Disasters - Disasters Around the Globe
Were the Russian Meteor and Passing Asteroid Related?
On Feb. 15, just as denizens of Earth were waiting for a large asteroid to make a safe flyby past the planet later in the day, a meteor burst in the sky over Chelyabinsk Oblast in Siberia, Russia. The shock wave shattered glass and damaged buildings, injuring nearly 1,500 people to varying degrees. It's believed to be the largest object to enter...
World's Worst Energy Disasters
Societies need to tap into fossil fuels, water, wind, and solar power in order to keep the lights on and engines running. But with any energy production comes some risk. Here are the most deadly mishaps.
World's Worst Nightclub Fires
In the early hours of Jan. 27, 2013, fire swept through a nightclub in southern Brazil. The flames, smoke, and panicked stampede for a single exit left more than 230 clubgoers dead in the worst such fire in more than a decade. Here are the worst tragedies that have struck nightclubs.
World's Worst Tsunamis
When an ocean or other body of water experiences a displacement of water due to an earthquake, volcano, underwater explosion, or other altering event, giant deadly waves can rocket toward shore. Here are the worst tsunamis in history.
What They're Saying About Hurricane Sandy
On Oct. 28, 2012, the much-feared "Frankenstorm," named so for its proximity to Halloween, began to affect the Eastern United States with rain, wind, and high tides. Hurricane Sandy moved onshore the next evening at New Jersey with a 900-mile-wide reach that hit areas from North Carolina to Maine. Much of New York City was flooded and left in...
About the World's Hurricanes
When the massive storms come onshore with brutal winds and heavy rains, the world takes notice and communities can be devastated. Here's more about some of the world's worst storms.
World's Worst Avalanches
The majestic mountains and cliffs of the Earth's surface can break free and become deadly torrents of mud, rock or ice. Here are the world's worst avalanches.
2012 Hurricane Names
Here are the names lined up for the Atlantic and Pacific storms, plus the forecasters' outlook for how the Atlantic storm season is shaping up.
World's Worst Passenger Ship Disasters
People around the world have long taken to the seas for transportation and, more so in recent days, for pleasure cruising. But no sea voyage is without risk. Here are the worst tragedies to befall passenger ships.
World's Worst Air Show Crashes
Air shows are an amazing way to see aeronautical talent of pilots maneuvering the greatest historical aircraft and the newest technology. Sometimes, though, these days of family fun have turned into horrible tragedy when accidents occur. Here are the worst of those air show incidents.
2011 Hurricane Names
How hurricane names are chosen and retired, and a list of names for the 2011 hurricane season.
World's Worst Tornadoes
A funnel cloud touching down can pack brutal winds that not only rip away structures but take precious lives. Here are the worst tornadoes on record.
Enhanced Fujita Scale
When you hear a tornado categorized as, for example, EF-3 or EF-5, it's being ranked on the Enhanced Fujita Scale. Here's how that scale measuring tornado intensity works.
How You Can Help Japan
Japan was struck by a devastating magnitude 9.0 earthquake on March 11, 2011, followed by a killer tsunami. Early death tolls are estimated in the thousands, with many more being evacuated from stricken areas and damage estimated to be in the billions of dollars. Here are some ways in which those around the globe can help.
Japan Earthquake/Tsunami 2011
Japan weathers its worst crisis since World War II after the magnitude 9.0 earthquake that sent 33-foot tsunami waves crashing into its coast. As more details of the devastation become apparent, the death toll prediction has also been raised to staggering proportions as officials search desperately for survivors.
Hurricane Earl Bearing Down on Atlantic Coast
Federal Emergency Management Agency director Craig Fugate warned that with winds topping at 140 mph, those in the path of the storm need to take action quickly
What is causing Pakistan's flooding?
Pakistan is awash in devastation over the summer 2010 flooding that has killed at least 1,600 and left some 4 million homeless. What is causing the calamity that has surpassed the humanitarian aid scope of the 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami, Pakistan's 2005 earthquake and the 2010 Haiti quake?
Massive 8.8 Quake Strikes Chile, Tsunami Reaches Japan
This has already been a tough year for temblors, with the magnitude 7.0 quake striking impoverished Haiti and killing some 230,000 on Jan. 12, 2009.
Shorter Days Thanks to Chile Quake?
An 8.8 quake is certainly a core-shaker, but an axis-mover? Yep, says a NASA scientist, just like the 9.1 quake that touched off the Indian Ocean tsunami in 2004 shortened the Earth's days and knocked the axis a bit off kilter.
Magnitude 7.2 Temblor Rattles Mexico, Southern U.S.
A whopping magnitude 7.2 earthquake struck at 3:40 p.m. Pacific time today in Baja California, epicentered 104 miles east-southeast from the border city of Tijuana.
World's Worst Natural Disasters
Mother Nature has dealt the deadliest blows around the globe with these tragic disasters.
World's Worst Wildfires
Whether sparked by Mother Nature or by the carelessness or maliciousness of man, these fires have ripped across the Earth with alarming ferocity and deadly consequences.
World's Worst Hurricanes
Every year as storm season approaches, residents in vulnerable coastal areas prepare to board up windows and scoot farther inland at a moment's notice. Here are the times that Mother Nature's fury has wreaked the most havoc with violent winds and torrential rain, whether called hurricanes, typhoons or cyclones.
World's Worst Earthquakes
When faults let loose with a mighty rumble, the reverberations are felt across the globe. As Mother Nature takes lives and property with such minute warning, super temblors anywhere in the world remind those in quake-prone zones of the vulnerability of great metropolitan regions and remind us to be prepared with good building codes and swift emergency response. Here are the world's worst shakers.
Hurricane Ike
The 2008 hurricane season continued with deadly Ike, a September storm that lashed the Caribbean with Category 3 ferocity, leaving at least 80 dead in its path, and barreled toward the Gulf Coast.
Gulf Coast Braces for Hurricane Gustav
Residents of Louisiana, Mississippi, and other Gulf Coast areas fled in a historic evacuation as Hurricane Gustav bore down on the United States.
Gulf Coast Braces for Hurricane Gustav
The Gulf Coast is bracing for Hurricane Gustav after the storm lashed the Caribbean, but the preparations look like night and day compared to preparations for Hurricane Katrina three years ago.
Cuba Counts Its Gustav Losses
According to the Cuban government, no one died even though 145 mph winds from Hurricane Gustav lashed a rural province before its march toward the U.S. Gulf Coast.
Massive Earthquake in China
Tens of thousands die when western China is struck by a magnitude 7.9 earthquake on May 12, 2008.
Thousands Dead in 7.8 Earthquake in China
Felt as far away as Vietnam, Thailand, and Taiwan, the massive temblor struck Sichuan province at 2:28 p.m. on May 12, 2008.
The Aftermath of Cyclone Nargis
After deadly Category 4 Cyclone Nargis struck Myanmar/Burma on May 2, 2008, relief efforts were hampered by the unwillingness of the military junta to accept outside help.
Quake Forecast Tells Californians to Brace for Big One
Scientists predicted a 99.7 percent chance of a magnitude 6.7 quake or larger striking California in the next 30 years.
International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies
The Web site of the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies, which provide disaster relief across the globe.
World's Worst Mining Disasters
Mining has always been a risky occupation, especially in developing nations and countries with lax safety standards. Here are the deadliest mine...