The Worst World Disasters of All Time. Kevin Baker
the airship to make a detour, and the captain went over Manhattan and part of New Jersey while waiting for the storms to subside.
The Hindenburg headed back to Lakehurst at around 7 PM after the weather cleared and was set to be attached to the Naval Air Station, a high tower where mooring cables would be dropped and the ship winched down. It took 25 minutes for the Hindenburg to position itself, including releasing enough ballast to get to the right altitude. Only once it was ready to land did the first signs of trouble appear. Blue flames could be seen along the fabric of the ship, and the airship then suddenly caught fire. The fire quickly engulfed the entire ship which came crashing down into the landing bow and then into the ground. Because airships of this size were relatively new, several news cameras were there and filmed most of the event.
Out of the 36 passengers and 61 crewmen, 13 passengers and 22 crewmen died as well as a ground crewman. A few people managed to escape the huge inferno because the ship was already low in the sky, and sometimes by pure luck. Many escaped with burns and were sent to a local hospital.
The exact cause of the disaster was never discovered, but several theories were shown to be likely. The first suspect was sabotage, as in that time it was fairly common with political tensions. However, no evidence was found pointing this way. The other possible cause was static discharge. While there is no way to confirm whether this was the true cause, witness accounts saying they saw blue flames dancing along the fabric which supports this theory. Finally, some think that because of the bad weather and sharp turns the airship had to make, one of the engines may have failed and emitted a flame towards the fabric of the ship. Regardless of the initial cause, the design of the ship and the use of hydrogen were responsible for the fire engulfing the vessel so quickly. After the Hindenburg, future airships were redesigned to be much less susceptible to this type of accident.
17 – Peshtigo Wildfire
Image author Royalbroil- Lumber that survived the Peshtigo fire.
Date: 8th October, 1871.
Location: Peshtigo, Wisconsin.
Disaster Type: Forest fire.
Fatalities: An estimated 2,500 deaths.
Resulting Damage: 1.2 million acres of land destroyed by a firestorm.
On October 8th, 1871 the worst recorded wildfire disaster in North American history occurred, which killed around 2,500 people and burnt 1.2 million acres of land. This fire is not well known, because the 'Great Chicago Fire', which was not as deadly, but received more press coverage, took place on the same day. The reason why the Peshtigo fire did not receive as much press coverage was because the Great Chicago Fire had more of an economic impact.
The cause of the fire has never been determined, but at that time there had been a prolonged drought and high temperatures, setting the perfect conditions for a major fire. Steam engines constantly kicked out sparks that regularly ignited surrounding brush or grass. There was also slash and burn pine forests which provided dry timber for forest fires to consume. There were also many wooden buildings, sawdust floors and board walks.
High winds resulting from a cold front that was moving in from the west created a firestorm. Survivors described a fiery tornado that lifted cars and houses into the air. One account describes the firestorm as being a mile high wall of flame, five miles wide and travelling at 100 miles per hour. There was nothing to stand in its way. The Peshtigo Company had a horse drawn steam pump, and that was about it in regards to fire fighting defences at that time. The fire was so incredibly intense that it jumped over the Peshtigo River and several miles over the Green Bay waters. The vortex sucked up the smoke high into the air, so the flames were clearly visible.
Some people who were taking refuge in the river were caught in the centre of the flame tornado and had to duck under the water as their hair would spontaneously burst into flames otherwise.
Not every victim died of fire burns, some people who had jumped into rivers or wells died of hypothermia and some drowned. When the storm was over, 350 bodies were buried in a mass grave which was partly due to the victims being unidentifiable.
The fire didn't stop raging until it had burnt everything in Peshtigo, until there were no more trees to burn. When the town was rebuilt afterwards it wasn't booming as a mill town anymore, as it had been in the past, as all the trees had gone.
Today there is a Peshtigo Fire Museum and a dedicated graveyard for victims of the disaster. On the 8th of October every year, the Peshtigo Historical Society holds a candlelit service in memory of the horrifying event.
This firestorm interested the U.S. military and they began to study the event, as they wanted to know how to create such conditions on enemy soil during World War II.
18 – Russian Heat Wave 2010
Temperatures on 31st July, 2010 in western Russia.
Date: Summer 2010.
Location: Russia.
Disaster Type: Heatwave.
Fatalities: 15,000+ deaths.
Resulting Damage: $15 billion worth of damage + 25% reduction in annual crop production.
In the summer of 2010 Russia experienced a devastating extreme heatwave, which brought extreme drought conditions and record temperatures, the highest recorded temperatures in at least the past 500 years.
A ‘blocking high’ situation caused the heatwave, which is when an area of high pressure intensifies so much so that low pressure systems cannot break it down. A ‘blocking high’ situation may linger on for weeks or sometimes even months.
Temperatures in Russia reached near or above 40 degrees Celsius, which was the type of heat not experienced in Russia since at least the last middle ages. In fact, a record temperature of 44 degrees Celsius was set on 11th July, in Yashkul, Kalmykia, which is the highest ever recorded temperature in Russia. Due to the high pressure weather conditions pollution could not escape, resulting in Russia being enveloped in an inescapable blanket of deadly smog. Carbon dioxide levels were recorded at almost 5 times higher than the maximum level required for safety.
Because of the intense heat, people were jumping into rivers, lakes and canals, resulting in a staggering 1,200 deaths in June alone from drowning, contributing to a total of around 2,000 people who drowned by the end of the heatwave. The main problem was that some people were jumping into water after becoming recklessly drunk, due to Russia’s heavy drinking culture. Many people who had heart conditions, allergies or asthma along with other health issues perished in the combination of unbearable heat and heavy pollution. Russia, as you would guess, was not equipped with air conditioning units as hotter countries are and the people of Russia were not used to high temperatures.
Around 774 – 779 wildfires broke out, with fire crews being overstretched and unable to keep some fires back; Russian troops had to join the fire fighters as reinforcement. Around Moscow dried, carbon-rich peat bogs caught fire and smouldered, adding to the pollution with dangerous fumes. Satellite pictures revealed that the smoke from the numerous fires rose up to ten kilometres in height into the atmosphere. At least 9 million hectares of crops perished as part of a major European heatwave that covered 2 million square kilometres, which is a total area fifty times bigger than Switzerland.
People who could afford it flew out of Russia to escape the situation. Moscow airport recorded the amount of people flying out of the country at around 100,000 people per day at one point.
Some atmospheric scientists worry that what seem like freak heatwave incidents today could become the norm in the near future, where global warming threatens to change natural weather conditions.
19 – Lake Nyos Limnic Eruption