Losses from Natural Disasters Reach New Peak in 2011

Petra Low

The breakdown of loss-relevant events among the main hazards-geophysical, meteorological, hydrological, and climatological events-is more or less in line with the average over the past 30 years. In 2011, some 91 percent were weather-related-37 percent each were storms and floods and 17 percent were climatological events like heat waves, cold waves, wildfires, and droughts-while 9 percent were geophysical events, including earthquakes, tsunamis, and volcanic eruptions.

The share of events by continent is also in line with the long-term average. Most natural catastrophes occurred in the Americas (290) and Asia (240), while in Europe there were 150, in Africa 80, and in Australia 60 events.

Read More: Losses from Natural Disasters Reach New Peak in 2011, by Petra Low