Disaster Day

An important international holiday, Disaster Day, is annually on October 13th. This day serves as an opportunity to organize a specialized forum to discuss global and local disaster management and mitigation initiatives.

History

The United Nations Declaration on Disaster Reduction, issued in 1990, set the goal of reducing the number of people killed, property lost, and social and economic structures destroyed due to natural disasters. This led to the creation of Disaster Day.

The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) and the Federal Institute under the US Department of the Interior are two organizations that serve as the first responders to potential natural disaster situations in the US. They are responsible for creating the necessary algorithms and protocols to respond to potential emergencies, both man-made and natural.

Interesting facts

On the occasion of this holiday, we recall some of the major natural disasters that have occurred throughout history, including:

• In 1816, a volcanic eruption in Indonesia created a year without a summer, as volcanic dust spread over Canada and the US, leading to an abnormally cold winter.
• In 2004, the 3rd largest earthquake in recorded history occurred in the Indian Ocean, with a magnitude of 9.1-9.3, resulting in over 229,000 deaths.
• The most powerful recorded tornado was the Mattoon tornado that occurred on May 26, 1917, lasting over 7 hours and 20 minutes over a 500 km area, killing 110 people.

How to take part

In celebrating Disaster Day, it is important to take the time to familiarize yourself with the protocols and algorithms of action in the case of an emergency. It is also important to promote awareness of natural disasters on social media and to subscribe to any official resource that informs of natural disasters occurring in your region. Finally, it is important to be prepared to survive in extreme conditions in case of an emergency.

When is Disaster Day in 2024?

Disaster Day is observed on October 13 each year.

Observations