Every year the world suffers from various devastating natural disasters. But the scale of the disasters in 2016 cannot even be compared with the number of natural disasters in the past year.
In 2017, the Earth was rocked by a series of devastating earthquakes and hurricanes that claimed thousands of lives. Some regions suffered from fires that even burned out cities, while in other regions people froze to death from the abnormal cold. According to scientists, this is how nature reacts to global warming.
It’s time for the inhabitants of the planet to think about the negative consequences of human activities, so let’s remember how nature took revenge on humanity for its indifference to the environment in 2017.
Natural disasters that shook the world in 2017
Abnormal frosts
When: January 2017
Where: European countries (Poland, Czech Republic, Italy, Germany, Ukraine and others), Balkans, Turkey, Russian Federation
Victims: at least 61 people
This year in January, most Europeans experienced abnormally low winter temperatures for the countries. Cold weather came from Scandinavia - about -42 degrees below zero was recorded on the border between Sweden and Finland.
Abnormal frosts in Europe: Bucharest covered in snow
The Arctic air mass covered a large part of Europe, the Balkans, Turkey and Russia. In European countries, the air temperature dropped to -14...-20 degrees below zero, in German Bavaria the temperature recorded -26.7 degrees, in Russia in some places the thermometer showed -30...-40 degrees below zero.
Due to snowstorms and strong winds, air flights and the work of some services were stopped, and problems arose with energy supply. For the first time in 60 years, the Danube River froze, in Bulgaria the shores of the Black Sea were covered with ice - also for the first time in the last 63 years.
The Black Sea froze in Bulgaria for the first time in 63 years
More than 60 people died from hypothermia, with the largest number of frost victims in Poland and Italy. Most of the dead were homeless or migrants.
A series of earthquakes in Italy
When: January 2017
Where: Montereale, Central Italy
Victims: 34 people
Victims: 11 people
Central Italy (between Abruzzo, Lazio, Marche and Umbria) was rocked by 4 earthquakes ranging from 5.2 to 5.7 on the Richter scale. All of them happened in less than 5 hours. The epicenter of the earthquake lay at a depth of 9-10 kilometers. Scientists note that a series of earthquakes is a new unusual phenomenon, since this has not been observed before.
Experts say there is a possibility that the earthquakes triggered an avalanche that engulfed a hotel in Farindoli, killing 29 people. In addition, the earthquakes took another 5 lives. Eleven people were injured.
Forest fires in Canada
When: July 2017
Where: Provinces of British Columbia, Canada
Evacuated: over 45 thousand people
In July, the province of British Columbia declared a state of emergency for the first time in 14 years—more than 1 million hectares of forest were burning. The massive fire caused $127 million in damage. The fire destroyed more than 300 houses.
Almost 1 million hectares of forest burned in British Columbia
Large-scale fires were caused by lightning and human error. Due to the fire, over 45 thousand people and about 30 thousand heads of livestock were evacuated.
Large-scale forest fires in Canada in July 2017 – video
Floods in Asia
When: July-September 2017
Where: India, Bangladesh, Nepal, Pakistan
Victims: 1288 dead
Victims: more than 45 million people, of which 16 million are children
Serious floods have hit South Asian countries due to the monsoon. Citizens of India, Bangladesh, Nepal and Pakistan were affected.
Monsoons are steady winds of the lower troposphere that reverse their direction twice a year. And for Asian countries this is a common occurrence; every year they last from June to September. However, the monsoons in 2017 were a little different - the rainy season was much stronger than usual. Due to heavy rains, regions suffered from floods and landslides.
India suffers from massive floods - video
Floods in South Asia are the worst in decades, researchers say. They are convinced that severe floods occurred due to inevitable climate change.
The floods caused the most trouble in India– more than 1000 people were killed, more than 31 million people were injured, more than 800 thousand houses were damaged or destroyed.
Floods in India claim more than a thousand lives - video
IN Bangladesh About 140 people were killed and more than 6 million were injured. Here, the disaster destroyed or damaged almost 700 thousand houses, 4.8 million hectares of farmland were flooded, and floods destroyed thousands of kilometers of roads.
IN Nepal 143 people became victims of bad weather, 1.7 million were injured. The floods inundated more than 34 thousand houses and destroyed another thousand. IN Pakistan 23 people died.
Shift in Sierra Leone
When: August 2017
Where: Freetown, Sierra Leone
Victims: according to official data - 499 dead, according to unofficial data - 1050 victims
Victims: more than 3 thousand people
Landslides and floods caused by heavy rain have engulfed Sierra Leone's capital, Freetown. The natural disaster destroyed the homes of more than 3 thousand city residents.
Because of the mass graves, the city authorities resorted to emergency measures to prevent cholera - in a city of 1.2 million people, more than 500 thousand people were vaccinated.
The shift in Sierra Leone has claimed more than 500 lives
In addition to heavy rainfall, several other factors caused the disaster. Particularly due to flooding drainage systems are often blocked by waste, and the forests, which are massively cut down here, kept the slopes from crumbling. Additionally, the city of Freetown is densely populated and lies at or below sea level.
Shift in Sierra Leone August 2017 – video
Agung eruptions
When: August 2017 and still going on
Where: Bali island, Indonesia
Evacuated: more than 120 thousand people in September, over 40 thousand people in November
The first eruptions of Mount Agung in 2017 occurred on August 13. Then the volcano made itself felt in September and November. In September, due to seismic activity around the volcano, about 122.5 thousand people were evacuated, the Indonesian government declared a 12-kilometer exclusion zone around the volcano.
Agung's activities grounded flights in November, leaving 59,000 passengers stranded at airports. More than 40 thousand people had to be evacuated from 22 villages near the volcano.
Volcanic eruption in Bali – video
Hurricane Harvey
When: August 17 – September 3, 2017
Where: Guyana, Nicaragua, Honduras, Belize, Cayman Islands, Yucatan Peninsula, USA - most in Louisiana, Texas
Victims: 91 people
Evacuated: over 32 thousand people
The first major tropical cyclone of the 2017 Atlantic hurricane season reached Category 4, reaching speeds of 215 kilometers per hour. Coming onto land, it caused catastrophic floods in Louisiana, Texas, which flooded hundreds of thousands of homes.
In the capital of Texas, Houston, a curfew was even introduced due to incidents of looting. In addition, Washington declared a state of emergency in the disaster area.
Flooding in Texas caused serious explosions at two chemical plants. Hurricane Harvey caused nearly $200 billion in damage to America.
Louisiana, Texas, hit by Hurricane Harvey
Hurricane Irma
When: August 30 – September 16, 2017
Where: Cape Verde, St. Maarten, Virgin Islands, Cuba, Puerto Rico, Bahamas, USA - especially Florida
Victims: 134 people
Hurricane Irma, which originated near Capo Ferde, reached category 5, with wind gusts reaching 295 kilometers per hour. The devastating disaster caused losses of almost 67 billion dollars and claimed almost 150 lives. The size of the tropical cyclone reached almost the size of France, which is more than 600 square kilometers.
Hurricane Irma reaches the coast of Florida - video
The hurricane caused catastrophic damage in Barbuda, St. Barthélemy, St. Maarten, Anguilla and the Virgin Islands, with residents in these regions experiencing a Category 5 hurricane.
Destruction after Hurricane Irma in Road Town, Tortola Island
Earthquakes in Mexico
When: September 8 and 19, 2017
Where: Chiapas and Mexico City, Mexico
Victims: September 8 – 98 dead, September 19 – 370 dead
Victims: September 8 - about 1.5 million people, of which more than 300 were wounded, September 19 - 6011 wounded
As you know, Mexico is one of the most seismically active regions in the world, as it is located on several intersecting tectonic plates.
On September 8, the most powerful earthquake of 2017 occurred in the Gulf of Tehuantepec near the state of Chiapas - 8.2 points out of 10 possible. The earthquake generated a tsunami up to 2 meters high. For Mexico, this earthquake was the strongest in the last century.
More than 41 thousand houses were damaged in the state, and about 1.5 million people were affected by the earthquake.
8.2 magnitude earthquake in Mexico
On September 19, Mexico was rocked by another earthquake, weaker than the previous one, but much more deadly - a natural disaster of 7.1 points claimed 370 lives, and another 6 thousand were injured. Those who suffered big cities like Mexico City, Morelos and Puebla.
Earthquake in Mexico claims 370 lives - video
Forest fires in California
When: October, December 2017
Where: California, USA
Victims: in October 44 people died, in December – 1 person
Injured: in October – 192, in December – 17 people
In October, large-scale fires engulfed Northern California—almost 100 thousand hectares burned. The fire completely burned out several towns, and a total of 8,900 houses were destroyed.
Data & imagery of the California wildfires from our satellites, people in space and aircraft, not only give us a better view of the activity, but also help 1st responders plan their course of action. Get the details:
Shocking information about the natural disaster that struck the American states of Louisiana and Texas was covered in many world media. Indeed, this flood has serious consequences. However, an equally terrible natural disaster occurred in South Asia during the same period. And little attention was paid to this event.
Flood in Asia
Monsoon rains are a seasonal phenomenon that leads to flooding every year. This year, natural disasters in Bangladesh, Nepal and India have global proportions. It brought with it massive casualties and colossal losses.
The rainfall was so high that it caused landslides in Nepal and led to the destruction of entire villages in Bangladesh and India. Over the past 10 years, there have been no similar disasters in these places that would have led to such large losses.
Consequences of the monsoon
The natural disaster led to the death of 1,200 people. Also, over 40 million residents had to be evacuated from the disaster zone. Countries where flooding occurred suffered serious losses. But it will be possible to truly assess the damage only after the water recedes. Agriculture was particularly damaged.
Monsoons are a common occurrence in South Asia. The rainy season lasts from June to September. But these regions have not seen such strong floods for a long time.
Bangladesh has suffered greatly, with a third of its territory submerged. Also, do not forget that rains are expected until the end of September, and this could aggravate an already difficult situation.
Save the Children CEO Thomas Chandy, who is working in the disaster area, said the waters had receded somewhat in some areas. This provided the rescuers with a short respite. The main task facing us today is to prevent outbreaks of infectious diseases, among which cholera and intestinal disorders are particularly dangerous.
More than 440 thousand hectares of agricultural land were damaged. Since the flooding occurred during the peak of the planting season, food shortages will be an issue in these areas. There is already a shortage of drinking water.
School closures
Due to the natural disaster, about 18 thousand schools were closed in these regions, which means that about 2 million children will not receive an education.
People living in these Asian countries, are among the poorest on the planet. Statistics show that many children who interrupted their education due to natural disasters, no longer return to school even when everything around them has improved and nothing threatens them anymore.
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