THE FIRST HALF OF 2OO7:
FLOODS, LANDSLIDES,
DROUGHTS, WILDFIRES,
TORNADOES, TYPHOONS,
AND EARTHQUAKES
JANUARY - JULY 2007
HEAT AND FLOODING
• We must consider the • Warmer air and warmer
possible impact of water are a Rx for a
global climate change tornado, hurricane or a
on the global typhoon.
distribution of floods, • Warmer air can hold more
landslides, droughts, water and will unleash
and wildfires. more energy, making wind
Hurricanes and fields storms stronger,
typhoons are seasonal, surges higher, and rainfall
• Earthquakes, tsunamis, heavier.
and volcanoes have • This mechanism may
tectonic origins. explain an observed
increase during 2007 in
flash floods and riverine
floods in Europe and Asia..
HEAT AND FLOODING
• A number of • Experts say that
flooding disasters certain configurations
have occurred of the jet stream can
around the World in produce flooding
June and July. nearly simultaneously
in different parts of the
World..
SOCIETAL IMPACTS DURING
FIRST HALF OF 2007
• Several thousand have • Hundreds of
been killed and injured. thousands have
• Tens of thousands of been displaced.
homes have been
inundated or destroyed. • Millions have been
• Infrastructure has been adversely affected.
damaged/destroyed. • $ Billions in insured
• Toxic materials have been and uninsured
released into the air, water, economic losses..
and soil.
• Health care needs have
increased sharply.
GLOBAL CLIMATE CHANGE: A
CONTINUING PROCESS?
• Small European
glaciers are
predicted to melt
early from the
process of global
warming.
EARTHQUAKE: KASHIWAZAKI,
JAPAN: JULY 2007
EARTHQUAKE AND TSUNAMI IN
SOLOMON ISLANDS: APRIL 2007
EARTHQUAKE IN ACAPULCO,
MEXICO: APRIL 2007
EARTHQUAKE IN WEST SUMATRA,
INDONESIA: MARCH 2007
LANDSLIDE FOLLOWING
FLOODING IN CHINA: JULY 2007
LANDSLIDE FOLLOWING HEAVY
RAINS IN MEXICO: JULY 2007
TYPHOON MAN-YI: JULY 2007
NOR’EASTER IN NORTHEASTERN
USA: APRIL 2007
TORNADO IN GREENSBORO,
KANSAS: MAY 2007
TORNADO IN GREENSBORO,
KANSAS: MAY 2007
EUROPEAN WINDSTORM (ORCAN):
JANUARY 2007
FLOODING IN CHINA: JULY 2007
FLOODING IN CHINA: JUNE –
JULY 2007
FLOOD GATES OPEN ON THREE
GORGES DAM: JULY 2007
FLOODING: TEWKESBURY,
ENGLAND: JULY 2007
FLOODING IN ENGLAND:JULY 2007
FLOODING IN LONDON, ENGLAND:
JULY 2007
FLOODING AND OIL SPILL IN
COFFEYVILLE, KANSAS: JULY 2007
FLOODING IN THE SUDAN: JULY
2007
FLOODING IN IRAN: JUNE 2007
FLOODING IN MARBLE FALLS,
TEXAS: JUNE 2007
FLOODING ON TRINITY RIVER,
DALLAS, TEXAS: JUNE 2007
FLOODING IN LAGOS, NIGERIA:
JUNE 2007
FLOODING IN PAKISTAN: JUNE
2007
FLOODING IN KANSAS, USA:
MAY 2007
FLOODING IN SALINAS,
KANSAS: MAY 2007
FLOODING IN BOLIVIA: FEBRUARY
2007
WILDFIRE IN LOS ANGELES, CA
AREA: JULY 2007
DROUGHT IN LOS ANGELES, CA:
JULY 2007
WILDFIRE IN LAKE TAHOE, CA:
JUNE 2007
DROUGHT ON KISSIMMEE RIVER,
FLORIDA: JULY 2007
DROUGHT ON ELBE RIVER IN
GERMANY: JUNE 2007
HEAT WAVE IN BAGHDAD: 41 C
(106 F) JULY 2007
HEAT WAVE IN BERLIN: 49 C
(120 F) JULY 2007
HEAT WAVE IN BAKER, CA: 48 C
JULY 2007
HEAT WAVE IN LIMMASOL,
CYPRUS: 40 C JULY 2007
HEAT WAVE IN HUNGARY: 40 C
JULY 2007
HEAT WAVE IN HEBRON, WEST
BANK: 35 C JULY 2007
HEAT WAVE IN GERMANY: 35 C
JULY 2007
HEAT WAVE IN WUHAN, CHINA:
38 C JULY 2007
HEAT WAVE IN STAVROPOL,
RUSSIA: 35 C JULY 2007
HEAT WAVE IN MACEDONIA: 40 C
JULY 2007
HEAT WAVE IN SOFIA,
BULGARIA: 42 C JULY 2007
HEAT WAVE IN KUWAIT CITY,
KUWAIT: 45 C (113 F) JULY 2007
HEAT WAVE IN ROME, ITALY: 40 C
JULY 2007
HEAT WAVE IN SAKHIR,
BAHRAIN:45 C JULY 2007
HEAT WAVE IN SEOLE, SOUTH
KOREA: 31 C JULY 2007
HEAT WAVE IN ZURICH:
30 C (91 F) JULY 2007
HEAT WAVE IN NEW YORK
CITY: 3O C JULY 2007
HEAT WAVE IN PHILADELPHIA:
3O C JULY 2007
A CONTRAST IN BUENOS AIRES,
ARGENTINA: -- 22 C, JULY 2007