Philippine Toll at 140, Gov't Tarred for Aid Delay

Remnants of Tropical Storm Lee continue to pound Northeast

(NEWSER) - As the floodwaters rose in Pennsylvania’s Hersheypark ZooAmerica, zookeepers made a tough—and controversial—choice: Rather than let two American bison drown while trapped in their pen, zookeepers shot both. Though other zoo animals were evacuated, officials say no one anticipated how quickly the floodwaters would rise, and that euthanization was the most humane choice. But across cyberspace, angry commenters wondered why the zoo, which had two days to prepare, did not evacuate the bison earlier, the Philadelphia Inquirer reports. USA Today adds that the floods currently overwhelming the Northeast are the worst in nearly 40 years. More»

Plus: Residents warned of landmines

(NEWSER) - The death toll from South Korea's massive landslides has reached 67, with at least 10 still missing, Reuters reports, and this terrifying video shows some of the destruction. In the wake of the flash flooding and mudslides, caused by the heaviest rains in a century, residents were warned to be wary of rogue explosives: Officials say about 10 landmines that were buried at a military base in Seoul during the Korean War were swept away and have not yet been recovered. Meanwhile, storms also hit North Korea; state media have not reported any damage, but experts fear landslides may have struck the country and its unstable hillsides, too. More crazy pictures here . More»

Megi packing 146 mph winds, 46 foot waves

(NEWSER) - Furious 140 mph "Super Typhoon" Megi has slammed into the Philippines as thousands of residents huddle in shelters and steel themselves for massive flooding, landslides, and damage to crops, homes and power lines. Forecasters warned that waves off the east coast of the beleaguered nation could hit 46 feet. One man, a candidate in a local election, was already reported missing in a fast-moving river. More»

Overflow from dams could be behind the slides

(NEWSER) - Landslides and continued flooding in the wake of two typhoons have killed more than 90 people in the Philippines. Many areas of the country are still underwater, and some reports suggest that water released by dams after Typhoons Ketsana and Parma is responsible for the landslides. More»

(NEWSER) - Some one million people on China's southeast coast have fled ahead of a massive typhoon spawning 30-foot waves and packing 74 mph winds, reports the BBC. Typhoon Morakot made landfall early today in Fujan Province after authorities sent more than 8 million text messages warning residents to evacuate. Morakot dumped more than 8 feet of rain on Taiwan earlier this week, triggering the worst flooding in 50 years. The typhoon also sparked violent rains in the Philippines, where at least 10 people died. More»