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At least six people have died following storms and flooding that swept through the US State of Indiana over the past several days.Hundreds of people were evacuated, while rescue teams continue their operations as water levels rise in several areas.Indiana Governor Mike Braun confirmed that US President Donald Trump intends to approve the state’s request for federal resources to help respond to the flooding.Authorities rescued 95 people as floodwaters rose along the White River, while more than 350 people were evacuated in Delaware County. Rescue operations and efforts to check on residents’ safety are continuing in other areas.Marion County Emergency Management Director Jacob Spence said this type of flooding occurs only once in a lifetime, describing the event as unprecedented and noting that new records had been set.The six deaths occurred across Delaware, Jennings, Lake, Porter, and LaPorte counties and included a four-year-old child, three women, and two men, according to the state’s Emergency Operations Center.The state experienced heavy rainfall over the past week, causing water levels in rivers and streams to rise to record levels. More than 12 counties have declared local disaster emergencies. 

Huang Zhen, 34, shut his cafe for a day last week to be buffeted by surging waters and powerful winds that knocked him off his feet — training for extreme weather events that are increasingly afflicting China.Huang was one of a dozen people attending a session at the Lvxing Disaster Simulation Training Center in Hangzhou, eastern China. For 1,599 yuan ($235) per day, it offers a realistic experience of what it is like to be caught up in a typhoon or a flash flood, albeit with the advantage of wearing a wetsuit, a helmet and having a safety instructor to guide you.The centre says it the first of its kind in the world to provide typhoon training, with its simulated experience generating wind speeds of up to 165kph (103mph) alongside torrential rain.In a separate section, 900 metric tonnes of surging water are unleashed to mimic mountain flooding, while in another, participants must wade — sometimes thigh-deep, sometimes shoulder-deep — through 400 tonnes of water in a mock urban environment."Over the last two years, the weather has become increasingly unpredictable," Huang said. "An opportunity like this ... gives us a better idea of what different levels of disasters might actually be like, and helps raise our awareness of disaster preparedness."Climate change is increasingly exposing the world's second-largest economy to destructive weather events, scientists say. This year is of particular concern due to the emergence of the El Nino weather pattern, which can drive up temperatures and fuel more intense typhoons. China's National Climate Center has said it expects up to six typhoons to form in the Northwest Pacific and South China Sea in July, more than the average of 3.8.One of those was Typhoon Bavi, which brought severe floods and forced millions of Chinese to evacuate."Typhoon Bavi hit just a couple of days ago, making people realise that typhoon hazards are far more of a threat than we thought," said Wu Zijian, a 44-year-old freelance worker who travelled from nearby Shanghai to attend.More than 160,000 people have attended sessions at the centre since it opened in May 2025. Wang Kuanghan, the centre's chief instructor, said there are plans to open five more centres in China within the next three years. These will include simulations of other natural disasters such as fires and earthquakes.For those who can't make it there yet, Wang has a tip."If you ask me, the most important survival skill during a typhoon is simply not to go outside," he said. "Stay indoors and keep yourself safe at home." 

Torrential rains battered Indonesia’s Siau island, causing a flash flood that killed at least 16 people, with another three missing, authorities said Tuesday. An overflowing river flooded four towns on the small island north of Sulawesi on Monday, the national disaster mitigation agency said in a statement. “Sixteen people have been reported dead due to the flash flood,” agency spokesman Abdul Muhari said, adding that teams were searching for the three missing. He said 22 people were injured and nearly 700 villagers displaced. “The flash flood was triggered by heavy-intensity rain that had drenched the area since the early hours, causing the river’s water flow to surge suddenly,” Abdul said. Images shared by the search and rescue agency showed big rocks and uprooted trees that were swept away. The flood cut off access to some roads and damaged dozens of homes as well as public buildings and infrastructure, the spokesman said. Floods are common in Indonesia during the rainy season, which typically lasts between October and March. Tropical storms and intense monsoon rains have pummelled parts of South and Southeast Asia late last year, triggering deadly landslides and floods from the rainforests of Indonesia’s Sumatra to highland plantations in Sri Lanka. Indonesian authorities say at least 1,178 people were killed in Sumatra, and more than 240,000 displaced. While the annual monsoon season often brings heavy rain to Indonesia, the Sumatra deluge in November was among the worst disasters to strike the island since a magnitude-9.1 earthquake triggered a massive tsunami in 2004. 

The death toll from devastating floods and landslides across three Indonesian provinces on Sumatra Island has risen to 916, with 274 people still reported missing, authorities said.Indonesia's National Disaster Management Agency (BNPB) confirmed that the casualties resulted from severe weather linked to recent cyclones that struck Aceh, North Sumatra, and West Sumatra provinces.Aceh recorded the highest number of fatalities, with 345 deaths and 174 people missing. North Sumatra reported 312 deaths and 133 missing, while West Sumatra accounted for 226 fatalities and 213 missing.Local officials have urged the central government in Jakarta to declare a national state of emergency to unlock additional funding and resources for rescue, recovery, and humanitarian relief operations.Environmental groups have attributed the worsening floods to large-scale deforestation caused by mining and logging activities, saying the loss of forest cover has degraded soil stability and heightened the risk of landslides and flash floods.In response, Indonesian authorities have launched investigations into several companies suspected of illegal deforestation in the affected areas. The Ministry of Environment said it has temporarily suspended the operations of the companies under investigation and ordered comprehensive environmental audits.The ministry added that aerial surveys revealed extensive land clearing in Batang Toru, which may have exacerbated the flooding.Monsoon rains battered large areas of Sumatra last week, causing rivers to overflow, triggering landslides, and submerging entire communities.  

An alliance of 30 influential Philippine business and civic organisations is demanding an independent investigation into what it describes as "excessive corruption" linked to government infrastructure projects.The call for action comes after President Ferdinand Marcos Jr disclosed last month the results of an internal audit into flood control projects, revealing troubling patterns of irregularity.Key findings showed that out of 545bn pesos ($9.63bn) in flood control spending since 2022, thousands of projects were either substandard, poorly documented, or non-existent.Some carried identical costs despite being in different locations, and only 15 out of more than 2,000 accredited contractors cornered 20% of the total budget.The allegations have spurred legislative inquiries in both chambers of Congress, and Marcos has said he will create an independent commission to investigate "these nefarious activities."The alliance expressed "outrage, disgust and disappointment" over the "shameful, unabated, continuing and excessive acts of graft and corruption" by many officials in Congress, the executive department and local government units."While we take note of the President admonishing the corrupt in government, we are concerned that the guilty among these officials will continue their merry way of robbing the people and filling their pockets," the groups said in a statement.They described the acts as a betrayal of public trust and a "treasonous" offence against Filipinos.There was no immediate comment from the offices of the president, the house speaker and senate president.The controversy has already led to the resignation of the public works secretary. His successor, Vince Dizon, has suspended all bidding for locally funded flood control projects, ordered courtesy resignations of all public works officials, and vowed to permanently blacklist contractors involved in fraudulent projects.The Philippine scandal unfolds as neighbouring Indonesia grapples with its own wave of public outrage. In recent weeks, mass protests have erupted across 32 provinces in Indonesia, many turning violent, with regional parliaments set ablaze.While Indonesia's streets have filled with demonstrators, the Philippine response has so far remained largely online, with citizens resorting to naming and shaming on social media. Some activist groups have begun mobilising on the ground, and others are calling on the public to take to the streets.