What we’re watching: Weekly disaster update, February 24

We know all too well that disaster can strike anytime, anywhere in the world. Some disasters make headlines; others do not. Here at the Center for Disaster Philanthropy (CDP), we monitor the status of disasters worldwide and compile a list of the ones we’re tracking weekly, along with relevant disaster-related media coverage.   

Here’s what we’re watching for the week of Feb. 24, 2025. 

New or Emerging Disasters  

Flooding – Brazil: A severe storm struck Sao Paolo, Brazil on Feb. 18, causing sudden and severe flooding which submerged cars and killed one person. Strong winds downed trees and power lines, leaving at least 275,000 customers without power.

Disease Outbreak – Texas, New Mexico: More than 100 cases of measles have been detected in Texas and New Mexico, with at least 16 people hospitalized. Most of the cases are children younger than 18, with at least 26 cases in children under 4. The outbreak is mostly concentrated within a small, under-vaccinated Mennonite community.

If exposed, 9 out of 10 susceptible people will get the virus, which can cause complications such as pneumonia, brain swelling and death.

Water shortage – Kashmir: Multiple springs in Kashmir have dried up in recent weeks, causing a water crisis in the region. One famed ancient spring, which serves the needs of farmers and residents in 15 villages, ran dry for the first time in living memory due to extreme weather conditions from climate change.

Temperatures in Kashmir are 40-46 degrees above normal for this time of year, and the region has experienced an 80% rain and snow deficit since the beginning of the year. Kashmir has had to cancel its winter games due to the water crisis, and residents are now using government-provided water tankers rather than relying on the springs.

Flooding – Detroit: A 54-inch water main broke in Detroit on Feb. 19, causing hundreds of homes and many streets to be flooded with water. Detroit’s frigid temperatures over the past week then froze the water, trapping cars in ice.

Nearly 100 people required rescue, and hundreds more were evacuated to city-subsidized hotels until their homes can be repaired, which may take six weeks.

Previous/Ongoing Disasters

Complex Humanitarian Emergencies – Ukraine

Many places worldwide are experiencing emergencies caused by conflict, climate change, drought, famine, economic challenges and other conditions that combine to create a complex humanitarian emergency (CHE). CDP maintains profiles on several CHEs; these and others are profiled here weekly.

February 24 marks the three-year anniversary of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. The war has caused massive suffering, widespread displacement and a devastating economic toll on the people of Ukraine that will reverberate for generations.

Key facts:

• Almost 13,000 Ukrainian civilians have been killed, nearly half of them older people.
• Ukraine now has the highest number of unexploded ordinance in the world, with some 53,000 square miles (about one-third of the country) potentially mined, risking the death and injury of civilians long after the war ends.
• In areas occupied by Russia, Ukrainian citizens are often forced to obtain Russian passports to access health care, receive social security benefits and buy/sell property.
• Ukrainian children in these areas are taught to be loyal to the Russian state.
• At least 19,500 Ukrainian children have been illegally transferred to Russia. Many of them have been issued Russian passports, held in psychiatric hospitals, placed in re-education camps and illegally adopted.
• Safety and essential services remain almost nonexistent along the frontline. Internally displaced people have to choose between staying displaced in areas where they cannot find jobs or returning home where their basic needs cannot be met.
• About 10.6 million Ukrainians (25% of the population) have been displaced since the war began.

The United Nations is launching a humanitarian and refugee response plan for 2025, appealing for $3.32 billion to support 8.2 million people affected by the crisis.

What We’re Reading