Monsoon Season

The Indian state of Uttarakhand is working through a complex crisis caused by monsoonal rains. The seasonal weather pattern is something that the region has had to adjust to, however this year the rains came two weeks early and dropped an unprecedented amount of precipitation. The flooding and subsequent landslides have caused 6,000 people to be declared missing and now presumed dead and impacted millions, the magnitude of this event is so great that its has been dubbed the 'Himalayan tsunami.'

Photos courtesy of: prafulla.net

The event happened over a month ago and still the struggles of getting relief supplies into the cities and villages at the base of the Himalaya's remains challenging. For more information on the latest relief efforts and updates I recommend:

http://reliefweb.int/disaster/fl-2013-000070-ind
http://www.trust.org/spotlight/India's-deadly-Himalayan-floods/

Given the access issues and the scope of this event, it is unclear to me whether there is a need for voluntary resources at this time. I have begun looking into this and if/when I hear more, I'll post what I find out.

In the same vein in terms of weather related phenomenon, the US also has a Monsoon season that provides much, if not all of the precipitation to the Southwest, usually without the detrimental impact on infrastructure. Here is more information on the Monsoon Rains the Southwest experiences according to FEMA:

Given that the silent disaster impacting food prices and our water supply is the ongoing drought we're facing in the US, any precipitation in the areas on the drought map below would be welcome relief.

It's unfortunate that one has to dig to learn about the challenges communities across the globe face given that many of the factors that create their strife are replicated in our own backyards. One of binds that tie us together as a global community is how we face adversity and hardship caused by the natural course of events on earth. It is my sincere hope that aid reaches those who need it in Uttarakhand and that recovery can be swift and efficient.