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☆ 4.9 magnitude quake strikes southern Haiti; 4 dead, dozens injured
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-06 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

The town of Jeremie in Haiti's southwest region was struck by a moderate earthquake on Tuesday, June 6, 2023. (Patrick Farrell/Miami Herald/Tribune News Service via Getty Images)An earthquake with a preliminary magnitude of 4.9 struck southern Haiti early Tuesday, killing at least four people and injuring 36 others, authorities said. The quake struck before dawn near the southwestern coastal city of Jeremie at a depth of six miles (10 kilometers), according to the U.S. Geological Survey. "There were so many people out on the street, and a lot of panic," he recalled of the moments after the quake struck. The earthquake struck almost two years after a 7.2 magnitude earthquake struck southern Haiti and killed more than 2,200 people, with Les Cayes sustaining the most damage.

Persons: Patrick Farrell, Eric Mpitabakana, Les Cayes, Frankel Maginaire, Mpitabakana, Claude Prepetit, Paul Pierre, Pierre, Prince, Ariel Henry Organizations: Miami Herald, Tribune, Service, Getty, . Geological Survey, Food, Associated Press, Civil Protection Agency, Haiti's Civil Protection Agency, Haiti's, of Mines and Energy, Radio, AP Locations: Jeremie, Haiti's, Haiti, Port

☆ At least 42 dead, thousands homeless after floods in Haiti
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-05 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

June 5 (Reuters) - Flooding from torrential rains in Haiti has left at least 42 people dead over the past couple days and dozens more missing and injured, officials said on Monday. The civil protection agency said on Twitter on Monday the death toll had risen since Sunday night after floods over the weekend hit various parts of the country, including near the capital Port-au-Prince. Aid agencies have been delivering food to displaced persons as civil protection officials warned over the weekend that the agricultural sector in parts of the country had been hard hit. The deadly floods come as Haiti faces an already difficult scenario amid rampant gang violence, which the head of civil protection told the Miami Herald had impeded rescue efforts. The rains coincide with the start of the Atlantic hurricane season, which runs from June to November.

Persons: Ariel Henry, Isabel Woodford, Angus MacSwan Organizations: Twitter, ., Miami Herald, Atlantic, Thomson Locations: Haiti

CNN —Thousands of homes in Haiti have been flooded following heavy rains over the weekend, leaving at least 42 people dead and 85 injured, according to a statement released by the country’s Civil Protection Agency on Monday. The intense rainfall caused several rivers throughout Haiti to overflow, which in turn sparked flash floods, flooding, rockslides and landslides, according to a United Nations report. Richard Pierrin/AFP?Getty ImagesA view from the area after flooding in the Portail Leogane, in Port-au-Prince, Haiti, on June 4, 2023. People make their way through puddles while walking in the middle of a street littered with garbage following heavy rains in Port-au-Prince. Ariana Cubillos/APA view from the area after flooding in the Portail Leogane, in Port-au-Prince, Haiti, on June 4, 2023.

Persons: Ariel Henry, Richard Pierrin, Guerinault Louis, Prince, Ariana Cubillos Organizations: CNN, Civil Protection Agency, United, Haitian, Getty, Anadolu Agency, Food, UN, of Humanitarian Affairs, “ Locations: Haiti, United Nations, Nippes, South, East, North, Petit, Goâve, AFP, Port, Prince, Caribbean

☆ Flood-Battered Italian Region May See More Violent and Frequent Storms
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-27 | by ( Elisabetta Povoledo | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

The floods that submerged the northern Italian region of Emilia-Romagna this month, killing 15 people, leaving thousands homeless and grinding transportation and businesses to a halt, were not one-off events, warn experts, who predict that there are more similar, frequent and violent storms to come. “The question to ask,” the country’s civil protection minister, Nello Musumeci, told an Italian newspaper, “is not whether a disastrous event” like the deadly flooding will happen again, “but when and where it will occur.”The causes of floods are complex, including land development and ground conditions. But many experts in Italy, including Barbara Lastoria, a hydraulic engineer, have linked the two devastating storms that occurred over two weeks to climate change. The amount of water that fell — about 19.6 inches of rain in 15 days, more than half the average annual rainfall in the region — was extraordinary, experts say, exacerbated by a monthslong drought that had left the terrain struggling to absorb all of that rain. It swelled nearly two dozen rivers and sent billions of gallons of water pouring into streets and untold acres of farmland.

CNN —Italy’s Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni visited areas of northern Italy hit by deadly flooding on Sunday, cutting short her visit to Japan for the G7 in response to the disaster. A resident speaks on his phone while walking a flooded street in the village of Carde, Cuneo, near Turin in northwestern Italy on Sunday. Andreas Solaro/AFP/Getty ImagesClean-up operations are in full swing, with video from the emergency services on Saturday showing the removal of mud from washed out roads after landslides. Andreas Solaro/AFP/Getty ImagesA flooded street in Conselice, near Ravenna. Andreas Solaro/AFP/Getty ImagesThe torrential rains come after months of drought that dried out the land – which meteorologists say has reduced its capacity to absorb water, worsening the floods.

CNN —Deadly floods that have engulfed the northern Italian region of Emilia Romagna, killing at least 14 people, are another sign of the accelerating climate crisis, according to researchers. The floods come after years of severe drought in the region, which has compacted the soil, reducing its ability to abemsorb rainfall. Researchers say the devastation is linked to the climate crisis. The town of Lugo, pictured on Thursday, was left under water following floods that left at least 14 people dead. The climate crisis “is affecting territories with increasingly intense extreme events, with risks to people’s lives, and impacts on the environment and the economy.

[1/4] Military officers assist a person on a dinghy after heavy rains hit Italy's Emilia Romagna region, in Faenza, Italy, May 18. "Climate change is here and we are living the consequences. Last July, an ice avalanche in the Italian Alps killed 11 people following a heatwave that exacerbated the worst drought that Italy has suffered for at least 70 years. "A climate change adaptation policy that goes beyond how to handle emergencies and considers the effects of ordinary planning is increasingly urgent," it said in a statement. Italy's national civil protection agency estimates that 94% of the country's municipalities are prone to natural disasters - making it inconceivable to protect everyone from the dangers of climate change.

☆ Catastrophic floods in Italy force thousands of people to leave their homes
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-18 | by ( Emma Newburger | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

In this aerial picture, flooded streets caused by heavy rains across Italy's northern Emilia Romagna region, on May 18, 2023 in Lugo, Italy. About 5,000 people were evacuated from their homes and at least five were killed after torrential downpours hit the northern Italian region of Emilia-Romagna, prompting catastrophic flooding across at least three dozen towns. Italian Civil Protection Minister Nello Musemeci said that some areas received an average of 200 millimeters (7.9 inches) of rain in only 36 hours, while other areas recorded 500 millimeters (19.7 inches) during that time. More than 20 rivers have burst their banks across the region, causing more than 280 landslides, according to the Civil Protection department. The torrential downpour followed a long period of drought in the region.

☆ Imola F1 race called off as floods devastate region
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-17 | by ( Alan Baldwin | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

Last year's race drew a weekend crowd of 129,000 and 64,000 on the Sunday. Officials said at least eight people had died and thousands were evacuated from their homes in towns and cities across the region. The race was scheduled to be the sixth round of the season and the first in Europe. Red Bull have won every race so far and double world champion Max Verstappen is 14 points clear of team mate Sergio Perez. "We support the decision... safety to all those involved and in the region is paramount and has to take priority," the team said on Twitter.

The Emilia Romagna Grand Prix, scheduled for this weekend, has been canceled and the site evacuated. An aerial view of flooded houses in Cesena, where residents had to climb onto rooftops to escape high water levels. Water levels on northern Italy’s Lake Garda fell to record lows in February, with Venice experiencing unusually low tides. Formula 1 race canceledFormula 1 has announced the cancellation of this weekend’s Emilia Romagna Grand Prix because of heavy flooding in the region, citing safety concerns. The Emilia Romagna Grand Prix is the first event of the Formula 1 season in Europe and was scheduled to take place this weekend.

☆ ‘Catastrophic’ Floods in Italy Leave 8 Dead and Thousands Homeless
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-17 | by ( Elisabetta Povoledo | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

Widespread flooding in the northern Italian region of Emilia-Romagna killed at least eight people and forced another 5,000 to abandon their homes, officials said on Wednesday as rescue efforts continued to assist those stuck on the upper stories of buildings. Some of the worst-hit areas received almost 20 inches of rain in 36 hours, about half the average annual amount, according to the Italian civil protection minister, Nello Musumeci. Taking into account those figures, “you can understand how powerful this rainfall was,” he said. Stefano Bonaccini, regional president of Emilia-Romagna, said that the rainfall had been a “catastrophic event that has never been registered before.” His deputy, Irene Priolo, said on Wednesday that the death toll had risen to eight people. Scenes of dramatic rescues from flood-struck towns have dominated national news broadcasts over the past two days: helicopters airlifting residents from the roofs of homes submerged in water; rescue workers wading through chest-high waters carrying older people on their backs; volunteers in rubber dinghies transporting residents from their homes as belongings floated from open doors.

☆ Wisconsin lawmaker from the city where a teacher was suspended for playing Miley Cyrus' 'Rainbowland' now wants to make it so that teachers can be sued for 'obscene' books
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-17 | by ( Kenneth Niemeyer | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Wisconsin lawmakers introduced a bill that would allow parents to sue teachers over "obscene" books. In April, the district suspended a teacher who played the song "Rainbowland," which is about acceptance. The first bill recommends that the state strip school employees and teachers of their protections against prosecution for "displaying obscene material," the release says. The other bill would prohibit the use of public funds to purchase "obscene material." In April, the Waukesha School District suspended Melissa Tempel after she included "Rainbowland," as part of a planned performance with her first-grade class.

☆ Three dead and thousands evacuated as floods hit northern Italy
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-17 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

[1/4] Firefighters and rescuers are seen next to boats during rescue operations in Faenza, Italy after floods hit Italy's northern Emilia-Romagna region, in this handout image released May 17, 2023.... Read moreROME, May 17 (Reuters) - At least three people died and thousands were evacuated from their homes as devastating floods hit Italy's northern Emilia-Romagna region, authorities said on Wednesday, warning that worse may be yet to come. Emilia-Romagna officials said three dead bodies had been found in the towns of Forli, Cesena and Cesenatico, while three people were missing. Those who live in areas close to watercourses should move to higher floors," regional chief Stefano Bonaccini said on Facebook. The northern city of Ravenna, close to the Adriatic coast, was also badly affected. The torrential rains followed months of drought which dried out the land, reducing its capacity to absorb water and worsening the impact of the floods, meteorologists said.

☆ Torrential rain lashes northern Italy, killing at least two people
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-03 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

ROME, May 3 (Reuters) - Torrential rain lashed Italy's northern Emilia Romagna region over the last 24 hours, causing extensive flooding and killing at least two people, rescuers and media said on Wednesday. An elderly cyclist drowned when he was swept away by flood waters in the town of Castel Bolognese, Ansa news agency reported. The rain follows months of drought which raised concerns about the low water level in the Po, Italy's largest river, which runs West to East through the northern part of Emilia Romagna. An aerial view shows a flooded area after heavy rains hit Italy's Emilia Romagna region, in Massa Lombarda, Italy, May 2, 2023. Vigili del Fuoco/Handout via REUTERSFootage released by the fire brigade showed extensive flooding in an area between Bologna, Emilia Romagna's capital, and the city of Ravenna on the Adriatic coast.

☆ The live volcano sitting below Santorini
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-26 | by ( Elinda Labropoulou | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +11 min

CNN —Everywhere you look on Santorini, you’re reminded that you’re on a volcano. Few realize that beneath the hypnotic kaleidoscope of colors lies an active volcano. The East Mediterranean’s most active underwater, and potentially dangerous, volcano, Kolumbo, is five miles northeast of Santorini and part of the same volcanic system. They include a visit to the volcano of Nea Kameni: one of five islands that form the Santorini volcanic complex, and a national geological park in itself. A simmering volcanoTourists can take boat trips to Nea Kameni, home to an active volcano.

☆ Italy adopts state of emergency over migrants
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-11 | by ( Angelo Amante | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

The state of emergency will be backed by initial funding of 5 million euros ($5.45 million), the ministry for sea and civil protection said, and will last for six months. "Let it be clear, we are not solving the problem, the solution can only depend on responsible intervention by the European Union," said Nello Musumeci, the civil protection minister. The measure will allow Giorgia Meloni's right-wing government to more quickly repatriate those not allowed to stay in Italy, boosting identification and expulsion orders, a government source said. The government, in office since October, has pledged to curb mass immigration but some 31,300 migrants have arrived in Italy so far in 2023, interior ministry data shows, up from around 7,900 in the same period last year. ($1 = 0.9176 euros)Reporting by Angelo Amante, editing by Gavin Jones and Deepa BabingtonOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ Watch: U.N Earthquake Aid Arrives in Rebel-Held Northern Syria
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-10 | by ( Wall Street Journal | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

Watch: Algerian Team in Syria Joins Earthquake Search and Rescue Efforts A group of Algerian rescue workers joined search efforts in Syria on Thursday, four days after powerful earthquakes hit the region. Footage showed the workers searching through rubble and carrying victims in body bags. Photo: Algerian Civil Protection via Storyful

☆ Syria requests EU support for the first time after earthquake
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-08 | by ( Marine Strauss | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

"We have received a request from the government of Syria for assistance through the civil protection mechanism," European Commissioner for crisis management Janez Lenarcic said. Lenarcic told reporters that EU member states were being encouraged to contribute with assistance as requested. An EU official said the 27-member bloc would need enough safeguards to ensure that the aid provided effectively reached those in need and that the provision of any future EU assistance would not go un-monitored. A country can request assistance through the EU mechanism when the scale of an emergency or disaster overwhelms its response capabilities. Once activated, the EU's Emergency Response Coordination Centre coordinates and finances assistance provided by EU member states and eight additional participating nations.

☆ EU says over 10 search and rescue teams mobilised to Turkey after earthquake
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-06 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

Feb 6 (Reuters) - More than 10 search and rescue teams from the EU have been mobilised in the wake of the major earthquake that has hit Turkey, a spokesperson for the European Commission told reporters on Monday. "Urban Search and Rescue teams have been quickly mobilised from Bulgaria, Croatia, Czechia, France, Greece, Hungary, Malta, the Netherlands, Poland, Romania to support the first responders on the ground," the European Commission said in a statement. Italy, Spain and Slovakia have offered their rescue teams to Turkey as well. The EU said it was also ready to support those affected in Syria, but said it had not yet received a request from the country to activate the EU's Civil Protection Mechanism, which coordinates assistance from EU and other European countries. Reporting by Bart H. Meijer, Charlotte Van Campenhout; Editing by Alex RichardsonOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ Heavy rains trigger floods in Portugal's capital, one dead
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-08 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

LISBON, Dec 8 (Reuters) - Local authorities put Portugal's capital, Lisbon, on high alert on Wednesday evening and urged people to stay indoors as heavy rains killed at least one person, washed cars away and flooded several buildings. In Lisbon, the Civil Protection authority has reported hundreds of incidents, from flooded streets, train stations, a theatre and even a hospital. Images shared on social media showed flooding in parts of Lisbon's airport, and two flights were diverted. Civil Protection commander Andre Fernandes said at a news conference that a 55-year-old woman had died in a flooded basement in Alges, near Lisbon. "We appeal to people not to leave their homes during these periods of heavy rain," Fernandes said, urging those who live in low-lying areas to "seek shelter" in safer places.

☆ Over 90% of Italian municipalities at risk of floods, landslides - civil protection
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-28 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: 1 min

ROME, Nov 28 (Reuters) - More than 90% of Italian municipalities are prone to landslides or other natural disasters, the head of the national civil protection agency said in a Monday interview. "94% of municipalities are at risk of flooding, landslides, coastal erosion," Fabrizio Curcio told La Stampa newspaper, adding that "all of Italy is at risk." Curcio spoke after a mudslide devastated the southern Italian holiday island of Ischia on Saturday, causing the death of at least seven people. He said Ischia was at greater risk because many of its houses were built illegally, but stressed that other parts of Italy with fewer land planning violations were also vulnerable. Reporting by Alvise Armellini, editing by Federico MaccioniOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ Rescue divers search for missing after landslide on Italy's Ischia island
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-27 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

[1/2] Rescue team members remove a car from the water following a landslide on the Italian holiday island of Ischia, Italy November 27, 2022. REUTERS/Ciro De LucaCASAMICCIOLA TERME, Nov 27 (Reuters) - Emergency workers stepped up efforts on Sunday to find 11 people missing on the southern Italian holiday island of Ischia a day after a landslide caused by torrential rain devastated a small town. Densely populated, Ischia is a volcanic island which lies some 30 km (19 miles) from Naples. Two families, including some children, were believed to be among the missing, according to local officials. "People must understand that they can't live in some areas and buildings in risky areas must be torn down", Campania governor Vincenzo De Luca told state broadcaster RAI on Sunday.

☆ A dozen people are missing and one is dead after a landslide swept cars and buildings into the sea on an Italian coast
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-26 | by ( Katie Balevic | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

A landslide on the Italian island of Ischia has reportedly left 1 dead and at least 12 missing. Officials said some people are likely buried under mud from the landslide. Inclement weather made it difficult for rescuers to get to the island as rescue efforts continue. The landslide swept buildings, cars, and buses into the sea on the island of Ischia at the port of Casamicciola, rendering some streets impassable, according to The Associated Press. People remove mud from a house after heavy rainfall triggered landslides that collapsed buildings and left as many as 12 people missing, in Casamicciola, on the southern Italian island of Ischia, Saturday, Nov. 26, 2022.

☆ Thirteen people missing on Italian island Ischia after landslide - ANSA
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-26 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

MILAN, Nov 26 (Reuters) - Thirteen people were missing on the Italian holiday island of Ischia after a landslide caused by heavy rain engulfed some buildings, the Ansa news agency reported on Saturday, citing the local police. The Italian fire brigade tweeted that a rainstorm that started at 0400 GMT caused flooding and landslides on the island. "Searches are underway for any missing people" in Casamicciola Terme, one of the six small towns of Ischia, a volcanic island in the Tyrrhenian Sea about 30 km (18.64 miles)from Naples. Gianni Capuano, an official of Italy's Civil Protection, told Sky TG24 that a young child was among the missing, adding that families in danger were being evacuated. Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni said she was in close contact with the Civil Protection minister Nello Musumeci, the Civil Protection Department and the Campania Region "to follow the evolution of the wave of bad weather that has hit Ischia".

☆ Growing number of Germans won't be left in dark with blackout courses
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-11 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

[1/3] A volunteer of the German charity organization ASB explains how to react to emergency situations in Berlin, Germany November 10, 2022. Looking to be the heroes in a real-life blackout, a growing number of Germans are turning to citizens' courses to learn how to act if they find themselves plunged into darkness. The German aid and welfare organisation offers free-of-charge courses on the subject on behalf of the BBK government agency for civil protection and disaster assistance. Germany's national network agency has warned of possible gas rationing this winter after Russian energy imports to Germany plunged following the invasion of Ukraine. Reporting by Martin Schlicht and Petra Haverkampf; Writing by Rachel More; Editing by Alison WilliamsOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

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