Avalanches
An avalanche occurs when a massive layer of snow collapses and starts to slide downhill. These giant clouds of snow can rush towards you as fast as 90 km/h or 55 mi/h. There are more than 150 people killed by an avalanche every year. After being buried in an avalanche for an hour, the only one in three victims is found alive. The majority of avalanche related deaths are suffocation, hypothermia, and injuries sustained during the disaster.
Landslides
A landslide is very similar to an avalanche. They occur when massive amounts of earth debris slide down a slope. A mudslide is a common form of landslide that occurs when water quickly accumulates underground and causes the water-saturated debris to surge downhill. Flowing anywhere from 10-35 mph, the death toll in the U.S.A. for a landslide is typically between 25 and 50. Worldwide deaths that are caused by a landslide is in the thousands.
Cyclonic Storms
Hurricanes, typhoons, cyclones, and tropical cyclones all fall under the category of a ‘cyclonic storm.’ These are the kind of storms that are formed over oceans. They are named according to where they originate. The term “hurricane’ is used for storms originating in the Northeast Pacific and Atlantic oceans, “typhoons” are storms that originate in the Northwest Pacific ocean, and a “cyclone” is a storm that occurs in the South Pacific and Indian Oceans. Giant cyclonic storms can release energy that is the equivalent of 10 atomic bombs going off per second with winds travelling up to 160 mph. Cyclonic storms claim approximately 10,000 lives per year, approximately 90% of them are from the floods that occur during these storms.
Blizzards
A blizzard is defined as a severe winter storm accompanied by heavy snow and wild winds of 35 mph or higher. Blizzards can cause a multitude of problems including making it impossible to travel, loss of electricity, hot water, and heat. Deaths during blizzards occur when people are involved in car accidents or are trapped outside and are hit with hypothermia.
Wildfires
Wildfires are massive uncontrolled fires that occur in wild land areas. While approximately 90% of wildfires are started by humans, lightning (which strikes the earth over 100,000 times a day) and drought can also cause them. Wildfires spread quickly and if not contained they can wreak havoc wherever they spread, causing major damage to homes, vehicles, animals, and humans. There is an average of 1.2 million acres of American woodland burned each year. The really scary statistic is that wildfires kill approximately 339,000 people a year, with nearly half the deaths occurring in sub-Saharan Africa. The 2016 Fort Mac wildfire in Alberta destroyed over 2,400 homes and is officially the costliest disaster in Canadian history.
Tornadoes
Defined an incredibly violent spinning column of air that is attached to both the surface of the earth and a cumulonimbus cloud. A typical tornado travels with wind speeds at around 110 mph, while the most extreme tornadoes can blow winds up to 300 mph. In 2015 there were 36 deaths caused by tornadoes in the States. The highest number of tornado related deaths in the U.S.A. occurred in 2011, with 553.
Thunderstorms
A thunderstorm is an accumulation of thunder and lightning, and is often accompanied by rain, wind, and hail. These storms are the result of three things: moisture, unstable air, and lift. Lightning itself can cause major damage to buildings, cause fires, and kill by direct contact. In 2015, there were 27 deaths caused by lightning in the U.S.
Tsunamis
A tsunami is a massive sea wave that is caused by an earthquake or submarine landslide. The Pacific Ocean’s “Ring of Fire” is home to nearly 80% if the world’s tsunamis, which cause an average of 7,916 deaths per year. A tsunami wave can travel up to 500 miles per hour, which is almost as fast as a jet plane.
Floods
Floods are defined as an overflow of water temporary covering land that is typically not covered by water. Floods are caused by heavy rainfall, storms and earthquakes that trigger dam failure. Between 1975 and 2000, there were over 170,000 people killed by floods worldwide.
Earthquakes
An earthquake is the sudden release of energy in the earth’s crust. While an earthquake itself doesn’t cause many deaths, the aftermath of an earthquake such as fires, collapsing buildings, and tsunamis cause the majority of deaths. On average, there are approximately 10,000 deaths per year caused by earthquakes.
Volcanic Eruptions
Volcanic eruptions have wiped out entire cities throughout history. Defined as the sudden occurrence of a violent discharge of steam and volcanic material, there are an average of 35 volcanic eruptions per year. Since 1980 there have been 25,197 confirmed deaths as a direct result of a volcanic eruption.
