Natural disasters are unpredictable and can strike without warning, from deadly earthquakes and floods to disease and famine. On average, over the past 50 years one weather, climate or water-related disaster has taken place every single day, costing lives and property alike.
Natural disasters are sudden events with wide-reaching environmental repercussions that lead to loss of life or financial devastation, often with deadly outcomes, including famine and epidemics. Here is our list of the world’s deadliest natural disasters (famine and epidemics included) that you might want to have a look in your daily busy schedule of office work and playing online poker on any of the sites websites mentioned on https://centiment.io.
1. Haiti Earthquake of 2010
The Haiti Earthquake of 2010 was one of the deadliest natural disasters ever experienced by this poor Caribbean nation. Triggered by a magnitude 7.0 earthquake near Port-au-Prince on January 12th 2010, over 300 lives were lost while many others were permanently injured or rendered homeless as a result of this massive temblor.
The earthquake, centered in an area with high population density, had devastating repercussions for all involved. Many multi-story concrete buildings that had been poorly constructed collapsed into deadly heaps upon impact of the powerful quake; furthermore, its destructive force ignited an outbreak of cholera which ultimately claimed thousands of lives over several years.
World Vision immediately responded to Haiti’s earthquake by providing rebuilding efforts and clean water, sanitation, healthcare access for survivors. Our support also included helping families reclaim land they had been forced from by poverty while creating sustainable livelihoods. World Vision continues its work today in Haiti equipping children and their communities with tools needed for success and fulfillment in life.
World Vision staff immediately took swift and decisive action after the Haiti earthquake struck, quickly disbursing prepositioned emergency supplies that had been prepositioned ahead of time. Since 2004, our workers — most of them Haitians who had themselves experienced the earthquake — have dedicated themselves to serving their nation by saving lives and relieving suffering. Through their tireless work, many Haitians have found hope for better tomorrows thanks to us and will remain so. We remember the hundreds of thousands who perished in the Haiti earthquake of 2010, as well as those permanently injured or displaced from it. Their courage and resilience in spite of unimaginable suffering inspires us to do everything in our power to assist them in living full lives again.
2. Coringa Cyclone of 1839
Coringa in Andhra Pradesh was hit hard by a tropical cyclone in November 1839, known as both the 1839 India Cyclone and Andhra Pradesh Cyclone. This powerful storm claimed over 300,000 lives and destroyed over 20,000 ships; making this tropical cyclone third highest death toll of all time. Since being hit by another major storm 50 years earlier, it had since recovered significantly, becoming more prosperous and populous than ever.
Before modern meteorology was available, it was impossible to accurately predict when or where these devastating storms would strike. Cyclones brought with them heavy winds and 40-foot storm surges; 1789 storm damage paled in comparison with that of 1839 Coringa Cyclone which completely devastated its harbor, wrecked all ships therein, carried their remains miles inland, killed 300K people, completely devastated the city itself, wrecked all ships located therein, killed 300K more people overall and brought destruction on an unprecedented scale.
Coringa was an active city full of residents going about their daily business unaware that a devastating storm was gathering strength – it is therefore devastating to witness such devastation at the hands of nature.
After this devastating storm, many residents decided to move their homes far from the coast and renamed it Hope Island as they attempted to shield against future environmental disasters. A British official witnessed Coringa’s destruction and coined the term cyclone; today we use this word globally when describing hurricanes or typhoons; these 10 natural disasters rank amongst the deadliest worldwide; however other devastating events could make the list as well.
3. Cyclone Bhola of 1970
In November 1970, a catastrophic storm known as the Bhola Cyclone struck East Pakistan (now Bangladesh) and India’s West Bengal, as part of the 1970 North Indian Ocean season. Reminiscent of a Category 3 hurricane’s strength, it killed up to half a million people with its storm surge flooding low-lying islands and tidal flats; Tazumuddin in particular experienced severe damage where over 44% of its inhabitants perished from flooding caused by this massive cyclonic event.
The storm caused extensive property damage, such as destroyed houses and crops, forcing many people to flee their homes, many experiencing severe food shortages as a result of being uprooted from their communities. At that time, CDC EIS officers were present conducting nutritional surveys. Furthermore, two medical relief assessments were also completed by our officers for affected regions that documented injuries caused by this natural disaster.
This list ranks natural disasters based on their estimated death tolls, including floods, landslides, volcanoes, earthquakes and weather-related events such as tornados. However, this does not include epidemics or famines caused by human activity like war or deliberate dike destruction during the 1938 Yellow River flood.
As humans have known throughout history, natural disasters have had a devastating impact on mankind. Of the hundreds of natural disasters which have ever struck humanity, 10 are particularly severe – taking lives by the thousands while devastating homes, buildings, and communities. 24/7 Tempo compiled this list by scanning data from consumer analytics site Statista; ranking each event according to number of fatalities caused and amount of damage it caused for each event and including short descriptions to provide context.
4. Tangshan Earthquake of 1976
The Tangshan Earthquake of 1976 claimed 240,000 lives in northeastern China. It struck at 3:42 am on July 28, and completely devastated most of Tangshan city with its population estimated to be roughly one million residents. This magnitude 7.8 event ruptured part of Tangshan Fault System that extends over 3,200 miles from east China’s Yantze River all the way to Russian borders.
The intensity of this earthquake on the Chinese intensity scale was extreme and left 85% of buildings in Tangshan destroyed or severely damaged. Much of its thick alluvial soil was transformed into an unstable mass that collapsed when hit by shaking; as no structures anchored directly to bedrock existed at that point in time, many buildings collapsed under pressure from shaking.
Tangshan experienced widespread electrical, water supply and sewer system failure; coal mine flooding; telephone communications interruption; ruptured earth dams and 300 miles of railroad track with 20 bridges destroyed in one earthquake quake alone.
Due to the damage, it took days before People’s Liberation Army soldiers arrived at the disaster site to assist with rescue and recovery efforts. Since they lacked trucks, cranes, medicines and other essential equipment – such as trucks – survivors often had to walk or run miles in search of loved ones lost amongst the destruction; many survivors dug through rubble with their bare hands in response to muffled calls for help, while government planes sprayed disinfectant over debris piles. International experts estimated at the time that most survivors would die within 15 years; yet as of 2008 817 out of 960 survivors have outlived these estimates; as of 2008 817 out of 960 survivors had outlived expected lifespan estimates by living beyond 15 years; international experts estimated most would pass.
5. Hurricane Katrina of 2005
Natural disasters have the capacity to cause massive harm to both people and property, often even leading to their death. Therefore, it is crucial that individuals be informed and ready for these calamities as soon as they occur.
Hurricane Katrina of 2005 was one of the deadliest and costliest natural disasters to strike America, killing over 1,800 people, dislocating one million, and causing over $150 billion in damage to both private property and public infrastructure.
Storm Florence began as a tropical depression on August 23 and made landfall along the south Florida coast on August 25 as a Category 1 hurricane, gradually intensifying into a Category 5 storm with sustained winds exceeding 175 mph over subsequent days.
As Hurricane Katrina approached Louisiana, its 19-foot storm surge overwhelmed levees in New Orleans, flooding neighborhoods and forcing residents to seek refuge on rooftops or attics for safety. Residents trapped inside were trapped for days as floodwater rose; federal authorities faced criticism for their slow response during this disaster.
Over 1,500 deaths were attributed to Hurricane Katrina, leaving hundreds of thousands homeless and changing the nation’s view on poverty and urban America. Furthermore, this tragedy highlighted the necessity of race equality in emergency management and rescue operations; five current and former New Orleans police officers were found guilty of civil rights violations for shooting at unarmed black residents seeking assistance during and after the storm.