30 Of The Most Destructive Natural Disasters Around The World

1. Avezzano Earthquake

Image source/ wikipediaOn January 13, central Italy experienced the 1915 Avezzano earthquake or the 1915 Fucino earthquake. A 6.7 moment magnitude earthquake occurred. The village of Avezzano in the Province of L'Aquila served as the epicentre. The tremor caused damage estimated at $60 million. Around 30,000 people died.

2. Eruption Of Mount Pelée

Image source/ earthsmagazineOne of the deadliest eruptions in documented history was the volcanic eruption of Mount Pelée in 1902, which was a volcanic eruption. On April 23, a succession of phreatic explosions from Mount Pelée's summit signalled the start of eruptive activity. The intensity of the blasts within days was greater than anything seen on the island since European settlers arrived. The estimated death toll was around 30,000.

3. Quetta Earthquake

Image source/ wikipediaQuetta, Balochistan, British India (now a part of Pakistan), near to the border with southern Afghanistan, experienced an earthquake on May 31, 1935. Up until 2005, it was the biggest earthquake to ever hit South Asia. The estimated death toll was around 30,000 deaths.

4. Erzincan Earthquake

Image source/ nationalworldOn December 27th 1939 in Turkey, there was a horrific earthquake which destroyed towns and cities and left many people seriously injured or even killed them. The damage was severe and the estimated death toll from this natural disaster was between 32,700–32,968 deaths.

5. Yangtze Floods

Image source/ wikipediaThe Yangtze River Floods of 1954 were a succession of disastrous floods that mostly affected Hubei Province from June to September. In the middle stretch of the Yangtze River, extremely high amounts of precipitation and an exceptionally long rainy season caused the river to begin rising above its typical level in late June of 1954. There is now a memorial to remember this tragic event. The estimated death toll is 33,000.

6. Gulang Earthquake

Image source/ wikipediaThe 22 May 1927 Gulang earthquake struck at 6:32 in the morning. The location of this 7.6 magnitude earthquake was close to Gulang in Gansu, People's Republic of China. As far afield as 700 km were affected. The estimated death toll for this disaster is around 40,900 deaths.

7. Turkey–Syria Earthquakes

Image source/ thenationalOn February 6th, 2023, a series of earthquakes occurred in the countries of Turkey and Syria with many people injured and killed. There are still people missing in rubble who are trying to be found so the death toll is not certain but it is estimated that at least 46,450 people have died.

8. China Typhoon

Image source/This is a weather map from the China Typhoon. On August 29, 1912, the China Typhoon wreaked havoc on the country's coastline. Prior to travelling to China, it developed in the Philippine Sea. Large quantities of rain and strong winds were delivered by the typhoon. In Zhejiang, there have been reports of significant river inundation. The estimated amount of deaths is at least 50,000.

9. Manjil–Rudbar Earthquake

 Image source/ wikipediaThe cities of Rudbar and Manjil, which are in the northwest of Tehran, suffered extensive devastation. According to the National Geophysical Data Centre, the affected region sustained damage worth $8 billion. The estimated death toll for this was around 50,000 deaths.

10. West Bengal Cyclone

Image source/ shortpediaIn 1942, a storm struck the Bay of Bengal and the area south of Calcutta. 225 km/h was the wind speed during that storm, according to records. One of the deadliest cyclones to date with so many deaths was this one. The estimated amount of deaths was around 61,000.

11. European Heat Wave

Image source/ wikipediaThe hottest summer in Europe since at least 1540 occurred during the 2003 heat wave. France was particularly severely hit. In addition to causing health crises, the heat wave and the drought caused a crop shortage in areas of Southern Europe. The estimated number of deaths was 72,000.

12. Kashmir Earthquake

Image source/ wikipediaIt was centred near the city of Muzaffarabad and impacted some areas of Indian-administered Jammu and Kashmir as well as the nearby city of Balakot in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. Afghanistan, Tajikistan, India, and the Xinjiang area all felt the effects of the earthquake. The estimated death toll was 87,351.

13. Hanoi And Red River Delta Flood

Image source/ globalenergynewsThe Hanoi and Red River Delta flood happened on August 1st in 1971 in North Vietnam. This natural disaster drastically impacted the places around it and caused many deaths and fatal injuries. The estimated death toll from this natural disaster is around 100,000 deaths.

14. Messina Earthquake

Image source/ wikipediaSouthern Italy's Sicily and Calabria experienced the 1908 Messina earthquake on December 28. It had a moment magnitude of 7.1 and a highest Mercalli intensity of XI. The Strait of Messina, which divides Sicily from the rest of Italy, was where the epicentre was located. Messina and Reggio Calabria's cities were nearly totally destroyed. The estimated death toll was 123,000.

15. Cyclone Nargis

Image source/ drgeorgepcExtremely Strong Cyclonic Storm Nargis was one of the worst natural disasters in Myanmar's history was brought on by the highly destructive and fatal tropical cyclone Nargis in early May 2008. The estimated death toll from this natural disaster was around 138,373 deaths.

16. Bangladesh Cyclone

Image source/ historyThis natural disaster was what's known as a tropical cyclone and took place in Bangladesh in 1991 between the dates April 24th- April 30th and this destroyed villages, cities and towns nearby. The estimated death toll for this terrible natural disaster is around 138,866 deaths.

17. Great Kantō Earthquake

Image source/ wikipediaOn September 1, 1923, at 11:58:44 JST the Great Kant0 earthquake struck the Kant Plain on the major Japanese island of Honshu. According to various reports, the earthquake lasted between four and ten minutes. The mortality toll increased as a result of numerous firestorms and even a fire whirl. The estimated death toll for this was 142,800 deaths.

18. Great Backerganj Cyclone

Image source/ thisdayappThe Great Backerganj Cyclone happened in 1876 on October 30th and obliterated local towns and villages. This storm caused many deaths and serious injuries. It happened in the country of Bangladesh and the estimated death toll from this natural disaster is around 200,000 deaths.

19. Haiyuan Earthquake

Image source/ disaterhistoryIn 1920, China, Mongolia was struck with a horrific earthquake on December 16th and this devastating natural disaster destroyed so many peoples lives. The death toll from this natural disaster never got a specific number but is estimated to be between 200,000 and 273,400 deaths.

20. Tabriz Earthquake

Image source/ iieesacirA devastating earthquake that struck near Tabriz on January 8th, 1780, and Saturday, January 9, devastated about 400 communities, including Marand, Tasuj, and Iranaq. The earthquake was preceded by a powerful foreshock. The fort and city walls of Tabriz, as well as all important structures that had been weakened by earlier shocks, were completely destroyed. The destruction's radius has been estimated at either 72 or 120 kilometres from Tabriz. The estimated number of deaths was 200,000 deaths.

21. Indian Ocean Earthquake And Tsunami

Image source/ worldatlasOn December 26, 2004, an earthquake occurred. The Indian Ocean's shoreline was inundated by a series of tsunamis that reached heights of up to 100 feet after the earthquake. Thailand, India, Sri Lanka, and Indonesia were the countries most seriously impacted. Other minor tremors in Alaska were also caused by the Indian Ocean earthquake. The estimated number of deaths was 227,898 deaths.

22. Super Typhoon Nina

Image source/ thatmagsOn August 7th 1975, the super typhoon Nina occurred in China and totally wiped out nearby towns and cities. Super typhoon Nina also contributed to Banqiao Dam failure which also killed and injured many people. The estimated number of deaths was around 229,000 deaths.

23. Ganja Earthquake

Image source/ wikipedia

One of the most catastrophic earthquakes in recorded history occurred in Ganja in 1139. It had an impact on the Seljuk Empire, the Georgian Kingdom, present-day Azerbaijan, and Georgia. The earthquake's amplitude was reportedly 7.7 MLH, 7.5 Ms, and 7.0-7.3 Mw. This incident resulted in a estimated death toll of 230,000.

24. Coringa Cyclone

Image source/ wikipediaA tropical cyclone tore through Coringa, a port city in Andhra Pradesh on the southeast coast of British India, on November 25, 1839, and completely devastated the harbour. The storm surge from the 1839 Coringa cyclone, also known as the 1839 India cyclone and 1839 Andhra Pradesh cyclone, did extensive damage. The estimated number of deaths was 300,000 deaths.

25. Antioch Earthquake

Image source/ mediumNumerous Antioch structures, including the enormous octagonal church Domus Aurea constructed by Constantine on an island in the Orontes River, suffered serious damage as a result of the earthquake. The only structures said to have survived were those constructed close to the mountain. The estimated death toll was around 300,000 deaths.

26. Haiti Earthquake

Image source/ wikipediaPort-au-Prince, Jacmel, and other nearby towns all sustained significant damage as a result of the earthquake. The Presidential Palace, the National Assembly building, the Port-au-Prince Cathedral, and the major jail were among the famous landmark buildings that suffered serious damage or were completely obliterated. Cardinal of Port-au-Prince Joseph Serge Miot was amongst the dead. The estimated death toll was 316,000.

27. Bhola Cyclone

Image source/ historyonthenetTowns and cities were destroyed when a cyclone hit the most densely populated coastline on Earth in what is now Bangladesh in 1990, it was one of the worst natural catastrophes of the 20th century. The Great Bhola Cyclone on estimate killed  500,000 people in just a few hours.

28. Tangshan Earthquake

Image source/ thoughtcoA magnitude 7.8 earthquake hit Tangshan, a city in northern China with a population of 1 million, on July 28, 1976. About 85% of Tangshan structures, which were constructed on the fragile soil of the Luanhe River's flood plain, were destroyed by the earthquake. An estimated 655,000 people were killed.

29. Yellow River Flood

Image source/ globalenergynewsThe Yellow River, also known as the Huang He River, is to blame for China's most dangerous storms. The river is three thousand miles long and flows from the northern mountain region of Qinghai to the Yellow Sea. This flood killed an estimate of 2,000,000 people.

30. China Floods

Image source/ thechinaprojectDepending on the location, the flooding itself continued for several months, from June through at least October. Of course, the damage and consequences persisted for much longer. But the weekend of August 25 to 26 brought months of catastrophe to a close. The estimated number of deaths is 4,000,000 people.