Here are some facts to remember about disasters:
- Disasters may be natural (flood, storm, earthquake, etc.), man-made (industrial, accidental or malevolent) or environmental (climate change and drought).
- In 2016, more natural disasters struck the United States than any other country except China. (Source)
- The National Weather Service reported that weather-related disasters resulted in more than 450 fatalities in 2016 and resulted in $18.1 billion worth of property damage. (Source)
- The United Nations Office for Disaster Risk Reduction estimates that disasters have cost $1.4 trillion in total damage and affected 1.7 billion people over the past decade. (Source)
- Because of the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001, more than 2,950 lives were lost. (Source)
- In 2017, the deadliest mass shooting in modern U.S. history occurred when 58 people were killed and more than 500 people were injured in Las Vegas. (Source)
- A 2014 study by the FBI concluded that mass shootings in public places have been on the rise in the 21st century. (Source)
- The total economic damage due to Hurricane Katrina in 2005 exceeded $108 billion with more than 1,800 lives lost. (Source)
- With the threat of tornados, floods, hurricanes, heat waves, earthquakes and more, Mississippi is vulnerable to disasters. (Source)
- Among its state-regulated 5,697 dams, Mississippi has 363 that are classified as high hazard dams whose failure could result in the loss of human life and 55 that are classified as significant hazard dams. (Source)