Displaying items by tag: natural disasters

A devastating monsoon downpour in Nepal has led to severe flooding and mudslides, claiming over 200 lives, injuring 127, and leaving 56 missing. Rescue operations successfully saved over four thousand stranded people. However, despite warnings of more heavy rains, the prime minister admitted that he had not anticipated such flooding in Kathmandu. One critic has said that the government ‘miserably failed to not only protect people’s lives but also, according to its admission, to coordinate the resources and manpower to save them’. Even the mayor of Kathmandu struggled to mobilise resources effectively. Critics have called for a more robust disaster management strategy by revitalising the national disaster management authority, allocating resources, and involving experts. Disaster prevention and management must be a top priority, transcending political lines, to protect the nation from future crises.

An intense heatwave continues to swelter large swathes of the USA, with temperature records forecast to be broken from coast to coast. Millions of Americans have been urged to avoid going outside. It has been an extreme-weather summer across the continent: brutal heat, a barrage of tornadoes, flooding in the USA and unprecedented wildfires in Canada. Now the Biden administration has introduced an ‘all-of-society response’ to help manage a challenge that is only getting worse. Canada’s government has a strategy geared towards helping the most vulnerable, including older people, indigenous communities, inner-city residents and people who work outside. The US plans new research centres to help underserved communities prepare for future heatwaves, as well as work on a national strategy focused on equity and environmental justice. The administration also plans to gather mayors and indigenous leaders from across the country to meet emergency response officials to discuss what additional tools they may need. Please continue praying for over 140 million people still sizzling under heat alerts which will extend into August.

One of the root causes of poverty in Asia is corruption that diverts resources from the poor to the rich in a culture of bribes. Corruption and bribery are two sides of the same coin. Another root cause of Asian poverty is recurring natural disasters - floods, typhoons, volcanic eruptions, landslides, etc. ‘Asian countries are mostly dependent upon agriculture, forestry and tourism. All can all be affected by natural disasters. Education is affected by poverty because poor people stop going to school to work; leaving them without literacy and numeracy skills needed for a career. Poor people tend to believe not only that they are poor, but that they will remain poor, leading to psychological poverty - an unhealthy frame of mind that is usually self-inflicted. Spiritual poverty occurs when people’s incompleteness and dependency overwhelms them. In their brokenness they feel that something is wrong within themselves. They need God. Ask God to brood over and touch the impoverished Asian.

Californian firefighters are battling hundreds of wildfires across California amid the hottest temperatures ever recorded (130 °F, 54.4°C in Death Valley). The fires have burned 649,054 acres in 14 states. More than 16,700 wildland firefighters and support personnel are assigned to fight the fires (see). In 72 hours, 10,849 lightning strikes hit California, starting 367 new fires. Rescue and firefighting resources are depleted as new fires continue to ignite. The deputy fire chief said this was not a normal situation; ‘We are doing as much as we can with the resources that we have’. Mandatory evacuations have been ordered, whole communities destroyed, and thousands more homes are threatened. Pray for firefighters and emergency teams to be protected; for co-ordinated relief accommodation for the homeless; comfort for those who have lost everything and healing for the injured. May God bring rain and cool weather into the region.

On 4 August, Typhoon Hagupit struck while the Yangtze flood levels were still high (see). Two months of heavy continuous rain had caused 433 river levels to rise above flood control lines, devastating 27 of the country's 31 provinces. Thirty-three rivers reached record highs. Economic losses are about 86 billion yuan (£9,404 million) to date. Pray for God to release ongoing support and humanitarian aid to all of the affected areas. Pray for the millions of displaced people to be safe in their shelters, and for a stable future for countless families whose homes and livelihoods are affected.

Last week you prayed for South Asia’s humanitarian crisis with 9.6 million people affected by monsoon floods (three times more deaths than last year). This week floods took a turn for the worse in Nepal. In China relentless heavy rains have pummelled areas for a month. Yangtze River areas are overwhelmed, causing anxiety along the world's largest hydroelectric power plant, the 2.3-km Three Gorges Dam Already, 40 million people have been uprooted and 400+ rivers have overflowed. The dam, 300 km west of Wuhan, threatens to flood the first city to have been hit by coronavirus. In Texas, Hurricane Hanna has left some areas ‘totally under water’ and knocked out power across a region already reeling from a surge in coronavirus cases. Pray for communities with strained health care systems caused by coronavirus now airlifting patients to larger cities or areas away from floods.

Of the 12 disaster-prone cities in the world, ten are in the Philippines. It is not a matter of ‘if,’ but ‘when’ that typhoon or earthquake will come, as happened recently. The devastation and the intensity of these are what are so unique. Hundreds have died and over 1,000 are displaced and lost. Then came Tropical Storm Nakri, which developed into a typhoon. The epicentre of the deadly quakes was near Mindanao, where World Mission minister. There is a great humanitarian effort going on right now, with local churches responding with food, shelter, and clothing - all in the love of Jesus. Previously there had been hostility to the Gospel in this region, with some areas hosting IS training camps. However when these disasters strike,it definitely creates a wide-open door for the Gospel, as the churches’ help is well-received. The Philippines get about two thousand earthquakes a year.

Please continue to pray for the owners of over 1,750 properties that have been flooded in recent weeks. Ask God to support them as they go through the painful process of assessing damage, claiming insurance, and discarding much that was not salvageable. Pray particularly that those who did not have insurance will receive appropriate help to rebuild their lives. Pray for God to comfort those who have lost sentimental and irreplaceable possessions. The Environment Agency (EA) has warned that some older properties could be contaminated with anthrax or other dangerous pollutants after the floods, so the fire brigade might say they are not safe for re-occupation. Pray for wise and effective reviews by the EA of the flood defences required for the future. See also

The US national weather service has issued an ‘extreme red flag’ warning for wildfires in Los Angeles county, Ventura county and the Simi valley. ‘I don't know if I've ever seen us use this warning,’ forecaster Marc Chenard said. ‘It's pretty bad.’ Dangerous fire weather conditions cover over 34,000 square miles, and 21 million people have been warned they may need to leave ‘at a moment's notice’ as the 70 mph winds threaten to bring more devastation to areas already ravaged. Power cuts have left 1.5 million people without electricity.

Heavy rain in northern England has left people stranded and blocked roads and railway lines. Firefighters rescued 22 people from flooded properties in Cheshire and Greater Manchester after days of heavy rain - 19mm of rain fell in eight hours. Rivers have burst their banks and ambulances have been taking injured to hospital. One firefighter, rescuing a child, had to be rescued himself from fast-flowing water. That rescue was described as ‘difficult, involving acts of bravery’. Pray for residents and shop-owners when flood waters subside, leaving buildings full of mud and silt, with possessions ruined. Pray for those who have been evacuated twice in three years, having newly replaced items ruined for a second time. Pray for those who were homeless for almost a year last time, now facing the same trauma.