Natural Disasters

Natural disasters have devastated this world from the dawn of time. There hasn’t been a single thing done to stop them ever since. These misfortunes are clearly out of our hands. Yet, there is still something we can do. Knowledge is the best weapon we have against this. Global awareness combined with knowledge of the origin and devastation of such disasters could save millions of lives.

We, the GVC 0518 team, would like to present the natural disasters that have devastated our world. We would like advise that no matter how you are or were you live, what unites all ethnicities and religions is the earth beneath our feet and the air above our heads.

The following is a summary of the worst and most recent natural disasters:
The worst earthquake ever took place in Chile in 1960. It killed more than 2,000 people. 3,000 people were injured and 2 million were left homeless. The damage was estimated at $550 million. It recorded a 9.5 on the Richter scale, becoming the strongest in history.

The largest volcano eruption hit Krakatoa, Indonesia on August 27, 1883. This eruption alone killed 36,000 people. 165 villages and towns were destroyed and 132 were seriously damaged.

The Labor Day Hurricane, on September 2, 1935, is remembered as a devastating date, in which the United Stated shook under winds of 185 mph (300 km/h). This was the most devastating hurricane to target the United States.

The worst tsunami weighed down in June 15, 1896, in Sanriku, Japan. 27,000 is the estimate of human lives extinguished by this huge tidal wave.

As you have seen, natural disasters struck at different places and times throughout the entire earth. Now let us pay homage to the most recently lost under the influence of an unstoppable force:

Banda Sea, Friday, January 27, 2006 at 16:58, was victim to an earthquake of magnitude 7.6 in the Richter scale. Casualties were few yet the fact remains that the threat is constant and we must be cautious.

The most recent tsunami still lives deep in our hearts. On December 2004, some 300,000 people were killed when an earthquake in the Indian Ocean measuring 9.0 on the Richter scale sent huge waves crashing into several Asian countries. The countries affected the most were Indonesia, Sri Lanka, India and Thailand. The whole world’s help was needed to aid these countries. Today the scars of this tsunami are still present.

Hurricane Katrina put the world on hold from August 23 to 29 on 2005 and annihilated the Eastern Coast of the United States, setting the number of casualties at a breathtaking 1,300 deaths. The areas mostly affected were southern Florida, Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama, western and north Georgia, Tennessee Valley and Ohio Valley, the eastern Great Lakes region and the length of the western Appalachians. Three dams in New Orleans broke. Consequently, 80% of the city was under water. The flooding reached 20 to 25 feet (7 or 8 meters) deep in some places. Once again the United Nations, in collaboration with NGO’s and the entire international community brought aid to all of the affected.

The most recent volcano eruption was on Thursday, January 12, 2006. The volcano erupted early on Wednesday, sending an ash plume 28,000 feet into the Alaskan sky. Seismic activity decreased later in the morning, but the observatory warned that more eruptions could follow.

If you are not too busy, we beg you to take this time to reflect on how lucky you are for not experiencing any of these disasters. Say a prayer, in whatever language or religion for all those people in need. If you don’t know any, at least dedicate a minute of silence to all of the people that have and are perishing because of these natural disasters. Thank you and don’t hesitate to pass on this information and you prayers to other people.

Natural Disasters

Natural Disasters By:Alejandro Gómez (M)

Natural Disasters
By:Alejandro Gómez (M)