April 2008
Natural
disasters in February 2005
The
information summarized has been culled from press reports
and is indicative only. For official information, including
final statistics, readers are advised to contact the
National Meteorological Service of the country in question.
Tropical cyclones
South Pacific
Cyclone Percy
tore across the Pacific island group of Tokelau with winds of 200 km/h, causing widespread damage and injuring one
person. At least five
houses were washed away and others damaged. The atoll’s
only school was largely destroyed. The storm took down trees
and power and telephone lines.
Cold
Afghanistan, India and Pakistan, Great Britain, USA
Afghanistan,
India and Pakistan
Freezing
temperatures and
food shortages brought on by the coldest winter in years
killed many people, mostly children.
Great
Britain
Police and road
safety groups had to issue warnings about road conditions as
a belt of snow and sub-zero temperatures settled on northern
and eastern parts of England.
Snowstorms/avalanches
India, Pakistan, USA
India
Avalanches in
the Himalayan region killed 110 people after the worst snows
in two decades.
Pakistan
A week of
torrential rain and heavy snow killed more than 500 people
with dozens buried under avalanches. More were killed when a
dam burst. Snow and landslides blocked roads to hard-hit
areas and hampered relief efforts in Pakistan’s northwest.
The storms destroyed 2 400 homes, damaged 3 700 more and
killed hundreds of livestock.
USA
A winter storm
blanketed the north-east, forcing the federal government and
schools to close early and triggering a spate of accidents
during the afternoon rush hour. The snow coated an area that
included Delaware, Pennsylvania, Maryland, New Jersey and
New York. Several cities reported accumulations of about 15
cm, and in some up to 22 cm of ice.
Drought
Singapore
Singapore
suffered its worst dry spell in 29 years. Just 140 km north
of the Equator, Singapore usually sees relatively dry
weather in February as South-East Asia’s north-east
monsoon season shifts south. But February 2005 was the
driest since 1976.
Storms
and floods/landslides/mudslides
Australia, Colombia and Venezuela, USA Indonesia, USA
Australia
Freak
summer storms lashed eastern Australia. Melbourne received
more rain in 24 hours since records began in 1856, leaving
the city’s rivers and waterways swollen to bursting point.
Colombia and Venezuela
Floods
and landslides killed at least 86.
Indonesia
At least 40
people were killed and scores were missing under 7 m of
rubble and mud after heavy rain in West Java province.
Police reported 139 people missing.
USA
Mudslides
trapped several people in their homes and forced others to
flee as southern California was struck by powerful storms.
At least six deaths were recorded in a storm, and a woman
was buried by an avalanche. Others were victims of
landslides, traffic accidents, falling trees and flooding.
The rail service was severely disrupted.
Duststorms
Australia
Western
Queensland experienced its worst duststorms in more than a decade, leaving
at least two people dead in Brisbane. In Longreach,
visibility was as low as 100 m at the airport. There was a
widespread area of dust from the border region, into the
south-west of the state, and from the Channel Country
extending into the north-west.
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