Mudslides

A man pedals a swan paddle boat in a flooded parking lott in front of the Rio de Janeiro's landmark Rodrigo de Freitas lagoon Rio de Janeiro, on April 6, 2010. Flooding from torrential rains and deadly mudslides claimed at least 77 lives in Brazil's Rio de Janeiro state, authorities said Tuesday. Civil defense officials said about half of the fatalities occurred in Rio de Janeiro city, where authorities urged residents to remain indoors and not venture downtown, where streets were impassable.

Volunteers covered in white mud partake in Indonesian artist Dadang Christanto's silent exhibition 'Survivor (2010)' outside the Museum of Contemporary Art (MCA) in Sydney on October 30, 2010. The participants staged a two-hour performance holding archival photos of victims of the catastrophic 2006 Indonesian mudslides as part of 'In the Balance: Art for a Changing World.'

IN SPACE - NOVEMBER 6: In this handout satellite image provided by NOAA/NASA GOES Project, the GOES-13 satellite shows the weather pattern Tomas north of Haiti in the Atlantic Ocean at 9:01AM EDT on November 6, 2010 as seen from space. It was reported that Hurricane Tomas has weakened to a tropical storm after it tore through the island of Haiti and its crowded camps for earthquake survivors and coastal towns, triggering flooding and mudslides that killed at least seven people.

Volunteers covered in white mud partake in Indonesian artist Dadang Christanto's silent exhibition 'Survivor (2010)' outside the Museum of Contemporary Art (MCA) in Sydney on October 30, 2010. The participants staged a two-hour performance holding archival photos of victims of the catastrophic 2006 Indonesian mudslides as part of 'In the Balance: Art for a Changing World.'

A shop owner sweeps muddy water into the street on November 15, 2010 as residents in Wavre clean their flooded houses after heavy rains battered Belgium at the weekend, causing flooding and mudslides that left at least two people dead as scores of others had to be evacuated, sometimes by boat. While the rain appeared to have eased on November 14 after downpours that began late on November 12, water levels continued to rise with floods and mud blocking several routes and causing people to be evacuated from their homes.

A resident empties a bucket in the street on November 15, 2010 as residents in Wavre clean their flooded houses after heavy rains battered Belgium at the weekend, causing flooding and mudslides that left at least two people dead as scores of others had to be evacuated, sometimes by boat. While the rain appeared to have eased on November 14 after downpours that began late on November 12, water levels continued to rise with floods and mud blocking several routes and causing people to be evacuated from their homes.

A man stands looking at a branch of a tree fallen across a track in high winds as Super Typhoon Megi made landfall in the northern Philippine province of Isabela on October 18, 2010. Megi smashed into the northern Philippines on Monday, causing landslides in mountainous areas, whipping up huge waves along the coast and killing at least one person. Forecasters said Megi was the strongest storm to hit the Philippines since Typhoon Durian unleashed mudslides that buried entire towns and killed over 1,000 in 2006, and was likely the most powerful in the world this year.

A volunteer covered in white mud partakes in Indonesian artist Dadang Christanto's silent exhibition 'Survivor (2010)' outside the Museum of Contemporary Art (MCA) in Sydney on October 30, 2010. The participants staged a two-hour performance holding archival photos of victims of the catastrophic 2006 Indonesian mudslides as part of 'In the Balance: Art for a Changing World.'

A volunteer covered in white mud partakes in Indonesian artist Dadang Christanto's silent exhibition 'Survivor (2010)' outside the Museum of Contemporary Art (MCA) in Sydney on October 30, 2010. The participants staged a two-hour performance holding archival photos of victims of the catastrophic 2006 Indonesian mudslides as part of 'In the Balance: Art for a Changing World.'

Indonesian artist Dadang Christanto partakes in his silent exhibition 'Survivor (2010)' outside the Museum of Contemporary Art (MCA) in Sydney on October 30, 2010. Volunteers covered in white mud staged a two-hour performance holding archival photos of victims of the catastrophic 2006 Indonesian mudslides as part of 'In the Balance: Art for a Changing World.'

Volunteers covered in white mud partake in Indonesian artist Dadang Christanto's silent exhibition 'Survivor (2010)' outside the Museum of Contemporary Art (MCA) in Sydney on October 30, 2010. The participants staged a two-hour performance holding archival photos of victims of the catastrophic 2006 Indonesian mudslides as part of 'In the Balance: Art for a Changing World.'

People look on November 15, 2010 at a flooded bookstore in Wavre after heavy rains battered Belgium at the weekend, causing flooding and mudslides that left at least two people dead as scores of others had to be evacuated, sometimes by boat. While the rain appeared to have eased on November 14 after downpours that began late on November 12, water levels continued to rise with floods and mud blocking several routes and causing people to be evacuated from their homes.