organizations: Kremlin, CNBC, NBC, General Staff, Ukrainian Armed Forces, Reuters Locations: Donetsk region, Russian, Ukraine, Kyiv, Eastern Europe, Nova, Crimea

☆ Factbox: What is the Kakhovka dam in Ukraine?
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-06 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

June 6 (Reuters) - The southern command of Ukraine's Armed Forces said on Tuesday that the Kakhovka dam in the Russian-controlled parts of Ukraine's Kherson region was blown up by Russian forces. Russia's TASS agency reported that the dam collapsed and the nearby territories were flooding. What is the Kakhovka dam, and what impact does blowing it up have? SIGNIFICANCE OF THE DAM* The dam, 30 metres (98 feet) tall and 3.2 km (2 miles) long, was built in 1956 on the Dnipro river as part of the Kakhovka hydroelectric power plant. * Blowing the Soviet-era dam, which is controlled by Russia, would unleash a wall of floodwater across much of the Kherson region.

Persons: Guy Faulconbridge, Michael Perry Organizations: Ukraine's Armed Forces, Russia's TASS, Reuters, Thomson Locations: Russian, Ukraine's Kherson, Dnipro, Russia, Salt, U.S ., Utah, Kherson

☆ Situation at nuclear plant under control after dam blast - Ukraine atomic agency
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-06 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

KYIV, June 6 (Reuters) - The destruction of the Kakhovka dam in southern Ukraine poses a threat to the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant, but the situation at the facility is under control, Ukraine's state atomic power agency said on Tuesday. The U.N. nuclear watchdog, the International Atomic Energy Agency, said on Twitter it was closely monitoring the situation but that there was "no immediate nuclear safety risk at (the) plant" which is also in southern Ukraine. It said the water level of the Kakhovka Reservoir was rapidly lowering, posing an "additional threat" to the Russian-occupied facility - Europe's largest nuclear power plant - which both sides have blamed one another for shelling. "Water from the Kakhovka Reservoir is necessary for the station to receive power for turbine capacitors and safety systems of the ZNPP (Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant)," Energoatom said in a statement on the Telegram messaging app. "Currently, the situation at the ZNPP is under control, Ukrainian personnel are monitoring all indicators," it said.

Persons: Energoatom, Dan Peleschuk, Timothy Organizations: International Atomic Energy Agency, Twitter, Russian, Timothy Heritage, Thomson Locations: Ukraine, Russian, Russia

☆ Russia says no threat 'for now' to Ukraine's Zaporizhzhia nuclear plant after dam breach
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-06 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

[1/2] A view shows the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant in the course of Russia-Ukraine conflict outside Enerhodar in the Zaporizhzhia region, Russian-controlled Ukraine, March 29, 2023. REUTERS/Alexander ErmochenkoMOSCOW, June 6 (Reuters) - Russia's state nuclear energy corporation Rosatom said on Tuesday that the breach of a dam in southern Ukraine did not pose a threat to the Moscow-controlled Zaporizhzhia nuclear plant for now where it said the situation was being monitored. Yury Chernichuk, director of the Russian-controlled power station, said in a statement on the Telegram messaging application that the situation at the nuclear plant was stable. "At the moment there are no threats to the safety of Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant. Five units are in "cold shutdown" state, 1 in "hot shutdown" state.

Persons: Alexander Ermochenko MOSCOW, Rosatom, Yury Chernichuk, Chernichuk, Andrew Osborn Organizations: REUTERS, Russian, Reuters, Thomson Locations: Russia, Ukraine, Zaporizhzhia, Russian, Moscow, Ukraine's Kherson, floodwater

☆ Canal that supplies Crimea getting far less water after Ukraine dam blast, warns Kremlin
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-06 | by ( Andrew Osborn | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +5 min

The reservoir feeds the Soviet-era North Crimean Canal - a channel which has traditionally supplied 85% of Crimea's water. Russia had taken measures to alleviate Crimea's water supply problem before access to the canal was restored last year, meaning there was now a certain "margin of safety" however, he said. Mikhail Razvozhaev, the Russian-installed governor of the Crimean city of Sevastopol, the headquarters of Russia's Black Sea Fleet, played down any immediate threat to water supplies. "Water supply to the city will not be affected by damage to the Kakhovskaya hydro-electric power plant in any way. The city uses its own reservoir, water reserves are at a maximum, and there are also reserve sources of water supply," he said on Telegram.

Persons: Dmitry Peskov, Sergei Aksyonov, Aksyonov, Vladimir Putin, Mikhail Razvozhaev, Vladimir Konstantinov, Andrew Osborn, William Maclean Organizations: Kremlin, Russian, Thomson Locations: Crimea, Nova Kakhovka, Russia, Ukraine, Russian, Kyiv, Moscow, Dnipro, Salt, U.S ., Utah, Crimean, Sevastopol

☆ First Drought, Then Flood. Can the West Learn to Live Between Extremes?
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-31 | by ( Brooke Jarvis | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +5 min

Since New Year’s, storm after storm had pummeled the state, dropping epic quantities of water and snow. Houses and farms and dairies flooded, and people were using excavators to hastily build earthen dikes around their properties. In a valley where powerful interests had long jockeyed for access to water, the arguments were now about who would bear the flood. A froth of brown storm water started to spread toward the houses. Had someone intentionally cut the levee, jeopardizing Allensworth, not to mention someone else’s farm, to save his own?

Persons: Deanna Jackson, Gonzales, Ruben Guerrero, Floodwater, Jack Mitchell, Allensworth, ” Guerrero, ”, Kiara Rendon, Denise Kadara, Allen Allensworth, Kadara, Rendon Organizations: Cal Fire, Navy Locations: Year’s, Tulare, Allensworth, ”, California, farmworkers

☆ Fruit harvest faces ruin after floods hit Italy's Emilia-Romagna
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-22 | by ( Angelo Amante | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

[1/3] A vineyard is flooded after heavy rains hit Italy's Emilia Romagna region, in San Giorgio near Forli, Italy, May 18, 2023. Coldiretti said the region was Italy's largest producer of pears, peaches, nectarines, apricots and plums, and the second largest producer of cherries and kiwi. In all, it accounted for a third of Italy's total fruit harvest. A Coldiretti spokesperson said the floodwater could rot the roots of almost 15 million fruit trees, killing them. Italian media said the government would initially announce some 100 million euros ($110 million) in spending and tax breaks for Emilia-Romagna.

☆ Floods ruin crops and drown livestock in one of Italy’s gastronomic heartlands
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-21 | by ( Barbie Latza Nadeau | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +4 min

“The water then slides away, destroying everything.”What also slid away were orchards, vineyards and crops ready to harvest. A tractor goes off road after flooding outside Ravenna in the Emilia Romagna region of Italy on May 20. Emilia Romagna is one of the richest regions in Italy. Firefighters come to rescue people and recover their belongings after flooding hit the Fornace Zarattini district of Ravenna in the Emilia Romagna region of Italy on May 20. Extreme weather such as what has happened this month in Emilia Romagna is perplexing even to experts.

☆ A long-dormant lake has reappeared in California, bringing havoc along with it
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-04 | by ( Evan Bush | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +7 min

David Swanson | ReutersPeople have worked for a century to make California's Tulare Basin into a food grower's paradise. The Tulare Basin is at the southern end of California's San Joaquin Valley — and in essence, it's a massive bowl. Before irrigators dug canals and rerouted water for farming in the late 1800s, Tulare Lake filled the bowl's lower reaches. Today, the irrigation system is designed to "use every single drop of water" that flows into the basin, Mount said. Tulare Lake refilled in 1997 and 1983 during very wet seasons.

☆ Heavy rain brings flash flooding to Sydney, prompts rescues
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-02 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

SYDNEY, April 2 (Reuters) - Heavy rain brought flash flooding to Australia's largest city Sydney on Sunday, prompting rescues and residents to sandbag houses, as authorities warned of bad weather ahead. A NSW State Emergency Service (SES) spokesperson told Reuters two people were pulled safely from cars that become stranded in floodwaters in Sydney's inner suburbs. "Don't walk drive or ride through floodwater," the SES spokesperson said. The nation's weather forecaster issued a severe thunderstorm warning for parts of Sydney on Sunday, forecasting heavy rain and possible flash flooding, and warned of more rain for the city this week. "That situation can change quickly so if people monitor the conditions and take heed of those warnings ... that would be excellent to keep people safe," the NSW SES spokesperson said.

[1/3] Don Cameron stands next to one of his flood capture projects on his Terranova Ranch in Helm, California, U.S., January 25, 2023. Today, California water experts see Cameron as a pioneer. Terra Nova's basins are filled with 1.5 to 3.5 feet of water, Cameron said Wednesday. California Governor Gavin Newsom signed an executive order on March 10 making it easier for farmers to divert floodwaters onto their lands until June. "We're at the beginning of a lot of momentum for groundwater recharge programs," said Gosselin, of the state groundwater office.

[1/7] A drone image of Mtauchira village shows the destruction caused by a mudslide where many people lost their lives, in the aftermath of Cyclone Freddy in Blantyre, Malawi, March 16, 2023. Tropical Cyclone Freddy has killed more than 400 people in Malawi, Mozambique and Madagascar since it first made landfall in Africa in late February and circled back to hit the region for a second time over the weekend. In Mozambique, some villages have been completely cut off since the cyclone made its second landfall on Saturday. At least 53 people have died in Mozambique and 326 in Malawi since the weekend, according to government figures. The storm had already killed about 27 people in Madagascar and Mozambique before it lashed Mozambique a second time.

☆ California is emerging from a 'parade of storms' with recovery efforts across a ravaged state
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-16 | by ( Evan Bush | Evan Bush Is A Science Reporter For Nbc News. He Can Be Reached At Evan.Bush Nbcuni.Com. | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +4 min

California's snowpack is on pace for a remarkable season after nearly three weeks of atmospheric river storms pummeled California with heavy precipitation. California has had nine atmospheric river storms since Christmas, Anderson said. "We're finally getting through the parade of storms," Anderson said. Meantime, a mudslide closed part of State Route 13 in the Oakland area, the state Transportation Department said. It expected it could take as long as three weeks to clear the road and up to six months for repairs.

☆ California assesses damage after days of deadly storms
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-16 | by ( Rich Mckay | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Jan 16 (Reuters) - Authorities in California were set to assess damage on Monday after a wave of storms killed at least 19 people, swept away scores of homes and forced thousands to evacuate. Small rainstorms lingered early on Monday from San Francisco through central California and a few inches of snow fell on the foothills of the Sierras, the National Weather Service reported. "It's coming to an end as we speak," said meteorologist William Churchill on Monday morning at the National Weather Service (NWS) Weather Prediction Center in College Park, Maryland. The Russian River, swollen with floodwater following a chain of winter storms, flows past the town of Guerneville, California, U.S. January 15, 2023. Then most of the state will have sunny days and at least a 10-day spell of dry, cool weather.

☆ California braces for final burst of heavy snow and rain
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-15 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

[1/8] The Russian River, swollen with floodwater following a chain of winter storms, flows past the town of Guerneville, California, U.S. January 15, 2023. REUTERS/Fred GreavesJan 15 (Reuters) - Storm-lashed California is bracing for what may be a final battering of rain and snow starting late Sunday, adding to the damage unleashed by a weather system that has caused severe flooding and killed at least 19 people across the state. Residents across a swath of central and southern California should prepare for heavy rainfall and snow, with the potential for flooding and mudslides in a region saturated after three weeks of storms, the National Weather Service said. Since December 26, the Golden State has been pounded by a string of so-called atmospheric rivers -- storms akin to rivers in the sky that carry moisture from the Earth's tropics to higher latitudes, dumping massive amounts of rain. Reporting by Nathan Layne; Editing by Daniel WallisOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ Mud, mold, and destruction: California businesses face catastrophic damage
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-13 | by ( Parija Kavilanz | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +9 min

New York CNN —At the end of a long wooden Southern California pier that juts out above the Pacific ocean sits the Wharf House. Powerful winter storms have unleashed heavy rain, wind, flooding and dangerous mudslides the likes of which California hasn’t seen in decades. An aerial view shows damage to the pier on which the Wharf House restaurant is located. Businesses digging outAbout 5 million people were under flood watches Wednesday as yet another atmospheric river brings more rain to California. “There was water damage, but luckily our floors are concrete and easy to clean and sanitize.

☆ Rain blamed for 17 deaths in California, a state primed for very different natural disasters
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-11 | by ( Tim Stelloh | Tim Stelloh Is A Breaking News Reporter For Nbc News Digital. | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +4 min

The deaths have been reported across the state — from San Bernardino County in the south to Mendocino County in the north, according to the California Governor’s Office of Emergency Services. The 1990s was possibly the last time California had this much rain at once, he said. Josh Edelson / AFP - Getty ImagesAnother 34,000 people remained under evacuation orders across the state, Newsom said Tuesday. The parent was rescued, but the boy vanished in surging floodwaters, county sheriff’s spokesman Tony Cipolla said. The sheriff’s office resumed a search Tuesday morning after “extreme” weather hampered the effort Monday, Cipolla said.

☆ California is deluged by record rain with more storms coming
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-11 | by ( Kate Fishman | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

The parade of storms is forecast to continue, bringing even more heavy rain next week, the weather service said. Large stretches of central California received over half their normal annual rainfall since Dec. 26. [1/12] View of flooding from the rainstorm-swollen Sacramento and American Rivers, near downtown Sacramento, California, U.S. January 11, 2023. The storms have killed at least 17 people since the start of the year, California Governor Gavin Newsom said on Tuesday. Reporting by Brendan O'Brien in Chicago and Daniel Trotta in Carlsbad, California; Editing by Marguerita Choy and Sandra MalerOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ California storm forces thousands to flee their homes and leaves 1 dead in 'endless onslaught'
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-10 | by ( Chantal Da Silva | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +5 min

As of early Tuesday, more than 63,000 utility customers were without power across California, according to PowerOutage.us . The heavy rains are expected to worsen ongoing flooding and prolong the risk of flash flooding and mudslides across the state. The flooding came five years to the day after heavy rains hammered a Montecito "burn scar," killing nearly two dozen people. The severe weather also forced the Santa Barbara Airport to close due to flooding, the airport announced in a tweet Monday. The recent severe weather prompted Gov.

Flood watches are in effect for 12 million people in Central and Northern California. The cyclone will send a pair of warm and cold fronts over Northern California, which is already rain-soaked. “When you have more water vapor in the air because the air is warmer — you can transport more water vapor quickly,” Ralph said. Although some smaller reservoirs in Northern California have filled up, larger reservoirs still have the capacity to absorb more. “I think we will have largely alleviated the short-term drought in Northern California," Swain said.

☆ 'Atmospheric river' floods Northern California and may have contributed to at least 3 deaths
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-02 | by ( Https | Media-Cldnry.S-Nbcnews.Com Image Upload Newscms Dennis-Romero-Circle-Byline-Template.Jpg | Dennis Romero | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +5 min

Sunday afternoon, mandatory evacuations were activated for residents of the Point Pleasant community south of the city of Sacramento, Sacramento County officials said. "Flooding in the area is imminent," the Sacramento County Office of Emergency Services said in a statement. NBC affiliate KCRA of Sacramento reported that dozens of motorists have been rescued from vehicles stranded in high waters in Sacramento County. Nearby Oakland, however, set its one-day record by scoring 4.75 inches of rain, the National Weather Service said. "Precipitation chances will ramp up again Monday and Tuesday as a series of Pacific Storm systems continues to impact the region," the National Weather Service said.

☆ After a slow start, the 2022 hurricane season roared in with memorable and destructive storms
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-30 | by ( Jennifer Gray | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +8 min

CNN —As the hurricane season closes, a handful of blockbuster storms made history after an eerily quiet first half of the season gave false hope. In fact, we didn’t have any named storms from July 3 to August 31, the first time that’s occurred since 1941. One of those storms was Hurricane Ian, which hit land in late September and will go down as the most memorable storm of the 2022 season. “Tropical storms have formed in every month outside of hurricane season, and there have been a few hurricanes, too,” NOAA said. Historically, we’ve seen at least 15 named storms form in the month of December, even all the way up to December 30.

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