Floods in the Solomons

Flash flooding in the Solomon Islands caused the river Matanikau, which runs through Honiara on the island of Guadalcanal, to rise over its banks on April 4, destroying entire neighborhoods. The unprecedented flood left at least 16 people dead and 10,000 homeless (out of a population of 64,000). It swept away houses and bridges, including one of only two bridges connecting the capital to the Honiara International Airport. The downtown area and Chinatown also were flooded.