In light of all the recent seismic activity and sub-sequent tsunami , we thought we would go back and give a look at what scientists think the top 5 natural disasters would be for the United States. Government officials are evaluating and revising disaster plans around the United States since Katrina, and now with this new series of events. So, what would be the worst of the worst be? We're talking "**** hits the fan" kinda bad.

• Asteroid Impact wiping out a city or entire state

Of course scientists can't predict when the next devastating asteroid impact will occur - and especially not WHERE. The odds of it happening are remote, but in terms of history - people vs the planet, the planet has stomped us. Impacts have happened before and will happen LONG after we're gone.

Recent Example : Tunguska Event.

On the date of June 30th, 1908, at about a quarter after 7:00 a.m., a very mysterious explosion occurred in the skies over Tunguska, Siberia, located in Russia. This explosion happened at anywhere between six-to-eight kilometers from ground zero, and the resultant action in this was to lay waste to a vast region of pine forest of 2,150 square kilometers, felling more than 60 million trees. This was seen as a brilliant burst of light from the inhabitants of the region of 50 kilometers around. Witnesses claim that the explosion was so loud and powerful as to blow-out windows, temporarily blind and knock people to the ground, and sounded like a deafening roar.

Suppose it had happened of a major US city - It would be utter destruction.

• Future Pacific Northwest Megathrust Earthquake

Ok - if that gibberish makes no sense, we can all just keep calling it "the big one".

All geologists know it is just a matter of time before a 9.0 or larger earthquake strikes somewhere between California and Canada. The shaking would be locally cataclysmic, but the biggest threat is the tsunami that would ensue from a fault line that is nearly identical to the one that caused the deadly 2004 tsunami in Indonesia.

A megathrust earthquake is an inter-plate earthquake where one tectonic plate slips beneath (sub-ducts) another.Just in case you were wondering how it differs from regular earthquakes :)

Some examples of megathrust earthquakes are:

1700 Cascadia Earthquake (magnitude 9.0) — Juan de Fuca Plate subducting under the North American Plate, slip length 1000 km (625 mi)

1737 Kamchatka earthquake (magnitude 9-9.3) — Pacific Plate sub-ducting beneath the Okhotsk Plate, duration 15 minutes, depth 40 km

1755 Lisbon earthquake (magnitude ~9) — believed to be part of a young subduction zone

1952 Kamchatka earthquake (magnitude 9.0) — Pacific Plate subducting beneath the Okhotsk Plate, depth 30 km

1957 Andreanof Islands earthquake (magnitude 8.6) — Pacific Plate subducting under the North American Plate

1960 Great Chilean Earthquake (magnitude 9.5) — Nazca Plate subducting under the South American Plate, depth 33 km, slip length 1000 km (625 mi), slip width 200 km (125 mi), slip motion 20 m (60 ft)

1964 Good Friday Earthquake (magnitude 9.2) — Pacific Plate sub-ducting under the North American Plate, duration 4–5 minutes, depth 25 km, slip length 800 km (500 mi), slip motion 23 m (69 ft)

2004 Indian Ocean earthquake (magnitude 9.3) — India Plate sub-ducting under the Burma Plate, duration 8 - 10 minutes, slip length 1600 km (994 mi), slip motion 35 m (108 ft)

• Strong Hurricane Reaches New York

Major hurricanes have made direct hits New York before, but the interval between them is so long that people seemingly forget the risk of living on the coast. Some Officials fear people might not take evacuation orders seriously and the obvious larger prolem : It would take likely more than 24 hours to make a proper evacuation of New York City, even that is without panic, traffic jams and if "everything goes to plan". Any size hurricane reaching New York presently would be quite destructive.

When was New York last hiy by a hurricane?

1893: A category 1 hurricane destroyed Hog Island, a resort island off the Rockaways in southern Queens.

1960: Hurricane Donna created an 11-foot storm tide in the New York Harbor that caused extensive pier damage. Forced 300 families to evacuate Long Island.

1999: Floyd, weakened to a tropical storm, brought sustained 60 mph winds and dumped 10-15 inches of rain on upstate New Jersey and New York State.

2004: The remains of Hurricane Frances in September flooded city subways, stranding some passengers aboard trains that had to be stopped by flooded tracks.

• East or West Coast Tsunami / Megatsunami

An earthquake fault joff of California (discussed above) could generate a major earthquake and a tsunami threat that would strike so fast - most coastal residents would not have any time to escape.The fault a deadly "1,2" punch, first the earthquake would level parts of the coast - and then with little to no time to act - the tsunami would already be there.

The United States faces a potential tsunami threat that mirrors the catastrophic Indonesia tsunami of 2004 - if not worse.

Another offbeat scenario would be to have a large meteor or asteroid hit in the ocean off either coast...

• The Yellowstone Super Volcano

It probably won't happen for hundreds or possibly even millions of years - but there is one little scary fact : It's long overdue.

A supervolcano refers to a volcano that produces the largest and most voluminous kinds of eruptions on earth. The actual explosivity of these eruptions varies, but the sheer volume of extruded magma is immense enough to radically alter the landscape and severely impact global climate for years, with a cataclysmic effect on life . The term was originally coined by the producers of a BBC Popular Science programme in 2002 to refer to these types of eruptions.

Scientist have discovered that the ground in Yellowstone is over 70cm higher than in was in 1923 - indicating a massive swelling underneath the park. The reservoir is filling with magma at a staggering rate. The volcano erupts with a calendar-like cycle of every 600,000-650,000 years. The last eruption was more than 640,000 years ago - we are running late.

If Yellowstone were to erupt full blast - some estimates say half the country would be covered in ash... up to 3 feet deep.

The citizens of Serbia were yesterday shocked and embittered at the news that the young Frenchman Brice Tautou (28) has died. On September 17 he came to Belgrade to support his football team from Toulouse against Partizan. However, a group of hooligans attacked him and several of his compatriots in the center of the capital. Yesterday at 10.00 CET Brice Tautou died at the Clinical Center of Serbia after twelve days of his and medical team’s struggle for his life.

People in Serbia are in shock and sorrow but they also request from the State to finally deal with hooligans and proves it is capable to offer security to all coming to Serbia. Today is the Day of Sorrow for Brice Tautou in Belgrade.
The perpetrators shall be charged with a criminal offense of murder for which they may be sentenced to 40 years in prison.
The attack was well organized. The police are still searching for one of the organizers of the lynching who is known to the police. That vandal is charged to have together with Ivan Grkovic (27) and Ljubomir Markovic (28) called by cell phone ‘Partizan’ fans ‘to prove their loyalty by attacking the ‘Toulouse’ fans’. That vandal is also believed to be a drug dealer and his criminal gang responsible for numerous shootings in Belgrade.
Immediately after the attack the police was in action 24 hours a day and the Embassy of France was kept permanently informed. After 24 hours ten hooligans were identified and arrested: Stefan Velickovic (21), Milan Tarlac (18), Dragan Tomasovic (20), Jovan Karbic (18), Bojan Matijevic (19), Branimir Cetnik (22), Vladan Suvajac (21), Milan Vujovic (19), Vladimir Boskovic (18) and Ivan Grkovic (27).
The District Court in Belgrade yesterday ordered autopsy of Brice Tautou’s body, that court’s spokesperson Ivana Ramic said. His parents are to give their statements today.
Serbia Minister of the Youth and Sport Snezana Samardzic Malovic yesterday lit a candle in front of the French Embassy Building and sent her deepest condolences to Brice Tautou’s parents.
‘As a Belgrader I am deeply saddened and ashamed’, she said.
One woman a citizen of Belgrade, laid flowers with inscription ‘Brice, forgive Serbia’. Other people joined her and lit candles.
Serbia Minister of Justice Snezana Malovic said that frequent attacks in Belgrade in recent days requested determined reaction by the State.
The State secretary of the Ministry for human and minority rights Marko Karadzic called on the citizens to lay flowers and lit candles at the Square of the Republic at 11.30 CET today. A walk of resistance to violence will take place on Thursday at 17.00 CET. Belgrade City Mayor Dragan Djilas shall take part in it.

The discovery of a strange creature in Cerro Azul, Panama, sparked controversy among the people, for what some say might be a creature from another planet, others simply believe that it si just an animal.

Two young men were having fun on the hill when they saw at the entrance of a cave a creature that was approaching them. They were frightened and stoned it to death.

Panama’s Channel 13 showed images of a strange creature that appeared last weekend in Cerro Azul, east of Panama City, and that alarmed local residents.

According to Telemetro, polemic unleashed between those who believe it is an animal and those who think it’s an extraterrestrial creature.

No authority said anything about the find.

Telemetro said four children, aged between 15 and 16 , saw the “thing” out of the water fall of Cerro Azul and stoned it to death, afraid of being attacked.

Andrews Peeping Tom Video, Erin, Oprah. Oprah, Erin. Yes that Letterman skit was years ago but more timely is ESPN sideline reporter Erin Andrews’ appearance on Oprah. She’ll break her silence in an interview on the Oprah Winfrey Show the morning of September 11th.

Lace up them sneakers and LET’S GO! On Saturday September 12th Dr. Ian Smith’s 50 Million Pound Challenge has teamed up with mayors to hold health walks in more than sixteen communities across the nation. The Walk Off Challenge will not only bring people together in their own communities, but also unify others throughout the country to draw attention to the number one health issue facing America – obesity and illnesses that stem from being overweight, including diabetes, stroke, heart disease, and some forms of cancer. The 16 participating cities are Houston, TX ** Phoenix, AZ ** Philadelphia, PA ** Alexandria, VA ** Birmingham, AL **San Leandro, CA **Richmond, VA **Alexandria, LA ** Buffalo, NY **Garden City, KS **Greenville, MS **Morristown, TN **Niagara Falls, NY **Stratford, CT **Williamsport, PA **Glendale, AZ. However if you live outside of the participant cities you can still form your own team.
Stop by www.50millionpounds.com for more information.

Colombo: Battle for the Compaq Cup triangular series final will be held between India (Ind) and host Sri Lanka (SL) on September 14 at R Premadasa stadium in Colombo.

New Zealand were out of the contest following two consecutive defeats in the series.

However, India will take on Sri Lanka in the last league match of the Compaq Cup series today.

Team India started off their international match campaign after two months of break on a winning note. Skipper MS Dhoni and his brigade crushed out Black Caps by six wickets on September 11.

In the absence of star players like Virender Sehwag, Gautam Gambhir and Zaheer Khan, Indian team performed superbly against Kiwis. Team Indian pacers were looked very accurate in line and length against New Zealand. Left hand pacer Ashish Nehra was adjudged ‘Man of the Match' for his splendid bowling performance. Nehra took three wickets against New Zealand.

As per as batting is concerned, Master Blaster Sachin Tendulkar has portrayed his superb class against New Zealand and was highest scorer too. Sachin's classic shots against Kiwis were enough reply to his critics.

However, it is always a tough task to beat Sri Lanka in their home turf. But ‘Team India' will try to maintain its winning streak against Sri Lanka today.

Once again toss will play a crucial role here at Premadasa. The team who wins the toss should go for bat first.



Match: 3rd ODI Compaq Cup 2009 Ind vs. SL
Venue: R Premadasa
Timing: 14.30 hrs (IST)
Live Commentary: www.samaylive.com


Both the team will not disturb the winning combination.

Teams (Probables)

India: MS Dhoni, Sachin Tendulkar, Rahul Dravid, Dinesh Karthik, Yuvraj Singh, Suresh Raina, Yusuf Pathan, Harbhajan Singh, Ishant Sharma, RP Singh and Ashish Nehra.

Sri Lanka: Kumara Sangakkara, TL Dilshan, Mahela Jayawardene, Sanath Jayasuriya, TT Samarweera, Thilina Kandamby, Angelo Mathews, Nuan Kulaeskara, Thilan Thusara, SL Malinga, Ajantha Mendis.