NATURAL DISASTERS

AVALANCHES

AVALANCHES The world's largest recorded avalanche happened on 18 May, 1980 when Mount St. Helens erupted. The eruption had the energy of 1000 Hiroshima-sized bombs and resulted an enormous amount of snow sliding down into the valley at over 150 miles per hour. This is enough material to cover Washington, D.C. 14 feet deep.

Mount St. Helens Before & After the Avalanche

EARTHQUAKES

EARTHQUAKES The biggest earthquake recorded since 1900 hit the coast of southern Chile on 22 May, 1960. The 9.5-magnitude earthquake killed more than 1,600 and left about 2 million people homeless.

FLOODS

FLOODS The 1931 China flood was the deadliest flood to be recorded in History. It killed 2,000,000-4,000,000 people.

HURRICANES

HURRICANES Hurricanes are giant, spiraling tropical storms that can pack wind speeds of over 257 kilometers an hour which release more than 9 trillion liters of rain a day.

HURRICANES The deadliest tropical cyclone ever recorded was the 1970 Bhola Cyclone which hit East Pakistan (Bangladesh today) and India's West Bengal on 12November, 1970. The exact death toll is unknown but it is estimated that 300,000-500,000 people perished in the aftermath of this storm.

LIGHTENING

TORNADOES

TSUNAMIS

FOREST FIRES / WILDFIRES

DROUGHT

VULCANIC ERUPTION

FAMINE

DEFORESTATION

Did you remember and how much?

WHAT IS IT? Sudden shake of the Earth Storms that form in the warm ocean water Form from thunderstorms and have the shape of a cone A giant sea wave caused by an earthquake in the ocean/sea. When a mountain opens up on the Earth’s surface and releases molten rocks. A mass of snow, ice, and rocks falling rapidly down a mountainside.