Numerous clips show raging floodwaters rolling up huge boulders across towns, destroying concrete bridges and turning houses and even large hotels into driftwood.
But there are also some inspiring images of heroism and bravery that are often seen in disasters. Rescue teams have been deployed across the country, armed with rafts and ingenuity, and a large number of individuals have moved quickly on short notice.
Farther south, the low-lying, densely populated provinces of Sindh and Balochistan have become huge wetlands in some places, and countless families have had to pitch their tents by the roadside or on any dry land they can find.
Pakistan’s climate minister, Sherry Rehman, said that one-third of Pakistan is now submerged, which exceeds all the boundaries and standards we have seen in the past.
It will be a while before scientists assess how much climate change may have played a role in these historic monsoons, but NASA points out that the continued melting of Pakistan’s 7,000 glaciers has exacerbated flooding, which can be partly attributed to human-caused warming . The country has the most glaciers outside the polar regions.
While Pakistani officials are cautiously optimistic that the flooding is now starting to subside, it will be several years before the country begins to return to normalcy in most respects.