10 Most Dangerous Natural ‘‘Disasters’’;
In this article i’d like to countdown 10 different natural ‘‘disasters’’ which i belive to be the most hazardous with my reasons;
Number 10 : Avalanches
An avalanche is a rapid downhill movement of masses of snow, ice, rocks and debris that caught in their way that quickly building in size and speed.
Causes of Avalanches;
1. Heavy snowfall accumulating over the mountains can led to unrest in already existing snow and evantually gave way.
2. A rapid change in temperature can melt vast snowpacks and force them to move downhill.
3. Strong winds can push and displace snow masses.
4. Earthquakes and volcanic eruptions can make changes in ground floor.
With natural causes aside, most avalanche victims are, ironically, killed in the avalanches they created by causing disturbance while skiing or snowboarding in the hazardous areas. It’s also fairly obvious that in which locations these phenomena will took place and therefore tragedy is usually avoidable, for these 2 reasons they’re on the bottom of the list, however, if you’re unlucky enough to caught up in one, your surviving chances are… not off the charts.
Types of Avalanches;
- Powder Avalanches: Fresh snow is the main culprit in this type of avalanche, they occur when snow particles suspended in fluid turbulence, can travel as fast as 190 mph and effect large areas;
2.Slab Avalanches: Generally caused by the wind, slab avalanches are the most lethal of the bunch, this type of avalanche is also commonly caused human activites as previously mentioned. Slab avalanches are divided into soft slabs and hard slab: Soft slabs are made up of fresh snow while hard slabs form over time usually due to the action of wind. Soft slabs may transform into hard slabs as the particles bind together.
3- Wet Avalanches: Wet avalanches occur after snow has melted or accumulated water. They’re easier to predict than the previos two due to the fact that snow in wet avalanches are heavier than the powder and slab avalanches so they move significantly slower but at the same time heaviness of the snow makes wet avalanches exceptinoally destructive. Still the predictability makes them the least dangerous of the three.
Most Common Cause of Mortality;
Suffocation.
Most Avalanche Prone Areas;
Obviously high elevated and cold regions: The Himalayas (Nepal, India, Pakistan, Afghanistan), The Alps (France, Italy, Switzerland, Austria), The Andes (Chile, Peru, Ecuador), The Rockies (United States, Canada) are some prime examples.
The Deadliest Incident;
In the late afternoon on the May 31st 1970, a magnitude 7.9 earthquake strike offshore Peru, triggering a huge avalanche in the Huascaran Mountain, burying nearby towns of Yungay and Ranrahirca. The earthquake was the deadliest natural disaster in the history of Peru, with 66.794 fatalities. Althought pinpointing an exact death toll is near impossible, around 20.000 of those fatalities were attributed to the resulting avalanche, making it the deadliest on record.
In Addition;
1-Contrary to popular belief, loud noises do not trigger avalanches.
2-Also contrary to popular belief, avalanches can happen anytime of the year and aren’t restricted to winter season.
Number 9 : Wildfires
Wildfires, as their names suggest, are the fires that broke out in natural environment and can spread out very large areas in a short period of time if the conditions are favorable.
Causes of Wildfires;
1- Power lines
2- Arson
3- Fireworks
4- Cigarettes
5- Burning debris
6- Unattanded campfires
5- Glass bottles
6- Running vehicle engines
7- Sparks caused by trains
8- High temperatures combined with dry soil and vegetation
9- Lightning strikes
10- Lava flows from nearby volcanoes
And probably several others i miss, notice a pattern? Only 3 out of 10 were actually natural causes… And let’s not forget the fact; it’s the only natural disaster we can actually fight with… For these reasons they get a low ranking.
Types of Wildfires;
1-Forest Fires: The most catastrophic type of wildfire;
2- Brush Fires;
3- Grass Fires;
Most Common Cause of Mortality;
Haze inhalation.
Most Wildfire Prone Countries;
United States (Particulary California), Australia, Indonesia, Greece, Portugal, South Africa…
The Deadliest Incident;
Sunday, October 8, 1871 Pestigo Fire in Wisconsin, U.S.A, regarded as the deadliest wildfire in history with approximate death toll ranging between 1,500–2,500.
But please note that the 1997 Indonesian Forest Fires, fueled by the strongest ever El Nino event took place in that year, are believed to be the largest in recorded history. 240 people died in the flames, however, the effects of fires are proved to be on a much longer extend: As well as burning down nearly 20 million acres, the fires also caused a haze that blanketed much of Indonesia and it’s neighbours, including: Thailand, Malaysia, Singapore and Brunei. According to some estimates poor air quality caused by the haze, may have killed up to 100.000 people in Southeast Asia, however, these figures aren’t confirmed.
In Addition;
Although wildfires can result in death and destruction, they’re essential to wildlife to recycling itself by cleaning the decayed materials and killing harmful pests. Wildfires are only considered disasters, when they threaten the residental areas…
Number 8 : Lightning Strikes
It’s easy to overlook lightning, since they never make the headlines as much as any other phenomena on this list. Well, maybe this will open your eyes: A lightning bolt can reach the temperatures of 53,540 degrees Fahrenheit, that’s 5 times more than the surfuce of the sun… Not convinced yet? On average, lightning strikes annually kills around 24.000 people across the world…
And you don’t have to be in a wide open area or located close to a storm to get struck by lightning;
Appliances and gadgets can turn your house into a minefield during a thunderstorm, as they transmit the electrical charges.
No one can guess where and when lightning will strike, there are cases that people from miles from a storm can get strike by lightning. In addition to direct hazards, lightning can also cause both structural and wildland fires.
Most Common Cause of Mortality;
Cardiac arrest.
Areas Most At Risk;
Central Africa (The region, not the country.) is the most thundery place on earth.
The Deadliest Incident;
As a direct impact, it’s probably the 2011 strike in Uganda where 18 children and their teacher get killed in the school. As an impact of any sort, is by far the bolt that ignites 90 tons of gunpowder in Church of St. Nazaire in Italy in 1769. The explosion have killed up to 3,000 people.
In addition;
Every year more than 200.000 people get sturck by lightning but only 10% of them get killed…
Number 7 : Tornadoes
I’ll be perfectly honest here: Nothing scares me more than tornadoes in the natural disaster department but just because i find them the scariest doesn’t also mean they’re the most dangerous. Tornadoes generate the most powerful winds on earth, 1999 Bridge Creek-Moore Tornado has reached speeds up to 300 mph, it’s currently the most powerful wind ever measured on our planet. By comprasion, strongest winds ever measured on a hurricane was ’’only’’ 215 mph. However, since tornadoes effect smaller areas, can live in a relatively short period of time and lacks the water ingredient, make their place far below than hurricanes.
In addition to their scare factor, tornadoes are also probably the most frustrating forces of nature, since they can pulverize your house to the smithereens but didn’t even touch some other houses in the neighborhood at the same time…
Most Common Cause of Mortality;
Being hit by airborne debris.
Countries That Experience the Most Powerful Tornadoes;
Tornadoes can happen anywhere on the planet except Antarctica. But the most powerful ones are tend to strike: United States, Brazil, Bangladesh, India, China and Russia.
The Deadliest Incident;
On April 26, 1989 Bangladeshi capital Dhaka rocked by a massive tornado, category or max. wind speed informations are unavailable. But it’s belived to killed around 1,300 people in the region. The tornado labeled as ’’Daulatpur–Saturia tornado’’ as they were the hardest hit areas.
Number 6 : Blizzards
SNOW!!! The beautiful, relaxing, gentle, majestic, fatal snow. Don’t get fooled by its beauty, this white stuff is quite deceptive, especially in the form of a blizzard. The blizzard is basically a snowstorm which wind speeds exceeds 38 mph, sustained at least 3 hours and reduce the visibility to alarming degrees.
They’re like cold-blooded hurricanes. They can freeze you to death with diseases like hypotermia and frostbite, slippery roads become icy graveyards for drivers, power will fail in vast areas for long periods and avalanches are inevitable in mountainous regions. And when all that snow finally melts, guess what will be knocking your door next: Flooding!
Most Common Cause of Mortality;
Hypotermia/frostbite
Most Blizzard Prone Countries;
United States, Russia and China are some of the hardest hit countries by blizzards due to their climates.
The Deadliest Incident;
The deadliest blizzard took place in a suprising place: Iran. A week long low temperatures and winter storms, lasting February 3–9 1972, resulted in deaths of nearly 4,000 people.
Number 5 : Landslides
Landslides are a type of disaster that didn’t quite get the recognition they deserve, mainly due to their association with other hazards like: Wildfires, floods, hurricanes, earthquakes and volcanic eruptions. Since those triggering or contributing factors get more attention, landslides are often overlooked. But landslides are often claims more lives than some other more recognized disasters like wildfires and tornadoes combined.
Causes of Landslides;
1- Heavy rainfall/rapid snowmelt.
2- Fluctuations in groundwater levels.
3- Water and wind erosion.
4- Seismic and volcanic activities.
5- Deforestation.
As mentioned before, landslides can often spawned by other phenomena that gets all the credit, but evidence of landslides being one of the biggest natural killers on our world is indisputable: In 2008, China’s Sichuan province rattled with a magnitude 7,9 earthquake which killed up to 70,000 people, however, at least 20,000 of those were as a result of landslides it created. In 1998, the deadliest storm in Atlantic Ocean for more than 2 centuries, Hurricane Mitch, killed more than 20,000 people across Central America, again the vast majority of them were caused by the landslides it created. The examples can be extended…
Types of Landslides;
1- Slips: Tons of earth material, sliding down slope but didn’t travel long distances, since they mostly contain solid material;
2- Flows: As you can guess by the name, this type of landslide contains very fluid material, so they can travel long distances. They may be mostly liquid but they can carry trees and boulders the size of cars with them;
3- Falls: The most solid of all, huge rocks tumble down. In a direct hit, falls are probably the most dangerous type of landslides, on the other hand, they effect significantly smaller spaces than slips and flows;
Most Common Cause of Mortality;
Being crushed by any sort of earth material.
Most Landslide Prone Countries;
The whole South and Central America and much of East and Southeast Asia including: China, India, Nepal, Indonesia, Philippines, Japan…
The Deadliest Incident;
Now we’re getting into the real deal, even the deadliest incidents of previous entries have resulted in relatively few mortality, at this point numbers will raise sharply. The deadliest landslide in recorded history was caused by an earthquake in China: On December 16, 1920 a magnitude 7,8 earthquake rocked the Haiuyan County and caused hundreds of landslides, one of which claims nearly 100.000 lives in the county. In total, the earthquake kills more than 235.000 people, which makes it the second deadliest in the 20th century.
Number 4 : Volcanic Eruptions
Volcanic eruptions are the only type of natural hazards, that you virtually don’t have any surviving chance, if you caught up in one. So how come they’re not at the top of the list? Well, a couple of things: Despite they deliever certain death, they can also effect a limited area and those areas are quite obvious, it’s really up to you to live near one or not.
Types of Volcanoes;
1- Shield(Effusive)Volcanoes: They occur when tectonic plates divided from each other, when the pressure builds up in the center, magma climbs to the surface and create volcanic mountains. They hurled out slow moving lava flows and gentle gas emissions, althought they can cause huge environmental and property damages, they rarely a threat to human life.
2- Composite(Explosive)Volcanoes: a.k.a stratovolcanoes, they occur when tectonic plates collided with each other, when the older plate grinds under the younger plate. The regions had such mechanisms are called ’’subduction zones’’. Composite volcanoes are far more dangerous than shield volcanoes, as they much less predictable and much more explosive. This type of volcanoes are responsible for pyroclastic flows, the most lethal natural forces on earth.
Most Common Cause of Mortality;
Being petrified by 1,000 °C pyroclastic flows.
Most Hazardous Countries for Volcanoes;
As of the number of people who live closely to an active or dormant volcano: Indonesia, Philippines, Japan, Mexico, Ethiopia, Italy, Guatemala, Ecuador, El Salvador, Kenya…
The Deadliest Incident;
In 1815, biggest and deadliest eruption in recorded history caused by Mount Tambora, located in Indonesia. It reaches 7 in VEI scale, the only such occurrence in the past milennia. It alters the global climate for years, in fact, the year 1816 was labeled ’’The Year Without a Summer’’ due to snowfalls in middle of summer in many parts of the world. Climate is altered, crops failed, widespread famines and epidemics ensued… The eruption believed to have killed around 10,000 people directly, but it’s secondary effects like famine, disease and freezing temperatures yielded a death toll of nearly 100.000 more. The exact number of people killed by the event is likely to be never known but it’s believed that 92.000–120.000 people were perished as a result of the eruption.
Number 3 : Earthquakes
I presume many who would read this thought that quakes will get the top spot, since they’re the most unpredictable and historically the deadliest of all natural phenomena. Sorry to disappoint you but quakes are actually kinda easy to handle with, if you see what i mean. Think about it: What kills people during earthquakes? I’ll tell you what kills them: Falling, crushing, collapsing and burning structures… If we manage to learn to properly disagn our cities, quakes will pose much less of a threat. I mean take Chile and Japan for example, both countries have experienced some of the biggest quakes on earth but they rarely get considerable damage, let alone high number of casualties… Still though, quakes earn their high spot on the list for the following factors;
1- Their unpredictability.
2- Their ability to effect very large areas.
3- Their ability to causing other disasters like landslides, liquefaction and structrual fires.
Types of Plate Boundaries;
1- Convergent Boundaries: Where two plates collide, usually found under the ocean where oceanic plates meet continental or other oceanic plates but they can also found on land where two continental plates collide with each other, such as The Himalayas. These type of boundaries generate the most powerful quakes on earth and since the majority of them are under the ocean, they’re also the prime culprits for killer tsunamis, both 2004 Indian Ocean Tsunami and 2011 East Japan Tsunami were caused by convergent boundaries.
2- Divergent Boundaries: Where two plates are moving apart, usually found oceanic plates, the ones in land, however, will also evantually become ocean basins.
3- Transfrom Boundaries: Where plates slide passed each other, can be found both in ocean and on land, they can’t generate giant earthquakes like convergent boundaries but transfrom boundaries have been historically responsible for the deadliest and most destructive earthquakes, since they found much shallower locations than convergent boundaries and unlike convergent boundaries, their power didn’t spread out large areas and transmitted to an exact location in a shorter period.
Most Common Cause of Mortality;
Being trapped under collapsed buildings.
Most Earthquake Prone Countries;
Japan, Nepal, India, Ecuador, Philippines, Pakistan, El Salvador, Mexico, Turkey, Indonesia…
The Deadliest Incident;
In the morning of January 23, 1556 a magnitude 8 (?) earthquake strike Shaanxi, China. Not much is known about the earthquake since it took place very long time ago but it’s believed to have killed around 830.000 people. One of the main reasons for such a high toll, is attributed to many people living caves at the time.
Footnote: Earthquakes were the last non-water related disasters on the list…
Number(s) 2 : Tsunamis and Floods
Water is basic to life, it covers 71% of our planet and 60% of our body, so water is essential to life sustainability. However, too much of it can be equally hazardous as these two clearly demonstrates just that;
Tsunamis are statistically the most feared natural disasters worldwide and with very good reason: They can reach tens of meters in high and travel hundreds of miles per hour. I don’t think i’ll have to make a long explanation why tsunamis are so dangerous, since i comprehensively did that in my previous article.
Causes of Tsunamis;
1- Earthquakes.
2- Volcanic eruptions.
3- Subaerial and submarine landslides.
4- Rockfalls.
5- Glacier calvings.
6- Meteors (Hypotethical).
Most Common Cause of Mortality;
Ironically not drowning, being hit by all sorts of floating debris that waves carry with them is a more common cause of death.
Most Tsunami Prone Countries;
Chile, Japan, Indonesia, United States, Phillippines, New Zealand, Papua New Guinea, Peru, Mexico…
The Deadliest Incident;
Deadliest tsunami in recorded history took place not too long ago, December 26, 2004 Indian Ocean (Boxing Day) Tsunami was the deadliest ever with up to 230.000 fatalities…
While floods might not seem as menacing as tsunamis at first glance, they can be equally destructive. Also unlike tsunamis, floods can occur at anywhere and anytime, all it takes a heavy rainfall in a wrong place.
Causes of Flooding;
1- Heavy rainfall.
2- Ice and snow melting.
3- Saturated soil.
4- Very dry soil.
5- Low elevation.
6- Tropical storms.
7- Weak infrastructure and drainage systems.
8- Inappropriate levee systems.
9- River blockages by slides.
But also contrary to tsunamis, floods are often exacerbated by human activities. We can mitigate their effects to a certain extent by planning and managing our cities and rivers more properly. Unfortunately, in the developing world, that’s an issue…
Types of Flooding;
1- Flash floods: The most dangerous type of flood, since they occur in a very short period of time and come with currents since they’ve also drain very quickly. The culprit is usually sudden and heavy rainfall but any type of flood that took place in a very short period of time can be categorized as a flash flood. Urban areas are particulary at risk for flash floods since there’s virtually no soil for water to absorb, if urbanisation continues unabated, flash floods will get more frequent and more destructive.
2- River floods: Rivers too have their limits, when they exceed their capacity whether by rainfall or snowmelt they overflow. Althought blockages by landslides and even human activities like building levees too close to the rivers can also be blamed.
3- Groundwater floods: Exact opposite of flash floods, groundwater floods occur after an extended period moderate rainfall, when ground gets soggy and can’t absorb the water anymore, the water floats into the ground, however, these types of floods are usually harmless, since they happen in plenty of warning and the water is stagnent.
But there are many mechanisms that can cause flooding we can’t put to any category, for example: Volcanoes located near icebergs and glaciers can also cause flooding.
Most Common Cause of Mortality;
Sweeping away in a vehicle.
Most Flood Prone Countries;
Floods can be found in any corner around the world but we can put entire Southeast Asia as the most vulnerable here, India alone has more floods than rest of the world combined, followed by Bangladesh, China, Vietnam, Pakistan and Indonesia.
The Deadliest Incident;
Throughout 1931, Yellow and Yangtze rivers in China flooded, they directly or indirectly kill up to 4.000.000 people!!! This was not only the deadliest flood ever recorded but the deadliest natural disaster ever recorded. There are many contributing factors for such severe floods;
1- China experinces a severe drought from 1928 to 1930, not only coming rains vere unusually heavy as a result of this but also the ground was incredibly dried and hardened and can’t absorb the water.
2- 1930 winter was also very severe, when all that snow melts…
3- The year also saw an unusually severe typhoon activity.
NUMBER 1 : TROPICAL CYCLONES!!!
Whether you call them hurricanes, typhoons, cyclones, tropical cyclones, willy willies or whatever, in my belief they’re ultimate natural hazards. They bring a trifecta of deadly weapons: Battering winds, torrential rains and towering surges, they can last for days and they can effect thousands of miles. And it’s not just when they’re passing in your area but also long after they pass: Staggering environmental damage and almost complete halt to the infrastructure will make even reaching for basic neccessities like food and clean water become luxuries in the aftermath. We all know how dangerous the water can be: Tsunamis deliever water from the sea and floods feeding from water from the sky but this juggernaut delivers water in both sides, they unleash some of the most destructive winds on earth but they can also spawn tornadoes too. For these reasons, i believe tropical cyclones arethe most dangerous natural hazards to me.
Most Common Cause of Mortality;
Drowning in the storm surge.
Countries Most Regularly Visited by Tropical Cyclones;
China, Phlippines, Japan, Mexico, United States, Australia, Taiwan, Vietnam, Madagascar, Cuba…
The Deadliest Incident;
On November 12, 1970 a category 4 equivalent cyclone hit the area we call Bangladesh today but at the time it was called East Pakistan killing up to 500.000 people in the process, althought some estimates put the figure as high as 1 million!!! It was one of the main reasons for the birth of the nation Bangladesh: in the cyclones aftermath the West Pakistan’s help was very slow paced and insufficient, the East Pakistan entered a war with West and despite millions of fatalities, they declare their independency in the next year, thus Bangladesh, as we know today, was born. But Bangladesh is extremely vulnerable to cyclones with presences of poverty, low elevation and high population density, another cyclone struck the counrty in 1991 have also killed up to 140.000 people…
Thank you for reading, i would like to learn your opinions about my list. Feel free to inform me about how to improve my articles as well as on which subjects you wanted me to write about in the future.