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