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Floods of 2021

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2021 saw some of the most extreme flooding on record, in large part driven by climate change. The insurance industry analysis group Swiss RE found that 31% of global insurance losses were from flooding, and that nearly a fifth of the economic damage from natural disasters was uninsured.[1]

Significant floods

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Australia

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This section is an excerpt from 2021 eastern Australia floods.[edit]

Extreme rainfall on the east coast of Australia beginning on 18 March 2021 led to widespread flooding in New South Wales, affecting regions from the North Coast to the Sydney metropolitan area in the south. Suburbs of Sydney experienced the worst flooding in 60 years,[2] and the events were described by NSW Premier Gladys Berejiklian as "one in 100-year" flooding. Far-southeast communities in Queensland were also affected by flooding and heavy rainfall, though to a lesser extent than those in New South Wales.

The Australian government declared many parts of the east coast a natural disaster zone after the flooding rains forced 18,000 people to evacuate, in addition to over 1,000 flood rescues.[3] Described as a "prolonged event" by Berejiklian and "dangerous and threatening" by the Bureau of Meteorology, the floods extended from the coastal towns of Taree and Kempsey on Thursday, 18 March, to the populated suburbs of western Sydney by Friday and Saturday.[4]

The floods occurred less than 18 months after Australia was affected by the Black Summer bushfires, impacting many towns still recovering from the previous disaster.[5]

China

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This section is an excerpt from 2021 Henan floods.[edit]
 
Songshan Road in Zhengzhou, damaged by the floods.
China's Henan Province experienced flooding between 17 and 31 July 2021 as a result of heavy rainfall. On July 20, Zhengzhou, the provincial capital, recorded 201.9 millimetres (7.95 in) of rainfall within an hour, the highest ever figure recorded since measurements began in 1951.[Note 1] On 2 August 2021, provincial authorities reported 302 deaths (292 in Zhengzhou), and over 50 missing people.[12][13] Later, government investigations led to conclude that provincial officials had “deliberately impeded and withheld reports of up to 139 cases”, and that the full death toll was 398.[14][15] The floods caused the evacuation of 815,000 people, and affected 14.5 million people around the province.[12] The intensity of the floods was believed to have been amplified by extreme weather caused by climate change.[16][17][18]

Europe

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This section is an excerpt from 2021 European floods.[edit]
 
Areas affected, EU Emergency Response Coordination Centre (ERCC)

In July 2021, several European countries were affected by severe floods. Some were catastrophic, causing deaths and widespread damage. The floods started in the United Kingdom as flash floods causing some property damage and inconvenience. Later floods affected several river basins across Europe including Austria, Belgium, Croatia, Germany, Italy, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, and Switzerland.[19] At least 243 people died in the floods, including 196 in Germany,[20] 43 in Belgium,[21] two in Romania,[22] one in Italy[23] and one in Austria.[24]

Belgian Minister of Home Affairs Annelies Verlinden described the events as "one of the greatest natural disasters our country has ever known." German minister-president Malu Dreyer of the Rhineland-Palatinate state called the floods "devastating". In addition to the confirmed fatalities, the flooding led to widespread power outages, forced evacuations and damage to infrastructure and agriculture in the affected areas. The damage to infrastructure was especially severe in Belgium and Germany.[25] The floods are estimated to have cost up to €2.55 billion (US$3 billion) in insured losses, with the total damage costs being much higher,[26][27] at a minimum of €10 billion (US$11.8 billion).[28] In the aftermath, scientists, activists and reporters all highlighted the connection to global trends in extreme weather, especially more frequent heavy rainfall caused by climate change.[29]

India

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Uttarakhand

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This section is an excerpt from 2021 Uttarakhand flood.[edit]
 
Map 1: The Alaknanda, Dhauliganga, and Rishganga river valleys, and the Nanda Devi National Park in the state of Uttarakhand
The 2021 Uttarakhand flood, also known as the Chamoli disaster,[30] began on 7 February 2021 in the environs of the Nanda Devi National Park, a UNESCO World Heritage Site[31] in the outer Garhwal Himalayas in Uttarakhand state, India (Maps 1 and 2).[32] It was caused by a large rock and ice avalanche consisting of material dislodged from Ronti peak.[33][34] It caused flooding in the Chamoli district, most notably in the Rishiganga river, the Dhauliganga river, and in turn the Alaknanda—the major headstream of the Ganges (Maps 2 and 3).[35][36] The disaster left over 200 killed or missing. Most were workers at the Tapovan dam site.

South India

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This section is an excerpt from 2021 South India floods.[edit]
The 2021 South India floods are a series of floods associated with Depression BOB 05 and a low pressure system that caused widespread disruption across the Indian states of Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh, and the nearby Sri Lanka. The rainfall started on 1 November in Tamil Nadu.[37] The flooding was caused by extremely heavy downpours from BOB 05, killing at least 41 people[38] across India and Sri Lanka.

Malaysia

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20–21

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This section is an excerpt from 2020–2021 Malaysian floods.[edit]
2020–2021 Malaysian floods is an event when several states in Malaysia were flooded in late 2020 and early 2021. Floods caused about tens of thousands of people to be evacuated to evacuation centers. The floods also claimed several lives, causing almost all types of land transport in the areas affected by the floods to be cut off.

21–22

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This section is an excerpt from 2021–2022 Malaysian floods.[edit]
 
Flooding at Klang

On 16 December 2021, a tropical depression made landfall on the eastern coast of Peninsular Malaysia, bringing torrential downpours throughout the peninsula for three days. The resulting floods affected eight states across the peninsula, and left at least 54 dead and 2 missing.[39][40] During its furthest extent, it caused the concurrent displacement of more than 71,000 residents,[41] and have affected over 125,000 people overall.[42]

Declared by government officials as a "once in a century" disaster,[43] it is the worst flood in the country in terms of displaced residents since the 2014–2015 Malaysia floods.[44][45][46] It has also been historically compared with the 1971 Kuala Lumpur floods.[47] It is the deadliest tropical cyclone-related disaster to hit Malaysia since Tropical Storm Greg of 1996, which killed 238 people and left 102 more missing.[48]

Record-high precipitations were measured at weather stations at Selangor and Kuala Lumpur.[49] Widespread damages were reported in the states of Selangor and Pahang, especially the district of Hulu Langat and the city of Shah Alam. The Malaysian government has suffered criticism over its delayed response and apathy towards the disaster.[50] Scientists, climate activists, and the media have largely made connections of this disaster as an example of extreme weather attributed to climate change.[51]

North America

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Hawaii

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This section is an excerpt from March 2021 Hawaii floods.[edit]
The March 2021 Hawaii floods was a devastating series of floods that caused a tremendous amount of damage to the U.S state of Hawaii.[52] The heavy rain started on March 7, 2021, and flooded the Kaupakalua Dam.[53] It was reported that the dam flooded due to deficiencies, and as a result, it is set to be decommissioned this summer.[54] One person is currently missing from the floods, and at least a half dozen homes were heavily damaged or destroyed in the flooding, which also destroyed Peahi Bridge and heavily damaged Kaupakalua Bridge.[52] More than 1,300 customers in Haiku were without power at 6:30 a.m. Tuesday HST.[52]

Pacific Northwest

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This section is an excerpt from 2021 Pacific Northwest floods.[edit]
Not to be confused with 2024 British Columbia floods.
The 2021 Pacific Northwest floods were a series of floods that affected British Columbia, Canada, and parts of neighboring Washington state in the United States. The flooding and numerous mass wasting events were caused by a Pineapple Express, a type of atmospheric river, which brought heavy rain to parts of southern British Columbia and northwestern United States. The natural disaster prompted a state of emergency for the province of British Columbia.[55]

Of particular concern in southern British Columbia was the severe short-term and long-term disruption of the transportation corridor linking the coastal city of Vancouver, Canada's largest port, to the Fraser Valley, the rest of British Columbia and the rest of Canada. The Fraser Valley, which is heavily populated, is responsible for most of the agricultural production in the province, with limited ability to feed farm animals in the absence of rail service.[56] The Fraser Valley was particularly hard hit, as all major routes westward to Vancouver and eastward toward Alberta were impacted. Alternative routes into northern BC and southbound into Washington state are limited by the mountainous topography. The heavily used rail links of the Canadian National Railway (CN) and Canadian Pacific Railway (CP) were both disrupted, as well as all highways that connect the Lower Mainland with the rest of the province.[57]

The British Columbia Minister of Public Safety, Mike Farnworth, issued a statement that the military deployment ended on December 17 after a month of aid. Conditions had improved enough for the reconstruction be managed by contractors, non-governmental organizations and a dedicated contingent from the region's wildland fire management service.[58]

On December 10, the Insurance Bureau of Canada announced that the flooding cost at least $CDN 450 million in insured damage, making it the costliest natural disaster in British Columbia history. However, this amount did not include damage to infrastructure and other uninsured property. In particular, in the Sumas Prairie of the Abbotsford area, more than 600,000 farm animals perished in the floods.[59] The reinsurer Aon issued a statement on December 17, 2021 claiming that the economic damage would amount to more than US$ 2 billion.[60] According to the annual report of the NGO Christian Aid, issued December 26, the damages could amount up to US$ 7.5 billion.[61]

See also

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Notes

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  1. ^ 201.9 millimetres (7.95 in) is a new hourly rainfall record in Zhengzhou since measurements were established.[6] Many media outlets claimed the figure as being the highest in the country's history,[7][8] although the claim is disputed as Xiachen (下陈), Henan recorded 218.1 millimetres (8.59 in) of rainfall during 1975[9][10] while Dashicao (大石槽), Shaanxi recorded 252 millimetres (9.9 in) of rainfall on 20 June 1981.[11][improper synthesis?]

References

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  1. ^ "Extreme flood events once again drive high losses in 2021, yet 75% of flood risks remain uninsured, Swiss Re Institute reveals | Swiss Re". www.swissre.com. Retrieved 1 April 2022.
  2. ^ Jose, Jill Gralow, Renju (22 March 2021). "Australia to rescue thousands as Sydney faces worst floods in 60 years". Reuters. Archived from the original on 24 March 2021. Retrieved 29 March 2021.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  3. ^ House floats downriver in Wingham as dangerous weather system leaves a path of destruction Archived 24 March 2021 at the Wayback Machine by ABC News. 20 March 2021
  4. ^ Parts of Australia declare natural disaster during 'once in 100 years' floods Archived 25 March 2021 at the Wayback Machine by Jessie Yeung from CNN. 21 March 2021
  5. ^ NSW flooding: disaster zones declared as 18,000 people evacuated in Sydney and mid-north coast Archived 23 March 2021 at the Wayback Machine by Michael McGowan and Justine Landis-Hanley from The Guardian. 22 March 2021
  6. ^ 河南日报 (20 July 2021). "郑州气象局：郑州特大暴雨千年一遇，三天下了以往一年的量". 澎湃. Archived from the original on 20 July 2021. Retrieved 21 July 2021.
  7. ^ CCTV news (20 July 2021). "24小时622.7毫米！河南郑州降雨量破历史纪录". 澎湃. Archived from the original on 21 July 2021. Retrieved 21 July 2021.
  8. ^ Chik, Holly; Xue, Maryann (22 July 2021). "China floods: how Zhengzhou's 'once in a thousand years' rainfall compares". South China Morning Post. Retrieved 22 July 2021.
  9. ^ 河南省水文水资源局 (9 January 2014). "水文调查". 河南水文信息网. Archived from the original on 22 July 2021. Retrieved 23 July 2021.
  10. ^ 板橋水庫. "75·8暴雨洪水". Archived from the original on 13 December 2018. Retrieved 23 July 2021.
  11. ^ 肖文忠; 楊毅; 夏維武 (1989年). "陕西省"81.6"大石槽暴雨简介". 水文 (5).
  12. ^ a b "河南极端降雨已致302人遇难 其中郑州市292人遇难". 2 August 2021.
  13. ^ "快讯！河南共有150个县市区受灾，因灾遇难302人". henandaily.cn. 2 August 2021.
  14. ^ Helen, Davidson (23 January 2022). "Chinese officials arrested for concealing true scale of flood death toll". The Guardian. Archived from the original on 23 January 2022. Retrieved 4 February 2022. In a separate news conference, investigation officials said the concealed cases included 75 in Zhengzhou city, 49 in the counties, and 15 in townships.
  15. ^ 河南郑州"7·20"特大暴雨灾害调查报告 [The Probe Result on "7·20" Torrential Rain-caused Extraordinarily Serious Natural Disaster in Zhengzhou, Henan] (PDF). Ministry of Emergency Management. 截至 9 月 30 日，郑州市因灾死亡失踪 380 人，其中在不同阶段瞒报 139 人：郑州市本级瞒报 75 人、县级瞒报 49 人、乡镇（街道）瞒报 15 人。
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  27. ^ Carolyn Cohn; Tom Sims (19 July 2021). "Berenberg sees $2-3 bln reinsurance losses from European floods, overall losses higher". Reuters. Retrieved 22 July 2021.
  28. ^ "Recent floods caused nearly $12 billion damage in Belgium". Business Insurance. 23 July 2021. Retrieved 23 July 2021.
  29. ^ Ajit Niranjan (23 August 2021). "German floods: Climate change made heavy rains in Europe more likely". Deutsche Welle. Archived from the original on 23 August 2021. Retrieved 27 September 2021.
  30. ^ "Chamoli disaster: 'It hit the valley floor like 15 atomic bombs'". BBC. 13 June 2021. Retrieved 1 July 2021.
  31. ^ "Nanda Devi and Valley of Flowers National Parks", India: Properties inscribed on the World Heritage List, UNESCO, retrieved 9 February 2021
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  34. ^ "Satellites reveal cause of Chamoli disaster". www.esa.int. Retrieved 15 June 2021.
  35. ^ "Uttarakhand news live: Glacier bursts in Uttarakhand's Chamoli district". The Times of India. Retrieved 7 February 2021.
  36. ^ "Glacier bursts in Uttarakhand's Chamoli district, causing flash flood in Dhauliganga: Highlights – Times of India". The Times of India. Retrieved 7 February 2021.
  37. ^ "Rain batters Tamil Nadu; 14 deaths in 11 days". The Indian Express. 12 November 2021. Archived from the original on 11 November 2021. Retrieved 12 November 2021.
  38. ^ "At least 41 killed as heavy rains hit southern India and Sri Lanka". CNN. Reuters. Archived from the original on 12 November 2021. Retrieved 12 November 2021.
  39. ^ "Flood claims 54 lives so far, 2 unaccounted for". Bernama. 5 January 2022. Archived from the original on 6 January 2022. Retrieved 6 January 2022.
  40. ^ "Sabah Floods: Body of fisherman found, another man still missing". Bernama. 2 January 2022. Archived from the original on 2 January 2022. Retrieved 2 January 2022.
  41. ^ "Disaster Portal of the National Disaster Command Centre (NDCC)". Official website of the NDCC. Archived from the original on 20 December 2021. Retrieved 20 December 2021.
  42. ^ "Malaysia floods hit seven states forcing thousands to evacuate". CNN. Reuters. 3 January 2022. Archived from the original on 5 January 2022. Retrieved 6 January 2022.
  43. ^ Hassan, Hazlin (20 December 2021). "Peninsular Malaysia hit by '1-in-100-year' rainfall, govt says amid severe flooding". The Straits Times. Archived from the original on 20 December 2021. Retrieved 20 December 2021.
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  45. ^ Latiff, Rozanna; Teo, Angie; Lee, Liz (20 December 2021). "Malaysian emergency services, volunteers rescue 21,000 from flooding". Reuters. Archived from the original on 20 December 2021. Retrieved 20 December 2021.
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  48. ^ "History of Typhoon and Cyclones in Malaysia". New Straits Times (Malaysia). Archived from the original on 21 April 2021. Retrieved 21 April 2021.
  49. ^ "Once in 100 years: One month's average rainfall poured down in one day". Bernama. Archived from the original on 20 December 2021. Retrieved 20 December 2021 – via The Star.
  50. ^ P. Prem., Kumar (20 December 2021). "As flood water rises, Malaysian leader faces storm of criticism". Nikkei Asia. Archived from the original on 20 December 2021. Retrieved 22 December 2021.
  51. ^ Lim, Ida (22 December 2021). "Experts: Selangor floods show failure to prevent a repeat of Kelantan in 2014; Malaysia needs better warning systems". Malay Mail. Archived from the original on 21 December 2021. Retrieved 22 December 2021.
  52. ^ a b c "Emergency Declared as Hawaii Flooding Forces Evacuations and Leaves One Missing". The Weather Channel. Retrieved 11 March 2021.
  53. ^ Jon Wesner Childs (11 March 2021). "Evacuation Remains After Hawaii Dam Overflows; Homes and Bridges Damaged". The Weather Channel. Retrieved 11 March 2021.
  54. ^ "Kaupakalua Dam in Process of Being Decommissioned; Slated for Removal this Summer". mauinow.com. Retrieved 11 March 2021.
  55. ^ Zussman, Richard (17 November 2021). "B.C. declares state of emergency amid record-breaking floods". globalnews.ca. Retrieved 17 November 2021.
  56. ^ Pratt, Sean (16 November 2021). "B.C. flooding cuts access to Port of Vancouver". The Western Producer. Retrieved 17 November 2021.
  57. ^ Baker, Rafferty (17 November 2021). "Trucking industry working to get around catastrophic B.C. highway closures". CBC News. Retrieved 17 November 2021.
  58. ^ "Inondations : l'armée termine son travail en Colombie-Britannique". La Presse (in French). The Canadian Press. 18 December 2021. Retrieved 18 December 2021.
  59. ^ "Inondations en Colombie-Britannique: au moins 450 millions $ en dommages assurées". Le Journal de Montréal (in French). Agence QMI. 10 December 2021. Retrieved 10 December 2021.
  60. ^ Rachel Dalton (17 December 2021). "Flooding in British Columbia causes $ 2 billion in economic losses: Aon". Insurance Insider. Retrieved 19 December 2021.
  61. ^ Agence France-Presse (26 December 2021). "Plus de 170 milliards de dollars de dommages". La Presse (in French). Retrieved 27 December 2021.
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