natural disaster

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Landslide Rocks Bolivian Capital

800 families homeless; 5,000 people affected in La Paz disaster

(Newser) - Some 800 families were left homeless after Bolivia’s capital was hit with a “mega-mudslide” yesterday, CNN reports. No deaths or injuries were reported in the La Paz disaster, which was prompted by heavy rains. "So far we are talking about 5,000 (people) affected," said a...

New Zealand Woman Pulled From Rubble 24 Hours Later

One of 30 people rescued from Christchurch office building

(Newser) - After being trapped for 24 hours, a woman was pulled from the rubble of the Pyne Gould Corp. building in Christchurch today, a rare bright spot on a dark day in New Zealand. Ann Bodkin had taken cover under her desk during yesterday’s 6.3-magnitude earthquake, and “the...

New Zealand Reeling From 6.3-Magnitude Earthquake

Hit Christchurch at 1pm local time Tuesday

(Newser) - A 6.3-magnitude earthquake hit the New Zealand city of Christchurch just before 1pm local time Tuesday, collapsing buildings, burying vehicles under debris, and sending rescuers scrambling to help trapped people amid reports of multiple deaths. Police said they were trying to confirm the early reports of multiple fatalities, including...

With Break in Rain, Brazil Airlifts Aid to Mudslide Victims

But survivors largely left to own devices

(Newser) - A break in near-constant rain today allowed Brazilian rescue helicopters to deliver desperately needed food and water to neighborhoods buried under tons of earth in mudslides that have killed more than 600. Rain clouds lifted, allowing about a dozen helicopters to buzz around the craggy peaks of the emerald-green mountains...

More Than 500 Dead in Brazil Landslides, Floods

And the rain that caused them hasn't stopped

(Newser) - Torrential rains continued to pour down on Brazil’s Serrana region today, fueling floods and mudslides that have now killed at least 529 people—a total that’s expected to rise, as rescuers continue to uncover new bodies. “The rain did not stop at dawn and is continuing in...

Death Toll in Brazil Landslides Nears 400
Death Toll in Brazil
Landslides Nears 400
UPDATED
Jan 13, 2011 5:42 PM CST

Death Toll in Brazil Landslides Nears 400

Thousands of homes were washed away north of Rio

(Newser) - The death toll from Brazil's mudslides in the mountain towns north of Rio rose to 381 today, reports AP . That figure is expected to rise still more as the hunt for survivors continues. The landslides, triggered by torrential rains, buried many victims as they slept. Click here to read about...

Australian City Cut Off by Flood
Australian City
Cut Off by Flood
Jan 3, 2011 8:09 AM CST

Australian City Cut Off by Flood

'No airport, rail, or road' amid downpour

(Newser) - Floods have overwhelmed an Australian city, cutting off all access to it. “Rockhampton is now completely stranded—a town of 75,000 people—no airport, rail, or road,” said an official. And the still-swelling Fitzroy River that submerged Rockhampton's main highway to the state capital of Brisbane is...

Australians Stranded by Texas-Sized Flood

Government promises help to 200K affected

(Newser) - The good news for Australia: It got to celebrate New Years first! The bad news: A huge portion of the country is underwater. Prime Minister Julia Gillard today promised government assistance to the roughly 200,000 people that have been affected by a huge flood in the northeastern state of...

Amid Tragedy, Haiti Readies for Vote

No clear favorite among 18 candidates

(Newser) - Facing recovery from a pair of natural disasters and an outbreak of cholera, work is cut out for Haiti’s next president. Who that will be, however, is anyone’s guess: of 18 candidates, no one campaigner has pulled ahead, the Wall Street Journal reports. With some 80% of pledged...

Indonesia Evacuates After New Volcano Blast

One woman killed fleeing most powerful eruption so far

(Newser) - Indonesia's volatile Mount Merapi powerfully spewed smoke and ash into the air again today, killing one and forcing the military to evacuate the mountain's slope—in some cases, the AP notes, forcibly dragging screaming villagers away as the nation dealt with the latest natural disaster. The 21-minute eruption was followed...

Baby Found in Trees Days After Tsunami

Indonesian islands weren't covered by warning system

(Newser) - An 18-month-old baby was found alive in a clump of trees two days after a tsunami killed more than 400 people in Indonesia. The little boy, who was found by a 10-year-old child, is recovering in a health center, AP reports. Both his parents are dead. Tens of thousands of...

Tsunami, Volcano Kill 130 in Indonesia

Thousands flee erupting Java volcano

(Newser) - Twin disasters caused by activity in the Pacific "Ring of Fire" have killed at least 130 people in Indonesia. A tsunami triggered by an earthquake has killed more than 100 in an island chain west of Sumatra. Hundreds more villagers are missing. On the island of Java, the Mount...

Pakistan Flood Chaos Gives Militants Chance to Regroup

Attacks rising as police, military focus on relief operation

(Newser) - Islamic militants are making the most of the floods devastating Pakistan, warn officials. With the military and police occupied by relief work, militants have taken the opportunity to regroup in the country's northwest, the Los Angeles Times reports. Hundreds of militants attacked police near Peshawar this week, and two tribal...

Donors Slow to Respond to Pakistan Flooding Crisis
As Pakistan Drowns,
the West Sits on Its Wallet
AID NOT COMING
Aug 18, 2010 5:46 AM CDT

As Pakistan Drowns, the West Sits on Its Wallet

UN fears country's image problem is to blame

(Newser) - Western governments and individuals don't seem to care about Pakistani flooding victims nearly as much as they did about Haitian earthquake victims, UN officials say. The Pakistan crisis has left millions of people in urgent need of assistance but donations are trickling in much slower than needed, officials tell the...

Toll in China Landslide Hits 337

More rain expected tomorrow; 1100 still missing

(Newser) - Rescuers dug through mud and wreckage today searching for more than 1,100 people missing after flash floods and landslides struck northwestern China and killed 337, one of a series of floods across Asia that have killed hundreds and spread misery to millions more. Vehicles carrying aid supplies choked the...

1,300 Missing in Asia Floods
 1,300 Missing in Asia Floods 
Aug 9, 2010 5:27 AM CDT

1,300 Missing in Asia Floods

Millions plunged into misery

(Newser) - Rescuers searched today for an estimated 1,300 people left missing after rubble-strewn floodwaters tore through northwestern China, smashing buildings, overturning cars, and killing at least 127 people. In neighboring Pakistan, 4 million people faced food shortages amid their country's worst-ever flooding, while rescuers in Indian-controlled Kashmir raced to find...

Scores Dead, Thousands Missing After China Landslides

Torrential rain triggers flooding, mudslides in northwest province

(Newser) - More than 100 people are dead and 2,000 missing after heavy rains triggered flooding and landslides in a remote corner of northwest China. Tens of thousands of Gansu province residents were evacuated. Widespread power outages have slowed rescue operations, and sludge as much as 6 feet deep covers some...

Cajuns Wonder If Gulf Spill Is Last Straw
 Cajuns Wonder If 
 Gulf Spill Is Last Straw 
PARADISE LOST?
Jul 19, 2010 2:40 PM CDT

Cajuns Wonder If Gulf Spill Is Last Straw

Many plan to stay till the bitter end, if need be

(Newser) - The sultry, salty soul of Louisiana's Cajun culture is inextricably bound to the rhythm of the waters of the Gulf: The sea provides plentiful food, work, and a lifestyle that has endured since the Cajuns settled there in the 1700s. But the sea has also been quick to punish, and...

Tornado Wreaks Havoc in Montana

Amateur video gives up-close look at destruction

(Newser) - A tornado tore through Billings, Mont., yesterday, ripping the roof off a sports arena and several other nearby buildings. You can actually see it happen in this up-close-and-personal amateur video aired by CNN . The twister touched down at about 4:30 and hovered in place for about 15 minutes, according...

Other Natural Disasters as Weird as the Sinkhole
 Other Natural Disasters as 
 Weird as the Sinkhole 
in case you missed it
Jun 5, 2010 7:00 PM CDT

Other Natural Disasters as Weird as the Sinkhole

Fire tornadoes, asteroid strikes and more

(Newser) - As the sinkhole that swallowed a three-story building in Guatemala Monday demonstrated, natural disasters can be really weird. The Daily Beast runs through some of the strangest natural catastrophes on record:
  • The poisonous cloud: In 1986 in Cameroon, 1,700 people and 3,500 animals mysteriously dropped dead simultaneously. Scientists
...

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