Top 10 Most Significant Disasters of 2016

This is my own biased list of top disasters of the year ending tonight and listed in descending order of fatalities. I deliberately left out terrorism and war as I categorize those differently.

• Hurricane Matthew (Caribbean Sea/Atlantic Coast USA) - 1,000+ killed, inc. 49 killed in U.S.
• M7.8 Ecuador Earthquake - 673 killed, 16,600  injured
• Central Italy August M6.2 EQ and October M6.1 & M6.5 EQs - 299 killed and 3 killed
• Ghost Ship Club Fire (Oakland, CA) - 36 killed
•  Chimney Tops 2 Fire (Gatlinburg, TN, Firestorm) - 14 killed, 2,013 homes and 53 commercial structures destroyed, more than $500 million in damage, and 17,136 acres charred
• M7.8 Kaikoura Earthquake (New Zealand) Earthquake - 2 killed, major infrastructure damage, 15-foot tsunami at one location, and extreme tectonic deformation of ground surface along fault trace.
• Erskine Fire (Lake Isabella/Kern Co.) - 2 killed, 257 homes & 52 other structures destroyed, and 47,864 acres charred   
• Soberanes Fire (Los Padres NF/Monterey Co.) - 1 killed, 57 homes & 11 outbuildings destroyed, 132,127 acres charred, and most expensive firefighting effort in U.S. history.
• Fort McMurray Firestorm (Alberta, Canada) -  2,400 homes & other structures destroyed and 1.5 million acres charred
• Blue Cut Fire (Cajon Pass, California) -  37,000 acres charred, 105 homes and 213 other structures destroyed

To view the 2015 list go HERE and to see the 2011 list go HERE.