Record flooding slams South Carolina. Answers demanded in Afghanistan hospital bombing. And has the El Faro been found?
It’s Monday, and here are five things to know for your new day.
FLOODS
Unprecedented: Think about it: a 1,000-year flood. The amount of rainfall that drenched South Carolina over the weekend was unheard of, at least in our lifetimes. The chance of that much rain dropping in any given year is 1 in 1,000. And it absolutely wrecked the state. Five deaths. Homes and businesses flooded to the rooftops. Submerged roadways. Trapped people had to be rescued via helicopter. The capital city of Columbia — which had the rainiest day in its history yesterday — was under a curfew last night, and many homes were without power or water. And it’s not over yet. “Catastrophic flash flooding” is forecast to continue right into today.
HOSPITAL BOMBING
Inquiry: Who bombed the Doctors Without Borders hospital in Kunduz, Afghanistan? The medical charity said yesterday it wants an independent investigation after bombs blew up the hospital on Saturday. Twelve staffers and 10 patients — including three children — were killed. The destruction happened at nearly the same time af a U.S. airstrike. U.S. Defense Secretary Ash Carter promised a “transparent’ investigation.” Doctors Without Borders said a probe by any group potentially connected to the bombing would be “wholly insufficient.”
MISSING SHIP
Found?: There’s a large debris field in the Caribbean. Is it the remains of El Faro? The U.S. Coast Guard found the debris yesterday during its search for the El Faro, a container ship that disappeared last week near the Bahamas as Hurricane Joaquin raged nearby. The debris field consisted of Styrofoam, wood and cargo. An oil sheen, life jackets and containers were also found in the same area. A crew of 28 Americans and five Polish nationals were on board.
OREGON SHOOTING
Merciless: The gunman showed no mercy. Not only did the mam in last week’s shooting at a college in Oregon kill nine people, one of his victims was a woman who used a wheelchair. One of the survivors — a mom of three who was shot in the hand — said the killer ordered the woman in the wheelchair to the ground. So she dropped to the floor, but then he told her to get back in the chair. As she tried to climb back into the chair, he shot her, the survivor told CNN’s Sara Sidner.
GUATEMALA LANDSLIDE
Devastation: Sounds like they never had a chance. At least 131 people are dead and more than 300 are still missing after a massive landslide slammed the Guatemalan village of El Cambray. The mass of rocks, earth and trees hit in the middle of the night Thursday, instantly burying much of the village. Searchers are using everything from backhoes to shovels to bare hands in the hunt for victims.
