Natural Disasters, Hazards, & Catastrophes in Greece.

Earlier in the year, New Zealand was hit with a "weather bomb" according to an article published by New Zealand's The Guardian . The heavy storm caused several damages including flooding major rural areas, power outages, and river overflows. The rainfall also caused several landslips, one that unfortunately buried some hot pools located in Dunedin. Fortunately, no citizens were harmed, and some even took advantage of the heavy rainfalls and went out in the streets to take a swim. Experts and researchers have analyzed the storm and they concluded that it is caused by a burst of hot air coming out of Australia that picks up moisture and intensity. This heat wave brought heavy rains and winds to the New Zealand coasts. Down below we can observe some of the significant damages this extreme storm caused.  Reference:  https://www.theguardian.com/world/2017/jan/23/new-zealand-weather-bomb-summer-snow-flooding 

After reading several articles on the status of Greece’s sinkhole situation, I learned that most of the sinkholes formed in the country are due to earthquakes and natural gas explosions. For example, there was a huge sinkhole that opened up just last year 18 miles western of the city of Loannina in Greece. The sinkhole measured up to 30 meters in depth and a surface area of 200 meters. Experts & researchers believe the sinkhole was caused due to a series of earthquakes that occurred the week prior to its formation. Authorities in the area confirmed no injuries were reported even though the sinkhole was located within a rural area. Greek researchers have been using USGS to further examine potential risk areas and therefore they contact authorities in order to create safety protocols and procedures so that the people can prepare in case such events occur. Reference:  https://watchers.news/2016/10/22/sinkhole-ioannina-greece/

Located south west of Greece, lies the island of Santorini. In Santorini, people have been facing mass wasting hazards in frequent occasions. Due to its abundance of highly sloped mountain ranges, landslides, rock falls, and mudslides are happening throughout the place damaging roads and homes. These instances are happening often due to the gravitational pull pushing down the unstable rocks down the cliffs. Another factor includes how these mountains are formed. They are layered with both hard and soft rocks, therefore these cliffs become less stable over time and become more prone to such hazards. Greek authorities are trying to prevent such hazards by adding reinforced steel fencing and netting around touristic cliff sights that people visit frequently. These fences add stability and security that help prevent any sorts of rock falls. In addition, they are also adding more warning signs for areas that do not have such supporting equipment that are at risk of causing hazards. Nonethel