2024 Disasters in Numbers
<p>In 2024, the Emergency Events Database (EM-DAT) recorded 393 natural hazard-related disasters. These events caused 16,753 fatalities and affected 167.2 million people. Economic losses totaled US$241.95
Natural Disasters
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Tornado-ravaged Kansas town rebuilds 'green'
After a monster tornado devastated Greensburg, Kan., one year ago this Sunday, the city faced tragedy and the daunting task of rebuilding from scratch. It also got an opportunity, Mayor John Janssen says. This rural county seat 109 miles west of Wichita has made "green" its rebuilding mantra, declaring itself a national model for environmentally conscious living
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Hundreds Evacuated In Maine Amid Record Flood
A river swollen by heavy rain and melting snow overflowed its banks along the US-Canadian border, forcing hundreds of people to flee homes and businesses in Fort Kent, Maine, and closing two border crossings. The St. John River rose 30 feet (9 metres) and spilled into the town leaving stores and homes on Main Street under seven to eight feet (2.1-2.4 metres) of water, said John Bannen, Fort Kent's director of Community Development. Police and Border Patrol blocked off downtown Fort Kent on Thursday morning.
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Retrospection and introspection of effect of climate change and their adaptation strategies in Indian agriculture
The inter and intra-year fluctuations in agriculture production will continue as long as agriculture depends on weather. The effect of weather on agriculture is related to location specific which directly link with the variability in local climates rather than in global climate patterns. Many scientists hold the position that agricultural shifts are likely due to climate change.
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Floods recede: 9 dead, 50,000 affected
Floods and landslides which accompanied the heavy deluge, specially during the last two days, were showing signs of receding but had left nine people dead and over 50,000 affected in eight districts, authorities said yesterday. Weather experts predict more heavy showers accompanied by lightning and strong winds during the next 45 days (specially after two weeks) with the monsoon reaching its climax.
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Investigation team visits windswept villages
A total of 249 houses were damaged by the windstorm that struck lower Trashigang dzongkhag on April 12, according to an investigation team that visited all the affected gewogs. Lumang gewog was the worst hit with 148 households affected, followed by 41 in Kangpara, 39 in Khaling and 21 in Thrimshing.
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North Korea Heading Towards Famine - Report
Soaring global food prices and reluctant donors are pushing North Korea back toward famine, which could see the secretive government turn even more repressive to keep control, a paper released on Wednesday said. "The country is in its most precarious situation since the end of the famine a decade ago," said the paper from the Washington-based Peterson Institute for International Economics. Stephan Haggard, who wrote the paper with Marcus Noland, said the sharp increase in world prices for commodities had sent ripples through the communist state's economy.
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Russian Climate Plans Show Tough Path To UN Treaty
Russia's opposition to new cuts in greenhouse gases means all of the world's top four emitters are against making quick reductions, complicating plans for a new UN climate treaty by the end of 2009. "The positions ... are just the tip of the iceberg of the problems ahead," said Bill Hare, a scientist at the Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research in Germany. The United States, China, Russia and India are the top emitters.
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Floods take heavy toll
Floods took a heavy toll in several districts with several deaths reported and nearly 8,000 families displaced while cutting off access roads in many areas due to heavy flooding and obstructions by landslides. 7,860 families (33,408 persons) were reported displaced in Colombo, Kalutara, Ratnapura, Puttalam, Nuwara-Eliya, Galle, Gampaha and Kegalle. Resettlement and Disaster Relief Services Minister Rishard Badiudeen has directed the District Secretaries and Divisional Secretaries of the relevant districts to carry out immediate relief work.