The most powerful storm to hit the United States in more than a decade has led to at least 20 deaths, left parts of Texas and Louisiana submerged by floodwater and caused billions of dollars in damage. At one point a Category 4 hurricane, Tropical Storm Harvey has drawn international attention and an outpouring of support from around the globe.
Elsewhere in the world, similar disasters have recently claimed thousands of lives and continue to threaten millions of people’s livelihoods.
Extreme flooding in South Asia has killed more than 1,200 people and forced millions to flee their homes, BuzzFeed News and Al Jazeera point out.
Over 1.7 million people have lost land, livestock or other property in Nepal alone, where the human death toll has surpassed 140. In northern Bangladesh, powerful flooding has killed at least 130 people, displaced millions and stranded many islanders who have been cut off from the mainland.
Mumbai, India, has endured torrential rains and its worst flooding in more than a decade this week, leaving at least three individuals dead and people wading through waist-deep water in the streets. The downpour could expose thousands to water-borne diseases, experts warn.
The number of disaster-related deaths in the flood-ravaged state of Bihar, India, had reportedly passed 500 as of Tuesday.
The rains have been falling in the Middle East and Africa as well.
In Yemen, monsoon rainfall and flooding had killed at least 18 people as of Wednesday. Dozens more are reported missing in the war-torn country, where floodwaters have risen to a staggering 12 feet in some areas.
Officials in Sierra Leone estimate that recent flooding and mudslides may have claimed more than 1,000 lives there. Some 450 deaths have been confirmed, and rescuers doubt that many of the 600 missing people will have survived. The disaster struck the capital city of Freetown on Aug. 14, uprooting trees and destroying many hillside houses.
The following photos offer a glimpse of the devastation caused by recent and ongoing flooding in parts of Asia and Africa.
Related
Before You Go
