Originally posted by sigma:
Quote:

I think you got it backwards. As the worlds population increases the deaths due to natural disasters increase. Thousands of years ago I highly doubt millions of people died from Earthquakes.



For the record, I said 1000 (as in the year 1000), not "thousands of years ago".

But thank you for proving my point -- that just because you never heard about it, doesn't mean it doesn't happen.

We have nothing in the last 200 years to compare to the disasters 500-1000 years ago. An Earthquake in China killed over 800,000 people in 1553. In Italy almost a million died after an earthquake around 1300. In 1201, over one million people died in Egypt and Syria after an earthquake.

If you simply look at a listing of natural disasters throughout recorded history, it is very clear that the disasters of the ancient world were far beyond our comprehension today. Entire civilizations would dissapear. I'm sorry that apparently were not taught many of the historic events of the ancient world.


Here's a listing of the 100 'worst' natural disasters of just the last 100 years HERE-- this tsunami would fall in the bottom half of the list. Remove famine and drought, and it still would be below the tenth position. And that's just the last century.

Quote:

In MODERN history this will go down as one of the worst natural disasters due to the world wide coverage.



We had worldwide coverage 30 years ago -- I can't recall people making a huge deal about the quarter-million Chinese who died in an earthquake. Certainly doubt many remember it.

We certainly had worldwide coverage in 1988 when earthquakes in Armenia killed some 50,000 and left half a million homeless, or in 1991 when cyclones killed 500,000 people throughout SE Asia. Remember that at all?

Simple fact -- we're getting coverage of this because there's nothing else to cover right now. It's a slow news time. And that's sad. This sort of event should get this kind of coverage simply for what it is, but it's only getting it because there's nothing else worth talking about.



Thank you for the information. I totally agree with the last point.

Now I hate America? That is a new one to me.