Natural Disasters
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
www.MickMaurer.com
| Natural disasters are extreme, sudden events caused by environmental factors that injure people and damage property. Earthquakes, windstorms, floods, and disease all strike anywhere on earth, often without warning. The aftermath of natural disasters can include infectious diseases, unsafe food and drinking water, homelessness and psychological distress. A natural disaster is the consequence of a natural hazard (e.g. volcanic eruption, earthquake, landslide) which becomes a physical event and interacts with human activities. Human vulnerability, caused by the lack of planning or lack of appropriate emergency management, leads to financial, structural, and human losses. The resulting loss depends on the capacity of the population to support or resist the disaster, their resilience. This understanding is concentrated in the formulation: "disasters occur when hazards meet vulnerability". A natural hazard will hence never result in a natural disaster in areas without vulnerability, e.g. strong earthquakes in uninhabited areas. The term natural has consequently been disputed because the events simply are not hazards or disasters without human involvement. The degree of potential loss can also depend on the nature of the hazard itself, ranging from a single lightning strike, which threatens a very small area, to impact events, which have the potential to end civilization. Economic losses from natural disasters were greater in the 1990s than in the previous four decades combined. Poor development choices, from deforestation and river engineering to poor siting of cities and buildings, have made humanity more vulnerable to disaster than ever. Over one third of the world's people live near a coast, for example, and nearly half live in cities, concentrating humanity in some of the riskiest areas. Vulnerability to disasters will likely grow as severe storms and rising sea levels associated with climate change increasingly pound coastal areas. |
| A. Avalanches: An avalanche is any swift movement of snow, ice, mud, or rock down a mountainside or slope. Avalanches, which are natural forms of erosion and often seasonal, can reach speeds of more than 200 miles per hour. They are triggered by such events as earthquake tremors, human-made disturbances, or excessive rainfall. Destruction from avalanches results both from the avalanche wind (the air pushed ahead of the mass) and from the actual impact of the avalanche material. • Where: Italian Alps • When: 218 B.C. • When Hannibal, the Carthaginian general, crossed the Alps to conquer Rome, 18,000 soldiers, 2,000 horses, and many elephants died. Most of the deaths were caused by Alpine avalanches. • Where: United States • When: 1910 • The worst snowslide in U.S. history occurred in the Cascade Mountains in Wellington, Washington, when 96 people were trapped when their train became snowbound. An avalanche then swept them to their deaths in a gorge 150 feet below the tracks. • Where: Peru • When: 1962 • When tons of ice and snow slid down Huascaran Peak in the Andes Mountains, nearly 4,000 people were killed. Some 30 years later, it is still considered the world's worst avalanche. B. Blizzards and Hailstorms: A blizzard is a winter storm characterized by high winds, low temperatures, and driving snow. (According to the official definition given in 1958 by the U.S. Weather Bureau, the winds must exceed 35 miles (56 km) per hour and the must drop to temperature 20° F (-7° C) or lower.) A hailstorm is precipitation in the form of balls or lumps of clear ice and compact snow. It is not known for sure how hailstones form and grow. We do know that they are spherical or irregularly spherical and usually vary in diameter up to 1/2 in. (1.3 cm); in rare cases hailstones having diameters up to 5 in. (12.7 cm) have been observed. Hail causes much damage and injury to crops, livestock, property, and airplanes. • Where: United States • When: 1888 • The worst winter storm in U.S. history, the Blizzard of 1888 surprised the northeastern United States with as much as five feet of snow in some areas. Two hundred boats sank and more than 400 people died due to very powerful winds and cold temperatures. • Where: United States • When: 1978 • The blizzard of 1978 was one of the most powerful snowstorms to hit the East Coast. It crippled New York and New England for days, in many areas dumping more than three feet of snow. • Where: Russia (formerly the Soviet Union) • When: 1923 • In Rostov, 23 people and even more cattle were killed by hailstones weighing up to 2 pounds each. • Where: India • When: 1939 • A hailstorm over a 30-square-mile area in the southern part of the country killed cattle and sheep and damaged crops. Some of the hailstones were said to weigh 71/2 pounds. C. Droughts and Famines: Droughts are unusually long periods of insufficient rainfall. Since ancient times droughts have had far-reaching effects on humankind by causing the failure of crops, decreasing natural vegetation, and depleting water supplies. Livestock and wildlife, as well as humans, die of thirst and famine; large land areas often suffer damage from dust storms or fire. Famines are extreme shortages of food that cause people to die of starvation. • Where: Egypt • When: 1200-02 • The Egyptian people relied on the annual flooding of the Nile River to leave soil for growing crops. After a shortage of rain, however, the Nile didn't rise. People were unable to grow food and began to starve to death. The final death toll was 110,000, due to starvation, cannibalism, and disease. • Where: Ireland • When: 1845-49 • Potatoes were the mainstay of the Irish diet. When the crop was struck by a potato blight (a fungus that killed the crop), farmers and their families began to starve. The grain and livestock raised in Ireland were owned by the English, and the laws of the time prevented the Irish people from importing grain to eat. This combination of plant disease and politics resulted in the Great Potato Famine, which killed 1.5 million people and caused a million more to move to America. • Where: The Great Plains of the U.S. • When: 1930s • The U.S. experienced its longest drought of the twentieth century. Peak periods were 1930, 1934, 1936, 1939, and 1940. During 1934, dry regions stretched solidly from New York and Pennsylvania across the Great Plains to the California coast. A great “dust bowl” covered 50 million acres in the south central plains during the winter of 1935–1936. Heavy winds caused the dry soil to be blown into huge clouds. Crops and pasture lands were ruined by the harsh dust storms, which also proved a severe health hazard. • Where: Northern China • When: 1959-61 • The world's deadliest famine killed an estimated 30 million people in China. Drought was followed by crop failure, which was followed by starvation, disease, and cannibalism. News of the famine was not revealed to the rest of the world until 1981, some 20 years later. • Where: Biafra, Africa (present-day Nigeria) • When: 1967-69 • As a result of civil war, famine conditions killed an estimated 1 million people and left another 3.5 million suffering from extreme malnutrition. D. Tsunamis: A tsunami (pronounced soo-nahm-ee) is a series of huge waves that happen after an undersea disturbance, such as an earthquake or volcano eruption. Tsunami is from the Japanese word for “harbor wave.” The waves travel in all directions from the area of disturbance, much like the ripples that happen after throwing a rock. The waves may travel in the open sea as fast as 450 miles per hour. As the big waves approach shallow waters along the coast they grow to a great height and smash into the shore. They can be as high as 100 feet. They can cause a lot of destruction on the shore. They are sometimes mistakenly called “tidal waves,” but tsunami have nothing to do with the tides. Hawaii is the state at greatest risk for a tsunami. They get about one a year, with a damaging tsunami happening about every seven years. Alaska is also at high risk. California, Oregon and Washington experience a damaging tsunami about every 18 years. On Dec. 26, 2004, a 9.0 magnitude earthquake—the largest earthquake in 40 years—occurred off the west coast of the Indonesian island of Sumatra. The earthquake triggered a tsunami in the Indian Ocean, the deadliest in world history. More than 226,000 died and twelve countries felt the devastation. Hardest hit were Indonesia (particularly the province of Aceh), Sri Lanka, India, Thailand, and the Maldives. Millions were left homeless by the disaster. E. Earthquakes The Largest Earthquakes in the United States Rank Magnitude Date Location 1. 9.2 March 28, 1964 Prince William Sound, Alaska1 2. 8.8 March 9, 1957 Andreanof Islands, Alaska 3. 8.7 Feb. 4, 1965 Rat Islands, Alaska 4. 8.3 Nov. 10, 1938 East of Shumagin Islands, Alaska 8.3 July 10, 1958 Lituya Bay, Alaska 6. 8.2 Sept. 10, 1899 Yakutat Bay, Alaska 8.2 Sept. 4, 1899 Near Cape Yakataga, Alaska 8. 8.0 May 7, 1986 Andreanof Islands, Alaska 9. 7.9 Feb. 7, 1812 New Madrid, Missouri 7.9 Jan. 9, 1857 Fort Tejon, California 7.9 April 3, 1868 Ka'u District, Island of Hawaii 7.9 Oct. 9, 1900 Kodiak Island, Alaska 7.9 Nov. 30, 1987 Gulf of Alaska 7.9 Nov.. 3, 2002 Central Alaska 15. 7.8 March 26, 1872 Owens Valley, California 7.8 Feb. 24, 1892 Imperial Valley, California 17. 7.7 Dec. 16, 1811 New Madrid, Missouri area 7.7 April 18, 1906 San Francisco, California 7.7 Oct. 3, 1915 Pleasant Valley, Nevada 20. 7.6 Jan. 23, 1812 New Madrid, Missouri 7.6 June 28, 1992 Landers, California 22. 7.5 July 21, 1952 Kern County, California 23. 7.3 Nov. 4, 1927 West of Lompoc, California 7.3 Dec. 16, 1954 Dixie Valley, Nevada 7.3 Aug. 18, 1959 Hebgen Lake, Montana 7.3 Oct. 28, 1983 Borah Peak, Idaho 1. March 28, 03:36:14 UT (March 27, 5:36 P.M. local time) Source: National Earthquake Information Center, U.S. Geological Survey. F. Floods: A flood occurs when a body of water rises and overflows onto normally dry land. Floods occur most commonly when water from heavy rainfall, from melting ice and snow, or from a combination of these exceeds the carrying capacity of the river system, lake, or ocean into which it runs. • Where: The Netherlands and England • When: 1099 • A combination of high tides and storm waves on the North Sea flooded coastal areas of England and the Netherlands, killing 100,000 people. • Where: United States • When: 1889 • The Johnstown Flood, in Pennsylvania, was considered one of the worst disasters in U.S. history. After an unusually heavy rainstorm, a dam several miles upriver from Johnstown broke. One out of every 10 people in the path of the flood died, a total of 2,000 people in less than an hour. • Where: Italy • When: 1966 • After a heavy rainfall, the Arno River overflowed, flooding the streets of Florence. Many great works of art in the museums were damaged, as was the architecture of the city. In two days, more than 100 people died and the city was covered with half a million tons of mud, silt, and sewage. 1228 Holland: 100,000 people reputedly drowned by sea flood in Friesland. 1642 China: rebels destroyed Kaifeng seawall; 300,000 drowned. 1889 May 31, Johnstown, Pa.: more than 2,200 died in flood after South Fork Dam collapsed. 1910 March 1, Wellington, Wash.: avalanche in Cascade Range swept 2 trains into canyon, killing 96. Worst U.S. avalanche. 1903 June 14, Willow Creek, Ore.: Flash floods swept away town of Heppner, killing more than 240. 1913 March–April, Ohio: Statewide flooding of rivers killed at least 428. 1928 March 12, Santa Paula, Calif.: collapse of St. Francis Dam left 450 dead. 1931 July–Aug., China: flood along Yangtze River left 3.7 million people dead from disease, starvation, or drowning. 1953 Jan. 31–Feb. 5, northwest Europe: storm followed by floods devastated North Sea coastal areas. Netherlands hit hardest; 1,794 dead. 1954 Aug., Teheran, Iran: flood rains resulted in some 10,000 deaths. 1959 Dec. 2, Fréjus, France: flood caused by collapse of Malpasset Dam left 412 dead. 1962 Jan. 10, Peru: avalanche down extinct Huascaran volcano killed more than 3,000. 1963 Oct. 9, Italy: landslide into the Vaiont Dam; flood killed about 2,000. 1966 Oct. 21, Aberfan, Wales: avalanche of coal, waste, mud, and rocks killed 144 people, including 116 children in school. 1969 Jan. 18–26, southern Calif.: floods and mudslides from heavy rains caused widespread property damage; at least 100 dead. Another downpour (Feb. 23–26) caused further floods and mudslides; at least 18 dead. 1970 Nov. 13, East Pakistan: 200,000 killed by cyclone-driven tidal wave from Bay of Bengal. Over 100,000 missing. 1971 Aug., Hanoi, North Vietnam: heavy rains flooded the Red River Delta, killing 100,000. 1972 Feb. 26, Man, W. Va.: a slag-pile dam collapsed under pressure of torrential rains, flooding 17-mi valley, killing more than 118. June 9–10, Rapid City, S.D.: flash flood caused 237 deaths and $160 million in damage. 1975 Aug. 5, Yangtze River, China: 63 dams failed, killing an estimated 80,000 to 200,000 people from floods and subsequent famine. The Chinese government never acknowledged the event. 1976 Aug. 1, Loveland, Colo.: flash flood along Route 34 in Big Thompson Canyon left 139 dead. 1988 Aug.–Sept., Bangladesh: heaviest monsoon in 70 years killed more than 1,300. Floods inundated three- fourths of country, leaving 30 million homeless and damages estimated over $1 billion. 1993 June–Aug., Ill., Iowa, Kan., Ky., Minn., Mo., Neb., N.D., S.D., Wis.: flooding of the Mississippi River and tributaries caused 50 deaths and about $12 billion in damage. Almost 70,000 left homeless. 1997 Dec. 1996–Jan. 1997, U.S. West Coast: torrential rains and snowmelt produced severe floods in parts of Calif., Ore., Wash., Idaho, Nev., and Mont., causing 36 deaths and about $2–3 billion in damage. March, Ohio and Mississippi Valleys: flooding and tornadoes plagued Ark., Mo., Miss., Tenn., Ill., Ind., Ky., Ohio, and W.Va. 67 were killed and damage totaled approximately $1 billion. April, N.D., S.D., and Minn.: Grand Forks, N.D., and surrounding area devastated as the Red River swelled 13 ft above flood level. Eleven deaths were recorded. Summer, central and northeast China: heavy flooding of Yangtze River killed more than 3,000 and left 14 million homeless. Estimated damages exceeded $20 billion. 1999 Summer, Asia: torrential downpours and flooding left more than 950 dead and millions homeless in S. Korea, China, Japan, the Philippines, and Thailand. Oct., southwest Mexico: heavy rains killed at least 360 people in mudslides and flood waters. Nov. and Dec., Vietnam: devastating floods caused $285 million in damage and killed more than 700 people. Dec. 15–16, northern Venezuela: heavy rains caused catastrophic flooding and mudslides, killing an estimated 5,000 to 20,000 people. Country's worst modern-day natural disaster. 2000 Feb., southeast Africa: weeks of rain resulted in deadly floods in Mozambique and Zimbabwe, killing more than 700 people and leaving 280,000 homeless. mid-September, Thailand, Cambodia, and Vietnam: rising flood waters from the Mekong River and its tributaries destroyed crops and livestock and left at least 235 people dead and 4.5 million homeless. Damages were estimated at $50 million in Cambodia and $24 million in Thailand. 2002 Sept. 20, Karmadon Gorge, North Ossetia, Russia: an avalanche caused by a 500-ft chunk of glacier left 150 people dead. June–Aug., Asia: annual monsoons caused record floods and more than 2,000 deaths in China, India, Nepal, and Bangladesh.t5 Aug., Europe: record flooding across central and eastern Europe killed 108 people and caused billions of dollars of extensive infrastructure damage and deforestation. 2004 May 18–26, Dominican Republic and Haiti: torrential rains overflowed the Soliel River, causing floods and mudslides, destroying villages, and killing more than 2,000. June–Aug., South Asia: annual monsoons left 5 million homeless and more than 1,800 dead in India, Nepal, and Bangladesh. 2005 Jan.-Feb., South East Asia: extreme winter weather including cold, snowfall, avalanches, and flooding in Afghanistan, India, and Pakistan killed more than 800 people. July 26, Mumbai, India: a record 37 in of rain in a 24-hour period and a week of monsoon rains left 1,000 dead in western India. 2006 Feb. 17, Guinsaugon, Philippines: a landslide, caused by heavy monsoon rains, engulfed Guinsaugon, burying more than 1,000 people. Rescue workers were unable to recover many survivors. More than 3,330 were left homeless. The landslide was estimated to be 13 ft deep and covered an area of 1.2 sq mi (3 sq km). June 22–28, Northeast U.S.: heavy rainfall broke records, caused extensive flooding, and killed 16. August, Ethiopia: flooding of several rivers in southern and eastern Ethiopia killed more than 800. G. Pestilence: Pestilence is contagious disease that spreads out of control, killing many people. Here are examples of some of the worst epidemics around the world. AIDS • Where: Worldwide • When: Late 1970s-present • AIDS (Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome) is a disease that destroys the body's immune system, its ability to fight sickness. This virus may have developed as long as 50 to 150 years ago, but it was not identified until 1981. The virus may take years to produce symptoms in an infected human being. The United Nations and the World Health Organization reported that a total of 20 million people had died from AIDS as of Dec. 2003. Black Death • Where: Western Europe • When: 1347-51 • This plague, thought to be the Bubonic plague, spread throughout Europe, killing about half the continent's population. It was called the Black Death because of the black blotches that appeared on the victims' bodies. This plague was carried by infected fleas on black rats. Influenza • Where: Worldwide • When: 1918-19 • This flu was a highly contagious virus that killed 20 million people throughout the world. Without effective medication to treat the illness, most people died of complications from the disease, like pneumonia. This pestilence, along with the Black Death, resulted in the highest number of deaths worldwide in history. H. Major U.S. Epidemics 1793 Philadelphia: more than 4,000 residents died from yellow fever. 1832 July–Aug., New York City: over 3,000 people killed in a cholera epidemic. Oct., New Orleans: cholera took the lives of 4,340 people. 1848 New York City: more than 5,000 deaths caused by cholera. 1853 New Orleans: yellow fever killed 7,790. 1867 New Orleans: 3,093 perished from yellow fever. 1878 Southern states: over 13,000 people died from yellow fever in lower Mississippi Valley. 1916 Nationwide: over 7,000 deaths occurred and 27,363 cases were reported of polio (infantile paralysis) in America's worst polio epidemic. 1918 March–Nov., nationwide: outbreak of Spanish influenza killed over 500,000 people in the worst single U.S. epidemic. 1949 Nationwide: 2,720 deaths occurred from polio, and 42,173 cases were reported. 1952 Nationwide: polio killed 3,300; 57,628 cases reported. 1981–Dec. 2004: total estimated U.S. AIDS cases: 944,306; total estimated AIDS deaths: 529,113 (Centers for Disease Control); 2005 total world AIDS cases: 40.3 million. • Cholera • Yellow Fever • HIV/AIDS • The Polio Panic • Smallpox • Influenza: A Twentieth-Century Epidemic I. Major Storms: Cyclones, hurricanes, and typhoons are the same kind of tropical storm but are called by different names in different areas of the world. A tropical cyclone is the general term for violent circular winds with torrential rains that originate in the tropics. When they occur in the Atlantic Ocean, they are called hurricanes. In the Indian Ocean, they are called cyclones. In the Pacific Ocean, they are called typhoons. U.S. Hurricanes (U.S. deaths only, except where noted. Damages are actual cost in U.S. dollars, followed in parentheses by dollar figures adjusted to the year 2000.) 1776 Sept. 2–9, N.C. to Nova Scotia: called the “Hurricane of Independence,” it is believed that 4,170 in the U.S. and Canada died in the storm. 1856 Aug. 11, Last Island, La.: 400 died. 1893 Aug. 28, Savannah, Ga., Charleston, S.C., Sea Islands, S.C.: at least 1,000 died. 1900 Sept. 8, Galveston, Tex.: an estimated 6,000–8,000 died in hurricane and tidal surge. The “Galveston Hurricane” is considered the deadliest in U.S. history. 1909 Sept. 10–21, La. and Miss.: 350 deaths. 1915 Aug. 5–23, Galveston, Tex., and New Orleans, La.: 275 killed. 1919 Sept. 2–15, Fla. Keys, La., and southern Tex.: more than 600 killed, mostly lost on ships at sea. 1926 Sept. 11–22, southeast Fla. and Ala.: 243 deaths. 1928 Sept. 6–20, Lake Okeechobee, southeast Fla.: 1,836 deaths. Second-deadliest U.S. hurricane on record. 1935 Aug. 29–Sept. 10, Fla. Keys: “Labor Day Hurricane”; 408 deaths. 1938 Sept. 10–22, Long Island, N.Y., and southern New England: “New England Hurricane”; 600 deaths. 1944 Sept. 9–16, N.C. to New England: 390 deaths, 344 of which were at sea. 1947 Sept. 4–21, southeast Fla., La., Miss., Ala.: 51 killed. 1954 Aug. 25–31, N.C. to New England: “Carol” killed 60 in Long Island–New England area. Oct. 5–18, S.C. to N.Y.: “Hazel” killed 95 in U.S.; about 400–1,000 in Haiti; 78 in Canada. 1955 Aug. 7–21, N.C. to New England: “Diane” took 184 lives and cost $8.3 million ($5.5 billion). 1957 June 25–28, southwest La. and northern Tex.: “Audrey” wiped out Cameron, La., causing 390 deaths. 1960 Aug. 29–Sept. 13, Fla. to New England: “Donna” killed 50 in the U.S.; 115 deaths in Antilles. 1961 Sept. 3–15, Tex. coast: “Carla” devastated Tex. gulf cities, taking 46 lives. 1965 Aug. 27–Sept. 12, southern Fla. and La.: “Betsy” killed 75 and cost more than $1.4 ($8.5) billion. 1969 Aug. 14–22, Miss., La., Ala., Va., and W. Va.: 256 killed as a result of “Camille.” Damages estimated at $1.4 ($6.9) billion. 1972 June 14–23, northwest Fla. to N.Y.: “Agnes” caused widespread flash floods killing 117 (50 in Pa). Damages estimated at over $2.1 ($8.6) billion. Still the worst natural disaster ever in Pa. 1979 Aug. 25–Sept. 7, Caribbean to New England: “David” caused five U.S. deaths; 1,200 in the Dominican Republic. Aug. 29–Sept. 15, Ala. and Miss.: “Frederic” devastated Mobile, Ala., and caused $2.3 ($4.9) billion in damage overall. 1980 Aug. 3–10, Caribbean to Tex. Gulf: “Allen” killed 28 in U.S.; over 200 in Caribbean. 1983 Aug. 15–21, Galveston and Houston, Tex.: “Alicia” caused 21 deaths and $2 ($3.4) billion in damages. 1985 Oct. 6–Nov. 1, La. southeast U.S.: “Juan,” a Category 1 hurricane, caused severe flooding and $1.5 ($2.4) billion in damages; 63 people died. 1989 Sept. 10–22, Caribbean Sea, S.C., and N.C.: “Hugo” claimed 86 lives (57 U.S. mainland) and damages estimated over $7 ($9.7) billion. 1991 Oct. 30–Nov. 1, Eastern Atlantic seaboard: an unnamed hurricane labeled the “perfect storm” caused extensive erosion and flooding along the Atlantic seaboard and created 39-foot waves. 1992 Aug. 22–26, Bahamas, southern Fla., and La.: Hurricane “Andrew” left 26 dead and more than 100,000 homes destroyed or damaged. Total U.S. damages estimated at $26.5 ($34.9) billion. 1994 Nov. 8–21, Caribbean and southern Fla.: “Gordon” led to an estimated 1,122 deaths in Haiti. Eight died in Fla. 1995 Nov. 29, Fla. Panhandle and Ala.: storm surge during “Opal” caused extensive damage to coastal areas; nine U.S. deaths and damages of $3 ($3.5) billion. 1996 Sept. 5, N.C. and Va.: “Fran” took 37 lives and caused more than $3.2 ($3.6) billion in damage. 1999 Sept. 14–18, Bahamas to New England: “Floyd” and associated flooding caused at least 57 deaths. Damage estimated at $4.5 ($4.6) billion. 2001 June 8–15, Gulf Coast to southern New England: tropical storm “Allison” caused severe flooding, damage estimated at $5 billion (actual cost); 41 deaths. 2003 Sept. 18, N.C. and Va.: “Isabel” took 50 lives and caused more than $3.7 billion in damage. 2004 Aug. 13–Sept. 26, Fla., Ala., and southern U.S.: Four major hurricanes hit Fla. in 6 weeks. “Charley,” on Aug. 13, a Category 4 hurricane, killed 34; “Frances,” on Sept. 5, killed 48. “Ivan” swept from Grenada to Ala. and Fla. on Sept. 16, killing 57 in the U.S. and 66 in the Caribbean. “Jeanne,” on Sept. 26, flooded Fla. again, killing 28. Total U.S. damages from the 4 hurricanes estimated to exceed $35 billion. 2005 Aug. 25–Aug. 30, Fla., Miss., and La.: “Katrina” hit southern Fla. on Aug. 25th and on Aug. 29th slammed the Gulf Coast with 127 mph winds and major storm surges, destroying hundreds of homes and businesses and causing massive flooding in Miss., Ala., and New Orleans where the levees failed. The death toll was c. 1,800, with 1,464 of those in La. “Katrina” was among the most devastating of U.S. hurricanes with damages estimated at $100 billion. Sept. 18–Sept. 30, Tex. and La.: “Rita,” the 2nd Category 5 in the season, made landfall Sept. 24th on the Texas/Louisiana border as a Category 3 storm, with 15-ft storm surges caused estimated damages of $8 billion. A massive evacuation of the coastal area kept the death toll to 119 storm-related deaths. Oct. 18–Oct. 24, Caribbean, Mexico, and Fla.: “Wilma” moved through Haiti, killing 11, Jamaica, and on to Mexico where she battered The Yucatan peninsula for more than 24 hours before moving on to Cuba and southern Fla. causing extensive damage; left more than 6 million without power and killed 35 with estimated costs over $10 billion. Dec. 30–Jan. 7, 2006, U.S.: “Zeta,” the last hurricane of the most active season in 154 years. J. Volcanic Eruptions: A volcanic eruption occurs when molten rock, ash and steam pour through a vent in the earth's crust. Volcanoes are described as active (in eruption), dormant (not erupting at the present time), or extinct (having ceased eruption; no longer active). Some volcanoes explode. Others are slow-flowing fountains of lava, which is hot fluid rock. The following are examples of famous volcanic eruptions. • Where: Italy • When: A.D. 79 • The eruption of Mount Vesuvius buried the towns of Pompeii and Herculaneum under 20 feet of ash and lava, killing an estimated 20,000 people. The ash that buried the town and the people also preserved them. The work of uncovering the ancient cities began in 1748 and continues to this day. • Where: Indonesia • When: 1883 • The greatest explosion in modern times occurred when Krakatoa erupted. The power of the explosion was thought to be 26 times the power of the greatest H bomb, and the roar was heard over one-thirteenth of the surface of the earth. The eruption wiped out 163 villages, killing 36,380 people. About 550 volcanoes have erupted on Earth's surface since recorded history; about 60 are active each year. Far more have erupted unobserved on the ocean floor. Most volcanoes exist at the boundaries of Earth's crustal plates, such as the famous Ring of Fire that surrounds the Pacific Ocean plate. Fifty volcanoes have erupted in the United States since recorded history, and the United States ranks third, behind Indonesia and Japan, in the number of historically active volcanoes. K. Wildfire: An uncontrolled fire burning in wildland areas. Common causes include lightning and drought but wildfires may also be started by human negligence or arson. They can be a threat to those in rural areas and also wildlife. Wildfires can also produce ember attacks, where floating embers set fire to buildings at a distance from the fire itself. L. Impact event: An impact event is a natural disaster in which an extraterrestrial piece of rock or other material collides with the Earth. The exact consequences of a direct Earth impact would vary greatly with size of the colliding object, although in cases of medium to large impacts short-term climate change and a general failure of agriculture. An example would be the Tunguska event. M. Solar flare: A solar flare is a phenomenon where the sun suddenly releases a great amount of solar radiation, much more than normal. It is theorized that these releases of radiation could cause a widespread failure of communications technology across the globe. The exact implications of such a failure are unknown. Further studies are being carried out. Some known solar flares include: • An X20 event on August 16, 1989 • A similar flare on April 2, 2001 • The most powerful flare ever recorded, on November 4, 2003, estimated at between X40 and X45 • The most powerful flare in the past 500 years is believed to have occurred in September 1859 N. Landslides and Mudslides: Landslides occur when masses of rock, earth, or debris move down a slope. Debris flows, also known as mudslides, are a common type of fast-moving landslide that tends to flow in channels. What causes landslides and debris flows Landslides are caused by disturbances in the natural stability of a slope. They can accompany heavy rains or follow droughts, earthquakes, or volcanic eruptions. Mudslides develop when water rapidly accumulates in the ground and results in a surge of water-saturated rock, earth, and debris. Mudslides usually start on steep slopes and can be activated by natural disasters. Areas where wildfires or human modification of the land have destroyed vegetation on slopes are particularly vulnerable to landslides during and after heavy rains. Health threats from landslides and debris flows In the United States, landslides and debris flows result in 25 to 50 deaths each year. The health hazards associated with landslides and mudflows include: • Rapidly moving water and debris that can lead to trauma; • Broken electrical, water, gas, and sewage lines that can result in injury or illness; and • Disrupted roadways and railways that can endanger motorists and disrupt transport and access to health care. What areas are at risk Some areas are more likely to experience landslides or mudflows, including: • Areas where wildfires or human modification of the land have destroyed vegetation; • Areas where landslides have occurred before; • Steep slopes and areas at the bottom of slopes or canyons; • Slopes that have been altered for construction of buildings and roads; • Channels along a stream or river; and • Areas where surface runoff is directed. What you can do to protect yourself Before intense storms and rainfall • Assume that steep slopes and areas burned by wildfires are vulnerable to landslides and debris flows. • Learn whether landslides or debris flows have occurred previously in your area by contacting local authorities, a county geologist or the county planning department, state geological surveys or departments of natural resources, or university departments of geology. • Contact local authorities about emergency and evacuation plans. • Develop emergency and evacuation plans for your family and business. • Develop an emergency communication plan in case family members are separated. • If you live in an area vulnerable to landslides, consider leaving it. During intense storms and rainfall • Listen to the radio or watch TV for warnings about intense rainfall or for information and instructions from local officials. • Be aware of any sudden increase or decrease in water level on a stream or creek that might indicate debris flow upstream. A trickle of flowing mud may precede a larger flow. • Look for tilted trees, telephone poles, fences, or walls, and for new holes or bare spots on hillsides. • Listen for rumbling sounds that might indicate an approaching landslide or mudflow. • Be alert when driving. Roads may become blocked or closed due to collapsed pavement or debris. • If landslide or debris flow danger is imminent, quickly move away from the path of the slide. Getting out of the path of a debris flow is your best protection. Move to the nearest high ground in a direction away from the path. If rocks and debris are approaching, run for the nearest shelter and take cover (if possible, under a desk, table, or other piece of sturdy furniture). After a landslide or debris flow • Stay away from the site. Flooding or additional slides may occur after a landslide or mudflow. • Check for injured or trapped people near the affected area, if it is possible to do so without entering the path of the landslide or mudflow. • Listen to the radio or TV for emergency information. • Report broken utility lines to the appropriate authorities. • Consult a geotechnical expert (a registered professional engineer with soils engineering expertise) for advice on reducing additional landslide problems and risks. Local authorities should be able to tell you how to contact a geotechnical expert. |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |