1. 1993 Latur Earthquake
2001 Gujarat Earthquake
The Latur earthquake that hit Maharashtra on September 30, 1993, was so
crippling that 52 villages in Osmanabad and Latur were erased from the face
of the earth. Having a magnitude of 6.2 on the Richter scale, the earthquake
did more damage to life than expected owing to its stronger shock waves. It
is believed that fault lines in this area were the major cause of this ruinous
disaster. The destruction was so deadly that the epicenter, Killari, has left
behind a large crater even today.
2. Odisha Cyclone of 1999
One of the most catastrophic natural disaster that ever affected the Indian
Ocean, the Odisha Cyclone of 1999 wreaked havoc from October 25 to
October 28. The depression originated in the Malay Peninsula, but swiftly
moved to India with the storm raging at 160 mph. Infamously known as the
Paradip Cyclone, its death toll hit the 10,000 mark, and also caused
irreversible vandalism on the inhabitants of the area.
3.
On 26th January, 2001, an earthquake that measured 7.7 on the Richter scale,
hit Gujarat and claimed the lives of more than 20,000 people. Though it
lasted for approximately 42 seconds, the earthquake caused severe damage to
400,000 houses, and injured almost 167,000 people. Affecting the areas of
Kutch and Bhuj, innumerable schools and hospitals were turned to rubble in
seconds, and the entire populations food and water became almost non-
existent.
4. 2002 Indian Heat Waves
In 2002, southern parts of India were faced with extreme heat waves that
ended up taking the lives of many people. Most of the affected were those
who were homeless. Andhra Pradesh was the worst hit, with all water bodies
drying up quickly, and several animals and birds dying of thirst.
5. 2004 The Indian Ocean Tsunami
On December 26, 2004, the region around Sumatra, in Indonesia experienced
an earthquake that measured a colossal 9.0 on the Richter scale. The
deleterious earthquake not only took the lives of thousands in Indonesia, but
also set off a tsunami in the Indian Ocean. The Indian Ocean Tsunami was so
cataclysmic that countless people were left penniless without a shelter over
their head. Also, almost 10, 136 inhabitants lost their lives, while more than
5832 people were nowhere to be found. Especially ravaged were the
Andaman and Nicobar Islands and Tamil Nadu.
6. 2013 Uttarakhand Flash Floods
In 2013, Uttarakhand was devastated by flash floods that were brought about
by menacing cloudbursts. It is considered to be one of the most calamitous
incidents that took place in India since the Tsunami. The massive floods
demolished parts of Delhi, Himachal Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh and Haryana,
and also certain areas of Tibet and Nepal, apart from Uttarakhand.
7. 2014 Kashmir Flood
Recently, in 2014, September, Kashmir, the paradise state, faced heavy
deluge as the monsoon rains dealt its blow, causing the Chenab and the
Jhelum rivers to overflow. The floods cut off all lines of communication, and
ruined more than 2600 villages in the area. Most of Srinagar was engulfed by
12-feet of water, ruining schools, hospitals and homes, and resulting in the
death of almost 200 people. Not only was the state of Jammu and Kashmir
affected, but the Pakistan-governed Azad Kashmir was traumatized by the
catastrophe.
Thank You