Weekly Report on Natural Disasters #13. New Volcano Eruption in Iceland. Massive Floods. Tornadoes
Deadly Convective Storms in Mexico.
On May 24, a severe thunderstorm with heavy rain and hail struck the city of Puebla, the capital of the state of the same name. Within an hour and a half of the storm's fury, the city streets were covered with a thick layer of ice. In some areas, hail drifts reached a height of 1.6 feet. The storm caused damage to businesses and residential buildings and led to power outages. Strong winds felled trees and billboards, and hail shattered windows.
Torrential rains caused severe flooding, leading to traffic chaos in one district of the State of Mexico, Tlalpan.
A few days earlier, the country's severe weather resulted in human casualties. On May 22, during an election rally in the city of San Pedro Garza García, Nuevo León, a powerful gust of wind caused the stage structure to collapse. As a result, 9 people died, and 70 were hospitalized with various injuries.
On May 23, a tornado struck the northern part of Toluca, State of Mexico. It caused significant damage and led to the deaths of two people when a fence collapsed on them as they sought shelter from the rain. Another person, whose car was literally crushed by the fence, miraculously survived.
Devastating Flood in Armenia
On May 25, heavy rains caused the rivers Debed, Aghstev, and Tashir in Armenia to overflow, leading to the worst flooding in the Lori and Tavush regions since 1970. The flood claimed the lives of 4 people. Hundreds of people were evacuated from the flooded areas.
Severe Weather Outbreak in the USA
At least 23 people died as a result of severe weather that hit the central United States on May 25-26. Tornadoes, giant hail, and powerful winds caused widespread destruction and power outages for hundreds of thousands of residents.
A supercell caused a tornado in Mays County, Oklahoma, preliminarily rated EF-3, which claimed two lives.
In Arkansas, at least eight people died as five tornadoes struck the state. One of the tornadoes in Boone County was rated EF-3.
Kentucky Governor Andy Beshear reported destructive storms affecting nearly the entire state. One tornado traveled 40 miles, killing five people. More than 200,000 customers remained without electricity.
In eastern Missouri, giant hailstones up to 4 inches in diameter fell, and hurricane-force winds were recorded in St. Louis.
In Alabama, storms brought large hail and winds up to 79 mph. In Mountain Brook, a person died after a tree fell on a house.
Since May 24, five rare tornado emergency warnings were issued, highlighting the disaster's scale. In 2024, there have already been 14 such emergencies, more than typically occur in an entire year.
Tropical Storm Remal in Bangladesh and India
On May 26, Tropical Storm Remal struck the coasts of India and Bangladesh. Remal brought torrential rains, strong winds, storm surges, and flooding to much of Bangladesh and northeast India. The storm caused extensive damage in both countries, uprooting trees, turning roads into rivers, and leaving millions without electricity. In total, around 3.75 million people in India and Bangladesh were affected by the storm, with more than 1 million evacuated. The official death toll in both countries reached 54 people.
