natural disaster

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History&#39;s Deadliest Natural Disaster Killed Millions
History's Deadliest
Natural Disaster
Killed Millions
In Case You Missed It
Apr 7, 2018 9:20 AM CDT

History's Deadliest Natural Disaster Killed Millions

LiveScience lists the worst ones on record

(Newser) - "The single-most powerful explosive event ever witnessed" took place somewhere between 1645 BC and 1500 BC, when the volcano Thera erupted on what's now the island of Santorini. LiveScience reports its power has been likened to that of an 1883 eruption in Indonesia that could be heard 3,...

Extreme Weather Seen as Major 2018 Risk

World Economic Forum ranks them ahead of global forum

(Newser) - Humans are "pushing systems to the brink, from extinction-level rates of biodiversity loss to mounting concerns about the possibility of new wars," according to the World Economic Forum . On the upside, a stronger economic outlook means global leaders will have "a golden opportunity" to address some of...

We Spent More Money Than Ever on Weather Disasters

Credit 3 hurricanes, wildfires, hail, flooding, tornadoes, and drought in 2017

(Newser) - With three strong hurricanes, wildfires, hail, flooding, tornadoes, and drought, the United States tallied a record high bill last year for weather disasters: $306 billion. The US had 16 disasters last year with damage exceeding a billion dollars, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration said Monday. That ties 2011 for...

In Sierra Leone, 'Sounds of Wailing, Mourning Everywhere'

Nearly 400 bodies recovered after mudslide

(Newser) - "We have been through 10 years of war, then Ebola, and now this. Have mercy on Sierra Leone, Father," a bishop prayed Wednesday during a vigil in the country's capital of Freetown, where reports suggest 400 people are dead and another 600 are missing as a result...

These 10 Cities Better Hope They Avoid a Hurricane

The damage would be brutal: 24/7 Wall St.

(Newser) - Florida may be the place to go for sunshine, but it's the place to escape if a hurricane hits. The state is home to a number of the US cities that are "vulnerable to the greatest damage" at the hands of a hurricane, reports 24/7 Wall St , which...

In Mudslide's Grim Aftermath, 'Bodies All Over'

Colombia dealing with aftermath of devastating flooding, blames hard rain

(Newser) - A grim search for the missing resumed at dawn Sunday in southern Colombia after surging rivers sent an avalanche of floodwaters, mud, and debris through Mocoa, killing at least 200 people. People pried through piles of rocks and wooden planks that entombed homes. Streets were covered in thick sand, mud,...

Pokemon Go Could Revolutionize Disaster Relief

By turning it into a game

(Newser) - Pokemon Go could save us all. Smithsonian Magazine reports the popular mobile game, and others like it, could be a force for good—and not just distracted injuries and surprise discoveries —during emergencies. Picture this: A major hurricane strikes the East Coast, and Pokemon Go switches into "Red...

The Day After Tomorrow Not So Weird After All
 'Global Cooling' Scenario 
 Not So Far-Fetched 
study says
Oct 11, 2015 3:10 PM CDT

'Global Cooling' Scenario Not So Far-Fetched

Scientist evaluates a Hollywood disaster movie

(Newser) - The 2004 disaster film The Day After Tomorrow depicted a world devastated by climate change—including tornadoes, flooding, and, surprisingly, a modern ice age that freezes the Northern Hemisphere. All Hollywood exaggeration, right? Scientists said so at the time, but now a professor has run the film's basic theory...

Feds: We Have a Way to Fix Land After Disasters

Authorities say it will make damaged land more resilient

(Newser) - Federal authorities announced a plan today to produce massive quantities of seeds from native plants that can be quickly planted to help land recover from natural disasters such as wildfires and hurricanes. The program will make landscapes more resilient and healthier, especially Western rangelands where massive wildfires have been an...

Want to Survive a Tsunami? Walk Faster
Want to Survive a Tsunami? Walk Faster
new study
Apr 15, 2015 12:32 PM CDT

Want to Survive a Tsunami? Walk Faster

Study finds picking up the pace could save thousands of lives

(Newser) - Walking to higher ground at a quick pace could be the key to survival for thousands of Americans if a large tsunami were to hit the Pacific Northwest, a new study published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences finds. The study focused on the high-risk communities within...

Relief Teams Reach Devastated Vanuatu

Widespread destruction found on outer islands

(Newser) - Relief workers who have struggled for days to access remote areas of Vanuatu that were ravaged by a fierce cyclone finally reached some of the islands today, where they were confronted with scenes of widespread destruction. Australian military planes that conducted aerial assessments of the outer islands found significant damage,...

8 Dead After Cyclone Hits South Pacific Islands

Power is out and 44 more deaths remain unconfirmed

(Newser) - At least eight people were confirmed dead in Vanuatu after a massive cyclone tore through the tiny South Pacific archipelago, and the death toll is likely to rise much higher once communications are restored with outlying islands, aid workers say. Packing winds of 168 miles per hour, Cyclone Pam tore...

Facebook Can Now Help You Out During Disasters

Japanese earthquake, tsunami inspire Safety Check tool

(Newser) - Facebook is giving users an easy way to inform loved ones they're safe in the midst of a major disaster. How its new Safety Check feature works: If you're in an affected area—this is determined using the city listed in your profile, a location last recorded by...

More Than 30 Feared Dead Atop Japanese Volcano

Hikers found at peak of Mount Ontake

(Newser) - Rescuers at the scene of a Japanese volcano that unexpectedly erupted yesterday have now found at least 30 people described as suffering cardiac and pulmonary failure, reports CNN ; that's what the AP calls "the customary way for Japanese authorities to describe a body" until it can be declared...

Dozens Killed as Hiroshima Gets Month of Rain in 24 Hours

Landslides kill at least 36

(Newser) - Landslides on the outskirts of Hiroshima killed at least 36 people early today and authorities in the Japanese city warn that the death toll is likely to rise and at least seven people are still missing. Authorities say the landslides were triggered when as much rain as usually falls in...

159 Feared Dead in Nepal Landslide

Many still buried under rubble after village destroyed

(Newser) - Rescuers recovered nine more bodies today from a massive weekend landslide in northern Nepal, raising the official death toll in the disaster to 19, but say there is no chance of finding alive any of the more than 150 people believed still buried under the rubble. The landslide crushed dozens...

150 Feared Trapped in India Landslide

Slide buried about 40 houses

(Newser) - A landslide hit a village in western India following torrential rains today, sweeping away scores of houses and raising fears that more than 150 people could be trapped, officials say. Federal rescue workers were being hampered by continuing rains and poor roads leading to the village of Ambe in Pune...

Typhoon Kills 18, Levels 37K Homes

China, Philippines slammed by monster storm

(Newser) - The strongest typhoon to hit southern China in four decades has killed 18 people and destroyed tens of thousands of homes, the government and state media said today, while in the Philippines the death toll from the storm's earlier destruction rose to 94. Typhoon Rammasun killed nine people and...

Forest Fire Rages Through Chilean Port City, Kills 4
16 Dead as Chile's Historic Valparaiso Burns
UPDATED
Apr 13, 2014 11:44 AM CDT

16 Dead as Chile's Historic Valparaiso Burns

500 homes destroyed so far in Valparaiso

(Newser) - Chile has been rocked by earthquakes lately , and now a fire raging in the colorful port city of Valparaiso has killed at least 16 people and destroyed 500 homes, President Michelle Bachelet said today. More than 10,000 people have been evacuated, including more than 200 female inmates at a...

The World's 5 Most Disaster-Prone Cities

Asia is apparently especially risky, insurer's rankings suggest

(Newser) - In the wake of Chile's earthquake, the Guardian was wondering which cities were the riskiest to live in from a natural-disaster perspective. So they checked with a source with a vested interest in knowing precisely that: The re-insurance company Swiss Re. Here are the five cities it's most...

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