Summer 1996 Articles

Disaster Recovery Journal

Volume 9, Issue 3
Summer 1996

Around The World

Hurricane Bertha

Hurricane Bertha drifted away from the U.S. in the waters of the Atlantic Ocean on July 14, leaving behind an estimated $100 million in damage. From South Carolina to Maine, structural damage was evident. Thousands of homes and structures were damaged. State officials in North and South Carolina say serious financial damage was done to corn and tobacco crops flattened by wind and rain.

Floods In China

During the first two weeks of July, heavy rains along the Yangtze River forced thousands to evacuate and killed 315 people. Over a period of 10 days, storms have dumped 22 inches of rain across nine provinces and regions that take in some of China’s best farmland and poorest villages. By official count, the rain and flooding have destroyed 3.2 million acres of crops and damaged property belonging to 20 million people. Soldiers were called in to help clear away debris and dynamite bridges to relieve the swollen rivers and streams.

Massive Power Outage Hits 8 States

Electricity and telephone service were knocked out on July 2 for more than 1.5 million customers after powerlines failed in a rapid chain reaction on a blistering hot day. The blackout forced hospitals and air traffic controllers to use emergency measures, darkened flashy casinos, stopped air conditioners and snarled traffic from Canada to the Southwest. The blackout highlighted the vulnerability of the power grid in the West, where a major problem in one area can quickly lead to outages elsewhere.

U.S. Treasury Building Fire

A fire in the Treasury Building raged for 3 1/2 hours on June 26. Hundreds of government workers were evacuated from the building that is adjacent to the White House. The fire erupted on the roof of the 125 year old building in the afternoon, and fire officials stated that heavy smoke filled the entire fifth floor and basement of the five-story building. The cause of the fire is still under investigation and there was no dollar value placed on the damages. No money is printed in the building.

Terrorist Bomb Destroys U.S. Complex In Saudi Arabia
A powerful truck bomb demolished apartment buildings at a U.S. Air Force complex in Saudi Arabia on June 25, killing 23 Americans and injuring more than 300. The explosion hit a U.S. military housing area at the edge of a Saudi base near Dhahran in eastern Saudi Arabia. It ripped the front off an eight-story apartment building housing American servicemen, and punched a crater 35 feet deep and 85 feet across. The bomb exploded five weeks after the State Department warned Americans in Saudi Arabia to “keep a low profile” after a threat by anonymous terrorists.

Hurricane Alma Hits Coastal Region

Hurricane Alma hit a remote area of Mexico’s southern Pacific on June 24, generating winds up to 100 m.p.h. and heavy rain on the states of Guerrero and Michoacan. Hurricane warnings remained in effect for 175 miles of coastline between the resorts of Zihuatenejo and Manzanillo.

Monsoon Storms in India

Two cyclones swept through southern India on June 17, battering houses and farms with wind-whipped rain, raising the death toll from days of monsoon storms to 123 people. The cyclones moved in from the Bay of Bengal with 50 m.p.h. winds. Hardest hit was Andhra Pradesh state, about 1,250 miles south of New Delhi. Swollen streams and rivers flooded villages on their banks, drowning the residents.

Bomb Blast in Manchester, England

A van loaded with explosives blew up in a retail district in Manchester, England, wounding more than 200 people on June 15. A security camera captured the 71/2 ton vehicle on film and investigators were sifting through the footage for a glimpse of the driver who parked the van next to the shopping center two hours before the explosion. The size of the explosion and telephoned warnings in Britan and Ireland pointed to the outlawed group, the Irish Republican Army, which resumed a bombing campaign in England on Feb. 9 after a 17-month cease-fire.

Brazilian Mall Blast

An explosion ripped through a shopping mall outside San Paulo at lunchtime on June 11, blasting holes in concrete walls and killing 44 people. More than 100 others were injured. Sensors and dogs aided rescue workers in sifting through the rubble to find any survivors. The day of the blast marked a Brazilian holiday equivalent to Valentine’s Day, and many stores were busy with people shopping for gifts. Authorities did not know what caused the blast, but a thorough investigation is underway.

Paris Bank Burns

The Paris headquarters of the troubled Credit Lyonnais, France’s largest bank, erupted in flames on May 5. Thirty firefighters were injured while fighting the blaze. A $30 billion government bailout had failed to rescue the bank from financial problems.

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Last Updated--Tuesday, July 16, 1996.