Latest news with #Survivors
Forbes
13-07-2025
- Climate
- Forbes
Texas Flood Raises Leadership Questions
Water Rescue crew on site searching for survivors after dangerous Flooding Aerial drone views high ... More above Flooding caused by Climate Change leaving entire neighborhood underwater and houses completely under water , boat with water rescue searching for people stuck in their flooded homes With our hearts still heavy as we watch the ongoing epic disaster in central Texas – the flooding and rampaging Guadalupe River – it is not too early to ask the tough questions, even though we still wipe the tears of empathy that make us human. Although this is clearly not the time for political opportunism or claws-out defense – and shame on any of us who engage in it now – it is highly appropriate, actually necessary, to set ourselves on that path when the time comes. We can wait no longer. As of this writing, 129 deaths have been confirmed with the count of the missing topping 170. Many of them were innocent children or teens with the entire 21st century – if not more – in front of them. Gone. But this is not the first time the Guadalupe River has swollen, created damage, and claimed lives. Same thing for so many other sites around the country, Simple as this next question is, it's the first e must answer Why rebuild? Why do we insist on rebuilding where tragedy will surely strike again? Here's an indisputable lesson we've been given by The Netherlands – over and over again. Had we listened and acted 72 years ago, weld likely be free of the anguish of this past week – and hundreds more like it. The Disaster of 1953 and Its Lessons On January 31, 1953, an unusually angry and massive storm arose from the North Sea, striking the southwest region of The Netherlands. For two full days, that area of the country suffered a beating like never before or since. One-third of the country lies below sea level and this is it. Here was the toll (The Netherlands' population was 10,3 million, packed into an area about the size of New Jersey). Losses When all was said and done, 9% of the total land area was flooded, 47,000 buildings were damaged and 10,000 were totally destroyed. More than 30,000 livestock perished and worst of all was the human toll: 70,000 evacuations and 1,836 killed. The scope! Disaster Lesson #1 Don't rebuild. Mother Nature will rage again, for sure. Since the Dutch disaster 72 years ago, 51 category 3, 4, and 5 hurricanes have made landfall in the U.S. – and we have rebuilt after every single one. Countless other storms, not only hurricanes, fill out this picture, The Dutch? Once was enough, thank you, and that land, now bolstered by dikes, has been used for grazing and research. It is also environmentally kind. No more losses, no more deaths. Disaster Lesson #2 Prevent all future disasters No sooner than the Dutch reached the decision not to rebuild, they thought long into the future to envision what would be the most the most extensive, most elaborate engineering project in human history: The Delta Works, a series of locks, sluices, levees, and other wonders that actually control Mother Nature when she gets upset, Nothing kike ever did or likely will equate. And to round out the future vision of this project, planning and construction of it is still going on. Take some time to research it if you can't visit it like I did years ago. Leadership Lessons And so, as we continue to grieve collectively, it is not too early to ask these questions and be willing to learn these lessons
Al Jazeera
11-07-2025
- Politics
- Al Jazeera
Reliving History: How the Srebrenica genocide unfolded 30 years ago today
Editor's note: Today, on the 30th anniversary of the Srebrenica genocide, we're taking you back to July 11, 1995, for a realtime account of how this tragic day unfolded. Follow our coverage throughout the day as we relive the chaos, confusion, and heartbreak that marked the beginning of one of Europe's darkest chapters — the systematic separation and execution of more than 8,000 Bosniak men and boys. Our team weaves together archival news reports, survivor testimonies, and court records to build a gripping, hour-by-hour narrative. Experience the fear and desperation inside the besieged enclave, hear the voices of those who lived through it, and see the events as they happened.
Japan Times
08-07-2025
- Climate
- Japan Times
More than 160 people still missing days after deadly Texas floods
More than 160 people remain unaccounted for after devastating floods in Texas, the state governor said Tuesday, marking a dramatic increase in the number of missing from a tragedy that has so far claimed 109 lives. Four days after flash floods roared through several Texas counties, some in the middle of the night, hopes of finding survivors were fading — and Governor Greg Abbott warned that the list of those unaccounted for could rise further as the grim search continues. "Just in the Kerr County area alone, there are 161 people who are known to be missing," he told reporters. "There very likely could be more added to that list," he said, adding that the figure was based on people reported as unaccounted for by friends, relatives and neighbors. Kerr County, part of a central Texas region known as "Flash Flood Alley," suffered the most damage, with at least 94 fatalities. That includes at least 27 girls and counselors who were staying at a youth summer camp on the Guadalupe River when it burst its banks as the Fourth of July holiday began in the early hours of Friday. Torrents of water swept through the camp, scouring cabins as hundreds of people slept. Five campers and one counselor were still missing as of Tuesday evening, according to Abbot, as well as another child not associated with the camp. "There's nothing more important in our hearts and minds than the people of this community, especially those who are still lost," Abbot said. Elsewhere in the state, there have been at least 15 fatalities recorded so far, the governor added. Ben Baker with the Texas Game Wardens said search and rescue efforts involving helicopters, drones and dogs were extremely difficult because of the water and mud. "When we're trying to make these recoveries, these large piles can be very obstructive, and to get in deep into these piles, it's very hazardous," Baker said. "It's extremely treacherous, time-consuming. It's dirty work, the water is still there." In the town of Hunt, the epicenter of the disaster, recovery workers combed through piles of debris with helicopters flying overhead. Javier Torres, 24, was digging through mud as he searched for the body of his grandmother, after having located the remains of his grandfather. He also discovered the bodies of two children, apparently washed up by the river. Officials warned of more heavy rain ahead that could affect the search — though Baker said it "won't deter" the efforts. President Donald Trump is due to travel to Texas with First Lady Melania Trump on Friday, and credited his strong ties with Abbott, a Republican, as having helped the rescue effort. "We brought in a lot of helicopters from all over... They were real pros, and they were responsible for pulling out a lot of people. And we got them there fast, and Texas had some good ones too, but the response has been incredible," Trump said. Meanwhile, questions intensified over whether Trump's government funding cuts had weakened warning systems, and over the handling of the rescue operation. During an at-times tense news conference, Baker skirted a question on the speed of the emergency response. "Right now, this team up here is focused on bringing people home," he said. Shel Winkley, a weather expert at the Climate Central research group, blamed the extent of the disaster on geography and exceptional drought, when dry soil absorbs less rainfall. "This part of Texas, at least in the Kerr County flood specifically, was in an extreme to exceptional drought... We know that since May, temperatures have been above average," Winkley told reporters. The organization's media director, Tom Di Liberto, said staffing shortages at the National Weather Service had contributed to the disaster. "You can't necessarily replace that experience," he said.
Wall Street Journal
08-07-2025
- Climate
- Wall Street Journal
Search and Rescue Teams Continue Looking for Survivors of Texas Floods
Search and Rescue Teams Continue Looking for Survivors of Texas Floods Rescue efforts continued days after flash floods devastated regions of central Texas. More than 100 people were killed, officials said, and several remain missing. Photo: Ashley Landis/Associated Press
CTV News
07-07-2025
- CTV News
Rape conviction for father of Colombian kids rescued in jungle
FILE - Manuel Ranoque, the father of two of the youngest Indigenous children who survived an Amazon plane crash, gives an interview in Bogota, Colombia, June 14, 2023. (AP Photo/Fernando Vergara, File) BOGOTA, Colombia — The father of two of the four Indigenous children who survived 40 days in the Amazon after a 2023 plane crash was convicted of raping a minor, a Colombian prosecution official told AFP on Monday. The official said Manuel Ranoque, who risks 20 years in prison, will be sentenced in the coming days. The siblings -- aged one to 13 at the time -- were the only survivors of a jungle plane crash in May 2023 that killed the three adults onboard, including their mother. The search for the kids captivated the world. The oldest daughter was credited with keeping her siblings alive until their spectacular rescue some three miles (five kilometres) from the crash site. The children's survival and the dramatic rescue effort involving soldiers and Indigenous trackers is the subject of books, movies, and a Netflix documentary. Ranoque was instrumental in the search operation, but was arrested a few months after the children were found alive and well. He is the father of the two youngest of the four children, and stepfather to the other two.
