Massive flooding killed an estimated 2
million people. The magnitude of the disaster wasn't new. In 1938 and 1939,
flooding killed an estimated one million people. In 1931, the Yangtze River
flooded, causing about 3 million deaths, including those who starved. In 1887,
an estimated 900,000 people died when the Yellow River flooded
What was then known as "The Great Hurricane"
slammed into the islands of Martinique, St. Eustatius and Barbados in October,
killing about 22,000 people.
- Ancient (by news
standards) History: 1201, Middle East
A earthquake in Egypt and Syria killed an
estimated 1.1 million people. Building materials of the day contributed to
death toll. It took the 1906 San Francisco earthquake to convince builders
that rigid brick and mortar construction is suicide in earthquake country.
Modern steel-framed buildings swayed in California's 1989 Loma Prieta quake
that brought down a section of the San Francisco-Oakland Bay Bridge, but
survived--often with little more damage than a cracked window.
- 2004 Indian Ocean
Earthquake
The undersea earthquake occurred on Dec. 26,
generating a tsunami that killed 170,000 to 250,000 people, making it one of
the deadliest disasters in modern history. The earthquake originated in the
Indian Ocean just off the western coast of northern Sumatra, Indonesia,
generating a tidal wave that struck the shores of Indonesia, Sri Lanka, South
India, Thailand and other countries with waves up to 100 feet high. The
tsunami caused damage and death as far as the east coast of Africa, about
5,000 miles from the quake's epicenter. Estimates put the quake's magnitude at
9.15. In May, scientists said the earthquake lasted about 10 minutes--an
eternity when most last just a few seconds--and caused the entire planet to
vibrate a few centimeters
An earthquake registering 6.3 on the Richter
scale flattened much of the city of Bam, killing at least 50,000 people. In
1990, a landslide triggered by an earthquake killed an estimated 50,000 in
western Iran
Hurricane Mitch slammed into Nicaragua and
Honduras, killing about 10,000 people and leaving more than 2 million
homeless. Mudslides wiped out entire villages.
Storm-induced flooding killed about 300,000
people. Flooding killed about 130,000 in 1991
The Nevada del Ruiz Volcano erupted, setting
off a massive mudflow that inundated the city of Amero, killing an estimated
23,000 people
A 7.8 earthquake on Mt. Huascaran set off an
avalanche that buried two towns, killing an estimated 20,000 people
An earthquake measuring 6.9 on the Richter
scale killed about 100,000 people
|
|
