A natural disaster occurs unexpectedly. Sometimes, the damage is so huge that people and the ecosystem are destroyed in a few minutes. The worst natural disaster that ever happened in the past can be a great lesson for people and researchers. Therefore, they can be more adaptive and well-prepared.
Since natural disasters can have a huge impact on many people’s lives, people had better know what the worst disasters that happened years ago. The local authorities also have to prepare many things to avoid the risks as much as they can. What are the worst disasters that are recorded?
The Worst Natural Disaster List
Tsunami in the Indian Ocean (2004)
This is the first destructive natural disaster in the 2000s. A big earthquake occurred in the Indian Ocean on Sunday, December 26, 2004. The earthquake was felt in different countries, such as Indonesia, Sri Lanka, Thailand, and even Somalia. The death toll because of this disaster was more than 200,000.
This deadly disaster causes tsunami waves. The earthquake generated multiple high tsunami on the coastline that morning. Many people were not aware of tsunamis yet that time because of the lack of awareness. Million people were homeless and the recovery took a very long time.
China Floods (1931)
China used to have the worst flood that ever happened in 1931. The death toll reached 4 million people. It was because of the combination of heavy rainfall and melted snow. They flew to three different big rivers in China, the Yellow, Yangtze, and Huai Rivers.
Because of the flood, China experiences crop failure. People suffered because of famine at that time. Diseases were inevitable and people died because of them. After this incident, the government fixed the infrastructure and disaster management. They also prepare early warning systems for floods.
Tohoku Earthquake in Japan (2011)
Even though Japan has been very adaptive to the worst natural disaster as earthquakes and tsunamis, the incident in Tohoku in 2011 was too destructive. The magnitude of the earthquake was 9.0 and it triggered a tsunami whose height was 40 meters. More than 16,000 people died and 450,000 people were displaced.
Infrastructure in the Tohoku area was severely damaged. The government took months to evacuate and recover many things. Thus, this disaster also triggered a nuclear disaster because the earthquake also affected the nuclear power plants in Fukushima. More than 160,000 people evacuated.
Krakatoa Eruption (1883)
The most famous eruption in the world is the Krakatoa eruption which happened in 1883. This incident was in Indonesia, specifically in the Sunda Strait. It affected the human population not only near the mountain but also globally. It changed the landscape of the strait and also global climate for months.
Besides eruption, it triggered multiple tsunamis in Java and Sumatra islands. Since the explosion was big, the caldera had gone after that. Then the remaining mountain generates a new volcano. Because of this disaster, more than 36,000 people died and 120,000 people suffered because of famine.
Bangladesh Cyclone (1991)
The worst natural disaster in the cyclone category occurred in Bangladesh in 1991. It is catastrophic because the level is in Category 5 on the Saffir-Simpson scale. The aftermath was not only in Bangladesh but also in the region nearby, such as Myanmar and India.
The cyclone brought huge floods because of the sea-level raising. It reached 6 meters and many people lost their homes and farmlands. The death toll in this incident was more than 138,000 people because of different causes, such as landslides, debris, and collapsed buildings.
Shaanxi Earthquake (1556)
This province had the deadliest earthquake in China. In 1556, this area was led by the Ming Dynasty. The earthquake reached 8.3 magnitude and the impact was huge. Besides the death toll, the effects include the culture and infrastructure of this dynasty.
More than 830,000 people died because of this destructive earthquake. Many ancient buildings that became cultural sites were destroyed. More aftershocks came after the main event and caused more casualties and damage. It took many years for the Ming Dynasty to recover from this disaster.
Preventive actions are so crucial that the worst natural disaster can minimize the risks and loss. Using an early warning system where an SMS broadcaster in it is an excellent decision. It is an efficient device to inform about the disaster earlier after the system reads the signs. People can evacuate faster with it.
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