© Getty Images

Washington bomb cyclone (2024) -

A devastating, once-in-a-decade bomb cyclone swirled through the Northwestern United States and British Columbia in Canada, causing extensive damage and several fatalities. 

© Reuters

Spanish floods (2024) -

On October 29, parts of southern and eastern Spain were hit with sudden torrential rain that led to severe flash flooding across the region. Some areas received a year's worth of rain in a matter of hours. The flooding caused devastation, resulting in over 220 deaths. The country was left in shock following the disaster and declared three days of mourning for the victims. 

© Getty Images

Hurricane Milton (2024) -

In October, Hurricane Milton made landfall in Florida, bringing powerful winds and heavy rain as it moved across the state. The storm caused widespread power outages and devastation along coastal areas. The category 3 storm led to the death of 24 people and caused billions of dollars worth of damage.

© Getty Images

Southern Brazil floods (2024) -

Torrential rains battered the southern Brazilian state of Rio Grande do Sul from late April to May, surpassing one-third of the annual average rainfall. This deluge resulted in 14.2 trillion liters of water flowing into the Guaíba River, which surrounds the state capital, Porto Alegre. A devastating flood affected 96% of the state, impacting approximately 2.3 million people. There were at least 180 deaths, 806 injuries, and 423,400 left homeless.

© Getty Images

Turkey and Syria earthquake (2023) - A powerful and far-reaching 7.8-magnitude earthquake struck near the major Turkish city of Gaziantep on February 6. The death toll from the disastrous quake surpassed 46,000, with thousands more injured, and countless buildings reduced to rubble in southern Turkey and northern Syria. Just weeks after, as rescue efforts were still underway, the Turkey-Syria border was hit by a new 6.3-magnitude quake that killed at least six and injured around 300 more.

© Getty Images

Tornado in Missouri (2023) -

A deadly twister touched down in Missouri in the early hours of April 5, killing five people and destroying many homes. It tore through the southeastern area of the state, passing through rural communities where it uprooted trees and turned buildings into piles of rubble. One building was even flipped onto its side. Rescue teams had to use chainsaws to cut through fallen trees in order to gain access to homes in search of victims and survivors.

© Getty Images

Tornado outbreak in Georgia and Alabama (2023) -

On Thursday, Jan. 12, a huge storm system passed through the states of Georgia and Alabama causing serious damage and killing several people. A powerful twister ripped through the historic town of Selma, Alabama, reportedly tossing cars in the air and tearing down buildings. Eight lives were lost in the violent storm. Six of the deaths occurred 41 miles (66 kilometers) northeast of Selma, where a tornado destroyed 40 homes. A further 53 people were injured. 

© Reuters

Storm Elliot (2022) -

The winter of 2022 was marked by a wide-reaching and violent storm system that moved across the US, wreaking havoc throughout the Great Plains and many other parts of the country. The state of Louisiana was bombarded with devastating tornadoes while an ominously named bomb cyclone brought a "once in a generation" snowstorm to much of the country. Many people froze to death while others were killed in the destruction of violent weather events like tornadoes. By the end of the year, the death toll had surpassed 50.

© Reuters

Tornadoes in Iowa (2022) -

Multiple tornadoes swept across central and southwest Iowa on March 6, killing at least seven people, two of whom were children younger than five, and injuring more. The early season tornado outbreak turned out to be much worse than forecasters predicted. The most destructive tornado was described as “large and extremely dangerous” by the Weather Service, and the supercell tracked upward of 150 miles (241 km). 

© Getty Images

Tornadoes across American Midwest (2021) -

A string of tornadoes devastated the American Midwest as they ripped through six states in December, killing at least 80 people and obliterating homes and businesses. The tornado outbreak reportedly began as a series of overnight thunderstorms, including a supercell storm in northeast Arkansas. That storm then moved to Missouri and Tennessee, and then Kentucky, where the twisters hit the small town of Mayfield worst. The damage included totally flattened homes, uprooted trees, a collapsed candle factory, and more. 

© Getty Images

Hurricane Ida (2021) -

On August 29, Hurricane Ida barreled through Louisiana as a Category 4 hurricane with maximum sustained winds of 150 mph (241 kph), according to the National Hurricane Center. It's one of the strongest hurricanes on record to ever make landfall in Louisiana.

© Getty Images 

Hurricane Ida (2021) -

The hurricane caused mass flooding and devastating damage throughout the state. The catastrophic hit on the 16-year anniversary of Katrina, a Category 3 hurricane that ravaged the Gulf Coast. Flooding destroyed countless homes, and killed many living in basements. More than 90 reportedly died in the storm. 

© Getty Images

Czech Republic tornado (2021) -

A horrifying tornado swept through the south-eastern region of the Czech Republic in June of 2021. It resulted in five deaths and hundreds of injuries. In addition to the tornado, hailstones the size of tennis balls were reported. The peaceful region was turned into a war zone by the incident and thousands of homes were destroyed or damaged. 

© Getty Images 

Hurricane Dorian (2019) -

Hurricane Dorian was a catastrophic Category 5 Atlantic hurricane that struck the Bahamas in 2019. It was the worst storm in the region's history, and also hit some of the southern US states like Florida and Georgia. It caused an estimated US$5 billion in damages and killed 74 people. Many more were never found. 

© Reuters

Cyclone Idai (2019) - In early April 2019, Cyclone Idai became one of the worst tropical cyclones on record to affect Africa and the Southern Hemisphere. It caused catastrophic damage in Mozambique, Zimbabwe, and Malawi, leaving more than 1,000 people dead and thousands more missing, along with serious outbreaks of cholera.

© Reuters

Cyclone Kenneth (2019) -

Cyclone Kenneth was the second powerful tropical storm to hit southeast Africa within a span of five weeks, devastating areas still reeling from Cyclone Idai.

© Getty Images 

Cyclone Kenneth (2019) -

It was reportedly the strongest storm to hit the region since records began, destroying nearly 3,400 homes and displacing thousands more. 

© Getty Images 

California wildfires (2018) -

The 2018 wildfire season in California was the state's deadliest and most destructive, taking 84 lives. It was caused by a faulty transmission line owned by the Pacific Gas and Electric Company. 

© Reuters

Hurricane Maria (2017) - In September 2017, Hurricane Maria materialized as a deadly Category 5 hurricane that devastated Puerto Rico, Dominica, and the US Virgin Islands.

© Reuters

Hurricane Maria (2017) - It is regarded as the worst natural disaster on record to affect those islands, and claimed over 3,000 lives.

© Reuters

Hurricane Matthew (2016) - The most talked-about natural disaster of 2016 hit the Caribbean hardest in terms of fatalities, particularly Haiti. There were more than 500 deaths. 

© Reuters

Hurricane Matthew (2016) - The Category 4 hurricane reportedly had maximum sustained winds of 233 km (145 miles) per hour, and spread to the east coast of the US as well, leaving 48 dead.

© Reuters

Nepal earthquake (2015) - A magnitude 7.8 earthquake struck Nepal on April 25, 2015, killing more than 8,800 people.

© Reuters

Nepal earthquake (2015) - It damaged or destroyed nearly 900,000 buildings, created avalanches in the Himalayas, and was reportedly the nation's deadliest disaster on record.

© Reuters

India-Pakistan floods (2014) -

In September 2014, the Kashmir region suffered disastrous floods and landslides caused by torrential rainfall, reportedly killing nearly 1,300 people.

© Reuters

Super Typhoon Yolanda (2013) - On November 7, 2013, an astonishingly fast typhoon of 315 km (196 miles) per hour struck the east coast of the Philippines. Also known as Typhoon Haiyan, this was one of the most powerful tropical cyclones ever recorded.

© Getty Images

Super Typhoon Yolanda (2013) - Over one million homes were devastated, and over 14 million people across 44 provinces were affected by this Category 5 storm. The typhoon is estimated to have killed more than 6,000 people, while also leaving about 1,800 missing. Over four million people were displaced.

© Getty Images

Hurricane Sandy (2012) - Hurricane Sandy was a tropical cyclone that affected Jamaica, Cuba, the Bahamas, Haiti, the Dominican Republic, and some states in the eastern US. It was unpredictable and devastating, killing more than 200 people. 

© Getty Images

Sendai earthquake and tsunami (2011) - This massive earthquake occurred in northeastern Japan in March 2011. It had a magnitude of 9. The earthquake initiated a series of large tsunami waves that devastated many coastal areas, leaving thousands of families homeless. The catastrophe caused almost 16,000 deaths.

© Getty Images

Haiti earthquake (2010) - Haiti suffered from a large earthquake on January 12, 2010, with a magnitude of 7, and several subsequent earthquakes between magnitudes of 5.5 and 5.9. It caused massive long-term damage, with an estimated 250,000 homes devastated by the catastrophe.

© Getty Images

Haiti earthquake (2010) -

As a result of this earthquake, over one million people were left homeless and without suitable living conditions. Though the number is debated, the Haitian government estimated that 316,000 people died in this catastrophe. An estimated three million people—nearly one-third of the country’s total population—were affected.

© Getty Images

Cyclone Nargis (2008) - In May 2008, an intense tropical cyclone caused the worst natural disaster in the history of Myanmar, a country in Southeast Asia. At least 138,000 people died, and whole cities and villages were devastated.

© Getty Images

Kashmir earthquake (2005) - Also in 2005, the Pakistan-administered portion of the Kashmir region suffered an earthquake that reached a magnitude of 7.6 and a depth of 10 km (6.2 miles).

© Getty Images

Kashmir earthquake (2005) -

The tremors were felt as far as India and Afghanistan, and wreaked havoc on people's homes and lives. In total, around 80,000 people died in this catastrophe, and many others were injured.

© Getty Images

Hurricane Katrina (2005) - On August 29, 2005, one of the biggest tropical hurricanes of the last century hit the southeastern United States. With winds in excess of 275 km (170 miles) per hour, the storm soon ranked as the worst natural disaster in US history, claiming over 1,800 lives.

© Getty Images

Hurricane Katrina (2005) - The most affected areas were Florida, the Bahamas, and the Gulf of Mexico. New Orleans, Louisiana, also suffered greatly, as the city was 80% underwater by August 30.

© Getty Images

Indian Ocean earthquake and tsunami (2004) - On December 26, 2004, a 9.1 magnitude earthquake struck off the coast of the Indonesian island of Sumatra.

© Getty Images

Indian Ocean earthquake and tsunami (2004) - The earthquake formed a series of tsunamis that spread across the Indian Ocean and caused the loss of more than 250,000 lives across a dozen countries.

© Getty Images

European heat wave (2003) - The European heat wave was one of the deadliest heat waves of the last 500 years, with at least 30,000 deaths (more than 14,000 in France alone) reported. Sadly, recent summers have become increasingly deadly.

© Reuters

Bam earthquake (2003) - A massive earthquake struck the center of Bam, in southeastern Iran, with a magnitude of 6.6. More than 26,000 people were killed in the course of this disaster, and another 30,000 were injured.

© Getty Images

Gujarat earthquake (2001) -

This catastrophe occurred in the Indian state of Gujarat. The earthquake had a magnitude of 7.9 and devastated the area.

© Getty Images

Gujarat earthquake (2001) -

Also known as the Bhuj earthquake, this natural disaster killed at least 20,000 people and injured more than 150,000 others. It destroyed or damaged more than a million buildings, including nearly all the villages of Gujarat.

© Getty Images