Perfect Disaster

[MC6Ash 4]

And if either of those don't kill us, the moon is predicted to leave earth approximately 1 billion years after the sun is predicted to dwarf. Given, the moon would burn up because of the sun, and so would earth, this probably won't happen... 

But still, let's see how we might die.

a couple of million/billion years - galaxy merging

3.8-4 billion years - sun red gianting

4 billion years - moon leaves earth, leaving earth unstable, causing mass climate changes.

Changing Mr. Gate's slogan...

"How would you like to die today?"

[redfox85 659]

And on the topic, I'll just use the list and explain the probalities....

Mega-Tsunami flooding the entire United States East Coast

Earthquake and tsunami in the Pacific Northwest - This ones eithier coming soon (200 or less years) or not coming at all for another 10 thousand or so years.

Hurricane hitting New York City - Last Major cane to affect the area was in 1938(+/- a year or two), and the last one to score a direct hit on NYC was in the 1800s, it merged the Hudson river and the other one, and if something similiar unfolded in todays and age, it would be catastrophic and the death toll would be higher then New Orleans.

Earthquake leveling Tokyo - Tokyos way way overdue for the next big one, and if you've seen the way some areas of Tokyo are built, it will be utterly catastrophic.

Typhoon hitting Hong Kong- I will admit, this topic I dont know much about, all I do know is a well aimed Super Typhoon into Hong Kong could not be described in words...

Solar flare wiping out all electronics- Last time something similiar happened was in the 19th Century, right around the birth of the Telegraph, and just about permantly killed it too. Other then that one time, we dont know much about it. We could be due, or the next one wont come for Thousands of years, there just no way of knowing....

Super Volcano eruption- Theres two we have to keep an eye on, Sumtra (roughly the area that had that huge 9.3 a few years ago) and Yellowstone. Both of them are showing there starting to wake up somewhat, however any eruption will not be for a few more hundred years or maybe even thousands.

Nuclear War- There are a few possibilites on this one.

1) Iran, North Korea (aka the rougue states) - These countries could start a nuclear war but nuking various enemies of the states, but I solely dont believe either country can produce a nuke for another 5 years based on common knowledge and international media.

2) Pakistan and India - They came close in the late 1990s, and while Tempers have settled, they could flare up again

3)Isarel - I'm prolly gonna be shot by someone for this, but all we need is a semi-radical government to be elected, and Hamas to shot them selves in the preverbal Foot. These are both good possibilites, and heck, I'm guessing if Hamas really really shots themselves in the preverbal foot, then the current Isarel government could nuck the living heck out of Palestine with the backing of atleast the States and prolly a few a rogue EU nations.

4) The States- There already dropping hints about nuking iran, I hate to see what would happen if they did nuke someone for there own national security.

"The Big One" hitting California- Well, there can be a few biggies in California.

1) The Howard Fault - This is the one we dont want to slip, as it would utterly level the entire bay area and most likely rupture surrounding fault lines, creating even more havoc. Simply put, the odds of this happening are good, and I'm not quite sure when the last time such a rupture/slip occured.

2) The San Andreas Fault - This is the one thats likely, and will result in mild damage around the Bay Region, think 1989 with better equipment, knowledge and building security.

3) Any Number of Faults through LA - Some of these can cause 1989 sized earthquakes or bigger. An earthquake hitting LA, is there a scarier thought?

Major Earthquake destroying the Midwest- How many people know that not counting Alaska the largest earthquakes ever recorded in the States where on the New Madrid fault line, located near Nashville? If something like that where to strike again, I believe the immeadite concern is Nashville, but they dont expect something like this to happen for a little while.

I will now add two more to this list....

NYC getting hit by a big Earthquake - Its possible, the city sits on a dormant fault line, and its why the city is currently developing an earthquake plan.

And my immeidiate #1 concern.

A 6.5 hitting Toronto. This is a real big concern. Theres recently been a lot of information coming out that Lakes Ontario and even Erie where not created by the Ice age or retreating glaciers, but by Fault Lines. Some of the pictures of the bottom of Lake Ontario seem to support this theory, and now theres information coming out that Toronto will likely get slammed by a 6.5 within the next 50 years. Thats almost a 1989 SF earthquake size in a city that has a lot of high rises, sky scrapers, and very little earthquake resitance, not to mention a few Nuclear planets sitting within arms reach (and in fact, I believe one of these plants sit on a fault line). When this thing strikes, I just hope the city is somewhat prepared for it....

[defcon pilot 0]

I'd say a nuclear war. And at the moment, we're close to entering a nuclear war with Iran. And we all know that nobody wins in a nuclear war.

Now, natural disasters: Well, you have earthquakes, tsunamis, and volcanoes - and then you have the very unlikely asteroid impact wiping out all life on the face of the planet. Oh, and you'll definitely want to watch for hurricanes.

[justanothersim86 83]

Southern Ontario has a pretty high risk of a 6.0 or larger striking in the next century. Say goodbye to the Simtropolis server, which is in Hamilton. 

Nuclear War is a scary thought. Thus my belief that nobody should have nukes. Including the U.S.

[Kippis05 2]

Defineatly the solar flare. A stong enough flare from the sun could do so much more damage than knocking electronics offline. It could very well take down major communication satellites, as well as burning off the ozone layer. Sooooo, yea, i think the solar flare would be much more devestating on a global scale.

[Firebird 40]

Originally posted by: justanothersim86 Southern Ontario has a pretty high risk of a 6.0 or larger striking in the next century. Say goodbye to the Simtropolis server, which is in Hamilton. 

quote>

NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!

EDIT: And please ignore the mysterious smiles, I have no idea how they got there.

 lace>lace>

[defcon pilot 0]

@justanothersim86: Yep, the US military has enough nukes to blow up the world 50 times over. Gah.

@Kippis: A solar flare on the magnitude you suggest is less likely than a nuclear war, and the effects of nuclear warfare would be at least as devestating, if not even more. We'd blow ourselves up, we'd blow the enemy up (maybe), and we may very well hurt other countries in the process. A nuclear war would be a disaster and would devastate the economy, as well as leave many millions in poverty or with cancer and radiation sickness, or both. It would spark tensions and uprisings worldwide and countries attacked would become radioactive wastelands.

[Easy Bakes 253]

Originally posted by: Kippis05 Defineatly the solar flare. A stong enough flare from the sun could do so much more damage than knocking electronics offline. It could very well take down major communication satellites, as well as burning off the ozone layer. Sooooo, yea, i think the solar flare would be much more devestating on a global scale.quote>

 

Plus it could happen at any moment, and totaly with out any warning.

[your_adress_here 11]

It won't matter because we'll be dead anyways!

[callagrafx 3]

I think the biggest disaster the world has ever seen has already happened......George W. Bush and his merry men (and woman).

[callagrafx 3]

Not spam, sorry guys.....problem with RTE...no facility to delete posts hehe

[Blazerhawk 162]

Please vote people.

Okay, here's what I know about those disasters.

Mega-Tsunami on the east coast--The feared cause would generate a wave tall enough to overtop all of New York City.

Earthquake and Tsunami hit the Pacific Northwest--It's been 300 years since this regions last major quake and tsunami. Another is probably going to happen within the next 100 years. It would be around a 9 and could level Seattle, Portland, and Vancouver. The tsunami would get to the coast in less than a half hour.

Hurricane hitting New York City--A category 3 storm would destroy a good portion of the city. Manhattan would become a series of wind tunnels. Any debris caught in these would crash into anything with tremendous force. Also the subways could be flooded.

Earthquake leveling Tokyo--We all saw what happened at Kobe in 1995. Tokyo is built to withstand earthquakes, however we really are only guessing about strength. Because of the density of population deaths could be quite high. The last one hit in 1923.

Typhoon hitting Hong Kong--Results similar to what would happen in New York, except more people would be in the city when it hit. Could possibly trigger landslides.

Solar flare wiping out electronics--All sattelites would be fully destroyed, planes would crash, fires could start at transformers, money would become useless, and potential deaths for those with pacemakers or any other electromagnetic life support systems. It would take many years to recover. 

Supervolcano eruption--Potential to wipe out whole countries. Famine would become common as a result of ash reflecting sunlight and thus cooling the earth to winter-like conditions. Possible tsunamis.

Nuclear War--Who knows? All we do know is that any cities hit would be leveled instantly and radiation would make areas uninhabitable.

The Big One hitting California--L.A.'s last major quake was in 1857. Quakes average a big one every 150 years in that area. Next year is 150. It would be bad in L. A. In San Francisco it could kill thousands. San Francisco is the second most densely populated in the US. Think about this. 1989 San Francisco was about a 7. 1994 Northridge was about a 6.5. Many fear the next major quake will be in the range of an 8.

Major Earthquake hitting the Midwest--Almost 200 years since this area had a major quake. In the Midwest earthquakes affect 20 times more area than they do in California. A 7.5 would destroy Memphis, and St. Louis for sure. An 8.5 would be felt across the entire US east of the Rockies. Also Illinois has 12 Nuclear reactors...

Earthquake hitting Toronto--I don't know; most people probably don't. A 6 maybe less destructive than we think. But maybe it will be an 8. Last time that area was hit hard by a quake was in the 1600s.   

[godmodd5 0]

The worst disaster is one that was one thought as impossible.

1.An F6 tornado happens BUT not in the usa (like edmonton or winnipeg) this would shock everyone considering that these areas only get a few twisters a year.

These are the likey conidtions for the development of an F6 tornado.
Dewpoint above 33C(90F)
temperature over 40C(104F)
Humidex 69C(150F)
introduction of very cold dry air aloft.
A good wind shear.
Givin this the HEAT WAVE would kill tens of thousands before the F6 comes.

Note: the highest dewpoint ever was 34C(92F) in the tropics, but the tropics don't have cold dry air th collide with.

2. Earth's rotation changes due to polar shift.
The amazon is hit by massive blizzards killing off species one by one.
In the artic temeratuers soar past 38C(100F) causing glacers to flash melt.
Frostquakes rock the permafrost and citys like fairbanks and yellowknife are leveled.
The oceans redistribute causing newyork to be flooded and the great barrier reef to become an arid desert

Frostquake are caused by frozed ground to crack and warp causing anything on the ground to sink or fall over
They are usualy very weak but the extreme heat could cause the ground to buckle.
Just like an icecube in hot water.

The oceans bulge outward at the equater from the force of the earth's rotation(i belive).

NEW: Varyous fault lines run throught the alberta foothills even calgary is at rish of a major quake. I belive we have only found less than 3% of the fault lines on out planet.

[Easy Bakes 253]

BTW April 18 ( tuesday) Is the 100th aniversary of the 1906 San Fransisco Earth Quake.

Nice article in National Geographic about earthquakes.

http://www9.nationalgeographic.com/ngm/0604/feature6/index.html

[Blazerhawk 162]

People let's keep reasonable. Please vote. Go to the first page and vote. After 3 days there are only 22 votes and 44 replies. This is poll.

So far, Nuclear War is our greatest fear followed by the loss of all electronics due to a Solar Flare.   

[ginchael 1]

The worst disaster would be the complete loss of electronic devices, which can happen due to an EMP (either natural or man-made). Our world relies almost entirely on everything digital and electronic, from our stocks and money to communication between emergency services to even transportation. A very large EMP could fry the entire planet. The first world countries would fall apart due to their relience on electronics, and thousands would die out of pure helplessness. The economies of the world would collapse. Also, anyone who has something like a pacemaker inside them would most likely die.

That would be the worst. Our world would immediately get sent back to the Middle Ages...or at least a time before Simtropolis.

[defcon pilot 0]

True. But even so, a nuclear war is far more likely. BTW, that was a good one, Calla!

[GrayWolf115 0]

I would disagree on the Yellowstone volcanoe wiping out civilization. It has happened before, although I'm not sure if we humans were around at the time.

I'd say besides space disasters (aliens, the sun blowing up, solar flares, etc) nuclear war would deffinitely be the worst.    Take this for example:

The largest nuclear weapon ever made was the Russian Tzar Bomb. It was a 100 Mega Ton Thermo Nuclear Hydrogen bomb. Even though the Soviets were afraid to test the 100 mt version and opted for a 'safer' 50 mt version of the bomb, the mushroom cloud rose 40 miles ino the sky and could cause 3rd degree burns 100km away. The bomb was dropped at 10,060 m and exploded at 4000m above the ground. "The fireball touched the ground, reached nearly as high as the altitude of the release plane, and was seen 1,000 km away. The heat could have caused third degree burns at a distance of 100 km. The subsequent mushroom cloud was about 60 km high and 30-40 km wide. The explosion could be seen and felt in Finland, even breaking windows there.^{[citation needed]}Atmospheric focusingseismic shock created by the detonation was measurable even on its third passage around the earth." --wikipedia caused blast damage up to 1,000 km away.

So your thinking.. whoa thats a big bomb. -- true. But worse than being a 'big bomb' the worst part is fallout. Get this: "It has been estimated that detonating the original 100 Mt design would have released fallout amounting to about 25% of all fallout emitted since the invention of nuclear weapons."

Imagine if fallout- irradiated matter- was launched into the atmosphere circulating around the planet courtesy of global wind currents. It doesn't matter where you live, the fallout from a full-scale nuclear war would irradiate just about all of the planet's surface.

That is why I think, that nuclear war is the worst calamity that could befall our species. Plagues and volcanoes, and floods etc; a few will survive, eventually the population will recover, but after losing half the world's population in nuking big cities, the rest of the people and animals will be killed by radiation.

EDIT: most of my info on the bomb was taken from here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tsar_bomb

[screamingman12 30]

Somehow I doubt that the earth's magnetic field will change *knock on wood* and if it did, all that may happen is the compasses will point southward, because:

1) Ozone protects the earth from solar radiation (don't worry, the hole should be getting smaller)

2) the thick layer of atmosphere keeps metiors out (the sudden friction causes them to heat up at a rapid pace, the same resion that space-craft have heat sheilds on them)

EDIT: 120th post!

[mightygoose 92]

gamma ray burst. anywhere within 6500 light years of earth and every living thing on the planet gets multiple cancer infestationa within weeks... no thats efficiency

[godmodd5 0]

Won't it take 6500 year to get here.

And i voted nukes because the fallout would kill.

It is possible for a few to survive a nuke war.

1. an underground facility with protection from radiation

2. hydroponic farming using rotating planters.

3. some way of cleaning radiation from water and air.

4. hydrogen power supply so that the power never runs out.

5. solar rooms for uv tanning(the sun fries one that has never seen it.) 

5. Ventalation

Each can support as much as 1000 people.

the problem it is very expensive to build such a place. so our money will ultamately destroy us.

Why? It is expensive to defend ourselves from extinction.

For example

Asteroid: $12,500,000,000est(to destroy or redirect the asteroid)

Yellowstone: $82,000,000,000est

Nuke war: $94,479,000,000,000est(OUCH)

Mega tsunami: $2,411,000,000est( reinforce slopes posing risk,sensers.)

NW quake & tsunami: $17,100,000,000est

typhoon: $1,500,000,000est

Solar flare: $800,000,000,000est(all tech protected from emp, uv proof clothes an buildings)

Plains quake: $650,000,000,000est(retofiting and preparing all buildings.)

NYC Hurricane: $9,900,000,000est

The big one:41,000,000,000est

In a nutshell we all die becuse we are obsessed about money.

[Alkaola 18]

hey bro, you are talking about many disasters .... ALL on the american continent , just 2 are in hongkong and japan ...

but it seems that you people ( americans) forgot that there is also a european continent ...

BTW : and an australian and african continent.........

And the worst disaster that could happen is that people lose there religion....

EDIT: oh well, maybe i'm a little too drastic in my judgement, you got also world disasters in your assortiment

[godmodd5 0]

agree the us is not the center of the universe.
I only looked at the disasters on the thread. 
I,ll add some.
Big floods hit romainia all the time it only a matter of time before the whole eastern euope and parts of asia are wiped out.
In fact a flood covered 60% of the middle east thousands of years ago. it could happen again.
Boy would gas prices go up quick then.
As for england a major hurricane could hit with massive damage. 
Wildfires could burn spain to the ground.

A now the BIGGIE..... VESUVIUS will blow eventualy taking out ten-thousands and massive damage.
The earth will cool a bit after that causing lots of drought and severe winters.

North america is not the only contenent with potental catastraphy. 
Every single one is
If a vocano under antartica blew it would melt miles of ice thus disruptring ocean current. 

[defcon pilot 0]

@GrayWolf115: Gasp! Well, not really. In just one Russian nuclear missile silo, they have enough weapons to melt the crust of the Earth. Maybe even blow it into space.

Hmm. I bet we could have an impressive fireworks display if we launched all our nukes into space... Perhaps around Mars or some other place in the solar system where the radiation wouldn't affect us.

@Alkaola: "And the worst disaster that could happen is that people lose there religion...."

Meh. No offense to religious people, but I think that could benefit us. It provides a moral code that can help keep order in a society, but it can also be used as a tool with which the oligarchy can use to manipulate the masses.

Also, God did not create the world. Sorry, but he didn't. No way could anything exist without something to hold it (in that sense), in this case space and time. Nothing could exist before the beginning of the universe because there would be nothing there that it could possibly be made of, let alone exist in, because the universe provides the guidelines and the grounds for existence. And lightning bolts do not always target gay people.

@godmodd5: Ah, Vesuvius. How 'bout the great Mt. Crude? If she blows, she'll release clouds of angry mobs with pitchforks and torches across the planet, sweeping over the great world powers and destabilizing all of society, and take out all our power plants and manufacturing facilities! How's about that?

@mightygoose: But they said there ARE no big gamma ray burst thingies in our galaxy that are directly aimed at us!

@screamingman12: If the Earth's magnetic field were to "switch", more would happen than just compasses swinging around. It's been tested. Well, in computer models, anyway. But that isn't imperative at the moment. The ozone layer protects us from some radiation, not all of it. It is the magnetic field that actually deflects a majority of it. So there's a chance that we might get cooked a bit.

Even so, if it happens, you can sit back and enjoy the aurora. I hear it looks pretty on a cool night in San Francisco.

[Praetorian Cohort 0]

Originally posted by: defcon pilot @Alkaola: "And the worst disaster that could happen is that people lose there religion...."

Meh. No offense to religious people, but I think that could benefit us. It provides a moral code that can help keep order in a society, but it can also be used as a tool with which the oligarchy can use to manipulate the masses.

Also, God did not create the world. Sorry, but he didn't. No way could anything exist without something to hold it (in that sense), in this case space and time. Nothing could exist before the beginning of the universe because there would be nothing there that it could possibly be made of, let alone exist in, because the universe provides the guidelines and the grounds for existence. And lightning bolts do not always target gay people.quote>

[/defcon pilot's opinion]

Keep the religious discussion in the House of Worship thread, please.  That's what its there for.

Biggest disaster in the world: Ahmadinejad getting Dubya mad.  Only good thing to come out of that would be that the US would finally get rid of all our nukes.

[vid 0]

Without religion, we wouldn't be where we are today.

[Eastwinn 6]

I voted incedibly massive Nuclear War mostly because it is somewhat likley, destructive and WWIII would break out (If it hadn't already) at the same time.

A less likely disaster:

We create a material that can be used in necular bombs that once the atom is split, it transmutates into a radioactive material. This material radiates then transmutates itself into an element such chlorine, a very poisoness gas, or sodium, an element that burst into flames when exposed to air.

This could cause twice the disasterous power as one nuclear bomb and poisen or burn (or both!) a whole country. If we every find a material like this, we should destroy it.

[MayorTim 16]

Nuclear war. Every other disaster people could recover from. A large scale nuclear attack would destroy the Earth.

[Easy Bakes 253]

Explaine to me how the reversing of the magnetic field of the earth ( North swithing to south i mean) would cause radiation to to no longer be deflected?

The magnetic field still be there blocking the radiation its just reversed in polarity.

[Rean2 10]

You forgot an Alien Invasion

The worst disaster is probably the explosion of Krakatoa (the explosion was so loud that it revolved around the world 7 times!!)

BUT EVERYWHERE! a volcano with the same amount of presseure wich made krakatoa blow it's top off scattered everywhere!!.

each about 100 miles away would do the trick