11 Facts About Disasters Between 2000 and 2012, natural disasters caused $1.7 trillion in damage and affected 2.9 billion people. Worldwide in 2011, there were 154 floods, 16 droughts, and 15 cases of extreme temperature. 2012 marked the third consecutive year of worldwide natural disaster damage exceeding $100 billion. 2011 reached a record high of $371 billion. 1.1 million people were killed by natural disasters between 2000 and 2012. Floods are the most widespread natural disaster aside from wildfires. 90 percent of all U.S. natural disasters declared by the President involve some sort of flooding. Earthquakes are disasters that cause associated destruction of man-made structures and instigate other natural disasters such as tsunamis, avalanches, and landslides. In 2012 there were 905 natural catastrophes worldwide including severe storms, droughts, tornadoes, earthquakes, floods, hail storms, typhoons, wildfires, and hurricanes. Nearly 50 percent of the fatalities caused by natural disasters in 2012 were due to hydrological events like flooding or mass movements. Hurricanes are large, spiraling tropical storms that can pack wind speeds of over 160 miles an hour and unleash more than 2.4 trillion gallons of rain a day. Hurricanes can be coupled with storm surges and severe flooding. Damage paths of tornadoes can be in excess of one mile wide and 50 miles long. Landslides often accompany earthquakes, floods, storm surges, hurricanes, wildfires, or volcanic activity. They are often more damaging and deadly than the triggering event.
Posted on: Thu, 31 Jul 2014 01:06:24 +0000
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