MEDIA ADVISORY: China, Myanmar Events Are Deadliest Disasters in Years
I
NSURANCE INFORMATION INSTITUTE
Contact: Press Offices
New York: 212-346-5500;
media@iii.org
Washington, D.C.: 202-833-1580
NEW YORK, May 13, 2008 — The devastating earthquake that hit southwestern China yesterday registered a 7.9 on the Richter magnitude scale, stronger than the 7.5 magnitude quake which struck the country in July 1976, killing tens of thousands of people. In the chart below the Insurance Information Institute has compiled the 10 deadliest world catastrophes between 1970 and 2007, according to Swiss Re.
The May 12 earthquake and its after-shocks, along with the May 2-3 Myanmar cyclone, are the deadliest natural disasters since December 2004, when a tsunami swept across South Asia.
The Richter magnitude scale assigns a single number to quantify the amount of seismic energy released by an earthquake. A tropical cyclone that has matured to a severe intensity is called a hurricane when it occurs in the Atlantic Ocean or adjacent seas, a typhoon when it develops in the Pacific Ocean or neighboring seas, and a cyclone if it materializes in the Indian Ocean region. Myanmar borders the Indian Ocean.
For more information on global catastrophes, go to
http://www.iii.org/media/facts/statsbyissue/catastrophesglobal
.
For more information on insurance, go to the I.I.I. Web site
http://www.iii.org
.
The I.I.I. is a nonprofit, communications organization supported by the insurance industry.
I
NSURANCE INFORMATION INSTITUTE
Contact: Press Offices
New York: 212-346-5500;
media@iii.org
Washington, D.C.: 202-833-1580
NEW YORK, May 13, 2008 — The devastating earthquake that hit southwestern China yesterday registered a 7.9 on the Richter magnitude scale, stronger than the 7.5 magnitude quake which struck the country in July 1976, killing tens of thousands of people. In the chart below the Insurance Information Institute has compiled the 10 deadliest world catastrophes between 1970 and 2007, according to Swiss Re.
The May 12 earthquake and its after-shocks, along with the May 2-3 Myanmar cyclone, are the deadliest natural disasters since December 2004, when a tsunami swept across South Asia.
The Richter magnitude scale assigns a single number to quantify the amount of seismic energy released by an earthquake. A tropical cyclone that has matured to a severe intensity is called a hurricane when it occurs in the Atlantic Ocean or adjacent seas, a typhoon when it develops in the Pacific Ocean or neighboring seas, and a cyclone if it materializes in the Indian Ocean region. Myanmar borders the Indian Ocean.
For more information on global catastrophes, go to
http://www.iii.org/media/facts/statsbyissue/catastrophesglobal
.
For more information on insurance, go to the I.I.I. Web site
http://www.iii.org
.
The I.I.I. is a nonprofit, communications organization supported by the insurance industry.
