The most severe places of natural disasters on Earth (Part 1)

The most common types of natural disasters that can kill people revolve around four elements: water, gas, earth and fire. Among the places where there are dangerous natural elements on Earth, which is the harshest place?

Natural disasters return to the country

Water is a clear danger to people, because we are not good at adjusting to water. Although protected by boats, but according to the World Maritime Organization statistics in 2012, there are still 1,051 deaths at sea this year.

However, some seas are more dangerous because of the geographical characteristics that make the power of the sea here so terrible.The Saltstraumen Strait in Norway is considered the most dangerous sea on Earth due to its strong flow.

A powerful tidal whirlpool in Saltstraumen, Norway.(Photo: Cephas Picture Library / Alamy).

However, the most powerful whirlpool in the world has been analyzed and studied by scientists, making it no longer scary. Today, many travel companies organize steam boat trips so that visitors can go deep into the whirlpool with the control of an experienced captain.

But for those living on the coast, the island of the Maldives in the Indian Ocean is the most dangerous place. This is a coral island in the low-lying areas of the Indian Ocean, the sea can rise abruptly or a big wave, a storm can come suddenly without notice.

Today, due to the severe day of climate change, sea level rise is increasing, making the island at risk of being permanently submerged and disappearing in the near future.

Besides, tsunamis are also a formidable killer.Tsunamis are the result of the sudden shift of large bodies of water, causing huge waves to be created and spread in the ocean.

According to the US National Weather Agency, 71% of tsunamis in the world take place in the Pacific Ocean due to the sudden displacement of water bodies in the sea. The rest are mostly caused by subterranean earthquakes and can take place anywhere.

The terrible devastation of super tsunami in 2004. (Photo: Mark Pearson / Alamy).

In 2004, one of the most terrible tsunamis in modern history took away 280,000 lives of citizens of 15 countries, after a powerful earthquake struck off Sumatra Island, Indonesia. Most people died because of floods after the tsunami.

Currently, tsunami warning and tsunami warning systems are installed around the world, protecting people from this devastating natural disaster.

Disaster in the air

Many "killer lakes" were discovered in Africa, but it was not a water disaster. Lake Nyos in Cameroon and Lake Kivu on the border of the Republic of Congo and Rwanda are all invisible dangers. They are lakes that leak carbon dioxide from below the ground.

In the limnic eruption, carbon dioxide gas broke from the bottom of the lake and formed a cloud of gas. Because this gas is heavier than air, it settles to the ground and pushes oxygen upwards, killing all living things here.

Lake Nyos in Cameroon becomes a killer lake due to its full carbon dioxide.(Photo: jbdodane / Alamy).

After two eruptions in 1980, there were 1,700 people and 3,500 cattle in Cameroon died. Now scientific experts have installed air exhaust systems and air purifiers by pipes to carry air out.

Another disaster also predicted in Lake Kivu, this lake also has methane gas leaked underground. An energy project has been deployed to extract methane gas and convert it into electricity, supplying electricity to millions of people. However, the risk is still very high when a strong wind comes.

Denison Cape in Antarctica is the most windy place on Earth. Although it is uninhabited, these winds have indirect effects on other residential areas in the world.

The strongest storms are formed in the warm ocean region in the north and south of the equator. Here, trade winds are promoted by pressure changes and prolonged by the Coriolis effect , creating many types of weather such as storms and tornadoes.

When it comes to strong storms, Haiti cannot be mentioned. This is the most vulnerable island by storms in Caribbean waters. This is not only a country located in the main route of storms, but also a poor country, difficult to recover after the storm.

Expert Jörn Birkmann on weather risks at Stuttgart University (Germany), said tornadoes are always more dangerous than storms because it is difficult to predict.

Haiti is an island nation that is always waiting for terrible storms.(Photo: NASA).

"Whirlwinds can change the size and shape of your body when moving to another area. Or can it form in an area that has never been or very rarely tornadoes, this is extremely dangerous when the people there have no experience of cyclone prevention ".

Birkmann is a member of the team of experts on the annual World Disaster Report released by the United Nations University. This report addresses countries that are vulnerable to natural disasters and their ability to overcome problems.

In 2016, Vanuatu tops this list. More than one third of the island's population is seriously affected by natural disasters each year. In 2015, a serious earthquake, volcanic eruption and a strong storm devastated this place in just one week.

It is very fortunate that the forecast, evacuation and rescue work has been carried out quickly and with international cooperation, making the number of deaths after only three disasters only 11. For comparison, the number of deaths in a bout tornadoes in November 1970 in Bangladesh was 500,000 people.