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The heavy rains that swept the Philippines and the blizzard in the United States have caused more than 100 deaths so far, and the number is subject to increase in the coming hours.
In Manila, the Civil Defense Office in the Philippines announced today, Friday, that the death toll from torrential rains and floods that swept parts of the country during the Christmas holidays has risen to at least 44 people.

And the Philippine (ABS-CBN) channel stated - in its English-language bulletin - that 28 other people are still missing after the heavy rains that caused floods and landslides in the center and south of the country.

For its part, the National Council for Disaster Risk Reduction and Management in the Philippines stated that the rains injured 12 people, caused damage to about 4,500 homes and destroyed about 7 thousand hectares of crops, in addition to forcing tens of thousands of people to flee their homes to health centers. evacuation.

It is noteworthy that every year, about 20 hurricanes and storms strike the Philippines, which is one of the countries in the world most vulnerable to natural disasters.

  On the other hand, the death toll from the historic snow storm that hit the United States during the Christmas period rose to at least 61, after the authorities announced, two new deaths.

According to "Sky News", the two deaths were recorded in Erie County, New York State, where Buffalo is located. And the county official, Mark Poloncars, said that at least 39 people died in it, pointing out that the toll is likely to rise.

He explained that 4 of the victims were found in cars, 11 in homes, and 17 outside.

As temperatures rise, authorities fear the rapid melting of snow could cause floods.

"Fortunately, it seems that the floods will be limited. There is a possibility of flooding, but it does not seem to be serious," Polonkars said.

He added that electricity has been restored throughout the province.

The storm hit Buffalo, which usually experiences harsh winters. With heavy snow, cold winds and a sudden drop in temperature, the bad weather created such chaos that rescue teams found themselves stranded.

Cold weather dominated, at varying levels, in a large part of the country, even the states of Texas and Florida, which are not accustomed to such weather conditions.

The storm also caused major disruptions at airports, with thousands of flights cancelled.

  Source: agencies