Yearender: 2022 - A year of natural disasters

On June 14, Pakistan witnessed flood fury. United Nations called Pakistan floods an “unprecedented climate catastrophe” and also appealed for $160 million in aid to tackle the situation in the country.

More than 1,000 people were reported dead and more than 50,000 were rescued by the country’s armed forces.

The floods were triggered due to melting glaciers in the northern mountains and record monsoon rains. Out of the dead, 416 were children.

The floods affected over 33 million people. UNICEF said 16 million children were impacted by the floods in Pakistan. The fury of floods continued till October 2022.

Nigeria witnessed one of its worst floods in a decade. It affected more than 2 million people, killing more than 600.

At least 1.4 million people were displaced and more than 200,000 homes were completely or partially damaged.

Floods also submerged 110,000 hectares of farmland. According to Nigerian President Muhammadu Buhari, floods affected 33 out of the 36 states.

United Nations said due to the effects of climate change countries like Nigeria face intense flooding.

UNICEF said more than 2.5 million people were in need of humanitarian assistance and at an increased risk of waterborne diseases.
 

Over 100 people went missing or were confirmed dead in the flooding in Brazil. Heavy rains caused serious flooding in the southern part of the country.

Helicopters were in full swing to rescue families. Flood waters and mudslides took the lives of at least 150 people in the country.
 

From June to September, during the monsoon season, India faced the fury of floods, taking the death count to at least 192.

India’s tech hub faced an unusually wet monsoon. Intense rains in Bengaluru forced migrant workers to vacate homes. Authorities also conducted evacuation processes in flood-hit areas.

Over 600,000 people were affected by floods in northeastern India. The flooding was caused by heavy rainfall. Floods in Assam were said to be the country’s second most-expensive weather disaster on record.
 

Africa saw its worst drought in 40 years. Communities faced the threat of starvation. Hundreds of animals including elephants and zebras died in Kenyan wildfire reserves during east Africa’s worst drought in decades.

The UN's World Food Programme (WFP) said that the number of people at risk of starvation has increased to 22 million in the drought-ravaged Horn of Africa.

Years of insufficient rainfall across Kenya, Somalia and Ethiopia caused the worst drought in 40 years in August 2020.
 

A 5.7 magnitude earthquake in Indonesia’s Java island killed more than 330 people. The epicentre was 18 kilometres southeast of the West Java city of Banjar.

BMKG, the meteorological agency of Indonesia, claimed that the earthquake which shook the capital’s building was at a magnitude of 6.4. According to officials, the quake caused a minor landslide in Cianjur.
 

This year on June 21, a 6.1 magnitude struck eastern Afghanistan. The quake killed more than 1,000 people and left 1,500 others injured.

The worst-hit area from the quake was the eastern district of Paktika.
 

It was not a very merry Christmas for people living in the Philippines, as the country is currently facing floods. Nearly 46,000 people have been evacuated by authorities and the death toll has jumped to 25.

In April 2022, tropical storm Megi hit the central Philippines. At least 42 people were reportedly killed. Tens of thousands of people fled their homes as the storm caused flooding, severing homes and power cuts.

A state of calamity was declared in Baybay City. Landslides around Baybay City have reached settlements “outside the danger zone,” said National disaster agency spokesman Mark Timbal.

Tropical storm Megi also known as the Agaton, was the first major storm to hit the country in 2022.
 

Hurricane Ian killed more than 100 people in Florida alone. Ian was one of the most powerful storms ever to hit the country.

Several fatalities were also reported in North California. Power cuts were also reported by Cubans as a result of Hurricane Ian.
 

A winter storm in the US caused havoc in December.

The death toll has increased to 61. New York remains one of the hardest hit regions by a “once-in-a-generation” storm. Buffalo city has recorded the most deaths.

Winter storm also causes chaos at airports with thousands of flights being cancelled or delayed. States like Texas and Florida saw unseasonal cold temperatures.

Canada is also facing the consequences of a winter storm, resulting in residents battling with power cuts in various regions.