disasters

God’s Providence in the face of mega-disasters

Posted on November 14, 2013May 9, 2016 by elizabethprata

In the wake of Typhoon Haiyan decimating much of the Philippines last week, the AP has put together a list of the deadliest disasters of the last decade in which the death toll was higher than Haiyan’s.

I thought it would be interesting to look at the data regarding natural disasters in different aspects. Which are the ten worst natural disasters? Is there a particular nation that has endured the burden of more disasters than neighboring nations? In light of the fact that Jesus and the Apostles said that the times would be getting worse and worse, and the disasters that would come will be like birth pangs (which grow worse in frequency and intensity), let’s take a look.

On a personal note, each time a terrible disaster occurs and people and animals die, or horrible property destruction occurs, it is very hard to watch on the news. Knowing the destiny of those who are saved is a blessing, but alternately, knowing the destiny of those who are not saved, who die in these disasters on a mass scale, is a burden to any Christian’s soul. However, it is as Jesus says. No matter what the data shows, the times will wax worse and worse, and His hand will lift in restraint and then judgment will come.

The exercise to review the disaster data is not just a mental exercise. Each person who dies in a terrible disaster is an immortal soul. (Genesis 2:7; Matthew 10:28). As you consider the last days disasters, please allow the Spirit to increase the urgency in you to witness, live for Christ, and pray.

Comparison of natural disasters of the last decade
Typhoon Haiyan is feared to have killed more than 10,000 people in the Philippines. Here are the natural disasters in the last decade that had higher death tolls:

— March 11, 2011: A magnitude-9.0 earthquake off northeastern Japan causes a tsunami that sweeps onto the coast. About 19,000 people are killed and three nuclear reactors melt at the Fukushima Dai-ichi power plant.

— Jan. 12, 2010: A 7.0 earthquake devastates Haiti’s capital and surrounding cities, killing 314,000 people.

— May 12, 2008: A 7.9 temblor in China’s Sichuan province kills 87,000 people. A disproportionate number of them were children killed when their shoddily built schools collapsed.

— May 2, 2008: The storm surge from Cyclone Nargis washes up densely populated areas around the Irrawaddy River delta in Myanmar, washing away whole farming villages. Around 138,000 people died.

— Oct. 8, 2005: A 7.6 earthquake kills about 80,000 people in northwestern Pakistan and Kashmir.

— Dec. 26, 2004: A 9.1 earthquake off western Indonesia triggers a tsunami in the Indian Ocean, killing 230,000 people in a dozen countries.

— Dec. 26, 2003: A 6.6 earthquake flattens the historic city of Bam in southeastern Iran, and some 26,000 people are killed.

Victims of the flooding in August 1931, Wikipedia

Wikipedia has lists of the worst natural disasters. In the first set, they list the worst ever disasters over all recorded time. I had not known that in 1931, 1 million to 4 million people died in China during floods. As a matter of fact, five of the ten listed worst disasters ever occurred in China. More here.

Of the ten worst disasters since 1900, again, half of those occurred in China, with only two overlapping from the above list. The top one is that aforementioned flood that killed -4 million people. The second worst disaster since 1900 was an earthquake, again in China, that killed 650,000–779,000 people. It was in 1976 in Tangshan.

Did you know that 4,000 people died in 1972 in Iran from the world’s deadliest blizzard? I didn’t either. Of the ten worst blizzards, 50% have occurred in the United States.

Galveston 1900 hurricane aftermath, Wikipedia

Of the worst tropical cyclone, which Typhoon Haiyan doesn’t even come close, half a million people died in 1970 in Bhola, India. As a matter of fact, 60% of the worst cyclones with high death tolls have occurred in India. A majority of these disasters occurred prior to 1900, which it stands to reason because the more primitive weather prediction services and technology didn’t afford much time to evacuate.

The 1900 Galveston Hurricane in Texas USA caused the deaths of about 8,000 and birthed the modern Weather Service. The book Isaac’s Storm was a tremendous non-fiction book covering both the storm and the men who valiantly tracked the storm and the aftermath of the impact on the then-nascent weather service. Many people say it was that storm which lurched the Weather Service into modern times.

Avalanches are a danger and a hazard, too. The 1970 Huascarán avalanche; triggered by the 1970 Ancash earthquake, killed 20,000 people. In 1950-51 The Swiss were held hostage to terror, a winter they still call the “Winter of Terror“.

“The Winter of Terror was the three-month period during the winter of 1950-1951 when a previously unrecorded number of avalanches took place in the Alps. The series of 649 avalanches killed over 265 people and caused large amounts of damage to residential and other human-made structures.”

That is an average of 216 avalanches per month, or an average of 7 per day. Can you imagine living with that much terror and uncertainty? A terror where a mountain full of snow may come sweeping down into your house as you sleep, burying you alive?

Nothing gets people looking for the meaning of life like an earthquake. The hits on my blog rise dramatically when a large earthquake occurs. Maybe it is that primal terror of even the seemingly solid ground under your feet swaying and opening its chasm like hell enlarging its mouth that strikes such fear. (Isaiah 5:14). People go looking for answers in large numbers when an earthquake hits.

source

In any case, here China is the beleaguered recipient of a major disaster, three-times over. Holding the place for location of the top three worst earthquakes ever is China once again. 830,000 people died in the 1556 Shaanxi earthquake in 1556, 650,000–779,000 died in the 1976 Tangshan earthquake, and 273,400 died in 1920 in the Haiyuan earthquake.

You can go on and look at the Wikipedia page for lists and explanations of the other worst disasters, like floods/landslides (China holds the top 4 places); deadliest heat waves (the top two occurred after 2000); lightning strikes, storms and the like.

I enjoy learning about the Providence of God. I am fascinated with that doctrine. It relates to His sovereignty and how God orders, ordains, or allows everything that occurs to occur, for His plan and His glory. It is a hard concept, especially when you think of all the terrible storms and disasters that occur. It is also hard when you think about evil. Why is there evil? Why do these things happen? Phil Johnson speaks of Providence a lot. He preached about it recently at the Strange Fire conference, but prior to that, he preached on the doctrine of God’s providence the week before the conference as he was preparing. The conference sermon was terrific, I recommend it. I also recommend the sermon he preached to his Sunday School group the week prior. In that sermon, Pastor Johnson specifically addresses questions like the ones I’ve raised today, about evil, and how evil fits into God’s plan, and about all the things that happen, from mega-disasters to the hairs on your head (and when God allows each one to fall out.) God is in the little things as much as He is in the disasters.

His sermon at the conference is called Providence IS Remarkable. There is a transcript available in case you can’t listen or watch video. The sermon that relates more closely with the issues in this essay today is “The Master of My Fate.” Again, there is a transcript.

God is in control. When you see a disaster occur, remember God and obey Him. Also when you don’t see a disaster happen, remember God and obey Him. When a hair falls out of your head, or when your car starts in the morning, or when you eat a peanut butter and jelly sandwich, remember God and obey Him. Most importantly, remember the lost people who do not have the privilege and comfort of knowing that a loving God hods them in the palm of His hand.

Everyday Providence should make us urgent to witness, but sometimes we grow lax. I know I do. When we see a disaster like Tropical Typhoon Haiyan, it jogs us again. When they occur, floods of souls arrive in hell. Keep that visual in your mind. The ones who arrive in hell during a disaster outnumber greatly the ones who arrive in heaven. Hell must enlarge its mouth to receive them. Therefore, disasters are as much God speaking to Christians as it is to the lost.

disasters, iran earthquake, weather

Two major earthquakes strike Iran, felt in Armenia; global weather disasters are continuous

Posted on August 11, 2012May 9, 2016 by elizabethprata

Hindustan Times:

40-50 dead, 400 injured in northwest Iran quakes
“Up to 50 250 people were killed and 400 injured as two strong earthquakes jolted northwest Iran on Saturday, the head of the country’s emergency services told ISNA news agency. “According to the latest reports, about 40 to 50 people have been killed in the quakes today … About 400 have also been injured and were transported to Tabriz and Ardebil,” Gholamreza Masoumi said, quoted by ISNA. Masoumi was referring to the biggest cities in the region and a neighbouring province. The two temblors, registering 6.2 and 6.0 on the moment magnitude scale according to Tehran University’s Seismological Centre, struck within minutes of each other, damaging scores of villages northeast of Tabriz. The US Geological Survey, which monitors quakes worldwide, ranked them as more powerful than that, at 6.4 and 6.3, respectively.”

Meanwhile, on the volcano front, Erik Klemetti had to eat his words-

Submarine Eruption Makes It Three for New Zealand
“Just think, one week ago I was saying that 2012 was a relatively quiet year for volcanic eruptions. We haven’t made up all the ground of the more active years like 2010-11, however New Zealand had one of its more exciting volcanic weeks in a century — White Island and Tongariro both had eruptions and yesterday a large pumice raft was spotted north of the island nation.”

Lotta lightning goin’ on…

Lightning kills 13 outside Bangladesh mosque
“At least 13 devotees have been killed by lightning outside a mosque in northeastern Bangladesh. Local police chief Bayes Ahmed says 20 other people were injured by the lightning late Friday in Sylhet district. The victims were struck by the lightning as they were exiting the mosque following special prayers tied to the holy month of Ramadan.”

Lightning strike creates 25-foot trench, damage to Massachusetts home

“Strong to severe thunderstorms that hit parts of Massachusetts on Friday produced a lightning strike that created a 25-foot trench to a Foxboro home, leaving a elderly woman hospitalized. Firefighters said around 4 p.m. EDT, lightning hit a tree and it imploded, which sent chunks of wood that ripped down parts of a large fence and impaled a portion of the deck.”

Fan killed; nine injured by lightning after Pocono race
“Pocono officials indicated that several of the fans were treated and released from the infield care center, but that five were transported directly to local hospitals.”

And there was (apparently) a tornado in Connecticut-

Weather Service Checks Storm Damage In Glastonbury To Determine If Tornado Hit
“A tornado may have touched down in Glastonbury as a violent storm surged through the state Friday afternoon, knocking down trees and power lines and causing flash flooding.”

The Philippines are swamped with monsoons and flooding. Yes, I know it’s monsoon season, but this is more, extra, over and above, and there’s more on the way—

No respite from rain, floods in Philippines
“The death toll from five days of heavy rains and floods in the Philippines jumped to 60 on Friday, disaster officials said, with the forecast calling for even more showers across the main island of Luzon. Most of the deaths were from drowning, the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council said. Others died from electrocution or in landslides associated with the rain and floods. While it is the summer monsoon season in the Philippines, the rain and flooding were exacerbated by recent Tropical Storm Haikui, the Philippines weather service said. Haikui made landfall on the east coast of China early Wednesday.”

CNN asks, “What’s behind major flood disasters throughout Asia?
“Monsoonal rainfall and a tropical storm cause major flooding in the Philippines. A third typhoon in five days hits China. Weeks of rains and floods have wreaked havoc on parts of Korea.”

This is ironic…the news article lede says “a rash of bad weather”. It isn’t a rash and it’s not going to get better. (link is to a Wall Street journal video).

Bad weather causes surge in food prices
“A rash of bad weather is straining the global food chain and pushing up prices around the world.”

So we wonder, of this weird and getting weirder weather, the disasters upon disasters, “Does God control the weather? Does he use it as judgment? Is it a sign of the end? Will he protect the righteous?” More here– a study on weather and the bible, below is a preview–

“The Scriptures are far from silent on the origin of weather disasters, including drought, earthquakes, famines, floods, hailstones, storms, thunder, tornadoes, wind storms, etc. God is fully in control of creation, at all times. God does use weather catastrophes — even resulting in deaths, or the destruction of beasts or property — but with a purpose: to unsettle the apathetic, to punish and judge, to alter our course of action, or to instill the fear of God. However, God also responds to His people’s pleas for deliverance from destruction.”

Therefore, pray for the people affected by these disasters. I deliberately chose news about the Iran quakes, Philippines flooding, China rains, New Zealand volcanoes, CT tornadoes, and US drought which has worldwide impact, to show that these things are happening north, south, east, and west. Pray for repentance to come sweep the world, and for a desire for a closer walk with Jesus to penetrate the hearts of the born-again.

disasters, end time, prophecy

How many signs will it take to alert the apathetic Christian?

Posted on April 14, 2010May 9, 2016 by elizabethprata

The Lord will send signs and then He will rapture us in His greatest sign, and then the wrath. I pray you are heeding His warnings of imminent judgment and are saved by grace and the blood of Jesus. If you are not, there is time. Simply acknowledge you are a sinner, and if you truly feel bad about the bad things you have done, ask Him to forgive them. He will!! “Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you.” (Mt 7:7) He is the door.

Locust plague hits Spain-sized area of eastern Australia
Swarms of locusts have infested a huge area of eastern Australia roughly the size of Spain after recent floods, ravaging farmland. Chris Adriaansen, head of the Australian Plague Locust Commission, said the quick-breeding creatures had hit from Longreach in Queensland in the north-east to Melbourne and Adelaide – 190,000 square miles. Mr Adriaansen said some swarms covered areas as large as 115 square miles, with about 10 locusts per square yard, “that’s a lot of locusts.”

Cyclone affects 50000, kills 67
A cyclone packing winds of more than 100 mph (160 kph) demolished ten of thousands of mud huts in northeastern India, killing at least 89 villagers, officials said Wednesday. The cyclone demolished nearly 50,000 mud huts in West Bengal and thousands more in Bihar, officials said. Devesh Chandra Thakur, Bihar state’s Minister for Disaster Management, said there was no cyclone warning from the weather department, so villagers were unprepared.

Iceland volcano erupts, triggers floods
After a brief respite, an Iceland volcano has erupted for a second time, but from a different, glacier-covered vent. Melting ice spurred an emergency nighttime evacuation of hundreds of people in the flood zone. About 800 people living nearby were evacuated as a precautionary measure at the first signs of the second eruption, said Páll Einarsson, a geophysicist at the University of Iceland’s Institute of Earth Sciences. There are no reports of casualties so far. But initial reports suggest glacial melt from Iceland’s Eyjafjallajökull volcano, located about 75 miles (120 kilometers) from Reykjavik, has raised local rivers by as much as ten feet (three meters). A major road has been closed and, as of press time, water continues to gush into the ocean.

7.1 earthquake hits China
“Western China has been rocked by a powerful earthquake and strong aftershocks, which have claimed more than 400 lives. More than 8,000 people have been injured and many more people may be trapped in damaged buildings. The earthquake struck the western Chinese province of Qinghai early Wednesday, collapsing buildings in villages around the region. The China Earthquake Administration estimates the quake as being a 7.1 magnitude, while the U.S. Geological Survey puts it at 6.9.”

Massive Glacier Triggers ‘Tsunami’ in Lake
A huge glacier has broken off and plunged into a lake in Peru sparking a 23-meter high tsunami wave that destroyed a nearby town. According to the Indeci civil defense institute, 50 homes have been destroyed. A water processing plant serving 60,000 local residents was also devastated when the wave struck on Sunday.