Heavy rains hit Manila, killing at least 9

MANILA, Philippines – Relentless rains submerged half of the sprawling Philippine capital, triggered a landslide that killed nine people and sent emergency crews scrambling Tuesday to rescue tens of thousands of residents who called media outlets pleading for help.

By Aaron Favila, AP

A man carries a girl on his shoulders as they cross a flooded area in Quezon City, north of Manila.

By Aaron Favila, AP

A man carries a girl on his shoulders as they cross a flooded area in Quezon City, north of Manila.

The deluge, the worst since 2009 when hundreds died in rampaging flash floods, was set off by the seasonal monsoon that overflowed major dams and rivers in Manila and surrounding provinces.

The capital and other parts of the country already were saturated from last week's Typhoon Saola, which battered Manila and the north for several days before blowing away Friday. That storm was responsible for at least 53 deaths.

"It's like a water world," said Benito Ramos, head of the government's disaster response agency. He said the rains flooded 50 percent of metropolitan Manila on Monday evening, and about 30 percent remained under waist- or neck-deep waters Tuesday.

He urged residents in areas prone to landslides and floods to stay in evacuation centers. Because the soil is saturated, even a little rain could be dangerous, he added.

"Now that it's getting dark, I would like to repeat, if the rains are heavy you should be at the evacuation centers," he said, warning that rescue operations are more difficult at night and could put responders at risk.

Manila's weather bureau said a tropical storm off eastern China had intensified monsoon rains in the Philippines, which were forecast to last until Thursday.

In Manila's suburban Quezon City, a landslide hit a row of shanties perched below a hill, burying nine people, according to Ramos.

Army troops and police dug frantically to save those buried, including four children, as surviving relatives and neighbors wept. All the victims were recovered, some whose bodies were found near an entombed shanty's door as they apparently tried to flee.

"My wife, children and grandchild are down there," a drenched Jessie Bailon told The Associated Press while watching rescuers dig into a muddy mound where his shanty once stood.

National police chief Nicanor Bartolome went to the scene and ordered all other slum dwellers to be evacuated from the still-soggy area.

TV footage showed rescuers dangling on ropes to bring children and other residents to safety from flooded houses across the city. Many residents trapped in their homes called radio and TV stations desperately asking for help.

"We need to be rescued," Josephine Cruz told DZMM radio as water rose around her house in Quezon City, saying she was trapped in her two-story house with 11 other people, including her 83-year-old mother. "We can't get out because the floodwaters are now higher than people."

ABC-CBN TV network reported receiving frantic calls from people whose relatives were trapped in the deluge, many without food since Tuesday morning. They included a pregnant woman with a baby who wanted to be rescued from a roof and about 55 people who scrambled to the third floor of a Quezon city house as water rose below them.

Vehicles and even heavy trucks struggled to navigate water-clogged roads, where hundreds of thousands of commuters were stranded. Many cars were stuck in the muddy waters.

The government suspended work and classes Tuesday and Wednesday. Some shopping malls opened with limited grocery supplies that were quickly picked up by shoppers waiting in long lines.

The La Mesa dam, which supplies water to the capital of 12 million people, spilled excess water early Tuesday into the rivers flowing into Quezon City, as well as the neighborhoods of Malabon, Valenzuela and Caloocan, where several villages were submerged.

Along the swollen Marikina River, nearly 20,000 residents have been moved away from the riverbanks but many others asked to be rescued. Mayor Del de Guzman pleaded for patience and said overwhelmed rescue teams would try to reach everyone.

President Benigno Aquino III called an emergency meeting of Cabinet officials and disaster-response agencies. He ordered officials to make sure all residents were accounted for in flooded villages and discussed how flooded hospitals could be helped in case they were hit by power outages.

The Philippine Stock Exchange in the flooded financial district of Makati was closed. Also closed was the U.S. Embassy along Manila Bay in the historic old city, which was flooded last week when a storm surge pushed the water over the seawall.

In 2009, massive flooding spawned by a typhoon devastated Manila and surrounding areas, killing hundreds. The state weather bureau said that the current flooding was not as severe and that the weather may start to improve later this week.

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Naples braces for flooding after heavy rains (AP)

ROME – The mayor of Naples ordered a much-awaited soccer match scrapped Sunday for fear tens of thousands of fans could be trapped by flooding, while in northern Italy authorities closely monitored the rain-swollen Po river.

Luigi De Magistris said he ordered the Serie A match between Napoli and Juventus postponed to some later date, partly because the field was already soggy, but mainly because of concern some 65,000 fans could be trapped in flooding or cause traffic problems as they drove to or from the stadium.

The sprawling outdoor ruins of ancient Pompeii on the outskirts of Naples were temporarily closed for fear of flooding, but later were reopened to tourists, authorities said.

The area has been pounded by torrential rain that has already claimed one life. Near the Naples suburb of Pozzuoli, a tree fell on a car, killing the driver, local fire chief Giovanni Fricano told Sky TG24.

Much of Italy, especially the northwest, has been pummeled by heavy rains and flooding over the last two weeks. The latest worry in the north concerned the Po river, the waters of which swelled from two rain fed-tributaries, the head of Italy's Civil Protection agency, Franco Gabrielli said. He told reporters that Sunday evening could be a crucial time for the Po's level, if the rain becomes heavier.

A bridge across a Po tributary, the Pellice stream, in the countryside outside Turin, collapsed Sunday as waters rushed through, the Italian news agency ANSA said. No injuries were reported.

Flash flooding in the center of Genoa, on the Liguria sea, killed six people Friday, including several people who took shelter in a doorway along a major street when flood waters came barreling down on them.

Elsewhere in northwestern Italy, hillside towns in the Cinque Terre tourist area were still shoveling out from tons of mud from earlier flooding that claimed nine lives in Liguria and Tuscany.

Much of largely mountainous Italy is geologically fragile, as people build homes on the slopes of hillsides, leaving them vulnerable for mudslides.

In neighboring France, 11 regions were on alert Sunday after heavy rains in the touristic Var and Alpes-Maritime regions swelled rivers and left some towns under water, forcing hundreds to evacuate.

According to the Var prefecture, at least 750 people were evacuated from flooded areas in the coastal towns of Frejus, Roquebrune and in Tourves, inland north of Toulon.

The heavy rain was marching westward toward the Atlantic, putting the Pyrenees region on alert.

At least one flood-related death has been reported in France. The body of a man was found Saturday morning on a riverbank in Lezignan-la-Cebe in the Herault region. Officials there said the victim was likely a homeless German who lived in a van and was reported missing Friday.

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Heavy rains kill at least 66 in Central America (AP)

SAN SALVADOR, El Salvador – Central American authorities said on Sunday that at least 66 people had died in six days of heavy rains that caused landslides, floods and bridge failures throughout the region. Officials ordered evacuations as the rain was expected to continue.

El Salvador's director of civil protection, Jorge Melendez, said in a news conference that at least 24 people had died in the country, most of them buried in their houses by landslides.

The country is in a state of alert and preparing for "major disasters," Melendez said.

Authorities were evacuating people from the area around a volcano near the capital of San Salvador, where hundreds died in landslides in 1982.

Melendez said flooding had closed a major highway in the country's west and destroyed a bridge. In the eastern state of San Miguel, water overflowed from the Rio Grande river and had inundated large expanses of farmlands.

He said Sunday morning that the rain was expected to remain heavy for 24 hours and possibly continue until Wednesday. He said El Salvador had seen 7.9 inches (200 millimeters) of rain in the previous 12 hours.

Guatemalan officials confirmed 28 deaths in their country, adding that two more people were missing and that rain was expected for two more days. Guatemalan President Alvaro Colom declared a state of emergency that would be sent for approval to the congress Monday.

In Honduras, officials tallied at least nine deaths and the damaging of 2,500 homes, eight bridges and 29 roads.

"The worst is yet to come," said Rodolfo Funez, deputy director of the country's emergency commission.

Officials in Nicaragua said five people had died there with the rain abating somewhat.

___

Associated Press writers Sonia Perez in Guatemala, Freddy Cuevas in Honduras and Filadelfo Aleman in Nicaragua contributed to this story.

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Central America death toll at 45 from heavy rains (Reuters)

TEGUCIGALPA (Reuters) – Torrential rain in Central America this week that forced thousands to abandon their homes and trapped many more has killed at least 45 people, with Guatemala the worst hit, authorities said on Saturday.

A tropical depression hit the region early on Wednesday, causing flooding, mudslides and lightning strikes in the chain of countries between Mexico and South America. Many areas were cut off as the rain inundated villages and clogged roads.

The destructive weather system that bore down from the Pacific killed 22 in Guatemala, and nine in Honduras, two of whom were struck by lightning, emergency services said.

Hundreds were stranded on the roofs of their homes in Honduras, especially in the southern regions of Choluteca and Valle, local emergency officials said.

In El Salvador, where seven people were killed, President Mauricio Funes declared a state of emergency. At least seven others died and thousands more were evacuated in Nicaragua.

No deaths were reported in Costa Rica, although dozens of families were evacuated from communities on the Pacific coast and the capital, San Jose.

Strong rain continued to fall in parts of Honduras and Guatemala on Saturday, while precipitation was easing in Nicaragua, El Salvador and Costa Rica.

At least four people also died in Mexico earlier in the week when Category 2 Hurricane Jova struck from the Pacific, forcing the country's busiest port to close. The main cargo port of Manzanillo later reopened.

(Reporting by Gustavo Palencia in Tegicugalpa, Nelson Renteria in San Salvador, Mike McDonald in Guatemala City, Ivan Castro in Managua and Alex Leff in San Jose; Editing by Peter Cooney)

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Heavy rains hammer Central America; 36 dead (AP)

SAN SALVADOR, El Salvador – Heavy rains generated by a low-pressure system hammered Central America for a third day Friday, putting officials on alert in countries where mudslides and swollen rivers have already killed 36 people.

At least 21 people have been killed in Guatemala and thousands of others were evacuated or saw their homes destroyed by the incessant downpours.

In El Salvador, rivers have overflowed their banks, destroying villages and prompting an evacuation of about 4,000 people from their homes, the country's disaster management office said in a statement Friday.

In Honduras, six people have been killed in floods and the roads connecting the nation to Guatemala have been destroyed. Other communities have been left isolated by the floods. In Nicaragua, four people have died this week.

The system is expected to hover over the region for the next couple of days, generating more rainfall, said the U.S. National Hurricane Center in Miami, Florida.

Meanwhile, Tropical Storm Irwin was weakening and drifting away from Mexico in the Pacific, three days after Hurricane Jova slammed into the same coast, killing six people.

Irwin's maximum sustained winds as of Friday afternoon were near 45 mph (75 kph), and the storm could begin weakening on Saturday, the hurricane center said.

Irwin was centered about 165 miles (265 kilometers) west of Manzanillo, Mexico, and moving south-southeast at about 2 mph (4 kph).

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Heavy rain drenches parts of Nebraska and Iowa (Reuters)

OMAHA, Neb (Reuters) – Heavy rain and severe thunderstorms overnight drenched parts of eastern Nebraska and western Iowa, causing neighborhood flooding on Monday.

Torrential rainfall pummeled areas around Omaha, with two to four-and-a-half inches of water creating additional flooding in communities near the already swollen Missouri River.

In Council Bluffs, Iowa, several residents had to be rescued by National Guard personnel using high-water vehicles. Several structures in the area collapsed during flash flooding, and the National Guard rescued children and a driver from a stranded school bus, officials said.

Local flooding was receding, but more showers and thunderstorms could move through later in the day, said National Weather Service meteorologist Barbara Mayes.

Across the country in Pennsylvania, communities near State College and Harrisburg were cleaning up from two severe storms that swept through the region on Sunday, knocking down trees, causing power outages and ripping the facade off some downtown buildings, according to the Weather Service.

Heavy rain, hail and wind battered Delaware, eastern Pennsylvania and parts of New Jersey on Sunday, said Weather Service meteorologist Valerie Meola.

The Philadelphia metropolitan area was drying out from a soggy night. While some parts of the city barely felt a drop, just a few miles away areas were hit with more than two inches of rain in a 24-hour period, she said.

This month will rank as the wettest August on record in the city with 13 inches of rainfall so far, Weather Service forecasters said.

In Whitehall Township, an Allentown suburb, wind and rain brought down tree limbs and power lines. Beth Hanna, a bakery manager, said she saw downed branches everywhere on her way to work.

"I'm talking big limbs here, like almost the size of a tree," she said.

Wind damage from the weekend storm caused minor damage to the commissary roof at Dover Air Force Base in Delaware, spokesman Brett Kangas said.

In Monmouth County, New Jersey, some roads near the Manasquan River remained closed on Monday due to flooding, county spokeswoman Laura Kirkpatrick said.

In parts of Oklahoma, Texas, Arkansas and Louisiana this week temperatures will hover again in the low 100s with heat indexes climbing higher.

Parts of all four states are under heat advisories, according to the Weather Service.

Weather experts are keeping a close eye on Hurricane Irene, expected to strike the southeastern part of the country later this week.

Irene strengthened into the season's first hurricane while it slammed Puerto Rico on Monday, according to AccuWeather.com.

(Writing by Lauren Keiper; Additional reporting by David Hendee in Omaha, Kay Henderson in Iowa and Dave Warner in Philadelphia; Editing by Ellen Wulfhorst and Jerry Norton)

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Tropical Storms, Heavy Rains Avoiding United States (ContributorNetwork)

Tropical storms and hurricanes in 2011 will be harbingers of good and bad things when and if they make landfall in the United States. There are severe droughts throughout the southern portion of the contiguous 48 states. Yet none of the named storms has made a dent in rainfall totals as of Sunday.

The National Hurricane Center predicted warmer than normal ocean temperatures in the Atlantic will have a higher-than-normal total of named storms and big hurricanes. Tropical Storm Don made landfall along the Texas-Mexico border but only brought an inch of rain or less to the area. The next system, Tropical Storm Emily, doused the Haiti and the Dominican Republic but then steered eastward of Florida and headed back out to sea.

By now, at least one hurricane usually forms by this time of year. Instead we've gotten just five tropical storms. The next two weeks will let forecasters know if their predictions will be true. In 2005, Hurricane Katrina made landfall in late August. Another monster storm, Hurricane Hugo , came ashore in mid-September of 1989.

Experts predicted at least three major hurricanes, up to 18 named storms and as many as seven to 10 hurricanes. The Los Angeles Times reports the initial prediction of six to 10 hurricanes was recently raised by one. Apparently the weather pattern is ripe for storm formation, but the strong ridge of high pressure over the central United States may help spin hurricanes away from land.

Upper level air is the key to steering massive storms. They can help keep storms together or make them fall apart. If there is a huge dome of high and dry air dominating the atmosphere, a smaller low pressure system from the tropics may not be able to penetrate the large mass of air.

It's like a golf ball trying to move a bowling ball. It's not going to happen until the current system of heat moves away from the central United States in order to let moisture inland. The key to the shift will be the jet stream. Finally, some cooler air from Canada will make its way south by Aug. 10. The Weather Channel states the dome of hot air will retreat back to the southwest temporarily due to the shift and possibly bring some rain to parts of Missouri, Illinois and Indiana.

Unfortunately, Texas and Oklahoma will continue to bake. Tropical systems will be spun away from where moisture is needed most. Nothing will happen until the hot pattern completely dissipates, which may not occur until September. After that, get ready for some nasty hurricanes that might invade the southern United States.

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Heavy rain floods part of east Australia; 2K flee (AP)

SYDNEY – Heavy rain has caused flooding in eastern Australia that has forced 2,000 people to leave their homes and isolated thousands of other residents.

Michael Gallacher, the emergency services minister for New South Wales, declared some northern parts of the state disaster areas Wednesday. Heavy rain has fallen for three days and more was expected overnight.

Greg Gill of New South Wales emergency services described flooded areas as "just a sea of water" and said 10,000 people were isolated. Many roads are impassable, and swollen rivers are still rising.

Police reported one death, a driver killed when a tree fell and struck his car Wednesday morning.

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