World Disasters Report for 2013 – lowest number of catastrophies and deaths in 10 years

disasters_collageAlexej Buergin writes in WUWT Tips and Notes about a report from the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC) that puts climate alarmism’s claims of increased natural disasters in perspective:

The “World Disasters Report 2014″ of IFRC notices the lowest number of catastrophies in 10 years and 22,500 dead (average 100,000).

That is the exact contrary to what the climatariat says. I have not yet found an article in English; a German version is here:

http://www.blick.ch/news/umwelt-zahl-der-naturkatastrophen-sinkt-2013-auf-zehn-jahres-tief-id3201153.html


 

Here is the Google translation and an excerpt – Anthony

The number of natural disasters in the past year was the lowest for ten years, not more. The proceeds from the “World Disasters Report 2014” produced by the Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC) published in Geneva on Thursday. Accordingly, last year 337 natural disasters were recorded, almost half of the peak level 2005 The death toll stood at 22,452, well below the average for the decade of 97,954 victims.

From the WDR2013 Microsite, it seems technology is helping to overcome disaster:

The World Disasters Report 2013 examines the profound impact of technological innovations on humanitarian action, how humanitarians employ technology in new and creative ways, and what risks and opportunities may emerge as a result of technological innovations.

The responsible use of technology offers concrete ways to make humanitarian assistance more effective, efficient and accountable and can, in turn, directly reduce vulnerability and strengthen resilience. Finding ways for advances in technology to serve the most vulnerable is a moral imperative; a responsibility, not a choice.

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October 18, 2014 11:20 am

Munich Re’s profits will reflect that good news.

Bloke down the pub
Reply to  Joe Public
October 18, 2014 11:43 am

Do WWF have shares in the insurance companies? Looks like a win win position for them.

ShrNfr
Reply to  Joe Public
October 18, 2014 12:08 pm

Actually, it is not the best of news for insurance companies. After a number of successive years of low losses, the sector starts to attract capital since investors start new re-insurance companies think it is “easy money”. This leads to insurance rate wars and lower profits. Eventually, something happens to wipe out the less intelligent of the species and the rating environment reverts.

noaaprogrammer
Reply to  ShrNfr
October 18, 2014 6:54 pm

Yes, I remember my dad invested in some startup insurance company around 1960, only to have it go bankrupt after the Columbus Day Storm that hit the Pacific Northwest in 1962.

Reply to  ShrNfr
October 19, 2014 2:56 am

When Munich Re in particular, ‘talks-up’ Global Warming’ & Climate Change scaremongering to justify premium increases, then ‘good news’ for mankind will help drive down future premiums.

bonanzapilot
Reply to  ShrNfr
October 19, 2014 10:34 am

Just like credit default swaps ended up providing return-free risk in 2008.

Col Klink
October 18, 2014 11:41 am

For Al Gore and Bobby Kennedy Jr, a catastrophic news item.

ConTrari
Reply to  Col Klink
October 18, 2014 3:17 pm

Al Gore has got his money, disasters can’t reach him anymore. I suspect he has even developed a Moses-like ability to halt catastrophic sea level rise at his beach property.

Joe Prins
October 18, 2014 11:47 am

Good thing O and Kerry do not read about inconvenient truths.

JimS
October 18, 2014 11:59 am

But the world hasn’t been warming for the past 18 years, so that is why … ooops … does anyone have a cure for cognitive dissonance?

Jeff D.
October 18, 2014 12:00 pm

Guess these guys didn’t get the memo to inflate the numbers……

ron
Reply to  Jeff D.
October 29, 2014 12:02 pm

But you can bet they will, just like nasa does with satellite data (temperatures)
And half the people believe it

October 18, 2014 12:16 pm

That is for one year. Do they also provide decade or longer data that would show a trend?

October 18, 2014 12:21 pm

this reinforces what Warren Buffett said last spring. Effects of #climatechange, if any, has no impact on #BerkshireHathaway insurance business: #WarrenBuffett http://www.cnbc.com/id/101460458

Brute
October 18, 2014 12:34 pm

Honestly, screw the warmists. This is good news, period.

Joel O'Bryan
October 18, 2014 12:38 pm

A sampling of the half-truths, cherry-picked 1 year weather portrayed as Climate, misinformation, and outright fabrications from the alarmists who wrote the National Climate Assessment for the Obama Administration.
Hurricanes
North Atlantic hurricanes have increased in intensity, frequency, and duration since the early 1980s.
There has been a substantial increase in most measures of Atlantic hurricane activity since the early 1980s, the period during which high quality satellite data are available.,, These include measures of intensity, frequency, and duration as well as the number of strongest (Category 4 and 5) storms.
Floods
Flooding may intensify in many U.S. regions, even in areas where total precipitation is projected to decline.
Change in Other Storms
Heavy snowfalls during winter storms affect transportation systems and other infrastructure.
Winter storms have increased in frequency and intensity since the 1950s, and their tracks have shifted northward over the United States., Other trends in severe storms, including the intensity and frequency of tornadoes, hail, and damaging thunderstorm winds, are uncertain and are being studied intensively. There has been a sizable upward trend in the number of storms causing large financial and other losses.
Heat Waves
Heat waves are periods of abnormally hot weather lasting days to weeks. The number of heat waves has been increasing in recent years. This trend has continued in 2011 and 2012, with the number of intense heat waves being almost triple the long-term average.
=========================
The fact is Climate Change is now a political phenomenon. It is NO LONGER one based on honest scientific method. The unprecedented Pause in global temperatures demands that climate science re-assess previously stated conclusions. Proper application of the scientific method now calls for a rejection of the IPPC past claims, a rejection of any clear linkage between CO2 and global temperatures, and certainly any linkage to extreme weather event frequencies or intensities.
I know the above is “preaching to the choir” here for regular WUWT readers-commenters. As AW does with this post, we must continue to push back against the now False political machinations of Climate Change as still somehow grounded in science.

ConTrari
Reply to  Joel O'Bryan
October 18, 2014 2:45 pm

I just don’t see what Obama hopes to accomplish. The more he pushes the alarmist policy, the more his political opponents stand to gain from it. The tactical thing for Obama now would be to tone down the doomsaying, in order to reduce his alienation from the common people in this matter, and thus help a new Democratic president into office. Whatever Obama does now and in the remaining time of his presidency, can quickly be unravelled by a Republican successor.
Does Obama really think we are in a now-or-never situation regarding the “climate crises”? I can hardly believe it. Whatever he is, he is not stupid. It seems that his persistency in promoting an insane climate policy is more a result of stubborn spitefulness, than of a calculated political strategy.

markl
Reply to  ConTrari
October 18, 2014 3:16 pm

“Whatever he is, he is not stupid. It seems that his persistency in promoting an insane climate policy is more a result of stubborn spitefulness, than of a calculated political strategy.” It’s not about climate to him. It IS a calculated political strategy. Read Rules for Radicals and you’ll understand. Control the peoples’ fundamental needs…like energy….and you control the people. No conspiracy theory needed to see what’s happening. This is a UN goal as well.

Brute
Reply to  ConTrari
October 18, 2014 3:23 pm

Climate cannot leave the political discourse until a replacement is found.

Reply to  ConTrari
October 18, 2014 4:44 pm

Do not be surprised if you find out that President Obama has investments in “green” energy companies. Companies that just happened to get a big government contract.

CodeTech
Reply to  ConTrari
October 18, 2014 5:43 pm

alexwade, you DO know about rules for Presidents and investments, right?

Reply to  ConTrari
October 18, 2014 10:01 pm

markl has it right… Note well the bit about ‘ no conspiracy needed.’

latecommer2014
Reply to  Joel O'Bryan
October 18, 2014 4:40 pm

Yes and all their statements are easily discounted….now try to get that in print.
Once again I urge all to cancel subscriptions and turn offABC/NBC/CBS world opinion tonight. They can’t exist if no one is listening.

Brock Way
October 18, 2014 12:43 pm

But 2013 ended up with an unprecedented number of catastrophes and deaths once the time of observation correction and homogenization correction were applied.

Jimbo
Reply to  Brock Way
October 18, 2014 1:51 pm

I’ve always wondered why they keep lying to themselves?

We weren’t lying, we were oversimplifying – the Conversation’s latest ‘dog ate homework’ excuse for climate insanity
http://wattsupwiththat.com/2014/10/18/we-werent-lying-we-were-oversimplifying-the-conversations-latest-dog-ate-homework-excuse-for-climate-insanity/

Brute
Reply to  Brock Way
October 18, 2014 3:26 pm

It wasn’t unprecedented, goofy you. Besides, according to the creed, there “should” be more and more every year.

Jon Jermey
October 18, 2014 1:07 pm

Two words. Mobile phones. When someone out at sea or halfway up a volcano can ring home and say “Hey, guys, better get out, there’s some serious shit happen—” it’s inevitable that the death rate will drop enormously.

Jimbo
Reply to  Jon Jermey
October 18, 2014 1:56 pm

I agree, just as we have been seeing before modern mobile phones became widespread ie Doppler radar, land line phones, radio, TV etc. All this in the face of increased population. Humans are wonderful at great escapes.

DirkH
Reply to  Jon Jermey
October 18, 2014 3:51 pm

Jon Jermey
October 18, 2014 at 1:07 pm
“Two words. Mobile phones. When someone out at sea or halfway up a volcano can ring home and say “Hey, guys, better get out, there’s some serious shit happen—” it’s inevitable that the death rate will drop enormously.”
Cutting out the middleman – the lying controlled (state) media.

Editor
Reply to  Jon Jermey
October 19, 2014 8:42 pm

Yes, technology such as mobile phones helps reduce impact, but it may also increase the number of incidents reported.

October 18, 2014 1:45 pm

Unhappy news for the malthusian warmunists, but they can pin their hopes on ebola going viral.

michael hart
Reply to  Mark and two Cats
October 18, 2014 2:13 pm

I think we’ll start to see the return of real science if it does. Sure, someone will blame it on global warming. But it will be a real problem, with real fear, requiring real solutions.

latecommer2014
Reply to  michael hart
October 18, 2014 4:43 pm

It hasn’t been blamed on global warming? Let me be the first……where’s my check?

RobRoy
Reply to  Mark and two Cats
October 18, 2014 4:24 pm

They just need a way to blame ebola on western civilization. I know, just like AIDS, the CIA made it

Jimbo
October 18, 2014 1:47 pm

Add these ‘proxies’ too. It’s worse than we thought!

CNBC – 3 March 2014
No climate change impact on insurance biz: Buffett
The effects of climate change, “if any,” have not affected the insurance market, billionaire Warren Buffett told CNBC on Monday—adding he’s not calculating the probabilities of catastrophes any differently.
While the question of climate change “deserves lots of attention,” Buffett said in a “Squawk Box” interview, “It has no effect … [on] the prices we’re charging this year versus five years ago. And I don’t think it’ll have an effect on what we’re charging three years or five years from now.” He added, “That may change ten years from now.”….
Buffett’s Berkshire Hathaway owns several insurance and reinsurance interests—including Geico and General Reinsurance—and often has to pay significant claims when natural disasters strike.
http://www.cnbc.com/id/101460458
=====================
Reuters – 25 September 2014
….But Lloyd’s combined ratio, a measure of profitability showing how much insurance premium is paid out in claims and expenses, deteriorated to 88.2 percent from 86.9 percent. A ratio below 100 percent indicates an underwriting profit. “It’s been a fairly benign period for major catastrophes,” Parry said.
Insurance underwriters tend to perform less well in the absence of major catastrophes, as insurance premiums fall…..
http://uk.reuters.com/article/2014/09/25/uk-lloydsoflondon-results-idUKKCN0HK0ML20140925
=====================
NoTricksZone – 15 July 2014
However, the world’s largest re-insurer (and a very active proponent of global warming catastrophe), Munich Re, has just released its latest “catastrophe report“, which looks at the first half of 2014. In it there are some interesting admissions.
Economic losses plummet 56%
…………
Deaths down eye-popping 95%!
…………
“Snowstorms”, harsh “record winter” cause biggest losses!
…………
Record North American winter, blizzards cause losses
http://notrickszone.com/2014/07/15/munich-re-report-top-2014-weather-catastrophe-losses-due-to-cold-related-events-record-harsh-winter/

bonanzapilot
Reply to  Jimbo
October 19, 2014 10:41 am

“In the long run, we’re all dead.”
Warren Buffett

chip Javert
October 18, 2014 2:10 pm

OMG!
OMG!
If fewer than expected horrible civilization-ending natural disasters failed to happen by now, the missing ones will all occur next year. These missing events have all been stored up … wait for it … in the deep ocean.
Holy cow! We’ll all be dead! Well, the good news is this assumes we survive ebola…so we can go out and die in horrible natural disasters.

ConTrari
Reply to  chip Javert
October 18, 2014 2:49 pm

No news is good news, and there’s no worse crises than not having one.

wayne
October 18, 2014 2:25 pm

So curious that disasters peaked in 2005. That is the same peak you see in the temperature graphs if you first remove all of the adjustments and use a centering method smooth and to preserve the extremity’s placement in time. I did that to HadCRUT4 and yep, top in 2005.
But low extremes in temperatures also have a history of having terrible disasters. Wonder if this tends to occur following the 30 year ups and downs with the middles inbetween relatively tame?

BallBounces
October 18, 2014 2:26 pm

“lowest number of catastrophies and deaths in 10 years”
Tragic. Climate change is so pernicious and evil even nature is screwed up and failing to match the science.

Michael Jankowski
October 18, 2014 2:53 pm

First it was missing heat, now it’s missing catastrophies…where will Trenberth find them?

ConTrari
Reply to  Michael Jankowski
October 18, 2014 3:06 pm

In all fairness, I don’t think he misses them. I can’t imagine Trenberth writing something like: “We can’t find any increase in deaths from natural disasters, and it’s a travesty that so few people die.”
No, there is a limit to vilification.

rogerknights
October 18, 2014 3:01 pm

I guess it’ll be our turn to say, “Just look out your window,” come year-end.

ConTrari
Reply to  rogerknights
October 18, 2014 3:23 pm

No need to look out of the window. I have reached a state of autarky regarding natural disasters; a look in the mirror is quite enough.

ConTrari
October 18, 2014 3:01 pm

Thanks for posting this encouraging report. The world IS becoming a better place for more and more of our fellow human beings.
Let us hope that the Red Cross does not fall for the temptation to “adjust” the disaster statistics in the future, if they feel that the public is getting too complacent. They are highly qualified persons in this line of work, who might just possibly be loooking for a new job some day.

ConTrari
Reply to  ConTrari
October 18, 2014 3:10 pm

Oh dear, last sentence should be; “THERE are highly qualified persons in this line of work, who might just possibly be loooking for a new job some day.”
As written, it reads like the Red Cross are the qualified “adjusters”, which was not the intention at all.

Andrew N
October 18, 2014 3:20 pm

It is obviously just a pause in the number of deaths and catastrophes.They are there, probably hidden in the oceans or somewhere. We haven’t been able to model them properly. But they are there. Trust us. Please. Our funding depends on it.

Alx
Reply to  Andrew N
October 18, 2014 4:21 pm

LOL!

phlogiston
October 18, 2014 3:39 pm


The responsible use of technology offers concrete ways to make humanitarian assistance more effective, efficient and accountable and can, in turn, directly reduce vulnerability and strengthen resilience. Finding ways for advances in technology to serve the most vulnerable is a moral imperative; a responsibility, not a choice.

This looks to me like a fight back against a green anti-technology agenda in Germany.

DirkH
Reply to  phlogiston
October 18, 2014 3:55 pm

Our Greens concentrate their dwindling and dying forces 100% on saving multiculturalism and genderism ATM. No word about environment, impending Global Warming meltdown, threatened beetles or anything. They dare not mention some poor critter dying anymore because the moment they do they are called hypocrites for killing Red Milans and bats with windmills.

Alx
October 18, 2014 4:20 pm

Well wait a minute now. If you homgonize, add a disaster here, take one away there, combine with most measures of cherry-picked disasters, cross referenced with apple picked disasters, and extrapolate expected outcomes using a mixture of data from 18 different sources and filter though various highly complex statisitical software, average it all up, add cream and sugar, create a graph in MS Excel, and you’ll find the past year is the worst ever.

noaaprogrammer
Reply to  Alx
October 18, 2014 7:13 pm

Don’t forget: you have to find that one tree whose rings show that disasters are increasing.

Auto
Reply to  Alx
October 19, 2014 11:11 am

Alx
Gulp!
I hadn’t realised how bad it is.
How settled the science is [Mod – should that be ‘was’?]!
How near frying we all are.
Please don’t fry before reading my humble expression of – gosh, shock-horror!
Mod – goodness; /sarc (to the power 1.5, likely)
Even my cat knows better than that – no – Not /sarc!
Auto

JimBird
October 18, 2014 4:23 pm

If your comment is in the form of I told you so, or isn’t it sweet that we were right all along, give it a rest. It would be nice to see some real comments.

October 18, 2014 4:39 pm

Download 2013 report here: http://www.ifrc.org/PageFiles/134658/WDR%202013%20complete.pdf
Definite downward trend.
10 years worth.
234 to 236 (Pages) have the tabulations.

latecommer2014
October 18, 2014 4:51 pm

But a moral question looms…..how much climate cooling do we enjoy to prove the warmists wrong? Personally I kind of hope a couple of degrees warmer is the outcome…..old age I guess.

Auto
Reply to  latecommer2014
October 19, 2014 11:13 am

+1
I like warmer.
I doubt warmer is what is coming in the next few -12-25 – years.
But I hoe it does warm a bit.
Crops. Old folk. Traffic. Etc.
Auto