Natural Disasters

Rivers in Britain are drying up and threatening trout and waterfowl populations, thanks to an unusually dry winter and spring (The Telegraph, May 8, 2017). On the other side of the pond in Montreal, rain and snowmelt are causing devastating floods. Thousands have been evacuated from over 100 towns and cities (BBC, May 8, 2017).

Major rains often bring severe flooding. Last month witnessed extreme flooding in Peru. Last Friday it was Colombia. As Deutsche Welle reported on April 2, “A total of 17 Mocoa districts have been affected. Many houses simply no longer exist: The people in them didn’t stand a chance. The ground literally gave way beneath their feet, washed away by the sudden, unexpected flood.

“Australia is surveying the devastation wrought by Cyclone Debbie, which has flooded vast tracts ‘almost the size of Texas’ and left at least three dead” (BBC, April 2, 2017). The aftermath and flooding, as well as the current crop destruction, is estimated to reach AU $1 billion. Tens of thousands have been forced to evacuate their homes, thousands are still without power, and this week, as rivers crest, areas of central Queensland could suffer the worst flooding in 60 years (ibid.).