Before you click though, let me just say this, tornadoes? EVIL. Probably the worst type of natural disaster around. And speaking of that, I think I need to do a ranking. So below you'll find a listing of the various types of natural disasters ranked from "bad - 10" to "most evil - 1" using a very scientific methodology (NOT) that takes into account magnitude of danger, destructive capability and death counts.
10. Blizzards. Really, not so bad. And generally, you get a heads-up so you can run to the store like every other drone and stock up on supplies. BUT...
9. Avalanches. Whole. Nuther. Ballgame. Yes, they involve snow, but are far more destructive and you have less warning. I mean, entire towns have been wiped away by these things!
8. Wild Fires. These are especially heinous if set. But, generally, folks have time to grab some stuff and get the heck out of town.
7. Volcanoes. Yeah, the only reason this one didn't rank higher on my list of evil natural disasters is because although there are many "active" volcanoes in the world, few have erupted a la Mount Vesuvius. And in this country Mt. St. Helens is only at Alert Level ORANGE. According to the US Geological Survey (USGS), most volcanoes in the region are at normal levels of seismic activity. If you want to watch a good disaster flick on the topic, catch Tommy Lee Jones and Anne Heche in Volcano. There is an especially gruesome scene where a guy melts as he rescues a co-worker.
6. Landslides. I'm sorry, but this deserves a decently high ranking. I mean, a landslide is essentially an avalanche of mud. Ick. And scary.
5. Hurricanes. While predictable, especially for us folks in the Northeast (we see them coming up the corridor) these are nonetheless devastating events. And are most deadly to boaters. I throw out the Perfect Storm as evidence. Speaking of, don't you just love William Fichtner?
4. Typhoons. The name even sounds evil, doesn't it? Even though typhoons are essentially hurricanes, they get a higher ranking because of the name. FYI, both hurricanes and typhoons are technically tropical cyclones. To learn more, visit the Wikipedia page.
3. Earthquakes. The earth should not quake. It's just wrong. Kim Delaney starred in a TV movie (sci fi, I think) called 10.5. The tagline was, The Greatest Quake in Human History Threatens to Rock the World!
I. kid. you. not. It also starred Fred Ward.
2. Tsunamis. December 26, 2004 ring a bell, anyone?
1. Tornadoes. For obvious reasons, folks. They strike without warning and eat everything in their path, growing stronger as they do. They strike in areas where most people don't have the means to take the sort of shelter they should (i.e., underground, basements) and seem to really love trailor parks. Even with all of the tracking technology available, it seems these things strike without warning. Ask any victim. "How much time did you have once you heard the sirens?" The answer is always, "none". And the best movie on the subject is Twister, without a doubt. Bill Paxton and Helen Hunt are ex-partners who hunt tornadoes in Oklahoma (which as you know is right there in the alley). It's especially worthwhile to watch Phillip Seymour Hoffman's performance as a laid-back, frat bro-type sidekick.
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