Free Republic
Browse · Search
News/Activism
Topics · Post Article

Skip to comments.

The Worst Natural Disaster Ever?
The Disaster Center ^ | 12/29/04 | Me

Posted on 12/29/2004 1:48:49 PM PST by paudio

As sad as it is, the SE Asia earthquake is not the worst natural disaster ever. In 1991, Bangladesh suffered from Typhoon that killed about 140,000 people. Before that, in 1970, the country also lost 300,000 people from natural disaster.

The SE Asia disaster, however, seems to be a significant one because there are many Westerners, including 'celebrities', died in this unfortunate event.

Please look at the website that list of the worst 100 natural disaster in the 20th century. They also include famine and epidemic, though.


TOPICS: Culture/Society; Extended News; Foreign Affairs; Miscellaneous; News/Current Events; Your Opinion/Questions
KEYWORDS: aceh; andamans; bangladesh; burma; deaths; destruction; diegogarcia; earhquake; india; indonesia; malaysia; maldives; massdeath; nicobar; seychelles; somalia; srilanka; sumatra; sumatraquake; tanzania; thailand; tsunami; waves
Navigation: use the links below to view more comments.
first previous 1-2021-4041-6061-80 last
To: NCCarrs

I understand that the Tamal Tigers, an insurgent group in Sri Lanka, will not allow any relief suppllies to come into the country unless their group is in charge of the distributin.


61 posted on 12/29/2004 4:44:57 PM PST by ArmyTeach (Non nobis, Domine, sed nomine tuo da gratia.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 47 | View Replies]

To: Jackson Brown

#2 is not a natural disaster. The Soviets CAUSED that famine.


62 posted on 12/29/2004 4:57:40 PM PST by LibertarianInExile (NO BLOOD FOR CHOCOLATE! Get the UN-ignoring, unilateralist Frogs out of Ivory Coast!)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 35 | View Replies]

To: paudio; A. Pole
The SE Asia disaster, however, seems to be a significant one because there are many Westerners, including 'celebrities', died in this unfortunate event.

I don't think it's the presence of Westerners.

I believe it is from a heightened sense of awareness from the progress of globalism and immigration.

It is astounding how fast things change.

I'm not saying I like the change--just that it's astounding how fast it happens.

63 posted on 12/29/2004 5:59:33 PM PST by Age of Reason
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: paudio; A. Pole
The world is shrinking: Americans are coming increasingly in contact with foreign people and their ways via globalism and immigration.

I predict that this shrinkage is not a good thing, that it will cause conflict--indeed, it already has.

Lots of room between people makes better neighbors than fences can.
64 posted on 12/29/2004 6:06:22 PM PST by Age of Reason
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Age of Reason

I think it is possible to argue that famines are man made disasters and not natural disasters. The inability for people to get food is probably due to idiotic economic policies like communism, rather than any lack of food on the entire planet.

People in capitalist societies do not tend to die from starvation en masse, if ever.


65 posted on 12/29/2004 6:18:00 PM PST by junkbond
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 64 | View Replies]

To: Calpernia

YES but, there is truth to it.


66 posted on 12/29/2004 6:20:04 PM PST by douglas1 (was there children kidnaped I wont sign up with the times to find out)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 9 | View Replies]

To: Jaded

Airlifted? I bet he was hoisted and they needed a crane.


67 posted on 12/29/2004 7:30:49 PM PST by Kitten Festival (The Thug of Caracas has got to go.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 43 | View Replies]

To: junkbond
People in capitalist societies do not tend to die from starvation en masse, if ever

Perhaps not en masse--but I'll bet more than one homeless American has died from causes related to malnutrition, if not from outright starvation

I also suspect that ironically you only find people dying from anorexia nervosa in rich capitalist societies.

But what's all this got to do with my post that you replied to?

68 posted on 12/29/2004 7:40:48 PM PST by Age of Reason
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 65 | View Replies]

To: paudio

They aren't through counting yet. Each day the numbers go up, and when the disease's start, they could take as many lives as the tsunami.


69 posted on 12/29/2004 7:44:11 PM PST by Texas Mom
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: raygun
Not entirely true. While indeed Noah was commanded by God to bring into the ark by twos, he was also admonished: "Of every clean beast though shalt take to thee by the sevens, the male and his female: and of the beasts that are not clean by two, the male and his female. Of fowls also of the air by sevens, the male and his female; to keep seed alive upon the face of all the earth." Gen 7:2,3 (emphasis in italics mine).

Thanks for the correction - the clean beast and the birds of the air were in groups of 7. Too much haste and got called on the effort for simplification.

70 posted on 12/29/2004 9:11:38 PM PST by Asfarastheeastisfromthewest... (Genesis 6:5 'And God saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth...)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 52 | View Replies]

To: paudio

Wow that's some chart. The Chinese drop 200K in an earthquake like it ain't no thing! :-0


71 posted on 12/29/2004 9:13:20 PM PST by PianoMan (and now back to practicing)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: shubi
There never was a global flood. The Noah story interpreted that way is just not true.

And what would your interpretation be?

72 posted on 12/29/2004 9:15:04 PM PST by Asfarastheeastisfromthewest... (Genesis 6:5 'And God saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth...)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 57 | View Replies]

To: F.J. Mitchell

"Doesn't count. Kerry was only the worst natural disaster ever, wannabe."

We can always use him as a good example of a failed natural disaster. :)


73 posted on 12/29/2004 9:20:26 PM PST by Baraonda (Demographic is destiny. Don't hire 3rd world illegal aliens nor support businesses that hire them.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 17 | View Replies]

To: RightOnline

"Moral of the story........stay out of India, China, Russia, Africa, and Bangladesh. You'll be fine."

Excellent advice.

History seems to repeat itself more often than we think.


74 posted on 12/29/2004 9:22:14 PM PST by Baraonda (Demographic is destiny. Don't hire 3rd world illegal aliens nor support businesses that hire them.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 20 | View Replies]

To: paudio

Toba comes to mind as a historical disaster. (Black Death too.)


75 posted on 12/29/2004 9:22:41 PM PST by Doctor Stochastic (Vegetabilisch = chaotisch is der Charakter der Modernen. - Friedrich Schlegel)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: paudio

So I suppose Westerners and celebrities are more important and newsworthy?


76 posted on 12/29/2004 9:25:14 PM PST by sonserae
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Asfarastheeastisfromthewest...

I have been studying Genesis (especially Gen 1) in the Hebrew for many years. I see no reason to include the Noah epic in the Bible. It may have some spiritual teaching, but I am not sure what it is.

The story is certainly not literally true. Go to Problems with a Global Flood at

http://www.talkorigins.org/faqs/faq-noahs-ark.html

for a good discussion of the multiple problems with taking Noah literally. (If the flood is only regional, there is no reason for an Ark.)

My take on Genesis 1 is it can be quite close to modern science if you take "Let there be light" as the Creation Event and translate "YOM" (day) as indefinite period of time (Gen 2:4 supports this translation) .

Then the progression of creation sounds very much like evolution, as far as a non-technical language communicated to unscientific people might be.


77 posted on 12/30/2004 5:02:34 AM PST by shubi (Peace through superior firepower.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 72 | View Replies]

To: Asfarastheeastisfromthewest...

"Thanks for the correction - the clean beast and the birds of the air were in groups of 7. Too much haste and got called on the effort for simplification."

Since it didn't really happen, it makes no difference.


78 posted on 12/30/2004 5:05:08 AM PST by shubi (Peace through superior firepower.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 70 | View Replies]

To: Baraonda

"We can always use him as a good example of a failed natural disaster. :)"

Absolutely and on top of that, we can rightly give George W. Bush, credit for preventing that natural disaster.


79 posted on 12/30/2004 1:29:32 PM PST by F.J. Mitchell (I resolve for 2005, to live my life as I would be if I had kept all my previous resolutions.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 73 | View Replies]

To: paudio

It's too early to tell how bad this disaster was. I read one report that said the death toll could be up to a million. There are islands that disappeared. They haven't been able to get to lots of places.


80 posted on 12/30/2004 1:31:41 PM PST by luckystarmom
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]


Navigation: use the links below to view more comments.
first previous 1-2021-4041-6061-80 last

Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.

Free Republic
Browse · Search
News/Activism
Topics · Post Article

FreeRepublic, LLC, PO BOX 9771, FRESNO, CA 93794
FreeRepublic.com is powered by software copyright 2000-2008 John Robinson