Earth Quakes in Mexico:

September 2017

 

According to scientific studies, Mexico sits on top of the earth’s largest tectonic plates. This location makes the country largely susceptible to earth quakes.

Earth quakes are measured on a scale of small tremors (2.0) Strong (4.0)    severe (7.0) and Violent (8.0).

Mexico is clearly no stranger to earthquakes, but this September they experienced the most devastating earthquake in almost 30 years.

An 8.1 Magnitude earthquake claimed the lives of over 90 people and injured 300

Yesterday, 19th September a magnitude-7.1 earthquake rocked central Mexico claiming the lives of over 200 people.

The earthquake toppled dozens of buildings, broke gas mains and sparked fires across the city and other towns in central Mexico. Falling rubble and billboards crushed cars.

Monsoon rains: India, Bangladesh & Nepal 

August 2017:

Monsoon in Asia brings a change in direction of the wind and a change in season. During rainy monsoon season, cool winds from the Indian Ocean blows toward countries like India, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, and Myanmar

This cool air from the sea causes a drop in temperature, precipitation and rain fall. This rain fall is welcome: children play, crops grow and flowers bloom.

Unfortunately Monsoon Rains can get really deadly.

In August this year, unusually heavy monsoon rains over the last several weeks have killed over 1,000 people across India, Nepal, and Bangladesh. In all, over 41Million people have suffered the direct impact of the rain.

Monsoon season runs from June to September

Waters maybe receding in some areas but the Monsoon season is not over

 

Devastating Hurricanes from the Atlantic

August & September 2017

Every year from June 1 to November 30 is called hurricane season; as a routine tropical storms form in the Atlantic Ocean.

The wind directs the path of these tropical storms as they journey towards land.

In 2017 hurricane season, the winds directed their paths to the North hence they made landfall in North Atlantic countries like the Caribbean’s, America, Cuba, Florida

Most of the time, along its path the tropical storms weakens into a minor storm.

But on rare occasions, when the condition is right it gains strength and becomes a hurricane. Category 4 and 5 are the strongest and most dangerous hurricanes.

Hurricane Harvey is the first category 4 hurricane to make landfall in the US in the past 12years. It made landfall in Louisiana and Houston causing destruction and devastation

Right on the hills of Hurricane Harvey was Hurricane Irma which battered Florida and the Caribbean Islands.

A third Hurricane Maria a powerful category 4 storm followed suite also hitting Puerto Rico, Dominican Republic,

This is the first time three tropical storms grows into a hurricane and make landfall along the same path in a short space of six weeks.

Official figures are unconfirmed but thousands of homes have been lost, 30,000 people have been displaced, over 30 deaths and 17,000 rescues.

Sierra Leon mudslides:

August 14^th

Mudslides occur when a large amount of water causes the rapid erosion of soil on a hill.

There was three days of rain on a steep Mountain side in Sierra Leone. This steep mountain side contained informal settlements. The rains caused a hillside to collapse causing a mudslide

The mudslide swept down the mountain town sweeping away homes and leaving residents desperate for news of missing family members.

Military personnel, international aid organizations arrived to assist in rescue and relief efforts. An emergency response center was established

The uprooting of trees for construction on the hillside is also known to have made the soil unstable and more vulnerable to collapse.

Sierra Leone’s meteorological department did not issue a warning to hasten evacuations from danger zones before the torrential rainfall between August 11 to August 14, AFP news agency reported.

Aid agencies have warned that there is a risk of waterborne diseases such as cholera and typhoid spreading as more flooding is expected. .

The International Organization for Migration released $150,000 in emergency funds.

Turkey, the UK, Israel and the UAE vowed to send aid, including clean water, medicine and blankets.

 

Flooding in Nigeria.

August 2017

In august homes were submerged and lives were lost in Benue there was also a flooding incident in Kastina state.

In Kastina state Nigeria a 10-year-old boy lost his life while over 2,000 people have been displaced by a flood disaster that ravaged Kaita town of Katsina State.

The flood disaster happened following a heavy rainfall that persisted for several hours which destroyed over 150 houses in the area,” Umma Abdullahi-Mahuta, Acting Sole Administrator of the local council, told the News Agency of Nigeria in Kaita

In Benue State, Homes, markets and cooperate offices was submerged under water. Benue radio station Major market were also affected.

In addition to heavy rains, blocked drainages aggravated the situation.

 

Avalanche in Afghanistan’ 

Feb 2017

An avalanche is a rapid flow of snow down a hill or mountainside.

Wintertime, particularly from December to April, is when most avalanches tend to happen. However, avalanche fatalities have been recorded for every month of the year.

All that is necessary for an avalanche is a mass of snow and a slope for it to slide down.

At least 156 people have died along the Afghan-Pakistani border after three days of heavy snowfall caused a series of deadly avalanches.

Most of the casualties occurred in Afghanistan:  at least 143 have been killed, 103 are reported injured and 300 civilian homes have been destroyed, said Omar Mohammadi, a spokesman for the National Disaster Management Authority.

Mohamaddi said that most of the victims were women and children, and that deaths were reported.

 

Portugal wildfires:

In June of 2017

Portugal was experiencing high heatwaves with temperatures as hot as 39 degrees. The Heat and dry thunderstorms sparked a forest fires that have killed 64 people and injured 157

47 people died in or near their cars when a fire overtook the area; 30 people died while trapped in their vehicles while the other 17 died nearby trying to escape on foot

2600 fire fighters battled the fires. France and Spain sent water dropping planes carrying water to assist.

No one is spared, young and old.

developing economies and developed nations

The educated ones call it climate change

The religious ones say its end of times.

I say lets be grateful for whatever we have and where we are. there so much suffering out there.