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Five hours after Hurricane Harvey made landfall in Texas around 10 p.m. as a Category 4 storm, it was downgraded to a Category 2 storm, with maximum sustained winds of 110 mph, a decrease from 130 mph when it made landfall.

And Harvey was downgraded to a Category 3 storm around 1 a.m., after winds decreased to 125 mph.

Harvey also made a second landfall on the northeastern shore of Copano Bay around the time it was downgraded to Category 3.

The storm is the strongest to hit the state in decades, with catastrophic flooding expected. The last Category 4 storm to hit the U.S. was Charley in 2004 in Florida, while the last Category 4 storm to hit Texas was Carla in 1961.

Residents staying in the area frantically stocked up on food, water and gas, while others heading out of the storm's path boarded up windows and doors of their homes and businesses.

Airlines canceled flights, schools were shuttered while concerts and other planned events in Houston and coastal cities were postponed.

The hurricane's effects are expected to linger for days, with heavy rainfall through next week estimated to be as high as 40 inches in some areas.

"This is going to be a storm we talk about, unfortunately, for at least the next seven days," ABC News Chief Meteorologist Ginger Zee said Friday on " GMA."

Here's what we know about the storm.

What's ahead

Harvey made landfall as a Category 4 hurricane over the northern end of San Jose Island between Port Aransas and Port O'Connor at 10 p.m. local time Friday, with sustained winds of about 130 mph and stronger gusts, according to the National Weather Service. At the time, the storm's eye was 30 miles away from the coastal city of Corpus Christi, Texas.

The National Weather Service warned Harvey could bring a potentially devastating storm surge, heavy rainfall and wind hazards to the Lone Star State's coast. A tornado watch is in effect for areas of southeastern Texas and southwest Louisiana.

Life-threatening storm surge waters could reach 9 to 13 feet above ground level. Catastrophic flooding is expected across parts of the area. And rainfall will be heavy, with an estimated 15 to 30 inches of rain falling in many areas and as high as 40 inches in some from today through Wednesday, the National Weather Service said.

Here's a projected timeline for Hurricane Harvey thus far, according to forecasts from the National Weather Service:

Saturday: Harvey roared ashore late Friday evening. The storm's path going forward remains uncertain but it is forecast to meander near or just inland of the middle of the Texas coast through the weekend.

Sunday through Monday: Some forecast models show Harvey expanding across the Gulf Coast as it makes its way over southern Texas.

Tuesday through Wednesday: The hurricane could, according to some models, move northeast and then re-emerge briefly over the Gulf of Mexico before making a second landfall in northeastern Texas or western Louisiana.

Preparation and evacuations

Storm preparation began in earnest on Wednesday and intensified on Thursday. Shoppers lined up to fill their carts with food and water, while lines for gas stretched out of many stations. Some people also got to work boarding up their homes and businesses to protect against the expected 100-plus mile per hour winds. Even the Texas Department of Transportation in Victoria boarded up its windows on Thursday.

As of Friday, governors had declared states of emergencies for 30 counties in Texas and statewide for Louisiana.

Corpus Christi resident Alex Garcia bought bottled water, bread and other basic grocery items in the Houston suburb of Sugar Land because they were likely more available there than back home, where stores were "crazy," he told The Associated Press.

And as Houston resident Bill Pennington prepared his one-story home for another deluge in the flood-prone city, the father told The Associated Press he comforted his nervous 9-year-old son by saying, "We know how to handle it. We'll handle it again."

The Coast Guard said Thursday it was sending shallow-depth vessels to Texas and Louisiana that are capable of responding in flooded urban areas. And with gale force winds predicted to arrive within 24 hours, the Coast Guard on Thursday also ordered a nearly total closure of ports in Houston, Texas City, Galveston, Freeport and Corpus Christi.

By Friday afternoon, the Coast Guard had already completed its first search-and-rescue mission, rescuing 12 people from a 160-foot vessel near Port Mansfield, Texas.

Texas officials announced mandatory evacuations for all seven counties on the coast: Calhoun County, San Patricio County, Refugio County, Brazoria County, Jackson County, Victoria County and Matagorda County. In four of those countries, officials ordered their entire county to evacuate and warned those who chose to stay behind that their rescue could not be guaranteed. Voluntary evacuations were urged for residents in other areas.

While a mandatory evacuation order is not in place for Corpus Christi, Mayor Joe McComb did advise residents to voluntarily evacuate ahead of the storm.

Mayor McComb strongly encourages evacuation, especially the low lying areas of Area A and B as seen in the map below (pink and yellow area). pic.twitter.com/Z5gspafgSn
- CityOfCorpusChristi (@cityofcc) August 24, 2017

Federal Emergency Management Agency Administrator Brock Long urged people in the path of the storm to heed warnings and to take evacuation orders seriously.

"This may be the first major landfall hurricane we've had since 2005," Long said in an interview on "Good Morning America" Friday. "So there's going to be damage."

As of Friday morning, FEMA had amassed more than 96,000 liters of water, 306,000 meals and 4,500 tarps at incident support bases in Seguin and Fort Worth, Texas, as well as in Camp Beauregard, Louisiana, should the states need them.

Storm preparations have extended to New Orleans, where FEMA said it's working to make sure the Louisiana city's pumps are functioning in anticipation of the seven to 10 inches of rainfall expected there. The National Guard is also readying 500,000 sandbags, FEMA said.

More than 120,000 people have lost power in the Corpus Christi area as a result of Hurricane Harvey so far.

How officials are responding

Politicians and officials have taken a proactive approach to the storm.

Texas Gov. Greg Abbott said Thursday night that he had discussed storm preparation with President Donald Trump, as well as with the heads of FEMA and the Department of Homeland Security. On Friday, Abbott sent a letter to Trump requesting a presidential disaster declaration in anticipation of Hurricane Harvey.

"Granting this request will provide Texans the additional resources needed to protect themselves, their property and rebuild their lives if necessary after Hurricane Harvey," Abbott said in a statement.

White House press secretary Sarah Sanders said at the press briefing Friday afternoon that Trump is planning to visit Texas "early next week."

Many state and local officials have urged residents to pay attention to evacuation orders, as it will be too late to leave once the storm hits.

Over the next several days we can expect possibly 10-20 inches n our City w/a probability of flooding in parts of our City. Be prepared. st
- Sylvester Turner (@SylvesterTurner) August 25, 2017

Trump announced on Twitter late Friday that he had approved Abbott's request for a disaster declaration in Texas, formally making federal funds and resources available to assist state recovery efforts.

At the request of the Governor of Texas, I have signed the Disaster Proclamation, which unleashes the full force of government help!
- Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) August 26, 2017

Texas' hurricane history

The storm is already being compared to Hurricane Bret, which hit Texas on Aug. 22, 1999. That storm made landfall in Kenedy County, just south of Corpus Christi, according to the National Weather Service -- a path that was similar to the one forecast for Hurricane Harvey.

Here's a timeline of some of the recent hurricanes to hit Texas and the damage they caused:

Hurricane Bret (Aug. 22, 1999): The Category 3 storm made landfall on a Sunday evening about 60 miles south of Corpus Christi. Luckily, the area is sparsely populated compared to Corpus Christi, and so problems were limited. Central Kenedy County received more than 15 inches of rain over two days, according to the NWS. The storm did about $88 million in damages in 2017 figures. Four Americans died in the storm.

Hurricane Claudette (July 15, 2003): While Claudette came ashore as only a Category 1 storm with maximum winds of 90 miles per hour, it did extensive damage after coming ashore at Port O'Connor, about 100 miles northeast of Corpus Christi, and moving inland across Calhoun County, according to the NWS. Two people were killed.

Hurricane Rita (Sept. 24, 2005): The last Category 3 storm to make landfall in Texas was Rita, though it did so much farther north than Harvey is expected to land. Rita, which hit just three weeks after Hurricane Katrina, made landfall right along the Texas-Louisiana border with sustained winds of 120 miles per hour. The town of Center, Texas -- near Nacogdoches -- received 10.48 inches of rain in the storm, but it moved quickly through the area, limiting rainfall accumulation. Still, 59 people from Texas were killed in the storm, according to the NWS, and a number of others died in a bus accident during evacuations.

Hurricane Ike (Sept. 13, 2008): Ike, the last hurricane to make landfall in Texas, hit near Galveston as a Category 2 storm after decimating areas of the Caribbean in the week prior with winds as high as 145 miles per hour. By the time it hit Galveston, winds were at a sustained maximum of 110 miles per hour, according to the NWS. The massive size of Ike resulted in substantial rainfall totals for the area. The highest total was 18.9 inches near Spring Creek, south of Houston, according to the NWS. Some sensors measuring storm surge actually failed due to salt water, according to a NOAA report, but the highest total was 17.5 feet in Chambers County.

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Hurricane Harvey downgraded to Category 2 storm as winds weaken

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Five hours after Hurricane Harvey made landfall in Texas around 10 p.m. as a Category 4 storm, it was downgraded to a Category 2 storm, with maximum sustained winds of 110 mph, a decrease from 130 mph when it made landfall. And Harvey was downgraded to a Category 3 storm around 1 a.m., after winds...

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A new storm is strengthening in the Atlantic Ocean even as much of the southern United States continues to deal with the lingering effects of Hurricane Harvey.

Hurricane Irma is officially a Category 3 storm as of Thursday evening, and it is expected to continue to strengthen as it moves west-northwest at 12 mph. It currently has maximum sustained winds of 115 mph, according to the National Weather Service.

ABC NEWS

It doesn't currently pose a threat to land, and it's too early to say exactly what track the storm will take.

Irma is expected to become a Category 4 storm by Monday.

ABC NEWS

Even though the storm is a week or more away from threatening the United States -- if at all -- Louisiana Gov. John Bel Edwards was asked about the storm on Thursday. He said simply "we don't know where it's going to go," but a Federal Emergency Management Agency official with Edwards said they will start planning for the storm.

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Hurricane Irma strengthens in Atlantic, threat to US still uncertain

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A new storm is strengthening in the Atlantic Ocean even as much of the southern United States continues to deal with the lingering effects of Hurricane Harvey. Hurricane Irma is officially a Category 3 storm as of Thursday evening, and it is expected to continue to strengthen as it moves...

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Table of Contents

2010 Haiti earthquake, large-scale earthquake that occurred January 12, 2010, on the West Indian island of Hispaniola, comprising the countries of Haiti and the Dominican Republic. Most severely affected was Haiti, occupying the western third of the island. An exact death toll proved elusive in the ensuing chaos. The Haitian government's official count was more than 300,000, which would make the earthquake's aftermath one of the worst natural disasters in recorded history, but other estimates were considerably smaller. Hundreds of thousands of survivors were displaced.

The earthquake

The earthquake hit at 4:53 pm some 15 miles (25 km) southwest of the Haitian capital of Port-au-Prince. The initial shock registered a magnitude of 7.0 and was soon followed by two aftershocks of magnitudes 5.9 and 5.5. More aftershocks occurred in the following days, including another one of magnitude 5.9 that struck on January 20 at Petit Goâve, a town some 35 miles (55 km) west of Port-au-Prince. Haiti had not been hit by an earthquake of such enormity since the 18th century, the closest in force being a 1984 shock of magnitude 6.9. A magnitude-8.0 earthquake had struck the Dominican Republic in 1946.

Geologists initially blamed the earthquake on the movement of the Caribbean tectonic plate eastward along the Enriquillo-Plantain Garden (EPG) strike-slip fault system. However, when no surface deformation was observed, the rupturing of the main strand of the fault system was ruled out as a cause. The EPG fault system makes up a transform boundary that separates the Gonâve microplate-the fragment of the North American Plate upon which Haiti is situated-from the Caribbean Plate.

The earthquake was generated by contractional deformation along the Léogâne fault, a small hidden thrust fault discovered underneath the city of Léogâne. The Léogâne fault, which cannot be observed at the surface, descends northward at an oblique angle away from the EPG fault system, and many geologists contend that the earthquake resulted from the slippage of rock upward across its plane of fracture.

Occurring at a depth of 8.1 miles (13 km), the temblor was fairly shallow, which increased the degree of shaking at the Earth's surface. The shocks were felt throughout Haiti and the Dominican Republic as well as in parts of nearby Cuba, Jamaica, and Puerto Rico. The densely populated region around Port-au-Prince, located on the Gulf of Gonâve, was among those most heavily affected. Farther south the city of Jacmel also sustained significant damage, and to the west the city of Léogâne, even closer to the epicentre than Port-au-Prince, was essentially leveled.

A country in ruins

The collapsed buildings defining the landscape of the disaster area came as a consequence of Haiti's lack of building codes. Without adequate reinforcement, the buildings disintegrated under the force of the quake, killing or trapping their occupants. In Port-au-Prince the cathedral and the National Palace were both heavily damaged, as were the United Nations headquarters, national penitentiary, and parliament building. The city, already beset by a strained and inadequate infrastructure and still recovering from the two tropical storms and two hurricanes of August-September 2008, was ill-equipped to deal with such a disaster. Other affected areas of the country-faced with comparable weaknesses-were similarly unprepared.

In the aftermath of the quake, efforts by citizens and international aid organizations to provide medical assistance, food, and water to survivors were hampered by the failure of the electric power system (which already was unreliable), loss of communication lines, and roads blocked with debris. A week after the event, little aid had reached beyond Port-au-Prince; after another week, supplies were being distributed only sporadically to other urban areas. Operations to rescue those trapped under the wreckage-which had freed over 100 people-had mostly ceased two weeks into the crisis, as hope that anyone could have survived for that length of time without food or water began to fade. However, there were still occasional recoveries of people who had managed to survive such confinement for weeks by rationing the meagre supplies available to them.

A people in crisis

It was estimated that some three million people were affected by the quake-nearly one-third of the country's total population. Of these, over one million were left homeless in the immediate aftermath. In the devastated urban areas, the displaced were forced to squat in ersatz cities composed of found materials and donated tents. Looting-restrained in the early days following the quake-became more prevalent in the absence of sufficient supplies and was exacerbated in the capital by the escape of several thousand prisoners from the damaged penitentiary. In the second week of the aftermath, many urbanites began streaming into outlying areas, either of their own volition or as a result of governmental relocation programs engineered to alleviate crowded and unsanitary conditions.

Because many hospitals had been rendered unusable, survivors were forced to wait days for treatment and, with morgues quickly reaching capacity, corpses were stacked in the streets. The onset of decay forced the interment of many bodies in mass graves, and recovery of those buried under the rubble was impeded by a shortage of heavy-lifting equipment, making death tolls difficult to determine. Figures released by Haitian government officials at the end of March placed the death toll at 222,570 people, though there was significant disagreement over the exact figure, and some estimated that nearly a hundred thousand more had perished. In January 2011, Haitian officials announced the revised figure of 316,000 deaths. The draft of a report commissioned by the U.S. government and made public in May 2011 drastically revised the estimate downward to no more than 85,000. Officials from the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) later acknowledged inconsistencies in data acquisition. Given the difficulty of observing documentation procedures in the rush to dispose of the dead, it was considered unlikely that a definitive total would ever be established.

Further deaths occurred as serious injuries went untreated in the absence of medical staff and supplies. The orphans created by these mass mortalities-as well as those whose parents had died prior to the quake-were left vulnerable to abuse and human trafficking. Though adoptions of Haitian children by foreign nationals-particularly in the United States-were expedited, the process was slowed by the efforts of Haitian and foreign authorities to ensure that the children did not have living relatives, as orphanages had often temporarily accommodated the children of the destitute.

Because the infrastructure of the country's computer network was largely unaffected, electronic media emerged as a useful mode for connecting those separated by the quake and for coordinating relief efforts. Survivors who were able to access the Internet-and friends and relatives abroad-took to social networking sites such as Twitter and Facebook in search of information on those missing in the wake of the catastrophe. Feeds from these sites also assisted aid organizations in constructing maps of the areas affected and in determining where to channel resources. The many Haitians lacking Internet access were able to contribute updates via text messaging on mobile phones.

The general disorder created by the earthquake-combined with the destruction of the country's electoral headquarters and the death of UN officials working in concert with the Haitian electoral council-prompted Haitian Pres. René Préval to defer legislative elections that had been scheduled for the end of February. Préval's term in office was set to end the following year.

As the spring rainy season and summer hurricane season approached with reconstruction efforts having made little progress, residents of tent settlements were encouraged by aid agencies to construct more-substantial dwellings using tarpaulins and, later, donated lumber and sheet metal. Though some provisional housing was erected before the onset of inclement weather, many persons remained in tents and other shelters that provided scant protection from the elements. Compounding the problems in the increasingly disorganized encampments within Port-au-Prince was the return of many people who, months before, had initially retreated to the countryside only to find little opportunity for employment.

Two years later, though roughly half of the rubble littering Port-au-Prince had been cleared and some damaged residences had been made habitable, more than half a million people remained in tents, many of which had deteriorated significantly. That number dropped to about 360,000 by the third anniversary. The decrease was partly due to a Canadian-sponsored program that provided grants to some of the nearly 30,000 residents of the most-conspicuous camp-located near the collapsed presidential palace on the Champs de Mars-which allowed them to find rental housing or repair existing structures. Although that area was cleared by July 2012, countrywide some 500 camps still remained at the end of the year. By 2014 the number of camps had been more than halved, though some 100,000 people remained without permanent housing. While the number of camps continued to diminish, more than 62,000 people were still displaced in early 2016.

Many who left the camps merely relocated to outgrowths of the existing slums surrounding Port-au-Prince. Others crowded into undamaged homes owned by extended family members or friends or returned to damaged structures, more than 200,000 of which were either marked for demolition or required major repairs. Efforts to level the worst such buildings, some of which precariously gripped the rims of ravines, were hampered by irate residents who refused to leave. The capital remained without power for significant stretches during a given day because of stalled work on the electricity grid. In addition, less than one-third of the population was steadily employed. Conditions were further exacerbated by damage to crops and settlements by tropical weather events, notably Superstorm Sandy in October 2012.

In October 2010, cases of cholera began to surface around the Artibonite River. The river-the longest on the island and a major source of drinking water there-had been contaminated with fecal matter carrying a South Asian strain of cholera bacteria. Suspicion that Nepalese UN peacekeeping forces stationed near the river were the likely source of the outbreak was validated by the leak of a report by a French epidemiologist in December. The report cited the absence of cholera in Haiti during the previous decade and the emergence of a parallel outbreak of cholera in Kathmandu, the city from which the troops had departed Nepal. The epidemic reached the tent cities of Port-au-Prince in November 2010, and by 2016 it had sickened some 770,000 people and proved fatal to more than 9,200. A 2016 report by the organization Doctors Without Borders claimed that cases of cholera had likely been significantly underreported.

In November 2011 several organizations filed claims against the United Nations asking that it take responsibility for the outbreak, install new water and waste-management systems, and compensate those who fell ill or lost relatives to cholera. In December 2012 the UN, while not acknowledging that its troops had been vectors of the disease, announced that it would fund a program proposed by the governments of Haiti and the Dominican Republic to rid Hispaniola of cholera by instituting new sanitation and vaccination measures. Critics noted, however, that the proposed financial scheme for the project hinged largely on previously promised monies not yet in hand. The UN asserted in February 2013 that it would not receive compensation claims related to the outbreak, citing its convention on privileges and immunities. In October 2013 a U.S.-based group, the Institute for Justice and Democracy in Haiti, filed a lawsuit in New York City against the UN, seeking compensation on behalf of Haitians affected by the epidemic. The U.S. Department of Justice asserted that the UN was immune from prosecution in 2014. In an October 2015 letter to UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-Moon, a group of UN human rights experts excoriated the body for using legal loopholes to avoid taking responsibility for the epidemic and thereby undermining its own credibility. The following year the UN finally admitted to playing a role in starting the epidemic, though it did not say that the organization had caused the outbreak. The announcement came after Ban received a report from a UN adviser who claimed that the epidemic "would not have broken out but for the actions of the United Nations." In addition, the adviser urged the UN to provide compensation to the victims. However, there was no indication that the organization would drop its claim of legal immunity.

The election to choose Préval's successor as president took place in November 2010 after a 10-month delay. Voter turnout was low, and allegations of electoral fraud were widespread. A runoff election was held on March 20, 2011, between the top two candidates: popular musician Michel Martelly and Mirlande Manigat, a legal scholar and the wife of a former president of Haiti. Election observers noted fewer instances of fraud in the runoff, and voter turnout was higher. On April 21 it was announced that Martelly had won the election with some two-thirds of the vote. The political instability created by the quake resulted in the postponement of municipal and senatorial elections scheduled for 2011 and 2012, respectively. Haiti's parliament was dissolved in January 2015, having lost its mandate to govern. Parliamentary elections were held in August 2015, and a second round, alongside a presidential election, was held in October 2015. However, allegations of fraud led to demands for a presidential runoff. Originally slated for December 2015, the runoff was canceled. Following the establishment of the new parliament in January 2016, Martelly agreed to leave office in February, and an interim president was sworn in that month.

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2010 Haiti earthquake | Magnitude, Damage, Map, & Facts

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2010 Haiti earthquake, large-scale earthquake that occurred January 12, 2010, on the West Indian island of Hispaniola, comprising the countries of Haiti and the Dominican Republic. Most severely affected was Haiti, occupying the western third of the island. An exact death toll proved elusive in the ensuing chaos.

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(CNN Philippines) - Nobody can predict when and where an earthquake will strike and how strong it will be. That's why it's important to have disaster preparedness programs - to help the nation become earthquake-ready.

Participating in quake drills are encouraged and having a survival kit or a "go bag" ready is vital.

These practices, according to the Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA), will "increase the metro's chances of better recovery and implementation of contingencies in the event of earthquakes."
Also read: What are the essential items in a survival kit?
Past earthquakes have caught countries off guard, leading to a large number of casualties.

Here are the 10 deadliest earthquakes recorded from 1900-2014, according to the United States Geological Survey (USGS):

Chimbote, Peru
When a 7.9 earthquake hit Chimbote, Peru on May 31, 1970, a total of 70,000 people were killed or presumed dead.
Messina, Italy
A magnitude-7.2 earthquake hit Messina, Italy on December 28, 1908, killing 72,000 people - more than 40% of the population of the city.
Pakistan
On October 8, 2005, a 7.6-magnitude quake rocked northern Pakistan and killed 86,000 people.
Sichuan, China
Sichuan, China was struck by a 7.9 earthquake on May 12, 2008. The quake, which killed 87,587 people, was also felt in Bangladesh, Thailand, Taiwan and Vietnam.
Ashgabat, Turkmenistan
A 7.3-magnitude earthquake that struck Ashgabat, Turkmenistan on October 5, 1948 killed 110,000 people and destroyed plenty of buildings in the area.
Japan
On September 1, 1923, the Tokyo-Yokohama area of Japan was hit by a magnitude-7.9 quake. The tremor caused firestorms and a tsunami, and killed 142,800 people.
Haiyuan County, China
It was estimated that 200,000 people died when Haiyuan County, China was rocked by a 7.8-magnitude earthquake on December 16, 1920.
Sumatra
A magnitude-9.1 earthquake, the third largest quake measured since 1900, hit Sumatra on December 26, 2004. The tremor killed 227,898 people and displaced 2 million people.
Tangshan, China
Tangshan, China was struck by a 7.5 magnitude earthquake on July 27, 1976, killing an estimated 242,769 people.
Haiti
The most deadliest earthquake was the magnitude-7.0 quake that hit Haiti on January 12, 2010. According to official estimates, around 316,000 people were killed and more than 1 million were displaced.
Related: Is Metro Manila quake-ready?

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(CNN Philippines) - Nobody can predict when and where an earthquake will strike and how strong it will be. That's why it's important to have disaster preparedness programs - to help the nation become earthquake-ready. Participating in quake drills are encouraged and having a survival kit or a "go bag" ready is vital.

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Updated December 24, 2014 13:15:58

The Boxing Day tsunami in 2004 is believed to be the deadliest tsunami in history, killing more than 230,000 people across 14 countries.

It began at 7:59am local time on December 26, 2004, when a 9.1-magnitude quake struck off the northern tip of Sumatra in Indonesia.

Scientists say the earthquake was the third-biggest ever recorded, lasting up to 10 minutes and causing the Earth to vibrate up to one centimetre.

It also displaced an estimated 30 cubic kilometres of water, unleashing a massive tsunami across the Indian Ocean.

Within 15 minutes of the earthquake, waves began striking the coasts of northern Sumatra and the Nicobar islands.

Waves of up to 30 metres were recorded as the tsunami swept through Aceh, the hardest hit region of Indonesia.

Around two hours after the earthquake struck, waves reached Sri Lanka, India and Thailand.

An hour later they reached the Maldives, and- more than seven hours after the initial quake, the tsunami was observed in Mauritius and along the east coast of Africa.

Its effects were seen as far away as Antarctica and North America.

Indonesia was the nation hardest hit by the tsunami, with at least 168,000 people killed when walls of water smashed into Nias island and Aceh province, which sits on the northern end of Sumatra.

In Sri Lanka 35,000 people were killed, while 18,000 died in India and 8,000 died in Thailand.

Hundreds also died in Africa.

Thousands of foreign travellers were killed in the disaster, including 26 Australians, all but two of whom died in Thailand.

In the wake of the disaster more that $14 billion in aid was pledged by the international community.

Prime minister John Howard pledged $1 billion over five years to rebuild tsunami-hit areas of Indonesia in "the single largest aid contribution ever made by Australia".

The government also pledged aid to other affected countries, while public and corporate donors contributed hundreds of millions of dollars to those affected.

First posted December 24, 2014 13:11:50

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Boxing Day tsunami: How the disaster unfolded 10 years ago

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Updated December 24, 2014 13:15:58 The Boxing Day tsunami in 2004 is believed to be the deadliest tsunami in history, killing more than 230,000 people across 14 countries. It began at 7:59am local time on December 26, 2004, when a 9.1-magnitude quake struck off the northern tip of Sumatra in Indonesia.

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Tsunami Geology - What causes a Tsunami?

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Tsunami Geology - What causes a Tsunami?

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What Causes a Tsunami? - Tsunami Geology

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Floods, like other disasters, make headline news but recede just as quickly from the public's attention - unless you happen to be a victim. But Houston's flooding, though geographically more remote, seems to strike closer to home than the far more frequent and more fatal floods in Bangladesh, India, Nepal, China and even our Asean neighbours because Houston, in the US state of Texas, is a wealthy, First World global metropolis, an important port and petrochemical hub, a top medical centre and home to many Fortune 500 multinational companies. It is also flat and low lying.

So can what happened to Houston also happen to Singapore?

Mother Nature has been kind to Singapore. Although we often bemoan our lack of natural resources, we actually have a very rich biodiversity. We are also free of natural disasters like tsunamis, hurricanes, typhoons, volcanic eruptions and earthquakes.

Singapore has also been extremely fortunate to have a far-sighted government which has made good urban planning and water management a priority from the start.

Most of the damage to Houston was from water and not strong winds. Houston's floods appear to be largely a result of poor urban planning and unregulated building. This article, however, is not intended to be a paean of self-congratulation but a sober look at what lessons Singapore can learn.

Although we do not rank high among cities at risk of flooding, unlike Shanghai, Bangkok or New York, we are not risk-free as climate change has resulted in increasingly frequent and more severe episodes of extreme weather and rising sea levels.

If Singapore were to suffer serious flooding, the social, economic and political consequences would be far more serious than Houston's. First, because of land scarcity, much of our key infrastructure is on low-lying coastal land or even underground. Second, our hard-earned reputation as a First World city that attracts global talent and investments (and is even exporting our urban planning and building model overseas), will be seriously damaged.

But most devastating of all is the question of where we could go. People from Shanghai, Bangkok or Houston and Florida can relocate inland either temporarily or even permanently, as has happened in New Orleans. This already traumatic social dislocation would, in our case, take on a national dimension and we might become environmental refugees like the citizens of Kiribati and Tuvalu.

ST ILLUSTRATION: MANNY FRANCISCO

So here are three lessons we should remember.

1 Don't overbuild

We should never underestimate the ability of the human species to think short term, both regarding our past and future. The deadliest hurricane in American history was one that hit Galveston in 1900, effectively wiping it out. It seems to have also been wiped out of Houston's memory, which is surprising because many of the refugees moved inland and settled in Houston, then a one-horse town which then grew to become the fourth-largest city in the US. Such rapid growth in slightly more than a century might seem a success story but "what made Houston so vulnerable to flooding was rampant, unregulated growth", economist Paul Krugman wrote in the New York Times on Sept 7. Singapore's growth as a city has also been phenomenal but matched by strict regulation and long-term urban planning and water management.

But we too have had our episodes of excessive complacency like the series of flash floods from 2010-2013 after 35 years of being flood-free. The first was initially dismissed as a one-in-a-hundred year freak event till the second flood less than two weeks later. That prompted the setting up of a commission to investigate the causes and to recommend corrective measures to our outdated drainage system.

Flooding can also be caused by roads, paved areas, carparks and other impermeable surfaces. While government planners have generally been vigilant about preserving sufficient porous land cover such as parks and nature reserves, it is obvious that these are gradually being eroded by built surfaces, Bukit Brown and Bidadari being two recent examples of green spaces being replaced by roads and housing developments.

Land use planners and developers should not only replace the equivalent area of permeable surfaces but should increase it to cater for more extreme weather conditions. This simple precautionary measure would save the state and taxpayers a fortune in downstream flood-control infrastructure and damage.

En bloc sales and the high price of land lead private developers to maximise their built-up space to the extent that any recently built private condominium is likely to have far less open space than Housing Board blocks. All this increases our risk of flooding and adds to its potential severity.

Building is essential but we should distinguish between necessity and vanity projects and build with humility, not hubris.

2 Avoid overpopulation

The larger and wealthier a city, the more complex, diverse and potentially conflicting its needs and demands. Predicting and juggling the intricate interactions between people and their environment goes far beyond simple arithmetic.

In the aftermath of the Fukushima tragedy in Japan, it seems highly irresponsible to the point of insanity to have sited a nuclear reactor in a tsunami-prone area, however well protected by sea walls and levees. But a crowded country needs energy, and nuclear reactors are usually sited in the least-populated part which typically is that way for a reason, in this case, tsunamis.

Singapore's planners have a Herculean task fitting our multifarious requirements on such a small island with no real hinterland. Our international airport, financial district, petrochemical and other major industries, many reservoirs and waste-disposal facilities are sited on low-lying, reclaimed land. We have little choice. But do we want to narrow our options further? People, unlike buildings, cannot be abandoned in an emergency.

The Government's 2010 White Paper on population projected for an artificial population growth to 6.9 million based largely on economic growth, the desired labour force and the changing dependency ratio of an ageing population. Factoring in social cohesion accurately turned out to be more challenging, but our ecological carrying capacity seems to have been missed out completely - except for a brief mention on green recreational spaces. Worryingly, in the subsequent furious debate, some well-respected planners said that we could actually comfortably grow to a population of 11 million or 12 million.

The more our population grows, the more ecologically vulnerable we make ourselves; and the faster we grow, the less time we have to correct our mistakes. How would we know we have reached or even exceeded the tipping point if we don't have time for checks and balances?

3 Developing EQ (Ecological Quotient)

Like much of the developed, urbanised world, Singaporeans generally have a narrow anthropocentric view of nature which we regard as recreational or ornamental rather than providing essential ecosystem services. We fail to realise that nature is often not the problem but the solution.

After the tragic Asian tsunami in 2004, it was found that coastal villages with intact mangroves and coral were relatively unscathed but those nearby that had destroyed these natural barriers were severely damaged.

But most coastal cities like Miami, New Orleans and Singapore have removed these natural barriers in the course of development. Singapore has projects to regenerate our mangroves and corals but it will take a long time to do so.

Massive engineering projects like sea walls and pumps may afford temporary protection but are hugely expensive to build and maintain and when they fail, as happened in Fukushima and New Orleans, they can do so disastrously.

The Dutch, past masters of flood control (60 per cent of Holland is below sea level) depend heavily on technology and man-made barriers but they also integrate nature-based solutions and adaptations to flooding, following Francis Bacon's dictum that nature to be commanded must be obeyed. Wetlands and floodplains provide additional layers of protection to sea-level rises and storm surges and, if required, a well-managed, controlled retreat. Their safety margins are gargantuan; equivalent to a once-in-10,000-year flood for the most populous areas - something that engineering alone could not achieve.

They have been advising us on water and flood control but other than different geographical conditions, the Dutch have a nationwide awareness of their risks and an inclusive stakeholder approach to solutions whereas we Singaporeans leave the problem to the Government.

Our leaders are always reminding us of our many social and economic vulnerabilities and how every Singaporean must play a part. The same should go for our environmental fragility. If we could have the same checks and balances for our environmental resources as for our fiscal reserves and social fabric, we would be far more sustainable.

Don't forget that past perfor- mance is not a reliable predictor of the future in environmental as much as economic crises. The once-in-a-hundred-year flood is as likely statistically to happen tomorrow as in a hundred years.
* The writer, an environmentalist and former Nominated MP, is the immediate past president of Nature Society (Singapore).

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Lessons for Singapore from Houston floods

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Floods, like other disasters, make headline news but recede just as quickly from the public's attention - unless you happen to be a victim.

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harvey floods texas: live updates  - cnn

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Authorities in and around Houston are scrambling to save those trapped in unprecedented flooding from Tropical Storm Harvey. Follow live updates here.

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(CNN) -- Here are the 10 deadliest tornadoes to touch down in the United States, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration:

1. The "Tri-State Tornado" killed 695 people and injured 2,027, traveling more than 300 miles through Missouri, Illinois and Indiana on March 18, 1925. It was rated an F5 at the top of the old Fujita scale (with winds of 260-plus mph).

2. The "Natchez Tornado" killed 317 people and injured 109 on May 6, 1840, along the Mississippi River in Louisiana and Mississippi. The official death toll may not have included slaves, according to the Federal Emergency Management Agency.

3. The "St. Louis Tornado" killed 255 people and injured 1,000 on May 27, 1896, in Missouri and Illinois. It had winds of between 207 mph and 260 mph.

4. The "Tupelo Tornado" killed 216 people and injured 700 on April 5, 1936, in the northeastern Mississippi city.

5. The "Gainesville Tornado" was a pair of storms that converged April 6, 1936, in Gainesville, Georgia, killing 203 people and injuring 1,600. The tornado destroyed four blocks and 750 houses in the northern Georgia town.

6. The "Woodward Tornado" wreaked havoc across parts of Texas, Oklahoma and Kansas on April 9, 1947. The storm, which killed 181 people and injured 970, reportedly was more than a mile wide in places.

7. The tornado that struck Joplin, Missouri, on May 22, 2011, killed 158 people and injured more than a thousand. The storm packed winds in excess of 200 mph and was on the ground for more than 22 miles.

8. The "Amite/Pine/Purvis Tornado" killed 143 people and injured 770 on April 24, 1908. The storm left only seven houses intact in Purvis, Mississippi, and also caused damage in Amite, Louisiana.

9. The "New Richmond Tornado" killed 117 people and injured 200 on June 12, 1899, in New Richmond, Wisconsin.

10. The "Flint Tornado" killed 115 people and injured 844 on June 8, 1953, in Flint, Michigan. The tornado was the deadliest twister ever recorded in the state.
What you need to know about tornadoes

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The 10 deadliest U.S. tornadoes on record

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(CNN) -- Here are the 10 deadliest tornadoes to touch down in the United States, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration: 1. The "Tri-State Tornado" killed 695 people and injured 2,027, traveling more than 300 miles through Missouri, Illinois and Indiana on March 18, 1925.

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A year ago this week, a monster tornado ripped through Joplin, Missouri, leaving 161 people dead and hundreds more injured.

Miles of homes and businesses were flattened by the enormous multivortex storm, one of the worst recorded in U.S. history. Neighborhoods, schools and communities were literally blown away.

In 2011, Impact Your World focused on some of the many organizations that provided immediate assistance to the area, such as emergency shelter, supplies and assistance to victims and their families. A year later, most relief efforts have ceased, but Joplin is still working to recover and rebuild. Hundreds are still homeless, and the destruction of businesses left many owners and workers without income.

The city of Joplin estimates that almost 130,000 volunteers have logged hundreds of thousands of hours since the tornado, helping rebuild over the past year in what Joplinites have referred to as the "miracle of the human spirit." Americorps St. Louis, which matches needs with resources, has been responsible for coordinating their efforts.

Memories of the tragedy are still fresh in the minds of Joplin residents. Lynn Onstot, the city's communications officer, says now that storm season is back, many residents are finding themselves facing fears and anxieties: "Could such an epic storm hit us again?" To help them cope, the Federal Emergency Management Agency has granted funds to the Missouri Department of Mental Health for crisis counseling.

Although Joplin has worked fast to rebuild, many of the hundreds of businesses destroyed by the tornado have not been able to get back to full speed. The Joplin Chamber of Commerce stresses that the economic effects of a disaster like this can affect communities for years. It has created a charitable arm, the Business Recovery Fund, which raises money to help stabilize local businesses, fund building and retraining, and build a medical school.

One of the biggest problems Joplin residents continue to face is housing. A year after the storm, hundreds of families are still living in FEMA trailers and are unable to rebuild their homes. Rebuild Joplin works to construct housing for people whose homes were destroyed. It seeks donations and volunteers.

Missouri Gov. Jay Nixon is getting involved by spearheading the Joplin Challenge in association with Habitat For Humanity. The challenge needs donations and volunteers to help build 35 homes to contribute to the city's recovery. Volunteers can also join players from seven local sports teams -- the Kansas City Chiefs and Royals; the St. Louis Rams, Cardinals and Blues; the University of Missouri Tigers; and Kansas Speedway in association with NASCAR Unites -- and build alongside their team.

Onstot says that as far as long term efforts are concerned, the Joplin Recovery Fund has been instrumental. It was established by the Community Foundation of Southwest Missouri and the Community Foundation of the Ozarks. They have awarded 30 grants totaling $2.43 million since September for various causes including rebuilding Joplin, relief for tornado victims and improving disaster preparedness. They ask that donors note "Joplin Recovery Fund" on the fund program box online or on checks.

HLN recently featured a fundraising effort by Joplin expats Todd Green and Dave DuCille. Green is the president of Joplin Expats, and DuCille is the founder of Central Park Fitness. They are cycling from New York to Joplin to raise money for 20 storm shelters for families there. You can donate to their cause and follow their journey on their website.

To mark the first anniversary of the disaster, Onstot says, everyone who has played a part in the city's recovery is invited to the Joplin Day of Unity. The day will include such activities as a walk along the tornado's path. The city has also developed a website that highlights other anniversary events.

Joplin welcomes everyone who would like to celebrate rebuilding efforts and play a part in the city's journey back from the storm.

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rebuilding joplin a year after tornado - cnn

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A year ago this week, a monster tornado ripped through Joplin, Missouri, leaving 161 people dead and hundreds more injured. Miles of homes and businesses were flattened by the enormous multivortex storm, one of the worst recorded in U.S. history. Neighborhoods, schools and communities were literally blown away.

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Tornadoes are violent rotating column of air that extended from a thunderstorm to the ground. They are capable of tremendous destruction with wind speeds that can go up to 300 mph, destroying large buildings, uproots, trees and cause vehicles hurling hundreds of yards. In an average year, 1000 tornadoes have reported nationwide. Tornadoes, like the other disasters, are deadly and can cause people to be homeless. People who live in regions well-know for tornadoes, have a caller or bunker stocked with food and water to go when a tornado occurs.

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Flooding have known as the aftermath of Tsunamis. Tsunamis can be initiated when there is a sudden motion in the ocean floor - an earthquake or powerful volcanic eruption underwater or above, or an underwater landslide). They are usually generated in the subduction zone. A way one can tell a tsunami is coming is when the waves draw all the way back, forming a large wave. Tsunamis can completely demolish houses, leaving people homeless, injured, or even drown them.

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In 2017 alone, the world (especially in America) have gone through/experienced Hurricanes Harvey and Hurricane Irma. These hurricanes started as a group of thunderstorms from the west of Africa. From the moist and warmth of the ocean, air rises to form more storm. Low pressure develops. As it rides along trade winds, it rotates counter-clockwise, and the storm keeps growing. The most destruction of the hurricane comes from the eye wall. These hurricanes have cause maximum damage including flooding and destruction of homes.

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Earthquakes are due to the tectonic plates pushing against each other. Sometimes create cracks in the ground depending on the magnitude. Earthquakes are known to be deadly, destroying homes, and buildings, which sometimes can kill them when the fall apart or the people stuck in certain situation which they can't get out of. Sometimes the people are stuck in a certain place sometimes due to a piece of a buildings is laying against them, which could cause them to die due to the pressure against their bodies or lack of nutritions is no body came to save them for a long time (weeks).

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Floods are most often seen as the aftermath of a natural disasters like hurricanes or tsunamis, sometimes it is just due to the weather. Floods can often put people stuck in their homes or have their home destroyed (filled with water or the current dragging the house away).

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International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies

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International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies

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United Nations International Strategy for Disaster Reduction

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United Nations International Strategy for Disaster Reduction

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The RISK Award, endowed with €100,000, is issued every two years by UNISDR, the Global Risk Forum Davos and the Munich Re Foundation. This year's award, issued at the 2017 Global Platform for Disaster Risk Reduction, went to the Nursing Association of Nepal won the prize for its "EpiNurse" project - short for "Epidemiology Nurse" - which will equip nurses with monitoring and surveillance tools to prevent and control infectious diseases after disasters.

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As the outbreak of the novel coronavirus continues, we are working around the clock with our local partners in more than 60 countries to deliver much needed assistance to curb to spread of the virus and help protect the poorest communities from its economic impact. You can help.

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As the outbreak of the novel coronavirus continues, we are working around the clock with our local partners in more than 60 countries to deliver much needed assistance to curb to spread of the virus and help protect the poorest communities from its economic impact. You can help.

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Babies under 12 months, have nowhere to sleep as the impact of the tsunami destroyed their homes like the one in Thailand, during the Christmas of 2004 or the most recent one in Hawaii, 2017.

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Products tagged: life raft - Shapeways 3D Printing

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Shop for products tagged: life raft in the Shapeways 3D Printing marketplace. Find unique, personal, and custom products to buy for yourself, friends, and family.