India, Sept. 6 -- In India, these days there exists a sophisticated early warning system run by the IMD that warns about impending cyclones in the cyclone prone Bay of Bengal, saving countless lives by timely evacuation of people.

In September 1893, a massive rockfall completely blocked the Birahi Ganga River valley, in the Indian Himalayas, constructing a natural landslide dam that stood over 900 feet high. This created a large, deep body of water called Gohna Lake. Although a massive portion of the dam initially broke in 1894-destroying towns downstream like Srinagar-the lake was not entirely empty and remained a prominent feature for decades.

During the severe Himalayan floods of 1924, the remaining landslide dam breached for a secon...