Hurricane “Harvey” has dealt a serious blow to Texas, but the worst may still be ahead, warn forecasters. The disaster has claimed the lives of 5 people and 40 were missing, Houston was left completely without electricity, airports are closed. Bad weather will continue in the next 2-3 days, and all the time in the state will fall to 1 thousand mm of rainfall, which is five times the monthly average, writes “News.Economy.”
The Director of FEMA (Federal Agency for emergency management USA) has been called “Harvey,” the worst disaster in Texas history. About damage until no one even speaks, but it is already clear that it will be tens of billions of dollars.
However, this is not the first “expensive” natural disaster in the world:
1. The earthquake and tsunami in Japan, 2011
Damage: $ 300 billion
To this day there are echoes of the consequences of a powerful nine-point earthquake that hit Japan in 2011 triggered a tsunami height of 30 m, which demolished everything in its path, living and nonliving. According to various estimates, were killed and missing about 20 thousand people. Still no one can accurately assess the damage from this natural disaster, taking into account the fact that there was even a man-made catastrophe on the atomic power station “Fukushima”. The name of the station was in the same household as Chernobyl.
2. Sichuan earthquake, 2008
Damage: 137 billion dollars
The Sichuan earthquake of 2008 claimed the lives of more than 69 thousand people, becoming one of the largest number of casualties in the history of mankind. In 2008 on the street were more than 4.8 million people, more than 1.5 million homes were damaged or destroyed.
3. Hurricane Katrina, 2005
Damage: 108 billion
Hurricane Katrina — while the most destructive hurricane in U.S. history. It was a hurricane of the 5th category on a scale of hurricanes of Saffira – Simpson, the 6th strongest hurricane in the Atlantic basin for the entire history of observations. Occurred in late August 2005.
The most severe damage was caused to New Orleans in Louisiana, where the water was about 80% of the city area. The result of the disaster killed 1836 people.
4. The earthquake in Kobe, 1995
Damage: $ 100 billion
The earthquake occurred on the morning of Tuesday 17 January 1995 at 05:46 local time. Its torque magnitude was 6.9 (earthquake measuring 7.3 on the Richter scale). The earthquake was located beneath Awaji island at a depth of 15-20 km and was tectonic fault running in the Strait of Akashi directly under the city.
According to estimates, the earthquake killed 6434 people. The effects of the disaster: the destruction of 200 thousand buildings, 1 km of a highway Hanshin, the destruction of 120 of the 150 quays in the port of Kobe, violations of electricity supply in the city. Residents were afraid to return home because of aftershocks, which lasted for several days. The damage amounted to 2.5% of Japan’s GDP at the time.
5. Drought in the United States, 1988
Damage: $ 78 billion
One of the worst droughts in U.S. history, accompanied by a massive loss of corn and monstrous fires that led to the death of thousands of people.
6. Hurricane “sandy”, 2012
Damage: $ 71.4 billion dollars
Sandy is a powerful tropical cyclone that formed in late October 2012 and has affected Jamaica, Cuba, Bahamas, Haiti, coast of Florida and subsequently the North-East US and Eastern Canada. The most severe damage was caused to the North-Eastern States, particularly new Jersey, new York and Connecticut.
In 2012, the 18th tropical cyclone, received its own name, and ten of such a cyclone in the Atlantic. It was formed on 22 October and 6 hours turned into a tropical storm. Then he slowly began to move North to greater Antilles, continuing to gain strength. On 31 October, the hurricane moved from new York to new Jersey, then went through Virginia and Pennsylvania. In total, the victims of the hurricane were more than 69 people in the Caribbean and the Bahamas.
7. Heat waves in the United States, 1980
Damage: 56,4 billion dollars
In 1980, the United States covered large-scale wave of abnormal heat. Four months in a row kept abnormally high temperature, which led to a huge drought in the country. This affected the population and agriculture. Farmers suffered huge losses.
8. Hurricane “Andrew”, 1992
Damage: 44.8 billion dollars
Hurricane “Andrew” — the Atlantic tropical hurricane of the 5th category, the 3rd largest hurricane that reached U.S. shores in the twentieth century. This hurricane was the only significant hurricane season of 1992 in the Atlantic ocean. In August of this year he passed through the northwestern Bahamas, southern Florida and southwest Louisiana. Before hurricane Katrina, 2005, hurricane “Andrew” was the most devastating hurricane in the United States for the entire history of observations. In 2012, he dropped to 4th place in this setting.
9. The flooding in Thailand, 2011
Damage: 43 billion
The flooding in Thailand in 2011 — a disaster caused by severe over 50 years of seasonal monsoon rains in July-September 2011 in the Northern, North-Eastern and Central provinces of Thailand, where the water through the lowlands of Central Thailand came to Bangkok. Most affected 65 of 76 provinces of Thailand and over 13 million people. The rains were caused by tropical storm “Nock-ten”, which hit Thailand July 5, 2011
21 Oct 2011-Thailand introduced a special regime under the law on natural disasters, which includes the full and unlimited power of the Prime Minister of Thailand in the field of disaster and elimination of its consequences. 23 Oct 2011 Bangkok declared a disaster area. On October 30, 2011 was a record water level in the Chao Phraya river — 253 cm above sea level, which is 3 cm above the hydraulic barrier.
Killed 616 people, two people unaccounted for, including more than 150 people died from electric shocks through the water, which was the most common cause of casualties during the flooding in Bangkok. The main causes of casualties in the beginning of the flood were landslides, debris flows and immediate flooding of the settlements with water flowing down from higher areas.
10. Earthquake, “Northridge”, 1994
Damage: $ 40 billion
Earthquake, “Northridge” occurred on 17 January 1994 at 4:31 local time near Los Angeles, California. It lasted about 10-20 seconds. His strength was 6.7 points. Then killed at least 33 people, about 9 thousand were wounded. The damage was within a radius of 125 km from the epicenter of the quake. People died under the rubble of collapsed buildings and highways in cars. The earthquake caused landslides and fires. Fire often happened due to the destruction of the pipeline. A consequence of the earthquake was the outbreak of infectious respiratory disease.
In the earthquake, “Northridge” was destroyed many Central highways and Railways. Were closed the largest universities in the country: California and Los Angeles. For some time was closed, the film Studio of Hollywood and record companies in the area. Was postponed a few important basketball games. The earthquake severely affected the heart of Santa Monica. There was a ruined Central hospital and hundreds of homes.
11. The earthquake and tsunami in the Indian ocean, 2004
Damage: $ 34 billion
The earthquake and tsunami of 2004 in the Indian ocean was truly international disaster. They touched 15 countries and killed more than 250 thousand people (not only locals, but also tourists). Accurate data on the number of victims is still there. Especially got of Indonesia (off the coast which was recorded aftershocks), India, Sri Lanka, Thailand and Maldives.
