And The Villages is smack in the middle of Sinkhole Alley-a swath of counties in Central Florida that carry the greatest risk. They occur more frequently in Florida than any other state, though this week we've seen them appear on Maryland roads and even in front of the White House. In contrast to its otherwise serene status, The Villages is a hotbed of sinkholes. “It’s not a good time to sell,” the elderly neighbor says, with a weary laugh. A town hall that week attracted five times more Villagers than usual.
#GERMANY FLOOD SINKHOLE CRACK#
A month earlier, in mid-February, seven sinkholes opened across the street and into a golf course, forming a zig-zag crack across the facade of one house and causing four homes to evacuate. “Everybody is worried,” a 10-year resident of the Village of Calumet Grove told me this March, pointing to a saucer-sized hole at his curb where sinkhole specialists drilled to check for weak spots. The Villages is also located in the safest area of Florida for hurricanes.īut Villagers are increasingly fearful of a growing, surreal threat: the ground suddenly opening up and swallowing them whole.
Vehicular deaths are very low, which makes sense given that Villagers commute in golf carts more than cars. The ubiquity of gates, guard booths and mandatory visitor I.D. Sumter County, populated almost entirely by Villagers, is 62nd among 67 counties in Florida for violent crime-likely because the median age is 66.6, the oldest of any U.S. The largest retirement community in the world, The Villages is also one of America’s safest and most leisurely places to live. Now, more than ever, nations must band together to protect the world from a common threat: global warming.There are many good reasons why The Villages is known as “ Disney for Seniors.” Climate change is a global threat and, as such, must be addressed on a world scale. It is imperative governments and organizations work pragmatically and with urgency to protect our climate from further damage. Hannah Cloke, a professor of hydrology at the University of Reading, says, “These kind of high-energy, sudden summer torrents of rain are exactly what we expect in our rapidly heating climate.”Ĭlimate scientists urge governments to take action against climate change and immediately reduce their carbon footprint. Global warming causes more water to evaporate while conversely producing a warmer atmosphere that increases rainfall intensity. Resident Micheal Lang says, “Everything is destroyed you don’t recognize the scenery.”Įuropean leaders attribute rising temperatures and climate change to extreme rainfall across Europe. Electricity, gas, and communication lines are destroyed in many areas, adding to the arbours search and rescue task. Households, businesses, and livelihoods have been devastated by the flooding. The recovery process will be an immense undertaking. Officials fear more dams could break and are closely monitoring reservoirs.
However, “it’s too early to give the all-clear, but we are cautiously optimistic,” he said. The mayor of Wassenberg, near Cologne, says water levels had been stabilizing since the heavy rains. There’s garbage everywhere.” German Chancellor Angela Merkel described the floods as a “catastrophe.” She adds the government’s immediate focus is on the rescue and response to those affected by the floods.īy Saturday, water levels began to recede across much of the affected areas. Gregor Jericho told the BBC: “Streets, bridges and some buildings are destroyed. The BBC reports over 15,000 police and emergency workers have been deployed in Germany to help with the search and rescue. Local resident, Kautsch, reports “The water was flowing and pulled parts of the town into that hole, and now…a lot of buildings still can be damaged.”
A giant sinkhole destroyed numerous historic buildings across the city. The death toll continues to rise in the aftermath of the flash floods.Ĭologne, the fourth largest city in Germany, is now a site of destruction.
Many residents are unaccounted for, injured, or displaced. Large regions of Western Europe experienced historic levels of rainfall, with a month’s worth of rain falling within 24 hours. Germany and Belgium are reporting the highest levels of destruction, with entire villages and towns buried under landslides, water, and debris. Catastrophic flooding has caused widespread devastation across Europe the floods are the most severe the continent has experienced in decades.
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