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Over the next week, super heavy showers are set to hit the Indian subcontinent, especially in the states of Tamil Nadu, Kerala, South Interior Karnataka, Konkan and Goa, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Arunachal Pradesh, and Gujarat, the IMD (<keyword id="19963725" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Indian-Meteorological-Department" source="keywords" meta.keywordsubtype="org" meta.entityname="Indian Meteorological Department" meta.hostid="261" meta.entityid="Indian Meteorological Department">Indian Meteorological Department</keyword>) has predicted. Yesterday, India's financial capital, Mumbai was hit by a surprise, albeit hefty deluge of rain. Consequently, a yellow alert was issued for Thane, Pune, Palghar and other areas near to Mumbai. Between October 13-16, very heavy rainfalls are also expected in Kerala, Tamil Nadu, Andaman and Nicobar Islands, Gujarat and Andhra Pradesh. It's no secret that incessant rains also bring about significant economic damages. As seen very often in the past, a constant barrage of torrential rains can also quickly create a flood-like situation, which can wipe away houses, vehicles and everything that comes in its way. Per media reports, the average economic impact on India due to <keyword id="19912527" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="floods" source="keywords">floods</keyword> between 2011 and 2021 has been a staggering Rs 25,805 crore. Imagine this-your entire se is flooded. Water has seeped into everything—your walls, furniture, and even the plumbing. Without a <keyword id="22058670" type="General" weightage="100" keywordseo="home-insurance" source="keywords">home insurance</keyword>, you'll have to spend a hefty amount towards repairs and to get your life and home back on track. <h2>Getting your home insured</h2>So, if you are wondering how to protect your hard earned material but immovable assets like house, the answer is right in front of you- Home Insurance. Says Dilip Baba, Head of Commercial and Speciality Underwriting, Go Digit General Insurance, "People usually spend their entire life savings on purchasing a home. However, people rarely think about how to protect their investment. By investing in the safety of home insurance, you can enjoy peace of mind knowing that your property is covered in case of unforeseen events. With home insurance, you can opt for three types of coverage-structure, content and comprehensive. While structure simply insures the physical, immovable formation of your house (walls, roofs), content coverage goes a step ahead and takes care of damage caused to your movable items like furniture, electronics and other items due to natural calamities, theft and more, up to a certain limit. This can also include any valuable artwork or antiques, or additional installation like solar panels you might have at your home. A comprehensive home insurance brings together both structure and contents in its insurance ambit. Having a home insurance can not just protect you from natural calamities like floods, but also from unforeseen events like theft, fire and more. The annual premium of a home insurance policy can range between Rs 2,000 to Rs 10,000 depending on the type and extent of coverage taken. Before buying a policy, be sure to clarify whether it offers actual cash value, which considers depreciation, or replacement/reinstatement cost, which covers the full replacement without depreciation deductions. To be on the safe side, you can also choose additional covers like accidental death insurance, or rent coverage, if you lose out on rental income due to damage caused to your property. You can use the carpet area of your house to get a sense of your home insurance requirements. Other covers you can opt for include valuable contents (on agreed value basis under home contents cover), additional living expense cover, tenant liability insurance, among others. Says Amit Bhandari, Chief Technical Officer at Magma HDI General Insurance, "When selecting a policy, it’s crucial to assess the unique risks that your home may face, particularly if you live in an area susceptible to <keyword id="19922196" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="natural-disasters" source="keywords">natural disasters</keyword>. You should tailor your coverage to address these risks while considering premium reduction strategies, such as excluding unnecessary coverages".

Heavy rains to lash across the country between Oct 12-16, here's how you can insure your home from rain's fury

<ul class="summary-list"><li>At least 62 people have been killed in the worst flooding to hit Spain in decades.</li><li>Flash floods are becoming more common and more intense due to global warming.</li></ul>At least 62 people have been killed and many more are missing in the <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/spain-flooding-51-dead-in-valencia-region-economic-hub-2024-10">worst flooding to hit Spain in decades</a>.Torrential rain hit parts of the country on Tuesday, cutting off main roads, delaying flights, and damaging homes.The rain was the result of a weather phenomenon known as a cold drop, in which cold air moves over warm water.The warm air then rises rapidly, leading to the formation of huge cumulonimbus clouds capable of releasing violent downpours that can devastate towns and cities.Such extreme weather events have a huge human and economic cost — and scientists believe global warming, combined with the way humans have developed the natural landscape, will only make the problem worse.<h2 id="971184fb-8d33-48d1-979d-6445b6e539be">The cost of extreme weather</h2>Estimates for the economic costs of extreme weather and flooding vary, but many tend to agree that they are on the rise.According to the European Environment Agency, extreme weather in Europe caused economic losses of assets estimated at more than $800 billion between 1980 and 2023.Last year, a study by <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2023/oct/09/climate-crisis-cost-extreme-weather-damage-study">Victoria University of Wellington in New Zealand</a> said the damage caused by the climate crisis through extreme weather has cost $16 million an hour for the past 20 years.<a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.weforum.org/agenda/2023/01/extreme-weather-economic-cost-wef23/">The World Economic Forum</a> calculated that the cost of extreme events had increased nearly eight times globally, inflation-adjusted, since the 1970s.The impact of flash flooding can be particularly severe because, often, there is very little warning.<h2 id="8409be50-c212-466d-bbd2-62c416ac5204">Flash flooding in dry areas</h2>Flash floods are <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/what-is-flash-flood-warning-how-to-stay-safe-vermont-2023-7">different from regular flooding</a> because they develop quickly, in the span of a few hours or even minutes.They can be far more devastating in dry areas because parched soil tends to repel water rather than allow it to soak in.That means surges can result from as little as 10 millimeters in just one hour, according to a<a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" class="c-link" href="https://affiliate.insider.com?h=3735d139977ac068c02d638e81b04695e0ab6b1d06970add3b44fafb88d52e11&amp;postID=6722014ce5b5408300715e9a&amp;postSlug=flash-floods-spain-increasing-globally-experts-infrastructure-change-2024-10&amp;site=bi&amp;u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.nature.com%2Farticles%2Fd41586-023-00626-9.epdf%3Fno_publisher_access%3D1%26r3_referer%3Dnature"> 2023 article in Nature</a>."Our analysis using the Emergency Events Database shows that, since 2000, such regions experienced less than half (47%) of deadly flash floods globally, yet saw almost three-quarters (74%) of related deaths," the authors wrote.The same researchers found that the rate of dryland flash flooding around the world was 20 times higher between 2000 and 2022 than it was between 1900 and 1999.Ernesto Rodríguez Camino, a senior state meteorologist and member of the Spanish Meteorological Association, said flash flooding is becoming more frequent, a trend which is set to continue because of the damaging effects of global warming."Events of this type, which used to occur many decades apart, are now becoming more frequent, and their destructive capacity is greater," he said.<h2 id="c6269754-7554-446d-a63e-b8d93fdbfdc3">Why are there more flash floods?</h2>The Environmental Defense Fund (EDF), a US-based nonprofit, <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.edf.org/why-are-floods-hitting-more-places-and-people">said</a> flash flooding has intensified because of increased rainfall and heat waves.The rise in the world's average surface temperature — which was more than 2 Degrees Fahrenheit warmer in 2020 than it was 100 years ago — has resulted in more moisture and clouds in the air, the organization said.According to the EDF, modern infrastructure, including buildings, roads, and sidewalks, has eliminated natural landscape features that would have slowed flooding in the past.It added that stormwater systems designed to protect buildings are often too old and not vast enough to handle the increasing amount of major weather events caused by global warming.Additionally, houses are continuing to be built in areas that are prone to flooding, the organization said.The <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.who.int/health-topics/floods#tab=tab_1">World Health Organization</a> (WHO) said people who live on floodplains or in buildings without flood protections or warning systems are most vulnerable.<h2 id="283c598d-eb50-4251-afb8-e7fbf0cb4832">What can be done?</h2><div type="image" title="Emergency workers clear debris the morning after heavy rains and flash floods hit the area on October 30, 2024 in Letur, Albacete province, Spain" height="3333" width="5000" msid="114787520" hostid="261" sizebytes="2262486"></div>Non-environmental factors, such as new infrastructure and better weather warnings, can help prevent the impact of flash flooding.Jess Neumann, an associate professor of Hydrology at the University of Reading, said that a long-term solution would involve the "radical redesign of urban areas.""Flash floods can affect anyone, anywhere. We take preparation for other hazards such as earthquakes and tsunamis very seriously with education, drills, and emergency kits," she said. "It is time we afforded the same to flood risk preparedness."John Marsham, a professor of atmospheric science at the University of Leeds, agrees with Neumann's assessment."Our entire infrastructure and civilization are based around a climate that no longer exists," he said, adding that some locations are becoming more difficult to insure against flood damage.Some cities are already considering better precautions for extreme weather events. For example, in 2022, the US Army Corps of Engineers unveiled its proposal to build a <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.nytimes.com/2022/09/26/nyregion/storm-project-new-york-harbor-flooding.html">$52 billion moveable sea barrier</a> along the New York Harbor to protect against storm surges.These protections would also allow local economies to recover faster.The EDF reported that the average flood event from excessive rainfall in the US costs around $4.7 billion.Marsham and Liz Stephens, a professor in climate risks and resilience, said that local governments should also implement stronger warnings about the risks of flash flooding to prevent death and injuries."People shouldn't be dying from these kinds of forecasted weather events in countries where they have the resources to do better," Stephens said.

Flash floods are a worsening scourge worldwide — here's why

<ul class="summary-list"><li>Spain's eastern province of Valencia was hit by intense, historic rainfall.</li><li>51 people were killed in flash floods in the province.</li></ul>Historic flash floods in eastern Spain killed 51 people and roiled the region.The floods, brought about by torrential rains, killed 51 in the province of Valencia, regional emergency services <a target="_blank" href="https://x.com/GVA112/status/1851541597092999643">said</a>, citing a provisional death toll.Though heavy rains are common in the region in fall — part of a phenomenon known as "cold drops" — this one was extreme.According to Spain's State Meteorological <a target="_blank" href="https://x.com/AEMET_CValencia/status/1851494356521271313?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1851494356521271313%7Ctwgr%5E525da56094d9d8f9387e40796aa4f86c244670c4%7Ctwcon%5Es1_&amp;ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fcadenaser.com%2Fnacional%2F2024%2F10%2F29%2Fconsecuencias-de-la-dana-en-espana-en-directo-ultima-hora-de-las-inundaciones-desaparecidos-y-problemas-en-los-trenes-ave-cadena-ser%2F">Agency</a>, it was a historic storm, the worst of the 21st century and more severe than anything since 1987.Images and videos from the region showed brown water surging through fields, blocking roads, and hitting some built-up areas.<div type="image" title="The roof of a car submerged in water following floods is pictured in Picuana, near Valencia, eastern Spain, on October 30, 2024." height="1296" width="2000" msid="114776446" hostid="261" sizebytes="105062"></div>The flooding seemed not to strongly hit Valencia, the regional hub and Spain's third-largest city.Per <a target="_blank" href="https://www.investinspain.org/en/regions/comunidad-valenciana/industrias-destacadas#:~:text=Automotive%2C%20machinery%20and%20capital%20goods,concentrates%2024%25%20of%20regional%20exports.">a Spanish government briefing</a>, the auto industry is the most significant in Valencia province. It also mentioned chemicals, manufacturing, agri-food and IT.It was not immediately clear whether particular industries or companies had been strongly affected by the floods.Valencia's government advised against road travel in the province due to "heavy" rain warnings in <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://x.com/GVA112/status/1851506499224314148?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1851506499224314148%7Ctwgr%5E525da56094d9d8f9387e40796aa4f86c244670c4%7Ctwcon%5Es1_&amp;ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fcadenaser.com%2Fnacional%2F2024%2F10%2F29%2Fconsecuencias-de-la-dana-en-espana-en-directo-ultima-hora-de-las-inundaciones-desaparecidos-y-problemas-en-los-trenes-ave-cadena-ser%2F">alert texts</a> sent to residents in the early hours of Wednesday, local time.In an <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://x.com/oscar_puente_/status/1851415872843215275?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1851415872843215275%7Ctwgr%5E525da56094d9d8f9387e40796aa4f86c244670c4%7Ctwcon%5Es1_&amp;ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fcadenaser.com%2Fnacional%2F2024%2F10%2F29%2Fconsecuencias-de-la-dana-en-espana-en-directo-ultima-hora-de-las-inundaciones-desaparecidos-y-problemas-en-los-trenes-ave-cadena-ser%2F">X post</a> on Wednesday, Spain's transport minister said there would be no train service on the railway line connecting Valencia to Madrid, the Spanish capital, until at least 10 a.m. local time.On Tuesday, Spain's Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://x.com/sanchezcastejon/status/1851334094535131602">said</a> he was closely following reports of missing people and damage caused by the storm and that all emergency services were being dispatched in response to the storm.In an X <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" class="c-link c-link--focus-visible" href="https://x.com/mjosecatala/status/1851561473631191545">post</a> on Wednesday, Valencia city mayor said the province is facing one of the "most difficult and painful" moments in its history.

Spain hit by flash floods that killed 51 people and roiled an economic hub

<ul class="summary-list"><li>Spain's eastern province of Valencia was hit hard by intense flooding last week.</li><li>The government has pledged $11 billion to help it recover, but local authorities want $34 billion.</li></ul>Spain said it will give about $11 billion to help restore Valencia after flash floods hammered the province last week — but local authorities there want three times that amount.Historic, deadly flash floods — brought about by torrential rainfall — hit the area last week, killing at least 211, regional emergency services <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://x.com/GVA112/status/1853698255730942163">said</a> on Wednesday.Spain's State Meteorological <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/spain-flooding-51-dead-in-valencia-region-economic-hub-2024-10">Agency</a> said last week that it was the province's most severe storm since 1987.During a press conference on Tuesday, Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez said his government had <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://x.com/sanchezcastejon/status/1853796678265938374">approved</a> $11.55 billion in loans and grants to help storm and flood victims.However, a day earlier, the province's president, Carlos Mazón, <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://x.com/carlos_mazon_/status/1853555363678728545">said</a> local authorities had asked for an initial package equivalent to about $34 billion."The measures will serve to rebuild, relaunch, and mitigate the effects" of the storm, Mazón told reporters.<div type="image" title="Satellite images of the Valencia province before and after flash floods on October 25, 2022 (left), and October 30, 2024 (right)." height="480" width="640" msid="114986283" hostid="261" sizebytes="62758"></div>On Saturday, Valencia's Chamber of Commerce <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.camaravalencia.com/noticias/informe-sobre-danos-provocados-por-la-dana-en-los-municipios-mas-afectados-y-consecuencias-sobre-la-actividad-economica/">estimated</a> that up to 4,500 businesses had suffered notable damage, with potentially 1,800 severely impacted.The floods affected many economic sectors, including agriculture, industry, and services, it said.Automaking remains Valencia's most <a target="_blank" href="https://www.investinspain.org/en/regions/comunidad-valenciana/industrias-destacadas?#nameRegion">important industry</a>.Cristina del Rey, the communications director for Ford Spain, told BI last week that her company's Valencia plant had not suffered direct damage from the floods but was shut on Wednesday and Thursday.According to a <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" class="c-link c-link--focus-visible" href="https://fundacionaon.es/wp-content/uploads/2022/11/BAROMETRO-DE-CATASTROFES-2021.pdf">report</a> from the Aon Spain Foundation, a private foundation that works to prevent and assist with natural disasters, the annual cost of natural disasters in Spain between 2016 and 2021, including floods, was between $940 million and $2.5 billion.Local authorities on Sunday <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://x.com/GVA112/status/1853692672327721128/photo/1">said</a> that the heavy rains — part of a phenomenon known as "cold drops" — had caused "unprecedented" damage to infrastructure and human life.The provisional death toll put it among the most serious natural disasters in Western Europe in recent years. Widespread flooding in July 2021 killed more than 200 people in Belgium, Germany, and surrounding countries.At a <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://x.com/i/broadcasts/1ynJODVpRdXxR">press conference</a> on Tuesday, Sánchez declared Valencia a disaster area, paving the way for extra funding for local authorities.He said about 15,000 soldiers and police officers had been dispatched to the province, as well as 287 forest brigaders, around a hundred customs officers, 44 forensic physicians, and 600 specialized vehicles for pumping, cleaning, and supplying the affected areas.Sánchez added that 98% of affected households now had power, and about 25 miles of roads and 46 miles of railway tracks had been repaired."We must continue working with more resources, more coordination, and greater effort until normality returns to all the municipalities and to all the homes affected by this tragedy," he said.

Counting the cost of Spain's hellish floods, the government pledged $11B, local officials want $34B

<ul class="summary-list"><li>Jesús Lucero Ezquerro, who lives in Valencia, was in disbelief when he saw the damage from floods.</li><li>He said people in the path of the waters got little advance warning.</li></ul>This as-told-to essay is based on a conversation with Jesús Lucero Ezquerro, 28, who lives in the Poblats Marítims district of Valencia, Spain.The region has been ravaged by <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/spain-flooding-51-dead-in-valencia-region-economic-hub-2024-10">flash floods</a>. Ezquerro spoke to BI on Thursday. The following has been edited for length and clarity.I've lived in Valencia for four years. Everything seemed normal on Monday — literally, nothing happened.But at 3 p.m. on Tuesday, things started getting ugly in most of the province. It was starting to rain and get very windy.Around 7:30 p.m., we started getting texts from local authorities alerting us of heavy rains and urging us to stay home.I said to myself: "Holy cow! But it's not raining here." I'm north of the river Turia in Valencia, so I wasn't affected and it hardly rained.I was shocked and alarmed by the images I started seeing on social media of people south of the river. People <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" class="c-link c-link--focus-visible" href="https://x.com/ElPorteroRumano/status/1851631998722269659">stuck in </a><a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" class="c-link c-link--focus-visible" href="https://x.com/MeteOrihuela/status/1851375778216251428">trees</a>, people being pulled from a torrent <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" class="c-link c-link--focus-visible" href="https://www.tiktok.com/@elespanolcom/video/7431854392258628897">by rope</a>, people <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" class="c-link c-link--focus-visible" href="https://x.com/Ji_Predicciones/status/1851566884841259359">screaming.</a>I didn't have a car or any vehicle when the storm hit, so I couldn't do anything but stay put. I wasn't scared as I don't have a business to worry about and live on the fifth floor of my building.But I was and still am worried about those affected and the innocent lives being lost. By the time the alerts came, the storm had already hit.<h2 id="ca3c0d9a-c56b-47b5-a2d6-569f84ce2140">Back to the Middle Ages</h2>The next day, a friend and I biked to see the damage in southern Valencia, the area most affected by the storm.The metropolitan transport system had collapsed, the subways were flooded, and the buses could not access some areas.Before even reaching the area, we saw trucks and cars crowded on the road south of the river alike fallen dominoes.<div type="image" title="Cars left thrown on top of each other after a storm struck Valencia, Spain, in a picture taken on October 30, 2024." height="1200" width="1600" msid="114856601" hostid="261" sizebytes="43580"></div>The streets were full of dirt, covered with mud and water. People to the south of the river had no power or signal. It was like going back to the Middle Ages.We also helped a group of young people clear a sidewalk. We were up to our eyebrows in mud.The police were there, but there were hardly any other emergency services in the area, as they were rescuing people who were at risk.Friends have lost their cars. Some have garages full of water and mud that they are cleaning. I don't know anyone close to me who died.We returned home in a state of shock, taking it all in.<div type="image" title="Jesús Lucero Ezquerro and a group of friends on a street in Valencia on October 31, 2024." height="2448" width="3264" msid="114856606" hostid="261" sizebytes="414184"></div><h2 id="1fe11538-3d27-4b56-8220-055f4526ea14">Left behind</h2>I am frustrated and angry.I have a background in marine environmental emergencies and forest fire management, and I now work for a company on a firebreak management and forest fire prevention project.So, I'm not a firefighter or a member of the military, but I've worked on environmental emergencies from an intelligence-gathering point of view.I know how to evacuate people, how to manage populations, and how to manage adverse situations. But that did not happen in Valencia.<h2 id="24b81fb8-4f22-4359-a97e-6f0760015239">Worse than Hurricane Milton</h2>I remember watching the news of Hurricane Milton hitting Florida last month and how Floridians were preparing for it.Residents boarded up their windows with large wooden panels; store owners were getting ready for it, and people evacuated.The Tampa mayor even urged people to leave and said that anyone who stayed would die.After Hurricane Milton, there <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/ce3zdg2wlvqo#:~:text=One%20of%20at%20least%20a,died%20across%20the%20US%20state.">were at least 16 deaths.</a> Meanwhile, here in Valencia, it's already about 10 times as many.The Spanish Meteorological Agency had issued an <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.antena3.com/noticias/el-tiempo/actualidad/dana-valencia-que-pasaron-mas-10-horas-alerta-aemet-aviso-moviles-alert_20241031672370a3d058410001ca758c.html">alert days before</a> the storm. But on Tuesday, nothing happened. There was absolute calm in the morning. People were going to work and to university. When the local alerts came, the storm was already happening.<h2 id="27ab23b6-b666-4dce-ada9-fd22df28f8fa">A wake-up call</h2>Undoubtedly, human errors were made. I've never seen anything like it.In a country like Spain, with the means, agencies, and intelligence we have, it is horrible that this happened.At a certain point, authorities were saying 50 dead, then 60, then 70, then 90. To me, that doesn't sound like much. I believe that when the waters recede and the mud clears, more dead bodies will be found.

I live in Valencia, Spain, where flooding has taken over 100 lives. I can hardly believe what's happened here.

<ul class="summary-list"><li>Uber and Lyft drivers in Florida saw gas shortages and obstructed roads before and after Milton.</li><li>Five drivers said these impediments prevented them from helping people and earning valuable income.</li></ul>Sergey, a Lyft driver in St. Petersburg, Florida, helped families load their suitcases into the trunk of his car before driving them to a nearby hurricane shelter on October 9. Many of his passengers were anxious about <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/family-weathered-hurricane-milton-at-disney-hotel-2024-10">Hurricane Milton's arrival</a> and racing to evacuate in the hours before it hit.Sergey completed 12 rides on October 9, according to screenshots shared with BI. He said several of his passengers faced flooding and destruction from <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/hurricane-helene-milton-tampa-florida-desantis-clean-disaster-dangerous-2024-10">Hurricane Helene</a> two weeks prior and were scrambling to return to their routines. Many brought their pets with them. Some didn't know if their homes would be standing the next day.After making landfall in Florida, <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/hurricane-milton-landfall-florida-housing-market-insurance-fema-2024-10">Hurricane Milton</a> caused at least 14 deaths and left millions without power. In the days preceding the storm, some Uber and Lyft drivers went from transporting beachgoers to helping residents flee their communities — before eventually fleeing themselves. But after Milton passed, five drivers told BI that inaccessible roads, <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/hurricane-milton-evacuation-empty-gas-station-full-hotels-gridlock-traffic-2024-10">a lack of gas</a>, and a suspended ride-hailing app prevented them from helping people and earning valuable income."I drove for several hours right after the storm, and there was not a single gas station open anywhere in St. Petersburg," said Sergey, 54, who asked to use his first name for fear of professional repercussions.From his 12 rides, Sergey made $129 <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/how-much-uber-lyft-drivers-make-per-ride-2023-10">before expenses</a> and received one tip. His home is without power, and driving is his only source of income. However, his car only has three miles of gas left, and each day without earnings is stressful, he said.Many of his rides over the last few days were headaches — one paid $5.36 for a 16-minute ride, which he said compares to the amount he'd expect to make for a similar journey, while another was elongated because of closed exits. He rejected a 113.5-mile ride from Clearwater to Orlando because the estimated payout was $84.31 with a bonus, far less than what's standard, he said. Some rides he accepted had no people waiting at the destination.<div type="image" title="Destruction outside an apartment complex in St Petersburg, Florida after Hurricane Milton." height="1080" width="1444" msid="114169712" hostid="261" sizebytes="90492"></div>During Hurricane Milton, Uber suspended service for several hours in three Florida cities that were in the storm's direct path: Fort Myers, Sarasota, and Tampa Bay, a spokesperson told BI. They added that service has been restored in these metro areas but remains suspended along the most heavily impacted barrier islands.Additionally, the spokesperson told Business Insider the company worked closely with state officials in Florida over the past few weeks to assess the situation posed by the hurricanes and partnered with the Florida Division of Emergency Management to <a target="_blank" href="https://www.mypanhandle.com/weather/hurricane-helene/uber-offers-free-rides-to-shelters-for-floridians/">provide</a> some people with free transportation to shelters.Lyft did not respond to Business Insider's request for comment or questions regarding whether the app also suspended service during the storm.<h2 id="928e9756-39a3-4d0c-ae87-72a989030640">The evacuation process was "stressful"</h2>Drivers across the state recalled panicked passengers, fallen trees blocking roads, and lengthy gas station lines on October 10 and 11.Trent T., 50, drives independently for his own transportation company and for Uber and Lyft in South Florida. He said the tornadoes from Milton were "absolutely insane," and one of his clients' homes was destroyed. He asked to use partial anonymity for fear of professional repercussions.On October 8, Trent said he went to six gas stations before he could find one with inventory and fill up his tank. On the day of the storm, Trent drove passengers fleeing the Tampa Bay area to hotels, noticing that many stores were out of essentials like water. He said hotels in South Florida were mobbed, and he offered his house to anyone evacuating, though no one accepted.Blaine, an Uber driver based in the Tampa area, left his home after learning he was in an evacuation zone. Hotels quickly booked up across the state, but he said he secured a room in Ocala — about a two-hour drive from Tampa.However, there was a mixup with the hotel regarding the night he booked, and his reservation was void. He drove to a hotel in Savannah, Georgia, to seek shelter. The typical five-and-a-half-hour drive from Tampa took eight hours due to traffic, he said."That was stressful," the 57-year-old told BI.<h2 id="f85e7843-407a-45c1-933d-6fe7144dfaae">Drivers are eager to return to their ride-hailing gigs for necessary income</h2>Trent said he can go a few days without consistent rides and their fares but feels for drivers who live paycheck to paycheck. He said the storm could be disastrous for some drivers relying on tourism this time of year, which isn't as high as the city's peak season but still draws crowds looking for warm weather in the fall."If you were in Tampa for instance, and your rent is due this week, and now all of a sudden the storm is coming, you're five days without work," Trent said.It's why some drivers are looking to get back on the road as soon as possible.Yvonne, a part-time <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/driving-uber-lyft-women-drivers-how-make-money-gig-economy-2023-12">Uber and Lyft driver</a> in the Tampa Bay area, uses the extra income from driving to help support her two grandchildren. When the hurricane approached, she said she decided not to leave her home because it wasn't in an evacuation zone. However, the roof of her patio suffered significant damage and she lost power.She hasn't driven for Uber or Lyft since the hurricane hit. Yvonne said the roads aren't conducive to driving because many are flooded or scattered with trees or power lines. However, if the conditions change, she plans to return to her ride-hailing gig by this weekend to start earning money again.Charles P., 44, who drives part-time around Titusville — a city about 40 miles east of Orlando — said there wasn't too much damage on the roads, but he stopped driving for a few days to avoid potentially damaging his vehicle. He's seen a drop in demand and worries that tourism may decline. When he drove on Thursday, he said getting rides was very slow."I usually try to do a certain amount of money per day, but I'm probably down about half of what I normally do in three days," Charles said. "I do foresee, as things get cleaned up, that our income will probably continue to rise or get back to normal."Are you an Uber or Lyft driver in a hurricane-impacted area who's willing to share your story? Reach out to these reporters at <a target="_blank" href="mailto:jzinkula@businessinsider.com">jzinkula@businessinsider.com</a> and <a target="_blank" href="mailto:nsheidlower@businessinsider.com">nsheidlower@businessinsider.com</a>.

Flooded roads, worried passengers, and no income: Florida Uber and Lyft drivers share their experiences on the road before and after Hurricane Milton

<ul class="summary-list"><li>The United Arab Emirates experienced torrential rainfall and flash floods, beginning late Monday.</li><li>Videos appear to show planes taxiing down flooded runways at Dubai International Airport. </li></ul>Torrential rainfall pummeled the <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/dubai-laser-beam-shooting-drones-shock-rain-from-the-sky-2021-7">United Arab Emirates</a> this week, resulting in flash floods that caused air travel chaos, closed schools, and deluged homes.The rain began late Monday, flooding the UAE with more than half a foot (6.26 inches) of water in 24 hours, according to the Dubai Meteorological Office and cited by <a target="_blank" href="https://abcnews.go.com/International/dubai-flooding-heavy-rainfall/story?id=109321601&amp;cid=social_twitter_abcn">ABC News</a>. That is more than two years' worth of rain in one day, the outlet noted.There are claims that cloud seeding may have played a role in the flash floods. The practice sees planes inject clouds with chemicals that can increase rainfall.One fatality was reported by police at the time of writing on Wednesday: A 70-year-old man died in Ras al-Khaimah when his vehicle was swept away in the flooding.Flooding also occurred in Bahrain, Oman, Qatar, and Saudi Arabia. In Oman, 19 people died in flash floods, according to local media.<div type="image" title="Dubai road flooding" height="1333" width="1777" msid="109374524" hostid="261" sizebytes="433068"></div>Dubai International Airport — recently named the <a target="_blank" href="https://www.travelandleisure.com/dubai-international-airport-most-luxurious-airport-in-world-study-8603681">most luxurious airport</a> in the world — said planes were diverted. Some services now appear to have restarted.<a target="_blank" href="https://x.com/gunsnrosesgirl3/status/1780307713592897542">Unverified videos</a> on social media appeared to show heavily flooded tarmac, with large passenger airplanes creating waves and taxiing through several feet of water.The airport did not immediately respond to a request for comment from Business Insider about the videos.<div type="image" title="Vehicles drive on a flooded road during torrential rain in the Gulf Emirate of Dubai on April 16, 2024." height="683" width="1024" msid="109361170" hostid="261"></div>"We advise you NOT to come to the airport, unless absolutely necessary," an airport spokesperson <a target="_blank" href="https://twitter.com/DXB/status/1780461316605456559">wrote on X</a> on Wednesday.They added that planes continue to be delayed and diverted.An unnamed couple told the AP that the situation at the airport is "absolute carnage," with some passengers sleeping there or at the Metro station.<div type="image" title="car flood" height="1333" width="2000" msid="109374526" hostid="261" sizebytes="129776"></div>Dubai recieved more than 5.6 inches of rain by Tuesday evening, around the amount it typically gets in a year and a half, according to <a target="_blank" href="https://news.sky.com/story/carnage-at-dubai-airport-as-uae-hit-by-heaviest-rainfall-in-75-years-13116978">Sky News.</a>It marks its heaviest rainfall in 75 years, according to a WAM news agency cited by Sky News.In a post shared on X, the UAE's National Centre of Meteorology showed the regions that have been most affected. <h2>The UAE may have been playing rainmaker by cloud seeding</h2>While images of extreme flooding can show the consequences of the climate crisis, this particular event may have been worsened by a direct attempt to play <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/china-expanding-weather-modification-program-artificial-rain-snow-2025-2020-12">rainmaker</a> — literally.To address water scarcity in the typically dry country, the UAE started using a practice referred to as <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/controlling-weather-in-future-2018-5">cloud seeding</a> in the 90s and early 2000s.<a target="_blank" href="https://www.dri.edu/cloud-seeding-program/what-is-cloud-seeding/">Cloud seeding</a> is a method designed to increase the amount of water that falls from a cloud. It involves identifying suitable clouds and then using aircraft or ground-based generators to introduce a chemical agent that facilitates the production of snowflakes.Cloud seeding has been used in countries worldwide, including in <a target="_blank" href="https://www.wsj.com/story/cloud-seeding-takes-flight-in-western-us-76737400">western US states</a> dealing with drought, like California, Colorado, Nevada, Idaho, and Texas.<div type="image" title="Vehicles are stranded on a flooded street following torrential rain in the Gulf Emirate of Dubai on April 16, 2024." height="683" width="1024" msid="109361171" hostid="261"></div>The practice has long been controversial, with critics dismissing it as an attempt to "play God" or being potentially harmful to the environment or public health. Scientists have not documented the harmful impacts of cloud seeding, and <a target="_blank" href="https://e360.yale.edu/features/can-cloud-seeding-help-quench-the-thirst-of-the-u.s.-west">recent studies</a> have suggested that the practice works.Ahmed Habib, a specialist meteorologist, told <a target="_blank" href="https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2024-04-16/dubai-grinds-to-standstill-as-cloud-seeding-worsens-flooding">Bloomberg</a> that the UAE's cloud seeding operations contributed directly to the heavy rainfall that fell this week.<div type="image" title="vehicle dubai" height="1332" width="1776" msid="109374527" hostid="261" sizebytes="111964"></div>Habib told the outlet that two planes conducted cloud seeding operations on Monday and Tuesday and that seven seeding missions had been carried out in two days.Flight-tracking data analyzed by the AP suggested that an aircraft affiliated with the UAE's cloud-seeding project flew around the country Sunday."For any cloud that's suitable over the UAE you make the operation," Habib told Bloomberg.<div type="image" title="A submerged duty machine is seen after heavy rain in United Arab Emirates on April 16, 2024." height="2867" width="3693" msid="109361172" hostid="261"></div>The UAE's weather bureau said no cloud seeding had taken place during Tuesday's rain, according to the <a target="_blank" href="https://www.thenationalnews.com/news/uae/2024/04/16/live-weather-rain-dubai/">National News. </a>It did not immediately respond to a request by BI for comment.Chris England, a weather producer at Sky News, said he doesn't believe cloud seeing to be a reason behind the floods as evidence of it working is "pretty slim at best."Despite warning citizens to remain home during the heavy rain, the UAE government's press office said they were "rains of goodness," as the country has dealt with a rise in <a target="_blank" href="https://english.alarabiya.net/News/gulf/2023/07/20/UAE-doctors-say-serious-cases-of-heat-stroke-on-the-rise-amid-soaring-temperatures">heat-related illnesses and deaths</a> that some hope can be alleviated by an increase in rainfall.Schools across the UAE continued to be closed on Wednesday, and employees are working from home, according to the Sky News report.

Photos show Dubai overwhelmed by torrential rain &mdash; and may expose the downsides of trying to control the weather

<ul class="summary-list"><li><a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/china-expanding-weather-modification-program-artificial-rain-snow-2025-2020-12">Cloud seeding</a> involves spraying salts into incoming storm clouds to increase rainfall.</li><li>Photos show how the UAE, United States, and other countries have been seeding clouds for decades.</li></ul>As the <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/photos-dubai-airport-flash-floods-show-downsides-controlling-the-weather-2024-4">desert city of Dubai flooded</a> on Monday, onlookers pointed the finger at the government's "<keyword id="699431" type="General" weightage="100" keywordseo="cloud-seeding" source="Orion">cloud seeding</keyword>" efforts. The program sends planes into oncoming storm clouds to inject them with substances that can help make more rain. Could it be the culprit for two years' worth of rain falling on <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/torrential-rain-flash-floods-wreaked-havoc-dubai-airport-travel-chaos-2024-4">the United Arab Emirates city</a> in just a day? <div type="image" title="Motorisits drive along a flooded street following heavy rains in Dubai early on April 17, 2024." height="2666" width="4000" msid="109383132" hostid="261"></div>It's a tantalizing explanation. Trying to <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/controlling-weather-in-future-2018-5">control the weather</a> can sound tantamount to playing god. And if thousands of years of media and oral tradition tell us anything — from Prometheus to Frankenstein — playing god has bad consequences. But the United Arab Emirates has been seeding clouds to encourage rainfall and <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/california-drought-aerial-photos-dried-lakes-reservoirs-2021-7">battle drought</a> for 20 years. Some US states have been doing it for even longer. These programs have found that the practice has a small effect on precipitation, increasing it by about 5 to 15%, though a UAE official told <a target="_blank" href="https://www.reuters.com/world/middle-east/parched-uae-turns-science-squeeze-more-rainfall-clouds-2022-08-30/">Reuters</a> that it can be as high as 30% for them. <div type="image" title="charred metal box with flames coming out of a tube protruding from the side against a white cloudy sky" height="1758" width="2635" msid="109383133" hostid="261"></div>Many other countries, including China and Australia, have experimented with the technique. According to several scientists, cloud seeding isn't the driving force behind <keyword id="6354539" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="dubai" source="Orion">Dubai</keyword>'s <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/rare-thunderstorm-las-vegas-photos-videos-flooding-casinos-2022-7">historic floods</a>. <h2>How cloud seeding works</h2> <div type="image" title="plane wing with array of tubes attached to the back flaring out gas in a thick cloud" height="1500" width="2250" msid="109383134" hostid="261"></div>To "seed" a cloud, you have to spray it with microscopic particles of a salt such as silver iodide, calcium chloride, or potassium chloride. <div type="image" title="man in black shirt neon green vest handles a row of canisters in a mounting device on the wind of a small white plane" height="1500" width="2250" msid="109383135" hostid="261"></div>In the UAE and many US states, planes do the job. In some places, like Utah, machines on the ground shoot the substance into air currents that can carry it into the clouds. <div type="image" title="two men in camoflauge fatigues load long thing rocket-shaped tubes into a metal rack pointing at the sky atop a green platform on wheels" height="1500" width="2236" msid="109383136" hostid="261"></div>All these particles have a crystalline structure, similar to ice, which gives water droplets something to stick to. As the water converges, it forms an ice crystal and eventually falls as snow or rain. This mimics the natural rain-making process that happens inside the cloud. <div type="image" title="white bags reading &quot;salt 25kg&quot; lines up on a long metal truck bed with blue and silver tanks on it" height="1500" width="2250" msid="109383137" hostid="261"></div>"Cloud seeding can't create clouds from nothing. It encourages water that is already in the sky to condense faster and drop water in certain places. So first, you need moisture. Without it, there'd be no clouds," Friederike Otto, a senior lecturer in climate science at the Imperial College London, and co-founder of the groundbreaking science collaboration <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/climate-action-30-top-global-leaders-working-toward-climate-solutions-2022">World Weather Attribution</a>, said in a statement to the Science Media Centre (SMC). <h2>The real threat behind Dubai's floods</h2>Many atmospheric scientists have dismissed the idea that cloud seeding was behind Dubai's floods. Experts told the SMC that the rains came from a rare thundercloud system, which was already forecast to bring heavy rainfall, and the effect of any cloud seeding would have been tiny. "This is a distraction from the real story here — that due to our collective failure to phase out fossil fuels, we must prepare for unprecedented extremes, which will worsen until we reach 'net zero,'" John Marsham, an atmospheric scientist and Met Office Joint Chair at the University of Leeds, told the SMC. <div type="image" title="bearded man wearing rain jacket pulls rope on wooden raft in flooded forest river with tent in background" height="1500" width="2250" msid="109383138" hostid="261"></div>Rising global temperatures are leading to heavier bouts of rainfall across the planet, even in places that are typically dry or even in the middle of a drought. This type of <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/california-weather-whiplash-floods-drought-getting-worse-atmospheric-rivers-2023-1">weather whiplash</a> happens because of a fundamental fact of physics: Warmer air holds more water. "Any possible effect of any cloud seeding in these circumstances would be tiny," Marsham added. Indeed, the UAE isn't the only desert or drought-stricken region that's been devastated by heavy rainfall in recent years. <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/death-valley-badwater-basin-california-lake-record-rains-2024-2">Death Valley </a>catastrophically and historically flooded in 2022, 2023, and this February. <div type="image" title="In this photo provided by the National Park Service, cars are stuck in mud and debris from flash flooding at The Inn at Death Valley in Death Valley National Park, Calif., Friday, Aug. 5, 2022." height="1333" width="2000" msid="109383139" hostid="261"></div>A series of moisture-laden <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/atmospheric-river-meaning-definition-how-long-last-storm">atmospheric rivers</a> interrupted California's years-long drought last winter, killing at least 22 people, by the Los Angeles Times' <a target="_blank" href="https://www.latimes.com/california/story/2023-01-10/tracking-the-deaths-from-californias-winter-storms">count</a>. <div type="image" title="silver car sitting on the hood of a black car in standing water in a field" height="1500" width="2250" msid="109383140" hostid="261"></div>"If humans continue to burn oil, gas, and coal, the climate will continue to warm, rainfall will continue to get heavier, and people will continue to lose their lives in floods," Otto said.

You Searched For "deaths from flood" and got 8 results

Heavy rains to lash across the country between Oct 12-16, here's how you can insure your home from rain's fury

Ira Alok Puranik

Flash floods are a worsening scourge worldwide — here's why

Mikhaila Friel,Hannah Abraham

Spain hit by flash floods that killed 51 people and roiled an economic hub

Thibault Spirlet

Counting the cost of Spain's hellish floods, the government pledged $11B, local officials want $34B

Thibault Spirlet

I live in Valencia, Spain, where flooding has taken over 100 lives. I can hardly believe what's happened here.

Thibault Spirlet

Flooded roads, worried passengers, and no income: Florida Uber and Lyft drivers share their experiences on the road before and after Hurricane Milton

Noah Sheidlower,Jacob Zinkula

Photos show Dubai overwhelmed by torrential rain and may expose the downsides of trying to control the weather

Kelsey Vlamis

Cloud seeding probably didn't cause Dubai's floods. The UAE has been trying to control its weather for years, and the US does it too.

Morgan McFall-Johnsen

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