Displaying items by tag: evacuations

Following the devastating landslides in Papua New Guinea on 24 May, rescuers have been reaching the hard-to-access northern Enga region, but the chances of finding survivors are now slim. Residents are using shovels and bare hands to search through the unstable landslide area, which continues to pose danger as more rocks and debris fall. A state of emergency has been declared for the affected area. Authorities fear a second landslide and potential disease outbreak due to trapped water and decomposing bodies. Continued debris movement could further devastate nearby communities. Military checkpoints and evacuation efforts are under way, but aid has been slow due to remote terrain and tribal unrest. Over two thousand people are said to have been buried in the landslide, though estimates vary; accurate death tolls are difficult due to outdated census data and incomplete records. Thousands of local people have been ordered to evacuate.

An intense storm in Argentina left at least 13 people dead and others injured in the southwestern port city of Bahía Blanca. Winds reached up to 140 kilometres (87 miles) per hour in the city on 16 December, and by the next day at least 300 people had been evacuated. The city council said that the situation caused by the storm was a catastrophe, reporting multiple injuries, some extremely serious. The mayor declared three days of mourning, saying: ‘I want to reaffirm our solidarity with the families and loved ones of the 13 deceased people.’ He reminded citizens of the importance of keeping safe by staying home, adding: ‘We are still in an emergency situation, with electrical risk and risk of falling trees and structures.’ The city’s emergency teams received over 100,000 calls about downed trees, power lines and signs, among other damage. President Javier Milei said that his cabinet is working with provincial and municipal authorities to help the victims and respond to the damage.

Experts have warned of a potential volcanic eruption near the town of Grindavik, which could lead to extensive destruction or ash clouds. This concern follows over 800 small earthquakes in the region, indicating possible activity from a volcano on the Reykjanes peninsula in southwest Iceland. Nearly 4,000 residents of the town were evacuated amid fears that molten rock could surface, threatening the town and a nearby geothermal power station. Scientists from the Icelandic Met Office have warned of a prolonged period of volcanic instability on the peninsula, possibly lasting decades, with eruptions expected in various locations. On 15 November, Thorvaldur Thordarson, a volcanology professor, assessed the probability of an eruption at 30%, a decrease from earlier higher estimates. Despite fears of an impending volcanic eruption, flights in and out of Keflavik international airport, only ten miles from the eruption site, are continuing as usual. In 2010 another volcano in Iceland grabbed the world's attention by spewing ash into the atmosphere and bringing European air travel to a halt.

Almost 3,000 people have had to evacuate their homes in Tenerife as a wildfire, caused by embers left smouldering from an August blaze, re-ignited on the Spanish island. Unseasonably hot weather (up to 39°C) sparked the flames, which engulfed the north east of the island on 5 October. About 2,400 people have been evacuated from the town of Santa Ursula and another 600 from La Orotava. Teams of firefighters and six water-dropping helicopters worked to battle the fire overnight. The August fire had been brought under control but was never completely extinguished, with embers still burning in the forest. The firefighters have requested support from the army’s military emergency unit. The island’s councillor in charge of emergencies, Blanca Perez, told local radio this fire ‘has been stabilised, we are seeing how it evolves to determine if in a few hours residents can return to their homes’.

Ukraine is expected to attempt to retake Moscow-held Zaporizhzhia territory. The Russian-installed governor of the partly-occupied province ordered 18 settlements near the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant to evacuate. The UN's nuclear watchdog is concerned about the facility’s safety. Russian passport-holders were taken to cities on the coast of the Sea of Azov. The International Atomic Energy Agency expressed deepening concern after Russia fired 30+ shells at a Ukrainian-held town near the plant. The nuclear reactors are shut down, but staff and their families remain. Ask God to comfort them in this stressful situation. Meanwhile Ukraine released a video of white fire from phosphorus munitions in the besieged city of Bakhmut, accusing Russia of using incendiary weapons. International law prohibits using any incendiary weapons, and if chemical weapons are used it is a war crime. 

Alberta announced a state of emergency after wildfires forced 30,000 people from their homes and their jobs, leaving behind all they own in an ‘unprecedented’ crisis. Thousands more must be prepared to leave on a moment’s notice as 110 fires, fanned by strong winds, raged. By 7 May over twenty communities had been evacuated and 301,000+ acres burned. Pray for Albertans, living in one of the world’s largest oil-producing regions, as they closely monitor dangers to facilities. Ottawa is providing federal assistance where needed. Pray for those who are trapped and need to be rescued by helicopters and boats. Pray for good communication between the various emergency agencies bringing aid and providing shelter. Pray for the firefighters battling over 25 fires that were still out of control on 11 May. Pray for God to give his peace to those fearfully watching smoke in the distance. Pray for those debating whether to flee or stay and firefight.

All week Europe has been battling wildfires fuelled by soaring temperatures in Portugal, France, Turkey and Spain. Pray for 3,500 Portuguese firefighters battling dozens of blazes in record-breaking temperatures. Pray for the 600 people in Leiria who were forced out of their homes, and over 3,000 who were evacuated in Turkey. Pray for devastated people like 77-year-old Adelino, a Portuguese farmer who said, ‘Everything burned. It looked like the end of the world.’ Pray for Spanish farmers who have lost over 70,300 hectares. Pray for 1,000 French firefighters trying to control two major wildfires. 4,000 hectares have already burned in southwest France.

A state of emergency has been declared in British Columbia, where torrential rain and mudslides have destroyed roads, cut off several mountain towns, and displaced 18,000 people. At the time of writing there has only been one death, but the death toll will probably rise as the Canadian province grapples with what its premier, John Horgan, called a once-in-500-year event. Pray for neighbours and authorities working to save people and animals, secure supply chains, and ensure that essential goods and emergency services can reach hard-hit communities. Pray for the thousands of people forced to leave their homes in regions under evacuation orders. Ottawa is sending hundreds of air force personnel to aid the recovery, and thousands more are on standby. Pray for the affected towns in remote mountain areas with limited access and freezing temperatures. Many are cut off by road closures and mudslides.

Record-breaking rains and heavy flooding have killed over 150 people in India and Nepal in recent days. 77 have been killed, 22+ injured, and 26 are missing across Western Nepal; at least 46 have died in Uttarakhand, and 27 bodies have been recovered in Kerala. 11 teams from the National Disaster Response Force also evacuated 6,500 people to 184 relief camps. Crops have been destroyed, roads are waterlogged, bridges washed away, vehicles submerged, and houses reduced to rubble in Kerala, home to 33 million people. The flooding comes in the middle of a religious pilgrimage when Hindus journey to Uttarakhand. 3,000 pilgrims were evacuated from a barge on the Sarda River, which had overflowed. Meanwhile more than 200 families are currently in a further 26 evacuation camps across the state. Heavy rainfall is forecast to continue for the coming days, and residents are urged to stay indoors.

A volcano on the island of La Palma began erupting on 19 September, sending streams of lava and plumes of smoke and ash into the air. A small earthquake preceded the eruption, causing thousands of residents to flee their homes and prompting authorities to begin evacuating the infirm and farm animals from nearby villages before the volcanic activity. By 20 September three streams of lava were pouring down towards the sea, moving at 2,300 feet per hour, and 6,000 people had evacuated their homes. Two days later new cracks started spewing more lava and four earthquakes shook the area. Families raced to save what they could from their homes in a two-hour window granted by emergency workers. The lava had already destroyed 300 homes, and overwhelmed roads, farms, a school, and swimming pools. Pray for those in temporary shelters not knowing when they will return home, fearing their homes might be engulfed by lava. Seismologists played down the attendant risk of an Atlantic tsunami.