5 worst natural disasters in human history

Despite the development of science and all sorts of technological breakthroughs, humanity still remains defenseless in the face of the elements. Throughout our history, nature has killed a huge number of people from time to time. You don’t have to look far for examples – Hurricane Helen, which hit 6 US states on September 29, 2024, took the lives of more than 220 people. It became one of the deadliest in recent years, but in terms of the number of victims, it is significantly inferior to a number of other natural disasters that occurred earlier. They caused the deaths of hundreds of thousands and even millions of people.

5 worst natural disasters in human history. Natural disasters regularly kill hundreds of thousands of people. Photo source: chas.news. Photo.

Natural disasters regularly kill hundreds of thousands of people. Photo source: chas.news

Contents

  • 1 Powerful cyclone in Coringa
  • 2 Earthquake in Haiti 2010
  • 3 Bhola Cyclone in Bangladesh
  • 4 Yellow River Flood of 1887
  • 5 The Largest Natural Disaster in Human History

Powerful Cyclone in Coring

On November 25, 1839, a powerful cyclone hit the Indian port city of Coring in the state of Andhra Pradesh, which later became known as the Andhra Pradesh cyclone or the cyclone of India. Until 1970, it was considered the deadliest in the country, as it claimed the lives of 300 thousand people.

The powerful storm destroyed thousands of ships at anchor. But the greatest number of victims were on land. Rivers and streams that overflowed their banks literally washed away houses that were in their path. The elements also destroyed arable land and drowned thousands of animals due to the storm surge.

A powerful cyclone in Coringa. During the earthquake in Haiti, according to some sources, more than 300 thousand people died. Photo source: vdpo.rf. Photo.

During the earthquake in Haiti, according to some sources, more than 300 thousand people died. Photo source: vdpo.rf

Earthquake in Haiti 2010

The magnitude 7 earthquake in Haiti, which occurred on January 12, 2010 in the city of Port-au-Prince, the capital of the republic, is considered one of the three deadliest ever in human history. It led to the destruction of thousands of houses, as well as the city's infrastructure, bridges, overpasses, roads, hospitals, etc. As a result, all the main services of the city were paralyzed.

According to some sources, about 316,000 people died as a result of the earthquake. For comparison, about 50 thousand people died as a result of the earthquake in Turkey in 2023. The earthquake in Haiti affected the lives of more than three million people who lost their property and were left without a livelihood.

Cyclone “Bhola” in Bangladesh

Bhola remains the deadliest tropical cyclone ever recorded. It struck East Pakistan and West Bengal, India, on November 12, 1970. According to NOAA, it generated winds of up to 205 kilometers per hour. It created a powerful storm surge that devastated numerous coastal islands. The waters swept away entire villages and destroyed agricultural lands in the region.

Cyclone

“Bhola” is the deadliest tropical cyclone ever recorded. Photo source: chas.news

As noted in the 1971 report, estimating the death toll is incredibly difficult due to the influx of workers during the rice harvest season. According to some sources, the disaster killed about half a million people. Incidentally, this event indirectly influenced the creation of the state of Bangladesh, as the tragedy led to a standoff between the government and the opposition, which resulted in a war for independence.

The Yellow River Flood of 1887

This natural disaster is also called “China’s sorrow,” as it claimed the lives of between 930,000 and 2 million people, according to various estimates. However, half of them died not from the water, but from the consequences of the flood in the form of a pandemic. People left homeless could not even observe basic hygiene rules.

According to most sources, the flood began on September 28, 1887. It was caused by heavy rains that began a few days before the tragic events. The banks of the Yellow River were some of the most densely populated areas in China at the time. However, this was not the only reason for such a large number of victims.

The Yellow River flood of 1887. In 1887, up to two million people died in China due to flooding. Photo source: netinfo.bg. Photo.

In 1887, up to two million people died in China due to flooding. Photo source: netinfo.bg

Farmers living along the Yellow River actively built dams to hold back the water. This helped them in their agricultural work. Gradually, the dams became higher. They were built from trees growing in the coastal zone. Before people began to cut them down, they served as a natural defense against floods.

On September 28, due to heavy rains, one of the dams could not withstand the onslaught of water and collapsed. A large volume of water rushed downstream, demolishing dam after dam along its way. The result was a snowball effect, which led to 130 thousand square meters of land being flooded with water.

The largest natural disaster in human history

The largest documented natural disaster in human history also occurred in China – this is the flood that occurred in 1931. It was preceded by several years of drought. In the winter of 1930-1931, the situation began to change – a large amount of precipitation fell. Torrential rains continued in the spring and summer, as a result of which the rivers began to overflow.

The worst natural disaster in human history. Up to 4 million people could have died in a flood in China in 1931. Photo source: chas.news. Photo.

Up to 4 million people could have died in a flood in China in 1931. Photo source: chas.news

In mid-summer 1931, the situation worsened even more – precipitation became more frequent, while an unprecedented number of cyclones were observed. In July alone, 9 cyclones were registered over the region, while two cyclones per year are considered the norm. As a result, all of China's largest rivers, such as the Yangtze, Huaihe and Yellow Rivers, began to overflow their banks.

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At some point, the water reached Nanjing, the country's capital at the time, and almost completely destroyed the city. By August 19, the water level was 16 meters above normal. But the natural disaster did not subside. On the evening of August 25, water entered the Grand Canal and destroyed the dams, as a result of which about 200 thousand people drowned in one night alone. The total number of victims of the flood, according to some sources, reaches 4 million people.

Finally, we note that the Great Chinese Earthquake of January 23, 1556 can also be considered the most deadly natural disaster. You can read more about this tragedy at the link.


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