I am finally getting around to saying Happy New Year to the readers of Disaster Preparedness Blog, and I want to thank you for your continued support in staying loyal fans. I’ve lined up some interesting things and content for you for 2011 as well as some contests and giveaways during the year.
But for now, let’s take a look back at the interesting year of 2010 that just passed. 2010 was a year that presented businesses with some very interesting disruptions. From bed-bugs to volcanic eruptions businesses were impacted in many ways during the past year, as if the economic climate was not enough.
The most interesting of all of them to me is the bed-bugs, which are still wreaking havoc around the nation. The tiny little blood feasting parasitic creatures caused all sorts of business closures while the owners struggled to exterminate them. Some sites had to be exterminated more than once. They are tough little buggers.
Then we have the major earthquakes, volcanic eruptions, flooding and drought, all quite normal occurrences during the course of a normal year. The Haitian quake was undeniably the most devastating and will have a long lasting negative impact on the country, which is now suffering from severe outbreaks of cholera. Of course we can’t forget the earthquakes in Chile, and China too.
Then there were the heat waves in Russia in which 56,000 people died, and is also labeled as the deadliest natural disaster in that country’s history. I am not sure if that is completely accurate, but I have read this in several places.
I am not sure if most of you know this but, in total, there were 950 natural disasters around the globe in 2010.
In looking ahead into 2011, I expect to see more of the same. The following is a brief listing of what is likely ahead:
These are not really predictions, especially since I do not do that, but historically these are events that you can expect to occur throughout the course of the next year.
Stay safe, get prepared!