Топ-5 самых ужасающих наводнений в мире за последние годы — Наводнения в России — Наводнение в Грузии

Наводнения остаются одними из самых разрушительных природных катастроф. Высокая вода сносит на своем пути дома, уничтожает дороги, без жилья остаются тысячи людей. Последнее наводнение в Тбилиси спровоцировал мощнейший ливень, начались оползни, река Вере вышла из берегов. От удара стихии погибло 15 человек, еще 11 пропали без вести. А всего три года назад по городу Крымское прошлось 7-метровое цунами, лишив жизни сотни человек. «Обозреватель» собрал самые ужасающие наводнения в мире за последние годы.

Апокалипсис в Тбилиси

В ночь на воскресенье, 14 июня, над столицей Грузии бушевал сильнейший ливень. Потоки воды вызвали оползни, один из которых перекрыл ущелье реки Вере. Образовалось искусственное водохранилище, которое постепенно наполнялось водой, пока стихия не выплеснулась потоком в сторону Тбилиси.

Вода, неся с собой деревья и грязевые массы, обрушилась на город, затопив юго-западные районы города. Под толщей воды оказались подземные переходы, первые этажи домов и подвалы, от напора стихии рушились стены. Из зоопарка, который находился на берегу реки, вырвались хищные животные, которых пришлось отстреливать спецназу.

Но на утро город вышел на улицы, ликвидировать последствия стихии. «Сегодня с утра жители Тбилиси стали собираться в зоне бедствия и все вместе, вне зависимости от политической принадлежности, стали разбирать завалы, приводить в порядок разрушенное стихией», — описывали происходящее в сети сами пострадавшие.

Размер ущерба от наводнения оценили в 45 миллионов долларов, но цифры могут возрасти, предупреждает вице-премьер Грузии Каха Каладзе. Грузия уже обратилась к международной помощи для ликвидации последствий наводнения. На просьбу откликнулись США, Евросоюз, Украина и другие страны.

Цунами в Крымске

Обильные ливневые дожди стали причиной трагедии и в городе Крымск в Краснодарском крае России 7 июля 2012 года. Осадки, которые шли двое суток подряд, превысили месячную норму в 3-5 раз, уровень воды в реках и водохранилищах поднялся до критической отметки.

Но российские власти не объявили эвакуацию, подставив под удар стихии 60-тысячный город. Ночью на жителей обрушилась 7-метровая волна, похожая на цунами, за считанные минуты затопившая половину города.

Читайте:Фото из космоса пролили свет на причину потопа в Крымске

171 человек погиб, общее количество пострадавших превысило 35 тысяч, более 7 тысяч жилых домов были повреждены. При этом в самой России в СМИ тогда появлялась информация о гораздо большем количестве смертей — от 1,7 до 6 тысяч человек.

«Что, каждого нужно было обойти? И вы бы что, встали и ушли из дома?», — заявил после наводнения губернатор Краснодарского края Александр Ткачёв. Который не только остался в кресле губернатора, но и в 2015 году стал министром сельского хозяйства России.

Затопленный Таиланд

В 2011 году Таиланд оказался во власти самых мощных за полвека муссонных дождей, вызвавших наводнение по всей стране, которое длилось 175 дней.

Начавшись в сентябре, наводнение не покидало страну до января следующего года, унеся жизни 616 человек и причинив ущерб в 16 миллиардов долларов. Всего от стихии пострадали около 10 миллионов человек, а 150 тысяч остались без жилья.

Наводнения сильно ударило по столице Таиланда Бангкоку, в котором сотни людей погибли в воде, получив удары током.

Паводок на Амуре

Один из самых масштабных паводков последних лет произошел в России на реке Амур на Дальнем Востоке. В конце лета 2013 года вода затопила 8 миллионов квадратных километров, а паводок стал самым масштабным ударом стихии за последние 100 лет.

Причиной паводка стали аномальные дожди, которые шли летом и снежная зима, наполнившая реки талым снегом. Несмотря на попытки усмирить стихию, дамбы смогли лишь оттянуть наводнение, постепенно поднимая уровень воды и дав возможность эвакуировать население.

Читайте:Наводнение в России: уровень воды в Амуре бьет все рекорды

Всего от паводка погибло около 200 человек, около 850 тысяч стали переселенцами, ущерб был оценен в 10 миллиардов долларов.

Высокая вода на Западной Украине

Последнее крупное наводнение в Украине произошло в 2008 году. В июле после обильных дождей карпатские реки вышли из берегов. Высокая вода прошлась по 7 областям Украины: Львовской, Ивано-Франковской, Тернопольской, Черновицкой, Закарпатской, Винницкой и Хмельницкой.

Этот паводок стал сильнейшим в истории страны за последние 60 лет, унеся жизни 30 человек, из которых 6 были детьми. Всего было подтоплено более 40 тысяч домов, а общий ущерб составил 4 миллиарда гривен.

Одной из причин такого масштабного паводка, по мнению экологов, могла стать неконтролируемая вырубка лесов на склонах Карпат, которые могли впитать в себя большую часть дождевой воды.

Напомним, ранее «Обозреватель» составил рейтинг крупнейших нефтегазовых пожаров-катастроф в мире.

90000 Russia’s Far East hit by biggest floods in 120 years — RT World News 90001 90002 Up to 100,000 people may be evacuated from flood-hit regions in Russia’s Far East. Water levels at local reservoirs have already reached historic highs, and officials say the floods raging in the area are expected to continue rising even further. 90003 90002 Floods are currently affecting over 32,500 locals living in over 5,000 homes. Over 17,000 residents have already left the area over the disaster.90003 90002 Viktor Ishayev, Russia’s Minister for the Far East, said that 90007 «in the worst-case scenario up to 100,000 people could be evacuated «90008 from the Amur, Khabarovsk and Jewish Autonomous Regions. 90003 90002 The water level in the Amur River near Khabarovsk has risen 17 centimeters in one day and now stands at 657 centimeters, the regional office of the Emergency Ministry reported. Authorities fear that by August 25, the water level will reach the seven-meter mark.90003 90002 Dozens of bridges have been swamped by the waters, complicating the evacuation. 90003 90002 The area adjacent to the Amur River is experiencing its highest water level ever. However, observers indicated that the situation remains relatively calm. 90003 90002 90007 «There is no panic like there was in Krymsk,» 90008 one observer told Gazeta.ru, in a reference to the flood in a Krasnodar Region town two years that left nearly 200 dead and thousands homeless. 90007 «People are in combative mood.Maybe the locals are more used to the harsh weather conditions here. That’s why they are calm, and are treating the situation with understanding. But of course all is quite horrible here. » 90008 90021 90003 90002 Authorities are dealing with the consequences of the disaster, with over 200 tons of relief cargoes being delivered by aircraft to the affected region. 90003 90002 90026 The water is rising in the streets of Khabarovsk, where local drivers are trying to negotiate the floods: 90027 90003 90002 90030 90031 90003 90002 30,000 people are mobilized to cope with the flood with the help of 5,000 vehicles, boats and aircraft.90021 90003 90002 Emergency workers are flying over the affected area, monitoring the water level around the clock. They are asking people to leave their homes, but for those who did not have time to quit the region, boat evacuation is planned. 90021 90003 90002 Modern anti-flood technologies are also being used. Thirty water-filled flood control dams have been delivered to the region, along with humanitarian aid. 90021 90003 90002 Each dam is 25 meters long and can be easily erected on any type of surface, replacing over 1,000 sand bags.90003 90002 Medics have begun vaccinating to prevent an epidemic of infections such as typhoid fever and hepatitis, while locals have started drinking only boiled water as a precaution. 90003 90002 90007 «The damage is extensive, but the most significant achievement is there have been no casualties … we can not relax, there is still a lot of work to be done, «90008 Russian President Vladimir Putin said in a televised address. 90021 90003 90002 The disaster has yet to reach its predicted peak on August 19, meteorologists and emergency workers warned.90021 90003 90002 The floods have been triggered by a month of heavy rain, and are not set to stop until the beginning of September, the head of Russia’s hydrometeorology monitoring service told RIA Novosti news agency. 90021 90003 90002 90007 «This zone is unique in terms of its vastness: over 2,000 kilometers from west to east, «90008 indicated the head of the National Center for Crisis Situations Management of Russia’s Emergency Ministry Vladimir Stepanov. 90021 90003 90002 The disaster has dealt a blow to the area’s budget as well, with the potential losses measuring up to 2 billion rubles ($ 60 million), President Putin’s envoy to the region said.90021 90003.90000 Pollution in India: Polluted rivers in the country have doubled over past five years 90001 90002 In what could give headache to the Narendra Modi government, which is already battling to revive the polluted Ganga, the number of contaminated rivers in the country has more than doubled over the past five years. 90003 90002 According to the latest assessment by the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB), the number of polluted rivers has gone up from 121 in 2009 to 275. 90003 90002 The number of polluted river stretches has also doubled from 150 in 2009 to 302.90003 90008 90008 90002 Of the 445 rivers monitored by the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) in 29 states and six Union Territories, 275 have been polluted 90003 90002 Out of 445 rivers monitored by the CPCB in 29 states and six Union Territories, 275 have been polluted, the study reveals. 90003 90002 The sewage generated from 650 cities and towns situated along the 302 polluted river stretches has also increased from 38,000 Million Litres per Day (MLD) in 2009 to 62,000 MLD today, the assessment says.90003 90002 Significantly, though relative capacities of the Sewage Treatment Plants have not increased, there has been a massive rise in sewage. 90003 90002 While the treatment capacity of the plants stood at 11,800 MLD in 2009 it has risen to 24,000 MLD. 90003 90002 The gap in the treatment capacity has only widened with 26,200 MLD in 2009 to 38,000 MLD. 90003 90002 Based on the Biochemical Oxygen Demand (BOD) levels, the 302 polluted river stretches have been bracketed into five priority classes.90003 90002 The CPCB has placed 34 rivers with BOD values ​​exceeding 30 mg per litre in Priority Class I that means they require urgent attention. 90003 90026 90026 90002 The sewage generated from 650 cities and towns situated along the 302 polluted river stretches has also increased from 38,000 Million Litres per Day (MLD) in 2009 to 62,000 MLD today 90003 90030 90030 90002 There are 17 rivers with BOD between 20 30 mg per litre in priority class II and 158 in the priority class V with BOD between 3 and 6 mg per litre.90003 90002 The total polluted riverine length in the country is 12,363 km, of which 2,726 km falls in Priority Class I, 1,145 km in Priority Class II, 1,834 km in Priority Class III, 2,492 km in Priority Class IV and 4,166 km in Priority Class V, according to the CPCB. 90003 90002 Yamuna in Delhi is among the most polluted. Maharashtra (49) leads with the most number of polluted stretches, followed by Assam (28), Madhya Pradesh (21), Gujarat (20), West Bengal (17), Karnataka (15), Kerala (13), Uttar Pradesh ( 13), Manipur (12), Odisha (12), Meghalaya (10) and Jammu and Kashmir (nine).90003 90002 The report said: «In view of population increase, demand of freshwater for all uses will be unmanageable. 90003 90002 «It is estimated that the projected waste water from urban centres at present may be about 57,000 MLD and rural India may also generate substantial volume of waste.» 90003 90002 It added: «However, waste water management, including development of treatment facilities, is not being addressed.» 90003 90002 A senior CPCB scientist associated with the study said: «The condition is critical.The government needs to act. This report seeks urgent policy intervention and project implementation. » 90003 90046 90046 90002 «It is estimated that the projected waste water from urban centres at present may be about 57,000 MLD and rural India may also generate substantial volume of waste,» the report said 90003 90002 90003 90002 ‘85% rivers in Maharashtra are polluted ‘90003 90002 While campaigning in Nagpur during the Lok Sabha elections, the then BJP’s prime ministerial candidate Narendra Modi lamented about the poor state of the river Nag.90003 90002 Nagpur derives its name from this river which has been reduced to a stinking drain. Modi said that the river should be revived and brought back to its glory days. 90003 90002 Even as the river Nag is waiting to be revived, across Maharashtra a similar fate has befallen majority of the rivers. 90003 90060 90060 90002 On July 26, 2005, the Mithi River broke its banks, flooding some of the densely populated areas in Mumbai 90003 90002 «Industrialisation, urbanisation and construction of dams are primarily responsible for the present state of rivers in Maharashtra,» said Girish Raut, environmentalist.90003 90002 Many people in Mumbai did not even know that the Mithi was a river till the July 26, 2005 floods. It was reduced to a drain. 90003 90002 «I know people in Mumbai who have seen clear water flowing in the river Mithi and its tributaries. This was not eons ago, this was just five decades ago, «said Raut. 90003 90002 He said that over 300 crore litres of pollutants are dumped in the Mithi river by the industries and human settlement on its banks. 90003 90002 He estimates that 85 per cent of the rivers in Maharashtra are polluted.90003 90002 «Rivers are fed by the streams and rivulets from the mountains and hills. 90003 90002 «Forests on the hills in Mumbai, barring the national park, have been replaced by concrete jungle. 90003 90002» This leads to water not seeping into the ground and flowing off the surface leading to frequent floods «, said Raut. 90003 90080 90080.90000 20 of the worst epidemics and pandemics in history 90001 90002 Throughout the course of history, disease outbreaks have ravaged humanity, sometimes changing the course of history and, at times, signaling the end of entire civilizations. Here are 20 of the worst epidemics and pandemics, dating from prehistoric to modern times. 90003 90004 1. Prehistoric epidemic: Circa 3000 B.C. 90005 90002 90003 The discovery of a 5,000-year-old house in China filled with skeletons is evidence of a deadly epidemic.(Image credit: Photo courtesy Chinese Archaeology) 90002 About 5,000 years ago, an epidemic wiped out a prehistoric village in China. The bodies of the dead were stuffed inside a house that was later burned down. No age group was spared, as the skeletons of juveniles, young adults and middle-age people were found inside the house. The archaeological site is now called «Hamin Mangha» and is one of the best-preserved prehistoric sites in northeastern China. Archaeological and anthropological study indicates that the epidemic happened quickly enough that there was no time for proper burials, and the site was not inhabited again.90003 90002 Before the discovery of Hamin Mangha, another prehistoric mass burial that dates to roughly the same time period was found at a site called Miaozigou, in northeastern China. Together, these discoveries suggest that an epidemic ravaged the entire region. 90003 90004 2. Plague of Athens: 430 B.C. 90005 90002 90003 Remains of the Parthenon, one of the buildings on the acropolis of Athens. The city experienced a five year pandemic around 430 B.C. (Image credit: Shutterstock) 90002 Around 430 B.C., not long after a war between Athens and Sparta began, an epidemic ravaged the people of Athens and lasted for five years. Some estimates put the death toll as high as 100,000 people. The Greek historian Thucydides (460-400 BC) wrote that «people in good health were all of a sudden attacked by violent heats in the head, and redness and inflammation in the eyes, the inward parts, such as the throat or tongue, becoming bloody and emitting an unnatural and fetid breath «(translation by Richard Crawley from the book» The History of the Peloponnesian War, «London Dent, 1914).90003 90002 What exactly this epidemic was has long been a source of debate among scientists; a number of diseases have been put forward as possibilities, including typhoid fever and Ebola. Many scholars believe that overcrowding caused by the war exacerbated the epidemic. Sparta’s army was stronger, forcing the Athenians to take refuge behind a series of fortifications called the «long walls» that protected their city. Despite the epidemic, the war continued on, not ending until 404 B.C., when Athens was forced to capitulate to Sparta.90003 90004 3. Antonine Plague: A.D. 165-180 90005 90002 90003 Roman soldiers likely brought smallpox home with them, giving rise to the Antonine Plague. (Image credit: Shutterstock) 90002 When soldiers returned to the Roman Empire from campaigning, they brought back more than the spoils of victory. The Antonine Plague, which may have been smallpox, laid waste to the army and may have killed over 5 million people in the Roman empire, wrote April Pudsey, a senior lecturer in Roman History at Manchester Metropolitan University, in a paper published in the book «Disability in Antiquity,» Routledge 2017).90003 90002 Many historians believe that the epidemic was first brought into the Roman Empire by soldiers returning home after a war against Parthia. The epidemic contributed to the end of the Pax Romana (the Roman Peace), a period from 27 B.C. to A.D. 180, when Rome was at the height of its power. After A.D. 180, instability grew throughout the Roman Empire, as it experienced more civil wars and invasions by «barbarian» groups. Christianity became increasingly popular in the time after the plague occurred.90003 90004 4. Plague of Cyprian: A.D. 250-271 90005 90002 90003 The remains found where a bonfire incinerated many of the victims of an ancient epidemic in the city of Thebes in Egypt. (Image credit: N.Cijan / Associazione Culturale per lo Studio dell’Egitto e del Sudan ONLUS) 90002 Named after St. Cyprian, a bishop of Carthage (a city in Tunisia) who described the epidemic as signaling the end of the world, the Plague of Cyprian is estimated to have killed 5,000 people a day in Rome alone. In 2014 року, archaeologists in Luxor found what appears to be a mass burial site of plague victims.Their bodies were covered with a thick layer of lime (historically used as a disinfectant). Archaeologists found three kilns used to manufacture lime and the remains of plague victims burned in a giant bonfire. 90003 90002 Experts are not sure what disease caused the epidemic. «The bowels, relaxed into a constant flux, discharge the bodily strength [and] a fire originated in the marrow ferments into wounds of the fauces (an area of ​​the mouth),» Cyprian wrote in Latin in a work called «De mortalitate» (translation by Philip Schaff from the book «Fathers of the Third Century: Hippolytus, Cyprian, Caius, Novatian, Appendix,» Christian Classics Ethereal Library, 1885).90003 90004 5. Plague of Justinian: A.D. 541-542 90005 90002 90003 A mosaic of Emperor Justinian and his supporters. (Image credit: Shutterstock) 90002 The Byzantine Empire was ravaged by the bubonic plague, which marked the start of its decline. The plague reoccurred periodically afterward. Some estimates suggest that up to 10% of the world’s population died. 90003 90002 The plague is named after the Byzantine Emperor Justinian (reigned A.D. 527-565). Under his reign, the Byzantine Empire reached its greatest extent, controlling territory that stretched from the Middle East to Western Europe.Justinian constructed a great cathedral known as Hagia Sophia ( «Holy Wisdom») in Constantinople (modern-day Istanbul), the empire’s capital. Justinian also got sick with the plague and survived; however, his empire gradually lost territory in the time after the plague struck. 90003 90004 6. The Black Death: 1346-1353 90005 90002 90003 Illustration from Liber chronicarum, 1. CCLXIIII; Skeletons are rising from the dead for the dance of death. (Image credit: Anton Koberger, 1493 / Public domain) 90002 The Black Death traveled from Asia to Europe, leaving devastation in its wake.Some estimates suggest that it wiped out over half of Europe’s population. It was caused by a strain of the bacterium 90049 Yersinia pestis 90050 that is likely extinct today and was spread by fleas on infected rodents. The bodies of victims were buried in mass graves. 90003 90002 The plague changed the course of Europe’s history. With so many dead, labor became harder to find, bringing about better pay for workers and the end of Europe’s system of serfdom. Studies suggest that surviving workers had better access to meat and higher-quality bread.The lack of cheap labor may also have contributed to technological innovation. 90003 90004 7. Cocoliztli epidemic: 1545-1548 90005 90002 90003 Aztec Ruins National Monument. (Image credit: USGS) 90002 The infection that caused the cocoliztli epidemic was a form of viral hemorrhagic fever that killed 15 million inhabitants of Mexico and Central America. Among a population already weakened by extreme drought, the disease proved to be utterly catastrophic. «Cocoliztli» is the Aztec word for «pest.»90003 90002 A recent study that examined DNA from the skeletons of victims found that they were infected with a subspecies of 90049 Salmonella 90050 known as 90049 S. paratyphi C 90050, which causes enteric fever, a category of fever that includes typhoid. Enteric fever can cause high fever, dehydration and gastrointestinal problems and is still a major health threat today. 90003 90004 8. American Plagues: 16th century 90005 90002 90003 Painting by O. Graeff (1892) of Hernán Cortéz and his troops.The Spanish conqueror was able to capture Aztec cities left devastated by smallpox. (Image credit: Shutterstock) 90002 The American Plagues are a cluster of Eurasian diseases brought to the Americas by European explorers. These illnesses, including smallpox, contributed to the collapse of the Inca and Aztec civilizations. Some estimates suggest that 90% of the indigenous population in the Western Hemisphere was killed off. 90003 90002 The diseases helped a Spanish force led by Hernán Cortés conquer the Aztec capital of Tenochtitlán in 1519 and another Spanish force led by Francisco Pizarro conquer the Incas in 1532.The Spanish took over the territories of both empires. In both cases, the Aztec and Incan armies had been ravaged by disease and were unable to withstand the Spanish forces. When citizens of Britain, France, Portugal and the Netherlands began exploring, conquering and settling the Western Hemisphere, they were also helped by the fact that disease had vastly reduced the size of any indigenous groups that opposed them. 90003 90004 9. Great Plague of London: 1665-1666 90005 90002 90003 A model re-enactment of the тисяча шістсот шістьдесят-шість Great Fire of London.The fire occured right after the city suffered through a devastating plague. (Image credit: Shutterstock) 90002 The Black Death’s last major outbreak in Great Britain caused a mass exodus from London, led by King Charles II. The plague started in April 1665 and spread rapidly through the hot summer months. Fleas from plague-infected rodents were one of the main causes of transmission. By the time the plague ended, about 100,000 people, including 15% of the population of London, had died. But this was not the end of that city’s suffering.On Sept. 2, 1666, the Great Fire of London started, lasting for four days and burning down a large portion of the city. 90003 90004 10. Great Plague of Marseille: 1720-1723 90005 90002 90003 Present day view of Saint Jean Castle and Cathedral de la Major and the Vieux port in Marseille, France. Up to 30% of the population of Marseille died as a result of a three-year plague epidemic in the 1720s. (Image credit: Shutterstock) 90002 Historical records say that the Great Plague of Marseille started when a ship called Grand-Saint-Antoine docked in Marseille, France, carrying a cargo of goods from the eastern Mediterranean.Although the ship was quarantined, plague still got into the city, likely through fleas on plague-infected rodents. 90003 90002 Plague spread quickly, and over the next three years, as many as 100,000 people may have died in Marseille and surrounding areas. It’s estimated that up to 30% of the population of Marseille may have perished. 90003 90004 11. Russian plague: 1770-1772 90005 90002 90003 Portrait of Catherine II by Vigilius Erichsen (ca. 1757-1772). Even Catherine the Great could not bring Russia back from the devastation caused by the 1770 plague.(Image credit: Shutterstock) 90002 In plague-ravaged Moscow, the terror of quarantined citizens erupted into violence. Riots spread through the city and culminated in the murder of Archbishop Ambrosius, who was encouraging crowds not to gather for worship. 90003 90002 The empress of Russia, Catherine II (also called Catherine the Great), was so desperate to contain the plague and restore public order that she issued a hasty decree ordering that all factories be moved from Moscow. By the time the plague ended, as many as 100,000 people may have died.Even after the plague ended, Catherine struggled to restore order. In 1773, Yemelyan Pugachev, a man who claimed to be Peter III (Catherine’s executed husband), led an insurrection that resulted in the deaths of thousands more. 90003 90004 12. Philadelphia yellow fever epidemic: 1793 90005 90002 90003 Painting of George Washington’s second inauguration at Congress Hall in Philadelphia, March 4, 1793. An epidemic of yellow fever hit Philadelphia hard in the first half of 1793. (Image credit: Shutterstock ) 90002 When yellow fever seized Philadelphia, the United States ‘capital at the time, officials wrongly believed that slaves were immune.As a result, abolitionists called for people of African origin to be recruited to nurse the sick. 90003 90002 The disease is carried and transmitted by mosquitoes, which experienced a population boom during the particularly hot and humid summer weather in Philadelphia that year. It was not until winter arrived — and the mosquitoes died out — that the epidemic finally stopped. By then, more than 5,000 people had died. 90003 90004 13. Flu pandemic: 1889-1890 90005 90002 90003 Wood engraving showing nurses attending to patients in Paris during the 1889-90 flu pandemic.The pandemic killed an estimated 1 million people. (Image credit: Shutterstock) 90002 In the modern industrial age, new transport links made it easier for influenza viruses to wreak havoc. In just a few months, the disease spanned the globe, killing 1 million people. It took just five weeks for the epidemic to reach peak mortality. 90003 90002 The earliest cases were reported in Russia. The virus spread rapidly throughout St. Petersburg before it quickly made its way throughout Europe and the rest of the world, despite the fact that air travel did not exist yet.90003 90004 14. American polio epidemic: 1916 90005 90002 90003 Franklin D. Roosevelt memorial in Washington, D.C. President Roosevelt was diagnosed with polio in 1921 at the age of 39. Polio killed thousands until the development of the Salk vaccine in 1954. (Image credit: Shutterstock) 90002 A polio epidemic that started in New York City caused 27,000 cases and 6,000 deaths in the United States. The disease mainly affects children and sometimes leaves survivors with permanent disabilities.90003 90002 Polio epidemics occurred sporadically in the United States until the Salk vaccine was developed in 1954. As the vaccine became widely available, cases in the United States declined. The last polio case in the United States was reported in 1979. Worldwide vaccination efforts have greatly reduced the disease, although it is not yet completely eradicated. 90003 90004 15. Spanish Flu: 1918-1920 90005 90002 90003 Emergency hospital during influenza epidemic, Camp Funston, Kansas. (Image credit: Otis Historical Archives, National Museum of Health and Medicine) 90002 An estimated 500 million people from the South Seas to the North Pole fell victim to Spanish Flu.One-fifth of those died, with some indigenous communities pushed to the brink of extinction. The flu’s spread and lethality was enhanced by the cramped conditions of soldiers and poor wartime nutrition that many people were experiencing during World War I. 90003 90002 Despite the name Spanish Flu, the disease likely did not start in Spain. Spain was a neutral nation during the war and did not enforce strict censorship of its press, which could therefore freely publish early accounts of the illness.As a result, people falsely believed the illness was specific to Spain, and the name Spanish Flu stuck. 90003 90004 16. Asian Flu: 1957-1958 90005 90002 90003 Chickens being tested for the avian flu. An outbreak of the avian flu killed 1 million people in the late 1950s. (Image credit: Shutterstock) 90002 The Asian Flu pandemic was another global showing for influenza. With its roots in China, the disease claimed more than 1 million lives. The virus that caused the pandemic was a blend of avian flu viruses.90003 90002 The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention notes that the disease spread rapidly and was reported in Singapore in February 1957 Hong Kong in April 1957 and the coastal cities of the United States in the summer of 1957. The total death toll was more than 1.1 million worldwide, with 116,000 deaths occurring in the United States. 90003 90004 17. AIDS pandemic and epidemic: 1981 90005.