The most powerful volcanic eruption in recorded history occurs on Krakatau (also called Krakatoa), a small, uninhabited volcanic island located west of Sumatra in Indonesia, on this day in 1883. Heard 3,000 miles away, the explosions threw five cubic miles of earth 50 miles into the air, created 120-foot tsunamis and killed 36,000 people.
Krakatau exhibited its first stirrings in more than 200 years on May 20, 1883. A German warship passing by reported a seven-mile high cloud of ash and dust over Krakatau. For the next two months, similar explosions would be witnessed by commercial liners and natives on nearby Java and Sumatra. With little to no idea of the impending catastrophe, the local inhabitants greeted the volcanic activity with festive excitement.
On August 26 and August 27, excitement turned to horror as Krakatau literally blew itself apart, setting off a chain of natural disasters that would be felt around the world for years to come. An enormous blast on the afternoon of August 26 destroyed the northern two-thirds of the island; as it plunged into the Sunda Strait, between the Java Sea and Indian Ocean, the gushing mountain generated a series of pyroclastic flows (fast-moving fluid bodies of molten gas, ash and rock) and monstrous tsunamis that swept over nearby coastlines. Four more eruptions beginning at 5:30 a.m. the following day proved cataclysmic. The explosions could be heard as far as 3,000 miles away, and ash was propelled to a height of 50 miles. Fine dust from the explosion drifted around the earth, causing spectacular sunsets and forming an atmospheric veil that lowered temperatures worldwide by several degrees.
Of the estimated 36,000 deaths resulting from the eruption, at least 31,000 were caused by the tsunamis created when much of the island fell into the water. The greatest of these waves measured 120 feet high, and washed over nearby islands, stripping away vegetation and carrying people out to sea. Another 4,500 people were scorched to death from the pyroclastic flows that rolled over the sea, stretching as far as 40 miles, according to some sources.
In addition to Krakatau, which is still active, Indonesia has another 130 active volcanoes, the most of any country in the world.
Something as epic maybe going on in Houston today. KHOU has gone off the air as they have had to evacuate their building! KPRC is still broadcasting and showing scenes of people trudging out of their neighborhoods on foot, kayaks and plastic tubs but there is no place to go! You can’t get around in the city so how they will be fed or where they will stay is unknown as the flooding is not over.
That area is flat and drains slowly, but once the rain stops it will drain back to normal after a few days at most.
I used to live there and serious flooding isn’t something they haven’t dealt with before and will have to deal with again.
the flooding is trump’s fault,impeach him–
in all seriousness,he needs to hop af1 & get down there–
i’ve already seen at least 1 comment or headline somewhere about “how can he tweet while people are suffering?”
bush 2 was pounded unmercifully for 4 years and withstood it but was done in by katrina–
with the emotional level of the average american voter,it’s all about the optics,facts don’t really matter–
If Trump goes to Texas … as when any POTUS goes to a disaster area … It is nothing more than pure symbolism.
Doesn’t the left hate symbolism? Statues and all that.
If he does go, no matter what he does while there he will STILL be criticized.
Trump is in a no win situation, as usual.
What he could do is make sure emergency responders move their asses and get something done, unlike what happened with Katrina, etc.
stucky is correct,it is mostly symbolism–in fact,when politicians show up they are usually in the way,especially potus,because of security concerns–however,being in the way is easier to explain away then not showing up–
“he didn’t care enough to show up”,”rich people.blah,blah,blah …”
llpoh,
bush and his people did nothing wrong–
katrina was not the problem,the democratically controlled levees that breached after the storm passed were the problem–it was all about optics and left wing reporting,combined w/ignorant citizens–
Supposedly the inspiration for Edvard Munch’s The Scream of Nature:
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If I were Trump I’d conscript (civilian sense) every millenial, whiny brat and leftie into the prolonged cleanup in Tx. A good dose of reality from planet Earth is what they need.
I am selling Volcano Tax Credits that should make everything ok. Goldman Sachs for details.