Recent Natural Disasters | Calamities | Hazards

Earthquake damage in  Dewlaland, Manipur (Twitter Photo/@RockyWahengbam) Update At least eleven people have been killed and 200 others have been injured. Six people died in India and five in Bangladesh. The Union home ministry’s disaster management has warned of a bigger catastrophe with earthquakes with a magnitude of 8.2 or greater on the Richter scale set to hit the Himalayan region. "The interconnected plates across Nepal, Bhutan, Myanmar and India pose a bigger danger, and predicted a disaster of bigger magnitude, National Institute of Disaster Management (NIDM) Director Santosh Kumar said Times of India (TOI). Main Post A 6.7 magnitude earthquake in Manipur has claimed lives of atleast six people and injured 100 others. The earthquake occurred around 4:36 a.m. early Monday morning with epicenter at Noney village in Tamenglong district of Manipur, the Indian Meteorological Department reported. Tremors have been reported from Assam, Manipur, West Bengal, J

The natural disaster insurance cost in 2015 has fallen to its lowest in six years, Germany-based reinsurer Munich Re published its annual Natural Disaster Review on Monday. The lowest insurance costs worldwide since 2009 was because of the reduced hurricane activity in the North Atlantic of El Nino weather phenomenon. Weather caused 94% of catastrophes including storms, floods and earthquakes last year, according to data from reinsurer Munich Re .

Earthquake, heat waves and floods were among the worst natural disasters to hit the world in 2015. Here’s a look at top three natural disasters as covered by Disaster Report that caused major damage to lives and properties in 2015.

Eight people have died by tornado in Garland, Texas, raising the death toll to 26 in a week of storms in several US states. Five people in cars were probably blown off a motorway in Garland, near Dallas. Another three bodies were found in nearby towns, BBC reported. Two people were found dead at a petrol station in Copeville, and a third was killed in Blue Ridge.

UK flood warnings/flood alerts map (The Telegraph) Heavy rain has caused flooding in northern England, leading evacuations of thousands in Lancashire and Yorkshire. At least 2,200 homes have been evacuated in York placing six severe flood warnings in the area, BBC reported. Met Office has issued hundreds of flood alerts and warnings - more than 30 of them severe.

Magnitude 6.3 strong earthquake hit Afghanistan today at 12:14 am Saturday morning, the U.S. Geological Survey reported. According to the U.S. Geological Survey, the quake's epicenter was located 41 km WSW of Ashkasham, Afghanistan. It was 126.4 miles deep. The earthquake occurred near the country’s borders with Pakistan and Tajikistan. At least 30 people injured in Peshwar and are having treatment at Lady Reading Hospital. Others 12 people got injured in the nearby Afghan province of Nangarhar.

Tornado spotted near Clarksdale, Mississippi (Twitter user @FullMetalSquid) Severe storm system in parts of the South and Midwest United States claimed lives of at least six  people on Wednesday, bringing several tornadoes in Indiana, Illinois, Mississippi and Tennessee.  Three people died in Mississippi; two in Benton County and One in Marshall County. Tornado shelters have been established in Harmony Baptist Church in Walnut (Tippah Co.) and Clarksdale Auditorium in Clarksdale (Coahoma Co.). The State Emergency Operations Center has been partially activated with key agencies to assist with the response.

Magnitude 4.1 light aftershock rattled Dolakha at 8:59 am Wednesday morning, Nepal Seismological Center reported. The epicenter was located inside Gaurishankar Conservation area near Gorthali.

Avalanche disaster site (GNFAC) An avalanche in southern Montana has claimed life of a snowmobiler. Two of the snowmobilers from North Dakota managed to dig themselves from the slide north of Cooke City on the Montana-Wyoming line. According to the Gallatin National Forest Avalanche Center (GNFAC), the avalanche occurred on the SE face of Sheep Mountain between Lulu Pass and Round Lake. 

The landslide site of an industrial park in Shenzhen, south China's Guangdong Province (Xinhua) Massive landslide in Shenzhen's Hengtaiyu Industrial Park of China has left 91 missing, including 59 males and 32 females as of early Monday morning, Chinese state media reported. The landslide buried 33 buildings in an industrial park in Shenzhen City, south China's Guangdong Province on Sunday.  Chinese President Xi Jinping and Premier Li Keqiang ordered immediate rescue efforts after landslide hit an industrial park in Shenzhen city, in Guangdong province. According to Xinhua News Agency , landslide occuured in Shenzhen city and exploded the natural gas pipeline owned byPetroChina, China's top oil and gas producer. Landslide destroys building in Shenzhen's Hengtaiyu Industrial Park of China (AFP/CNN Photo) (AFP/CNN Photo) According to Shenzhen's emergency response office, at least 13 people have been hospitalized with three of them in ser

Update According to Local Police Station, at least four houses have been damaged in Barhabise and Thulsain area of Bajura. Main Post Magnitude 5.5 strong earthquake rattled Bajura at 4:02 a.m. Saturday morning, Nepal Seismological Center reported. The epicenter was located near Piluchaur bazzar along Karnali River. Strong tremor was felt in Achham, Jumla, Darchula, Baitadi and neighbouring districts. The tremor was even felt in Lucknow and Indian capital Delhi.

Aerial view of tornado damage in Kurnell, Sydney (Mark Evans/News Corp Australia) A destructive winds measuring up to 213 km/hr hit Sydney at about 10:30am (AEDT) bringing down trees and power lines and causing flash flooding, the Bureau of Meteorology (BOM) said. There could be up to 25 homes with significant damage so far in Kurnell area, ABC has quoted Phil Campbell from the SES as saying.

River Deel burst its banks in Crossmolina, Co Mayo (Richard Moyles/RTÉ) Severe flooding caused by storm Desmond has affected the west coast of Ireland and the Midlands. Status Yellow rainfall warning has been issued for Cork, Kerry and Waterford valid from Monday 14 December 2015 to Tuesday 15 December 2015.

Hailstorm damaged hundreds of homes in Hluti and Lavumisa areas of Swaziland on Saturday. Hailstorm also damaged roofs at Ngozi Primary School.

Tens of thousands of people have been evacuated as Typhoon Melor (known locally as Nona) made landfall around 11 a.m. over Batag, Northern Samar.  According to the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council, Typhoon Melor is expected to cause flooding, landslides and storm surges of up to four metres.

Magnitude 4.1 light aftershock rattled Dhading at 08:45 a.m. Sunday morning, Nepal Seismological Center confirmed. The epicenter was located near Kingtang. Weak tremor of MMI III was felt in surrounding Bungtang, Kintang, Marpak, Salme and Kaule.

Torrential rains and flooding have claimed lives of atleast 31 people and left 20,000 families homeless in Kinshasa, the Democratic Republic of Congo. Most of the deaths occurred along the banks of the giant Congo river, Kinshasa's Interior Minister Emmanuel Akweti told AFP .

A fallen tree splits a house in Southeast Portland (Portland Fire & Rescue/USA Today). Governor Jay Inslee has declared weather emergency in Washington after heavy rain  triggered flooding and landslides across the western part of the state.  Flood waters have closed several sections of Oregon highways in Clatsop, Tillamook, Marion, Yamhill and Lincoln counties.

The traffic in smog in Shijingshan District of Beijing, captial of China (Xinhua/Li Xin) Beijing's city government issued its first red alert for smog on Tuesday warning severe air pollution would affect the Chinese capital for several days. According to Xinhua News Agency , Beijing upgraded its alert for air pollution from orange to red, which will last from 7:00 a.m. Tuesday to 12:00 p.m. Thursday. According to the U.S. Embassy in Beijing, the air quality index stood at 250 Tuesday morning, classed as "very unhealthy" and 10 times higher than the World Health Organization's recommended levels, CNN reported. According to the city's emergency management headquarters, during a red alert, kindergartens, primary and high schools are advised to suspend classes, outdoor operations of construction sites are banned and some industrial plants are required to limit or stop production. According to the Beijing Municipal Environmental Monitoring Center

Mount Aso volcano erupted in Japan`s Kumamoto prefecture on Monday, Japan's Meteorological Agency (JMA) said. According to JMA, the latest eruption at Mount Aso send plumes of smoke about 700 meters above the No. 1 crater of Mt. Nakadake.