Natural Disasters

A natural disaster is classified as any catastrophe that is naturally occuring, or is caused by physical, natural phenomena, that threatens human life. Natural disasters include earthquakes, tsunamis, landslides, volcanic eruptions, avalanches, floods, drought, wildfires and cyclones.¹² Some of the worst natural disasters in world history include:

• The Central China Floods (1931); Deaths: 2 million
• Indian Ocean Earthquake and Tsunami (2004); Deaths: 230–280,000
• Haiti Earthquake (2010); Deaths: 316,000 ³
• Bangladesh Cyclone (1991); Deaths: 135,000–140,000 ⁴
• Haiyun Earthquake (1920); Deaths: 240,000
• India Cyclone (1839); Deaths: 200,000 ⁵
• — Cyclone Nargis (2008); Deaths: 140,000 ⁶

Recent, significant natural disasters in the United States include the California wildfires of 2018, Hurricane Michael, the Great Chicago Fire, Hurricane Maria, the San Francisco Fire and Hurricane Katrina.⁷⁸