The heaviest flooding ever recorded has occurred in the last couple of decades

Heavy rainfall in August in the American state of Louisiana has led to the flooding across the entire state, with the Amite and Comite rivers rising to record levels. The death toll currently stands at 13 with reportedly 60,000 homes destroyed. More than 106,600 residents have registered for help from the Federal Emergency Management Agency.

Heavy and consistent rainfall in central Europe in May through June of 2013 caused massive flooding in many countries including Germany, Czech Republic and Austria among several others. The Elbe and Danube rivers flooded their banks, leading to a reported 25 deaths with 23,000 people evacuated from Magdeburg, Germany, alone. 

     

Superstorm Sandy ravaged the United States in the Atlantic hurricane season of 2012 and affected 24 states, flooded streets and caused a total damage of $71.4 billion. A total of 117 deaths were reported with damage caused to 200,000 homes.

    

After typhoon Ketsana struck the Philippines in September of 2009, it left behind the worst flooding and mudslides the island nation has faced in 60 years. A few days later, Typhoon Parma struck and damaged whatever was left untouched. 3 million people were affected and as many as 540 people died. The storms and the subsequent flooding cost the country $250 million in damages.

When cyclones Domini and Ellie struck northwest Queensland in Australia in 2009, rivers flooded their banks and led to the flooding of the entire region that caused over $210 million in damages.

In 2009, Turkey faced the worst flooding in nearly 80 years after two days of torrential rain fell. The flooding killed 37 people and caused damages in the range of $170 million.    

  

   

 Indian state of Bihar flooded after the Kosi River flooded its banks in 2008. The floods destroyed 225,000 homes and directly affected a whopping 2 million people.

    

 Tropical cyclone Nargis hit Myanmar in May of 2008, causing one of the worst floods in the history of the country. The death toll went as high as 138,000 and directly affected 2.4 million people. The flooding was estimated to have cost the country more than $10 billion.

    

May of 2008 brought four rounds of heavy rainfall to south China leading to landslides and floods that lasted for 20 days. The floods killed 55 people and forced around 1.3 million to leave their homes.

We have shown you only a few examples and I think you can see a pattern forming. The global climate is changing .. and not for the better. All we can do, as citizens, is control and reduce our individual contribution to climate change. And, just as important, teach others about the changes occurring to our planet that will intensify and accelerate in the next couple of decades and at some time pass the point of no return. The best way to turn off global warming is knowledge. If everyone is educated and aware about what the future holds and makes their governments co -operate, then we can save earth and avoid catastrophe. Climate change is a global problem and the solution is also global.