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Flash floods submerged 90 percent of Iran, displaced 500 000 people

flash-floods-submerged-90-percent-of-iran-displaced-500-000-people

At the peak of the recent flood disaster in Iran, half a million people have been displaced and 90% of land submerged, the Internal Displacement Monitoring Center (IDMC) reports. One of the worst affected provinces was Golestan, which received approximately 70% of its annual rainfall in 24 hours, something that had not been seen in over 300 years.​

Heavy rain and floods started affecting Iran on March 19, 2019, causing massive damage to the country's agricultural sector, damaging 36% of the entire road network, destroying 84 bridges, nearly 2 200 rural roads and leaving at least 78 people dead. According to information provided by official sources, flooding has caused at least 47 trillion rials (about $350 million USD) in damage to the country's agricultural sector, as of April 4.

Starting in the northern province of Golestan and moving to the South and the West of the country, heavy rains have poured over 28 of the 31 provinces of Iran. Almost the whole country was under water, IDMC said.

Spring 2019 flash floods are the worst disaster impacting the country in over fifteen years, according to the Iranian Red Crescent.

One of the worst affected provinces was Golestan, which received approximately 70% of its annual rainfall in 24 hours, something that had not been seen in over 300 years.

Lorestan and the oil-rich province of Khuzestan were among the worst-affected.

The impact spread to more than 2 000 towns and villages affecting over 10 million people in both rural and urban centers, relief efforts began. 

Describing systematic failure, IDMC said one of the most criticized aspects of the handling of disaster so far has been the planned redirection of floodwaters towards populated areas, as well as the release of emergency discharge waters toward farms and crops to avoid a major overflow of reservoirs and dams. 

While it is undeniable that some extent of the damage and losses could have been prevented, it is also true that the unusual and unexpected situation caught population and water management authorities by surprise, IDMC said.

A new wave of deadly storms started affecting the country two weeks ago, killing at least 24 people. 4 people were killed by flooding and another 20 after they were struck by lightning, a spokesman for Iran's emergency services said May 23.

Featured image credit: Iran Panorama

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6 Comments

  1. The God of Abraham Isaac and Jacob intervenes against anti-Israel nations.
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    Rising sea levels will never be a significant problem. They have been creeping up ever since the ice age, which followed soon after Noah’s flood, about 4500 years ago.

  2. For Every 1C. Temp Rise There is 7% More Moisture Added To the Atmosphere Creating Record Rains Each Year

    We Have Increased Temps to 1.8C Since The 1700s

    “Over a one-hour period, rainfall of 109.5 mm (4.31 inches) was reported, the highest ever recorded in the month of May.

    In total 442 mm (17.4 inches) of rain fell during the cloudburst causing significant flooding and elevating the risk for mudslides.

    The Japan Meteorological Agency has declared the event a once in 50-year event.” Eric Leister

    Already at 10% more moisture it has Doubled Record Rain Fall,

    Texas 2019 May 600% Record Rain For The Month

    We are Accelerating to 3C. in Months by 2020 ?

    What will Record 21% more Moisture in the Atmosphere be in Record Rain ?

    In 2020 ? 1–8 feet of Record Rain Locked in to Global Extreme Weather

    Ida, Fina, Florence — Global Warming Abrupt Climate Change Sea Level Rising Over 220 Feet Way Faster Than They Say Way Faster Than You Think

    Ida, Fina, Florence, Sandy, Katrina, Irma, Maria, an Harvey had 19% to 49% more Record Rain, Record Winds, Record Sea Surges,

    Our New Normal Since 2000 Record Rain has been 29 percent — 60 percent Increase in Rain

    Record Rain, Record Snow,

    Record Highs Record Lows

    Record Winds, Record Waves

    Record Fires, Record Floods,

    Record Volcanic Eruptions

    Record Hurricanes, Record Tsunamis,

    Record Typhoons, Record Earthquakes,

    Record Mud-Slides, an Record Sea Surges. Record High Tides, Record Sea Level Rise

    Glaciation kept the Mantle Cooler, Mantle is Heating up and Putting Pressure On The Ocean Floors Causing Tentonic Plate Movement

    Waters Near Arctic Ocean Just Jumped 30 Degrees Above Normal | Global Citizen | by Joe McCarthy | May 15, 2019

    Which One Will Collapse First ?

    Greenlands 20 Feet Of Sea Level Rise or

    Antarcticas Over 200 Feet Of Sea Level Rise

    Last Time Parts Per Million of Carbon Was Over 410ppm

    Sea Level Was 130 Feet Higher Than Right Now

    Carbon Is At 415.87ppm an Climbing Now

    There Is Over 130 Feet Of Sea Level Rise Melting, Calving an Getting Ready To Collapse Any Time Now Today Tomorrow With In 36 Months

    “Every 100-ppm CO2 increase in the atmosphere gives us 100 feet of sea level rise,” he told me. “This happened when we went in and out of the Ice Age.”

    As I knew, since the industrial revolution began, atmospheric CO2 has already increased from 280 to 410 ppm.

    “That’s 130 ppm in just the last 200 years,” I pointed out to him.

    “That’s 130 feet of sea level rise that’s already baked into Earth’s climate system.”

    He looked at me and nodded grimly. I couldn’t help thinking of that as a nod goodbye to coastal cities from Miami to Shanghai.” Dahr Jamail

    “More worryingly, the paper finds that Greenland lost about half of that ice—roughly 2,200 gigatons—in the years between 2010 and 2018. The ice sheet has also failed to gain mass in any year since 1998.

    “That’s an alarming result, because it means glaciers might now be shrinking Greenland from the bottom faster than hot weather can melt it from the top. And researchers believe that bottom-melting glaciers are less stable and more prone to rapid collapse.

    Rignot believes that the new study should make glaciologists look anew at the speed with which Greenland could collapse. The ice sheet’s bleeding-out could eventually raise global sea levels by as much as 25 feet.

    So the key question, Rignot said, is “How fast can you make these entities fall apart?”

    The answer will matter to all of us. The surface of Greenland doesn’t have to move through magic to other parts of the world—already, today, its deluge is on its way.” Robinson Meyer

    The Accelerated Melt is Going to Be Horrendous, Horrific, and Tsunamic 1,500 feet, Way Faster Than they are Saying, Way Faster Than You Think

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