Weekend Disaster Briefs

Shortstack: Meteorological, Geologic and Public Health

Disaster Briefs

Disaster Briefs are your semi-regular summaries and headlines from around the world about natural and man-made disasters, climate change, disease and health, and international conflict. See endnotes for resources used in putting this report together. Data is retrieved, analyzed and summarized on the day of publication unless otherwise noted.

After the final data for 2024 is complete, I will publish a comprehensive analysis and report on the year’s major meteorologic, geologic, and public health disasters for the year.

Meteorological/Climatological

Tropical Storm Sara caused (and is still causing) widespread flooding as it moves across the Yucatan Peninsula at a snail’s pace, with expected rainfall totaling more than 30” of rain in some areas. Sara is expected to re-enter the Gulf of Mexico by Tuesday and strengthen it heads W/NW toward Florida.

More than half-a-million people have been evacuated in the Philippines in anticipation of Super Typhoon Pepito (Man-yi). With top winds recorded at 240 km/h (160 mph), Pepito is the strength of a Category 5 hurricane on the Saffir-Simpson scale. Pepito/Man-yi underwent rapid intensification on Friday, jumping from a tropical storm early Friday morning to a super typhoon early Saturday. The increase of 55 mph in 24 hours well exceeds the definition of rapid intensification, which is 35 mph in 24 hours.

Hurricane season officially ends November 30.

Eastern Ukraine’s drought entered its eighth month this week, which continues to exacerbate issues for the nation as they also fight the Russian invasion.