Natural disasters / Lee Davis.

Format:

Book

Author/Creator:

Davis, Lee (Lee Allyn)

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

Natural disasters.

Physical Description:

xii, 420 pages : illustrations ; 28 cm

Edition:

Revised edition.

Place of Publication:

New York : Checkmark Books, [2002]

Summary:

From the Black Plague to the recent devastating effects of global warming, Natural Disasters, Revised Edition provides a comprehensive world survey of natural calamities that have ravaged humans and sometimes altered the course of history. Featuring more than 500 entries -- over 100 of them new -- this up-to-date reference covers avalanches and landslides, earthquakes, famines and droughts, floods, plagues and epidemics, cyclones, hurricanes, icestorms and snowstorms, tornadoes, typhoons, storms, and volcanic eruptions and natural explosions. For ease of reference, the text is organized by disaster type, with entries presented in alphabetical order arranged by the country or geographical entity where the event occurred. Each section begins with an alphabetical listing by country of the worst recorded disasters by type, a helpful chronology of relevant disasters by category, and an introduction. In addition to providing the basic facts of each disaster, the text offers important background information on each event, and explores its ultimate impact on humans and the environment. Compelling eyewitness accounts are also presented.

This new edition includes coverage of: the worst snowstorms to hit Europe in 50 years, resulting in a 1999 landslide that caused tragic devastation in Austria. an earthquake registering 7.7 on the Richter scale that struck India in 2001, leaving more than 600,000 homeless and killing more than 30,000 people. a record drought in 2000 that contributed to a famine affecting more than 250,000 farms in the former Soviet republics of Georgia, Tajikistan, and Armenia. a three-month flood ravaging southern Africa in 2000 that affected almost 1 million people. the staggering impact of 1999's Hurricane Floyd along the eastern coast of the United States. the surprise tornado that hit Bangladesh in 1996, resulting in death, injury, and homelessness. Also included are 100 evocative photographs -- 20 new to this edition -- and an extensive bibliography. Natural Disasters, Revised Edition is an indispensable resource for students, Earth scientists, historians, and others who need current or historical information on the cataclysmic events that have affected society and the environment.

Contents:

Avalanches and Landslides 1

Earthquakes 23

Famines and Droughts 99

Floods 129

Plagues and Epidemics 189

Cyclones 211

Hurricanes 225

Icestorms and Snowstorms 291

Tornadoes 307

Storms 331

Typhoons 339

Volcanic Eruptions and Natural Explosions 351.

Notes:

Includes bibliographical references (pages 393-396) and index.

ISBN:

0816043388

0816043396

OCLC:

46383836