Highlights
Heavy rains fell across southern Africa in early 2011. By early February, river flooding in South Africa alone had killed 91 people and caused over $100 million in damage, the United Nations stated. Times Live reported that the government had issued flood warnings for areas along the Orange, South Africa’s longest river.
Groblershoop was among the many communities along the Orange River that had suffered from flooding in early 2011. Times Live reported that orchards around the town had been overwhelmed by flood waters, and farmers in the area were bracing for heavy losses. The UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) warned that southern Africa could face food insecurity as a result of the floods. Further, the FAO warned that, with the seasonal rainy season only halfway over, South Africa might face its worst floods in decades.
The source article Flooding in South Africa : Natural Hazards was published February 15, 2011 by NASA Earth Observatory .
