Displaying items by tag: devastation

The village of Bishnoi in northern Pakistan has been devastated by a sudden flash flood, leaving entire homes buried beneath rocks and debris. On 15 August, torrential rains triggered a surge of water that swept through the village, destroying nearly every house. Locals described the scene as catastrophic, with families trapped under stones and crops flattened across the valley. Rescue operations continue with limited equipment, as survivors search desperately for missing loved ones. The area has suffered over 300 deaths, making it the hardest-hit region in Pakistan’s monsoon season, which has claimed more than 500 lives nationwide; there have also been many deaths in India and Nepal. Climate experts warn that melting glaciers, accelerated by global warming, are worsening the impact of heavy rains and landslides. Amid tragedy, there were moments of heroism, such as a school principal in the Swat valley who ordered the evacuation of 900 children only minutes before floods destroyed the building. In Bishnoi, families mourn as relief and recovery efforts continue.

Fast-moving wildfires have reached the outskirts of Patras, Greece’s third-largest city, forcing mass evacuations, including a children’s hospital, and destroying thousands of hectares in the surrounding region. Entire villages have been emptied, homes and businesses lost, and hundreds of vehicles incinerated. Strong winds and soaring temperatures, reaching 38°C, have worsened the crisis, while smoke has caused respiratory problems for many residents. Across Greece, over 4,800 firefighters are battling more than 20 blazes, with EU water bombers requested for support. The crisis is part of a broader southern Europe heatwave, with deadly fires in Spain, large outbreaks in Portugal, Albania, and Italy, and record-high temperatures threatening lives and infrastructure. Meteorologists say such extremes are becoming more frequent and intense due to human-induced climate change. See also UK article ‘fourth heatwave’.

In the wake of the catastrophic flash floods in Texas on 4 July, governor Greg Abbott has said that at least 109 people are confirmed dead and 161 are still missing. Among the missing are five children and a counsellor from Camp Mystic, a century-old Christian girls’ summer camp, where 27 lives were lost. Torrential rains caused the Guadalupe River to rise by eight metres in under an hour, turning areas like Kerrville and nearby counties into disaster zones. The devastation at Camp Mystic was profound, with personal belongings strewn across muddy grounds. Survivors recounted harrowing rescues, including airlifts and children escaping through cabin windows. Ten-year-old Lucy Kennedy recalled sensing danger before the flooding began and was later reunited with her mother, who also lost their home in the disaster. Amidst political disputes over emergency preparedness and federal weather service funding, Texas communities are grieving, searching, and beginning the long road to recovery from one of the deadliest flash floods in recent memory. For more information about Camp Mystic, see

A catastrophic 7.7-magnitude earthquake struck central Myanmar on 28 March, with the effects being felt as far away as Thailand and China. The death toll has already surpassed two thousand, with over 3,400 injured and many still trapped under rubble. Collapsed bridges and crumpled roads have delayed rescue efforts, and the secretive ruling junta has taken the unusual step of appealing for international assistance. In Mandalay, people are digging through debris with bare hands due to equipment shortages, while temperatures soar above 39°C (102°F). Communication breakdowns have forced rescue teams to rely on social media to locate victims. With rising temperatures and limited resources, rescuers fear more deaths are inevitable. Despite the odds, emergency workers remain committed to saving lives while grappling with overwhelming loss and unbearable heat.

Khartoum, once Sudan’s bustling capital, now lies gutted after months of brutal conflict. The army’s recent victory over the paramilitary RSF is a turning point in a two-year civil war that has claimed at least 150,000 lives. Though the RSF’s grip on Khartoum has ended, uncertainty remains about what lies ahead. The city bears deep scars: the presidential palace, once a powerful symbol, has been looted and bombed, its grandeur reduced to rubble. Banks, ministries, and the airport are charred remnants. Yet amid the destruction, remnants of faith endure. At St Matthew’s Cathedral, damaged by nearby shelling and desecrated by RSF forces, the beautiful painted ceiling has survived. One soldier cleaning inside said his son was born on the first day of the war, but he still hasn’t met him. Despite atrocities committed by both sides and ongoing violence elsewhere, people in Khartoum rejoiced during Eid, briefly reclaiming hope in a city that has seen the heart of Sudan torn open.

Wildfires ravaging Los Angeles have reached the Hollywood Hills, forcing over 100,000 people to evacuate. Six different fires, fuelled by dry hurricane-force winds, have killed at least five people, burned thousands of acres, and destroyed hundreds of homes. The Sunset fire in Hollywood Hills, while relatively small at fifty acres, has disrupted the entertainment industry, threatening iconic landmarks like Sunset Boulevard. On the west side, the Palisades fire has consumed over 15,000 acres and devastated neighbourhoods. To the east, the Eaton fire has scorched over 10,000 acres and destroyed 1,000 structures. Economic losses to date are estimated at $50 billion. Firefighters are stretched thin; they have been reinforced by teams from other areas, and even by prison inmates. See

France has intensified relief efforts in Mayotte, with 120 tonnes of food scheduled for distribution. The Indian Ocean archipelago, France's poorest territory, has been under a curfew due to looting and lawlessness following Cyclone Chido’s destructive landfall. Thousands of residents in the capital Mamoudzou are working to repair their homes, while entire communities in the shantytowns have been destroyed. Although the cyclone, the most powerful in ninety years, has led to numerous deaths, with hundreds feared dead, only 22 fatalities have been confirmed due to the inaccessibility of many areas. The situation is further complicated by uncertainty around the population size, with many undocumented migrants from Comoros and Madagascar. Health experts say they are bracing for a surge of disease as dead bodies lie unrecovered and people struggle to access clean drinking water.

On 9 October Hurricane Milton hit Florida’s west coast, bringing 120 mph winds and widespread destruction. At one point a Category 5 hurricane, the Category 3 storm weakened overnight to a Category 1 storm, but not before destroying over 125 homes and knocking out power for over three million residents. Tornadoes and heavy rain have also caused significant inland damage, with storm surges threatening coastal cities such as Tampa. Officials have warned of severe flooding along rivers and lakes as Milton continues to batter the state, with nearly 100,000 people sheltering in evacuation centres. Florida officials had issued urgent evacuation orders for nearly two million people, many of whom had not recovered from Hurricane Helene. Joe Biden, calling Milton one of the most destructive hurricanes in Florida's history, has urged residents to heed local warnings.

Central Europe has been severely affected by Storm Boris, bringing heavy rain and snow and causing flooding across Poland, the Czech Republic, Romania, and Austria, with at least 24 reported deaths. In Poland, the town of Nysa has seen the evacuation of 40,000 residents, and other towns face severe damage after rivers overflowed. A state of natural disaster has been declared, with Wroclaw expecting more flooding. Meanwhile, rivers like the Oder and Danube are rising, with Slovakia, Hungary, and Croatia also preparing for potential floods. Emergency services, aided by the military, are working tirelessly across the region to protect communities. On 19 September, Storm Boris reached northern Italy, with similar reports  of devastation: see Extreme rainfall is becoming more frequent and intense across central Europe, as across much of the world.

To date, seven Portuguese firefighters have died while battling over fifty wildfires ravaging the country’s central and northern regions. Portugal has mobilised around 5,300 firefighters and has also called for EU help. The fires have forced the closure of major motorways and disrupted train services in the north. Though authorities describe the situation as ‘calmer but still worrying’, many villages remain under threat. The hardest-hit area, Aveiro district, has lost dozens of homes, with four deaths reported. The fires, which have already burned through more than 10,000 hectares (24,710 acres) of forest and shrubland, could engulf a further 20,000 hectares. Portugal and Spain have so far recorded fewer fires than usual this year, but both remain vulnerable to the increasingly hot and dry conditions caused by global warming.