Natural disasters not only affect the people of the area they destroy, but indirectly also affect mankind on the whole. We are going to have a look at the worst natural disasters ever to befall our planet Earth, and some important facts related to them...
Our planet Earth is always prone to many different types of natural disasters. With time, technology has let us foresee a few of the disasters before they strike, but it is impossible to predict most of them, and moreover impossible to prevent too. All we can do is take preventive measures to minimize the loss of property, and more importantly precious human life.
Cyclones, snowstorms, thunderstorms, tsunamis, typhoons, and floods can be predicted and people in the firing zone can be warned before they strike. Taking appropriate preventive measures can help reduce property damage and even prevent loss of life completely. But there are some natural disasters like earthquakes that can never be predicted in advance. As of now, the most mankind has been able to do is identify the fault lines around the world, and try to make those particular areas implement measures to minimize damage and loss of life. So depending on these various factors, over the past 100 years, we have seen numerous natural disasters hit places around the world. Many passed without inflicting much damage, while there have been so many that have damaged property and taken human lives by the thousands. So which are the worst natural disasters in the world that are on record. Let us now have a look at the list of natural disasters that were so severe, they merit a mention here.
Top 10 Worst Natural Disasters Ever
I have tried to list these in order based on the most loss of human life, since that is something that is the worst outcome. Therefore, there may be other natural disasters that were worse, but the affected area withstood them better, for reasons varying from preparedness, infrastructure, rescue, etc.
China Floods (1931)
This deadly flooding that hit central China in 1931 is probably the worst natural disaster ever to hit mankind. Also commonly known as the Central China floods, it is believed that there were warning signs that preceded this natural calamity. 1930 saw central China experience a terrible drought, which was then followed by very heavy rains. This resulted in the overfilling of all the water bodies in the region. Then in the month of July, 7 cyclones hit one after the other, resulting in widespread flooding. There was tremendous destruction all over. According to the Chinese government only 150,000 people perished, but international sources and records state that as much as 4 million people lost their lives in this flooding, while nearly 30 million individuals were displaced, easily making it the worst natural disaster in the world, ever.
Bhola Cyclone (1970)
The Bhola cyclone was the deadliest tropical cyclone ever to be recorded. It hit Bangladesh (then East Pakistan) and parts of India in 1970. It was a category 5 hurricane that also resulted in widespread flooding, besides the overwhelming destruction during the storm. Wind speeds astonishingly reached as high as 160 mph, destroying islands and villages on the way. 500,000 human beings perished in this calamity, besides the unending loss of property. This cyclone managed to change much of the landscape in Bangladesh and the state of West Bengal in India.
Haiti Earthquake (2010)
A 7 magnitude earthquake shook the whole of Haiti in January 2010. The epicenter was near Port-au-Prince, the capital of Haiti. Poor building constructions and infrastructure added to the loss of property and human life. What made matters worse after that was, in the 2 weeks time after the main earthquake, there were more than 50 aftershocks of magnitudes of 5 or more. The area has never seen anything like this, and it was estimated that more than 300,000 people died in this disaster. A similar number were injured, and nearly 1 million people were displaced and left homeless. Nearly 300,000 structures were either severely damaged or completely collapsed, something that was a strong indication of the widespread destruction this earthquake caused in the region.
Tangshan Earthquake (1976)
The Great Tangshan Earthquake with a magnitude of around 8, occurred in 1976 in Tangshan, China. If simply loss of life is taken into consideration, then this was the deadliest earthquake in the whole of the 20th century. It didn't end there. A second earthquake with a magnitude of 7.8 on the Richter scale hit the same region in less than 24 hours, which doubled the impact. The first instance of shaking lasted for 20+ seconds, which resulted in a lot of destruction and loss of life. An estimated 250,000 people lost their lives in this calamity, while around 160,000 were badly injured.
Indian Ocean Earthquake/Tsunami (2004)
In December 2004, an undersea earthquake with a magnitude of 9.3 occurred off the coast of Sumatra, Indonesia. The earthquake rattled the area for an amazing 10 minutes or so, one of the longest durations ever on record. It was so severe, that it triggered earthquakes as far as even Alaska, and caused the Earth to vibrate by 1 centimeter. This resulted in the Indian Ocean Tsunami which slammed into nearly 15 countries around the region. Waves as high as 30 meters were experienced, that caused the water to push itself inland in many places, devastating many areas in its path. Countries that were most affected were Indonesia, Thailand, Maldives, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka and India. The resulting death toll was around 230,000.
Cyclone Nargis (2008)
Tropical cyclone Nargis was a 2008 natural disaster that battered that country of Myanmar. It was so bad that it was the worst natural disaster ever to hit that country. It first developed in the Bay of Bengal, and then slowly moved towards Myanmar, intensifying, and at its peak reached winds of the speed of 110 mph. It was officially termed as a category 4 cyclone, and left 140,000 people dead, and more than 50,000 either injured or missing. Myanmar's already weak economy took a huge blow due to this disaster, which besides claiming so much human life, also caused widespread damage.
Great Kanto Earthquake (1923)
In 1923, the Japanese island of Honshu's Kanto plain was struck by a devastating 7.9 magnitude earthquake that lasted for a whole 10 minutes. The place was shaken up so badly, that if affected places as far as Tokyo, Chiba, Kanagawa, Yokohama, and Shizouka. Besides immense destruction due to the earthquake, there was also heavy loss of life due to fires and landslides that were caused due to the earthquake. The resulting death toll was put at 140,000.
Japan Earthquake (2011)
This is one of the recent natural disasters and is still so fresh in all of our minds. And as we speak, Japan is still underway is its rescue operations and damage control. A 9 magnitude earthquake struck near Sendai, shaking the whole of Japan. Television footage showed many towns and cities shaking violently due to the earthquake. Tsunami warnings were put in place all across, not only in Japan, but even Thailand, Indonesia, New Zealand, and also as far as Hawaii and the United States. As expected, a resulting tsunami struck Japan causing widespread destruction. Waves as high as 35 feet slammed the country and flooded places as far as 7 miles inland, causing unbelievable damage on the way. Larger than normal sized waves were also experienced in countries all around the Pacific. The earthquake and tsunami has also badly damaged many of Japan's nuclear reactors, resulting in radiation leaks, and the fear of sever radiation leakage still looms large. There have been over 500 aftershocks in just a matter of 10 days. Japanese authorities are working round the clock to shut down/restore the reactors, as we speak. Loss of life till now has already touched the 10,000 mark and still counting, with even a greater number still missing.
Gujarat Earthquake (2001)
In 2001, an earthquake with the magnitude of 7.7 shook the western Indian state of Gujarat. Obviously, with such a huge shock, there was widespread damage. The quake even shook southern parts of Pakistan. As a result, the loss of life was estimated to be 20,000, and nearly 170,000 people were injured. It left more than half a million people displaced and homeless. More than a million structures were either partially or completely damaged due to this earthquake.
Hurricane Katrina (2005)
Hurricane Katrina was one of the worst ever hurricanes ever to hit the United State. The storm started forming near the Bahamas, and actually hit the US coast simply as a level 1 hurricane. Suddenly it strengthened in the Gulf of Mexico and turned into a level 3 storm. The places that were severely affected in its path were Florida, Texas, and worst of all New Orleans in Louisiana. More than 80% of the city was flooded. Coastal areas witnessed water moving around 10 miles inland, causing massive destruction. A little less than 2,000 people died as a result of Hurricane Katrina. The loss to the US was a whopping $80 bn, making it the most expensive natural disaster, not only in the US but in the world.
Man, along with his planet, will never be safe from these natural disasters. They have occurred for millions of years, and will continue to do so. We can do nothing to stop them. But when we look at some of the worst natural disasters ever, we can learn something. There are many preventive measures that can be taken up by respective governments, which will lessen damage and the loss of life. We can't fight the forces of nature, but have to live with them the best we can. That is the bottom line.
By Clifford AGA
Cyclones, snowstorms, thunderstorms, tsunamis, typhoons, and floods can be predicted and people in the firing zone can be warned before they strike. Taking appropriate preventive measures can help reduce property damage and even prevent loss of life completely. But there are some natural disasters like earthquakes that can never be predicted in advance. As of now, the most mankind has been able to do is identify the fault lines around the world, and try to make those particular areas implement measures to minimize damage and loss of life. So depending on these various factors, over the past 100 years, we have seen numerous natural disasters hit places around the world. Many passed without inflicting much damage, while there have been so many that have damaged property and taken human lives by the thousands. So which are the worst natural disasters in the world that are on record. Let us now have a look at the list of natural disasters that were so severe, they merit a mention here.
Top 10 Worst Natural Disasters Ever
I have tried to list these in order based on the most loss of human life, since that is something that is the worst outcome. Therefore, there may be other natural disasters that were worse, but the affected area withstood them better, for reasons varying from preparedness, infrastructure, rescue, etc.
China Floods (1931)
This deadly flooding that hit central China in 1931 is probably the worst natural disaster ever to hit mankind. Also commonly known as the Central China floods, it is believed that there were warning signs that preceded this natural calamity. 1930 saw central China experience a terrible drought, which was then followed by very heavy rains. This resulted in the overfilling of all the water bodies in the region. Then in the month of July, 7 cyclones hit one after the other, resulting in widespread flooding. There was tremendous destruction all over. According to the Chinese government only 150,000 people perished, but international sources and records state that as much as 4 million people lost their lives in this flooding, while nearly 30 million individuals were displaced, easily making it the worst natural disaster in the world, ever.
Bhola Cyclone (1970)
The Bhola cyclone was the deadliest tropical cyclone ever to be recorded. It hit Bangladesh (then East Pakistan) and parts of India in 1970. It was a category 5 hurricane that also resulted in widespread flooding, besides the overwhelming destruction during the storm. Wind speeds astonishingly reached as high as 160 mph, destroying islands and villages on the way. 500,000 human beings perished in this calamity, besides the unending loss of property. This cyclone managed to change much of the landscape in Bangladesh and the state of West Bengal in India.
Haiti Earthquake (2010)
A 7 magnitude earthquake shook the whole of Haiti in January 2010. The epicenter was near Port-au-Prince, the capital of Haiti. Poor building constructions and infrastructure added to the loss of property and human life. What made matters worse after that was, in the 2 weeks time after the main earthquake, there were more than 50 aftershocks of magnitudes of 5 or more. The area has never seen anything like this, and it was estimated that more than 300,000 people died in this disaster. A similar number were injured, and nearly 1 million people were displaced and left homeless. Nearly 300,000 structures were either severely damaged or completely collapsed, something that was a strong indication of the widespread destruction this earthquake caused in the region.
Tangshan Earthquake (1976)
The Great Tangshan Earthquake with a magnitude of around 8, occurred in 1976 in Tangshan, China. If simply loss of life is taken into consideration, then this was the deadliest earthquake in the whole of the 20th century. It didn't end there. A second earthquake with a magnitude of 7.8 on the Richter scale hit the same region in less than 24 hours, which doubled the impact. The first instance of shaking lasted for 20+ seconds, which resulted in a lot of destruction and loss of life. An estimated 250,000 people lost their lives in this calamity, while around 160,000 were badly injured.
Indian Ocean Earthquake/Tsunami (2004)
In December 2004, an undersea earthquake with a magnitude of 9.3 occurred off the coast of Sumatra, Indonesia. The earthquake rattled the area for an amazing 10 minutes or so, one of the longest durations ever on record. It was so severe, that it triggered earthquakes as far as even Alaska, and caused the Earth to vibrate by 1 centimeter. This resulted in the Indian Ocean Tsunami which slammed into nearly 15 countries around the region. Waves as high as 30 meters were experienced, that caused the water to push itself inland in many places, devastating many areas in its path. Countries that were most affected were Indonesia, Thailand, Maldives, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka and India. The resulting death toll was around 230,000.
Cyclone Nargis (2008)
Tropical cyclone Nargis was a 2008 natural disaster that battered that country of Myanmar. It was so bad that it was the worst natural disaster ever to hit that country. It first developed in the Bay of Bengal, and then slowly moved towards Myanmar, intensifying, and at its peak reached winds of the speed of 110 mph. It was officially termed as a category 4 cyclone, and left 140,000 people dead, and more than 50,000 either injured or missing. Myanmar's already weak economy took a huge blow due to this disaster, which besides claiming so much human life, also caused widespread damage.
Great Kanto Earthquake (1923)
In 1923, the Japanese island of Honshu's Kanto plain was struck by a devastating 7.9 magnitude earthquake that lasted for a whole 10 minutes. The place was shaken up so badly, that if affected places as far as Tokyo, Chiba, Kanagawa, Yokohama, and Shizouka. Besides immense destruction due to the earthquake, there was also heavy loss of life due to fires and landslides that were caused due to the earthquake. The resulting death toll was put at 140,000.
Japan Earthquake (2011)
This is one of the recent natural disasters and is still so fresh in all of our minds. And as we speak, Japan is still underway is its rescue operations and damage control. A 9 magnitude earthquake struck near Sendai, shaking the whole of Japan. Television footage showed many towns and cities shaking violently due to the earthquake. Tsunami warnings were put in place all across, not only in Japan, but even Thailand, Indonesia, New Zealand, and also as far as Hawaii and the United States. As expected, a resulting tsunami struck Japan causing widespread destruction. Waves as high as 35 feet slammed the country and flooded places as far as 7 miles inland, causing unbelievable damage on the way. Larger than normal sized waves were also experienced in countries all around the Pacific. The earthquake and tsunami has also badly damaged many of Japan's nuclear reactors, resulting in radiation leaks, and the fear of sever radiation leakage still looms large. There have been over 500 aftershocks in just a matter of 10 days. Japanese authorities are working round the clock to shut down/restore the reactors, as we speak. Loss of life till now has already touched the 10,000 mark and still counting, with even a greater number still missing.
Gujarat Earthquake (2001)
In 2001, an earthquake with the magnitude of 7.7 shook the western Indian state of Gujarat. Obviously, with such a huge shock, there was widespread damage. The quake even shook southern parts of Pakistan. As a result, the loss of life was estimated to be 20,000, and nearly 170,000 people were injured. It left more than half a million people displaced and homeless. More than a million structures were either partially or completely damaged due to this earthquake.
Hurricane Katrina (2005)
Hurricane Katrina was one of the worst ever hurricanes ever to hit the United State. The storm started forming near the Bahamas, and actually hit the US coast simply as a level 1 hurricane. Suddenly it strengthened in the Gulf of Mexico and turned into a level 3 storm. The places that were severely affected in its path were Florida, Texas, and worst of all New Orleans in Louisiana. More than 80% of the city was flooded. Coastal areas witnessed water moving around 10 miles inland, causing massive destruction. A little less than 2,000 people died as a result of Hurricane Katrina. The loss to the US was a whopping $80 bn, making it the most expensive natural disaster, not only in the US but in the world.
Man, along with his planet, will never be safe from these natural disasters. They have occurred for millions of years, and will continue to do so. We can do nothing to stop them. But when we look at some of the worst natural disasters ever, we can learn something. There are many preventive measures that can be taken up by respective governments, which will lessen damage and the loss of life. We can't fight the forces of nature, but have to live with them the best we can. That is the bottom line.
By Clifford AGA
