USA Natural Disasters 2011

The Rumblings continue all over as creation continues to groan and travail in pain (Romans 8:22) in preparation for the birth of the Messiah. The most recent catastrophe to strike the USA has been in the form of the Tornado. The strikes of these Tornado's have been so quick, not even the most modern warning systems have been able to work in time to warn residents.

2011 Natural Disasters:

May 2011: Tornadoes---350 Dead

Midwest Tornadoes and Severe Weather May 2010 An outbreak of tornadoes, hail, and severe thunderstorms occurred across several Midwest states (OK, KS, TX) in mid-May. Oklahoma was hardest hit with more than $1.5 billion in damages. Total losses exceeded $3.0 billion in damages/costs; 350 deaths. Special Report

This list documents the top deadly natural disasters in the USA of all time. The deadliest? The Galveston hurricane of 1900 hitting Texas.

Deadliest Year Ever for Tornadoes in USA:

(Reuters) - The tornado that raked Joplin, Missouri, on Sunday was the deadliest single twister in the United States since 1953, putting 2011 on pace for a possible record year for tornado fatalities, weather experts said on Monday.

Here are facts and figures about the Joplin tornado and its place in the weather record, based on data from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration and the National Weather Service:

* The Joplin tornado of May 22 was the deadliest U.S. tornado since 1953, with 116 people confirmed dead as of Monday, tying fatalities in a major tornado that hit Flint, Michigan in 1953.

* This is the eighth-deadliest tornado year on record in the United States, with 481 people killed. This year is now on pace for the full year to set a record for tornado fatalities, according to U.S. records.

* April was a record month for the number of U.S. tornadoes, with 875; the previous monthly record was 267, set in 1974, but this was before the advent of technologies like Doppler radar, mobile electronics and the Internet, which all ease tornado tracking and reporting.

* There was an average of 24 minutes between the time a tornado warning was issued for Joplin and the time the tornado hit. This compares to a national average of 14 minutes. Outlooks for severe weather were issued three days in advance.

* The Joplin tornado was an EF-4 tornado on the Enhanced Fujita Scale. Winds reached 190-198 miles an hour. An EF-4 tornado is capable of causing extreme damage, with well-constructed and whole frame houses leveled; cars and other large objects thrown and small missiles generated. An EF-5 tornado is capable of total destruction.

ABC News Video on the Rise in Frequency of Tornadoes

Some cool pics illustrating the effects of disasters on the US:

Other cool maps can be found at the National Climate Data Center.

Recent World-Wide Natural Disasters:

2011: Japanese Earthquake-----15,000 Dead

9.0 Magnitude earthquake on March 11th in Japan leaves 15,000 people dead. Result is a minor depression as economy contracts 5 percent in 1st quarter of 2011 and with devastation bringing estimates that it could take up to 5 years to rebuild the country.

2010 Haiti Earthquake-----300,000 Dead

The 2010 Haiti earthquake was a catastrophic magnitude 7.0 Mw earthquake. The earthquake on 12 January 2010. By 24 January, at least 52 aftershocks measuring 4.5 or greater had been recorded. An estimated three million people were affected by the quake. The Haitian government reported that an estimated 316,000 people had died, 300,000 had been injured and 1,000,000 made homeless. The government of Haiti also estimated that 250,000 residences and 30,000 commercial buildings had collapsed or were severely damaged.

2005: Hurricane Katrina USA-----1,800 Dead

Hurricane Katrina of the 2005 Atlantic hurricane season was the costliest natural disaster, as well as one of the five deadliest hurricanes, in the history of the United States. Among recorded Atlantic hurricanes, it was the sixth strongest overall. At least 1,836 people died in the actual hurricane and in the subsequent floods, making it the deadliest U.S. hurricane since the 1928 Okeechobee hurricane; total property damage was estimated at $ 81 billion, nearly triple the damage wrought by Hurricane Andrew in 1992.

2004 Southeast Asia Tsunami-----230,000 Dead

The 2004 Indian Ocean earthquake was an undersea megathrust earthquake that occurred on December 26, 2004, with an epicentre off the west coast of Sumatra, Indonesia. The resulting tsunami is given various names, including the 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami, Asian Tsunami, Indonesian Tsunami, and Boxing Day Tsunami. The earthquake was caused by subduction and triggered a series of devastating tsunamis along the coasts of most landmasses bordering the Indian Ocean, killing over 230,000 people in fourteen countries, and inundating coastal communities with waves up to 30 meters (100 feet) high. Indonesia was the hardest hit, followed by Sri Lanka, India, and Thailand. With a magnitude of between 9.1 and 9.3, it is the third largest earthquake ever recorded on a seismograph. This earthquake had the longest duration of about 10 minutes. It caused the entire planet to vibrate as much as 1 cm (0.4 inches)and triggered other earthquakes as far away as Alaska.

2001 Gujarat India Earthquake-----30,000 Dead

The 2001 Gujarat earthquake occurred on January 26, 2001, India's 51st Republic Day. The earthquake reached a magnitude of between 7.6 and 7.7 on the magnitude scale. The quake killed around 20,000 people, injured another 167,000 and destroyed nearly 400,000 homes. It affected 21 districts displaced 600,000 people.

A photo gallery of the worst natural disasters of all time is available to check out.