According to the Centre for Research on the Epidemiology of Disasters (CRED), 336 natural disasters and 234 technological disasters were reported worldwide in 2011.
The deadliest natural disaster was the earthquake and subsequent tsunami in Japan in March, which killed 19,846 people. The number of deaths is much lower than those caused by the Indian Ocean tsunami in December 2004 (226,408 deaths) and the earthquake of January 2010 in Haiti (222,570 deaths).
In 2011, almost 70 per cent of people reported affected were victims of floods. The most severe occurred in June and September in China (68 and 20 million, respectively). Fifteen other floods affected 1 to 9 million people for a total of 45 million. One hailstorm affected 22 million people in April in China and eight other storms, all in Asia, affected 1 to 3 million people for a total of 14 million.
The earthquake and tsunami in Japan cost US$ 210 billion. Next to the gigantic damages caused by the tsunami, two earthquakes in New Zealand, in Christchurch and in South Island, cost US$ 15 billion and US$ 3 billion, respectively. An earthquake in Turkey in October cost US$ 1.5 billion.
Damages from floods accounted for more than US$ 72 billion and were the highest reported for this type of disaster in the decade. The floods in Thailand cost US$ 40 billion. Ten other floods cost more than US$ 1 billion with a total of US$ 25 billion. These 11 disasters accounted for 87 per cent of damages reported for floods.
World Disasters Report
International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies
https://www.ifrc.org
https://www.ifrc.org/PageFiles/99703/1216800-WDR%202012-EN-LR.pdf
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Disaster data
According to the Centre for Research on the Epidemiology of Disasters (CRED), 336 natural disasters and 234 technological disasters were reported worldwide in 2011.
The number of natural disasters is the lowest of the decade and is 15 per cent below its decade’s average.
The number of technological disasters (234) is the second lowest of the decade, after 2009, far below the numbers reported during the first five years of the decade.
The number of deaths caused by natural disasters (31,105) is the fourth lowest of the decade, much lower than the peaks of 2004 (242,010 deaths), 2008 (235,272) and 2010 (297,730). The deadliest natural disaster was the earthquake and subsequent tsunami in Japan in March, which killed 19,846 people. The number of deaths is much lower than those caused by the Indian Ocean tsunami in December 2004 (226,408 deaths) and the earthquake of January 2010 in Haiti (222,570 deaths).
Tropical Storm Washi (Sendong), which killed 1,439 people in December in the Philippines, is the second deadliest natural disaster of 2011.
The technological disaster that resulted in the highest number of deaths (203) was the sinking of a ferry in September in Tanzania. A total of 2,085 people died in 45 shipwrecks in 2011, accounting for 50 per cent of all deaths from transport accidents and almost one-third of all technological disasters. Among industrial accidents, an oil pipeline explosion caused 120 deaths in Kenya and the explosion of a fuel reserve led to the deaths of 100 people in Libya.
The number of people reported affected by natural disasters (209 million) is the fourth lowest of the decade, but is much higher than the minimum of 2006 (147 million). In 2011, almost 70 per cent of people reported affected were victims of floods. The most severe occurred in June and September in China (68 and 20 million, respectively). Fifteen other floods affected 1 to 9 million people for a total of 45 million. One hailstorm affected 22 million people in April in China and eight other storms, all in Asia, affected 1 to 3 million people for a total of 14 million. Seven droughts, of which five were in Africa, affected 1 to 4 million people for a total of 14 million. By comparison, the total number of people affected by earthquakes and tsunami (1.5 million) is the second lowest of the decade. The earthquake which affected the highest number of people (575,000) occurred in India in September. The earthquake and tsunami in Japan, in March, affected 369,000 people and the February earthquake in New Zealand affected 300,000 people.
Technological disasters affect, proportionally, very few people. Among the five technological disasters affecting the most people were four fires in slums. The two most severe occurred in the Philippines, affecting 20,000 and 10,000 people, and the two others in Kenya affecting 9,000 and 6,000 people. The explosion of an ammunition depot in Tanzania affected 1,500 people.
In 2011, natural disaster costs (US$ 365.6 billion) were the highest of the decade, accounting for almost 1.5 times the direct losses reported in 2005 (US$ 248 billion, 2011 prices).
The earthquake and tsunami in Japan cost US$ 210 billion and accounted for 57 per cent of all reported damages. Twenty-six other disasters accounted for another 48 per cent of all reported damages. Next to the gigantic damages caused by the tsunami, two earthquakes in New Zealand, in Christchurch and in South Island, cost US$ 15 billion and US$ 3 billion, respectively. An earthquake in Turkey in October cost US$ 1.5 billion.
Damages from floods accounted for more than US$ 72 billion and were the highest reported for this type of disaster in the decade. The floods in Thailand cost US$ 40 billion. Ten other floods cost more than US$ 1 billion with a total of US$ 25 billion. These 11 disasters accounted for 87 per cent of damages reported for floods.
Damages from storms accounted for almost US$ 51 billion, slightly lower than the decade’s average of US$ 58 billion. Tornadoes in April and May in the United States cost US$ 11 billion and US$ 14 billion. Seven other storms, of which five occurred in the United States, each cost between US$ 1 to 7 billion, for a total of US$ 22 billion. These nine disasters accounted for 82 per cent of damages reported for storms.
For three other natural disasters, reported costs exceeded US$ 1 billion: a drought in the United States (US$ 8 billion) and two forest fires, one in Canada in May (US$ 1.5 billion) and one in the United States in September (US$ 1 billion).
For technological disasters, in 2011, the only damages reported were caused by two slum fires in the Philippines, which cost US$ 467,000 and US$ 234,000.