disasters Archives - Page 3 of 4

Jan132024 by Editor Desk1 Comment

Study Reveals Major US Atlantic Coast Cities Are Sinking at Alarming Rates

Breaking News, Climate Actions, Environment, Thoughts & Talks

A recent study has uncovered a concerning reality for major cities on the US Atlantic coast, including New York City, Long Island, and other coastal regions – they are sinking at a rate of 2mm per year. The sinking land poses significant threats, raising concerns about flooding, long-term viability, and the potential impact on densely populated areas. The research, published in the Proceedings of the National Academies of Sciences, sheds light on the impact of sinking land on major metropolitan areas like Baltimore, Norfolk, and Virginia Beach. These coastal cities are already susceptible to flooding, and the additional threat of sinking land amplifies the risks. While the sinking may appear gradual, researchers emphasize that the consequences are real and pose a serious threat to th...

Jan72024 by Editor Desk1 Comment

New York City’s Record Snow Drought Persists Despite Winter Storm: 692-Day Streak Continues

Breaking News, Disasters, Environment

New York City's historic two-year snow drought may not end with the current winter storm system. Despite the arrival of the storm passing through the East Coast, as of 7 p.m. Saturday, only 0.2 inches had been recorded in Central Park. The National Weather Service forecasted only 0.8 inches of accumulation before the storm moves out to sea late on Sunday night. The city's 8.5 million residents have not seen more than 1 inch of snowfall in Manhattan's Central Park since February 13, 2022, marking a record-long streak of 692 days. The lack of snow in New York City is considered another sign of how climate change is affecting global weather patterns.

Jan52024 by Editor DeskNo Comments

Groundbreaking Effort: IIT Delhi Researchers Develop India’s First High Resolution Landslide Risk Map

Breaking News, Disasters, Idea & Innovations

In a pioneering effort, researchers from the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Delhi have successfully developed the first-of-its-kind national landslide risk map. The lack of a comprehensive map has been a significant challenge, particularly in the aftermath of natural disasters. The map, which is set to be published in the February 2024 issue of the journal Catena, aims to revolutionize disaster preparedness and mitigation strategies across the country. Unique Challenge: Landslides in India Landslides pose a unique and deadly challenge in India, affecting localized areas and making them harder to track and study with traditional methods such as satellite imaging. Unlike floods, landslides occur in approximately 1-2% of the country, making data collection more challenging due to thei...

Jan42024 by Editor Desk1 Comment

Japan Earthquake Updates: Death Toll rises to 62 as Rescuers Race Against Time

Breaking News, Disasters, Environment

The Japan Earthquake death toll rising day by day from a series of powerful earthquakes in Japan, including a magnitude 7.5 quake, it has risen to 62, according to NHK World, citing officials from the hard-hit Ishikawa prefecture. Most fatalities have been confirmed in Wajima and Suzu on the Noto Peninsula. Over 20 people are reported to be seriously injured, with rescuers facing the challenge of confirming the number of people still missing. Many individuals are feared trapped under collapsed houses. The earthquakes struck the Noto Peninsula in the central Ishikawa prefecture on Monday, causing buildings to collapse and triggering tsunami warnings as far away as eastern Russia. According to the country's meteorological office, a total of 155 earthquakes were reported on that day ...

Jan12024 by Editor Desk1 Comment

Japan hit by series of big earthquakes, with 7.6 Mag, tsunami warning issued in Russia, Korea

Breaking News, Disasters

Japan was hit by several big earthquakes with Noto in Ishigawa prefecture experiencing a 7.6 magnitude earthquake, the highest, and seeing five-foot tsunami waves along the coast. Bullet train services were suspended, and communication services and power supplies were disrupted in the affected areas. The earthquake triggering tsunami waves as high as five foot, and prompting authorities has issued the tsunami warnings and evacuation advisories for people on the country's northwestern coast, local media reported. According to the Japan Meteorological Agency (JMA), the earthquake hit Ishikawa and nearby prefectures, with one of them having a preliminary magnitude of 7.6. According to the local weather agencies, tsunami waves were predicted within 300 kilometres of the epicentre in Noto in...

Jan12024 by Editor DeskNo Comments

Alarming Surge in Extreme Weather Events in India Faces: Challenges and Impacts in year 2023

Breaking News, Environment, Learning & Developments

Climate Vulnerability and Increasing Frequency of Extreme Weather Events India has witnessed a staggering surge in extreme weather events, with almost daily occurrences in the first nine months of 2023, leading to nearly 3,000 deaths, according to a report released by the Centre for Science and Environment (CSE). Published on November 29, the report highlighted that the climate-vulnerable country experienced extreme weather on 86% of days from January to September, marking a concerning "new abnormal" in a warming world. The CSE's report, titled "India 2023: An Assessment of Extreme Weather Events," revealed alarming statistics, including 2,923 reported deaths, extensive crop damage covering almost two million hectares, destruction of 80,000 homes, and the loss of over 92,000 animals. H...

Jan12024 by Editor Desk1 Comment

Use of Emerging Technologies like Artificial Intelligence/Machine Learning in Disaster Risk Reduction: Opportunities, challenges, and prospects

Breaking News, Tech, Thoughts & Talks

In the recent era of digital world, Artificial intelligence has become most popular and innovative technology, which is playing a critical role in managing disaster risk and predicting the extreme events. It has a wide range of applications from the forecasting the extreme weather events, to development of hazard maps, to the detection of events in real time basis, and integrated with spatial technology can provide the real-time situational awareness for any disaster event, and beyond. When we talk about AI let’s try to understand the AI form technology perspectives and how this can improve the disasters management practices. AI refers to emerging technologies that mimic or even outperform the human intelligence while performing certain tasks or even to automate the things. AI tools an...

Dec272023 by Editor Desk1 Comment

Severe Thunderstorms in Australia Claim Six Lives

Breaking News, Disasters, Environment

(27.12.2023) Austraila, Severe thunderstorms in Australia’s eastern states over the Christmas holidays have claimed the lives of at least six people, with three others reported missing. Tens of thousands of households in Queensland are without power due to the impact of the storms. Police in Victoria and Queensland have confirmed the deaths, including a nine-year-old girl who was reportedly swept away in a flooded stormwater drain. Two people are missing after their boat capsized south of Green Island near Brisbane, and a 46-year-old woman is also being sought after being caught in floodwaters north of Brisbane in Gumpie. Severe thunderstorms struck on December 25 and 26, bringing large hailstones, high winds, and torrential rains. The adverse weather conditions led to river flooding...

Dec252023 by Editor Desk1 Comment

Ice Cores data from Nevado Huascaran Provide Insights into Amazon Basin’s Climate History

Breaking News, Climate Actions

Scientists from Ohio State University (OSU) have studied ice cores from Nevado Huascaran, the world’s highest tropical mountain located in the Peruvian Andes, to gain unprecedented insights into the climate history of the Amazon Basin over the past six decades. Unlike polar regions, samples from tropical areas like Nevado Huascaran can provide valuable information about phenomena such as El Niño and the movement of monsoon winds. The research involved collecting ice core samples from the summit and the mountain col, the lowest point between two ridges. Key Points: •Nevado Huascaran, standing at nearly 7,000 meters above sea level, is the world’s highest tropical mountain. •Ice core samples were collected from the summit and the mountain col to analyze the impact of climate change ...

Dec232023 by Editor Desk1 Comment

World’s Largest Iceberg A23a Begins Drifting After 40 Years Grounded

Climate Actions, Disasters

In a significant development, the world’s largest iceberg, A23a, has finally broken free from its grounded position, initiating its drift in the Weddell Sea. Originating from West Antarctica’s Fichner-Ronne ice shelf, A23a measures a staggering 4000 sq km (1,500 square miles) with a thickness of about 400 meters (1,300 feet), making it the largest iceberg globally. After being grounded for an extended period since 1986, recent observations by the Copernicus Sentinel-1 satellite confirm its movement, estimated at approximately 4.8 km (3 miles) per day, propelled by winds and currents. Iceberg A23a Animation The colossal iceberg’s journey was tracked through an animation provided by the European Space Agency (ESA), showcasing its shifts on November 2, November 14, and November 26, 2023...