The worst natural disasters in history have always been out of our control, because when mother nature’s temper tips her over the edge, it is us, the living creatures on her earth that suffer her wrath. Below is a list of some of the deadliest and most scarring natural disasters that have literally shaken our planet.
The 1931 China Floods
The Yellow River is a water lifeline to many farmers and dwellers in the Yangtze region, as it was almost a century ago. However, when the river overflowed in 1931, it was anything but a lifeline. The exact number of casualties is not clear, but aid workers estimated the death toll to be between 145,000 to 4 million people. It was one of the deadliest natural disasters ever recorded.
The 1931 China Floods
The 2004 Indian Ocean Tsunami
What can only be called, “ten seconds of hell”, the 9.15 magnitude earthquake that struck southeast Asia on December 26th, 2004, killed about 310,000 people! The shores of Thailand, South India, Indonesia and Sri Lanka suffered the brunt of it. Unbelievably, even over 8,000 miles away from the underwater earthquake, a woman died in South Africa as a result.
The 2004 Indian Ocean Tsunami
The 1970 Bhola Cyclone
Ranked as the most deadly tropical cyclone, the Bhola Cyclone left half a million people dead in east Pakistan (present-day Bangladesh). The cyclone picked up an unwavering speed of 115 miles per hour! The government of Pakistan got a lot of criticism since they took an exceptionally long time to deploy rescue workers.
The 1970 Bhola Cyclone
The Great Famine Of 1876–78
Weather plays an important role in our lives. The weather patterns determine whether our food will be able to grow or not. Regions in south and southwestern India suffered terribly at the hands of unfavorable weather patterns between 1876 and 1878. Lasting almost three years, the famine took the lives of 5.5 million people and affected 58,500,000 others.
The Great Famine Of 1876–78
The San Francisco Earthquake, 1906
Like many earthquakes, the earthquake that shook San Francisco on April 18, 1906, lasted a short time – only 45 seconds. Although it was less than a minute of heart-racing panic, what followed would be much worse. For three full days, fires ravaged the city and around 3,000 lost their lives. An additional 200,000 people lost their homes, and damages cost the city about $400,000, a lot of money back then.
The San Francisco Earthquake 1906
The Nevados Huascaran Avalanche, 1970
The natural disasters that cause the greatest damage are earthquakes. But one of the overlooked bi-products of some earthquakes is an avalanche. In 1970, the Nevados Huascaran avalanche roared down Mount Huascaran in Peru, sweeping up 20,000 lives in a matter of minutes. Only two foreign citizens died that day. Both Czechoslovakian climbers’ bodies were never recovered.
The Nevados Huascaran Avalanche, 1970
The 2003 European Heat Wave
Although most European countries are known for their timidly warm summers, the summer of 2003 would prove to be rather different. When the average temperature rose to over 110⁰F (45⁰C),the death toll across France, Italy, Netherlands and Spain, rose to more than 70,000.
The 2003 European Heat Wave
The Antioch Earthquake Of 526
The city of Antioch (in modern day’s Syria) suffered a powerful earthquake which killed 250,000 locals and visitors who had come to celebrate Ascension Day. Fires swept across the surrounding areas and inflicted much more damage than the quake itself had. Homeowners who had built their houses close to the mountain were spared.
The Antioch Earthquake Of 526
Hurricane Katrina, 2005
Even though it was not the deadliest hurricane in the region, Hurricane Katrina was the costliest. The damaged totaled a whopping $81 billion and killed more than 1,800 people. The most lives were lost in New Orleans by the category 5 storm.
Hurricane Katrina, 2005
The Haiyuan Earthquake, 1920
Can you imagine an earthquake so powerful that it even changed the course of some rivers? It actually happened in 1920 in Haiyuan County, China. Over 235,000 people lost their lives in this horrific natural disaster. Due to frequent aftershocks, residents only built temporary shelters which caused many of them to perish during the severe winter that followed.
The Haiyuan Earthquake, 1920
The 1972 Iran Blizzard
Snow is beautiful when it peacefully falls to the earth, but too much of anything isn’t good. A blizzard is a distinct example of what too much of something good could mean. In 1972, a week of low temperatures and severe storms turned most of Iran into a white carpet of death. Snow reached frightening heights of up to 26 feet(7.9m) and buried more than 4,000 people alive.
The 1972 Iran Blizzard
The Aleppo Earthquake Of 1138
The 1138 Aleppo earthquake is considered by most to be the third deadliest earthquake in recorded history. Despite many contradictions when it comes to the exact amount of casualties, most put the figure at 230,000. The Syrian city has suffered a series of natural disasters.
The Aleppo Earthquake Of 1138
The 1999 Vargas Tragedy
The Vargas State of Venezuela found itself buried under 3 meters of mud during torrential rains and flash floods in December, 1999. The entire infrastructure of the state collapsed and tens of thousands of its residents died, which was 10% of the population of Vargas at the time.
The 1999 Vargas Tragedy
The 1976 Tangshan Earthquake
The Chinese people believe that natural disasters are precursors of dynastic change, and at a time when political events were turbulent, it could not have rung truer for them. The Great Tangshan earthquake rocked Hebei in the People’s Republic of China for a total of about 15 seconds. Those few seconds led to the deaths of over 650,000 people.
The 1976 Tangshan Earthquake
St. Felix’s Flood, 1530
“Evil Saturday” occurred on the 5th of November, 1530. On this day, more than 100,000 people left this world in the main parts of Flanders and Zeeland in the Netherlands. The ferocious natural disaster destroyed an entire city and 18 villages! It’s natural disasters like this one that really get the hairs on your neck to stand up.
St. Felixs Flood, 1530
The Great Kantō Earthquake, 1923
The Great Kantō Earthquake devastated the port city of Tokyo in 1923. The force of earth-shattering shaking managed to move the Great Buddha statue which weighed about 84 tons! Rescuers estimated the death toll to be approximately 143,000. Almost 40 years later, the Japanese government named September 1st, “Disaster Prevention Day” – a commemoration to the anniversary of the deadly day.
The Great Kantō Earthquake, 1923
The Yellow River Flood Of 1887
The Yellow River in China is prone to flooding due to the river’s high elevation. In 1887, the water levels rose too high and began to quickly flood the Henan Province. The waters washed all throughout northern China and viciously killed about 900,000 Chinese citizens.
The Yellow River Flood Of 1887
The 2010 Haiti Earthquake
Late on a Tuesday afternoon in January 2010, a magnitude 7.0 earthquake on the Richter scale caused chaos in the town of Léogâne in Haiti. The quake caused so much damage that airports couldn’t even co-ordinate flights for evacuation. Countries from around the world contributed to relief efforts. The death toll climbed to something like 316,000.
The 2010 Haiti Earthquake
The Influenza Pandemic, 1918-1919
We might take the wonders of modern medicine for granted, but in the early 20th Century, they had more to worry about. What we call the Spanish flu, was once perhaps the deadliest illness around. During the influenza pandemic, an estimated 70 million people died around the world. India suffered the highest loss with 16 million deaths. Most shockingly, the pandemic blew over without a cure even being found.
The Influenza Pandemic, 1918-1919
The Tornado Outbreak, 1974
In a terrifying space of 16 hours, a grand total of 148 tornadoes ripped through 13 different states in U.S.A. Although they didn’t claim more than 330 lives, the event made it into the record books as the most severe tornado outbreak in the United States.
