Examples
Cards (44)
- Haiti 2010- January 2010- 7.0 Magnitude- 250,000 killed.- Poor quality and unsupported concrete buildings.- Outbreaks of disease due to lack of infrastructure (Cholera).- $7-14bn
- Christchurch, NZ 2011- February 2011.- 6.3 Magnitude.- 185 killed.- Over 100,000 buildings were damaged – 10,000 demolished.- Extensive liquefaction.- $44.8bn.
- Sichuan, China 2008- May 2008- 7.9 magnitude- 87,000 killed.- 2:28pm – 5mn homeless – 6,000 schools destroyed.- Poor building design – cheap – short-cuts – brittle.- $16bn
- Turkey 2023- February 2023- 7.8 magnitude- 56,000 killed- 230,000 buildings destroyed in Turkey – 10,600 in Syria.- 8.8mn people affected by earthquake.- $34.2bn
- San Francisco 1989- October 1989- 6.9 magnitude- 63 killed- Up to 12,000 homeless.- Double decker highway collapsed – crushed cars underneath.- $6bn
- Morocco 2023- September 2023- 6.8 magnitude- 3,000 killed- Marrakesh was impacted most – 380,000 – 2.8mn people directly affected.- 500,000 displaced – took place at 11pm- $12bn
- Nepal 2015- April 2015- 7.8 magnitude- 9,000 killed- Remote communities affected most – aid limited due to lack of access.- High pop density in Kathmandu – many ended up in refugee camps with little to no infrastructure.- $7.1bn
- Asian / Boxing Day 2004- December 2004- 9.1 magnitude earthquake- 250,000 killed.- Affected 14 countries.- Public lacked education surrounding tsunamis hence high death toll.- $10bn
- Japan 2011- March 2011- 9.0 magnitude- 18,000 killed- Fukushima – One of worst nuclear accidents.- Defences sort of worked – buildings barely collapsed.- Flood wall dropped in the Earthquake – not considered in planning.- $6.4bn
- Sulawesi, Indonesia 2018- September 2018- 7.5 magnitude- 4,300 killed.- Waves exceeded 20ft.- Proved that alert schemes worked, citizens received warning – could’ve been what limited death toll.- $1.3 billion.
- Mt St Helens eruptionMay 1980
- 57 killed
- Largest landslide ever recorded
- 596sqkm affected, all life within 27km of crater gone
- $3.4 billion (2023) in damage
- Primary effects
- 57 deaths, most from pyroclastic flows and toxic gas exposure
- Electricity supplies and telephone lines were cut and logging camps were destroyed
- Secondary effects
- Ash fell into the water, created mud which choked river channels
- Fish were killed, causing nationwide shortages of salmon and trout
- Flood water from blocked channels washed away roads, railway bridges and ash restricted air intake of engines
- 12% of crops were ruined by falling dust
- Short-term responses1. Rivers were dredged of ashy mud2. Levees were improved to reduce flood risk3. Debris dams were introduced4. Sediment basins were created to trap material
- Short-term response cost $327mn
- Long-term responses1. 900,000 tonnes of ash was removed from highways and roads2. Vegetation grew back well as the ash improved soil fertility3. Trees were replanted to replace the thousands lost by the blast4. Bridges were rebuilt as they were damaged by falling trees
- Pinatubo 1991- June 1991- 800 killed.- 10 billion metric tonnes of ash emitted, one of the largest eruptions of 20th century.- Caused a drop of 0.50C in the following year.- $700mn
- Nevado del Ruiz 1986- November 1985- 23,000 killed.- Triggered a catastrophic mudflow (lahar) which devastated the town of Armero in Colombia, where most of the deaths were.- There were early warnings given, but procedures were not carried out properly resulting in one of deadliest volcanic disasters ever.- $1bn
- White Island, NZ 2019- December 2019- 22 killed, some severely injured.- Occurred when tourists were visiting the privately owned island.- Tourists were largely killed by the release of toxic gases and pyroclastic flows.- Difficult to quantify, but future impact on local economy and tourism could have been significant.'
- Ontake, Japan 2014- September 2014- 63 killed- It was a sudden eruption that was phreatic (steam-based) so there was little material emitted.- Eruption was sudden and unpredicted, so tourists and hikers were caught short at the top leading to many deaths and injuries.- Difficult to quantify, but loss to human life is significant.
- Iceland, (EJ) Current- April 2010- No direct fatalities.- Large amounts of volcanic ash was released into atmosphere.- Air travel was severely affected by the ash, which moved over Europe and disrupted global air travel for several days.- £3bn
- Anak Krakatoa 1883- August 1883- 36,000 killed.- One of most powerful volcanic eruptions in recorded history, destroying the original island and forming another volcano Anak Krakatoa. (Anak = Child of.)- Large death toll can be due to enormous tsunamis that formed, some reaching over 40m high that devastated Java and Sumatra.- Difficult to quantify cost, since precise records aren’t around.
- Lake Nyos, Cameroon 1986- August 1986- 1,700 killed.- Limnic eruption, caused by volcanically produced carbon monoxide escaping from the bottom of a lake where it is stored and it’s sudden release.- The gas cloud suffocated over a thousand people and animals in various small villages near the volcano.- Pipes have been installed to pump out carbon dioxide to prevent a recurring event.
- Mt Vesuvius, Italy 79- August 79AD- As many as 16,000 killed.- One of the most famous volcanoes in history, burying two roman cities under volcanic ash.- Eruption has been categorised by pyroclastic flows that engulfed everything.- Difficult to ascertain total cost.
- Mount Tambora 1815- April 1815- 71,000 killed.- Global climate patterns disrupted by the sheer quantity of material ejected from the volcano.- Tsunamis, crop failures and famine resulted. 1816 was then known as the ‘year without a summer’- Costs were undoubtedly enormous, but hard to find a specific number.
- Haiyan, Philippines (Yolanda)- November 2013- Category 5- 6,300- One of the strongest cyclones ever recorded, winds reaching 235mph- The storm surge was up to 6m high in some places.- $2.2bn
- Katrina, USA 2005- August 2005- Category 5- One of the most destructive hurricanes in US history, devastating areas in Louisiana and Mississippi.- The levee system in New Orleans failed, leading to severe flooding. (80% of city submerged at peak.)- Overall cost estimated at $125bn
- Yasi, Australia 2011- February 2011- Category 5- Minimal (0)- Winds hit 177mph with gusts up to 190mph.- Yasi devastated towns like Tully, Mission Beach and Cardwell.- $2.5bn
- Nargis, Burma 2008- April 2008- Category 4 (at landfall)- 138,000 killed.- Brought a storm surge that inundated many low lying areas, such as deltas which were sources of food and living areas.- Destruction affected 2.4 million people – many homeless – led to the development of new storm shelters.
- Gorky:- April - May- Category 4- 138,866- Made landfall in Bangladesh, bringing power winds and storm surges that inundated low lying areas of land.- Cyclone destroyed countless homes and businesses, ruining livelihoods.- $1.5bn
- Kentucky- December 2021- EF4 – 190mph- 77 killed- Caused extensive damage to multiple counties, destroying homes and infrastructure.- Tornado was part of a larger weather event.- $3.5bn
- Rolling Fork- April 2023- EF4 – 195mph- 21 killed- Widespread devastation in Rolling Fork, Mississippi.- Tornado also affected Silver City.- $100mn
- Moore, Oklahoma- May 2013- EF5 – 210mph- 24 killed- $2bn
- Aberfan 1966- October 1966- 144 killed – 116 were children- Tips were placed on top of a hillside when room ran out in the valley.- The 7 tips were so heavy that, following heavy rain, the sheer stress overcame the sheer strength and brought 107,000 m3 through the town.- £850,000
- Vaiont Resevoir 1963- October 1963- Over 2,000 killed- Vaiont Dam completed in 1959, sheer weight of water could’ve caused ground instability.- There were warnings that a big collapse was coming as there were smaller landslides. The dam was filled more than safety requirements allowed.- The instability caused an enormous landslide which resulted in a tsunami that flooded the town.- Caused by rising reservoir and heavy rain, reducing shear strength of soil.- Cost is unclear.- Landslide
- Breinz, Switzerland 2023- June 2023- No fatalities- Caused by the nature of the subsoil. Slope stood on a smeary layer of clay.- It was thought that thawing permafrost had a role to play, like other Alp areas.- Unclear- Landslide