What we’re watching: Weekly disaster update, November 10
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 Nov. 10, 2025.
New or Emerging Disasters
Tornado – Brazil: On Nov. 8, a powerful tornado struck Parana, a state in southern Brazil, killing at least six people and injuring more than 400 others. Roughly 90% of the town of Rio Bonito do Iguaçu is damaged.
Wind speeds exceeded 155 mph, and the authorities called the storm “unprecedented.”
Flooding – Indonesia: Heavy rain caused flooding in Papua, Indonesia’s easternmost region on Nov. 3. At least 15 people died, including eight children. Most of the victims were trying to cross a river that had burst its banks. Rescue operations were particularly challenging due to the mountainous terrain.
Drought – Iran: Reservoirs in Iran are nearly empty due to a critical lack of rainfall, which has caused the most severe drought in 60 years. President Masoud Pezeshkian warned that if the drought does not break soon, it may be necessary to “evacuate Tehran” due to the water shortage.
Civilians have already been ordered to ration water, and water cuts have been in operation for the last 10 days. Water authorities in Iran reported that the main dams supplying the capital, which has a population of 10 million, were operating at 5% capacity.
Previous/Ongoing Disasters
Hurricane Melissa – The Caribbean: Melissa made landfall in Jamaica on Oct. 28 as a Category 5 hurricane, after causing damage in Haiti and the Dominican Republic. The storm is responsible for more than 67 deaths so far, including one in the Dominican Republic, 32 in Jamaica and 34 in Haiti
Melissa also damaged health care centers, bridges, roads and other infrastructure in Cuba, the Bahamas and Bermuda.
CDP has a Hurricane Melissa disaster profile, and you can donate to support recovery through the Atlantic Hurricane Recovery Fund.
Typhoons Kaelmagi and Fung-wong – The Philippines, Vietnam: Typhoon Kaelmagi made landfall in the Philippines on Nov. 2 with wind speeds up to 114 mph, causing massive flooding and 224 fatalities. The storm also killed five people in Vietnam.
Immediately following Kaelmagi, another storm, Typhoon Fung-wong, made landfall in the Philippines on Sunday, Nov. 9, killing at least eight people and forcing the evacuation of 1.4 million others.
Earthquake – Afghanistan: On Nov. 3, a 6.3-magnitude earthquake struck the northern Afghan city of Mazar-e-Sharif, where the city’s famed blue mosque was damaged. At least 27 people were killed, and over a thousand people were injured. The recent earthquake struck just three months after an earthquake killed 2,200 people in eastern Afghanistan.
Join us this Thursday, Nov. 13
Webinar: Violence against women and girls in disasters: How funders can fill funding gaps
Photo by Michelle Ding on Unsplash What We’re Reading
- How wars ravage the environment – and what international law is doing about it – The Conversation
- From the Andes to the Amazon, Indigenous Leaders Bring Their Demands to COP30 – U.S. News
- UNHCR report reveals extreme weather driving repeated displacement among conflict-affected communities – UNHCR
A moment of hope… Sara Wahedi fled Afghanistan as a child with her mother and brother after the Taliban forced her mother out of her teaching job. She later returned to Afghanistan as a young adult to work in government and policy before the Taliban’s most recent takeover.
After surviving multiple terror attacks, she realized that ordinary Afghans lacked access to real-time security alerts. This inspired her to create Ehtesab, a mobile app that delivered alerts to help people stay safe in emergencies (although the app has since shut down). While studying at the University of Oxford, Sara is currently developing a new app to help Afghans find covert pathways to education, health care and other resources.
Gina DeLuca
Content Development Associate