Tropical Storm Saudel, also known as Tropical Storm Pepito in the Philippines, has caused thousands to evacuate from provinces south of the capital city Manila. The storm is now headed to Vietnam where there has been severe flooding from weeks of poor weather, resulting in over 100 casualties and severe flooding.
Vietnam's Red Cross Society said that the recent floods have been the worst they've seen in decades. Moreover, nearly 7,200 hectares of food crops have been damaged or submerged and over 600,000 cattle and poultry were swept away or drowned in floodwater. Around five million people have already been affected in central Vietnam.
Around 16 national highways and nearly 100 miles of local roads in provinces were damaged. Now, they must prepare for the arrival of Tropical Storm Saudel.
According to the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC), hundreds and thousands of people have been misplaced and need emergency shelter, food, drinking water, and income support.
Severe Flooding and Landslides
Nguyen Thi Xuan Thu of the Red Cross Society shared that homes, roads, and infrastructure everywhere have been submerged by floodwaters. The disaster teams and local authorities have been working to provide relief assistance on land and by air or by boat.
Thu said that dealing with the floods at this time is especially challenging due to the millions of people already affected by the coronavirus pandemic. Although they've only reported a little of 1,000 cases and 35 deaths, the tourism-dependent economy was drastically affected by closing its borders during the pandemic at a time that millions of tourists travel the country. Christopher Rassi from the IRFC said that the current floods may push millions toward the brink of poverty.
The rainy season and poor weather in the past few weeks have also affected local transportation and irrigation. Nearly 250,000 households in several provinces have been submerged with waters six to nine feet deep.
Recently, rescuers found 14 bodies of missing soldiers after a landslide hit a military camp. Eight bodies remain unfound. On October 18, there was a total of four or five landslides, shared local officials, that seemed like the entire mountain was going to collapse in Quang Tri province.
Read Also: The World Meteorological Organization Reports the Consequences of Anthropogenic Climate Change
Climate Change Affecting Floods
Severe flooding and other extreme weather events are the result of climate change and urbanization. For example, road development blocks natural drainage systems and new homes may be built along floodplains.
Global warming influences flood by causing heavier rainfall. According to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, the Northeast has been receiving 27% more rain than they did 100 years ago in the United States.
Climate change has also increased the frequency of strong, tropical storms, as the east coast has experienced this year. Models have revealed that as the world continues to get warmer, there will be an increase in water-related natural disasters such as floods, storms, and drought.
Read Also: 300 Million People Who Live Near Low-Lying River Deltas More Prone to Flooding
Check out more news and information on Flooding on Science Times.
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