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, cyclones, etc. To be classified as a disaster, it must have profound environmental effects 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 and every 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.

Death toll (Highest estimate) Event Location Date 1931 China floods China 1887 Yellow River flood China 1970 Bhola cyclone East Pakistan United States Geological Survey, Earthquakes with 50,000 or More Deaths 2010 Haiti earthquake + 1976 Tangshan earthquake Hebei, China 526 Antioch earthquake 1839 Coringa cyclone Andhra Pradesh, India 1737 Calcutta cyclone Mughal Empire 1920 Haiyuan earthquake Ningxia, China 1139 Ganja earthquake Seljuk Empire

Deadliest natural disasters by year excluding epidemics and famines 20th century Year Deaths Event Countries affected Type Date 1901 9,500 1901 eastern United States heat wave United States Heat wave June–July 1902 29,000 1902 eruption of Mount Pelée Martinique Volcanic eruption April–August 1903 3,500 1903 Manzikert earthquake TurkeyEarthquake April 29 1904 400 1904 Sichuan earthquake China August 30 1905 20,000+ 1905 Kangra earthquake India April 4 1906 15,000 1906 Hong Kong typhoon Hong Kong Tropical cyclone September 18 1907 12,000–15,000 1907 Qaratog earthquake UzbekistanEarthquake October 21 1908 75,000–82,000 1908 Messina earthquake Italy December 28 1909 6,000–8,000 1909 Borujerd earthquake Iran January 23 1910 2,450 1910 Costa Rica earthquakes Costa Rica May 4 1911 41,072 1911 France heat wave France Heat wave June–August 1912 50,000–220,000 1912 China typhoon China Tropical cyclone August 29 1913 942–1,900 1913 Eshan earthquakeEarthquake December 21 1914 2,344 1914 Burdur earthquake Turkey October 4 1915 29,978–32,610 1915 Avezzano earthquake Italy January 13 1916 2,000–10,000 White Friday avalanches Avalanche December 13 1917 1,500 1917 Bali earthquake Indonesia Earthquake January 21 1918 1,000 1918 Shantou earthquake China February 13 1919 5,000 1919 Kelud mudflow Indonesia Volcanic eruption May 19 1920 258,707–273,407 1920 Haiyuan earthquake China, Mongolia Earthquake December 16 1921 215 September 1921 San Antonio floods United States Flood September 7–11 1922 50,000–100,000+ 1922 Shantou typhoon Philippines, China Tropical cyclone July 27 – August 3 1923 105,385–142,800 1923 Great Kantō earthquake Japan Earthquake September 1 1924 1,000 Great flood of 99 India Flood July 1925 5,000 1925 Dali earthquake China Earthquake March 16 1926 709 1926 Havana–Bermuda hurricane Cuba, United States, Bahamas, Bermuda Tropical cyclone October 14–28 1927 40,912 1927 Gulang earthquake China, Tibet Earthquake May 22 1928 4,112+ 1928 Okeechobee hurricane United States, Puerto Rico, Guadeloupe, Bahamas, Dominica, Tropical cyclone September 12–21 1929 3,257–3,800 1929 Kopet Dag earthquake Iran, Turkmenistan Earthquake May 1 1930 2,000–8,000 1930 San Zenón hurricane Dominican Republic Tropical cyclone September 3 1931 422,499–4,000,000 1931 China floods China Flood July–November 1932 3,103+ 1932 Cuba hurricane Cayman Islands, Cuba Tropical cyclone November 9 1933 6,865–9,300 1933 Diexi earthquake ChinaEarthquake August 25 1934 10,700–12,000 1934 Nepal–India earthquake Nepal, India January 15 1935 145,000 1935 Yangtze flood China Flood July 6 1936 5,000+ 1936 North American heat wave United States, Canada Heat wave June–September 1937 11,021 1937 Great Hong Kong typhoon China Tropical cyclone September 2 1938 715+ 1938 Hanshin flood Japan Flood July 1939 32,700–32,968 1939 Erzincan earthquake TurkeyEarthquake December 27 1940 1,000 1940 Vrancea earthquake Romania November 10 1941 1,200 1941 Jabal Razih earthquake Yemen January 11 1942 61,000 1942 West Bengal cyclone India Tropical cyclone October 14–18 1943 2,824–5,000 1943 Tosya–Ladik earthquake TurkeyEarthquake November 27 1944 10,000 1944 San Juan earthquake Argentina January 15 1945 4,000 1945 Balochistan earthquake Pakistan November 28 1946 2,550 1946 Dominican Republic earthquake Dominican Republic August 4 1947 1,077 Typhoon Kathleen Japan Tropical cyclone September 15 1948 10,000–110,000 1948 Ashgabat earthquake Soviet Union, IranEarthquake October 6 1949 7,200 1949 Khait earthquake Tajikistan July 10 1950 4,800 1950 Assam-Tibet earthquake India, China August 15 1951 4,800 1951 Manchuria flood China Flood September 18 1952 2,336 1952 Severo-Kurilsk earthquake Russia Earthquake November 4 1953 2,551 North Sea flood of 1953 Netherlands, Belgium, England, Scotland Flood January 31 – February 1 1954 33,000 1954 Yangtze floods China June–September 1955 1,023+ Hurricane Janet Lesser Antilles, Mexico Tropical cyclone September 22–30 1956 4,935 Typhoon Wanda China August 1 1957 1,500 1957 Sangchal earthquake Iran Earthquake July 2 1958 1,269 Typhoon Ida Japan Tropical cyclone September 26 1959 5,098 Typhoon Vera 1960 14,174 Severe Cyclonic Storm Ten East Pakistan (now Bangladesh) October 31 1961 11,468 Cyclone Winnie May 6–9 1962 50,935 Tropical Storm Harriet Thailand, East Pakistan (now Bangladesh) October 19–31 1963 22,000 Extremely Severe Cyclonic Storm Two East Pakistan (now Bangladesh) May 28 1964 7,000 Tropical Storm Joan Vietnam November 4–11 1965 47,000 1965 Bengal cyclones East Pakistan (now Bangladesh) May 11–12 and June 1–2 1966 8,064 1966 Xingtai earthquakes China Earthquake March 22 1967 10,000 1967 Paradip cyclone India Tropical cyclone October 26 1968 15,000 1968 Dasht-e Bayaz and Ferdows earthquakes Iran Earthquake August 31 1969 3,000 1969 Yangjiang earthquake China July 26 1970 300,000–500,000 1970 Bhola cyclone India, East Pakistan (now Bangladesh) Tropical cyclone November 13 1971 100,000 Hanoi and Red River Delta flood North Vietnam Flood August 1 1972 5,374 1972 Qir earthquake Iran Earthquake April 10 1972 4,000–11,000 1972 Managua earthquake Nicaragua December 23 1973 2,175–2,204 1973 Luhuo earthquake China February 6 1974 8,210+ Hurricane Fifi–Orlene Honduras, Nicaragua, El Salvador, Guatemala, Belize, MexicoTropical cyclone September 18–20 1975 26,000–240,000 1975 Banqiao Dam failure disaster triggered by Typhoon Nina China August 7 1976 242,419–655,000 1976 Tangshan earthquake Earthquake July 28 1977 10,000–50,000 1977 Andhra Pradesh cyclone India Tropical cyclone November 19 1978 15,000–25,000 1978 Tabas earthquake Iran Earthquake September 16 1979 2,078 Hurricane David Dominican Republic, Dominica Tropical cyclone August 15 – September 8 1980 2,633–5,000 1980 El Asnam earthquake Algeria Earthquake October 10 1981 3,000 1981 Golbaf earthquake Iran June 11 1982 2,800 1982 North Yemen earthquake Yemen December 13 1983 1,342 1983 Erzurum earthquake Turkey October 30 1984 1,474 Typhoon Ike Philippines Tropical cyclone August 26 – September 6 1985 23,000 Armero tragedy Colombia Volcanic eruption November 13 1986 1,746 Lake Nyos disaster Cameroon Limnic eruption August 21 1987 1,000 1987 Ecuador earthquakes Ecuador Earthquake March 6 1988 25,000–50,000 1988 Armenian earthquake Armenia December 7 1989 3,814 1989 Sichuan flood China Flood July 27 1990 35,000–45,000 1990 Manjil–Rudbar earthquake Iran Earthquake June 21 1991 138,866 1991 Bangladesh cyclone Bangladesh Tropical cyclone April 24–30 1992 2,500 1992 Flores earthquake and tsunami Indonesia Earthquake, Tsunami December 12 1993 9,748 1993 Latur earthquake India Earthquake September 30 1994 3,063 Typhoon Fred China, Taiwan Tropical cyclone August 21 1995 6,434 Great Hanshin earthquake Japan Earthquake January 17 1996 1,077 1996 Andhra Pradesh cyclone India Tropical cyclone November 4–7 1997 3,123 Tropical Storm Linda Vietnam, Thailand Tropical cyclone, Flood November 1–9 1998 11,374 Hurricane Mitch Honduras, Nicaragua, El Salvador, Guatemala, Belize, Mexico Tropical cyclone October 22 – November 9 1999 10,000–30,000 Vargas tragedy Venezuela Mudslide, Flood December 14–16 2000 700–800 2000 Mozambique flood Mozambique Flood February–March

21st century Year Death toll Event Countries affected Type Date 2001 13,805–20,023 2001 Gujarat earthquake India Earthquake January 26 2002 1,200 2002 Hindu Kush earthquakes Afghanistan March 25 2003 72,000 2003 European heatwave Europe Heat wave July – August 2004 227,898 2004 Indian Ocean earthquake and tsunami Indonesia, Sri Lanka, India, Thailand, Maldives, Somalia Earthquake, Tsunami December 26 2005 86,000–87,351 2005 Kashmir earthquake India, Pakistan Earthquake October 8 2006 5,749–5,778 2006 Yogyakarta earthquake Indonesia May 26 2007 15,000 Cyclone Sidr Bangladesh, India Tropical cyclone November 11 – 16 2008 138,373 Cyclone Nargis Myanmar April 27 – May 3 2009 1,115 2009 Sumatra earthquakes Indonesia Earthquake September 30 2010 100,000–316,000 2010 Haiti earthquake Haiti January 12 2011 19,749 2011 Tōhoku earthquake and tsunami Japan Earthquake, Tsunami March 11 2012 1,901 Typhoon Bopha Philippines Tropical cyclone December 4 – 5 2013 6,340 Typhoon Haiyan Philippines, Vietnam, China November 8 – 10 2014 2,700 2014 Badakhshan mudslides Afghanistan Landslide May 2 2015 8,964 April 2015 Nepal earthquake Nepal, India Earthquake April 25 2016 1,111 2016 Indian heat wave India Heat wave April – May 2017 3,059 Hurricane Maria Puerto Rico, Dominica Tropical cyclone September 19 – 21 2018 4,340 2018 Sulawesi earthquake and tsunami Indonesia Earthquake, Tsunami September 28 2019 3,951+ 2019 European heatwaves Europe Heat wave June – July 2020 6,511 2020 South Asian floods Afghanistan, Bangladesh, India, Nepal, Pakistan, Sri Lanka Floods May – October 2021 2,248 2021 Haiti earthquake Haiti Earthquake August 14 2022 24,501–70,000 2022 European heatwaves Europe Heat wave June 12 – September 12 2023 59,259–62,013 2023 Turkey–Syria earthquakes Turkey, Syria Earthquake February 6 2024 62,700 2024 European heatwaves Europe Heat wave June – August 2025 5,456 2025 Myanmar earthquake Myanmar, Thailand Earthquake 28 March202621,870 2026 European heatwavesEuropeHeat wave May – ongoing

Lists of deadliest natural disasters by cause Avalanche and landslides (landslips)

RankDeath toll (estimate) Event Location Date 1. 1786 Dadu River landslide dam; triggered by the 1786 Kangding-Luding earthquake China 1920 Haiyuan landslides; triggered by the 1920 Haiyuan earthquake 3. + Landslides triggered by the 1718 Tongwei–Gansu earthquake. 4. 1970 Huascarán avalanche; triggered by the 1970 Ancash earthquake Peru 5. –30,000 Vargas tragedy Venezuela 1999 1815 Singaraja landslide; triggered by 1815 Bali earthquake Indonesia 1815 White Friday avalanches Italy 8. –28,000 Khait landslide Tajikistan 9. –6,000 1941 Huaraz avalanche Peru 1962 Huascarán avalanche

Disease outbreaks

Death counts are historical totals unless indicated otherwise. Events in boldface are ongoing.