Natural Disasters captured from Space 1

Satellites have been responsible for providing weather news for the past 50 years, and they heralded an era of global communication. From commercial communication satellites to spy satellites to weather satellites, they are awe inspiring in all forms. Natural disasters strike in many forms, earthquakes, tornadoes, hurricanes, volcanic eruptions, avalanches and floods. Today, we present a portfolio of natural disasters as photographed from the Space.

Indian Ocean Tsunami of December 26, 2004

Horrific pictures of people running away from towering waves flashed across newspapers across the globe on Christmas 2004. An earthquake of magnitude 9.1 triggered the Tsunami which travelled from Indonesia to Somalia and Seychelles. The scale of destruction was massive and the videos of the tsunami were horrific.

Total fatalities : 230,000
Cost of Damage : exceeds USD 25 Billion

Hurricane Katrina -- August, 2005

It was not the strongest hurricane ever recorded, yet it was the costliest. The failure of the levee system in New Orleans led to widespread damage and loss of life. The rest as most of us know, is history.

Total fatalities : 2000+
Cost of Damage : USD 90.9 Billion

Katrina at Peak Intensity

Eyewall of Hurricane Katrina captured on August 28, 2005, from a NOAA WP-3D "Orion" Hurricane Hunter

Chandeleur Islands before and after Hurricane Katrina