Australian Disasters There have been many natural and man-made disasters in Australia. This country of contrasts regularly suffers floods, cyclones, bush fires, drought, earthquakes, earth tremors and landslides. Major disasters have included: Cyclone Tracy - which devastated Darwin on the night of Christmas Eve 1974. Ash Wednesday Bush Fires - when around 180 bushfires broke out on 16 February 1983, devastating the Adelaide hills. Newcastle Earthquake - 28th December, 1989. The Newcastle earthquake, the first fatal one in Australia, claimed 13 lives. The devastation to buildings and other structures was extensive. Shipwrecks - Encyclopedia of Australian shipwrecks
			Hurricane Elena Photo from the NASA Photo Gallery

	Natural Disasters Natural disasters can arise from: Weather patterns eg storms, cyclones, hurricanes, floods, tornadoes Other climatic conditions eg droughts, bush fires, avalanches Changes in the earth's crust eg volcanoes, earthquakes, tsunami or tidal waves Follow the links below to find out more.

Savage Earth	OUTSTANDING !!
Cyclone tracker	- US hurricane tracker. Find Famous storms.
Severe Thunderstorms	- in New South Wales & the Australian Capital Territory, great info !!
Bushfire Weather in Australia	- from the Australian Bureau of Meteorology
Australian Severe Weather	- good general information, EXCELLENT photos
The Tornado Project	- all details
Pacific Tsunami Museum Homepage	- from Hawaii, information and photos
US - USSL's Weather Room	- good information for kids, parents, and teachers including colouring books
Weather - what forces affect our weather?	- Excellent weather links including natural disasters.
Earthquakes	- lots of information (US)
Earth's Active Volcanoes	- a map showing active volcanoes around the world.
Nature's Fury	- from National geographic. OUTSTANDING !!.

	Man-made Disasters Man-made disasters are caused by a variety of human activities and errors including: Nuclear accidents War and revolution Transport accidents Follow the links below to find out more.

Nuclear Disasters	- list of nuclear disasters
Australian War Memorial	- outstanding site !!
Titanic	- official site !!
Road Crossing Safety	- activities from Renault

	Rescue Services in Australia Follow the links to some of Australia's many rescue organisations.

Surf Life Saving Australia	Surf Life Saving Queensland - excellent surf safety tips, CPR
NSW State Emergency Service	New South Wales Fire Brigades (NSWFB)
CareFlight Queensland	Queensland Department of Emergency Services - excellent activities

See also Australian History - for more Australian stories of disasters and survival

Looking After the Victims of Disaster Every disaster has its victims who have to live with their memories of what happened ... long after the rest of us have forgotten. There are many organisations who offer assistance, usually with the help of volunteers. World Vision has an excellent site with details of all current world disasters and details of how you can help. The following photos are courtesy of World Vision Copyright 1999 World Vision Inc. All rights reserved. Used with permission. 1-888-511-6598

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