10 World’s Worst Disaster in Human History
Violent natural disasters have been a fact of human life since the beginning of the species, but the death counts of the most ancient of these disasters are lost to history.
E.g. The Mediterranean island of Stroggli, is believed to have been completely wiped out by a volcanic eruption and ensuing tsunami that eradicated the entire Minoan civilization around 1500 B.C.
How many lives were lost? We’ll never know.
Natural Hazard vs. Natural Disaster
A natural hazard is a threat of a naturally occurring event that will have a negative effect on humans. A natural hazard becomes a natural disaster when it takes place, causing significant loss of life and property.
There have been numerous natural disasters in recent history, ranging from the January 2010 earthquake that struck Haiti, to Cyclone Aila, which hit Bangladesh and India in May of 2009, killing approximately 330 people, and affecting upwards of 1 million.
Below is the list of 10 worst disasters in human history:
- 1931 China floods
- 1970 Bhola Cyclone
- 2010 Haiti Earthquake
- 1920 Haiyuan Earthquake
- 1976 Tangshan Earthquake
- 1975 Typhoon Nina
- 2004 Indian Ocean Earthquake and Tsunami
- 1935 Yangtze Flood
- 1923 Great Kantō Earthquake
- 1991 Bangladesh Cyclone
