Stories about Disaster from August, 2011
Russia: Shark Attacks in Vladivostok
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.
Madagascar: Minister of Population Ramaroson and 10 others Drown in a Boat Accident
Minister of Population and Social Affairs Nadine Ramaroson and 10 other people died on Sunday in a boat accident near the island of Saint-Marie (North East of Madagascar) during a...
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.
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...
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.
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.
Peru: 7.0-Magnitude Earthquake Hits Jungle Region
Juan Arellano –Global Voices author and Spanish Translation Manager– is updating a Storify post [es] with Twitter reactions to a 7.0-magnitude earthquake that hit the Peruvian jungle near the border...
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]...
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.
Somalia: Turkish Prime Minister Erdogan In Mogadishu
afrik.com reports [fr] on Turkish Prime Minister Erdogan's visit in Mogadishu: “The prime minister, his wife Emine and other [Turkish] political and business leaders, as well as artists, are in...
Lebanon: New Migrant Center Opening in Beirut
Lebanese blogger and Nasawiya activist Nadine shares some exciting news for the migrant communities in Lebanon: their Migrant Center is in the final stages of opening and it needs your...
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.
China: Music Video – People of July
China Digital Times translates a song written by Chuanzi in response to the Wenzhou High-speed Train crash.
Japan: Mapping radiation online
Rick Martin gives an update on the radiation mapping work by Yahoo Japan and Safecast.org.
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...
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.
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...
Poland: NGO Helps Looking for Missing Persons
Polandian writes about ITAKA: Centre for Missing People (en.zaginieni.pl), a Polish NGO that helps tracing missing persons.
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...
South Korea: Severe Rains and Storms, Evidence of Climate Change?
Steven Borowiec from the Asia Sentinel suggested the recent weeks’ torrential rains and storms in South Korea could be evidence that the climate is changing and commented that the country...
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.
