1,001 Facts That Will Scare the S#*t Out of You: The Ultimate Bathroom Reader (71 page)

“Billion Dollar U.S. Weather Disasters: Narrative/Map,” National Climatic Data Center, U.S. Department of Commerce, January 29, 2009,
www.ncdc.noaa.gov
.

528

FACT :
In 2003 and 2005,
Portugal was ravaged by forest fires
that killed dozens of people and destroyed 10 percent of the country’s forest land. The 2003 fire was attributed to global warming: higher overall temperatures in the region have lowered humidity, which has led to prolonged drought, hot winds, and dry air.
Global warming? No way!

“Six Worst Raging Fires and Explosive Volcanoes,” Web-Ecoist,
www.webecoist.com
.

529

FACT :
One of the worst storms of the last century was the Great New England Hurricane in 1938, when 120-mph winds and water surge pummeled New York, Connecticut, Massachusetts, Vermont, and Rhode Island,
killing 700 people and leaving 63,000 homeless
.
The cause was undetermined, but I’m going to go out on a limb here and say it had something to do with . . . yes . . . global warming.

“Terrifying Tornadoes, Wind Storms and Hurricanes,” Web-Ecoist, October 22, 2008,
www.webecoist.com
.

530

FACT :
Floods are one of the most severe weather events and
a leading cause of weather-related deaths
.

Just six inches of fast-moving water is enough to knock an adult off his feet.
Unless that adult is Kirstie Alley or one of those contestants on
The Biggest Loser
— they require a little more.

Rachelle Oblack, “How to Stay Safe in a Flood,”
About.com
,
www.weather.about.com
.

531

FACT :
The deadliest type of flood is a flash flood, caused when heavy rain leads to sudden surges of water that can turn storm drains, river beds, creeks, and flood plains into raging torrents within minutes.
These waters can destroy buildings and make roads impassable
, preventing escape and assistance.
This is why everyone should own a surfboard.

Rachelle Oblack, “How to Stay Safe in a Flood,”
About.com
,
www.weather.about.com
.

532

FACT :
In 2007, flooding on the banks of the Huai River
displaced 2 billion rats in central China
, which destroyed over 6,000 square miles of cropland and caused an estimated $3.13 billion in damage.
Most of them relocated to New York City and are doing just fine.

“Chinese Floods Displace Billions of Rats, Mice; Raise Fears of Disease.” USA Today, On Deadline, July 12, 2007,
http://blogs.usatoday.com
.

533

FACT :
The flood that plagued the United States in 1993 was the most costly and devastating in modern history,
lasting seven months and affecting 30,000 square miles of land
around the Mississippi and Missouri rivers and their tributaries, resulting in $15 to $20 billion in damages.

“The Great Flood of 1993,” USGS Missouri Water Science Center,
http://mo.water.usgs.gov
.

534

FACT :
In March 1993, the U.S. East Coast was pummeled by what would be called the “Storm of the Century” because of
its fierce gales, deep snow, and widespread impact
. Record lows and wind gusts were recorded from Florida to Maine during the three-day storm, which caused $7 billion in damages and 270 deaths.
1993 was also the year that
Mrs. Doubtfire
came out. Bad things really do happen in threes, don’t they?

“The Great Flood of 1993,” USGS Missouri Water Science Center,
http://mo.water.usgs.gov
.

“Six Chilling Ice Storms, Tsunamis and Floods,” WebEcoist,
www.webecoist.com
.

“BusinessWeek: Storm Watch,” BusinessWeek,
www.images.businessweek.com
.