Man-made Disasters That Had a Big Impact on Our World

Our environment has been greatly impacted by us. Human activity was to blame for some of the deadliest catastrophes in recorded history.

The worst nuclear power accident ever was thought to have occurred at Chernobyl. Thousands of people died as a result of the Union Carbide Cyanide gas spill.

Here are the deadliest man-made disasters that had a big impact on our world

The Dust Bowl

(Photo : Three Lions/Getty Images)

The Great Plains of America had primarily been used for stock animal farming before to World War I. Millions of acres were then plowed so that farmers could cultivate wheat, as per Insider.

A devastating drought struck the American plains after a decade of normal rainfall and intensive plowing of virgin soil by individuals who had little to no knowledge of the land or the surrounding ecosystem.

Devastating storms were triggered when dry, degraded topsoil converted to dust in the presence of strong winds.

The worst of it happened on April 14, 1935, a day that became known as Black Sunday due to a "black blizzard" or dust storm that was hundreds of miles wide and thousands of feet high and lasted for several hours.

Chernobyl Nuclear Accident

High radiation levels were present in the area as a result of an accident at the Chernobyl nuclear power facility outside Kiev, Ukraine, on April 26, 1986. Because Ukraine was then a part of the Soviet Union and the government originally tried to conceal the explosion, the details surrounding the tragedy are still somewhat murky.

Many firefighters and workers at the factory were exposed to radiation.

Although thousands were harmed, including the hundreds of thousands who were evacuated from the adjacent city of Kiev and Pripyat, 30 individuals died within three months of acute radiation sickness.

The Aberfan Colliery Slip

Because major man-made catastrophes are uncommon in Britain, the Aberfan colliery slide was all the more startling, as per LiveScience.

The neighboring coal mine, founded in 1869, served as the foundation for the development of Aberfan, a village in the Welsh Valleys.

By 1966, the community had expanded, and seven enormous spoil piles of mining waste ringed the village.

The seventh spoil pile was lowered in October 1966 when the community of Aberfan received more than six inches of rain.

According to the Smithsonian magazine, a massive amount of soaked debris broke away from the pile at about 09.15 GMT on October 21, 1966, and began to move toward the settlement at speeds between 11 and 21 miles per hour and in waves as high as 30 feet (nine meters).

The outcome was disastrous. Tragically, 116 children were among the 144 individuals who died in the subsequent avalanche.

A primary school (elementary school) was destroyed, along with 18 surrounding homes, along with a nearby secondary school (high school).

Also Read: Pig-Boar Hybrids in Fukushima May Show How Nature Heals After Man-Made Disasters

Montana Asbestos Clouds

The history of Libby, Montana, began with the arrival of settlers in the 1800s, and the town grew as a result of mine and railroad development.

Libby's destiny was altered in 1919 by the discovery of a mineral called vermiculite.

By 1963, the Libby mine was providing 80% of the world's vermiculite needs, which range from gardening to automotive parts.

That's fantastic and profitable, but some varieties of vermiculite include asbestos, a highly hazardous chemical that can lead to a wide variety of respiratory problems.

Asbestos was present in vermiculite in Libby, Montana, and the mining firm was aware of its harmful effects.

However, they kept it a secret, and residents of Libby used the mine's leftover materials for construction and landscaping, as well as for ice rinks and school projects.

The Exxon Valdez oil spill

Exxon Valdez, an oil ship operated by the Exxon Shipping Company, crashed Bligh Reef in Alaska's Prince William Sound and spilled 11 million gallons of oil.

No one was hurt, but a significant amount of wildlife was lost as a result.

According to the AP, the oil spill covered 1,300 miles of the coast and essentially destroyed the habitats of the herring and pink salmon, two important sources of income for the local fisherman.

Experts estimated that "unprecedented" numbers of birds, 2,800 otters, and 302 seals had all been killed.

Some animal populations, such as those of birds and whales, still haven't recovered after 30 years.

Although no one was actually killed by the oil spill, it had a significant impact on the local fisherman, many of whom lost their jobs, and it is said that this had a significant impact on their families.