Recent Disasters

Browse these articles about recent disasters.

This page will be updated as events occur, so check back frequently.

Winter's Fury

An extended period of cold and heavy snow has plagued particularly eastern and southern Europe, claiming at least 400 lives, according to the Associated Press. Villages have been isolated by heavy snow in Bosnia-Herzegovina, Serbia, Italy, and Turkey, among other areas. Flooding has also turned destructive in parts of Bulgaria and Greece.

Rescuers have pulled a 5-year-old girl alive from the rubble of a house flattened
by a massive avalanche that killed both her parents and at least seven of her relatives in a remote mountain village in southern Kosovo.

Strong Winds Continue to Blow

Unusually strong the Santa Ana winds arrive in Southern California uprooting trees and knocking out power for thousands.

Southern California braced for more punishment today after strong winds lashed the Southwest on Thursday, knocking down trees and power lines, ripping roofs off buildings, flipping trucks and cutting off electricity to thousands of homes and businesses.

Nuclear Plant Explosion

Nuclear Explosion in France - An explosion Monday at a nuclear waste processing facility in southern France killed one person, seriously burned another and slightly injured three others, France's nuclear safety body said.

Explosion at Japan nuke plant, disaster toll rises - An explosion at a nuclear power station Saturday destroyed a building housing the reactor amid fears that it was close to a disastrous meltdown. Click the link for more details & photos.

Chemical Spill in China

China Carbolic Acid Spill Knocks Out Water to 500G - Carbolic acid spilled into a river that supplies drinking water to eastern China's scenic city of Hangzhou, knocking out supplies to more than half a million people in the suburbs and creating a run on bottled water in the city of 9 million.

Disease Outbreak

Vietnam disease death toll hits 81 - The country recorded 32,588 cases of the disease this year, and the deaths happened in 17 provinces and municipalities, mostly in the southern region.

Almost 100 New Cases in German E. Coli Outbreak - Germany's national disease control center says a further 94 people have been sickened by the deadliest E.coli outbreak in modern history.

Wildfire & Power Outages

Arizona Wildfire Forces Evacuations as Texas, New Mexico Face Power Outages - A raging forest fire in eastern Arizona that already forced thousands from their homes headed Wednesday for a pair of transmission lines that supply electricity to hundreds of thousands of people as far east as Texas.

Mudslides

More Than 20 Buried in Landslide at Malaysian Orphanage - A landslide buried 20 boys and four adults at a Malaysian orphanage Saturday where scores of rescuers were digging by their hands in soil softened by the rains to find the missing, police said.

Mississippi River

Just 45 miles west of Baton Rouge, the final wave of holdouts has mostly packed up and left this Louisiana town as water from the swollen Atchafalaya River has inched toward their homes, with their frustration and hope painted on signs posted outside.

Mississippi flood may be "large-scale disaster". As Mississippi River swells past record levels, residents and officials prepare for the worst; River to crest around 48 feet.

Tornados Rip through the South

Southern Tornados

The storms that smacked the Midwest and South with howling winds and pounding rain left 17 people dead in four states.

Google Crisis Response

Japanese Earthquake and Tsunami Updates

Google has provided Japan Emergency dials, Person Finder and links to updates on Warnings, Transportation Status, Discussion Boards and Blackout Information.

Tsunami Trigger by Major Quake in Japan

A ferocious tsunami spawned by one of the largest earthquakes ever recorded slammed Japan's eastern coast Friday, killing hundreds of people as it swept away boats, cars and homes while widespread fires burned out of control.

The link below takes you to a collection of videos of this terrible tragedy.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/yblog_theenvoy/20110311/ts_yblog_theenvoy/watch-raw-footage-of-the-japan-earthquake-and-tsunami

New Zealand Earthquake

Radio New Zealand has provided an update on the aftermath of the recent earthquake and numbers for anyone wanting information about emergency centers.

http://www.radionz.co.nz/news/canterbury-earthquake/69250/what-residents-need-to-know-about-basic-services

A 6.3-magnitude earthquake hit Christchurch New Zealand this morning killing many and leaving dozens trapped. To read more about this event click on the links below.

http://www.foxnews.com/world/2011/02/22/strong-quake-new-zealand-collapses-buildings/

Flooding in Australia

Australia's prime minister: Flooding expected to rise in St. George Rockhampton, Australia (CNN) -- While floodwaters in Australia have begun to recede in some areas, the worst could still be on the way for at least one city, the country's prime minister said Saturday.

http://www.cnn.com/2011/WORLD/asiapcf/01/08/australia.floods/index.html?section=cnn_latest

The Boston Globe - Hundreds of thousands of people in an area the size of France and Germany combined are affected. View pictures click on the link below.

http://www.boston.com/bigpicture/2011/01/australian_flooding.html

New Years Tornados

New Year's Eve Tornadoes' Toll Rises to 7 - Midwesterners Clean Up From Deadly Storms That Tore Through Several States, Injuring Dozens. Follow the link to read more about these tornadoes.

http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2011/01/01/national/main7203710.shtml

Snow Storms 2010

Christmas Blizzard - Hundreds of passengers are stuck at airports up and down the East Coast as a blizzard menaces travelers trying to get home after the holidays. Click the link below for more information and to see some really incredible pictures of the East Coast Snow Storm.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/us_winter_weather

Blizzard Pounding Wisconsin, Illinois, Michigan - The heaviest snow and highest winds are creating blizzard conditions across eastern Wisconsin, including Green Bay, Wis., and northern Illinois. The visibility is falling below a quarter of a mile in this zone.

http://www.accuweather.com/blogs/news/story/42905/blizzard-pounding-wisconsin-il-1.asp

New York Snow Storm Strands Hundreds — Hundreds of motorists stranded on a snow-covered highway in western New York are being evacuated as parts of the New York State Thruway in suburban Buffalo have reopened.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2010/12/02/new-york-snow-storm-hundr_n_790945.html

Fire

Lethal Fire Rages Through Forest in Northern Israel — A fire raging in a rain-starved forest in northern Israel on Thursday has left at least 40 people dead, caused the evacuation of thousands of people, burned some kibbutz houses to the ground and prompted the government to call for urgent international aid in fighting the blaze.

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/12/03/world/middleeast/03israel.html?src=me&ref=world

Volcanos

Death toll from Indonesian volcano climbs to 56. MOUNT MERAPI, Indonesia – A deadly surge of blistering gases cascaded down the slopes of Indonesia's most volatile volcano. Read the full article by clicking on the link.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/as_indonesia_disasters

Flooding

On December 22nd a Storm Caused Flooding & Mudslides in California - Powerful Storm Dumps More Water on Waterlogged SoCal; Fire-Charred, Saturated Hills Could Collapse into Homes.

http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2010/12/22/national/main7174199.shtml

Floods and mudslides on three continents, as drought hits Africa
How victims of extreme weather conditions and natural disaster are faring around the world.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2010/aug/09/floods-mudslides-drought-extreme-weather