Disasters 2010: May

May 1, 2010:

North Dakota - President Obama has declared 22 North Dakota counties and the Spirit Lake Sioux Indian reservation as federal disaster areas. The declaration allows federal aid to go to repairing damage caused by recent spring flooding, since Feb. 26.The affected counties are Barnes, Benson, Cass, Dickey, Emmons, Foster, Grand Forks, LaMoure, Logan, Mercer, Morton, Nelson, Pembina, Ramsey, Ransom, Richland, Sargent, Steele, Stutsman, Traill, Walsh and Wells.

Alabama - Governor Bob Riley of Alabama declared an official state of emergency on Friday, to enable him “to invoke various emergency preparedness measures” as the state braces itself for the oil attack. http://www.wncftv.com/localnews/92554049.html

China - Ten construction workers were killed after an unfinished three-story building collapsed in east China’s Anhui Province Friday afternoon, local authorities said.

Arkansas - Saline County was declared a disaster area following at least one confirmed tornado touch-down in East End. http://www.bentoncourier.com/content/view/212374/1/

May 2, 2010:

Alabama, Mississippi and Florida, USA - Alabama, Mississippi and Florida have now joined Louisiana declaring states of emergency as the massive oil slick moves, driven by winds, edges toward their fragile marshlands and fishing grounds. http://business.timesonline.co.uk/tol/business/industry_sectors/natural_resources/article7114087.ece

Tennessee, USA - At least 5 people have been killed in heavy flooding across Tennessee, and dozens more injured. The death toll is expected to rise. “A line of strong thunderstorms Saturday dumped at least 10 inches of rain on Memphis and produced tornadoes and hail along the Mississippi River Valley in Mississippi, Arkansas, Missouri, Kentucky and northward.” http://www.bostonherald.com/news/national/south/view/201005025_killed_in_heavy_flooding_across_tennessee/srvc=home&position=recent

May 3, 2010;

Arkansas, Mississippi and Tennessee - Deadly line of thunderstorms strikes Tennessee and northern Mississippi, killing at least 12 15 people, damaging homes and closing most of highways. Storm related death toll in Arkansas, Mississippi and Tennessee since April 24 has now risen to at least 27 with several people reported as missing.

Bangladesh - At least 23 people were killed in nine districts throughout the country and dozens more injured after being struck by lightning. Most of the dead were farmers working in the field. http://www.bdnews24.com/details.php?id=160031&cid=2

May 4, 2010;

Southern U.S. - Kentucky governor declares a state of emergency. Southern U.S. struck by deadly thunderstorms, tornadoes and flash floods since weekend (1-2 May). The death toll rose to at least 25. States that have been affected are Alabama, Kentucky, Mississippi and Tennessee. http://feww.wordpress.com/2010/05/04/flooding-kentucky-governor-declares-a-state-of-emergency/

Klamath, Oregon - The U.S. Department of Agriculture has declared the upper Klamath Basin and Klamath’s neighboring counties in Oregon and California as natural disaster areas due to drought. http://www.mercurynews.com/news/ci_15008743?nclick_check=1

Gulf of Mexico - Hundreds of dead jellyfish have been spotted along the beach on an island at the southern end of the Mississippi, AP reported. At least two dozen dead sea turtles have also been found over the weekend in the same area, but wildlife officials have to await the result of necropsies before declaring the oil spill as a cause of death, AP and others reported.

Alabama - President Obama has signed a major disaster declaration for the two counties of Marshall and DeKalb in response to the April 24 tornado damage. http://www.sandmountainreporter.com/story.lasso?ewcd=e572499a9060de32

Arkansas - Governor Mike Beebe declared 10 Arkansas counties disaster areas following deadly tornadoes and floods that killed two people and damaged many homes and businesses, according to various reports.

China and Myanmar Border - At least a dozen Chinese workers have been killed and several others were missing after a landslide in a Myanmar region bordering with southwest China’s Yunan Province.

Kenya - At least two dozen people have been killed in landslides in Kenya.

May 5, 2010:

Tennessee, USA - President Obama has declared the state of Tennessee a major disaster area. The declaration covers Davidson, Williamson, Cheatham and Hickman counties. The death toll from weekend flooding in Tennessee, Mississippi and Kentucky reached 30. http://feww.wordpress.com/2010/05/05/southern-u-s-flooding-update/

Riyadh, Arabia - Flooding caused by violent thunderstorms has wreaked havoc across Riyadh since weekend, killing at least 2 people. “Some 155 people had to be rescued as cars, buses and commercial vehicles stalled in up to two metres (6.6 feet) of water in underpasses and low-lying roads when the flooding hit during the afternoon rush hour on Monday,” AFP reported. Jeddah has experienced exterme rainfall since November 2009, when flooding killed 126 people and left tens of thousands of residents homeless.

Johannesburg, South Africa - The death toll in a bus accident has risen to 28, after investigators discovered another three bodies, according to Western Cape traffic officials. http://www.news24.com/SouthAfrica/News/More-bus-crash-bodies-found-20100505

May 6, 2010:

Southwest China - Deadly tornado strikes city in SW China, killing at least 50 and injuring 130. The official Xinhua agency, quoting the municipal government, reported the number of casualties as “at least 23 confirmed dead and 161 others injured” following a powerful storm and torrential rain that inundated China’s Chongqing Municipality earlier today. http://feww.wordpress.com/2010/05/06/deadly-tornado-hits-chongqing-in-sw-china/

Afghanistan - Flash floods have killed at least 31 people in Afghanistan, the government was reporetd as saying, and warning the death toll may rise. Torrential downpours since May 2 have caused heavy flooding in northern and western Afghanistan , according to the head of the National Disaster Management Authority. “So far we know that up to 12 people have died in Herat and at least 19 in Ghor,” he said, referring to provinces in western Afghanistan. “The death toll may rise as we are still investigating.” The floods have reportedly destroyed hundreds of homes as well as crops and irrigation systems, the officials were reported as saying. http://www.hindustantimes.com/Flash-floods-kill-dozens-in-Afghanistan-Govt/Article1-539798.aspx

May 7, 2010:

Maryland, USA - President Obama has signed a disaster declaration for Maryland in response to severe snowstorms that hit the state in February. http://articles.baltimoresun.com/2010-05-06/news/bs-md-disaster-declaration-20100506_1_disaster-declaration-signs-first-responders

India - The death and injury toll from the coal mines explosion in the Chhattisgarh’s Koria district has risen to 38 with 6 others reported as missing. http://www.hindustantimes.com/Chhattisgarh-coal-mine-blast-toll-rises-to-six/Article1-540634.aspx

Paraguay - The death toll from dengue hemorrhagic fever reached 11 this week, a report said. “Over the last few months, 4,971 dengue cases have been confirmed across Paraguay.” http://www.worldof22.com/2010/05/paraguay-dengue-death-toll-rises-to-11.html

May 8, 2010:

Imperial Valley, California, USA - President B.O. has declared Imperial Valley a major disaster area following April 4, 2010 earthquake which struck the U.S.-Mexico border causing an estimated $91million worth of damage. http://www.imperialvalleynews.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=7141&Itemid=2

Tajikistan - Landslide and floods triggered by torrential rains kill at least 21, leave 40 missing and cause $100million damage in Tajikistan. Torrential rains caused the Tebalei River to burst its banks resulting in widespread flooding and landslides, destroying 12 bridges, severely damaging at least 1,500 residential buildings. Many roads were destroyed by the floodwater, which also inundated fields and devastated large amounts of crops. http://feww.wordpress.com/2010/05/08/landslide-and-flood-kill-15/

South China - Deadly storms and torrential rains claimed at least 65 lives leaving about 200 people injured and 14 others missing, with more than 50 thousand people made homeless, the official Xinhua reported the authorities as saying. http://feww.wordpress.com/2010/05/08/violent-storms-kill-at-least-65-in-s-china/

Originally posted at Disasters 2010 http://disasters2010.gather.com/

May 9, 2010:

Kemerovo Region, Russia - At least 11 people have died and 41 others injured afetr a coalmine explosions in Russia’s Kemerovo Region, Itar-Tass reported a regional emergency source as saying. The explosions occurred in the Raspadskaya mine in Mezhdurechensk, the Kemerovo region. http://feww.wordpress.com/2010/05/09/russian-mine-disaster-at-least-11-dead-41-injured/

China - “Death toll from fierce storms and torrential rains battering southern China has risen to at least 70 people with tens of thousands left homeless, state media reported Sunday.” AFP reported.

India - The death toll in the dust storm and squall in Uttar Pradesh and Bihar rose to over 50. http://colorsnflavors.com/?p=2520