Flood And Heavy Rain Takes Boys Life

A Three year old boy died from injuries sustained after a wall collapse in the house he was in.

The collapse was triggered by the heavy rains that lashed the Winterveldt area, north of Pretoria this past weekend.

The incident occurred last night as another rainstorm lashed Gauteng. Spokesman for the Tshwane metro council William Baloyi said that in fifteen shacks were flooded in a Mamemlodi squatter camp also yesterday.

Another five houses were flooded in Mabopane, in Sohsnaguve. No injuries or fatalties were sustained in the incidents.

The shack dwellers have been given temporary accommodation in a local community hall.

The heavy rains caused also several roads in the Pretoria to be temporarily closed. 

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Homeowner Blames Twister For Water Damage

PEARL, MS (WLBT) - The New Year's Eve tornado downed trees and caved in roofs in Pearl.

One homeowner said the punch it packed left her family under water. It is a problem that the Toni Lane resident claims to have been battling for over a decade.

Leaf blowers roared Monday as residents on Patterson Drive in Pearl cleared the debris from the damaging winds of Friday's twister.

About five miles away on Toni Lane Rhonda Westerfield was drying out from the storm's torrential downpour.

"Every time there's a massive amount of rain, like flash flooding we get water in our house," said Westerfield.

She has lived here 14 years and endured three floods.

"The tornado was over the house, and then all of a sudden it was just massive amounts of rain. Water got in the house. It was knee deep in our front yard and waist high in our back yard because the water wasn't able to drain off properly," said the frustrated homeowner.

Her house is in a low lying area between Napoleon Avenue and Nelson Circle.

The 43 year old said she has complained to the city for years about the need for more drainage on the street.

Westerfield said the rushing water rose above the wheels of a PT Cruiser parked in the back yard.

"There's a Bible in this water standing in the car," said 24 year old Joshua Westerfield as he removed the wet book the back seat floor board.

Three days after the rains, water fell from the Bible as Joshua squeezed its pages together.

Westerfield pointed out her the toy car her grandson fits inside and drives.

It was resting on her back fence not far from the PT Cruiser.

Before Friday's rains she said it was in the front yard.

The cleaning service owner said the clogged ditch behind her home also causing flooding.

"They keep telling us that they're cleaning the ditches out by districts, and so we've been here 14 years. This district has not been done yet," said Westerfield.

The Pearl resident said water also entered the house.

"This was brand new floor just put down in April," she said while point to buckling in the laminate flooring.

Westerfield has insurance, but not flood insurance and said the area is not a designated flood zone.

We were unable to reach Pearl Public Works officials for comment because the department was closed for the New Year's holiday.

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Flood Damage Total In Washington Nears $4million

EVERETT, Wash. -- Officials say the bill from flooding last month in Snohomish County is approaching $4 million.

The county was among the hardest-hit areas after heavy rains soaked much of Western Washington. However, county officials tell The Daily Herald of Everett that far less damage occurred than in the downpours of two years ago.

The county is continuing to add up the flood costs. Rob Harper, a spokesman for Washington's Emergency Management Division, says state and federal teams plan to visit Western Washington counties next week to verify whether they can qualify for a federal disaster declaration and aid for residents.

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Storms Cause Flooding In California

Wednesday’s steady rain, which by 3 p.m. had amounted to .58 of an inch, should be the last for at least a couple of days. The region could use the break.

Storms that began Friday and dumped more than 5 inches over the past six days caused flooding, mudslides, washouts and taxed city and county resources. On Tuesday, just hours after the Tulare County Board of Supervisors declared the county a disaster area, Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger included Tulare County in his designation of a state of emergency in six counties.

The unprecedented storms brought heavy rainfall to all of the state, but the brunt of the storms hit Tulare County hard Saturday through Monday. Rainfall Saturday through Sunday was more than 2 inches alone. Rainfall total in Porterville since Friday is 5.11 inches — nearly half the average rainfall for the city.

Tuesday and Wednesday, Southern California got hit hard.

Gov. Schwarzenegger proclaimed a state of emergency in Kern, Orange, Riverside, San Bernardino, San Luis Obispo and Tulare counties due to extreme weather and storm conditions.

He noted the storms caused harm to people and property, flooding homes and infrastructure, damaging public and private facilities, closing roads and highways, and requiring emergency response and debris clean-up.

Tulare County officials estimate damage in the county is between $20 and $60 million, much of that to roads in the southern part of the county. Road 224 where it crosses Deer Creek is washed out and impassable. Many other county roads suffered damage.

Porterville City Manager John Lollis said the city estimates damage at more than $600,000. The bulk of that — $250,000 — was to Zalud Park where the ponding basin overflowed Sunday. Two homes along El Granito had water damage, the only two homes in the city that were flooded, said Lollis. There were more homes in the county that suffered water damage.

City roads took a hit to tune of $200,000 and another $19,000 was spent on overtime to pay city workers who combated the rising waters Friday night into Tuesday.

The city has also estimated damage to private property at $120,000. The state’s declaration could help private property owners as well. “We are trying to serve as a liaison for families seeking assistance,” said Lollis.

Other dollar losses are $12,000 for the rental of pumps and $10,000 in damage to the city’s off-road vehicle park on the west end of the airport that has extensive localized flooding. That flooding has also slowed construction of the new Porterville Fairgrounds, said Fair Board President John Corkins.

“Things are more normal today,” said Lollis Wednesday. “We’re pretty confident we can deal with anything that comes our way in the next few days.”

On Sunday, the city declared a local emergency just hours after the City of Visalia did so.
Lollis said the governor’s action is the first step in getting the Federal Emergency Management Agency to declare Tulare County a disaster area which would open the door to both state and federal disaster assistance.

The forecast is for fair weather today and Friday with the next storm to arrive Saturday afternoon. Rainfall from that storm will be between a quarter to a half of an inch, said the Weather Service. The snowline Wednesday was 4,000 feet and will only rise slightly with the next storm.

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Heavy Rains Floods Basements, Streets In Auburn

Flooding caused by today's rain has been reported in portions of Auburn, Cayuga County 911 officials said.

Flooring was reported at the intersections of South and Hamilton streets and Seward Avenue and Franklin Street, officials said.

Some residents have also reported basement flooding, officials said. No other flooding has been reported yet, officials said.

The National Weather Service has issued a flood watch for several counties in New York, including Auburn and southern Cayuga County.

The watch went into effect Tuesday night and will last until Wednesday night.

Heavy rainfall is expected to persist throughout the morning with 2 to 3 inches possible.

The rain could lead to flash flooding in the area. Smaller streams and creeks may see sharp rises due to excessive runoff. Flooding of low lying areas will be possible, along with minor flooding at some points on the mainstem rivers.

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Ceiling Falls At Post Office

North Lauderdale - Water damage that caused a partial ceiling collapse at a U.S. Postal Service annex was not expected to affect mail processing or delivery on the busiest day of the year.
Early Monday, an employee at the North Lauderdale carrier annex, 1401 S. State Road 7, arrived to find parts of the building's ceiling had collapsed, according to postal service officials.
There were no injuries and no mail was damaged, said Debbie Fetterly, a spokeswoman for the U.S. Postal Service. The damaged ceiling is in the mail-handling area, accessible only to employees, she said.
Other than as a drop-off location for mail, the building is used by letter carriers and other postal service employees, Fetterly said.
"It will not impact delivery," she said.
Saturday's heavy rain, combined with maintenance last week on the building's air conditioning system may have contributed to the water damage, Fetterly said.
The U.S. Postal Service leases the annex. The building's owner was notified and repair crews were at the scene.
According to postal officials, Monday is the busiest mailing day of the year, with more than 800 million pieces of mail expected to enter the system nationwide.

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Flooding Threatens Homes In California

Heavy rain is flooding the 5300 block of Pineridge Drive in La Crescenta, threatening five or six homes, fire officials said.

The area lies just south of land burned by the Station fire in 2009.

No damage has been reported to the homes, said Los Angeles County Fire Department Supervisor Art Marrujo. A fire engine is on the scene, and a crew is sandbagging the area to protect the homes.

"There could be potential damage if the water flow were to continue," Marrujo said. [Updated, 3:40 p.m.: A county fire dispatcher said the flooding threat on Pineridge Drive has been resolved for the moment.]

The water flow is clear, and there is no mud or debris coming from the hillside, Marrujo said.

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Maine's Heavy Rain Causes $1 Million In Damages

CALAIS (AP) _ Officials in Maine say a torrential rainstorm that deluged eastern Maine this week may have caused more than half a million dollars in damage in towns and cities alone, and another half million at the federal Moosehorn National Wildlife Refuge.
Ten Maine counties are reporting damage from the Monday storm, which dropped 6 to 8 inches of rain in places, washing out local roads, flooding basements and closing a border crossing, a spokesman for Gov. John Baldacci tells the Bangor Daily News.
David Farmer says the final damage estimates haven't been tallied, but he says that the heaviest damage was in Washington and Aroostook counties.

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Flooding Leads To State Of Emergency

GASPE, Que. – The town of Gaspe, Que., was declared a flood zone Wednesday after two days of driving rain flooded basements, washed out roads and muddied tap water.

More than 250 people fled their homes on Tuesday evening in the community 900 kilometres northeast of Montreal.

As much as 230 mm of rain was expected to be dumped on the area by the end of the week.

A state of emergency has been declared in the town amid heavy rains and wind gusts that battered the entire Gaspe region.

Storm surges whipped up waves as high as 10 metres in the town of Chandler, to the south, where schools were closed as a precaution.

Some schools were being converted into shelters and others were closed when tap water became undrinkable. Remote villages were isolated when rivers overran roads.

A regional highway was shut down further to the south near New Richmond, across the bay from New Brunswick. Civil-security officials made the move amid fears that some bridges could be washed out by raging waters. One local businessman said it was the worst flooding that he had seen since the 1970s.

"There are several inches of water on the floor of the store," he told QMI Agency. "We haven’t seen this since 1978. Today things are even worse."

The weather system extended across the St. Lawrence River to the lower north shore region, where ferry service to the Gaspe was cancelled.

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California Faces Heavy Rain: Floods On Way

A major heavy rain event is about to unfold across California starting Friday. Rounds of soaking rain are headed for the state through at least the middle of next week and will pose a significant threat for flooding.

The heaviest rain is expected to target central California with the western slopes of the Sierra being hit the hardest. Rainfall totals, according to AccuWeather.com Western Expert Ken Clark, could reach at least 6 inches on these western slopes with the potential for up to a foot in some locations.

With millions of people traveling and doing last minute shopping for the holidays next week, roads will be jammed with traffic. Any flooding problems could create nightmares for motorists, including those driving along I-5.

Roads near rivers and in low-lying areas will be most prone to flooding. Rock and mud slides could also become major problems.

Even where flooding does not occur, there will be a higher risk for vehicle accidents due to slippery wet roads.

California is coming off a long period of overall dry conditions over the last month and a half. AccuWeather.com Expert Senior Meteorologist Alex Sosnowski points out that oil often builds up on roadways following many days without rain.

He says that on the onset of a rainstorm, roads can become extremely slippery due to the oil buildup. Eventually, however, the buildup will get washed away after enough rain falls.

The heavy rain and periodic gusty winds, especially along the coast and in the mountains of central and northern California, are also likely to create airport delays.

Clark said in his blog Wednesday that the heaviest rain will most likely target a zone spanning from the San Francisco Bay area to the Tahoe or Yosemite area on south to Point Conception and the southern Sierra.

However, rain will also affect areas farther south through Los Angeles and San Diego and farther north into western Oregon.

In the higher elevations of the Sierra and mountains of northern California, tremendous amounts of snow will fall this weekend with totals reaching 5 to perhaps even 10 feet by Sunday.

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Flooding Causing Problems In Neighborhoods For Homeowners

King County says major flooding from the Snoqualmie River is now being predicted in the Carnation area, where the predicted flooding has been upped from "moderate" to "major."

While moderate flooding is happening, major flooding is forecast to happen before the river falls below flood stage early Tuesday morning.

Widespread flooding is expected from Fall City downstream through Carnation and Duvall. Water will cover much of the farmland and several roads, according to county flood experts.

Flood waters are running fast and deep in many Carnation neighborhoods Sunday night. The rising Tolt River swallowed up mailboxes and street signs and washed out roads. The Tolt River recorded levels above flood stage, but unlike the Snoqualmie River, The Tolt is no longer under a Flood Warning.

Wendy Ward has seen this type of flooding many times before.

"When it come up like this, we become an island. No one can come in or out. Everybody hunkers down," said Ward.

That deep water forced road closures and detours throughout town.

Much of the Puget Sound region enjoyed clear skies Monday, a day after Seattle was soaked with more than 2 inches of rain. At one point during the weekend, flood warnings had been posted for more than 20 rivers in the state, but that was down to nine by midday
Monday with the water rapidly receding.

In Snoqualmie, people were keeping an eye on the Snoqualmie River as it crept towards toppling its banks. Don Mejia started moving his stuff to higher ground.

"We're just getting ready, pretty much. So if it floods, we don't have any major earthbeds and stuff -- get them out of the way," said Mejia.

The river was still flowing fiercely over Snoqualmie Falls as people like Art Sancho came to watch.

"It's a once in a lifetime experience for anyone to come out and see it as it is right now," said Sancho.

Down Interstate 90, Issaquah Creek looked more like a raging river than a neighborhood stream. Len Roughgarden has seen the creek flood his daughter’s home before, but he’s more concerned about the next possible act from Mother Nature.

"Right now, all those trees are saturated with water. If we get a big wind, these trees are gonna come on down," said Roughgarden.

Back in Carnation, Wendy Ward says she won’t push her luck driving through flood waters until it all goes away.

"You can't really tell. The water's right up to the edge, so if you slide off even a little bit, the edge of the road could be washed away and then you're in big trouble," Ward said.

No deaths or serious injuries have been reported. Most damage was from landslides and flooding in low-lying rural areas. Geologist Isabelle Sarikhan with the state Department of Natural Resources says hillsides throughout the region are saturated, so the threat of more slides will continue this week.

King County reminds people to not drive cars, vans or trucks through flooded areas. This is the cause of most flood-related deaths in our state.

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Heavy Rain On Way Not Safe For Pets

Does your cat have a rain coat or your dog an umbrella? If not, they shouldn’t be allowed outside for the next week.

Two major winter storms are expected to hit Northern California beginning tomorrow. Precautions should be taken to keep pets and other outdoor animals safe during periods of flooding and high winds.

According to The Sacramento Bee, the first storm is predicted to include heavy rain, snow and high winds through Sunday. After a brief break, the second storm is expected to bring more of the same from Monday night to Wednesday.

If your pets are allowed to go outside during the storms, they may not make it back home. Flooded areas can be hazardous to animals, and poor visibility and high winds make it hard for drivers to see and stop for pets on the road.

Keeping your animals inside is the most effective way to keep them safe during these severe storms.

By this point in a typical rainy season, the Sacramento region generally receives an average rainfall of 5.30 inches. This season has shown significant precipitation, with over 6 inches already recorded.

The two storms could bring up to 5 inches of additional precipitation to Sacramento in under a week. This could cause flash flooding, particularly on streets where leaves and other debris are clogging storm drains.

The National Weather Service says that the twin storms are the “largest paired storm sequence since December 2005”.

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Flooding Forces Hundreds Of People From Homes

QUEBEC — Over a hundred people were evacuated overnight Tuesday in eastern Quebec as torrential rain continued to cause major flooding.

Emergency measures have been implemented in the hardest hit area, around the city of Gaspe, that has received 150 millimetres of rain in two days.

Heavy rain and strong winds continued pounding the region Wednesday and Environment Canada forecast another 50 millimetres of rain by the end of the day.

"It's pretty terrible," Quebec Public Security Minister Robert Dutil said Wednesday, adding his government is set to adopt a decree to offer financial assistance to the Gaspe Peninsula.

A spokesman for the city of Gaspe said over 100 residents were evacuated and between 150 and 200 homes were flooded.

"In some ways this is worse than the 2007 flooding," said Daniel Cote of the city of Gaspe. "The damages are plentiful but they are not as serious," he added.

He stressed the heavy rain caused four major rivers and several small streams to spill their banks. The communities also fear possible landslides.

In August 2007, flash flooding killed two people after their house was swept away in the Riviere-au-Renard community, near Gaspe. The damage was estimated at $2 million.

This week's flooding also led to several road closures in the area — notably the main road 132 — because they were covered with water.

The people evacuated were taken to two emergency shelters put in place in Riviere-au-Renard and Gaspe.

A spokesman for Quebec's civil security department said they were monitoring the situation closely Wednesday, but noted the water levels appeared to be steady.

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Steady Rain Continues To Cause Flood

MILO, Maine (NEWS CENTER) --- All of this heavy rain made travel a little more difficult Monday morning as a few roads had to be closed to traffic.

A stretch of the North Road in Newburgh was shut down after flood waters crept onto it. There were other roads in area communities that experienced minor flooding.

The rainy weather also caused some headaches for highway workers in Piscataquis County. The Pleasant River in Milo is one area officials say they'll be watching closely in the overnight hours.

"We've had about four inches of rain," said Jerry Cole, who is Milo's emergency manager, "They're expecting another one or two and between the snow melt and that rain...we could see a little bit of damage."

Cole added that the river also tends to experience flooding due to ice that can form in it this time of year. Officials say the ice can form natural dams that can result in a rush of water if they break. Due to milder temperatures Monday night, that is not likely to happen.

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Flood Advisory In Effect

A flood advisory is in effect this morning after heavy rain caused water to pond along roadway and raised a risk that small creeks or streams could overflow their banks.

The National Weather Service issued the advisory on Monday night to remain in effect until 11 a.m. today over Northeast Washington and North Idaho, including Spokane and Kootenai counties.

Rainfall amounts to a quarter inch in an hour are likely.

In Spokane, some intersections where drains are plugged had standing water in them, creating traffic hazards.

From 6 a.m. to 7 a.m., the weather service recorded 0.17 inches of rain at Spokane International Airport. The rain was accompanied by wind gusts to 40 mph.

About 7 a.m., the rain and wind moved over Post Falls and Coeur d'Alene where winds gusted to 38 mph.

Elsewhere, gusts to 47 mph were measured in Lewiston, 39 mph in Pullman, 46 mph at Fairchild Air Force Base and 43 mph at the weather service office north of the air base.

Larger rivers in the region were expected to crest below flood stage.

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Floods In Washington Force Residents From Their Homes

The heavy rain has begun to diminish and rivers are beginning to recede after a dangerously wet weekend in western Washington.
The Stillaguamish River reached record flood stage Sunday afternoon, tying the record set in November of 2006.  
About 230 homes and businesses in Granite Falls near the Stillaguamish River have been asked to evacuate.
Sandbagging efforts in Stanwood, along the Stillaguamish, continued into the night.
Severe and possibly near-record flooding was also predicted in on the Snohomish River near Monroe and the city of Snohomish.
Snohomish County's Department of Emergency Management is monitoring river levels along the Stillaguamish, Snohomish and Skykomish rivers, as well as tributaries including the Pilchuck River.
On Saturday night DEM contacted about 750 homes in the county's river basins, urging them to take precautions.
"We've taken steps to make sure we are prepared to handle this storm and to assist different cities in need," Snohomish County Executive Aaron Reardon said. "Still, residents should take proper precautions if they live near a waterway."

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Flood Threatens Seattle With Heavy Rain On Way

A very wet “pineapple express” from the Hawaiian Islands is going to hit Renton and the rest of Western Washington tonight and stick around for the next several days.

It won’t be particularly windy; highs will be in the mid 40s to mid 50s and lows in the 40s or upper 30s through Friday.

The heaviest rainfall is predicted for Saturday night and Sunday. The National Weather Service is forecasting 1 to 3 inches of rain will fall in the lowlands, with 4 to 9 inches in the mountains. There is already a large snowpack in the Cascades. The snow level is expected to rise to about 8,000, well above all Cascade Mountain passes.

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, which operates the Howard Hanson Dam on the Green River, does not expect the rainfall in the Green River basin to be a concern for operations at Howard Hanson Dam or for flooding on the lower Green River basin, which includes Auburn, Kent, Renton and Tukwila.

In addition, the flows expected in this part of the basin are below thresholds that may be of concern for levee problems, according to a corps press release. The Green River was extensively sandbagged and fortified because of the damage to the support abutment at the dam with occurred in the winter of 2009-10.

Minor urban, street, and small stream flooding is possible, which will be dealt with by local agencies.

The corps has placed its Western Washington flood teams on alert and begun preparations to deploy as needed if requested by local officials. All Western Washington river basins are being monitored.

The corps Seattle District also plans to activate its Emergency Operations Center to coordinate all corps activities. The Seattle District Reservoir Control Center is expected to go into 24-hour operation by Sunday.

If the heavy rain does cause rivers to rise, King County road crews will patrol roads in low-lying unincorporated areas that are particularly vulnerable to flooding. If road closures do become necessary, it may take a couple of days or more for the water to recede so they can be inspected for damage and reopened.

Certain areas along the Cedar River are prone to flooding between Renton and Maple Valley, including near Jones Road.

The National Weather Service has issued a flood watch for Western Washington through Monday afternoon. A flood watch means conditions are favorable for flooding, but flooding is not imminent or occurring.

When wet weather brings rivers up to certain levels, the King County Department of Natural Resources and Parks opens the Flood Warning Center to provide round-the-clock coordination of weather and river flooding information.

The center is designed to give citizens at least two hours warning to prepare for possible flooding. And it works in tandem with the County's Road Services Division, to give citizens up-to-date information about road closures.

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