By Burak Bir
ANKARA (AA) – February saw a host of environmental disasters, including floods in Turkey and Japan, a powerful volcanic eruption in Italy's Mt. Etna, and heavy monsoon rains in Indonesia.
Here is a timeline compiled by Anadolu Agency.
Feb. 1:
– The US northeast is in the midst of a massive snow storm with some areas expected to receive up to 2 feet of snow.
Feb. 2:
– Heavy rainfall in western Turkey floods some parts of Izmir province, leaving two dead.
Feb. 8:
– Twenty-four Moroccans die when a textile factory in Tangiers was inundated with rainwater, according to state-run Maghreb Arab Press.
Feb. 9:
– More than 180 people are still missing in major floods that hit northern India two days after a piece of a Himalayan glacier breaks off, officials confirm, adding that the death toll now reaches 28.
– Turkey's largest city Istanbul is hit with a heavy storm, with trees and roofs toppled.
Feb. 14:
– The death toll rises to 51 from the glacier break in India with more bodies recovered during rescue operations, according to the Press Information Bureau.
Feb. 16:
– Bitter cold across the US causes an unprecedented energy crisis in years in the world's largest energy-consuming country as nearly half of the US population are under a some type of a weather alert.
– Heavy snowstorm starts affecting northern Japan and causing flooding and transport disruptions in the country.
Feb. 17:
– A cold front with record-level snowfall continues to cause major problems in transportation, power and water supplies in most parts of the Attica region of Greece.
Feb. 18:
– Libya sees first snowfall in 15 years as cold snap hits parts of northern Africa and Middle East.
Feb. 19:
– At least 47 people lost their lives in the US due to ongoing extreme winter weather, according to The Washington Post.
Feb. 21:
– Heavy monsoon rains cause massive flooding in the Indonesian capital Jakarta, with parts of the city under 1.2 to 2.7 meter (3.9 to 8.8 feet) of water.
Feb. 22:
– More than 100,000 people are affected by flooding in the state of Acre, northwestern Brazil, after rivers in the region breaks their bank fins the last week, according to reports.
– Israel is cleaning up black tar that wash ashore on its beaches following an oil spill which is called one of the worst environmental disasters in its history.
Feb. 23:
– Mt. Etna, Europe's tallest active volcano in Italy, erupts.
