Are there more disasters

From: Inside Story. Scientists warn wildfires, floods and heatwaves are becoming the norm. More from News. Pump pain: What can Biden do to ease soaring gasoline prices? Most Read. Welcome to the United Nations. Toggle navigation Language:. Subscribe Audio Hub. A woman and her baby stand in the rubble of Cyclone Idai, that struck central Mozambique in Climate and Environment.

Disaster preparedness is key, 10 years on from Japan quake and tsunami: UN 11 March It assesses the entire year period as well as by individual decade. Of the top 10 disasters, the hazards that led to the largest human losses during the period have been droughts deaths , storms deaths , floods 58 deaths and extreme temperature 55 deaths.

Deaths decreased almost threefold from to Death tolls fell from over 50 deaths in the s to less than 20 in the s. The s and s reported an average of related deaths per day. In the s, that average fell by one third to 90 related deaths per day, then continued to fall in the s to 40 related deaths per day. Economic losses have increased sevenfold from the s to the s. Storms were the most prevalent cause of damage, resulting in the largest economic losses around the globe.

It is the sole hazard for which the attributed portion is continually increasing. Petteri Taalas. We have more water vapor in the atmosphere, which is exacerbating extreme rainfall and deadly flooding.

But, behind the stark statistics, lies a message of hope. Improved multi-hazard early warning systems have led to a significant reduction in mortality. But much more remains to be done. Only half of the members of WMO have multi-hazard early warning systems and there are severe gaps in weather and hydrological observing networks in Africa, some parts of Latin America and in Pacific and Caribbean island states.

WMO is strengthening collaboration with its partners to address risks associated with weather, climate and water extremes.