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Started by D Lim; Last updated Feb 27, 08 4:07 PM CST by K Schwartz | View history

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Disasters

Earthquakes may rock the world and tsunamis drown it, but the greatest suffering can also give rise to the greatest feats of heroism

Stories

Stories 1 - 20 of 320

<< Prev 1 2 3 4 5 ... 16 Next >>

July 2008
- Deadly Mine Collapse Draws Record Fine
  
  newser | CNN | 7 hours, 29 minutes ago
  
  The federal government has socked a Utah mine operator and its consultant with the highest fine ever—$1.85 million—for safety violations in a mine collapse that killed six men last year. Investigators said weak pillar support and work in dangerous areas of the Crandell Canyon mine led to the disaster. The mine operator was charged $1.34 million “for violations that directly contributed to the deaths,” as well as $300,000 in other penalties. More »
- Dolly Strengthens to Category 2
  
  newser | Associated Press | Jul 23, 08 10:37 AM CDT
  
  Forecasters at the National Hurricane Center in Miami say Hurricane Dolly has strengthened to a Category 2 storm, with maximum sustained winds near 100 mph. The storm center is about 30 miles east-northeast of Brownsville, Texas. More »
- Mother Nature's Wrath Creates Prosperity
  
  newser | Boston Globe | Jul 8, 08 7:25 PM CDT
  
  Casualties aside, natural disasters may not be so devastating after all. Catastrophes like the recent earthquake in China destroy old buildings and roads, making way for new and improved infrastructure that may not have been created otherwise and pumping cash into the economy. In the long term, updated technology and efficiencies have the potential to create a more productive economy, reports the Boston Globe . More »
- California Blaze a 'Gorilla'
  
  newser | Los Angeles Times | Jul 7, 08 3:00 AM CDT
  
  A wildfire in California's Santa Barbara County grew by another 700 acres in addition to 10,000 acres already charred as teams of exhausted firefighters continued to battle the fast-moving blaze. The Gap fire is a priority among the 1,781 blazes which have raged in the state over the last two weeks, reports the Los Angeles Times. More »
- Wind Keeps Wildfires Spreading Throughout Calif.
  
  newser | Associated Press | Jul 4, 08 4:15 PM CDT
  
  A pair of out-of-control wildfires roared along California's central coast today, chewing through opposite ends of a parched forest and threatening a total of more than 4,500 homes. While flames from the stubborn fire inched closer to Big Sur's historic vacation retreats, state emergency officials said hot winds had caused a newer blaze 200 miles south in Santa Barbara County to double in size overnight. More »
- Big Sur Evacuated as Fires Rage
  
  newser | USA Today | Jul 3, 08 3:27 AM CDT
  
  California residents have been ordered to evacuate the coastal resort Big Sur as wildfires rage in the hills above the town, USA Today reports. Ash rained on people as they packed cars before fleeing to safety. The Big Sur blaze is one of more than 1,100 wildfires in the state, mostly ignited by lightning, that have charred 680 square miles and destroyed 60 homes. More »
June 2008
- China Quake Beat the Odds
  
  newser | LiveScience | Jun 30, 08 4:06 PM CDT
  
  The earthquake that leveled parts of China’s Sichuan province last month was a geological oddity arising from usually inactive faults, LiveScience reports. The bizarre seismological coincidences behind the quake explain why no one was able to predict the event, which claimed 69,000 lives. More »
- Emergency Declared in Calif. Fires
  
  newser | Los Angeles Times | Jun 29, 08 9:18 AM CDT
  
  President Bush declared a region stretching from Nevada to the Pacific Ocean a federal disaster area, the Los Angeles Times reports, as more than 1,000 fires raged across northern California. Some 17,000 firefighters are battling the blazes, which threaten 6,800 homes. “We don’t have any of the fires under control,” said a state fire department spokeswoman. More »
- Levee Breaks Near Eastern Mo. Town
  
  newser | Associated Press | Jun 27, 08 12:46 PM CDT
  
  A levee failed today in eastern Missouri, but emergency workers say they think an impromptu sandbag levee can save the nearby town. The breach about 5 am in the Pin Oak levee at a spot just south of Winfield slowly began to flood about 3,000 acres. The Army Corps of Engineers said muskrat holes caused the breach. More »
- Philippines Typhoon Toll May Reach 1,000
  
  newser | CNN | Jun 27, 08 7:51 AM CDT
  
  The death toll from a Philippines tycoon has climbed to more than 500—and it’s likely to keep growing, authorities say. Meanwhile, 900 are missing, including 669 who were on a sunken passenger ferry, CNN reports. More than 120 of those aboard the boat are confirmed dead, while 56 survived. Relatives are outraged that the boat was allowed to sail in such bad weather. More »
- Fires Threaten Big Sur
  
  newser | Associated Press | Jun 27, 08 5:20 AM CDT
  
  Firefighters rushed to guard historic buildings in the scenic coastal town of Big Sur yesterday as a lightning-sparked wildfire blazed through a national forest in California, AP reports. The fire, only 3% contained, has burned 42 square miles of redwoods and destroyed 16 homes since Saturday. With 700 fires blazing statewide and more lightning forecast, firefighting resources are stretched dangerously thin. More »
- What to Do With the Sandbags?
  
  newser | Washington Post | Jun 24, 08 8:32 AM CDT
  
  Sandbags were saviors for many in the Midwest flooding—but as the waters recede, the hefty lumps remain, often weighed down by all the toxins in the water, the Washington Post reports. Bags can weigh 60-80 pounds even when dry, so heaving one after another to the curb for pickup is a serious task, especially without the hordes of adrenaline-driven volunteers rushing to protect communities. More »
- Philippine Ferry Likely a 'Mass Grave'
  
  newser | Reuters | Jun 24, 08 5:46 AM CDT
  
  Floating corpses discovered in a Philippines ferry sunk by a typhoon have stoked mounting fears that most of the 800 people on board were drowned, Reuters reports. “It will be a miracle if we find survivors,” said a coast guard spokesman. Searching for more bodies, authorities will drill a hole in the capsized vessel. But workers will have to be cautious: the ship likely holds 26,000 gallons of fuel. More »
- Earth 'Safe' From Mammoth Collider: Report
  
  newser | BBC | Jun 24, 08 4:00 AM CDT
  
  Fears that experiments with a giant particle accelerator could trigger a planetary-wide cataclysm have been dismissed as science fiction by the European Organization for Nuclear Research. The 17-mile-long underground Large Hadron Collider in Switzerland will smash nuclear particles together at super high speeds. Some fear collider experiments could trigger mini black holes—and the destruction of the planet. More »
- 8,000 Lightning Bolts Spark California Fires
  
  newser | Los Angeles Times | Jun 24, 08 2:19 AM CDT
  
  Thousands of lightning strikes over a wide swath of Northern California ignited more than 700 wildfires that have burned some 44,000 tinder-dry acres of grassland, brush and forest. Firefighters managed to protect most homes in almost all of the fires. The historically bad fire season has been spurred by record low levels of rainfall and warm, flame-whipping winds. More »
- Rescuers May Bore Hole in Filipino Ferry
  
  newser | Associated Press | Jun 23, 08 8:25 AM CDT
  
  As strong waves keep rescue ships at bay, Philippine officials are weighing two plans for getting inside the massive ferry that capsized with more than 740 people aboard. They will likely either send divers from below or bore a hole in the ship’s hull, the AP reports. “We're not ruling out that somebody there is still alive,” said one Coast guard official. “You can never tell.” More »
- Midwest Braces for Mississippi Crest
  
  newser | USA Today | Jun 23, 08 3:00 AM CDT
  
  Deluged midwesterners were preparing for tonight’s expected cresting of the Mississippi River, piling up sandbags to support levees, USA Today reports. Some residents have already moved to higher ground, while others are staying home to guard against looters. The river is likely to crest at a number of areas north of St. Louis. Floodwaters should start to recede early this week, said a meteorologist. More »
- Ragtag Levees Leave Midwest Soaking
  
  newser | New York Times | Jun 22, 08 10:18 AM CDT
  
  As the Midwest battles massive flooding, the New York Times looks at the region's patchwork of homemade levees—which fail to meet federal standards and tend to spring unexpected leaks. Bill Clinton's White House advised a uniform levy system 15 years ago, but the report was read and forgotten. “We told them there were going to be more floods like this,” an engineering professor said. More »
- 700 Missing as Typhoon Sinks Philippines Ferry
  
  newser | Reuters | Jun 22, 08 6:10 AM CDT
  
  A Philippines passenger ferry sank in a typhoon, leaving at least four known dead and some 700 missing, Reuters reports. A rescue ship arrived at the scene to find none of the missing, AP reports, and only three people were found alive in various villages. Some of them may have transferred to another ship, officials said. More »
- Blogger Keeps Quake in Focus
  
  newser | Jezebel | Jun 21, 08 8:30 PM CDT
  
  A Chinese graphic novelist determined to keep the aftermath of last month's earthquake on the front burner is using her new blog to get the message out, and fellow citizen journalists on the other side of the world are catching on. "We love you, Coco Wang," a blogger at New York-based Jezebel writes to the Beijing-based artist. More »

Stories 1 - 20 of 320

<< Prev 1 2 3 4 5 ... 16 Next >>

Images (22)
Videos (2)

Though more than 1,000 have been confirmed dead, local news reports double that number%u2014which should soon skyrocket. (AFP)

Cyclone Sidr is the most destructive storm to hit the country in more than a decade. (AFP)

Relatives and friends gather at the Zasyadka mine in Donetsk, Ukraine, where a methane blast ripped through a coal mine. (Associated Press)

Cyclone-affected villagers queue for cooked meals in Patargata, 200 kilometers (125 miles) south of Dhaka, Bangladesh, Monday, Nov.19, 2007. Helicopters airlifted food to hungry survivors Monday while... (Associated Press)

A destroyed car is covered by debris after a tornado tore through Skrzydow, near Czestochowa, Poland, Saturday, July 21, 2007. Around a dozen people were injured in the storm, and about 100 buildings... (Associated Press)

Two unroofed buildings are seen after a tornado tore through the village of Skrzydow, near Czestochowa, Poland, Saturday, July 21, 2007. Around a dozen people were injured in the storm, and some 100 buildings... (Associated Press)

to come back. (AP Photo/Orlin Wagner, file) (Associated Press)

View of the wreckage of a bus that was transporting Polish pilgrims from a holy site in the French Alps, after it plunged off a steep mountain road, crashed into a river bank and burst into flames Sunday,... (Associated Press)

Dr. Jeffrey Guy oversees the Vanderbilt Medical Center Burn Unit in Nashville, Tenn., Tuesday, July 3, 2007. .S. hospitals are increasingly shutting down their burn centers in a trend experts say could... (Associated Press)

Emery County Sheriff Lamar Guymon directs the American Red Cross Disaster Relief truck driver as the unit arrives to provide food and drink at the entrance to the Crandall Canyon Mine where six coal miners... (Associated Press)

Japanese Empress Michiko, right, kneels down to greet poeple who lost homes in a strong earthquake three weeks ago at a shelter in Kariwa in Niigata prefecture, or state, northwestern Japan, Wednesday,... (Associated Press)

PICT0306 ((c) Joke van Niekerk)

PICT0309 ((c) Joke van Niekerk)

Disaster Zone ((c) paulistapink)

Hoboken 4/16/07: The flood and the fire ((c) David Pfeffer)

Liz, aghast ((c) Benimoto)

Flooded New Orleans by Brien Aho USN, 2005 (DOD 0509012-N-5319A-008) ((c) pingnews.com)

Fire near Martorell ((c) Enricus)

b ((c) KamalSell)

edicting a spike in natural catastrophes in coming decades as global warming lifts sea levels and triggers more frequent and deadlier storms. (AP Photo/Irwin Fedriansyah) (Associated Press)

%u2014flood, fire, and windstorm and three disasters%u2014war, pestilence, and famine., part of a new permanent exhibit at the Korea Gallery. (AP Photo/National Museum of Natural History) (Associated Press)

In this May 2007 photo released by the U.S. Embassy in Manila, Philippines, a UH-1H "Huey" helicopter is rolled down a cargo ship upon arrival at Subic Bay Freeport west of Manila. The United States will... (Associated Press)

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Natural Disasters (jackster1020 (YouTube))

natural disasters (faceofthewater (YouTube))

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Related Threads

China • Cyclone Disaster in Burma • Floods • 2008 China Quake • Tectonic Activity • Hurricane Season 2007 • Mother Nature's Pissed • Bangladesh • The Four Horsemen • California Wildfires

Background

refugee
The Oxford Pocket Dictionary of Current English

ref·u·gee / ˌrefyoŏˈjē; ˈrefyoŏˌjē / • n. a person who has been ...

» Read more about refugee at Encyclopedia.com

United States Department of Homeland Security
The Columbia Encyclopedia, Sixth Edition

United States Department of Homeland Security (DHS), executive department of the federal government charged with protecting the security of the American homeland as its main responsibility. Its primary missions are preventing terrorists attacks within the United States, reducing the vulnerability ...

» Read more about United States Department of Homeland Security at Encyclopedia.com

Red Cross
The Oxford Pocket Dictionary of Current English

Red Cross the International Movement of the Red Cross and the Red Crescent, an international humanitarian organization that provides relief to victims of war or natural ...

» Read more about Red Cross at Encyclopedia.com

displaced person
The Oxford Pocket Dictionary of Current English

dis·placed per·son • n. a person who is forced to ...

» Read more about displaced person at Encyclopedia.com

Doctors Without Borders
The Columbia Encyclopedia, Sixth Edition

Doctors Without Borders Fr. Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF), international organization that provides emergency medical assistance to people suffering from a natural or societal disaster, such as an earthquake or war. MSF was founded (1971) by a group of French doctors who felt ...

» Read more about Doctors Without Borders at Encyclopedia.com

relief
Britannica Concise Encyclopedia

Public or private aid to people in economic need because of natural disasters, wars, economic upheaval, chronic unemployment, or other conditions that prevent self-sufficiency. A distinction may be drawn between relief targeting upheavals and natural disasters and relief of chronic social ...

» Read more about relief at Encyclopedia.com

United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA)
Britannica Concise Encyclopedia

[formerly (1972–92) Office of the United Nations Disaster Relief Coordinator, (1992–98) United Nations Department of Humanitarian Affairs ] Agency of the United Nations Secretariat, established in 1972 to coordinate international relief to countries struck by natural or other disaster. ...

» Read more about United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) at Encyclopedia.com

natural
The Oxford Pocket Dictionary of Current English

nat·u·ral / ˈna ch ərəl / • adj. 1. existing in or caused by nature; not made or caused by humankind: carrots contain a natural antiseptic that fights bact