Salvador Flood Toll Tops 120

Staff / Truthdig Nov 8, 2009 Severe flooding has killed at least 124 people in El Salvador after heavy rains soaked the country. The government declared a state of emergency as the search for more victims went on. Updated Dig deeper ( 1 Min. Read )

Floods Fall, Anger Rises

Staff / Truthdig Jun 27, 2008 After the past weeks' disastrous floods, many in the rural Midwest are looking to the government not with gratitude but animosity. Folks in towns that requested levees back in 1993 were left, paradoxically, high and dry by the Army Corps of Engineers, which required small communities to pay more than $1 million for flood barriers. Dig deeper ( 1 Min. Read )

Refugees on the Rise

Staff / Truthdig Jun 18, 2008 A UN report Tuesday estimated the number of the world's displaced refugees in 2007 at 114 million, a majority of which the U says come from the US-led conflicts in Iraq and Afghanistan Analysts also say the number of refugees threatens to grow even more due to new concerns such as climate change, environmental degradation and increasingly scarce resources. Dig deeper ( 1 Min. Read )

U.S. Donations to Burma, China Tighten Up

Staff / Truthdig May 23, 2008 Americans apparently have a track record of opening their wallets to assist those in need after natural disasters at home and abroad. That was the case, at least, after the 2004 tsunami in Asia and Hurricane Katrina in the U.S. in 2005. But the picture looks different in the wake of the recent cyclone in Burma and the earthquake in China, leaving international trend-watchers asking: What gives? Dig deeper ( 1 Min. Read )

A Billion Silent Voices

Staff / Truthdig May 19, 2008 China held a national moment of silence on Monday to mark the one-week anniversary of the massive earthquake that may have killed more than 71,000 people. According to government reports, more than 34,000 people already have been confirmed dead while estimates of the total number of casualties have been continually revised upward. The three-minute moment of silence marked the beginning of a three-day period of mourning. Dig deeper ( 1 Min. Read )

China Quake Survivors Sought as Toll Tops 12,000

Staff / Truthdig May 14, 2008 May has already been a particularly brutal month for natural disasters, with the Burma cyclone, tornadoes in the U.S. and, most recently, the devastating earthquake in China, which seismologists say registered at magnitude 7.9. Rescue efforts near the epicenter have been hindered by rain and aftershocks, but with thousands still trapped in the wreckage every minute counts. Dig deeper ( 1 Min. Read )

Quake Kills Hundreds in Peru

Staff / Truthdig Aug 16, 2007 A massive magnitude 7.9 earthquake struck southern Peru on Wednesday, killing at least 510 people (revised) and injuring more than a thousand more. The disastrous tremors set pavement rippling and lasted for several minutes, followed by four aftershocks ranging from 5.4 to 5.9. Updated on 8/17. Dig deeper ( 1 Min. Read )

Storms Kill More Than 200 in Pakistan

Staff / Truthdig Jun 25, 2007 More than 200 people have died in Karachi, Pakistan, as a result of storms that ravaged the city. Heavy rain, gale-force winds and flooding obliterated many homes, while falling trees, billboards and power lines wreaked further havoc. At least 45 people have also died in southern India. Dig deeper ( 1 Min. Read )

What Safety Net?

Mike Luckovich / Truthdig May 9, 2007 Dig deeper

Indonesian Earthquake Kills 70

Staff / Truthdig Mar 6, 2007 The Indonesian island of Sumatra was slammed by a 6.3 magnitude earthquake on Tuesday, followed shortly by a 6.0 aftershock. The event was felt in Malaysia and Singapore, hundreds of miles away. Authorities were scrambling to cope with downed communication lines, overwhelmed hospitals and shattered buildings. A government official put the death toll at 70 so far. Dig deeper ( 1 Min. Read )

Jakarta Is Drowning

Staff / Truthdig Feb 5, 2007 Much of the capital of Indonesia is under 10 feet of muddy water after days of torrential rain caused devastating floods. Hundreds of thousands of people already have been displaced, and experts warn that the situation may worsen, with another week of heavy rain on the way. Dig deeper ( 1 Min. Read )

A Grim Outlook for 2007

Staff / Truthdig Dec 31, 2006 A majority of Americans believe 2007 will bring a terrorist attack on the US, a major natural disaster and an increase in global warming, according to a new AP poll Less than a third believe the U will withdraw from Iraq, while 25 percent expect the second coming of Jesus. Dig deeper ( 1 Min. Read )