Devastating flooding swept across eastern Yemen in the wake of heavy rains from Tropical Storm Three. Accustomed to two to three inches of rain per year, the desert country was hammered with torrential rain from the cyclone on October 24 and October 25, 2008. Mud-brick buildings weakened and crumbled in the rain and resulting floods, said the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC). As of October 29, 180 people had died and 10,000 were displaced, said the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs.

This image, made from data collected by the Tropical Rainfall Measuring Mission (TRMM) satellite, shows rainfall totals over Yemen between October 20 and October 27, 2008. Blue and green indicate intense rainfall over eastern Yemen. These regions correspond with the areas most severely affected by flooding as identified by the United Nations. Though heavy rain is unusual in Yemen, the country is prone to flooding, particularly during the monsoon season.

References Andrews, J. (2008, October 25). 03B Floods Yemen. AccuWeather.com. Accessed October 30, 2008. International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies. (2008, October 29). Yemen: Flash Floods DREF Operation No. MDRYE002. ReliefWeb. Accessed October 30, 2008. Sudam, M., Sederat, F., and Dobbie, A. (2008, October 26). About 100 dead or missing after floods in Yemen. Reuters. Accessed October 30, 2008. United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs. (2008, October 29). Yemen: Floods OCHA Situation Report No. 2. ReliefWeb. Accessed October 30, 2008.