Natural Disasters are the greatest murderers of all. They can create even more terror than Jack the Ripper and The Al Qaeda working together. Unsuspecting people from all walks of life, all nations, all ages and all colors are devastated. Some lose their jobs, some lose their homes, some their families and some, everything. One can never get over the pain of losing what they worked so hard for, the continued pain that hits them every time they try to start over. When nature strikes, you cannot run, you cannot hide, you can never fight her.
Here are some of the worst storms that have been caught on camera.
7.
2007
Name: New Castle Storm
Location: Australia
Australia recorded its most devastating storm in 30 years on 8th June, 2007. New South Wales, not used to such rains was struck unexpectedly by Gale Force winds and floods. The winds hit the state at 90 km/h and lead to massive flooding. Eventually evacuation of thousands was carried out, even as 130,000 homes remained without power.
6.
2010
Name-Cyclone Laila
Location-India
The first cyclone to hit South India after 1990, Laila hit the coast at high speeds causing waves as high as 12 m. Laila was formed over the Bay of Bengal on 17th May,2010.Thousands of people were evacuated as the worst storm in 14 years hit Hyderabad, India. At least 100 people were killed in Andhra and Tamil Nadu with 55 people still missing.
5
2008
Name: Hurricane Ike
Location: Cuba, Haiti and U.S.A
In a lifespan of 13 days, Hurricane Ike destroyed more than 3 countries leaving thousands desperate. The fatality reached 195 and damages are still being calculated to be around $29.6 billion. It began only as a tropical disturbance near Africa and magnified to form a category 1 hurricane by September as it moved over Cuba and Texas. Many communities in Cuba and Texas were completely blanked out from the map. 2 years later many remain missing with their bodies still not being found.
4.
2005
Name: Hurricane Rita
Location-U.S.A
Hurricane Rita also hit The Gulf coast on 23rd September at 245 km/h, before the people had barely recovered from Katrina causing further damages worth $11.3 billion. This category 5 hurricane completely destroyed some coastal communities and many others were killed due to improper evacuations. The death toll was recorded at 113 with hundreds rendered homeless.
3.
2005
Name-Hurricane Katrina
Location-U.S.A
One of the greatest disasters in American History, Hurricane Katrina hit the Bahamas on 23rd August, 2005 and ravaged the entire coast in the next 7 days. She killed more than 1,836 people and cost the nation $ 90.1 billion in damages.
Apart from being one of the Deadliest and Costliest disasters ever, it was best also the documented, as the rampage was well caught on camera both by the media and citizens. These videos and photos which hit the internet and blogs actually helped save victims.
One such incident was mentioned in the website NOLA.com where the pictures posted helped the coast guards locate and rescue hundreds of trapped victims. The various footages caught by the media and individuals were later made into an award winning documentary called “when the Levees Broke”.
2.
2005
Name: Hurricane Wilma
Location-U.S.A and Canada
Hurricane Wilma, the worst hurricane to hit the Atlantic basin, developed on October 13th, 2005 over Jamaica. The worst hits were the states of Mexico and Florida with estimated damages $29.1 billion. The Third hurricane to hit the Atlantic basin in 2005 its winds hit the coast at a speed of 175 mph. the most intense storm in American History it killed about 120 people on its way.
1.
2008
Name-Cyclone Nargis
Location-Myanmar, Bangladesh, India Sri Lanka
The Cyclone Nargis struck the south East Asian country on April 27th, 2008 at 165km/h. Being one of the greatest natural disasters to hit the region, it caused unprecedented levels of death and destruction. About 138,000 lost their lives and 80,000 were injured. Damage was recorded at over $10 billion making it the costliest disaster in Asia. The massive scale of death was mainly due to the military rule in Myanmar which refused any international aid. After extensive media coverage of the impacts gaining harsh criticism from around the world, the government finally accepted India’s help.
