Nature has not been kind this decade
The decade began with the deadly earthquake that struck Haiti on January 12, 2010, claiming over 250,000 lives, making it one of the worst-disasters of its kind. The march of disasters continued throughout the decade, leaving behind over 60,000 dead on average each year.
Here is a look at some of the deadly disasters:
EARTHQUAKES January 2010
A 7.0 magnitude earthquake hit Haiti, causing widespread destruction in Port-au-Prince. Haitian authorities believe that the disaster killed between 200,000 and 250,000 people and over three million more were affected by the quake. The earthquake is so far the deadliest disaster in the decade. An estimated three million people were affected by the quake.
March 2011
A 9.0 magnitude earthquake hit near Sendai, Japan. It created a 30 feet (9.1 m) high tsunami, leaving 15,893 dead, 2,565 missing and over 150,000 displaced. It was the most powerful earthquake ever recorded in Japan, and the fourth most powerful earthquake in the world since modern record-keeping began in 1900.
April 2015
A massive 7.8 magnitude earthquake in Nepal killed at least 8,857 people and injured tens of thousands more. It is the worst disaster to hit Nepal in decades.
September 2018
A magnitude 7.5 earthquake hits Sulawesi, Indonesia, causing a tsunami that killed at least 2,256 people and injured more than 540 others.
TROPICAL CYCLONES December 2011
Tropical Storm Washi, known in the Philippines as Tropical Storm Sendong, caused catastrophic damage on the Philippine island of Mindanao. More than 1,000 died and thousands were injured or missing. After passing Mindanao, Washi weakened due to land interaction, but the storm quickly regained its strength, in the Sulu Sea.
November 2013
Typhoon Haiyan, known as Super Typhoon Yolanda in the Philippines, hits the Philippines, killing at least 6,000 people, with a thousand more still missing, making it the deadliest typhoon to ever hit the Philippines.
September - October 2016
Hurricane Matthew caused catastrophic damage and a humanitarian crisis in Haiti, as well as widespread devastation in the southeastern United States. The deadliest Atlantic hurricane since Hurricane Stan in 2005, it caused extensive damage to landmasses in the Greater Antilles, severe damage in several islands of the Bahamas and was responsible for 603 fatalities.
August 2017
Hurricane Harvey slams into southeastern Texas after reorganising over the Gulf of Mexico, causing catastrophic flooding and billions in damages. It became the first major hurricane to make landfall in the United States since Hurricane Wilma in 2005. Total damage from the hurricane was estimated at $198 billion, making it the costliest natural disaster ever in the United States.
TORNADOES April 2011
A tornado outbreak in the United States killed 342 people across seven states. It was the largest and one of the deadliest tornado outbreaks in United States history. In total, 360 tornadoes were confirmed by NOAA’s National Weather Service (NWS) and Government of Canada’s Environment Canada in 21 states from Texas to New York to southern Canada.
May 2011
Another US tornado outbreak took place over six days. 178 people were killed, most of which occurred in Joplin, Missouri after an EF5 tornado swept through the city, killing 161 people.
March 2019
A tornado struck the Bara and Parsa districts of Nepal, killing 28 and injuring 1,176 people. It is the first officially recorded tornado in Nepalese history.
FLOODS, AVALANCHES AND MUDSLIDES July 2010
Flooding occurred in Pakistan after record monsoon rains, killing at least 1,600 people, thousands were rendered homeless, and more than 13 million people were affected. Estimates from rescue service officials suggest the death toll might have reached 3,000.
January 2011
Floods and mudslides killed 903 people across the state of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.
November 2015
Heavy rainfall generated by the annual northeast monsoon affected the Coromandel Coast region of the South Indian states of Tamil Nadu and Andhra Pradesh. More than 500 people were killed and over 1.8 million people were displaced. With estimates of damages and losses ranging from nearly Rs200 billion ($3 billion) to over Rs1 trillion ($14 billion), the floods were the costliest to have occurred in 2015, and were among the costliest natural disasters of the year.
VOLCANIC ERUPTIONS March 2010
Eruptions of the Eyjafjallajokull volcano in Iceland caused unprecedented disruption to international air travel, rendering transatlantic flight impossible and closing airways across much of Europe. The event was the largest air traffic shutdown since World War II.
November 2010
Mount Merapi erupted in Indonesia, killing 353 people and grounding flights across Southeast Asia, becoming the largest eruption from the mountain in a century. Over 350,000 people were evacuated from the affected area. However, many remained behind or returned to their homes while the eruptions were continuing.
June 2018
Volcán de Fuego erupted in Guatemala killing at least 190 people, the deadliest eruption in Guatemala since 1929.
December 2019
Whakaari / White Island an active stratovolcano off the east coast of New Zealand’s North Island erupted, killing at least 17 people.
DROUGHTS, HEATWAVES, AND WILDFIRES December 2011 – March 2017
The state of California suffered through a water drought for the most part of the decade, affecting the way how Californians showered, use their drinking water, and even some of their electricity.
May 2015
A heatwave in Southern India resulted in over 2,500 deaths.
June 2015
A related heatwave hit neighbouring Pakistan killing over 2,000 people in Karachi alone.
May 2016
A wildfire began southwest of Fort McMurray, Alberta, Canada. On 3 May, it swept through the community, destroying more than 2,400 homes and buildings and forcing the largest wildfire evacuation in Alberta’s history. The wildfire is the costliest disaster in Canadian history.
November 2018
A wildfire began in Northern California that eventually became the deadliest and most destructive wildfire in California history to date. It was also the deadliest wildfire in the United States since the Cloquet fire in 1918, and among the list of deadliest wildfires, it was the sixth-deadliest US wildfire overall, killing 85 people and injuring 17.
January 2019–ongoing
The 2019 wildfires season saw an unusual surge in the number of fires occurring in the Amazon rainforest and other parts of the Amazon biome contained within the countries of Brazil, Bolivia, Paraguay, and Peru during the 2019 Amazonian tropical dry season.
August 2019–ongoing
The 2019 Australian bushfire season arrived in the wake of heavy droughts across the country, with fires covering the east coast including the metropolitan confines of Sydney. So far there have been 6 fatalities and hundreds of properties destroyed. Subsequent smoke has covered the city of Sydney, causing toxic air pollution.