Precious Pairs Disaster Blog

 Australian Bushfire(2019-2020) The Australian bushfire season of 2019-2020 was devastating and one of the most severe in the country's history. It began unusually early in June 2019 and continued well into 2020, impacting vast areas across several states, notably New South Wales, Victoria, and South Australia. EXTENT: The fires burned approximately 18.6 million hectares (46 million acres) of land, destroyed over 5,900 buildings (including homes), and claimed the lives of at least 33 people. The smoke from the fires also caused severe air quality issues across large parts of the country. IMPACT: The fires significantly affected wildlife, with estimates suggesting that over a billion animals were killed or displaced. Several species, including the koala and glossy black cockatoo, were particularly hard hit, leading to concerns about long-term impacts on biodiversity. CAUSES: 1. The intensity and early onset of the bushfire season sparked renewed debates on climate change and its rol

 Uttarakhand is a Himalayan state located in the northern part of India. It has a hilly terrain with three important rivers Ganga, Yamuna and Kaali passing through this state. The region attracts adventure enthusiasts due to its rugged terrain, picturesque hill stations, and breathtaking landscapes. Moreover, the Char Dham Yatra pilgrimage is a significant attraction located in Uttarakhand. In June 2013 the area suffered extensive damage and loss of life due to a flash flood that was partly manmade and partly because of environmental causes. There was an unforeseen and unusual amount of rainfall due to the fusion of westerlies and monsoon winds; this in addition to cloud burst and glacier lake outburst led to flash floods and mass destruction. According to the state government 169 people died,4021 people were missing,4200 villages were affected,2513 houses were destroyed and 11091 livestock was lost. Environmental factors played a significant role in this disaster. Climate change and t

 Jennifer.Koszelnik Blog Post 2 Gaza Medics struggling in face of overwhelming disasters as medical supplies run low As the conflict in Gaza continues to happen, there has been a shortage of medical supplies, the UN health agency has been telling us with caution that more of the Gazans will die if there are not medical evacuations for the sick or people that are injured. There are about 10,000 Gazan citizens that are needed to have urgent transport that is outside of Gaza for treatment but since May 6 there has been no medical evacuations outside of Gaza which has become a huge problem. Another main issue is that the attacks in Rafah soil have continued and most of the civilians lack the necessary utilities such as food, water, and shelter which are the necessary items needed for a chance of survival. In response the main reason for the extreme difficulty to provide aid in Gaza is due to the fact that there have been hostilities and a more challenging logistical condition and coordinat

 A heatwave is an extended period of abnormally high temperatures lasting for more than two consecutive days. The classification of a heatwave is based on the maximum temperature of a station, which is considered to be 40°C or more for Plains and 30°C or more for Hilly regions. During the summer of 2022, Europe experienced several heatwaves, which were attributed to a range of factors, namely climate change and atmospheric conditions. Southern Europe was particularly affected by intense heat, raising concerns about health, agriculture, and wildfires. Tragically, heat-related causes claimed the lives of 62,862 individuals in Europe, with the highest number of heat-attributable deaths occurring in Italy (18,010), followed by Spain (11,324) and Germany (8,173). Heatwaves can lead to various heat-related illnesses and health conditions that range from mild discomfort to severe and life-threatening conditions, including Heat Exhaustion, Heatstroke, Dehydration, Heat Cramps, and Exacerbation

  Impacts of Hurricane Katrina The late August of 2005 was devastating and painful. Hurricane Katrina, one of the costliest natural disasters in American history, struck multiple southeastern states from August 23 to August 31, 2005. Katrina began as a tropical depression over the southeastern Bahamas on August 23, 2005, and gradually incubated and strengthened to a category 1 hurricane as it approached and lashed the Florida peninsula with its first landfall. With a brief recess and the movement up west, Katrina soon intensified to a category 5 hurricane, reaching maximum sustained wind of 175 mph, due to the combinations of warm waters in the Gulf of Mexico during August 26 to 28 and made its second landfall on Louisiana as category 4 hurricane with 125 mph winds on August 29. After continuous movement over southeastern Louisiana, Katrina made its final landfall near the Louisiana-Mississippi border and maintained strength at category 3 hurricane until over 150 miles inland in Missis