Weather can be very dangerous and can even kill people, especially when places are not prepared for events like floods. Kenya recently experienced heavy rainfall, causing severe flooding across many areas. These floods destroyed homes, forced families to leave their neighborhoods, and resulted in deaths. What happened in Kenya shows us that extreme weather, poor planning, and climate change can be very dangerous for people.

One major problem caused by the flooding is the loss of lives and damage to property. Reports say that at least 66 people died in the past week due to severe flooding from heavy rain. Rivers overflowed and flooded homes, damaged roads, and disrupted power and water systems. In Nairobi, a minibus called a matatu got stuck in the water, and rescue teams had to save eleven people. In addition, about 2,000 people were forced to leave their homes to find safer places to stay.

The flooding was made worse because some areas do not have proper systems to manage water. In Nairobi, residents and officials say that drainage systems are blocked, and buildings are constructed in ways that prevent water from flowing properly. For example, one person said that two meters of water surrounded his apartment building, and the parking area was completely flooded. Many people believe the government should fix drainage systems and prevent construction that blocks rivers and streams.

Climate change is also part of the reason for extreme weather events like these floods. Scientists say that as the Earth gets warmer, it can hold more moisture, which leads to heavier rainfall. The Earth has already warmed by about 1.1°C since the start of industrialization, and it will likely continue to warm if we do not reduce emissions. This means we may experience more floods and other natural disasters in the future.

The flooding in Kenya shows that we need to take weather risks, poor planning, and climate change seriously. Many people lost their lives, thousands were displaced, and important infrastructure was damaged. To prevent similar disasters in the future, governments need to plan cities better, improve drainage systems, and take action on climate change. If we do these things, we can better protect people from disasters like this.

<Ayla S. Lee 학생기자 PV 페닌슐라 고교 10학년>