Deadly flooding brings destruction to Sudan
The flooding has been an ongoing problem since June, and more than 146,000 people have been affected. More floods are possible in the coming weeks, AccuWeather forecasters say.
Devastating flooding ripped through portions of Sudan early this week, and with the peak of the rainiest season of the year underway, AccuWeather forecasters say more trouble may be on the horizon.
Flooding has been an ongoing issue in Sudan for the past several months. At least 83 people have been killed as a result of flash flooding in the northeastern African country since its rainy season began in June, according to The Associated Press.
In addition, dozens more have been injured in floods and more than 18,200 homes have been "completely destroyed," according to Brig. Gen. Abdul-Jalil Abdul-Rahim, a spokesperson for Sudan's National Council for Civil Defense.
More than 146,000 people have been affected by floods in Sudan since the start of the rainy season, according to the United Nations.
On Sunday, officials in Sudan declared a state of emergency for flood disasters and damage in six of the country's 18 states. Heavy rainfall continued to pound portions of the country early this week and images of destruction began to emerge.
Buildings crumbled in the wake of crushing floodwater as some residents had belongings ruined or completely swept away.
"The floods were very heavy and instantly filled the streets of the neighborhood," Seifeddine Soliman, a resident of Makaylab village, told AFP.
Once floodwaters began to recede, images from destroyed neighborhoods showed residents sifting through collapsed bricks and swaths of mud in order to salvage anything the floodwaters had left behind.
AccuWeather forecasters say both the frequency and intensity of rainfall events have been elevated this summer in Sudan, and that has led to devastating flooding.
"It has been a much wetter-than-normal rainy season across Sudan, especially in the harder-hit regions of River Nile, White Nile, West Kordofan and South Kordofan," AccuWeather Senior Meteorologist and Lead International Forecaster Jason Nicholls said.
The unusual level of rainfall is likely due to an important teleconnection: La Niña.
"A big factor in the wet season has to be the persistent La Niña which normally favors wetter-than-normal conditions in Sudan during the June to September period," Nicholls explained.
With La Niña forecast to retain a strong hold on the general weather pattern, bouts of torrential downpours and additional flooding concerns are likely to continue across Sudan.
"Areas of heavy rain and additional flooding should remain a concern well into September," Nicholls cautioned.
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