Natural Devastation
The largest earthquake in 40 years shifted huge geological plates beneath the Indian Ocean on Dec. 26, 2004, causing a immense and abrupt displacement of millions of tons of water. Indonesia villages closest to the epicenter were swamped within minutes, while elsewhere the waves radiated outward, making landfall at speeds topping 500 mph (www.cbsnews.com). The phenomenon we call tsunami is a series of large waves of extremely long wavelength and period usually generated by a violent, impulsive undersea disturbance or activity near the coast or in the ocean. When a sudden displacement of a large volume of water occurs, or if the sea floor is suddenly raised or dropped by an earthquake, big tsunami waves can be formed by forces of gravity. The waves travel out of the area of origin and can be extremely unsafe and destructive when they reach the shore. Often the term, "seismic or tidal sea wave" is used to describe the same phenomenon; however the terms are misleading, because tsunami waves can be generated by other, non seismic disturbances such as volcanic eruptions or underwater landslides, and have physical characteristics different of tidal waves. The tsunami waves are completely unrelated to the astronomical tides - which are caused by the extraterrestrial, gravitational influences of the moon, sun, and the planets. Thus, the Japanese word "tsunami", meaning "harbor wave" is the correct, official and all-inclusive term. It has been internationally adopted because it covers all forms of impulsive wave generation. By far, the most destructive tsunamis are generated from large, shallow earthquakes with an epicenter or fault line near or on the ocean floor. These usually occur in regions of the earth characterized by tectonic subduction along tectonic plate boundaries. The high seismicity of such regions is caused by the collision of tectonic plates. When these plates move past each other, they cause large earthquakes, which tilt, offset, or displace large areas of the ocean floor from a few kilometers to as much as a 1,000 km or more. The abrupt vertical displacements over such large areas, disturb the ocean's surface, displace water, and generate destructive tsunami waves. The waves can travel great distances from the source region, spreading destruction along their path. It s...
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...eploying technical health experts, the Department of Agriculture with food aid, and the Treasury Department through the efforts of the international financial institutions.
• Former Presidents Bush and Clinton will visit tsunami-affected countries of South and Southeast Asia, including Indonesia, Sri Lanka, Thailand, and the Maldives in February 2005.
• Estimates place the generous private-sector donations towards the tsunami relief efforts at more than $700 million. (www.whitehouse.gov)
Monetary support will continue to contribute to the relief efforts, emotional support, adoptions, medical care and counseling will also help to contribute to the relief, however, nothing can replace the lives affected, the loved ones lost, and the landscapes altered.
Works Cited
CBS News. 05 Jan. 2005. 16 May 2005 .
The National Weather Service. 01 Jan. 2005. National Weather Service. 16 May 2005 .
Mental Health. 10 Oct. 2004. 17 May 2005 .
U.S. Pacific Command Tsunami Relief Website . 20 Jan. 2005. U.S. Pacific Command Tsunami Relief Website. 17 May 2005 .
White House Homepage. 3 Jan. 2005. White House. 17 May 2005 .
The tsunami in Thailand that occurred on December 26, 2004, was by far the largest tsunami catastrophe in human history. It was triggered by a magnitude 9.1-9.3 earthquake along the Indian-Australian subduction zone off the northern coast of Sumatra. The tsunami waves traveled primarily in the east to west direction and caused major damage along the coasts of southern Thailand. Unpredictably, it was a violent earthquake beneath the sea that initiated the massive waves and struck more than a dozen countries in Southern Asia. It also destroyed thousands of miles of coastline and even submerged entire islands permanently. Throughout the region, the tsunami killed more than 150,000 people, and a million more were hurt, homeless, and without food or drinkable water, making it perhaps the most destructive tsunami in the modern history. In spite of peninsular Thailand's location facing the northern part of this subduction zone, the lack of any written historical records, together with the lack of any major local seismic activity, the tsunami caused thousands of fatalities and huge economic losses in the popular tourist regions in Thailand. Immediately after the disaster, numerous organizations and individual citizens have helped out and contributed to this devastating tsunami. Indeed, the tsunami in Thailand was a worldwide event, with significant wave action felt around the world. In this context, I am focusing more on the key features of the tsunami’s natural causes, the psychological effects on citizens, the perspective of socio-economic impacts and the consequences of the tsunami calamity.
Hurricane Katrina was considered as the worst hurricane in the history of United States. The winds and the rain were shattering people’s homes which collapsed and flooded. Thousands of people were suffering and dying. People were starving, and becoming dehydrated. Many people were left on the street and became homeless. After the hurricane, so many questions were left regarding the widespread damage and loss of loved ones. This devastating disaster destroyed the city of New Orleans and nearby cities and was estimated to cost $80 billion dollars in damage. State and local emergency in the affected area were struggling to perform urgent response missions such as emergency medical services, search and rescue, firefighting, giving food and water,
TOHOKU, Japan, Friday, Mar. 11 -Yesterday, a 9.0 magnitude Earthquake struck the east of Tohoku, Japan. The epicentre of the earthquake was located approximately 72 km east of Tohoku (38.3 degrees North latitude and 142.4 degrees East longitude), or 130 km east of Sendai as shown by the X in figure 3 below. The focus of the earthquake was 24.4 km under the epicentre. The earthquake therefore caused a tsunami due to the displacing of water above the Pacific Plate. The earthquake and tsunami together have caused approximately 20,000 deaths, 6152 injuries and 2500 people missing. Approximately 90% of these deaths were by drowning. Approximately 140,000 people have been displaced and over 500,000 buildings and structures have been destroyed or damaged. The early warning system of Japan stopped many bullet trains, and many residents received texted warnings of the earthquake and tsunami on their mobile phones giving them time to evacuate. Figures 1 and 2 show exactly how destructive the tsunami caused by the Tohoku Earthquake was.
Federal intervention in the aftermath of natural disasters began after the San Francisco earthquake in 1906. This 8.3 magnitude earthquake killed 478, and left over 250,000 homeless. While the disaster itself was obviously unavoidable, the subsequent fires that burned throughout the city were a result of poor planning. (1, 17) In an effort to consolidate existing programs, and to improve the nation’s level of preparedness, President Carter created FEMA in 1979. Initially, FEMA was praised for improving communication between various levels of government, and multiple agencies during a crisis. (1,19)
Kim, Susan. Disaster News Network Best way to help? 14 August 2004. Web. 2 April 2014.
Hurricane Harvey recently made its way through some of the southernmost states leaving a path of devastation in its wake. The large amount of rain in a short period of time caused massive flooding, putting some houses almost underwater. Much of Texas and Louisiana was affected by the hurricane over the course of several days. In the state of Texas alone: more than 300,000 people lost power, an estimated 30,000 people were displaced, and there is billions of dollars in property damage left behind. The city of Houston was hit particularly hard by this storm. Many people are banding together to help those impacted by Hurricane Harvey. Several famous people and prestigious companies have donated large sums of money to help the survivors. The total cost of rebuilding is still being determined. This event has had a lot of impact on the United States, it may have affected us in ways we can’t easily see.
Sparks, Amelia. "Responding to the Southeast Asian Tsunami." Peace Corps. N.p., n.d. Web. 9 Mar. 2014.
Howitt, A. M., & Leonard, H. B. (2006). Katrina and the core challenges of disaster response. The Fletcher Forum of World Affairs, 30:1 winter 2006.
concerned mainly with relief, setting up shelters and soup kitchens to feed the millions of
"Million Plus Remain Homeless and Displaced in Haiti: One Year After Quake." Institute for Justice and Democracy in Haiti. IJDH, n.d. Web. 03 Mar. 2014.
...ns also helped support the construction of four temporary hospitals and one permanent hospital and health care clinic. The [Japanese] Red Cross also helped people deal with their mental issues after the disaster by letting people talk to counselors who were trained in disaster-related trauma (Reliefweb). Which helped people who had PTSD (post traumatic stress disorder), depression, and anxiety cope with what was happening. At the end of the day the efforts of the Japanese Red Cross help alleviate the human suffering that happened as a result of the devastating tsunami that took over fifteen thousand lives.
The ground is shaking, people are screaming, the earth crashes around, silencing screams as it goes. The world keeps on going, not caring as it destroys everything in its path. These people need help and support. I would try to help them in some way, wouldn’t you? On the fifteenth of October in 2013 at 8:12, a deadly 7.2 magnitude earthquake struck (Overview). About three million, five hundred twelve thousand, two hundred and eighty one unsuspecting people were affected. That’s a lot of people. It killed 185 and left many more injured, stranded, or missing (Document D). So how did people outside the earthquake react to the deadly natural disaster that others were sitting in the middle of? People responded by spreading the word and sending much needed supplies to the unfavorable from the damage from the earthquake. These people are calling for help, and I want to reach out and give them aid to help them back on to their feet.
On early morning of August 29th, 2005 on the Gulf Shore near New Orleans, a devastating hurricane struck. It wrecked havoc, demolishing anything in its path. Leaving nothing but mounds of trash. The surviving people were forced to leave due to massive flooding and the destruction of their homes. New Orleans was not the only place hit by Katrina but it was one of the areas that was hit the hardest. Millions of people were affected by this tragedy and the cost range was up in the billions. Crime rates went up, no one had a place to stay and water was polluted. The damage done by Katrina affected New Orleans and the other areas hit years after it struck. Restoration for the areas hit was going to need support from all of America and support groups across the country. No one was ready for this tragedy or could ever predict the horrible outcome.
Imagine more than half of the population of Kenosha being over-taken by a deluge of water without warning or the ability to escape. On December 26, 2004, an earthquake measuring 9.0 on the Richter scale, occurred in the Indian Ocean off of the Samaritan coast, triggering the deadliest tsunami in recorded history. Before the tsunami, this region of the world was one of the most sought after vacation spots. After the record-breaking destruction, the pristine beach front and inviting residents were forever changed. The regional damage was so massive that it demanded a response on a global scale for rescue, recovery, stability, and to rebuild this treasured place.
1: In a story in the New York Times written by David Barstow. It’s estimated that over 1.6 billion dollars have been raised by charity organizations since the attacks on Sept 11th. That money has been raised for victims of that tragic day…..But where has all the money gone?