Understand why Storm Daniel caused such devastating flooding in Libya
O Fantastic illustrates why this flood reached such devastating proportions in the country. In this report you will see:
- The breach of dams;
- Limited access to drinking water;
- The problem of warming of the Mediterranean;
- The lack of local preparation and education;
- The political and humanitarian situation in Libya;
- And what about foreign aid?
Storm Daniel hit Libya in North Africa with strong winds and rain, bringing the equivalent of a year’s worth of rainfall in just 24 hours, which is expected for the entire year. But the greatest tragedy was yet to come: Two dams burst, 30 million cubic meters of water poured into the coastal city and caused significant destruction. Many people have been surprised while sleeping.
Shocking images show the destruction, with desperate screams, houses, entire buildings and cars swept away by the water. Some vehicles were swallowed and many were piled up on the edge of the sea becoming a large cemetery.
1 of 5 Car graveyard after floods in Libya — Photo: Reproduction/TV Globo Car graveyard after floods in Libya — Photo: Reproduction/TV Globo
Limited access to drinking water
The NAThe coastal city with 100,000 inhabitants was particularly affected. A third of the city is homeless, with limited access to drinking water and more than 11,000 people died a number expected to rise sharply with 10,000 still missing.
2 of 5 Derna, hit by floods in Libya — Photo: Reproduction/TV Globo Derna, hit by floods in Libya — Photo: Reproduction/TV Globo
Warming of the Mediterranean
A study about the U.N. points out that the temperature in the Mediterranean is warming 20% faster than the global averagecausing increasingly heavy rains, alternating with longer periods of drought, and causing sea levels to rise endangering coastal towns like Derna.
Experts say warming waters have caused the storm to gain strength.
“The temperature in the Mediterranean was very hot, 27.5 degrees. When the Mediterranean Sea is very hot, there is a large evaporation of water, and this large evaporation of water rises in the cyclone and turns into a cloud, which turns into very intense rain. “That’s exactly what happened,” explains researcher at USP’s Institute of Advanced Studies, Carlos Nobre.
Lack of preparation and training
Libyan authorities said they had warned of the storm’s arrival, but it is not certain whether residents were asked to leave their homes, and no one had predicted that the two dams at the top of the hill could not handle the pressure of so much water would withstand.
In poor condition and without maintenance since 2002, they allowed a violent flood that destroyed more than 20% of the city. Survivors described 7 meter waves who swallowed everything that came their way. Satellite images show the period before and after the tragedy (see below).
3 of 5 Tragedy in Libya: Before and after the floods — Photo: Reproduction/TV Globo Tragedy in Libya: Before and after the floods — Photo: Reproduction/TV Globo
Professor Carlos Nobre helped create the National Natural Disaster Monitoring and Alert Center of Brazil. He says most countries in the world now have similar systems, including Libya, and that identification of extreme weather events is usually accurate, but there is a lack of training for populations in risk areas.
“This training, this training, is still very lacking in most countries in the world,” he emphasizes.
Political and humanitarian situation in Libya
Canadian Matthew Brubacher is an expert on climate change in vulnerable countries like Libya and explains:
“Libya cannot have an integrated government strategy. They have no policy for water, for the energy transition or for climate change because they are constantly in crisis situations. The country has therefore not invested enough in preparing for the impacts of “climate change”.
4 out of 5 Dam failures and political instability: Understand what lies behind the tragedy caused by the floods in Libya Photo: Reproduction/TV Globo Dam failures and political instability: Understand what lies behind the tragedy caused by the floods in Libya Photo : Reproduction /TV Globo
The international community, including the United Nations and the WHO, offered help to Libya to deal with the aftermath of the storm. The UN pledged $10 million and the WHO sent medical supplies to 250,000 people.
5 out of 5 Libya receives foreign aid after floods — Photo: Reproduction/TV Globo Libya receives foreign aid after floods — Photo: Reproduction/TV Globo
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