Articles tagged as Natural Disasters

Japanese sea slugs that washed ashore in Oregon in 2015

The 2011 Tsunami Flushed Hundreds of Japanese Species Across the Ocean

After the Fukushima disaster, a surprising number of coastal creatures survived a multi-year journey by clinging to floating debris

September 29, 2017

Ask Smithsonian

When Did East Asian Countries Adopt the Western Calendar and More Questions From Our Readers

You asked, we answered

October 2017

Rescue workers search for survivors among the rubble of a collapsed building in Mexico City. Structures throughout the capital were devastated during yesterday's earthquake.

How Mexico City’s Unique Geology Makes Deadly Earthquakes Even Worse

The entire country—but especially the capital—has all the ingredients for seismic catastrophe

September 20, 2017

The destruction left in Irma's wake is so widespread it can even be seen from space. These satellite images show Irma's effects on the British and U.S. Virgin Islands before (top) and after (bottom) the storm.

Damage From Hurricane Irma Can Be Seen From Space

Caribbean islands that were once lush and green now appear sickly and brown

September 12, 2017

Koalas eat 200 to 500 grams of eucalyptus a day. So when all shipping routes go down, what's an animal nutritionist to do?

When Disaster Strikes, the Zoo Must Go On

Zoo nutritionists have the Herculean task of feeding thousands of charges, come hurricane, tornado or terrorist attack

September 11, 2017

A relief party works to find bodies after the hurricane's destruction.

More Than a Century Later, This Texas Hurricane Remains America’s Deadliest Natural Disaster

The Great Galveston Hurricane helped the city of Houston to rise to prominence

September 8, 2017

Standing water is breeding billions of post-hurricane mosquitoes, which could transmit diseases like the West Nile Virus

September 7, 2017

Archaeologists diving off the coast of Nabeul, Tunisia.

Ruins of a Roman City Found Off the Coast of Tunisia

The city destroyed by a 4th-century tsunami is rediscovered

September 6, 2017

Water water everywhere, and not a day to think.

How Coastal Cities Are Evolving to Deal With Extreme Rain

Facing the specter of more and worse rainstorms, these vulnerable areas are turning to innovative urban design

September 5, 2017

The stinging insects are floating around Texas floodwaters in giant mats

August 29, 2017

Tropical Storm Harvey as seen the morning of August 24, 2017 by NOAA's GOES-16 satellite.

Why Amateur Radio Operators Are Watching Hurricane Harvey

Ham radio underwent a resurgence in the United States after Hurricane Katrina

August 24, 2017

Discussion

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September 2017

Today, the Mayo Clinic is a well-known research hospital.

One of the World’s Most Famous Hospitals Was Originally a Makeshift Tornado Relief Clinic

You could say the first Mayo Clinic was a dance hall that had been converted into a makeshift field hospital

August 21, 2017

A NASA image of Hurricane Sandy moving along the United States' East Coast. Extreme weather events like this are becoming more frequent, but scientists still face challenges when attributing any one storm to climate change.

Ask Smithsonian 2017

Does Climate Change Cause Extreme Weather Events?

It’s a challenge to attribute any one storm or heat wave to climate change, but scientists are getting closer

August 15, 2017

The Devastating 1926 Hurricane that Halted the Growth of Miami

In 1926, the Miami economy was soaring, fueled by wealthy northerners attracted to the tropical climate and beaches

August 14, 2017

The beer that flooded the streets was porter, an extremely dark-colored beer that was traditionally aged for a time before being drunk–which is why it was stored in vats.

This 1814 Beer Flood Killed Eight People

More than a hundred thousand gallons of beer burst onto the streets of London when a vat broke

August 4, 2017

Underwater Robot Spots Possible Melted Nuclear Fuel in Fukushima Reactor

Identifying the location of the fuel is a vital step in the decontamination process

July 25, 2017

Wyke Farms is offering a reward for the return of its champion and reserve champion cheddars stolen from the Yeovil Show in Somerset

July 20, 2017

For 24 hours a YouTube channel will host discussions on space rocks and their potential impacts on Earth

June 30, 2017

Racing the Storm: The Story of the Mobile Bay Sailing Disaster

When hurricane-force winds suddenly struck the Bay, they swept more than 100 boaters into one of the worst sailing disasters in modern American history

July 2017