List of natural disasters by death toll

List of natural disasters by death toll
A natural disaster is a sudden event that causes widespread destruction, major collateral damage, or loss of life, brought about by forces other than the acts of human beings. A natural disaster might be caused by earthquakes, flooding, volcanic eruption, landslide, hurricanes, etc. To be classified as a disaster, it must have profound environmental effects and/or loss of life and frequently causes financial loss.
Ten deadliest natural disasters by highest estimated death toll excluding epidemics and famines
This list takes into account only the highest estimated death toll for each disaster and lists them accordingly. It does not include epidemics and famines. The list also does not include the 1938 Yellow River flood, which was caused by the deliberate destruction of dikes.
Deadliest natural disasters by year excluding epidemics and famines
20th century
21st century
Lists of deadliest natural disasters by cause
Avalanches/landslides
Disease outbreaks
Death counts are historical totals unless indicated otherwise.
Events in boldface are ongoing.
Earthquakes
Famines
Note: Some of these famines may have been caused or partially caused by humans.
Note: This list is ranked by number of deaths. Not deaths per capita, as in the percentage of the population.
Floods
Note: Some of these floods and landslides may be partially caused by humans – for example, by failure of dams, levees, seawalls or retaining walls.This list does not include the man-made 1938 Yellow River flood caused entirely by a deliberate man-made act (an act of war, destroying dikes).
Heat waves
Note: Measuring the number of deaths caused by a heat wave requires complicated statistical analysis, since heat waves tend to cause large numbers of deaths among people weakened by other conditions. As a result, the number of deaths is only known with any accuracy for heat waves in the modern era in countries with developed healthcare systems.
Impact events
Note: While there is only one allegedly verified case of astronomical objects resulting in human fatalities, there have been several reported occurrences throughout human history. Consequently, the fatalities for almost all events listed are considered unofficial.
Limnic eruptions
Note: Only 2 cases in recorded history.
Tornadoes
Tropical cyclones
Note: Earlier versions of this list have included the so-called 'Bombay Cyclone of 1882' in tenth position, but this supposed event has been proven to be a hoax.
Tsunamis
Note: A possible tsunami in 1782 that caused about 40,000 deaths in the Taiwan Strait area may have been of "meteorological" origin (a cyclone).
Volcanic eruptions
Wildfires
Winter storms
See also
List of countries by natural disaster risk
List of all known deadly earthquakes since 1900
List of disasters in Canada
List of disasters in Indonesia
List of disasters in the Philippines
List of disasters in Thailand
List of natural disasters in the British Isles
List of natural disasters in Haiti
List of natural disasters in New Zealand
List of natural disasters in Pakistan
List of natural disasters in the United States
Natural disasters in India
Lists of nuclear disasters and radioactive incidents
Global catastrophic risk
Other lists organized by death toll
List of wars and anthropogenic disasters by death toll
List of accidents and disasters by death toll
List of battles and other violent events by death toll
List of disasters in Antarctica by death toll
List of disasters in Australia by death toll
List of disasters in Canada by death toll
List of disasters in Croatia by death toll
List of disasters in Great Britain and Ireland by death toll
List of disasters in New Zealand by death toll
List of disasters in Poland by death toll
List of disasters in Romania by death toll
List of disasters in the United States by death toll
Tsunamis affecting the British Isles
Notes
References
External links
Natural Hazards Data from NOAA National Geophysical Data Center
"When Nature Attacks" from Newsweek
World's worst natural disasters since 1900
Earthquake Hazards Program – USGS
EM-DAT: The International Disaster Database managed by the Centre for Research on the Epidemiology of Disasters
Disasters Database Report from Emergency Management Australia
Natural disasters
Death toll