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Tracking around the globe

Volcanic Eruption – Tonga: The Hunga Tonga-Hunga Ha’apai volcano north of the main island unexpectedly erupted on Jan. 14. The initial eruption lasted more than 12 hours, with volcanic ash and gasses reaching over 98,500 feet (30 km) in the early stages. While this was the latest in a series of eruptions, there was no warning of the severity of this eruption and no opportunity to prepare for it.

The eruption, which was clearly visible from space, sent tsunami waves rippling across the Pacific Ocean. The capital Nuku’alofa, located on the main island of Tonga, just 40 miles (65 km) south of the volcano, saw waves of 4 feet (1.2m), while countries as far away as Japan and the United States reported waves between 1 and 4 feet.

The tsunami killed at least one person in Tonga – a British national who ran an animal shelter died while saving her dogs. Elsewhere, two people died in Peru because of the tsunami waves. It is currently impossible to fully understand the conditions and needs in Tonga as the country remains isolated. Relief ships are en route from Australia and New Zealand, but they will take several days to reach Tonga and begin relief efforts.

Winter Storm Izzy – United States and Canada: Multiple days of winter weather started on Jan. 14 and continued through Jan. 17-18, covering a wide swath of the United States and Canada, from Arkansas and Northern Georgia through Minnesota, the Great Lakes, the Eastern Seaboard and the Canadian Maritime provinces. Heavily affected areas saw delays and cancellations at eight of the 20 busiest airports in North America. Traffic snarled on major highways and interstates throughout the region. As of Jan. 17, only two deaths due to a traffic collision in North Carolina were being blamed on the winter weather. More than 165,000 customers were without power along a swath ranging from Georgia to Maine, according to PowerOutage.us.

Tornado outbreak – Florida: Winter Storm Izzy also spun off a major storm that spawned multiple tornadoes in southwestern Florida on Jan. 16. The largest of these was an EF-2 tornado near Fort Myers that destroyed 30 mobile homes in three communities in Iona. While there were no deaths reported, more than 40,000 customers lost power after this twister and the four others that touched down in the region.

Cliff collapse – Brazil: A large fragment of cliff broke off a ledge of Furnas Lake in the eastern state of Minas Gerais on Jan. 8, landing on four tourist boats below. Ten people died, however, officials had only recovered the bodies of two people as of Jan. 9. Officials are blaming heavy rains as a result of climate change for the erosion of the cliff, and warn that similar disasters are likely in coming years.

Previous/Ongoing Disasters Wildfire – South Africa: Firefighters battled for over four days to control a wildfire in the town of Kleinmond, about 50 miles southeast of Cape Town along the southern coast. As of Jan. 11, the fire had consumed 11,600 acres (4,700 hectares) and forced the closure of multiple roads throughout the area. Much of the area damaged or destroyed was agricultural; only one building had been destroyed and no injuries or fatalities had been reported.

Earthquake – Haiti: As the country prepared to commemorate the 12th anniversary of the devastating 2010 earthquake, on Jan. 11 the country was struck by two moderate earthquakes measuring magnitude 4.0 and magnitude 4.6 – though they didn’t cause any new damage. The following day marked the anniversary of the massive 7.2 magnitude earthquake that killed 2,200 people, from which some people still haven’t recovered and are still living in makeshift homes.