Number 15. 2011 Tohoku Earthquake and Tsunami:
Often credited as the Fukushima Earthquake,
the Tohoku Earthquake made Japan the centre
of attention for most of 2011 and into 2012.
At 2:46pm Japan Standard Time, a 9.0 magnitude
earthquake shook Japan for six minutes off
the coast of the Sendai region in Northern
Honshu island. Immediately after, 40 metre
tsunami crashed into the Japanese coast, taking
buildings, cars, people, and anything in its
path to be swallowed up by the ocean. Both
the earthquake and resulting tsunami was captured
on video by residents, tourists and CCTV,
perfectly visualizing the violent nature of
both. As of March 2015, the National Police
released records of a total of 15,893 fatalities
as a result of the disaster. The main highlight
of the disaster was the extensive damage done
to the Fukushima nuclear reactors, resulting
in radiation leaking into the surrounding
area, resulting in an evacuation of the area
following a reactor meltdown worse than the
one at Three Mile Island in Pennsylvania.
This has caused heated debate in Japan questioning
the practice of nuclear energy in the country
since it is an earthquake hot zone. While
the earthquake sent Japan's economy into a
deep recession, the country was able to come
together and rebuild most of the affected
areas within a year.
Number 14. 2004 Sumatra Earthquake and Tsunami:
It was the day after Christmas in South Asia,
and the beaches were packed with Christmas
tourists from around the world, and locals
from the countries surrounding the Indian
Ocean. At 12:58 UTC, and earthquake of 9.1
magnitude rocked the Indonesian island of
Sumatra, sending a massive tsunami rippling
the Indian Ocean and smashing large waves
along the coastline. Locals and tourists alike
filmed the scenes unfolding, initially expressing
surprise over the extent the tides had washed
out. While some recognized the danger of this,
many remained on the beaches to observe until
it was too late. The waves smashed onto the
resorts, and by the end between 230,000 and
280,000 people were dead, and many more are
still listed as missing; a majority of the
dead were in Indonesia, and a total of 1.75
million people were displaced. The strength
of the shockwave was enough for the tsunami
to reach as far as Madagascar, Kenya and even
South Africa, though causalities were considerably
low compared to Indonesia, Sri Lanka and India,
which were the most devastated countries affected.
It was the third largest earthquake recorded
in history, and also prompted one of the largest
humanitarian responses, from donations, all
the way to volunteer and foreign aid relief.
Number 13. 2011 Joplin Tornado: Missouri is
a state located in the middle of tornado ally,
and is no stranger to the phenomena, but on
May 22, 2011, the city of Joplin was struck
with a powerful F5 multi-vortex tornado, causing
almost complete destruction to the city and
surrounding area. As a haven for tornado chasers,
many managed to capture the full force of
the tornado, which ripped through the area
for just over 40 minutes, and picked up winds
up to 320 km/h. In the aftermath, residents
overlooked the complete devastation as entire
neighbourhoods were flattened and many people
now found themselves trapped in their homes
and overturned cars. 158 people were killed,
and 1,150 were injured as a result of the
disaster. As procedure, emergency crews were
immediately dispatched from across Missouri
to aid in the search and rescue efforts, and
Governor Jay Nixon declared a state of emergency
for the Joplin area. In the early hours of
May 23, Missouri Task Force One reached Joplin,
and the rescue efforts began. By 2015, it
was calculated a total $2.95 billion in damages.
Charity donations and relif supplies soared
into the area, and even caught the attention
of the Royal Family of the United Arab Emirates,
who donated laptops to all 2,200 high school
students in the Joplin area, and $5 million
to help rebuild the Mercy Hospital, which
was destroyed in the disaster.
Number 12. Hurricane Sandy: Originating in
the Caribbean, Sandy travelled up the entire
Eastern Coast of the United States. The storm
is best known for making landfall in New York
City, temporarily submerging parts of Manhattan
and the other boroughs underwater. The storm
lasted from October 22 until November 2, 2012,
dissipating over the Canadian Maritime provinces.
By that time, 233 people were killed and $75
billion in damages were inflicted. When Sandy
hit Jamaica, 70% of its residents were left
without electricity, and the flooding caused
in Haiti killed 54 people from drowning or
waterborne diseases. The hurricane also became
a hot topic of the upcoming presidential election,
and incumbent president Barack Obama's response
to the storm is credited as a deciding factor
in his reelection days later. The HMS Bounty
attempted to sail the ship out of harms way,
but tragically ran into the storm mid way
when winds changed Sandy's direction, leading
it right into the ship; it sunk 90 miles off
the North Carolina coast, killing two of the
crew, including the captain.
Number 11. Slave Lake Wildfires: This small
town in Northern Alberta, Canada was engulfed
by massive wildfires between May 14th and
16th 2011. Canada was in the height of its
annual fire season, which amounts to approximately
9,000 fires every year around the country,
and the wildfires that occur in Alberta rarely
threaten populated areas. However, this particular
fire quickly spread into Slave Lake, resulting
in a mass evacuation of the town to avoid
injuries and fatalities. Many evacuees filmed
their flight from the town, showing the bellowing
smoke above and the fires breaching the town.
In total, 12,000 acres were burned, and 433
buildings were destroyed, with a further 89
damaged. In total, 7,000 people were forced
to evacuate, resulting in one of the largest
displacements in Alberta history. Among the
ruins were the town hall, library, radio station
and a local mall. Despite the severity of
the blaze, there was only one reported fatality
due to a helicopter crash in the vicinity.
An extensive investigation into the cause
revealed arson was the likely cause of the
inferno, though no person as of yet has been
charged, and the investigation is ongoing.
Number 10. Hurricane Katrina: The fifth hurricane
of the 2005 season, Katrina also happened
to be the most severe. Originating over the
Bahamas, Katrina moved up to the Southern
American coast. New Orleans, Louisiana was
particularly devastated, after the levees
meant to protect the city from flooding were
breached, and gallons upon gallons of water
flowed into the city. $108 billion in damages
were reported in the aftermath, and between
1,200 and 1,800 people were killed. Katrina
remains a high topic of discussion due to
the controversial handling of the relief effort,
or lack thereof depending on the perspective.
The aftermath of Katrina resulted in the resignation
of Federal Emergency Management Agency director
Michael D. Brown and New Orleans Police Superintendent
Eddie Compass. News stations from around the
world showed the almost anarchic nature of
the Southern Coast in the aftermath, seemingly
full of lawlessness, and desperation of those
who were stranded. The 2005 storm was the
final one named Katrina, as it was retired
due to the high death toll and damage cost
making it too iconic and recognizable.
Number 9. 2011 Christchurch Earthquake: It
seemed like a typical lunchtime in the New
Zealand city on the 22nd of February 2011,
but soon the residents felt the earth violently
shake beneath their feet. Christchurch experienced
a 6.3 magnitude earthquake, the second largest
in the country's history. Lasting around 10
seconds, and occurring only 10 km from the
city centre, the devastation was massive,
with buildings collapsing all over Christchurch,
and near by Lyttelton. Home videos surfaced
of the quake, showing lunch time commuters
fleeing for their lives, and structures crumbling
under the immense force of the shaking; sadly,
many people were on the streets and sidewalks
during their lunch break, resulting in many
people being covered in rubble. In total,
185 people were killed, and between 1500 and
2000 were injured, 164 of which were serious.
In the aftermath, city emergency officials
found themselves pushed to their limits, with
hospitals running over capacity, ambulances
rushing to go from scene to scene, and the
fire brigades desperately trying to put out
fires started from broken gas lines. After
a national state of emergency was declared,
international offers of relief assistance
flooded in, which the New Zealand government
hastily accepted; monetary donations from
the Australian Federal Government and New
South Wales totaled 6.5 million New Zealand
dollars and 1.3 million NZ dollars respectfully,
and an Australian rescue force was immediately
dispatched to Christchurch and the surrounding
area. 66 members of the Japanese USAR, along
with three specialists in search and rescue
dogs also descended on the city withing two
days, helping ease the overwhelmed local emergency
services.
Number 8. Armero Tragedy: The Nevado del Ruiz
stratovolcano in Tolima, Colombia lay dormant
for 69 years, until November 13, 1985, when
it erupted; the surrounding towns were completely
caught off guard, and a mass amount of mudslides,
landslides and debris flow buried many of
the communities, with their inhabitants now
trapped.The flows travelled a staggering 50km/h,
leaving little time for people to flee. The
town of Armero took the full force of the
mudslides, killing 20,000 out of its 29,000
inhabitants. The most iconic footage and photographs
of the disaster is that of Omayra Sanchez,
whose legs had become trapped under the debris
of her home, leaving her submerged underwater
up to her neck. Efforts to rescue her failed,
and it was determined there would be no way
to save her without amputation. To the surprise
of onlookers, Sanchez remained calm through
her ordeal, speaking to her rescuers and singing
to them. She agreed to interviews in exchange
for sweets and soda. After three days, Sanchez
died from exposure, while her mother and brother
survived. The Colombian government came under
heavy fire after the disaster, due to there
being many warning signs brought before the
government, but failing to act in time.
Number 7. 2013 Southern Alberta Floods: A
fairly recent and personal experience for
Top15s writer Jonah Petruic, Southern Alberta,
Canada was barraged by flood waters as a result
of seasonal melt build up overflowing the
river system, topped with heavy rainfall.
Residents of Calgary and the surrounding areas
awoke on June 19, 2013, to discover the waters
of the Bow and South Saskatchewan Rivers had
overflowed, and created what appeared to be
a lake swallowing the neighbourhoods bordering
the rivers. Mountain communities Banff and
Canmore experienced massive river flow, resulting
in rockslides covering the Trans-Canada Highway,
forcing officials to close the road; the town
of High River experienced the worst of the
disaster, with the water levels rising over
vehicle roofs, and stranding over 150 people
on rooftops requiring airlift rescue. The
Alberta government issued a state of emergency,
and residents unaffected by flood waters were
urged to remain in their home for their safety
and to not impede with emergency personnel.
Footage from residents and local news were
broadcast across Canada, and even picked up
airtime internationally. In the end, 100,000
residents were displaced, 5 people were killed,
and $5billion in damages were a direct result
of the flooding. The final floodwaters edged
back into the rivers on July 12, and in an
act of humanity, people from across Alberta
and Canada made their way to the communities
hardest affected to help clean out the homes
and businesses; however, the legacy of the
floods continue to impact Southern Alberta
residents to this day.
Number 6. 1992 Hurricane Andrew: The fifth
most destructive cyclone in American history,
Hurricane Andrew flew over the Bahamas and
straight into Florida's coast. The category
5 storm reached speeds of 285 km/h, with the
most damage occurring in the Miami-Dade County,
where 25,000 homes were destroyed and 100,000
severely damaged. An evacuation was ordered
in nine of Florida's counties, but many residents
in the apartment complexes huddled for shelter
in the stairwells, and others covered under
mattresses as their roofs collapsed. News
anchors stayed sheltered in their studios
and stayed on the air to offer advice to those
still able to tune in. By the time the storm
dissipated, 26 people were killed as a direct
result, with a further 39 indirect fatalities;
damages totaled $26.5 billion. Andrew was
able to cause 28 tornadoes along the Gulf
coast, mostly in Alabama, Mississippi and
Georgia. Response proved controversial due
to the rise of crime and looting in the aftermath,
and it took four days for emergency relief
to enter the Miami area, and a further two
days for supplies to begin circulating. This
was the last hurricane to be named Andrew,
as the name was retired after that year's
season.
Number 5. 1987 Edmonton Tornado: While Tornados
are not a rare sight in Alberta, seldom do
they ever threaten the major metropolitan
centres of the province. On July 31, Alberta's
capital of Edmonton was rocked by an F4 tornado.
Touching down in the south of the city, the
twister travelled north up the entire east
side of the city, with the peak intensity
in the refinery row district. It finally dissipated
in the community of Evergreen at 4:25 pm,
just over an hour from touch down. Emergency
services immediate descended onto the affected
areas, and the nearby Canadian Forces Base
placed its helicopters on standby for relief
efforts. 27 people died as a result of the
tornado, most of whom lived in Evergreen,
which is a mobile home community. While home
video wasn't as popular in 1987 as it is today,
many residents quickly took out their camcorders
to film the unusual sight, along with the
local news filming the immediate aftermath.
Changes were made in order to better warn
residents of impending disasters, and the
Alberta Emergency Alert system was developed
and programmed to interrupt public and private
broadcasts with warning messages, similar
to the Emergency Broadcast System in the United
States. In the summer of 2015, history nearly
repeated itself three hours south in Calgary,
when a funnel cloud formed in the south-west
of the city, but dissipated before touching
the ground
Number 4. Tornado Outbreak of December 23-25,
2015: While many were preparing for Christmas
Celebrations, the United States found itself
sieged by a massive tornado outbreak, mostly
in Illinois, Indiana, Tennessee, Alabama and
Mississippi. Within the three day period,
over 30 tornadoes touched down across Southern
and Midwestern United States, causing mass
destruction and casualties in the areas affected.
The strongest winds occurred near Black Grant,
Kentucky on December 23, with wind gusts reaching
between 90 and 100 miles per hour. Hail was
also largely reported, with stones in Craigshead
Country, Arkansas on the 23rd and Hinds Country,
Mississippi on Christmas Eve measuring 2.75
inches. 12 of the tornadoes only reached F1
status, but an F4 was recorded on December
23rd between Holly Springs, Mississippi and
Selmer, Tennessee. In total, 17 people were
killed during the outbreak, 12 of which were
a direct result of the tornadoes, and 10 of
the fatalities were from the aforementioned
F4. While most of the damage was minor to
moderate, the Holly Springs/Selmer tornado
has destroyed many small communities and country
homes, and a relief effort has been set up
to clean up, and provide aid to the residents.
Number 3. 2015 Washington Wildfires: The eastern
United States has been suffering a period
of high temperatures for several year, particularly
in California. As a result, many of the vegetation
dries up and can create a severe fire hazard.
As early as May 15, wildfires began spreading
through Washington state and the Canadian
province of British Colombia, mostly due to
lightning strikes. The largest of these fires
was in Okanogan County, which was an amalgamation
of several smaller fires combining into one.
At it's height, 304,782 acres were burned.
To date, it is the largest wildfire in Washington's
history, and tragically three US Forest Service
firefighters were killed in an accident on
August 19. Currently, there is no exact count
of the amount of fires in Washington to occur
during this time, but an estimated 1.1 million
acres was destroyed, and 120 homes were destroyed
in the Okanogan fires alone. By the end of
August, most of the fires were being contained,
and firefighters from across the United States
came to help the local authorities, as well
as 70 Australian and New Zealand firefighters
who came to brief and lend equipment. States
and provinces east of the fires saw a significant
drop in air quality for much of the summer,
as the winds carried smoke as far as Calgary,
Alberta, sending the air quality index to
a 500 rating in late August.
Number 2. Mount St. Helens eruption: Now a
well known event across the United States
and Canada, Mount St. Helens is an active
stratovolcano located in the Cascade Mountain
Range of Washington 154 kms south of Seattle.
The most violent eruption to date occurred
on May 18, 1980, when the volcano exploded.
In the days leading up to the eruption, Mount
St. Helens showed signs of a possible eruption
with notable swelling on the north end of
the mountain, causing many people to cautiously
vacate the area. The explosion occurred around
half-past-8 in the morning, and sent almost
the entire north face sliding down in a large
land flow. While no known footage of the eruption
exists, various scientific and wildlife agencies
captured the bellowing cloud of ash in the
aftermath, which reached up to 80,000 feet,
and deposited ash in 11 states on the continental
U.S, and 5 provinces in Canada. An estimated
death toll brings the body count to 60, and
$1.1 billion dollars in property damage was
a result of the landslide, and a mudflow formed
from dirt and ash falling into the near by
Columbia River, transporting a total of 3
million cubic metres of debris over 27 kms.
Since then, eruptions from the volcano have
been relatively more minor, and the crater
of the volcano shows the eruption point. The
last eruption to date occurred between January
16 and July 10, 2008, with only ash released
with minor effect to the surrounding area.
Number 1. 1989 Loma Prieta Earthquake: The
San Francisco Bay Area was struck by a 6.9
magnitude earthquake lasting between 8 and
15 seconds. In total, 63 were killed and 3,757
were injured. Before the quake began, millions
had tuned into the watch Game 3 of the 1989
World Series between the Oakland Athletics
and San Francisco Giants at Candlestick park,
and the coverage captured the first ever live
footage of an earthquake. After the quake
ended, local news took to the streets and
sky to film the destruction caused; broken
gas lines set fires throughout the area, and
a section of the Bay Bridge collapsed, sending
commuters fleeing from a potential collapse.
As stated before on this channel, the small
number of deaths has been speculated to be
a result of fewer traffic on the bridge due
to people staying home to watch the game,
and attending the game itself, meaning the
death toll on the Nimtz Freeway collapse was
due to lesser congestion on the road. The
earthquake also caused between 1,000 and 4,000
landslides, and caused between 5.6 and $6.6
billion dollars in damages. The earthquake
also led to the decision to replace the Bay
Bridge out of fear it could not sustain another
major earthquake, and construction on the
new eastern span began in 2013.
