Natural Disasters

"From the Black Death to the recent devastating effects of global warming, Natural Disasters, New Edition provides a comprehensive international survey of natural calamities that have ravaged humans and altered the course of history. Featuring more than 500 entries - nearly 50 of them new and many more updated - this reference covers avalanches and landslides, earthquakes, famines and droughts, floods, plagues and epidemics, cyclones, hurricanes, icestorms and snowstorms, tornadoes, typhoons, storms, and volcanic eruptions and natural explosions." "The book is organized by disaster type, with entries presented in alphabetical order and arranged by the country or geographical entity in which the event occurred. Each section begins with an alphabetical listing by country of the worst recorded events by type, a chronology of relevant disasters by category, and an introduction. In addition to providing the basic facts of each disaster, the text offers important background information on each event and explores its ultimate impact on humans and the environment. Compelling eyewitness accounts are also presented."--BOOK JACKET.