Top Ten Worst Natural Disasters

The Top Ten
Central China Floods

In 1931, a series of devastating floods occurred in the Republic of China. They were some of the deadliest floods in history and together formed one of the most lethal natural disasters of the 20th century. Around 4 million people died in this horrific event.

Flooding in the Yangtze and Huai Rivers caused the worst flood in human history. Up to 4 million people died.

1918 Flu Pandemic

Due to the loss of life in World War I, the 1918 flu spread to 500 million people, killing about 20 to 50 million of them.

Yellow River Flood

The 1887 Yellow River flood was a devastating event on the Yellow River in September 1887. It killed about 900,000 people.

The second-deadliest flood ever, killing up to 2,000,000 people.

The Great Bengal Famine

In 1770, Bangladesh, which was controlled by the British East India Company, suffered a devastating drought that killed about 10 million people.

Chinese Drought of 1876

In 1876, a three-year drought swept through China, destroying crops and leading to between 9 and 13 million deaths from starvation.

Egypt/Syria Earthquake of 1202

A massive earthquake hit Egypt and Syria, leading to flooding and famine that killed about 1.1 million people.

Shaanxi Earthquake

In 1556, one of the worst earthquakes in history hit China, killing about 830,000 people.

This 1556 earthquake was the deadliest in history.

Afghanistan Blizzard
European Heat Wave

The deadliest heat wave in history, this 2003 heat wave hit Europe hard, particularly France. It killed up to 70,000 people.

1970 Bhola Cyclone

The deadliest storm in recent history struck East Pakistan, killing about 500,000 people.

The cyclone killed over 500,000 people and played a significant role in the Bangladesh Liberation War.

The Contenders
Hurricane Andrew
Haiti Earthquake

One of the deadliest earthquakes in history, this 2010 earthquake killed up to 316,000 people and caused devastating damage in Haiti, including severe damage to the Haitian National Palace.

North Korean Famine

A famine that lasted for four years, killing between 500,000 and 3,000,000 people.

Great Chinese Famine

The worst famine in the entire history of humanity. Primarily caused by Mao Zedong's Great Leap Forward campaign, which aimed to transform China from an agrarian to an industrial society, this famine killed up to 45,000,000 people between 1958 and 1961. The famine also led to the termination of the Great Leap Forward campaign.

Seriously, was Mao trying to cause a famine? How stupid did he have to be to make such a series of bad decisions?

The deadliest famine in history, resulting in up to 58,000,000 deaths.

Iran Blizzard (1972)
Daulatpur-Saturia Tornado (1989)

Tornadoes are one of, if not the most, well-known types of natural disasters, and the Daulatpur-Saturia Tornado of 1989 was the deadliest of them all, causing around 1,300 deaths.

Bangladesh experiences many tornadoes, and this was the worst one in the country's history. Actually, it was the worst tornado in world history.

The deadliest tornado in history, causing approximately 1,300 deaths.

576 Earthquake of Antioch
Nevado Del Ruiz Volcano Eruption
New Zealand Earthquakes
Philippine Super Typhoon
Hurricane Katrina
Canada Ice Storm
Hurricane Mitch (1998)

The deadliest Atlantic hurricane since 1780. Over 11,000 people died, 7,000 in Honduras alone.

Hurricane Irma
Hurricane Harvey
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