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Flooding claims 187 lives in west Africa since June: UN

Floods kill at least seven in southeastern US
At least seven people have been killed by floodwaters in the southeastern United States, as rivers and creeks burst their banks at levels not seen in six decades. Georgia Governor Sonny Perdue issued a state of emergency in 17 counties after nearly two feet (60 centimeters) of rain fell in the Atlanta area Sunday and Monday, causing flash floods and inundations and forcing schools and roads to close. "This has been a 48-hour ordeal," Perdue told reporters Tuesday. "We're no match for the kind of force water can put upon us." Perdue said he has asked President Barack Obama for emergency federal relief funds to help deal with the flooding that has broken 63-year old records for water depth in creeks and rivers surrounding Atlanta. More than 100 roads remained closed throughout the Atlanta area and officials said roads and bridges have to be inspected before traffic is allowed to cross which could take days. Several of the deaths have been attributed to motorists trying to drive through fast-moving water, and parts of the interstate highway system around Atlanta were shut down, officials said.
by Staff Writers
 Dakar (AFP) Sept 22, 2009
 Flash floods have claimed 187 lives and affected 635,273 people in west Africa since the rainy season started in June, the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs announced Tuesday.

The nation with the highest death toll, including people struck by lightning, is Sierra Leone, with 103 people, followed by Ghana (24), Mali (20), Ivory Coast (19), Burkina Faso (eight), Niger (seven) and Senegal (six), the UN organisation said in a statement.

While the death toll in Senegal was low, the country topped the list for the number of people affected by flooding at 264,000, followed by Burkina Faso (150,000), Niger (79,129), Ghana (55,000), Guinea (27,464), Benin (20,000), Mali (12,506), Gambia (12,183), Mauritania (9,000), Ivory Coast (2,000) and Sierra Leone (1,455).

The OCHA in Dakar, Senegal's capital, said it took account of "the destruction of personal and public property such as homes, crops, (and) socio-economic infrastructure such as schools, houses, hospitals, roads and bridges."

In 2007, serious flooding killed about 300 people across Africa, from west to east, and affected about 1.5 million people, according to the UN agency.

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SHAKE AND BLOW
Indonesia flash floods kill 38: official
 Medan, Indonesia (AFP) Sept 15, 2009
 At least 38 people were killed in flash floods in a remote region of Indonesia's North Sumatra province Tuesday, a spokesman for the provincial government said. The early morning flood hit the coastal district of Mandailing Natal 275 kilometres (170 miles) southwest of the provincial capital Medan, Edy Syopian told AFP. "Our latest information from the local district head is that 38 ... read more






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