This is natural disaster season. Storms, rains and floods wreak havoc in several parts of the world. The series of disasters this year began in July with monsoon floods causing mass scale destruction in Indian states of Andhra Pradesh and Maharashtra. Come mid August, a few storms and hurricanes swept across Carribbean countries causing large scale devestation of life and property. By end August, Kosi River in Nepal breached the embankments in Kusaha village, causing floods in as many as sixteen districts in Bihar, a north Indian state. Five districts of this state - Supaul, Saharsa, Araria, Madhepura, Katihar and Purnia - were inundated for days on end. September beginning also witnessed torrential rain and unexpected flood for a day in Wales and England. Apart from a death or two no major damages have been reported in these latter countries. Thousands were marroned overnight as Brahmaputra river in Assam, a northeastern state of India, breached mud embankments on Sept 9. Five million people were displaced, 50 villages with 600,000 hectares of land area affected and 27 killed.

What is appalling in all these cases is that impoverished regions, countries or states are completely devastated by natural disasters. On the other hand, developed regions undertake successful crisis management measures to minimize or even nullify the effects. Within hours after New Orleans received the Hurricane Gustav warning for this year, officials helped ninety five percent of city inhabitants to temporarily shift to other US states like Texas and Mississippi. Hurricane Gustav came, with a force less than expected, but no major damages were reported. Since the devastation and horror caused by Hurricane Katrina in 2005 were fresh in everyone’s memory, authorities do not want to give it a chance anymore. Evacuation of 2 lac residents just before Hurricane Gustav in Sept 2008 has been considered the largest ever evacuation process in the city’s history

But look at the neighboring countries Haiti and Cuba. Granted that storms and hurricanes take a region unawares, there is still scope for precautionary meseaures. And when the evil strikes, people are left stranded on roof-tops, are starved for several days, diseases break-out in relief camps and everything becomes a big mess.

Several hundred people lost their lives in Haiti. Hurricane Ike killed less than hundred people in Cuba. In Bihar in India, more than two million people have been affected by the floods. Official figure of death toll is much less than the estimates of humanitarian agencies like Red Cross. Be it in poor Haiti, Cuba or Bihar, where 70% make a living through agriculture, the devastation caused by floods and storms will have serious repercussions in the country’s economy as a whole. Only with a proper disaster manangement system in place, can these poor countries provide any protection to the life and property to its inhabitants.

Hurricane Gustav hit the Gulf of Mexico on Sunday, 31st Aug. It is spiraling to southeastern coast of Louisiana. What is interesting is that it comes so as to disrupt the Republican Convention in Minnesota when John McCain will be selected as the Republican nominee for the forthcoming US elections. Bush and Dick Cheney have already canceled their plans to attend the convention.

Louisiana Governor, India-born Bobby Jindal, is doing a nice job by overseeing the evacuation of people from this state to safer places like Missisippi and Texas. Hope the havoc, chaos and dread caused by Hurricane Katrina in 2005 will not be repeated this time.

Hurricane Gustav may affect the offshore production of oil also. This, in turn, is likely to spread uncertainity in the international market. As crude oil prices are yet to ease up in the global market, the movement and strength of Hurricane Gustav will be decisive in determing the price of crude. Which means, even a local businessman in a remote place in Ethiopia or Guyana has to keep a watch on the movement and intensity of Hurricane Gustav.

Torrential rain followed by devastating flood has hit North Ireland. The first 17 days of August saw about 178 millimeter of rain, which is well above the average rainfall recorded in August. Weather in Ireland is undergoing a drastic change this summer.

The northern part of Ireland has experienced torrential rain in two successive weekends. Further rain and flooding on Monday worsen the weather condition in Ireland. The most affected areas on the Ireland map are Carlow Town, Limerick, Belfast and Dublin.

On Sunday, more than 100 people have been evacuated from their houses in Carlow Town, when overflowing river drowned the area. Traffic has been brought to a halt in Belfast, where highways have been flooded. The Broadway Underpass went under 20 feet deep water after the heavy rain during the last weekend.

Life in Ireland is totally disrupted due to the rainfall in past few days. The Ulster Grand Prix was cancelled on Saturday; soccer matches were abandoned—all due to bad weather condition prevailing in the region. On Saturday, a train was derailed on the Dublin-Cork line due to mud slide.

Authorities have rescued a number of people, who were trapped in their homes or cars. It is suspected that the changing weather pattern owing to global warming has caused this calamity in Ireland. Government is taking precautionary measures to cope with the bad weather in the country. New guidelines are being set to prevent flash flooding and coastal erosion. But, global warming is a big concern—if temperature on earth cannot be controlled, the day, when most of the islands and the coastal areas of the countries will be flooded, is not far away.

Storms are nothing new in the America map. There regular reports on various storms hitting especially the coastal regions. South Dakota faced a storm attack and huge loss of properties. Now Texas is facing another threat of these attacks. Edouard is the name of this expected devastating storm.
The meteorological department of Texas has warned the state government about an upcoming attack of Edouard in this very month of August. Louisiana and the eastern part of Texas is expected to be heavily damaged during this attack. Port O’Connor is one of the main coastal cities which are located in this region.
The origin of this storm has been point at the mouth of the Mississippi River. This place is about 390 miles away from the place called Galveston in Texas. At present the speed has been recorded as 5 miles per hour but the experts have expressed their worries saying that the storm may gain its strength as it enters the state.
2008 is going with a hectic pace as all these attacks are hampering the life in coastal USA. So the governments of these regions are in talks about relocating some of the important establishments which are based in these places. These calamities have also caused a frown in the face of various state governments as they are bringing huge blows to the agricultural development of the country.

South Dakota authorities are finally in a situation to assess the damage caused by the severe storm that hit the northeastern part of the state on Thursday night. The storm was accompanied by hail and heavy rain. The gusts in Grant County were 115 mph strong, and the winds at Aberdeen were a notch higher than the 100 mph mark, according to the reports of the National Weather Service.

 The level of devastation was clear by Friday morning. It was just impossible to go anywhere as almost all major roads of the region were blocked by trees uprooted by the storms. Aberdeen and Webster, among other Northeastern cities in South Dakota, were hit hard by the calamity. Branches and stems are still lying almost anywhere one cares to look. The Red Cross of Brown County is helping with the rehabilitation and cleaning up process.

Reportedly, fire broke out at several houses because of power lines that were downed by the storm. The power situation is dismal. Among the damages, a trailer home at Groton area was smashed to bits, and roofs of several other buildings were blown off. An old school gym was completely razed at Columbia in Brown County. Trees fell on the roofs of many houses and cars, bringing heavy loss of property. Forecasters say that strong wind and heavy thunderstorm may continue to recur for a few days.