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Top 10 Deadliest Natural Disasters Recorded

Violent natural disasters have devastated humanity over the centuries, but because some of them struck long ago, scientists have been unable to give a perfectly accurate death count. The Mediterranean island of Stroggli, for example, is believed to have been completely wiped out by a volcanic eruption and ensuing tsunami that eradicated the entire Minoan civilization around 1500 B.C., although the death toll remains uncertain. The 10 deadliest natural disasters - which involve primarily earthquakes and floods - for which historians can provide accurate death tolls, however, have killed an estimated total of 10 million people. Here, the 10 deadliest natural disasters, from least casualties to most, starting with an earthquake that killed more than 200,000 people in Syria... Top 10 Deadliest Natural Disasters Recorded Skip to : #10 - #9 - #8 - #7 - #6 - #5 - #4 - #3 - #2 - #1 #10 : Aleppo Earthquake, 1138 - Syria Death toll : ~230,000 The Aleppo earthquake of 1138 was among the deadliest earthquakes in recorded history. The main earthquake occurred on the 11th of October, 1138, and was preceded by a smaller quake on the 10th. It is frequently listed as the third deadliest earthquake in history, following on from the Shensi and Tangshan earthquakes in China. However, the figure of 230,000 dead is based on a historical conflation of this earthquake with earthquakes in November 1137 on the Jazira plain and the large seismic event of 30 September 1139 in the Azerbaijani city of Ganja. The first mention of a 230,000 death toll was by Ibn Taghribirdi in the fifteenth century. The event A contemporary chronicler in Damascus, Ibn al-Qalanisi, recorded the main quake on Wednesday, 11 October 1138. He wrote that it was preceded by an initial quake on the 10th of October and there were aftershocks on the evening of the 20th of October, the 25th October, on the night of the 30th of October to November 1st, and finishing with another in the early morning on the 3rd of November. However, Kemal al-Din, an author writing later, recorded only one earthquake on 19th to 20th October, which disagrees with al Qalanisi's account. Given that al Qalanisi was writing as the earthquakes occurred and that accounts from other historians support a 10th or 11th of October date, his date of October 11th is considered authoritative. The worst hit area was Harem, where Crusaders had built a large citadel. Sources pount out that the castle was destroyed and the church collapsed in on itself. The fort of Atharib, then occupied by Muslims, was destroyed. The citadel also fell,  killing about 600 of the castle guard, though the governor and some servants survived and fled to Mosul. The town of Zaradna, already sacked by the warring forces, was utterly obliterated, as was the small fort at Shih. The residents of Aleppo, a large city of several tens of thousands during this period, had been prompted and warned by the foreshocks and fled to the countryside before the main quake. The walls of the citadel collapsed, as did the walls east and west of the citadel. Numerous houses were destroyed, with the stones used in their construction falling in streets. Contemporary accounts of the damage simply state that Aleppo was destroyed, though comparison of reports indicate that it did not bear the worst of the quake. Further damage is recorded at Azrab, Bizaah, Tell Khalid and Tell Amar. The main earthquake and its aftershocks were felt in Damascus, but not in Jerusalem. Accounts of men being swallowed by holes opening in the ground at Ar Raqqah were erroneously attributed to the Aleppo earthquake, and based on the confused late twelfth century account of Michael the Syrian. #9 : Hauyian Earthquake, 1920 - China Death Toll : 235,502 The Haiyuan earthquake of 1920 (Chinese: 海原大地震; pinyin: Hǎiyuán dà dìzhèn), was a powerful earthquake that occurred on December 16th, 1920. The epicenter was 36.50°N 105.70°E , in Haiyuan County, Ningxia Province, Republic of China. It was also called the 1920 Gansu earthquake because Ningxia was a part of Gansu Province when the earthquake occurred. The event The earthquake struck at local time 20:06:53 (GMT 12:06:53), reportedly 7.8 on the Richter magnitude scale, followed by a series of aftershocks for up to about three years later. Today's Chinese media claim the earthquake was as high as a magnitude 8.5, although the scale is not specified. It caused total destruction (XII - the maximum intensity on the Mercalli scale) in the Lijunbu-Haiyuan-Ganyanchi area. Over 73,000 people were killed in Haiyuan County. A landslide buried the village of Sujiahe in Xiji County. More than 30,000 people were killed in Guyuan County. Nearly all the houses collapsed in the cities of Longde and Huining. Damage (VI-X) occurred in 7 provinces and regions, including the major cities of Lanzhou, Taiyuan, Xi'an, Xining and Yinchuan. It was felt from the Yellow Sea to Qinghai (Tsinghai) Province and from Nei Mongol (Inner Mongolia) south to central Sichuan Province. About 200 km (125 mi) of surface faulting was seen from Lijunbu through Ganyanchi to Jingtai. There were large numbers of landslides and ground cracks throughout the epicentral area. Some rivers were dammed, others changed course. Seiches from this earthquake were observed in 2 lakes and 3 fjords in western Norway. Total casualty was reported as 200,000 in a summary published by the United States Geological Survey (USGS), 240,000 according to Ningxia Daily (a Chinese publication in the current administrative area), and 235,502 according to the Catalog of Damaging Earthquakes in the World (Through 2008) maintained by the International Institute of Seismology and Earthquake Engineering. #8 : Tangshan Earthquake, 1976 - China Death Toll : 242,769 The Tangshan Earthquake is also known as the Great Tangshan Earthquake, was a natural disaster that occurred on Wednesday, July 28, 1976. It is believed to be the largest earthquake of the 20th century by death toll. The epicenter of the earthquake was near Tangshan in Hebei, People's Republic of China, an industrial city with approximately one million inhabitants. The number of deaths initially reported by the Chinese government was 655,000, but this number has since been stated to be around 240,000 to 255,000. A further 164,000 people were recorded as being severely injured. The earthquake occurred between a series of political events involving the Communist Party of China, ultimately leading to the expulsion of the ruling Gang of Four by Mao's chosen successor Hua Guofeng. In traditional Chinese thought, natural disasters are seen as a precursor of dynastic change. The Event The earthquake hit in the early morning, at 03:42:53.8 local time (1976 July 27 19:42:53.8 UTC), and lasted 23 seconds. Chinese government official sources state a magnitude of 7.8 on the Richter magnitude scale, though some sources listed it as high as 8.2. It was followed by a major 7.1 magnitude aftershock some 16 hours later, increasing the death toll to over 255,000. The cause was when the 25-mile long Tangshan Fault, which runs near the city, ruptured due to tectonic forces caused from the Okhotsk Plate sliding past the Eurasian Plate. Early warnings and predictions Well water in a village outside of Tangshan reportedly rose and fell three times the day before the earthquake. Gas began to spout out of a well in another village on July 12 and then increased on July 25 and July 26. Also, dragonflies flew away all around the city, usually a traditional Chinese sign that signaled a large thunderstorm or rainfall. City dwellers from the "downtown" area who had fish discovered that the fish were restless, jumping out of the aquarium as if wanting to escape, therefore some animals may have anticipated the earthquake. More than half a month before the earthquake struck, Wang Chengmin (汪成民) of the State Seismological Bureau (SSB) Analysis and Prediction Department had already concluded that the Tangshan region would be struck by a significant earthquake between July 22, 1976 and August 5, 1976. Abnormal signals were mentioned for Beijing, Tianjin, Tangshan, Bohai and Zhangjiakou regions. Wang made an effort to publicize the information to 60 people. One of the people listening in Qinglong was official Wang Chunqing (王春青). The prepared: Qinglong County After voicing the concerns to Wang Chunqing (王春青), his county took the report very seriously. Already some sources showed that the county had been preparing as much as two years earlier. Up to 800 members of his county tried to respond. On July 25 and 26, 1976 each community of Qinglong county had emergency meetings to prepare and instruct villagers. Buildings were examined and water reservoirs were given special attention. The county secretary in charge, Ran Guangqi (冉广岐) decided to risk his political career and certain jail term to prepare the 470,000 residents of the county for the upcoming earthquake by ordering officials to educate the people as well as evacuate the local population to safer areas. Damage  Buildings were flattened into rubble when the earthquake hit. The high loss of life caused by the earthquake can be attributed to the time it struck and how suddenly it struck, as well as to the quality and nature of building construction in China. The earthquake lacked the foreshocks that sometimes come with earthquakes of this magnitude. It also struck at just before 4 AM, leaving many people asleep and unprepared. Tangshan itself was thought to be in a region with a relatively low risk of earthquakes. Very few buildings had been built to withstand an earthquake, and the city lies on unstable alluvial soil. Therefore, hundreds of thousands of buildings were destroyed. The earthquake devastated the city over an area of roughly 6.5 kilometres (4.0 mi) by 8 kilometres (5.0 mi). Many of the people who survived the initial earthquake were trapped under collapsed buildings. Tremors were felt as far away as Xi'an approximately 760 km(470 mi) away. Eighty-five percent of the buildings in the city were collapsed into ruins or became uninhabitable. The seismic waves spread far, with damage in cities such as Qinhuangdao and Tianjin, and a few buildings as far away as Beijing, 140 km from the epicenter, were damaged. The economic loss totaled to 10 billion yuan. Death toll Controversial statistics Until fairly recently, China's political environment has made it difficult to properly gauge the extent of natural disasters. Successive governments have placed more importance on the appearance of harmony rather than accurate information on damages. The Tangshan Earthquake came at a rather politically sensitive time during the late stages of the Cultural Revolution, making accurate statistics especially difficult to find. The Tangshan earthquake killed 242,000 people according to official figures, though some sources estimate a death toll up to three times higher. This would make it the deadliest earthquake in modern times, and the second or third deadliest in recorded history. It is worth noting that the population of Tangshan at the time the quake struck was estimated to be around 1.6 million and that most of Tangshan's city proper was flattened. Many experts believe the Chinese government has never released an accurate death toll for the disaster. The death toll figure of 242,419 came from the Chinese Seismological Service in 1988, while some sources have estimated the death toll to be at 650,000. Others range as high as 700,000. The initial estimates of 655,000 dead and 779,000 injured were released by Hebei Revolutionary Committee. Aftermath A Tangshan earthquake memorial in Tianjin The Chinese government refused to accept international aid from the United Nations, and insisted on self reliance. Shanghai sent 56 medical teams to Tangshan, in addition to the People's Liberation Army who were assisting while also trying to fix their tarnished image of Red guards destructions earlier.Rebuilding infrastructure started immediately in Tangshan, and the city was completely rebuilt. Today Tangshan city is home to nearly three million people and is known as "Brave City of China." #7 : Antioch Earthquake, 526 - Antioch Empire, Byzantine Empire (Now Turkey) Death Toll : 250,000 to 300,000 The 526 Antioch earthquake was a major earthquake that hit Syria and Antioch in the Byzantine Empire in 526. It struck during late May, probably between May 20–29, at mid-morning, killing approximately 250,000 people.The earthquake was followed by a fire that destroyed most of the buildings left standing by the earthquake. The maximum intensity in Antioch is estimated to be between VIII (destructive) and IX (violent) on the Mercalli intensity scale. The Event The estimated magnitude for the earthquake is 7.0 on the surface wave magnitude scale. It was followed by 18 months of aftershocks. Intensity estimates on the Mercalli scale are: VIII-IX for Antioch; VII for both Daphne, a suburb of Antioch, and the port town of Seleucia Pieria. Damage The earthquake caused severe damage to many of the building in Antioch, including Constantine's great octagonal church Domus Aurea built on an island in the Orontes River. Only houses built close to the mountain are said to have survived. Most of the damage however, was a result of the fires that went on for many days in the immediate aftermath of the earthquake, made worse by the wind. The Great Church was destroyed by the fire seven days after the earthquake. Amongst the many victims was Euphrasius the Patriarch of Antioch, who died by falling into a cauldron of pitch being used by wineskin makers, with only his head remaining unburnt. In the port of Seleucia Pieria an uplift of 0.7–0.8 m has been estimated, and the subsequent silting up of the harbour left it unusable. Estimates of the death toll for this earthquake vary between 250,000 and 300,000, with 250,000 being the most commonly reported. It has been suggested that the very high number of casualties was a result of there being a large number of visitors in the city from the surrounding countryside, there to celebrate Ascension Day. Aftermath In Constantinople, Justin I reportedly reacted to the news of the earthquake by removing his diadem and crimson chlamys. He entered the church without these symbols of his rank and publicly lamented the destruction of Antioch. He arranged for ambassadors to be sent to the city with sufficient money for both immediate relief and to start Antioch's reconstruction. The rebuilding of the Great Church and many other buildings was overseen by Ephraim, the comes Orientis, whose efforts saw him replace Euphrasius as the Chalcedonian Patriarch of Antioch. Many of the buildings erected after the earthquake were destroyed by another major earthquake in November 528, although there were far fewer casualties. #6 : Indian Ocean Tsunami & Earthquake, 2004 - Sumatra, Indonesia, India, Sri Lanka, Maldives Death Toll : 230,210 to 310,000 The 2004 Indian Ocean earthquake was an undersea megathrust earthquake that occurred at 00:58:53 UTC on Sunday, 26 December 2004, with an epicentre off the west coast of Sumatra, Indonesia. The quake itself is known by the scientific community as the Sumatra–Andaman earthquake. The resulting tsunami is given various names, including the 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami, South Asian tsunami, Indonesian tsunami, and Boxing Day tsunami. The Event The earthquake was caused by subduction and triggered a series of devastating tsunamis along the coasts of most landmasses bordering the Indian Ocean, killing over 230,000 people in fourteen countries, and inundating coastal communities with waves up to 30 meters (98 ft) high. It was one of the deadliest natural disasters in recorded history. Indonesia was the hardest-hit country, followed by Sri Lanka, India, and Thailand. With a magnitude of Mw 9.1–9.3, it is the third largest earthquake ever recorded on a seismograph. The earthquake had the longest duration of faulting ever observed, between 8.3 and 10 minutes. It caused the entire planet to vibrate as much as 1 centimetre (0.4 inches) and triggered other earthquakes as far away as Alaska. Its epicentre was between Simeulue and mainland Indonesia. The plight of the affected people and countries prompted a worldwide humanitarian response. In all, the worldwide community donated more than $14 billion (2004 US$) in humanitarian aid Death toll and casualties Chennai's Marina beach after the tsunami. According to the U.S. Geological Survey a total of 227,898 people died (see table below for details). Measured in lives lost, this is one of the ten worst earthquakes in recorded history, as well as the single worst tsunami in history. Indonesia was the worst affected area, with most death toll estimates at around 170,000. However, another report by health minister Fadilah Supari has estimated the death total to be as high as 220,000 in Indonesia alone, giving a total of 280,000 casualties. The tsunami caused serious damage and deaths as far as the east coast of Africa, with the farthest recorded death due to the tsunami occurring at Rooi Els in South Africa, 8,000 km (5,000 mi) away from the epicentre. In total, eight people in South Africa died due to abnormally high sea levels and waves. Relief agencies report that one-third of the dead appear to be children. This is a result of the high proportion of children in the populations of many of the affected regions and because children were the least able to resist being overcome by the surging waters. Oxfam went on to report that as many as four times more women than men were killed in some regions because they were waiting on the beach for the fishermen to return and looking after their children in the houses. In an addition to the large number of local residents, up to 9,000 foreign tourists (mostly Europeans) enjoying the peak holiday travel season were among the dead or missing, especially people from the Nordic countries. The European nation hardest hit may have been Sweden, whose death toll was 543. States of emergency were declared in Sri Lanka, Indonesia, and the Maldives. The United Nations estimated at the outset that the relief operation would be the costliest in human history. Then UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan stated that reconstruction would probably take between five and ten years. Governments and non-governmental organisations feared that the final death toll might double as a result of diseases, prompting a massive humanitarian response. In the end, this fear did not materialise. For purposes of establishing timelines of local events, the time zones of affected areas are: UTC+3: (Kenya, Madagascar, Somalia, Tanzania); UTC+4: (Mauritius, Réunion, Seychelles); UTC+5: (Maldives); UTC+5:30: (India, Sri Lanka); UTC+6: (Bangladesh); UTC+6:30: (Cocos Islands, Myanmar); UTC+7: (Indonesia (western), Thailand); UTC+8: (Malaysia, Singapore). Since the earthquake occurred at 00:58:53 UTC, add the above offsets to find the local time of the earthquake. Country where deaths occurred Confirmed Estimated1 Injured Missing Displaced Indonesia 130,736 167,799 n/a 37,063 500,000+ Sri Lanka 35,322 35,322 21,411 n/a 516,150 India 12,405 18,045 n/a 5,640 647,599 Thailand 5,3953 8,212 8,457 2,817 7,000 Somalia 78 289 n/a n/a 5,000 Myanmar (Burma) 61 400–600 45 200 3,200 Maldives 82 108 n/a 26 15,000+ Malaysia 68 75 299 6 n/a Tanzania 10 13 n/a n/a n/a Seychelles 3 3 57 n/a 200 Bangladesh 2 2 n/a n/a n/a South Africa 2 2 n/a n/a n/a Yemen 2 2 n/a n/a n/a Kenya 1 1 2 n/a n/a Madagascar n/a n/a n/a n/a 1,000+ Total ~184,167 ~230,273 ~125,000 ~45,752 ~1.69 million Please see the wikipedia page for full details and article. (long read of course) #5 : India Cyclone, 1839 - India Death Toll : ~300,000+ On Nov. 25th, 1839, what became known as the "India Cyclone" hit the harbor village of Coringa, located in Andhra Pradesh, India. The cyclone brought about a 40-foot-wave that destroyed much of the village and most of the ships near the area, with around 20,000 people drowning at sea. An estimated total of 300,000 people died in total because of the cyclone. Survivors never entirely rebuilt the city. This disaster is missing much in details - please submit information (with sources) to our CONTACT PAGE. #4 : Bhola Cyclone, 1970 - East Pakistan (Now Bangladesh) Death Toll : 300,000 to 500,000 The 1970 Bhola cyclone was a devastating tropical cyclone that struck East Pakistan (now Bangladesh) and India's West Bengal on November 12, 1970. It was the deadliest tropical cyclone ever recorded, and one of the deadliest natural disasters in modern times. Up to 500,000 people lost their lives in the storm, primarily as a result of the storm surge that flooded much of the low-lying islands of the Ganges Delta. This cyclone was the sixth cyclonic storm of the 1970 North Indian Ocean cyclone season, and also the season's strongest, reaching a strength equivalent to a strong Category 3 hurricane. The Event The cyclone formed over the central Bay of Bengal on November 8 and travelled north, intensifying as it did so. It reached its peak with winds of 185 km/h (115 mph) on November 12, and made landfall on the coast of East Pakistan that night. The storm surge devastated many of the offshore islands, wiping out villages and destroying crops throughout the region. In the most severely affected upazila, Tazumuddin, over 45% of the population of 167,000 was killed by the storm. Preparations The Indian government received many ship reports from the Bay of Bengal that were giving meteorological information on the cyclone, but as Indo-Pakistani relations were generally hostile, the information was not passed on to the Pakistani government. A large part of the population was reportedly taken by surprise by the storm. There were indications that the storm warning system that existed in East Pakistan was not used properly, which may have cost tens of thousands of lives.The Pakistan Meteorological Department issued a report calling for "danger preparedness" in the coastal regions in danger during the day on November 12. As the storm neared the coast, a "great danger signal" was broadcast on Pakistan Radio. Survivors later said that this meant little to them, but that they had recognised a No. 1 warning signal as representing the greatest possible threat. It is estimated that 90% of the population in the area was aware of the cyclone before it hit, but only about 1% sought refuge in fortified structures. Following two previously destructive cyclones in October 1960 which killed at least 16,000 people in East Pakistan, the Pakistani government contacted the American government for assistance in developing a system to avert future disasters. Gordon Dunn, the director of the National Hurricane Center at the time, carried out a detailed study and submitted his report in 1961. However, the government did not carry out all of the recommendations Dunn had listed. Aftermath Two medical relief surveys were carried out by the Pakistan-SEATO Cholera Research Laboratory: the first in November and the second in February and March. The purpose of the first survey was to establish the immediate medical needs in the affected regions, and the second, more detailed, survey was designed as the basis for long-term relief and recovery planning. In the second survey, approximately 1.4% of the area's population was studied. The first survey concluded that the surface water in most of the affected regions had a comparable salt content to that drawn from wells, except in Sudharam, where the water was almost undrinkable with a salt content of up to 0.5%. The mortality was estimated at 14.2% - equivalent to a death toll of 240,000. Cyclone-related morbidity was generally restricted to minor injuries, but a phenomenon dubbed "cyclone syndrome" was observed. This consisted of severe abrasions on the limbs and chest caused by survivors clinging to trees to withstand the storm surge. Initially, there were fears of an outbreak of cholera and typhoid fever in the weeks following the storm, but the survey found no evidence of an epidemic of cholera, smallpox or any other disease in the region affected by the storm. The totals from the second survey were likely a considerable underestimate as several groups were not included. The 100,000 migrant workers who were collecting the rice harvest, families who were completely wiped out by the storm and those who had migrated out of the region in the three months were not included, and by excluding these groups, the risk of hearsay and exaggeration was reduced. The survey concluded that the overall death toll was, at minimum, 224,000. The worst effects were felt in Tazumuddin, where the mortality was 46.3%, corresponding to approximately 77,000 deaths in that Thana alone. The mean mortality throughout the affected region was 16.5%. The results showed that the highest survival rate was for adult males aged 15–49, while more than half the deaths were children under ten, who only formed a third of the pre-cyclone population. This suggests that the young, old and sick were selectively lost in the cyclone and its surge. In the months after the storm, the mortality of the middle-aged was lower in the cyclone area than in the control region, near Dhaka. This reflected the elimination of the less healthy individuals during the storm #3 : Shaanxi Earthquake, 1556 - Shaanxi Province, China Death Toll : ~830,000 The 1556 Shaanxi earthquake (Chinese: 华县大地震; pinyin: Huà xiàn dà dìzhèn) or Jiajing earthquake (Chinese: 嘉靖大地震; pinyin: jiājìng dà dìzhèn) was a catastrophic earthquake and is also the deadliest earthquake on record, killing approximately 830,000 people. It occurred on the morning of 23 January 1556 in Shaanxi, during the Ming Dynasty. More than 97 counties in the provinces of Shaanxi, Shanxi, Henan, Gansu, Hebei, Shandong, Hubei, Hunan, Jiangsu and Anhui were affected. An 840-kilometre (520 mi)-wide area was destroyed, and in some counties 60% of the population was killed. Most of the population in the area at the time lived in yaodongs, artificial caves in loess cliffs, many of which collapsed during the catastrophe with great loss of life. Geography The Shaanxi earthquake's epicenter was in the Wei River Valley in Shaanxi Province, near the cities of Huaxian, Weinan and Huayin. In Huaxian, every single building and home was demolished, killing more than half the residents of the city, with a death toll estimated in the hundreds of thousands. The situation in Weinan and Huayin was similar. In certain areas, 20-metre (66 ft) deep crevices opened in the earth. Destruction and death were everywhere, affecting places as far as 500 kilometres (310 mi) from the epicenter. The earthquake also triggered landslides, which contributed to the massive death toll. The rupture occurred during the reign of the Jiajing Emperor of the Ming Dynasty. Therefore, in Chinese historical record, this earthquake is often referred to as the Jiajing Great Earthquake. Modern estimates, based on geological data, give the earthquake a magnitude of approximately 8 on the moment magnitude scale or XI on the Mercalli scale. But more recent discoveries have shown that it was 7.9.While it was the deadliest earthquake and the third deadliest natural disaster in history, there have been earthquakes with considerably higher magnitudes. Following the earthquake, aftershocks continued several times a month for half a year. In the annals of China it was described in this manner: In the winter of 1556, an earthquake catastrophe occurred in the Shaanxi and Shanxi Provinces. In our Hua County, various misfortunes took place. Mountains and rivers changed places and roads were destroyed. In some places, the ground suddenly rose up and formed new hills, or it sank abruptly and became new valleys. In other areas, a stream burst out in an instant, or the ground broke and new gullies appeared. Huts, official houses, temples and city walls collapsed all of a sudden. The earthquake damaged many of the Forest of Stone steles badly. Of the 114 Kaicheng Stone Classics, 40 were broken in the earthquake. The scholar Qin Keda lived through the earthquake and recorded details. One conclusion he drew was that "at the very beginning of an earthquake, people indoors should not go out immediately. Just crouch down and wait. Even if the nest has collapsed, some eggs may remain intact." This may indicate that many people were killed trying to flee while some who stayed put may have survived. The shaking reduced the height of the Small Wild Goose Pagoda in Xi'an from 45 meters to 43.4 meters. Loess caves Millions of people at the time lived in artificial Loess caves on high cliffs in the area of the Loess Plateau. Loess is the name for the silty soil that windstorms deposited on the plateau over the ages. The soft loess clay had formed over thousands of years due to wind blowing silt into the area from the Gobi Desert. Loess is a highly erosion-prone soil that is susceptible to the forces of wind and water. The Loess Plateau and its dusty soil cover almost all of Shanxi, Shaanxi, and Gansu provinces and parts of others. Much of the population lived in dwellings called yaodongs in these cliffs. This was the major contributing factor to the huge death toll. The earthquake caused landslides, which destroyed the caves. #2 : Yellow River Flood, 1887 - China Death Toll : 900,000 to 2,000,000 The 1887 Yellow River flood was a devastating flood on the Yellow River (Huang He) in China. This river is prone to flooding due to the elevated nature of the river, running between dykes above the broad plains surrounding it. The flood that began in September 1887 stated the area, killing some 900,000 people. It was one of the deadliest natural disasters ever recorded. History For centuries, the farmers living near the Yellow River had built dikes to contain the rising waters, caused by silt accumulation on the riverbed. In 1887, this rising riverbed, coupled with days of heavy rain, overcame the dikes on around 28th September, causing a massive flood.[Since there is no international unit with which to measure a flood's strength it is usually classified by the extent of the damage done, depth of water left and number of casualties. The waters of the Yellow River are generally thought to have broken through the dikes in Huayankou, near the city of Zhengzhou in Henan province. Owing to the low-lying plains near the area, the flood spread very quickly throughout Northern China, covering an estimated 50,000 square miles (130,000 km2), swamping agricultural settlements and commercial centers. After the flood, two million were left homeless. The resulting pandemic and lack of basic essentials claimed as many lives as those lost directly by the flood itself. It was one of the worst floods in history, though the later 1931 Yellow River flood may have killed as many as four million. #1 : China Floods, 1931 - China Death Toll : 145,000 to 4,000,000 The 1931 Central China floods or the Central China floods of 1931 were a series of floods that occurred during the Nanjing decade in the Republic of China era. It is generally considered the deadliest natural disaster ever recorded; almost certainly the deadliest of the 20th century (when pandemics and famines are discounted) and in China. The human deaths are estimated from 145,000, to between 3.7 million to 4 million. Weather history From 1928 to 1930 a long drought preceded the flood. By some accounts abnormal weather over central China began in the winter of late 1930. Heavy snowstorms in the winter were followed by spring thaw/defrost heavy rains that raised the river levels even higher. The rain increased into July and August 1931. In July alone 7 cyclones hit the region. On average two occur per year. Death tolls and damages caused Chinese sources usually indicate the death toll of the Yangtze River overflow at about 145,000 and affecting 28.5 million., while most western sources place the death toll from the floods at an estimation between 3.7 and 4 million people. Yellow River The Yellow River has historically been considered the "Cradle of Chinese Civilization". Major floods in this river generally have catastrophic agricultural, economic and social impact. The Yellow River flood occurred between July and November 1931. Estimates of the number of people killed in the flood generally range from 1 to 2 million. Figures have shown about one million people died of drowning. The river completely inundated 87,000 km2 (20,000,000 acres). Yangtze River The worst period was from July to August. In July alone, four weather stations along the Yangtze River reported rain totaling over 2 ft (0.61 m) for the month. The casualties of the Yangtze River overflow region reached 145,000 and affected 28.5 million. Huai River The Yangtze along with the Huai River flood reached Nanjing city, capital of China at the time, an island in a massive flood zone. Millions died of drowning or from diseases such as cholera and typhus. Wives and daughters were sold, and local residents reported infanticide and cannibalism in stark details to the government. Some of the areas affected included Hubei, Hunan, Jiangxi, Hankou, Wuhan, Hanyang, Chongqing. The high watermark was reached on August 19 at Hankou with the level exceeding 53 ft (16 m) above normal. Comparatively this is an average of 5.6 ft (1.7 m) above the Shanghai Bund. On the evening of August 25 the water through the Grand Canal washed away dikes near Gaoyou lake. Some 200,000 people drowned in their sleep.   Recap 1. 1,000,000–2,500,000* 1931 China floods China July, November, 1931 2. 900,000–2,000,000 1887 Yellow River flood China September, October, 1887 3. 830,000 1556 Shaanxi earthquake Shaanxi Province, China January 23, 1556 4. 500,000 1970 Bhola cyclone East Pakistan (now Bangladesh) November 13, 1970 5. 300,000 1839 India Cyclone India November 25, 1839 6. 230,210-310,000 2004 Indian Ocean Tsunami Sumatra, Indonesia and also affected India, Sri Lanka, Maldives December 26, 2004 7. 250,000–300,000 526 Antioch earthquake Antioch, Byzantine Empire (now Turkey) May 526 8. 242,419 (the death toll has been estimated to be as high as 665,000) 1976 Tangshan earthquake Tangshan, Hebei, China July 28, 1976 9. 234,117 1920 Haiyuan earthquake Haiyuan, Ningxia-Gansu, China December 16, 1920 10. 230,000 1138 Aleppo earthquake Aleppo, Syria October 11, 1138

Indonesia reports fourth bird flu death of the year

JAKARTA — A 12-year-old boy on the Indonesian resort island of Bali has died from bird flu, the fourth human death from the virus this year, an official said Saturday.
The boy developed fever on February 11 and was admitted to hospital five days later, the Indonesian health ministry's head of animal-borne infectious disease control, Rita Kusriastuti, told AFP.
"He suffered shortness of breath and eventually died on February 21. Laboratory tests confirmed he died from the H5N1 virus," she added.
Concerns about avian influenza have risen in Asia since China in late December reported its first fatality from the H5N1 virus in 18 months.
Indonesia has been the hardest-hit by bird flu, with 150 deaths reported between 2003 and 2011, according to the World Health Organization.
The health ministry said on its website that 154 people had now died of bird flu in Indonesia since 2005.
The virus typically spreads from birds to humans through direct contact, but experts fear it could mutate into a form that is easily transmissible between humans, with the potential to kill millions in a pandemic.

Are We In Danger Of Planet X?

Recently, modern science has revealed the existence of a new large planet.
Is it Planet X? Very possible. Because, it is just on the edge of our solar system. This planet is about four times larger than Earth. The interesting thing is that the planet has an elliptical orbit and the opposite rotation around the axis of all the other planets. Planet X, also, enters our solar system every 3600 years. This should happen in 2012.
The early people named Planet X as Nibiru in Sumerian, and Marduk in Babylonian. It has been said that the ancient Mesopotamians believed that Nibiru was the twelfth planet in our solar system and that it was "heaven" where their gods resided and came from.
Nibiru is a planet-sized object that was first observed moving toward our solar system in the 1980s by scientists, although most scientists deny its existence. It is believed, by some people, that Nibiru will either collide with the Earth or come close enough to cause catastrophic destruction.
Some facts about Nibiru:

• Nibiru is a large planet on an elliptical orbit that crosses the orbit of our planets.
  
• Like that of great comments that keep coming back over a very long span of time, so does Nibiru.
  
• Nibiru and it's implications are a part of historical records, and folklore in countless civilizations, worldwide.
  
• Records seem to indicate that Nibiru comes through our inner solar system about every thirty-six hundred years.
  
• Because of Nibiru's massive size, it's strong gravitational pull will soon be effecting the Earth in a very big way.
  
• Effects will range from horrific Earth quakes, super volcanic activity, and sustained 200+ MPH winds world-wide.
  
• At Nibiru's closest passage to Earth, a quick pole shift will take place, causing the oceans to rush over the continents.
  
• In the after math, volcanic ash will encompass the globe, thrusting the world into a prolonged winter.
  
• Until enough ash settles, it's estimated that crops will fail world-wide for at least two growing seasons.
  
• Those who did not prepare will either die from severe weather changes, quakes, flood, fire or starvation.
  
• Those who managed to live, will be faced with the aftermath of just trying to survive for the first 24 months.
  
• All that we once relied on such as utilities, medical, financial, oil, housing, police, etc. will mostly be destroyed.
  
• Recovery time will be measured in hundreds of years; potentially thousands.
  

Powerful solar flare to cause magnetic storm on Earth

 

A powerful solar flare was registered today, NASA specialists said. The flare can trigger a strong magnetic storm on Earth, they said. It will become the second magnetic storm this year. The first one was registered on January 22-23.

Red-hot plasma is on the way to our planet. It will reach Earth at about 6 p.m. MSK, scientists said. The Earth's magnetic field will protect the planet - the power of the storm will thus be moderate. However, it may cause malfunctions in the work of satellites and other systems of communication. The storm will not pose any danger to the crew of the International Space Station.

NASA observes the solar activity with the help of the Solar Terrestrial Relations Observatory (STEREO), the Solar Dynamics Observatory and the Solar and Heliospheric Observatory (SOHO), Vesti.Ru reports.

The data received from SOHO and STEREO observatories said that the flow of plasma would strike a strong blow on the magnetic field of the Earth in the area of the North Pole on January 24-25, NASA officials said.

Experts from Russia's EMERCOM earlier predicted the further increase of the solar activity in 2012. Eight strong magnetic storms may occur this year. "Separate periods of high solar activity are likely to occur in the first half of 2012. A large number of powerful solar flares, including proton flares, may occur," officials with the ministry said.

Bat Signal: More than 5 Million Bats Dead From White-Nose Syndrome

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John Macgregor / Getty Images

Bats in the Northeastern U.S. are dying by the millions of white-nose fungus.

An animal apocalypse is happening right beneath our noses in the Northeast. Since 2006, bats throughout New York, Pennsylvania, Vermont, New Jersey, Indiana and other states have been infected with a deadly white-nose fungus that has decimated animal populations. But because it is hard to track bat numbers—and because the disease causes afflicted bats to act strangely, often flying far from their nests where they may never be found—it’s been difficult to pin down just how severe the disease has become.
A new estimate released yesterday by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS), however, suggests that the toll is far worse than wildlife biologists believed. Between 5.7 million and 6.7 million bats are estimated to have died from white-nose fungus—five to six times more than a previous count done in 2009. Unless the bats can adapt to the fungus—or a treatment can be found—there is a real change that many bat species could be virtually wiped out in the Northeast, with serious consequences for the ecology of the region.
Mylea Bayless of the wildlife group Bat Conservation International laid out the consequences of the disease to Darryl Fears of the Washington Post:

 We’re watching a potential extinction event on the order of what we experienced with bison and passenger pigeons for this group of mammals.
The difference is we may be seeing the regional extinction of multiple species. Unlike some of the extinction events or population depletion events we’ve seen in the past, we’re looking at a whole group of animals here, not just one species. We don’t know what that means, but it could be catastrophic.

Catastrophic for the bats, obviously, but possibly for us as well. Bats are voracious insectavores—a single female bat of reproductive age can consume her weight in insects each night. Take away the bats and those insects may thrive—including agricultural pests that can ruin crops, as FWS director Dan Ashe says:

This startling new information illustrates the severity of the threat that white-nose syndrome poses for bats, as well as the scope of the problem facing our nation. Bats provide tremendous value to the U.S. economy as natural pest control for American farms and forests every year, while playing an essential role in helping to control insects that can spread disease to people.

More than 140 partners from the government and academic institutions met last week to plan a response to white-nose syndrome, but there’s been little progress made in the years since the disease was first discovered. One hope may lay with European bats—they were infected with a similar fungus but have managed to survive, and could provide clues to controlling the disease. But scientists need to hurry—time is running out for bats.

Read more: http://ecocentric.blogs.time.com/2012/01/18/bat-signal-more-than-5-million-bats-dead-from-white-nose-syndrome/#ixzz1k0mgBNWY