2023 Major Events (January – June)

Dam Collapse (Ukraine, June 2023)

Hundreds plucked from flooded homes; Ukraine dismisses counteroffensive reports (Reuters, June 8, 2023)

Flash Flooding (Japan, June 2023)

Hundreds plucked from flooded homes; Ukraine dismisses counteroffensive reports (Reuters, June 8, 2023)

Typhoon Mawar (Pacific, May 2023)

• ‘Perfect storm of chaos’: A week after Typhoon Mawar, most of Guam still without basic services (The Guardian, May 31, 2023)
• Super Typhoon Mawar, 2023’s most powerful storm, barrels toward Philippines (Axios, May 26, 2023)

Train Crash (India, May 2023)

• The deadly train collision in India, explained (Vox, June 3, 2023)
• Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi visits the scene of train crash that killed more than 280 in India (CNN, June 4, 2023)

Mine Fire (Peru, May 2023)

Fire kills at least 27 in Peruvian gold mine (CNN, May 7, 2023)

H3N8 Bird Flu (April 2023)

China records world’s first human death from H3N8 bird flu, WHO says (Reuters, April 12, 2023)

Avalanche (France, April 2023)

Six killed as avalanche sweeps French Alps mountainside (CNN, April 10, 2023)

Building Collapse (France, April 2023)

Six bodies found in Marseille building collapse (CNN, April 10, 2023)

Ferry Fire (Philippines, March 2023)

Video: Philippine Ferry Fire Kills At Least 31 with Search Continuing (Maritime Executive, March 30, 2023)

Mexico Immigration Detention Fire (Juarez, Mexico, March 2023)

• Fire at migrant center in Mexico near U.S. border kills at least 38 (Washington Post, March 29, 2023)
• A Fire in Juárez Killed Dozens of Migrants, Some Fleeing Danger en Route to Texas (Texas Monthly, March 28, 2023)
• Fire at migrant center in Mexico near U.S. border kills at least 39 (Washington Post, March 28, 2023)

Tornado Outbreaks (USA, March and April 2023)

• Missouri communities face a long road to recovery after a storm leveled homes and left at least 5 people dead (CNN, April 7, 2023)
• ‘Absolutely devastating’ tornado kills multiple people as it ravages southeast Missouri (Kansas City Star, April 5, 2023)
• Death toll rises to 32 after tornadoes rip through South and Midwest, leaving communities in ruin (CNN, April 2, 2023)
• Communities face major destruction after large tornadoes tear through the South and Midwest, leaving at least 22 dead (CNN, April 2, 2023)
• At least 3 killed, dozens hurt as powerful storm system hits several states (CBS News, April 1, 2023)
• Tornadoes tear through Arkansas, Illinois, Iowa, Wisconsin, Mississippi and Tennessee (CNN, April 1, 2023)
• At least 3 dead, dozens hospitalized after violent tornadoes devastate central US (CNN, March 31, 2023)
• 1 dead, at least 28 injured after roof collapses at the Apollo Theatre in Illinois following dangerous storms (CNN, April 1, 2023)
• A baby and her father are among dozens killed in the storm-ravaged South. Now a new round of dangerous weather targets the Southeast (CNN, March 27, 2023)
• South reels from deadly tornado outbreak as new storm takes aim in the West (ABC News, March 27, 2023)
• Georgia governor declares state of emergency after multiple tornadoes batter the state (NBC News, March 26, 2023)
• Biden declares major disaster in Mississippi as forecasters warn of more tornadoes after 26 were killed (NBC News, March 26, 2023)
• At least 23 dead after tornadoes tear through Mississippi (NBC News, March 24, 2023)

Boat Disaster (Tunisia, March 2023)

At least 29 dead after migrant boat sinks off Tunisia coast (Sky News, March 26, 2023)

Earthquake (Ecuador and Peru, March 2023)

• At least 13 dead after magnitude 6.8 earthquake shakes Ecuador (CNN, March 19, 2023)
• Earthquake kills at least 15 in Ecuador and Peru, causes wide damage (NBC, March 18, 2023)

Fuel Depot Fire (Indonesia, March 2023)

Fire at Indonesian fuel storage station kills at least 16 (CNN, March 3, 2023)

Train Collision (Greece, March 2023)

• At least 38 dead, scores injured as trains collide in Greece (CNN, March 2, 2023)
• Survivors have told of a “nightmarish 10 seconds” as their train carriage overturned and was engulfed in flames in a crash in central Greece. (BBC, March 1, 2023)
• Train collision in Greece kills at least 43; station master arrested (Washington Post, March 1, 2023)
• At least 38 killed as trains collide in Greece (CNN, March 1, 2023)

Earthquake (Turkey and Syria, February 2023)

• ‘I said I’d bury my son with his grandad’: Tales from Syria’s earthquake (Al Jazeera, February 9, 2024)
• A year after Turkey’s earthquake, hundreds of thousands of people remain in shelters (NPR, February 9, 2024)
• Turkey was devastated by an earthquake. Here’s what that means for tourism (CNN, March 18, 2023)
• Deadly flooding hits Turkey still recovering from earthquakes (NBC News, March 16, 2023)
• Turkey’s earthquake caused $34 billion in damage. It could cost Erdogan the election (CNN, March 6, 2023)
• Earthquake death toll in Turkey rises to 43,556, minister says (Reuters, February 23, 2023)
• Magnitude 6.3 aftershock strikes southern Turkey, killing 6 and injuring hundreds 2 weeks after massive quake killed thousands (CNN, February 21, 2023)
• Afraid to sleep indoors: Child survivors of deadly quake left traumatized (CNN, February 24, 2023)
• Survivors in Turkey say ‘new normal’ is coping with more quakes (Al Jazeera, February 21, 2023)
• EPA orders Norfolk Southern to clean up Ohio train derailment site and pay all costs (NBC, February 21, 2023)
• A new earthquake hits Turkey, as teams still respond to earlier catastrophic quake (NPR, February 20, 2023)
• Fear, panic as new earthquakes hit Turkey-Syria border, killing 6 (Al Jazeera, February 20, 2023)
• Turkey halts most rescue efforts for earthquake survivors (CNN, February 19, 2023)
• Disease the new threat as Turkey faces post-quake water shortage (Reuters, February 15, 2023)
• Earthquake Turned Apartment Blocks That Symbolized Turkey’s Rise Into Crime Scenes (Wall Street Journal, February 15, 2023)
• Several rescue operations suspended in Syria and Turkey as chances of survival diminish (CNN, February 12, 2023)
• Children rescued from ruins days after earthquake, but death toll tops 23,700 (Reuters, February 11, 2023)
• After Turkey’s Earthquake Comes the Reckoning. ‘Why Are We Unprepared?’ (Wall Street Journal, February 10, 2023)
• Turkey-Syria earthquake: New-born and mother saved after four days in rubble (BBC, February 10, 2023)
• Secondary disaster’ looms as UN aid finally reaches survivors battling frozen conditions in Syria (CNN, February 10)
• In earthquake-battered Syria, a desperate wait for help that never came (Washington Post, February 10, 2023)
• First UN convoy since quake enters northwest Syria from Turkey (Al Jazeera, February 9, 2023)
• Why did so many buildings collapse in Turkey? (Al Jazeera, February 9, 2023)
• Was the earthquake’s high death toll preventable? Geologists say yes. (Washington Post, February 9, 2023)
• In a swelling Turkish cemetery, a glimpse of the earthquakes’ rising toll (Washington Post, February 9, 2023)
• Turkey earthquake: Anger at building standards grows (BBC, February 8, 2023)
• Twitter Access Blocked in Turkey Days After Massive Earthquakes (Bloomberg, February 8, 2023)
• Turkish leader acknowledges problems with earthquake relief effort (Reuters, February 8, 2023)
• Satellite images show scale of the earthquake devastation in Turkey (NBC News, February 8, 2023)
• Impossible to prepare for disasters this big, Turkey’s president says (BBC, February 8, 2023)
• Turkey earthquake: Pentagon sends urban rescue teams, search dogs, emergency aid items (Stars and Stripes, February 7, 2023)
• Powerful quake leaves thousands dead in Turkey and Syria (CNN, February 7, 2023)
• Powerful quake rocks Turkey and Syria, kills more than 2,300 (Associated Press, February 6, 2023)
• Earthquake kills more than 2,300 in Turkey, Syria; second massive quake follows (Washington Post, February 6, 2023)
• Earthquake in Turkey and Syria kills hundreds with fears casualties will rise (The Guardian, February 6, 2023)
• Explainer: Why was the Turkey-Syria earthquake so bad? (Reuters, February 6, 2023)

Marburg Virus Outbreak (Equatorial Guinea, February 2023)

An outbreak of the deadly Marburg virus has been confirmed. Here’s what you need to know (CBC News, February 18, 2023)

Drought (Europe, February-April 2023)

• This once-thriving lake has all but dried up. It’s a story repeated across Europe as the drought deepens (CNN, March 30, 2023)
• Dry canals, low rivers and shrunken lakes: Europe braces for severe drought amid winter heatwave (CNN, February 24, 2023)
• Gondolas left stranded as Venice’s canals run dry (NBC News, February 24, 2023)
• Italy faces new drought alert as Venice canals run dry (Reuters, February 23, 2023)

Cyclone (New Zealand, February, 2023)

Cyclone Gabrielle lashes Auckland, as authorities order evacuations amid flight disruptions and power cuts (Reuters, February 13, 2023)

Ohio Train Derailment / HAZMAT Incident (Ohio, USA, February 2023)

• Biden visits East Palestine a year after a train derailment changed the Ohio town (NPR, February 16, 2024)
• Why train derailments involving hazardous chemicals keep happening (Vox, March 30, 2023)
• The train derailment in Ohio was a disaster waiting to happen (Salon, February 25, 2023)
• A Key Agency in the Ohio Train Derailment Response Hasn’t Had a Confirmed Leader Since Biden Took Office(GovExec, February 24, 2023)
• More than 43,000 aquatic animals are dead near Ohio train derailment (The Washington Post, February 23, 2023)
• East Palestine derailment spurs rare signs of bipartisan agreement on rail safety. Will Washington act? (CNN, February 22, 2023)
• How the Train Derailment Impacted Pa. Water and Air Quality (GovTech, February 22, 2023)
• EPA says it can fine Norfolk Southern $70,000 a day if it falls short of cleaning up and paying for the Ohio toxic train wreck (CNN, February 22, 2023)
• As reports of health problems near a toxic train wreck pile up, Ohio sets up a clinic while federal help gets into gear (CNN, February 20, 2023)
• What to Know About the Lawsuits Against the Company at the Center of the Ohio Train Derailment (Yahoo, February 18, 2023)
• The Toxic Chemicals Spilled by the Ohio Train Derailment: A Visual Breakdown (Wall Street Journal, February 18, 2023)
• Feds are sending medical experts to Ohio toxic train wreck site as residents’ safety concerns simmer (CNN, February 17, 2023)
• After the Ohio Train Derailment: Evacuations, Toxic Chemicals and Water Worries (New York Times, February 17, 2023)
• Biden administration vows accountability over train derailment as Ohio senators press for action (NBC News, February 16, 2023)
• Roughly 2 weeks after a hazardous train derailment in Ohio town, frustrations mount at meeting over health concerns (CNN, February 16, 2023)
• ‘This is absurd’: Train cars that derailed in Ohio were labeled non-hazardous (Grist, February 15, 2023)
• The Ohio train derailment was bad enough. The emergency response made it worse. (MSNBC, February 15, 2023)
• A strong stench, toxic water, and dead fish: What we know about the Ohio train derailment (The Guardian, February 15, 2023)
• Health concerns grow in East Palestine, Ohio, after train derailment (NPR, February 14, 2023)
• Worried residents near Ohio train derailment report dead fish and chickens as authorities say it’s safe to return(NBC, February 13, 2023)
• Drink bottled water, officials tell Ohio town hit by toxic train crash (Washington Post, February 13, 2023)
• There were more toxic chemicals on train that derailed in Ohio than originally reported, data shows (ABC, February 13, 2023)
• Train derails, hazardous chemicals burn as Ohio town evacuates (Washington Post, February 4, 2023)

Wildfires (Chile, February 2023)

Chile wildfires kill at least 23 people as 40C heat hampers effort to stop spread (The Guardian, February 5, 2023)

Power Failure (Pakistan, January 2023)

• Nearly 220 million people in Pakistan without power after countrywide outage (CNN, January 23, 2023)
• Pakistan power cut: Major cities without electricity after grid breakdown (BBC, January 23, 2023)

Floods (New Zealand, January 2023)

• As Cyclone Gabrielle eases, New Zealand confronts devastation ‘almost beyond belief’ (SBS News, February 14, 2023)
• Three dead as torrential rain causes disastrous flooding in New Zealand (CNN, January 28, 2023)

West Coast Floods / Storms / Snow (January-April 2023)

• Volcano? Climate change? Bad luck? Why California was hit with 31 atmospheric river storms (LA Times, April 11, 2023)
• Record snowfall buries California mountain town (ABC News, March 30, 2023)
• California snowpack reaches all-time high after 17 atmospheric rivers (Axios, March 31, 2023)
• (LA Times, March 28, 2023)
• Record snowpack, nearly full reservoirs: Here’s the state of California’s drought after an epic winter (CNN, March 27, 2023)
• ‘We’ve lost the aqueduct’: How severe flooding threatens a Los Angeles water lifeline (LA Times, March 25, 2023): “Earlier this month, record storms accomplished the unthinkable when floodwaters undermined a 120-foot-long section of aqueduct in Owens Valley, causing its concrete walls to crumble.”
• California deals with surging rivers, sliding rocks and flooded towns as storm passes (LA Times, March 15, 2023)
• Age, drought, rodents and neglect weaken California levees, heightening flood danger (LA Times, March 14, 2023)
• Levee breach in Monterey County triggers massive flooding, prompts evacuations, rescues (LA Times, March 11, 2023)
• California Officials Grapple With Damage From Severe Storms (Engineering News, January 18, 2023)
• California faces catastrophic flood dangers — and a need to invest billions in protection (Los Angeles Times, January 18, 2023)
• California’s winter storms have been deadlier than any wildfire since 2018 (Washington Post, January 14, 2023)
• New storms set to hit a rain-battered California, with Monterey Peninsula at serious risk (LA Times, January 12, 2023)
• ‘A very significant emergency’: California’s deadly, record-setting storms are about to get an encore (CNN, January 11, 2023)
• Thousands urged to flee their homes as more severe weather wallops California, pushing the death toll to 14 in recent storms (CNN. January 10, 2023)
• Major atmospheric river lashes California: 90% of state under flood watch (Axios, January 10, 2023)
• Calif. storm triggers more floods, tornado warnings as death toll climbs (Washington Post, January 10, 2023)
• Flood, mudslide threats prompt evacuations along California coast (Reuters, January 10, 2023)
• Thousands evacuated, boy swept away, as strongest atmospheric river yet hits California (Washington Post, January 9, 2023)
• California Gov. Newsom asks Biden administration to declare federal emergency ahead of brutal storms (USA Today, January 9, 2023)
• Atmospheric River Storms Put California’s Levees to the Test (KQED, January 7, 2023)
• A lull in the chaos after Northern California suffers damage from floods, winds, huge waves (LA Times, January 5, 2023)

Plane Crash (Nepal, January 2023)

• Deadly Yeti Airlines crash highlights dangers of flying in Nepal (CNN, January 16, 2023)
• Grim task of identifying the dead begins after Nepal plane crash (Al Jazeera, January 15, 2023)

Measles Outbreak (Ohio, USA, January 2023)

What we know about the Ohio measles outbreak (The Hill, January 15, 2023)

Tornado Outbreak (United States, January 2023)

• Tornadoes rip through South as deadly storms kill at least 9 (Axios, January 13, 2023)
• Searches for victims continue a day after tornadoes and storms strike the South, killing at least 9 (CNN, January 13, 2023)

Floods (Western Australia, January 2023)

Western Australia in grip of ‘devastating’ flood emergency, PM says (CNN, January 7, 2023)

Festival Crush (Uganda, January 2023)

Nine suffocate to death in Uganda New Year’s firework crush (CNN, January 1, 2023)