Forces Of Nature

EARTH

FIRE

AIR

WATER

Width of band corresponds to severity of event

Events proceed chronologically from the center

The Japan earthquake was one of the five most powerful ever recorded

EARTHQUAKES MEASURED ON THE RICHTER SCALE

OKLAHOMA NOV. 6 MAGNITUDE 5.6 Largest in state’s history

TURKEY OCT. 23 MAGNITUDE 7.1 At least 534 killed

INDONESIA SEPT. 5 MAGNITUDE 6.6 At least 10 killed

VIRGINIA AUG. 23 MAGNITUDE 5.8 No casualties, but it ignited a social-media frenzy

KYRGYZSTAN JULY 19 MAGNITUDE 6.1 At least 13 killed

SPAIN MAY 11 MAGNITUDE 5.1 At least 10 killed

BURMA MARCH 24 MAGNITUDE 6.9 At least 74 killed

JAPAN MARCH 11 MAGNITUDE 9.0 Nearly 20,000 dead or missing after the quake and resulting tsunami

NEW ZEALAND FEB. 21 MAGNITUDE 6.1 At least 181 killed

HURRICANES AND CYCLONES CATEGORIZED ACCORDING TO THE SAFFIR-SIMPSON SCALE. TORNADOES RATED ON THE ENHANCED FUJITA (EF) SCALE

HURRICANE IRENE AUG. 24 CATEGORY 3 More than $7.3 billion in damage in the U.S.

MASSACHUSETTS TORNADOES JUNE 1 THREE TORNADOES (MAXIMUM EF-3) Three people killed

JOPLIN, MO., TORNADO MAY 22 EF-5 161 killed in one of the deadliest tornadoes in U.S. history

U.S. TORNADO OUTBREAKS APRIL 753 TORNADOES (MAXIMUM EF-5) The most active month for twisters in U.S. history

TROPICAL CYCLONE BINGIZA FEB. 14 CATEGORY 3 15,000 people left homeless in Madagascar

TROPICAL CYCLONE YASI FEB. 3 CATEGORY 4 Costing over $3.5 billion, one of the most damaging cyclones in Australia’s history

FLOODS AND DROUGHTS MEASURED BY SIZE OF AREA AFFECTED

AUSTRALIA FLOODS JANUARY 328,000 SQ. MI. Cost could top $30 billion

BRAZIL FLOODS AND MUDSLIDES JAN. 6 900 SQ. MI.

With a death toll of at least 800 in the Rio de Janeiro area, it was the most lethal weather disaster in the country’s history’

U.S.-CANADA BLIZZARD FEB. 1 1.1 MILLION SQ. MI. 6,300 flights canceled

MISSISSIPPI RIVER FLOODING MAY 9,900 SQ. MI. Louisiana’s Morganza Spillway opened for the first time in 38 years

NORTHEASTERN U.S. SNOWSTORM OCT. 29 200,000 SQ. MI. Some 3 million people lost power

EAST AFRICA DROUGHT ONGOING 900,000 SQ. MI. 13.3 million lives at risk

THAILAND FLOODS ONGOING 23,000 SQ. MI. 2.9 million people affected

FIRES RATED BY SIZE OF AREA BURNED

AUSTRALIA FEB. 6 3,700 ACRES

BURNED 71 buildings destroyed

FLORIDA MARCH 1 18,000 ACRES

BURNED Shut down part of I-95

MEXICO APRIL 245,000 ACRES BURNED Scorched mostly rural areas

CANADA MAY 12 82,000 ACRES BURNED 10,000 evacuated

ARIZONA JUNE–JULY 538,000 ACRES BURNED Largest in state’s history

TEXAS SEPT. 5 34,000 ACRES BURNED 1,600 homes destroyed

NEVADA NOV. 18 2,000 ACRES BURNED 32 homes destroyed

The U.S. experienced a record 12 weather disasters, each costing over $1 billion in 2011

Sources: U.S. Geological Survey; National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration