December 10, 2015

December saw flooding in several parts of the world, with separate weather events inundating portions of the United Kingdom and Ireland, southeast India, and the United States Pacific Northwest.

A woman collects drinking water at a residential area flooded with rainwater in Chennai, India, on Dec. 6, 2015. Credit: © Arun Sankar K, AP Photo

Early in the month, Storm Desmond set a record for 24-hour rainfall in the United Kingdom, dropping 13.4 inches (341 millimeters) in the northwestern county of Cumbria on December 5. Desmond was a type of large, swirling windstorm called an extratropical cyclone. The storm pushed an atmospheric river—a channel of intense moisture in the air—over the region, causing heavy flooding in parts of northern England, northern Wales, and southern Scotland, as well as central Ireland. The floods damaged thousands of homes and killed two people.

The city of Chennai, in southeast India, received 15.6 inches (397 millimeters) of rain over a two-day period in early December. The drenching followed a record-setting November that produced 47.1 inches (1196 millimeters) of total rainfall. The rains caused flooding throughout the state of Tamil Nadu, causing the deaths of more than 200 people and forcing thousands of others from their homes.

In the United States, both Portland, Oregon, and Seattle, Washington, received a month’s worth of rain over just a few days in early December. Heavy rains led to mudslides, sinkholes, and flooding in the Pacific Northwest, leaving thousands of homes without electric power and killing two people.

Additional World Book articles:

• Heavy Rains Trigger Massive Flooding in Australia – A Behind the Headlines article
• Storm Triggers Massive Flooding Along Australia’s East Coast – A Behind the Headlines article
• Worst Flood Ever in Alberta, Canada – A Behind the Headlines article
• Unprecedented Weather Extremes Reported – A Behind the Headlines article
• Study Links Global Warming to Some Extreme Weather Events – A Behind the Headlines article
• “Biblical” Rains Across Colorado’s Front Range – A Behind the Headlines article
• Florida Sinkhole Swallows Resort Villa – A Behind the Headlines article
• Florida Sinkhole Eats Boat and Swimming Pool – A Behind the Headlines article
• Death Toll Rises from Massive Landslide in Washington State – A Behind the Headlines article
• Storms Kill 31 in Southern states of U.S. and Mexico – A Behind the Headlines article
• Historic Flooding in South Carolina – A Behind the Headlines article

Tags: flood, mudslide, natural disaster, sinkhole