Each summer, the wind changes direction and blows from the southeast. This brings humidity thunderstorms and heavy rain to Tucson which recharges the desert with life giving water. Sometimes, however, the Monsoon can be dangerous. Meteorologists are predicting that the Monsoon is imminent.
What are your experiences dealing with natural disasters in your country?
Tucson Monsoon 2006 Video
7 comments:
I spent my childhood in North Dakota, which is in the northern plains. Our winters were so severe that people actually died if their car broke down away from town. Also, occasionally somebody would be found frozen outside of a bar early the next morning (a drunk who left the bar late and then stumbled into the snow and died.) Of course I was just a kid, so I didn't know about these things first hand!
To go to Mazar, my hometown, from Kabul, the capital of Afghanistan, you have to pass through the Salang Pass which connects Kabul to the north of the country. I was going back home after a long trip in Europe. While passing the Salang Pass, I was stuck due to the snowstorm for 2 days. Thank God we had something to eat. Fortunately I survived the disaster but many others could not. I know later that 5 people were killed by the snowstrom and freezing weather.
Every year in the winter dozens of people are caught in the snowstorm in Sllang Pass,in which some of them die.
In the city where I live, Herat – Afghanistan, I have never seen a flood, an earthquake or other natural disasters. However, Herat is well-known for its strong winds in a particular time of year, called “120 day wind”. During that time, Herat’s weather is dusty and the wind brings a lot of dust into the apartments and city.
Herat is known as the city of pine trees. Sometimes this wind is so strong and wild that it knocks over very old pine trees and crashes them into houses and buildings, but usually it is not considered as a serious threat.
I remember, once I had to live under horror of aftershock of the earthquakes for one night. It was 2000 and I lived in Kabul. That was the first devastating earthquake occuring after half a century in the country. Many believed that it had ruined many houses and as our houses already had been damaged by Rocket attacks and vulnerable to any serious shoks, so we were not allowed to sleep inside the house. My family and I had to spend all night outside the house. A long night, which was not to be ended and a chill which penetrated to our bones, is hardly forgettable.
I honestly don’t have that much experience dealing with natural disasters, since I use to live in Ciudad Obregon, Sonora, (a city located in the northwest area of Mexico) which has never been characterized as a place where hurricanes, monsoons or tornados usually strike. Even though I have never experienced that many natural disasters, I was present at a minor earthquake in Mexico City that was frightening enough for me. I was able to imagine the panic that major earthquakes have caused in Mexico and Afghanistan.
But speaking generally about natural disasters, I personally hold the opinion that the tsunami that hit many countries on December 2004 was one of the worst disasters that history has ever recorded.
Thanks God, personally, I have not experienced being in danger of a major disaster. However, in general, Afghanistan is a disaster prone country. Earthquake is the major disaster in the country which mainly occurs near the Hind Kush Mountain which is laid along central Afghanistan. The second major disaster is flood which most of the time causes major damages. The country experienced a major flood a few weeks ago which caused death of more than 100 people in all over the country.
The Sandstorm in Mauritania.
Dominated by the desert with sand dunes, Mauritania has experienced several kinds of natural disaster, especially the sandstorm, due its geographical location. The most severe one happened in the South and caused a lot of damage. Indeed, one Friday night when the population of Nema (a city) was sleeping front of their homes as usual. They were suddenly frightened by an unexpected strong wind and panic. They could not find their way back inside their home. Consequently, this sandstorm destroyed some buildings, some cattle and even it took away some animals.
Cheikhna.
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