The Weirdest Natural Disasters of 2020
2020 was one of the most devastating on
record, not just because of the pandemic but also because of the wide range of natural
disasters that shook the world. These included devastating bush
fires in Australia and California, one of the worst Atlantic hurricane seasons
in history, and several volcanoes, flash floods, and earthquakes. There was also
a fair share of weird and wonderful occurrences. Let’s look at some of the
weirdest natural disasters of 2020:
The Snow Goes Green In Antarctica
Parts of snow-covered Antarctica turned green this year in a response to climate change. Warmer temperatures and melting
snow resulted in blooms of algae which resulted in massive green patches
forming across the winter wonderland. These algal blooms expanded at such a
high rate and became so prolific that they were even visible from space.
Locusts Swam Africa and Asia
Locust swarms are not just something that
happened in Biblical days. 2020 saw millions of desert locusts swam over India
and East Africa. Making their way from East Africa, through Pakistan and onto
the Indian states of Rajasthan, Gujarat, Punjab, Haryana, Uttar Pradesh and
Madhya Pradesh, the locusts caused severe damage to crops. Although not a
direct threat to humans, locusts are some of the most destructive creatures in
the world, capable of devouring large sections of crops and grasses.
The swarms were one of the worst pest attacks
in over two decades and caused destruction in Djibouti, Ethiopia, Eritrea,
Kenya, Somalia, Sudan, Uganda, South Sudan, and Yemen. Somalia called a state of
national emergency in the wake of the infestation with food security under
serious threat. Again, this natural disaster has been attributed to climate
change and an increase in temperatures and unusually heavy rains which have
made the locusts breed and swarm in numbers. If you’re looking for better news,
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A Bomb Cyclone In Canada
While Atlantic Canada is known for some
hectic storms, Newfoundland was hit by a record-setting bomb cyclone on the 17th
of January 2020. The cyclone brought with it the highest daily snowfall on
record, covering St John’s in 30 inches of snow.
Bomb cyclones are storms that intensify
very quickly, generally causing massive wind spirals at their base. This was
the case in Canada where winds of 97 mph caused snowdrifts to form, some
reaching 15 feet high. Vehicles,
roads, and homes were buried in snow and a small avalanche even caused
devastation in one resident’s home.
Midwest US Experiences Sahara Sandstorm
Africa’s Sahara Desert is no stranger to sandstorms and every sorry often plumes of air, laden with sand travel across the ocean during hurricane season. These sandstorms have even been known to reach the Caribbean and the Gulf Coast in the summer months. However, in June of 2020 a particularly dense dust plume made its way over to Puerto Rico, and even reached as far as parts of Midwest, United States, causing hazy skies over parts of Nebraska. This was one of the most magnificent Sahara dust events recorded in decades.
