Catastrophic floods in Venezuela, China, India, South Africa, West Virginia, San Antonio, Burundi, Congo
Epic floods devastate Venezuelan towns
Tropical Wave 9 interacting with the Intertropical Convergence Zone (ITCZ) brought intense rainfall to Venezuela on June 24, resulting in severe floods, landslides, and river overflows across multiple states.
According to the Venezuelan Civil Protection and the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC), over 4 700 people were affected, either displaced, evacuated, or in need of urgent assistance.
Deadly landslides in Colombia kill dozens
A wall of mud and debris cut loose by torrential rains buried dozens of home and killed dozens of people in Medellin and Bello, Colombia. Fifteen people are missing with the numbers expected to get worse. .
Burundi inundation become permanent
Surface temperatures of Lake Tanganyika have continued to climb relentlessly for the past decade, cause heavier rains and increased flooding in the central African nation of Burundi. With the lake swollen, the Ruzizi River is unable to drain into it, resulting in persistent floods that inundate surrounding areas like Gatumba on the northern shore. In the most recent round of flooding 29 people in Burundi were killed with deaths in neighboring countries recorded at 260 in Kenya and 155 in Tanzania. Floodwaters covered entire neighborhoods.
The situation deteriorated further in 2023 as thousands near the capital were evacuated. The floods returned in 2024 and again this spring. With water levels exceeding floods stage more or less permanently, residents adapt by moving to rooftops and traveling by makeshift boat.