Recent Natural Disasters | Calamities | Hazards

Floods in Zimbabwe have claimed lives of three children aged 9, 10 and 14 years. Police retrieved bodies of the children today who drowned in a flooded Mushawiri Dam, in Gutu, Masvingo yesterday. Other seven people have been rescued from the island along the Tugwe river, Chivi, in Masvingo, Bulawayo24 NEWS reported. The Metrological Services Department has also warned people to avoid open space and not to shelter under trees to avoid being struck by lightning. Civil Protection Unit had already issued a high flood alert in Zimbabwe's low-lying areas in the coming weeks. The 2010–11 Southern Africa floods had claimed lives of at least 141 people affecting the people of Zimbabwe, Namibia, Botswana, Zambia and Malawi. Original post: Natural Disasters List December 31, 2013

Indonesia's Mount Sinabung volcano eruption 2013 has spewed hot ash up to 7,000 meters high displacing thousands of people midnight Tuesday, Xinhua reported quoting national disaster management and mitigation agency spokesman Sutopo Purwo Nugroho. This is what disaster management and mitigation agency spokesman Sutopo Purwo Nugroho said (as reported by The Jakarta Globe) "Mount Sinabung remains on the highest alert level and we have warned there should be no human activity within a five-kilometer (three-mile) radius of the crater. On Monday night, 19,126 people had fled their homes, and we expect that number to rise." No casualties have been reported from today's Mount Sinabung volcano eruption. Indonesia's Mount Sinabung volcano eruption on October 24 had displaced more than 3,300 people. Mount Sinabung is among more than 120 active volcanoes located in North Sumatra province of Indonesia. Original post: Natural Disasters List December 31, 2013

Update 2013/12/31, 01:55 UTC -At 8:00 am WST Tropical Cyclone Christine was estimated to be 155 kilometres south of Karratha and 135 kilometres north northwest of Paraburdoo, Australian Government Bureau of Meteorology said. -To 8.30am local time, Roebourne had recorded 134 mm rainfall, Port Hedland 123 mm and Karratha 110 mm. -An Urban Search and Rescue (USAR) Rapid Damage Assessment team is on location to help if required. -Red alert still continues for the people in or near coastal areas between De Grey and Mardie, including Port Hedland, South Hedland, Whim Creek, Roebourne, Point Samson, Wickham, Karratha and Dampier also extending inland to Tom Price and Paraburdoo. Cyclone Christine Damage: Photo below shows a tree uprooted in Karratha by high winds (Jean Jones, Perth Weather Live). Update 23:40 UTC Christine crossed the coast between Whim Creek and Roebourne around midnight as a Category 3 Cyclone. The system is slowly weakening and has currently downgraded to a

The Chaparrastique volcano in El Salvador erupted Sunday, spewing ash about 3 miles into the air. People from within three kilometers of the volcano have been evacuated and emergency shelters have been set up. Around 5,000 people lives around the volcano. This is what  Civil Defense Director Jorge Melendez said "We have implemented emergency measures to evacuate villages located within 3 kilometers of the volcano." Some local seismic activity accompanied the Chaparrastique volcano eruption in El Salvador, Xinhua reported quoting the department of vulcanology at the Ministry of Environment and Natural Resources (MARN).   Avianca Airlines has announced the cancellation of 33 flights into and out of the country. Below is a photo of Chaparrastique volcano spewing ashes and smoke in southern El Salvador on Decmeber 29, 2013. Chaparrastique volcano is one of the eight active volcanoes in El Salvador located about 30 miles from San Miguel and about 90 miles east

M 5.2 strong earthquake shakes Southern Italy today, sending many residents out on to the streets of Naples. According to the U.S. Geological Survey, the quake's epicenter was located 5 km NNE of San Gregorio and 26 km WSW of Campobasso. It was 6.2 miles deep. Tremor was widely felt in Naples, Avellino and Caserta. No immediate damage or injuries have been reported. The same area was hit by a major earthquake in 1980 (Terremoto dell'Irpinia/Irpinian earthquake) that claimed around 3,000 lives. 17:08 UTC (local time 2013-12-29 18:08 @ epicenter) Epicenter Location 5 km NNE of San Gregorio, Italy 8 km NNE of Piedimonte Matese, Italy 23 km SE of Isernia, Italy 26 km WSW of Campobasso, Italy 167 km ESE of Roma, Italy Original post: Natural Disasters List December 29, 2013 In collaboration with earthquake-report.com

M 4.1 moderate earthquake shakes Oklahoma today, the U.S. Geological Survey reported. According to the U.S. Geological Survey, the quake's epicenter was located 7 km SW of Langston. It was 3.1 miles deep. Following USGS Pager Map, light shaking of MMI IV will have felt by the people of Guthrie, Perkins, Crescent, Luther and Edmond. People Midwest City, Oklahoma City, Moore, Norman and Tulsa will have felt weak shaking of MMI III. Earthquake is ranked at No. 11 in Oklahoma on the list of disaster priorities. For the past several weeks, Oklahoma has felt an average of 12 quakes a day, many in the Oklahoma City area. A 5.6 magnitude intraplate earthquake, the most powerful earthquake ever recorded in Oklahoma occurred in November 5, 2011 . 08:14 UTC (local time 2013-12-29 02:14 @ epicenter) Epicenter Location 7 km SW of Langston, Oklahoma 10 km E of Guthrie, Oklahoma 31 km NNE of Edmond, Oklahoma 33 km SW of Stillwater, Oklahoma 51 km NNE of Oklahoma City, Oklaho

Wild weather in Canary Islands of Spain has claimed lives of at least two people, the regional government said today. Two people including an 11-year-old girl were drowned in the Canary Islands when they were swept away by waves on La Graciosa Island. Two other memebers of the same family were rescued by boats. Valencia's opera house has also been damaged and remain closed indefinitely. Related post: Strong (volcanic?) earthquake at El Hierro, Canary Islands, Spain Original post: Natural Disasters List December 27, 2013

M 5.4 strong earthquake shakes El Hierro, Canary Islands, Spain, the U.S. Geological Survey reported. According to the U.S. Geological Survey, the quake's epicenter was located 31 km NW of Frontera. It was 14.2 miles deep. Earthquake has occurred relatively far out in the ocean to the west of El Hierro. Several rockfalls have been reported. The Mayor of Frontera has ordered and confirmed the closure of the road from Los Llanillos to Sabinosa. Related Post: Wild weather in Canary Islands claim 2 lives Below is a YouTube video of the rockfall at the El Golfo side of the earthquake (Desprendimientos del risco después el terremoto de 5.1 en El Hierro). This is what Earthquake-Report.Com has written The epicenter area got already many aftershocks (not all of them listed yet). Still out in the sea. We do not see any tremor on the seismographs which means that there is normally NO eruption going on in the sea after this earthquake.  The island’s volcano monitoring agency

Avalanche in Bulgaria's Rila Mountain has claimed life of a man, FOCUS News Agency reported. Avalanche in Bulgaria's Rila Mountain hit the 54-year-old military pilot belonging from the Bulgarian capital city Sofia last night. The Mountain Rescue Service found the body of the man covered with snow. Avalanche in Bulgaria's Rila Mountain injured three people in January 2013. Original post: Natural Disasters List December 26, 2013

Flooding in St Vincent and the Grenadines has claimed lives of at least eight people, National Emergency Management Organization said. Landslide and flooding in St Vincent and the Grenadines have damaged around 24 houses, Emergency Management Organization added. Landslides and flooding have also killed five people in St Lucia Island. According to BBC News Service, heavy rain has also been causing destruction in Dominica, also in the eastern Caribbean Sea. This is what St Lucia's Prime Minister Kenny Anthony said I don't think I can recall when we have had such heavy rainfall on the eve of Christmas Saint Vincent and the Grenadines is an island country in the Lesser Antilles Island arc, in the southern portion of the Windward Islands. Original post: Natural Disasters List December 26, 2013

Update 03:35 UTC The Oklahoma Geological Survey has assigned 3.9 magnitude for today's Christmas eve earthquake in Edmond, Oklahoma. No damage or injuries have been reported till now. Related post: Oklahoma earthquake list 2013 M 3.7 light earthquake shakes Edmond, Oklahoma today, the U.S. Geological Survey reported. According to the U.S. Geological Survey, the quake's epicenter was located 10 km ENE of Edmond. It was 3.1 miles deep. People of Arcadia, Choctaw , Edmond, Guthrie and Oklahoma City have reported light to weak shaking. 03:08 UTC (local time 2013-12-24 21:08 @ epicenter) Epicenter Location 10 km (6mi) ENE of Edmond, Oklahoma 21 km (13mi) NNW of Choctaw, Oklahoma 23 km (14mi) SSE of Guthrie, Oklahoma 24 km (15mi) N of Midwest City, Oklahom 26 km (16mi) NNE of Oklahoma City, Oklahoma Original post: Natural Disasters List December 25, 2013 In collaboration with earthquake-report.com MERRY CHRISTMAS!

Flooding in Brazil has claimed lives of at least 20 people and left around 40,000 people homeless, Xinhua reported. Six people died in Espirito Santo and 14 in Minas Gerais. A state of emergency has been declared in Espirito Santo in more than half of its states. More than 40,000 people have been left homeless in Espirito Santo alone due to severe flooding. Storm has damaged more than 6,000 homes. Several roads have been blocked due to mudslides and bridges have been washed away by flood waters. The federal government has already dispatched a helicopter and army troops with disaster relief materials and rescue efforts. Flooding in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil claimed lives of at least three people and displaced more than 2,000 people last week. Original post: Natural Disasters List December 23, 2013

Strong storm has caused floods, power cuts and travel chaos to much of Britain claiming lives of at least three persons. Hurricane-force winds of up to 87 miles per hour hit the country bringing torrential downpours which caused rivers to swell and flood. A man drowned in the Rothay River near Ambleside, Cumbria. The body of a woman was found in a river in Bethesda, Gwynedd, in North Wales. Similarly, a motorist died at Bolventor in Cornwall after a hailstorm caused three cars to collide, The Telegraph reported. Around 30 flights from London's Heathrow airport have been cancelled. The Environment Agency has issued 193 flood alerts and 29 flood warnings. Northern Ireland is expected to face some of the stormiest weather in the UK on Christmas Eve. Original post: Natural Disasters List December 23, 2013

Flooding in Ohio has forced evacuation of several homeowners with La Rue reported to be worst affected. Around six to eight people have been rescued by the authorities, local medias reported. Several state roads and streets in La Rue have been blocked due to floodwater A flood advisory is in effect for the Ohio River in Pittsburgh until Wednesday afternoon.    Ohio River flood of 1937 had claimed lives of 385 people with flood damage stretching from Pittsburgh to Cairo, Illinois. Original post: Natural Disasters List December 23, 2013

Heavy ice storms in Canada have left nearly 500,000 people without electricity including 300,000 in Toronto alone. Some 200 flights have been cancelled at Toronto's Pearson International Airport on Sunday. It is expected to take up to three days to restore power to all customers in Toronto. This is what Anthony Haines, the president of Toronto Hydro said "Truly one of the worst ice storms we’ve seen here in Ontario" Below are some photos of Toronto ice storm 2013 (Peter Thompson/National Post). Various warming centres have been opened on an emergency basis for those who lost power in the Toronto ice storm. Red Cross list of warming centres in Toronto Dennis R. Timbrell Resource Centre Malvern Community Centre Agincourt Recreation Centre Driftwood Community Recreation Centre Joseph J. Piccininni Community Centre Mitchell Field Community Centre Franklin Horner Community Centre McGregor Park Recreation Centre Tornadoes and snowstorms in Unit

Tornadoes and snowstorms in the states of Kentucky, Mississippi and Missouri have claimed lives of at least eight people on Sunday. A car with five people fell into a river in New Hope, Kentucky claiming lives of three people. Another person died near the city of Carrollton of Kentucky state. A fifth death was caused due to flood waters in Ballard County, CNN reported quoting the Kentucky Emergency Management. Snowstorm and slippery road claimed life of another person in Missouri. Tornadoes in Mississippi killed two people and ripped roofs from barns. Tornadoes in Arkansas injured at least five people and damaged around 23 houses. A tornado injured three people and damaged three houses near Hughes. Another tornado near Dermott, Arkansas injured two people and damaged 23 houses. Photo below shows a tornado damaged home in Halley, Arkansas (Andre P. Kissel/AP). Heavy ice storms in Canada have left nearly 500,000 people without electricity including 300,000 in Toronto a

Two tornadoes in Arkansas have injured at least five people and damaged around 23 houses. A tornado injured three people and damaged three houses near Hughes. Another tornado near Dermott, Arkansas injured two people and damaged 23 houses. Following  Arkansas tornadoes statistics, it lies among the top five states for injuries due to tornadoes. Original post: Natural Disasters List December 21, 2013

M 3.5 strongest earthquake this year shakes western Germany, the European-Mediterranean Seismological Centre (EMSC) reported. According to the EMSC, the quake's epicenter was located just 7 km S of Haltern and 44 km SW of Münster. It was 1.4 miles deep. Earthquake was felt in parts of Haltern am See and Dorsten. No damage or injuries have been reported. This quake was caused by the coal mining activity in Northern Ruhr area. Similar earthquake with magnitude 2.5 – 3.0 was felt in Germany in October 2013. Local seismological observatories of Ruhruniversity Bochum and University Cologne have however assigned magnitude 3.0 for this earthquake. Earthquakes in Germany are relatively weak but occur several times a year and rarely cause any damage. 06:03 UTC (local time 07:03 2013-12-20 @ epicenter) Epicenter Location 7 km S of Haltern, Germany 44 km SW of Münster, Germany 58 km NE of Düsseldorf, Germany 175 km SE of Amsterdam, Netherlands Original post: Natural

Landslide in Central Java, Indonesia has claimed lives of four people and injured four others. Torrential rains in Kebumen district of Central Java, Indonesia triggered landslide on Friday, Xinhua reported quoting national disaster management agency. Landslide came after flooding in Indonesia claimed lives of four people and displaced over 4,000 people three days ago, national disaster management said. Landslides and flash floods are common natural disasters in Indonesia . It is at peak during monsoon season. Original post: Natural Disasters List December 20, 2013

Eight houses in Palpa district are at risk due to sinkholes, Nepal based Ujyaalo Online reported. Sinkholes have been reported in Bhayarthan village of Bandipokhara VDC of Palpa district of Nepal. Sinkholes around 2 metres deep have been appeared in the area. The farmland owned by Sitaram Ghimire and Radheshyam Ghimire have been totally collapsed. More than 50 sinkholes have been reported in farmlands in Bandipokhara VDC of Palpa district. Sinkholes in Armala VDC of Kaski district displaced dozens of families in November 2013. Sinkholes had swallowed several houses including household belongings like tables, chairs, kitchen utensils, and gas cylinders. Geologists later concluded that Kaski, Nepal sinkholes were caused as a result of haphazard construction of buildings. Original post: Natural Disasters List December 20, 2013

Update 05:50 UTC USGS has downgraded the magnitude to 4.6. According to GDACS, there are 360,485 people within 100 km. People of Chula Vista, El Cajon , Ensenada, Imperial Beach, La Jolla, San Diego, Spring Valley and Tijuana are reporting light to weak shaking. Earthquake in Baja California today was well felt in parts of Mexico and United States of America. Epicenter location of earthquake in Baja California today (Source: USGS). M 5.2 moderate earthquake shakes Baja California, Mexico today, the U.S. Geological Survey reported. According to the U.S. Geological Survey, the quake's epicenter was located 44 km N of Camalú. Tremor was felt as far as San Diego. News to follow..... Did you feel this earthquake? Kindly write your experiences in the comment section below. 05:27 UTC (local time 2013-12-19 21:27 @ epicenter) Epicenter Location 70 km (43mi) NNE of Camalu, Mexico 78 km (48mi) NNE of Colonia Vicente Guerrero, Mexico 81 km (50mi) ESE of Maneadero, Mexic

Storm in Ireland has claimed life of a woman and injured eight others after trees fall on their cars because of storm winds. Incident happened at around 4 pm at Grange South as the woman was driving into Mullingar from the Ballymahon direction, RTÉ reported. Around 7,000 homes in Northern Ireland have lost power. Met Éireann had issued ‘status red’ weather warning, a severe weather warning for high winds and rain across many parts of the country. Similarly, the Met Office issued 43 flood warnings in Britain. Flood warnings were issued across Wales and in parts of Scotland and western England. Original post: Natural Disasters List December 18, 2013

An avalanche in the Austrian Alps has claimed life of a British teenager and seriously injured his father. Austrian Alps avalanche hit the16-year-old boy, who was skiing with his father, twin brother and ski guide. The family of three were from Winchester, Austrian Times reported. Despite of wearing avalanche air bags, bodies were found buried. The avalanche occurred at the Austrian resort of Lech am Arlberg at 13.24 on Tuesday afternoon. The area was under a category 1 avalanche warning. Original post: Natural Disasters List December 18, 2013

Flooding in Indonesia has claimed lives of at least four people and displaced more than 4,000 people, the National Disaster Management and Mitigation agency said. The Solo and Lamong rivers burst their banks and claimed lives of four in Mojokerto and Gresik, Xinhua has written quoting Sutopo Purwo Nugroho, spokesman for the National Disaster Management and Mitigation agency as saying. Indonesia flooding has also submerged about 2,000 hectares of rice fields. Landslides and flash floods are common natural disasters in Indonesia. It is at peak during monsoon season. Original post: Natural Disasters List December 17, 2013

Storm in Bhutan has damaged more than 300 houses in eleven dzongkhags. Dogar and Shaba under Paro district are worst affected. Over 170 houses have been damaged in Haa district and 136 houses in Paro, Kuensel Online reported. Windstorm in Bhutan has also brought down all phone and mobile connections since yesterday morning.  Other affected districts include Chukha, Samtse, Trashigang, Punakha, Wangduephodrang, Gasa, Dagana, Bumthang and Lhuentse, the department of disaster management (DDM) said. Original post: Natural Disasters List December 17, 2013

Flash flood in Kenya has claimed lives of at least twelve people causing widespread destruction of property and infrastructure in Kajiado County. Flash flood swept away two women near Dawamu School on Saturday at Oltepes area near Kiserian. The 10 others lost their lives while traveling on Sunday night in the same region, Xinhua reported. Areas near major rivers are kept on high alert and local residents are advised to move to higher ground. Original post: Natural Disasters List December 16, 2013

M 5.1 moderate earthquake in central China has injured three people and damaged nearly 8,000 houses, Xinhua reported. According to the The earthquake hit the Badong County in Enshi Tujia and Miao Autonomous Prefecture at a depth of 9.1 miles, Tremors were also felt by the people of Yichang, Xiangyang and Shiyan. The world's largest hydropower project, the Three Gorges Dam, which is located more than 100 km from the epicenter operates normally. Experts have examined the Three Gorges MegaDam and have found no abnormalities. Chinese Province authorities have send hundreds of police, fireman and rescue workers to the epicenter area. Photo below shows earthquake damage in a house in Zhongyuanzi Village of Badong County (Liang Bin/ People's Daily Online). China earthquake damage is expected approximately 16 million yuan (2.6 million U.S. dollars), Xinhua reported quoting the publicity department of the prefecture. 05:04 UTC (local time 2013-12-16 13:04 @ epicenter)

Heavy snowstorms have hit Israel, Lebanon, Turkey and Syria, causing chaos across the region.The Egyptian capital Cairo has seen record snowfall. Cairo snow 2013 is the first time in 112 years. As reported by The Weather Channel, precipitation of any kind is a rarity in Cairo. The city averages less than an inch of rain each year. Cairo snow is extremely rare. Gaza is also experiencing its first snow in a decade leading evacuation of around 500 people. Similarly, storm Alexa is the worst storm to hit Jerusalem for 60 years.   Heavy snow storm in Jerusalem , Israel has displaced around 1500 people. About 1,000 stranded travellers are having shelter at the Jerusalem International Conference Centre, AFP reported. Below are photos of Cairo snow 2013 (Twitter/Maha Salem). Original post: Natural Disasters List December 15, 2013

Landslide in Aurora, Philippines has claimed lives of four members of family, the Provincial Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (PDRRMC) said. A landslide in Casiguran town in Aurora province on Wednesday night hit a house claiming lives of the mother and her children aged 5 to 11. Several people have been evacuated from their homes due to rising floods caused by heavy rain. The Municipal Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Councils in Casiguran and Dalisag in Aurora have ordered the forced evacuation of residents in coastal villages. More flash floods and landslides in Aurora and Quezon are expected Friday. Original post: Natural Disasters List December 13, 2013

Heavy snow storm in Jerusalem, Israel has displaced around 1500 people making a record of strongest snow storm in last 60 years. About 1,000 stranded travellers are having shelter at the Jerusalem International Conference Centre, AFP reported. Several schools, roads, and businesses have been closed in Jerusalem. Current Jerusalem snow storm 2013 is believed to be strongest since 1953. December snowfalls in Israel are quite rare and occur only once every five to seven years, the Jerusalem Post reported quoting Israeli Meteorological Service. Photo below shows Western Wall and the Dome of the Rock covered with snow (Dusan Vranic, AP). Three emergency centres have been set up and around 350 people are having treatment for cold-related symptoms. Gaza is also experiencing its first snow in a decade leading evacuation of around 500 people, USA Today reported quoting Hamas spokesman Ihab Ghussein. Below is a you tube video of Jerusalem snow storm 2013. More snow storm is

Flooding in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil has claimed lives of at least three people and displaced more than 2,000 people this week. Baixada Fluminense located between the Atlantic Ocean and the mountains of Rio de Janeiro is believed to be worst affected by recent floods. According to local medias, Baixada Fluminense flood has damaged more than 400 houses. Mayor Eduardo Paes has urged people to stay indoors and avoid the streets. Below is a YouTube video of flooding in Rio de Janeiro prepared by CNN. Flooding in Brazil's drought-stricken Bahia state killed at least eleven people three days ago. Flash floods and landslides are common in much of Brazil. Illegal construction, deforestation and unregulated housing has been blamed for devastating effects of the flooding in Brazil by IUCN. Flooding in Rio de Janeiro in 2011 had claimed lives of at least 903 people and caused damage of 2.0 billion Reais. It was the worst weather-related natural disaster in Brazilian history.

Update 14:15 UTC Swansea City’s preparations for their crucial Europa League clash in Switzerland has been disrupted due to the earthquake, Wales Online reported. M 4.0 light shallow earthquake shakes Liechtenstein today, the European-Mediterranean Seismological Centre (EMSC), reported. According to the EMSC, the quake's epicenter was located just 1 km SW of Balzers (Liechtenstein) and 4 km E of Sargans (Switzerland). It was 1 km deep. Tremor was felt across Liechtenstein and parts of Switzerland. No damage or injuries have been reported from earthquake in Liechtenstein. Earthquakes in Liechtenstein are rare. A study in Liechtenstein has shown that buildings constructed during the Middle Ages ride out earthquakes better than those built to modern standards. Liechtenstein is a doubly landlocked alpine country in Central Europe, bordered by Switzerland and Austria with the highest gross domestic product per person in the world. Liechtenstein is the smallest yet the ri

Snowstorms hit northern Virginia, Maryland, Pennsylvania, Delaware and southern New England leading snow alert in New York City. A snow alert was issued by the New York City Department of Sanitation that began at 6 a.m. A winter weather advisory was issued by the National Weather Service for New York City, Nassau County, most of north and central New Jersey. All classes in schools in Washington D.C., Philadelphia, New Jersey and New York have been cancelled. More than 1,600 flights have been cancelled, Xinhua reported. Original post: Natural Disasters List December 10, 2013

Flooding in Libya has claimed lives of at least six people and damaged 400 houses, Xinhua reported. Heavy rainfall triggered flooding in Libyan western city of Zawiya on Saturday. Libya has witnessed the heaviest rainfall in 40 years in the first week of December. Altogether 10 people have died in continuous flooding in Libya since early December. Photo below shows water pumping trucks in Janzour, Tripoli clearing roads of flood waters (Elle.Horreya/Twitter). Zawiya is a city in northwestern Libya located about 45 km west of Tripoli. Original post: Natural Disasters List December 7, 2013

Recent floods in Northeastern Brazil have claimed lives of at least 11 people and left six others missing, Bahia's Civil Defense emergency response agency said. Heavy rainfall caused flooding in Lajedinho which destroyed some 70 houses and displaced around 200 people. Displaced people are taking shelter in schools and a local gym. Emergency response personnel have been searching the flooded buildings for survivors. Note that Brazil's northeast is facing worst drought in a century. Photo below released by Bahia government shows flooded street in the Lajedinho municipality, Bahia state, Brazil (AP Photo/Bahia Government, Haroldo Abrantes). Flash floods and landslides are common in much of Brazil. Illegal construction, deforestation and unregulated housing has been blamed for devastating effects of the flooding in Brazil by IUCN. Flooding in Rio de Janeiro in 2011 had claimed lives of at least 903 people and caused damage of 2.0 billion Reais. It was the worst weath

M 4.5 moderate earthquake shakes Oklahoma today, the U.S. Geological Survey reported. According to the U.S. Geological Survey, the quake's epicenter was located 11 km ENE of Edmond. It was 3.1 miles deep. Following USGS Pager Map, light shaking of MMI IV will have felt by the people of Edmond, Jones, Luther, Spencer, Nicoma Park, The Village, Oklahoma City and Moore. Similarly people of Norman, Tulsa and Lawton will have felt weak shaking of MMI III. Karen Seikel, one of our reader from Edmond, said there was rumbling sound like a large truck was next to the house and the whole house started shaking but no significant damages were observed. According to the Oklahoma Department of Emergency Management, no injuries or damages have been reported. The strongest earthquake to hit Oklahoma was a magnitude-5.6 earthquake on Nov. 5, 2011 .  18:10 UTC (local time 2013-12-07 12:10 @ epicenter) Epicenter Location 11 km (7mi) ENE of Edmond, Oklahoma 21 km (13mi) NNW of

Hurricane Xaver with winds of around 100 km per hour and gusts of 130 km per hour claimed lives of at least five people in Poland, Xinhua reported. The victims include four on the roads when a car and a bus were crushed by falling trees in Lebork, Pomerania district in northern Poland. Around 23 people have been injured after a bus veered off the road and crashed into a tree, New Poland Express said. According to the Polskie Radio, other four people have been injured, including two in Silesia, one in Wielkopolska and one in Masovia. Poland Hurricane 'Xaver' has further left an estimated 400,000 people without electricity. Below is a photo of storm damage in Szczecin, north west Poland (via Polskie Radio, PAP/Marcin Bielecki). After causing huge damage in western Europe , hurricane Xaver hit Poland in the early hours of Friday morning. The Institute of Meteorology and Water Management (IMGW) had warned that hurricane-level winds in Poland could cause loss of life

An extreme weather warning has been issued in Northern Germany following hurricane Xaver moving at a speed of around 140 km/h. German Weather Service (DWD) has issued an extreme weather warning for Hamburg, Schleswig-Holstein, Lower Saxony and Bremen. The entire train networks in Schleswig-Holstein have been shut down, The Local reported. Even flights have been canceled at Cologne/Bonn, Duesseldorf and Hamburg airports. This is what Jens Skapski from Germany reports us Relatively calm here. Some of our small islands (called "Hallig") have been partially flooded, but without major damages. The houses of the people living there are built on "Warften", hills to save them for regular storm surges. Some roads in Hamburg, Cuxhaven and Bremerhaven have been flooded. Also heavy snow in some regions caused problems. Mainly for the car drivers. They had to spent hours on highways. The storm damages roofs and walls, roads, railways, etc. Christian was probably worse.

Heavy storm in Scotland has claimed life of a person and injured four others leaving tens of thousands of homes without electricity. Winds of to 142 miles per hour hit the Scottish Highlands, and left all train services suspended in Scotland. Storm left up to 100,000 homes without electricity in Scotland and another 7,000 homes in Northern Ireland, Time World reported. The Environment Agency has issued more than 250 flood alerts across England and Wales. Flood area map (around 17:00 UTC via Scottish Environment Protection Agency) Red: A Flood Warning or Severe Flood Warning is in force for this area Amber: A Flood Alert is in force for this area Green: No Flood Alerts or Flood Warnings are in force for this area Original post: Natural Disasters List December 5, 2013

Floods in Malaysia have claimed life of a teenager and forced evacuations of around 19,000 people, officials said on Wednesday. Swollen river swept away a 17-year-old boy who was fishing with his father in Terengganu. Evacuated people are living in several schools in Pahang, Terengganu and Johor states of Malaysia, the National Security Council’s disaster relief centre said. Malaysian Meteorological Department had issued an "orange" alert for Pahang and Terengganu on Monday. More floods are expected to hit Kelantan area. Below is a you tube video by Strait Times showing the people living in evacuation centre at Kampung Pogoh 2 in Segamat. Floods are regular natural disasters in Malaysia which happen every year during the monsoon season. The 1971 Kuala Lumpur floods killed 32 people. Original post: Natural Disasters List December 4, 2013

The Shiveluch volcano in Kamchatka has spewed ash nine kilometers high in the sky, the Kamchatkan territorial emergency situations department said. No ash fall has been reported from towns nearby. According to disaster management official, Shiveluch volcano in Russia is currently not a threat to local residents. The Kamchatkan volcano Shiveluch has been periodically spewing ash from three to ten kilometers from May 2009. Shiveluch is the northernmost active volcano in Kamchatka Krai, Russia.  Original post: Natural Disasters List December 3, 2013

Storms and flooding in Italy have claimed lives of at least two people and forced evacuation of 1,700 people. Fatalities are from Pescara and Rome. Around 1,500 have been evacuated from Pescara and others 200 from Matera, ANSA reported. Original post: Natural Disasters List December 2, 2013

Flooding and landslides in Indonesia's Sumatra island have claimed lives of at least nine people. Fatalities include four children aged between two and 10.  Heavy rainfall from Saturday evening caused landslide in Berastagi sub-district in North Sumatra, National Disaster Mitigation Agency said. Original post: Natural Disasters List December 1, 2013

Heavy flooding in Havana has claimed lives of at least two people, the official state newspaper of Cuba, Granma reported. Fatalities are reported to be a 60 year old woman and 54 year old man. Both died in the building collapse in Havana. Recent flooding has badly affected Artemisa province in the west of Cuba. The Cuban weather service expects similar weather even tomorrow. Photo Credit: Flooding in Havana, Cuba by Juan Suarez/Havana Times. Original post: Natural Disasters List December 1, 2013

Earthquake near Iran's nuclear plant has claimed lives of at least eight people and injured 210 others. At least 250 houses have been collapsed by the quake. M 5.6 strong earthquake shakes Borazjan area, Iran today, the U.S. Geological Survey reported. According to the U.S. Geological Survey, the quake's epicenter was located 14 km NE of Borazjan. Iran's sole nuclear power plant in Bushehr lies about 70km away from the epicenter of the earthquake. The International Atomic Energy Agency has confirmed that the earthquake hasn't caused damage to the Iran's nuclear plant. 13:51 UTC (local time 2013-11-28 17:21 @ epicenter) Epicenter Location 14 km NE of Borazjan, Iran 43 km SW of Kazerun, Iran 63 km NE of Bandar Bushehr, Iran 80 km ESE of Bandar-e Ganaveh, Iran 323 km E of Kuwait, Kuwait Original post: Natural Disasters List November 29, 2013 In collaboration with earthquake-report.com