· August, 2011

Stories about Disaster from August, 2011

Russia: Shark Attacks in Vladivostok

RuNet Echo

Russia is not known for sharks attacks, but this summer a number of incidents have occurred. Masha Egupova reports, and examines the blogosphere's response to the recent spate of shark attacks in the Russian Far East.

29 August 2011

Puerto Rico: Tropical Storm Irene Leaves Heavy Rain and Damages

Tropical storm Irene hit Puerto Rico on August 21st leaving wind damage, floods, constant rain, and the evacuation of entire communities. This is the same storm, now a hurricane, that is hitting the United States east coast. The online community has posted videos of the aftermath of tropical storm Irene in Puerto Rico.

27 August 2011

Puerto Rico: My Life with Irene

Writer Mayra Santos Febres narrates her storm story: “Gasping and Sweating Post-Irene” [es]: “There have been so many rainy days that I have lost count of how infrequent are the...

27 August 2011

Bahamas: Riding Out Hurricane Irene

As Hurricane Irene, the first of the 2011 Atlantic hurricane season, continues to move through the Bahamas, bloggers have been sharing their experiences. Netizens reported very strong winds, extensive damage to property, felled trees and downed power lines. Several roofs were blown off and there were reports of flooding in certain areas.

25 August 2011

Somalia: Food Security Emergency Spreads Despite Aid

As the Horn of Africa deals with what the Food and Agriculture Organization is calling the “most severe food security emergency in the world today,” experts warn that conditions in famine-stricken Somalia are likely to further deteriorate. Juhie Bhatia examines the spread of the disaster.

25 August 2011

Haiti: Grim Housing Situation

Haiti Grassroots Watch investigates whether “the 634,000 people still living in Haiti’s 1,001 camps, and the undoubtedly tens of thousands of others living in unsafe and even condemned structures [will]...

23 August 2011

Pakistan: Help The Flood Affected People

The recent floods in Pakistan has displaced over a million people. Beena Sarwar highlights the relief efforts so far and lists the ways you can help the flood victims.

22 August 2011

Bangladesh: Tragic Deaths Puts the Spotlight on Road Safety

The untimely death of award-winning film director Tareque Masud and internationally renowned cameraman and TV journalist Ashfaque Munier Mishuk in a road accident has shocked Bangladeshis. Netizens are mourning their death and are asking questions about the road safety on Bangladeshi highways.

15 August 2011

Pakistan: The Plights Of The Flood Victims

Faisal Kapadia blogs from a medical camp for the flood affected people in Khowrah of Sindh province in Pakistan and comments: “although the floods of last year may be over...

12 August 2011

Japan: Chaos at Chitose Airport on March 11

On March 11, 2011, a Delta airplane pilot approaching Tokyo airport described his experience of an emergency landing in an email so vividly, that it spread rapidly across the blogosphere. Aviation fan blogger BUTA_NEKO responded to the meme in Japanese, to tell the other side of the story.

11 August 2011

Japan: “Plutonium is safe,” they say

Youtube user tokyobrowntabby has translated into English the video clips of three Japanese nuclear researchers who claimed safety for plutonium in a TV show. A blogger at EX-SKF – who...

11 August 2011

Haiti: Jobs Needed for Progress

Love Haiti suggests that “the hardships facing Haiti today may be compared to the Great Depression of the United States”, explaining: “The point of this analogy is simply to state...

10 August 2011

United Kingdom: Time for #RiotCleanup in London?

After extensive looting and rioting across London and other cities in the United Kingdom since Saturday night, ordinary citizens are now looking for ways to help their cities heal. On Tuesday morning the hashtags #prayforlondon and #riotcleanup have overtaken #londonriots on Twitter.

9 August 2011