Is the climate crisis to blame? The city of Derna is flooded after heavy rains destroyed two dams. But some experts say there is more to the disaster than weather.
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Libyan flood sweeps entire streets into sea
Is the climate crisis to blame? The city of Derna is flooded after heavy rains destroyed two dams. But some experts say there is more to the disaster than weather.
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What's happening?
"We heard that the damA barrier built to stop water flowing down a river, creating a lake. had burst and the water had flooded the area," said the shocked survivor. "People were asleep and nobody was prepared... We have lost 30 people so far."
The flood hit the city of Derna in LibyaA country in North Africa with a population of nearly 7 million. on Sunday night. As many as 20,000 people may have died.
The water caused five bridges and many buildings to collapse. Other nearby towns were badly damaged too.
Derna is on a river which is normally dry at this time of year. But very heavy rain from Storm Daniel filled it with water which swept away two dams.
Storm Daniel had already hit Greece, Bulgaria and Turkey, killing at least 27 people.
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The two dams were old ones which had not been properly looked after because of Libya's civil warA war between people from the same country. . Derna is not run by the country's official leaders - instead a group of rebelsPeople who refuse to accept the government's power and uses force to oppose it, or people who oppose authority and think or behave differently. run the area.
Last year an expertSomeone who knows a lot about a particular subject. in Libya called for the dams to be fixed straight away. But nobody listened.
Yes! The rain was much, much heavier than normal. All around the world, people have been seeing extremeVery great, or beyond what is expected. weather as the climate changes.
No! If the dams had been fixed, the city would have been saved from flooding. The blame lies with the people who did nothing to fix the old dams.
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Is the climate crisisAs humans release more greenhouse gases into the atmosphere (such as by burning fossil fuels), this slowly raises the Earth's average temperature. In addition to global warming, this also makes extreme weather more likely. to blame?
Keywords
Dam - A barrier built to stop water flowing down a river, creating a lake.
Libya - A country in North Africa with a population of nearly 7 million.
Civil war - A war between people from the same country.
Rebels - People who refuse to accept the government's power and uses force to oppose it, or people who oppose authority and think or behave differently.
Expert - Someone who knows a lot about a particular subject.
Climate crisis - As humans release more greenhouse gases into the atmosphere (such as by burning fossil fuels), this slowly raises the Earth's average temperature. In addition to global warming, this also makes extreme weather more likely.
Extreme - Very great, or beyond what is expected.
Libyan flood sweeps entire streets into sea
Disaster aftermath: The Derna flood waters covered 220 acres and were up to 10 feet deep. Glossary
Dam - A barrier built to stop water flowing down a river, creating a lake.
Libya - A country in North Africa with a population of nearly 7 million.
Civil war - A war between people from the same country.
Rebels - People who refuse to accept the government's power and uses force to oppose it, or people who oppose authority and think or behave differently.
Expert - Someone who knows a lot about a particular subject.
Climate crisis - As humans release more greenhouse gases into the atmosphere (such as by burning fossil fuels), this slowly raises the Earth's average temperature. In addition to global warming, this also makes extreme weather more likely.
Extreme - Very great, or beyond what is expected.