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
Storms
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US authorities learn Katrina lessons
When Pamela Pipes fled New Orleans for Houston at the weekend with her dog and vital papers, she contrasted the orderly lines of people boarding trains and buses out of the city with the chaos of Hurr
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US authorities learn Katrina lessons
When Pamela Pipes fled New Orleans for Houston at the weekend with her dog and vital papers, she contrasted the orderly lines of people boarding trains and buses out of the city with the chaos of Hurr
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Exodus from New Orleans as Gustav sweeps in
Hurricane Gustav swept across the Gulf of Mexico yesterday, forcing the mandatory evacuation of New Orleans, the shutdown of offshore oil production and the cancellation of most of the programme on th
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Storm lashes six Kurigram villages
A storm lashed six villages of Omar Majid union in Rajarhat upazila Saturday night damaging 216 houses in the affected areas. The storm-hit villages are Dangrahat, Delapara, Fulkhahat Hazari, Dhanipara, Balakandi, Sarkar Para and Pangkha Para.
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New Orleans Evacuates for 'Big, Ugly Storm'
Tens of thousands of people in New Orleans and the US Gulf Coast fled their homes on Sunday as Hurricane Gustav moved within 24 hours of striking land, possibly with a weaker punch than 2005's Hurricane Katrina. The oil industry from Texas to New Orleans was taking no chances either, shutting down nearly all offshore platforms and many refineries as Gustav threatened the region that pumps a quarter of the US oil supply.
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Planet prepare: preparing coastal communities in Asia for future catastrophes
Tens of billions of dollars must be spent on protecting millions of people living on the coasts of Asia Pacific if climate change-induced disasters are not to wreak havoc and eradicate decades of development, warns World Vision.
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The shift toward extreme weather
Is global warming causing more extreme weather? Many people seem to think that the last decade's heat waves, hurricanes and droughts did not happen just by chance, but were linked to the phenomenon of global warming. In 2003, for instance, a ferocious heat wave settled unexpectedly across Europe and killed 35,000 people. Nobody saw it coming.
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Severe tropical storm shuts down Hong Kong for a day
HONG KONG: Businesses, government offices, financial markets and schools were closed on Wednesday in Hong Kong and Macau with the approach of severe Tropical Storm Kammuri, but Olympic officials said that the storm was not affecting horses and riders here for the start of the Olympic equestrian events in Hong Kong on Saturday.
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Is climate change causing an upsurge in US tornadoes?
There was a record number of tornadoes in the US in 2004, and this year unseasonally early tornadoes have wreaked havoc.
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Mini tornado hit Ambalantota
A mini tornado hit Lunama in Ambalantota last afternoon completely damaging three houses and partially damaging three houses. According to the Disaster Management Centre, the tornado hit last afternoon around 12.30 p.m. travelling a distance of 50 km. A tree was uprooted blocking the road but it was cleared in the evening by the Disaster Management Centre. The Disaster Management Centre said the tornado had come from the direction of the sea and had later returned towards the seaside.