· October, 2011

Stories about Disaster from October, 2011

Macedonia: Lead Smelting Factory Problem in Veles

  31 October 2011

Jovan Petrov provides an overview of the problem with the lead and zync smelting factory in Veles, after the court rejected a suit against the state from the municipality and local NGOs, demanding cleaning of pollution which will affect “10 generations to come” in this impoverished community.

Thailand: Floods and Social Media

  30 October 2011

Many parts of Thailand are still flooded as the country continues to face the worst flooding disaster in the past half century. But some bloggers believe the flooding disaster has been exaggerated by the media - social media in particular.

Thailand: Burmese Workers Arrested Outside Flood Zones

  26 October 2011

Mahn Saimon reports that Burmese workers who are escaping the floods of Thailand are being arrested by Thai police forces for travelling outside of their permitted zones. There are three million Burmese migrants in Thailand which is currently experiencing the worst floods in half a century.

Cambodia: Worst Flooding in a Decade

  24 October 2011

Cambodia is experiencing the worst flooding in a decade. The government reports that almost a half a million hectares of rice paddies were destroyed by the floods, which could affect food security in the region. Here are more reports about the disaster.

Videos: Central America Under Water

  20 October 2011

The tropical depression 12-E over Central America has brought torrential downpours and rains for days on end, causing flooding, closing roads and highways and displacing people. This post shows the effects of the rainfall through several Central American countries.

Thailand: Flood Maps and Disaster Monitoring Tools

  18 October 2011

In an earlier post, Global Voices featured some of the online maps which were created to monitor the floods in Thailand. The flood disaster is already the worst that ever hit the country. Here are other useful online maps, twitter reports, and disaster monitoring tools that provide information about the floods

Pakistan: A Daughter's Plea To Free Her Father From Pirates

  17 October 2011

On 26 November 2010 MV Albedo, a Malaysian commercial ship was hijacked by the Somali pirates and its 23 crews including 7 Pakistanis have been held hostage ever since. Nareman Jawaid, the daughter of the Pakistani captain of the ship is trying her best via blog and Facebook to raise...

El Salvador: Communities Severely Affected by Flooding

  13 October 2011

Voices from El Salvador is reporting on the consequences of severe weather in El Salvador: “Over 4000 people have been evacuated from their homes in San Salvador, La Paz, San Vicente, Sonsonate, and Usulután, and the risk of more flooding and landslides remains high.” They are also posting pictures on...

El Salvador Hit by Heavy Rains, Flooding and Landslides

  12 October 2011

Tim's El Salvador Blog reports that “Heavy rains, caused by a tropical depression off the Pacific coast have caused flooding and landslides in various parts of El Salvador. School has been suspended in 8 of the country's 14 departments. The weather system has left 18 people dead across Central America,...

Mapping the Thailand Flooding Disaster

  9 October 2011

252 people have already died in Thailand due to more than two months of heavy rains. Many parts of Bangkok, the country’s capital, are already submerged in floodwaters. Online maps have been created to monitor the floods and inform the public on the extent of the flooding disaster.

Colombia: First National Evacuation Simulation

  6 October 2011

Fourteen Colombian cities participated in an exercise of simulating a national evacuation on October 5. The idea was to simulate an emergency (an earthquake) and build awareness of the steps people should assume in the event of an actual emergency.