A Summer of Natural Disasters

Olivia Hood

A Summer of Natural Disasters

 

The first half of 2022 has proved to be one of numerous devastating natural disasters. From ruinous floods, to raging wildfires, and even record breaking typhoons, it has been a truly disastrous summer. Not only in the United States, but across the globe.

Water can bring life and growth, but it can bring just as much death and destruction, as this summer demonstrated. 

Late August brought storms that caused the Pearl River to overflow, flooding Mississippi’s capital and enacting a drinking water crisis. According to Fast Company, an online news website, Jackson has been under a boil-water notice since late July, which has now been exacerbated by the lack of clean drinking water. 

Along with this, a historic 500 year flood destroyed rural areas of Montana, Idaho, and Wyoming. This sparked mudslides and rock falls, which caused Yellowstone to shut down for the first time in thirty years. 

On the other side the map, monsoon rain has put one-third of Pakistan below water, costing $10 billion in damages and claiming over 1,000 lives according to Fast Company.

 

The Swat district in Pakistan overrun by flooding.

 

While certain regions, such as Pakistan, were overrun by record breaking floods, others were ravaged by wildfires and sweltering temperatures. 

The western United States, according to Fast Company, was faced with a historic heat wave, causing power outages in areas that are not well-enough equipped to deal with this extreme heat. This included wildfires and droughts that put California on edge, causing road closures, including the I-5. 

Europe was smothered with record breaking temperatures as a heat wave emerged with Sahara level temperatures. Munich RE, an environmental news site and resource, states that uncharacteristic wildfires and droughts followed, including a massive glacier collapse on Italy’s highest mountain, Marmolada. 

Horizon view of California fires.

 

Unfortunately, the season of disasters does not exclude some of the most terrifying and destructive of storms, hurricanes.Fast Company tells of the most powerful tropical typhoon recorded this year. Typhoon Hinnamnor, which is the name for a hurricane located in the Pacific or Indian Ocean, is expected to cause massive damage to the islands of Japan and South Korea. This includes power outages, flooding, and the destruction of homes and other buildings. 

Al Jazeera, an online news source, provides a striking photo story on the destruction in  South Korea by Hinnamnor, which has already claimed at least ten lives. 

The story doesn’t end here for the summer of disasters, as it turns the calendar to fall, and approaches the deadly hurricane season here in America. But it is not all dark and hopeless , there are several ongoing recovery efforts to help fight, and come back from the destruction. One such disaster relief group is Team Rubicon, an international non-governmental organization which specializes in disaster response. You can visit them at their website at teamrubiconusa.org, and check out their volunteer and donation opportunities to help support those in need.