Looking at these pictures, it’s hard to believe that such strong concrete streets and metal buildings could be washed away, smashed and crumbled in the blink of an eye.
10. Mount Saint Helens’ Eruption, 1980
Mount Saint Helens’ volcano in Washington erupted in spring, 1980. It was so strong that an ash column rose several dozen kilometers high. A huge landslide consisting of lava, stones, and hot gases raised the volcano’s top and changed the area beyond recognition.
9. Chernobyl, USSR
Small industrial towns, Chernobyl and Pripyat became famous after this sad event. In 1986, there was an explosion at the Chernobyl nuclear power plant. In the blink of an eye, towns turned into what they called, the exclusion zone. Citizens abandoned their houses as invisible radioactive radiation covered their surroundings, creating a dark and dull emptiness.
8. Temperature Difference
Believe it or not, it can snow even in the hot deserts of Africa. In one particular January, a thick layer of snow covered the Sahara. Severe temperature changes can bring real winter even to the hottest tropics!
7. Tsunami in Japan
An earthquake in the Pacific Ocean near the east coast of Honshu caused some of the strongest tsunami waves the town had ever seen. The maximum fixed height was 40 meters (130 ft) with incredibly fast water flow destroying everything in its path. That day, nature showed its enormous power over humanity as we knew it.
6. Fall of the Berlin Wall
After the victory over fascism, countries of the anti-Hitler coalition divided Germany into several occupation zones, split by the tall concrete wall that stood at 155 km (96 mi) long, protecting the country’s capital in Berlin. 28 years later in 1989, The Berlin Wall was destroyed, changing the way the city looked completely.
5. Hurricane Harvey
A tropical cyclone named Harvey hit Texas as a result of heavy rains in August, 2017. The event left many parts of Texas looking like a post-apocalyptic flood. It’s hard to believe that we’re looking at real shots of the aftermath and not at scenes from a disaster movie.
4. Stock Market crash of 1929
Today we associate Black Friday with sales at our favorite shopping malls. But in 1929, this “black” day marked the beginning of the Great Depression, a global crisis that lasted for 10 years after the stock market entered a major slump in
3. The 2010 Haiti Earthquake
Haiti saw its largest earthquake in January, 2010 with more than 500,000 people falling victim to its destructive power. While the quake only lasted a short amount of time, nature showed its incredible power, leaving nothing but chaos behind.
2. An earthquake in the Indian Ocean
This earthquake took place in the Indian Ocean, causing the largest registered tsunami in the world. Water covered shores of Indonesia, Sri Lanka, South India, and Thailand. The tsunami’s waves were so powerful that the vibrations reached even the Republic of South Africa.
1. Hurricane Katrina
One of the most disastrous hurricanes in the history of the U.S.A. happened in New Orleans, 2005. The below sea level city was attacked by fierce winds and a flood. Streets were literally washed away, leaving much of the cities under water.
In times of terrible grief and destruction, people tend to put their issues aside and try to be there for one another. Human beings have a magnificent way of displaying kindness, sympathy and graciousness throughout cities, countries and around the world, giving tremendous support to each other in times of need.
We don’t have to wait for an apocalypse to reveal our charitable sides — we need to be attentive and supportive each day! When was the last time you visited your parents? Or spent your free time with your family and friends? Put your everyday issues aside and find some time to do the things that are important in your life.
