Top 10 reasons why we are not as powerful or what our vulnerability [1]

Despite the fact that, according to the European Space Agency (ESA), this can happen only once in a hundred years, a meteorite that exploded in the air and thus caused a huge shock wave in the Russian city of Chelyabinsk, made everyone think. How little power over people when it comes to our world and our universe.

Although the incident had an impact on the local scale, the government reported that the number of people affected has reached the number of about 1,500 people and caused damage estimated at about 33 million. Dollars. And despite the fact that the outer body has gone virtually unnoticed, if the object has a larger volume, it would have caused much more damage.

Even if it was directed towards the Earth larger object that, accordingly, potentially creating a far greater threat to the large number of people, and even if we could detect it in advance, mankind has not been tested and effective means to effectively address this threat.

However, we need not address the topic of space threats. In fact, within our planet, there are many reminders of how easily nature can turn against people. But humanity is not so much can be done to prevent a disaster.

Earthquakes


Earthquakes can be powerful and unpredictable. It is a powerful reminder of the danger to all who live along the fault line.

Capacity can reach such a force that is able to shift the axis of the planet. Think about the earthquake in 8.9 points, which caused a tsunami that devastated Japan. This natural disaster could raze the whole city in a few minutes, as it was in the infamous 1906 in San Francisco. Photos of this earthquake, see above.

Tsunami


Powerful earthquakes that occur under water can cause tsunamis, destructive force which has huge potential and is easily washed off the coastal areas along the shoreline.

An earthquake measuring 9.1 points, which occurred in 2004 in the Indian Ocean triggered a tsunami that killed more than 200 000 people from 14 countries. It was probably the most deadly tsunami in the history of mankind. Generating capacity equivalent to the explosion happened earthquake more than 23,000 nuclear bombs.

Volcanoes


Volcanic eruption in Iceland in 2010 resulted in the cessation of air traffic in Europe for a few weeks. As a result of the cataclysm was paralyzed message through the air, and on such a scale as in the days of the Second World War. No one could pronounce the word Eyjafjallajokull (Eyjafjallajökull), but a huge number of travelers cursed his name.

Despite the disruption caused by the volcano, to be honest, the event was far from the worst possible scenario. Given the nature of the disaster, and it potentially has a great destructive force, it is difficult to predict what would be the consequences of the eruption of this magnitude, if it had happened elsewhere.

Volcanic eruptions, earthquakes can trigger other natural disasters, including tsunamis and landslides.

Drought


Seventy percent of the Earth's surface is covered by water. But let's keep in mind that most of it is not suitable for drinking and is not suitable for use in agriculture. Seawater desalination is too expensive, so the drought remains a perennial problem, which allow people still can not afford.

According to the Minister of Agriculture Tom Vilsack (Tom Vilsack) this year in the United States has been a drought. A drought leads to an increase in food prices, because without water of agricultural crops wither and die.

Hunger


Hunger - one of the strongest feelings. Just ask anyone who has spent some time without food. It is perhaps with nothing to compare.

It can be caused by drought, epidemics, wars, crop failures or other causes. But hunger - it's a disaster waiting to happen, which can lead to malnutrition, widespread health problems and eventually to death by starvation.

Fires


It seems that the fire extinguishing elementary simple - just add water.

But quite another to fire, which extends to the point where no fire extinguisher or hose does not have any effect.

Firefighters battling wildfires in the past year have been extremely busy. In the first six months in the United States half a million acres burned, according to Tim Wall (Tim Wall) Discovery News. By November, the number had grown to 9 million. Acres, it has a total area burnt area size is put together Massachusetts and Connecticut.

Last year, for the third time in the history of the United States lost 9 million acres of forest due to forest fires. The last two times it happened in 2006, when 9.8 million acres burned in 2007, when the ashes turned into 9.3 million acres, as reported in USA Today.

Due to global climate change, this problem will be aggravated even more. And fire exposed not only the United States, but also countries such as Australia, where forest fires will only bigger.

Floods


Caused by heavy rains and extreme storms flood, may be the cause of long-term damage, unlike some other natural disasters. Due to flooding occurs not only direct damage to property and the destruction of living conditions. Prolonged flooding can contribute to the spread of diseases, destroy crops and cause further development of disasters such as landslides.

No wonder why in the Old Testament, of all natural disasters, which are at the disposal of God, He chose to destroy all the world is a flood.
The deadly flood in the history of mankind took place in China in 1931. It belongs to a series of powerful disasters, as according to some estimates, it claimed the lives of more than 4 million people.

Lightning


Despite the fact that the chance of a person getting hit lightning is only slightly higher than the probability of winning the lottery, lightning is still considered to be a powerful force of nature that inspires both primal fear and curiosity.

Lightning strikes the surface of the Earth about 100 times per second, making every stroke to one billion volts of electricity.

Avalanches


Once down the mountain and hill slides wall of snow, avalanches are formed, which can be deadly and destructive.

During World War I, according to National Geographic, as a result of avalanches killed about 60,000 Italian and Austrian soldiers who fought in the Alps. We also know that 10,000 soldiers were buried avalanche in one day December 13, 1916.

Fortunately, avalanches are more predictable events than earthquakes. Sometimes they can anticipate and mitigate the effects through targeted explosions in hazardous areas.

Landslides


Landslides are the same avalanche, only without the snow. They are also destructive and dangerous. These disasters can occur naturally, such as a volcanic eruption or an earthquake. But the people themselves can make the problem worse, as happened in 2010 in Gansu Province in China. Then in 1471 a man was killed and nearly three hundred people are still unaccounted for.