Update on Sept. 20

On Sept. 19, Mexico was hit with a major earthquake once again. It had a magnitude of 7.1 and has a current kill count of over 200 people.   Coincidentally, this was on the 32nd anniversary of the 8.0 magnitude earthquake that killed over 5,000 residents in 1985. Yesterday, over 44 buildings were destroyed in Mexico city, according to Mayor Miguel Angel Mancera. Gas leaks have been reported across the city, causing numerous fires to break out.  The number of deaths and cost of damage is still being determined.

Original on Sept. 18

From hurricanes to earthquakes, people have been attacked by Mother Nature in all forms of natural disasters in just the past month. Hurricane Harvey and Irma caused billions of dollars worth of damage and yet there are still multiple hurricanes on the way. The newest development, Hurricane Maria, hit Dominica on Sept. 18 as a Category 5 hurricane.  It had over 160 mph winds and is the third hurricane to hit Dominica in the past three weeks.  It is currently headed towards the Caribbean Islands as a Category 4.

Forest fires have also been blazing across the American West. There have been over 100 fires burning in Montana, Oregon, Washington, Idaho, California and Utah. They even reached western Canada on Wednesday, Sept. 13.

On Sept. 7, Mexico was hit by Chiapas, a magnitude 8.2 earthquake, the biggest earthquake to hit there in centuries.  This catastrophe killed thousands and caused extensive damage.  Other earthquakes have been reported scattered across India, China, Italy, and other countries.  Cyclone Debbie caused $1.85 billion in damage to Australia on March 28.  This made it the deadliest cyclone to hit since Cyclone Tracy in 1974.  Cyclone Enawo hit Madagascar on March 6, causing nearly 80 deaths. And Cyclone Mora hit Sri Lanka, Andaman and Nicobar Islands, Bangladesh, Myanmar and Northeast India in May, causing severe damage and flooding.

These disasters and many more have led to numerous deaths and extensive damage to people all over. The world can only wait for what Mother Nature will bring next after Hurricane Maria.