August 2004 Disasters

Updated September 9, 2022 | Infoplease Staff

• Aug. 1, Asunción, Paraguay: Fire, caused by a gas leak, swept through a supermarket in a three-story shopping center, killing at least 400 people, many of whom were trapped inside because security guards locked the doors to prevent theft. There are still 130 people missing.
• Aug. 9, Mihama, Japan: Non-radioactive steam leaked from a nuclear power plant north of Kyoto, killing 4 workers and severely burning 7 others.
• Aug. 11, Havana , Cuba: Charley, a category 2 hurricane, caused damage exceeding $1 billion.
• Aug. 12, Zhejiang province, China: Typhoon Rananim, the most powerful storm of the season, killed 164 people and caused extensive damage.
• Aug. 12, Fla.: Tropical storm Bonnie made landfall in the Florida panhandle.
• Aug. 13, Punta Gorda, Fla.: Charley, a category 4 hurricane, struck the southwest coast of Florida with 145 mile per hour winds, killing 31 people in storm-related deaths in the U.S., 4 in Cuba, and 1 in Jamaica. Damages estimated at $7.4. More than 2 million people were evacuated and ten of thousands were left homeless as thousands of buildings were damaged and mobile home parks were demolished. It was the worst hurricane in Florida since Andrew in 1992. Electricity remained out for more than 350,000 customers up to five days after the storm.
• Aug. 22, Carabobo, Venezuela : A Venezuelan air force plane crashed in bad weather, killing all 25 aboard.
• Aug. 24, Moscow, Russia: 2 Russian planes, a Siberia Airlines Tu-154 and a Volga-Avia Express Tupolev 134 aircraft, both departing from Moscow's airport, crashed within minutes of each other, killing a total of 89 people. Investigators discovered evidence of explosives on both flights.
• Aug. 24–25, Taiwan and China: Typhoon Aere swept through Taipei, Taiwan, causing flooding and landslides that killed 39 people in Taiwan and 12 in the Philippines. Aere moved on to China where nearly 1 million people were evacuated.
• Aug. 29, southwestern Japan: Typhoon Chaba, with record high winds, killed at least 9 people and caused flooding. Earlier in the month, Typhoon Megi killed 9 in Japan.
• Aug. 29–31, S.C., N.C., and Va.: Tropical storm Gaston made landfall in McClellanville, South Carolina and then moved through North Carolina and Virginia. Heavy rains dumped up to 14 inches on Richmond, Va. and the surrounding area, devastating the historic downtown area. The death toll from Gaston; 8 people.

See also Major Earthquakes Around the World 2004

See also Estimated Deaths from Earthquakes, 2004

See also Recent Volcanic Activity