Year Ender 2023: Biggest natural disasters that took place this year
From Hurricane Otis striking Mexico to the Syria-Turkey earthquake, here are some of the most significant natural disasters of 2023.
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In 2023, major natural disasters struck globally, from Hurricane Otis hitting Mexico to Libya's devastating floods and Morocco's earthquake. China faced severe flooding, and Turkey endured significant earthquakes. Here are some of the biggest natural disasters of the year. (Representative Image (Getty Images via AFP))
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Turkey-Syria Earthquake: On February 6, 2023, southern Turkey experienced a significant earthqua3ke measuring 7.8 on the Richter scale, followed by another substantial quake of 7.5 magnitude nine hours later. The earthquakes, the most powerful in over two decades, struck near Gaziantep, a region already grappling with humanitarian challenges due to hosting Syrian refugees. (AFP)
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Hurricane Otis: Hurricane Otis made landfall on the Pacific coast of Mexico on October 25. It was one of the most powerful storms to hit the country hammering the beach resort of Acapulco, causing damage seen running into billions of dollars. (Reuters)
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China Floods: In August, China faced intensified monsoon rains and successive typhoons, worsening the struggle against mudslides, flooding, and flash floods. Typhoon Saola made landfall in southern China on September 2, leading to the evacuation of over 880,000 individuals. Beginning on July 29, northeastern China experienced severe rainfall and flooding due to Typhoon Doksuri, the fifth typhoon of 2023 in the Pacific. This event led to historically heavy rainfall in Beijing, exceeding 60% of a typical year's precipitation in just 83 hours. (REUTERS)
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