2022 natural catastrophes News

Update: Magnitude 7.4 Earthquake Hits Near Japan’s Fukushima

A magnitude-7.4 earthquake struck northern Japan near Fukushima prefecture late on Wednesday, killing two people and injuring dozens, as well as disrupting power and some factories. About 2,000 buildings were still without power as of 4:25 p.m. in Japan’s northeastern …

Climate Change Is Making Australia a More Difficult Place to Live: Prime Minister

Australia’s Prime Minister Scott Morrison conceded that a changing climate is making the country a more difficult place to live as he declared recent destructive flooding on the east coast a national emergency. Morrison spoke to reporters as he visited …

Sydney Faces ‘Tough 24 Hours’ as Floods Force Evacuations

Flood warnings stretched across Australia’s east coast on Tuesday and tens of thousands of Sydney residents fled their homes as torrential rains again pummeled the country’s largest city, flooding several big suburbs. Australia’s eastern rivers were already near capacity following …

Record Floods on Australia’s East Coast Have Cost At Least 14 Lives

Sydney was preparing on Wednesday for dangerous flash flooding as population centers farther north began a massive cleanup operation after record floods that have claimed at least 14 lives along Australia’s east coast in recent days. The torrential rain — …

Insured Losses for 2 Recent European Windstorms Estimated at €3B-€5B: Verisk

Insured losses due to wind from Winter Storms Dudley/Ylenia and Eunice/Zeynep will range between €3 billion and €5 billion (US$2.2 billion-$5.6 billion), the majority of which are expected in Germany, UK, and the Netherlands, according to Verisk Extreme Event Solutions …

Storm Eunice Batters Britain and Ireland With Record Winds Hitting 122 Mph

An Atlantic storm battered Britain and Ireland on Friday with record winds of up to 122 miles per hour, killing at least one person, knocking out power for tens of thousands and shredding the roof of London’s O2 arena. Storm …

Update: Devastating Mudslides, Floods Bring Rising Death Toll in Brazil

PETROPOLIS, Brazil (AP) – Rio de Janeiro state’s government has confirmed 105 deaths from floods and mudslides that swept away homes and cars in the city of Petropolis. But even as families prepared to bury their dead, it was unclear …

UK Braces for ‘Storm Eunice’ and Hurricane-Strength Gusts on Friday

Britain’s Met Office issued a rare red weather warning for parts of the UK, saying hurricane-strength gusts of 90 miles (145 kilometers) an hour are set to hit the country on Friday. The weather service said the most dangerous winds …

Storms With Hurricane Gusts Set to Batter NW Europe, Driving Wind Power Generation

Storms across northwest Europe are set to drive electricity generation from wind farms to records this week in gusty conditions that threaten to disrupt transportation and down power lines. Weather forecasters in the UK, France and Germany warned high-speed winds …

Cyclone Batsirai Kills 20 in Madagascar, Weakens Quickly as It Hits Land

ANTANANARIVO, Madagascar (AP) – Cyclone Batsirai is blamed for the deaths of 20 people in Madagascar and for making more than 55,000 people homeless victims after slamming into the island’s eastern coast, officials said Monday. The tropical storm weakened quickly …