July 1999 World Disaster

World aerospace, fire and explosion, marine, mine, natural, rail, traffic and miscellaneous disaster.

1. 1999: July 1999 Disasters

   1.      The disaster with the highest death toll in July 1999 occurred in India as floods repeatedly inundated many parts of the country, killing an estimated 300 people. The floods began in late June after torrential monsoon rains swept across the Indian states of Bihār, Mahārāshtra, Gujarāt, Karnātaka, Kerala, and elsewhere, causing rivers to breach their banks and triggering widespread landslides. The worst damage occurred in Bihār, where at least 135 people were killed by flooding and landslides.
   2.      China Flood Deaths Exceed 270
   Flooding in China's Yangtze River Basin killed more than 270 people and caused at least $3 billion in damages between late June and the end of July. The flooding began in late June with the onset of heavy summer rains, which caused the Yangtze and many of its tributaries to rise above flood levels. Floodwaters destroyed tens of thousands of homes, covered vast stretches of farmland, and disrupted water and electricity supplies for millions of people.
   Summer flooding is an annual occurrence in China, but it has worsened in recent years. Many experts believe that Chinese land-use policies, such as heavy logging along the upper reaches of the Yangtze, have contributed to the severity of the floods by increasing water runoff. In the summer of 1998, China's worst flooding in more than 40 years killed about 4,150 people,.
   3.      United States: Heat Wave Kills More Than 250
   A heat wave scorching the Midwest and Eastern United States was blamed for the deaths of more than 250 people between July 19 and early August. From the northern Great Plains to Florida in the Southeast, temperatures soared above 32°C (90° F) for days, withering crops and killing livestock. In many places the heat index, a measure that combines temperature and humidity, repeatedly topped 38°C (100° F).
   The majority of casualties were reported in the states of Illinois and Missouri. Casualties were also reported in Ohio, Wisconsin, South Carolina, Kentucky, Oklahoma, and Indiana. Most of the victims were elderly people, many of whom were living without air conditioners.
   4.      Nepal: Flooding and Landslides Kill at Least 97
   Monsoon rains triggered flooding and landslides across Nepal beginning in June, killing at least 97 people by the end of July. The torrential rains battered most of Nepal's 75 administrative districts throughout July, washing away homes, bridges, and crops. Nepalese officials expected the heavy rains to last until the end of August, raising concerns that more lives could be lost.