Tag Archives: Disasters
How to Help with North Texas Tornado Relief
The Volunteer Center of North Texas sent out a news release Tuesday night calling for North Texans who can volunteer to help those whose homes were destroyed or damaged in Tuesday afternoon’s tornadoes and storms.
They are assembling...
IADB Plans Natural Disaster Fund for Latin America
The Inter-American Development Bank has proposed allowing member countries to tap loans in case they need to respond to natural disasters, the multilateral lender’s president said on Saturday.
Luis Alberto Moreno said the disaster...
Despite Disasters, Leaders Say Cruise Industry Safe
Cruise industry leaders on Tuesday gathered for their inaugural convention since the Costa Concordia disaster, driving home their commitment to safety and expressing confidence that the resulting lull in business is only temporary.
The Concordia...
Supertyphoons to Strike Japan Due to Global Warming
Increasingly powerful “supertyphoons” will strike Japan if global warming continues to affect weather patterns in the western Pacific Ocean, scientists say.
Supercomputer simulations show there will be more typhoons with winds of...
Lahar
A lahar is a type of mudflow or landslide composed of pyroclastic material and water that flows down from a volcano, typically along a river valley. The term “lahar” originated in the Javanese language of Indonesia. In Hindi “lahar”...
Tsunamis
The most infamous tsunami of modern times hit Indian Ocean shorelines on the day after Christmas 2004. That tsunami is believed to have packed the energy of 23,000 Hiroshima-type atomic bombs. Some 150,000 people were killed in a single day.
A...
Lightning
Contrary to the common expression, lightning can and often does strike the same place twice, especially tall buildings or exposed mountaintops. Cloud-to-ground lightning bolts are a common phenomenon—about 100 strike Earth’s surface every...
Earthquakes
Some 80 percent of all the planet’s earthquakes occur along the rim of the Pacific Ocean, called the “Ring of Fire” because of the preponderance of volcanic activity there as well. Most earthquakes occur at fault zones, where...
Tornadoes
Tornadoes are vertical funnels of rapidly spinning air. Their winds may top 250 miles (400 kilometers) an hour and can clear-cut a pathway a mile (1.6 kilometers) wide and 50 miles (80 kilometers) long.
Twisters are born in thunderstorms and...
Tornado Safety Tips
Tornadoes are one of nature’s most powerful and destructive forces. Here’s some advice on how to prepare for a tornado and what to do if you’re caught in a twister’s path.
Safety Tips
Prepare for tornadoes by gathering...
