Natural Disasters Timeline

1650BC
to 1450BC
Minoan Eruption of Thera
The eruption of Santorini in Greece in 1,650 B.C. was one of the largest (VEI=6) in the last 10,000 years. About 7 cubic miles (30 cubic km) of rhyodacite magma was erupted. The plinian c...
226BC Rhodes Earthquake
The Colossus only stood for 56 years before it was levelled by an earthquake in 226 BC. The force of the earthquake was such the statue snapped off at the knees and fell over on to the la...
79 Aug 24 Eruption of Mount Vesuvius
Mount Vesuvius is best known for its eruption in AD 79 that led to the destruction of the Roman cities of Pompeii and Herculaneum. They were never rebuilt, although surviving townspeople ...
365 Jul 21 Crete Earthquake of 365 AD
The 365 AD Crete earthquake was an undersea earthquake that occurred at about sunrise on 21 July 365 AD in the Eastern Mediterranean, with an assumed epicentre near Crete. Geologists toda...
856 Dec 22 Damghan Earthquake
The Damghan Earthquake was an earthquake of magnitude 8.0, that struck a 200-mile (320 km) stretch of Iran on 22 December, 856 A.D. The earthquake's epicenter was said to be directly belo...
1202 May 20 Syria Earthquake of 1202
The 1202 Syria earthquake struck at about dawn on 20 May 1202 (598 AH) with an epicenter in southwestern Syria. Up to 1,100,000 deaths have been associated with this earthquake, although ...
1360 Apr 13 Black Monday Hail Storm
On so-called "Black Monday" in 1360, a hail storm kills an estimated 1,000 English soldiers in Chartres, France. The storm and the devastation it caused also played a part in the Hundred ...
1362 Jan 16 Grote Mandrenke Storm
The storm Grote Mandrenke (Great Drowning of Men) strikes the Netherlands in January 1362. Hurricane-force winds with enormous waves and a considerable sea level rise (a storm surge) due ...
1693 Jan 11 Sicily Earthquake of 1693
On the 11th of January 1693 a huge earthquake destroyed at least 45 cities, affecting an area of 5600 square kilometres and causing the death of more than 60 000 people - about half of th...
1703 Nov 24
to 1703 Dec 2
 Great Storm of 1703
The Great Storm of 1703 was the most severe storm or natural disaster ever recorded in the southern part of Great Britain. It affected southern England and the English Channel in the King...
1775 Aug 29
to 1775 Sep 9
 Newfoundland Hurricane of 1775
A storm struck the eastern coast of Newfoundland on September 9, 1775. It is uncertain if this storm was the remnants of the hurricane that had crossed the Outer Banks over a week earlier...
1780 Oct 10
to 1780 Oct 16
 Great Hurricane of 1780
The Great Hurricane of 1780, also known as the Hurricane San Calixto II, is the deadliest Atlantic hurricane on record. Over 27,500 people died when the storm passed through the Lesser An...
1811 Dec 16 New Madrid Earthquake of 1812
In the past three centuries, major earthquakes outside of California and Alaska generally occurred in sparsely-settled areas, and damage and fatalities were largely minimal. But some took...
1839 Nov 25 The Indian Cyclone of 1839
On November 25, 1839 a huge cyclone hit Coringa, India with a 40ft storm surge and killed 300,000 people. The entire city was destroyed by this wave and the city was then never rebuilt. O...
1840 May 7 Great Natchez Tornado
The Great Natchez Tornado hit Natchez, Mississippi on May 7, 1840. It is the second deadliest single tornado in United States history, killing 317 people (the only tornado in the United S...
1856 Aug 11 Last Island Hurricane
The Last Island hurricane of 1856 was an intense Atlantic hurricane that destroyed Last Island in southern Louisiana. The first tropical cyclone, first hurricane, and first major hurrican...
1872 Mar 26 Lone Pine Earthquake
The Great Lone Pine earthquake was one of the largest earthquakes to hit California in recorded history. The quake struck on March 26, 1872 and its epicenter was near Lone Pine, Californi...
1883 Aug 26
to 1883 Aug 27
 1883 Eruption of Krakatoa
The best known eruption of Krakatoa culminated in a series of massive explosions on August 26–27, 1883, which was among the most violent volcanic events in modern and recorded history. ...
1884 Feb 19
to 1884 Feb 20
 Enigma Tornado Outbreak
The 1884 Enigma outbreak is thought to be among the largest and most widespread tornado outbreaks in American history, striking on February 19–20, 1884. As the precise number of tornad...
1886 Aug 31 Charleston Earthquake of 1886
This is the most damaging earthquake to occur in the Southeast United States and one of the largest historic shocks in Eastern North America. It damaged or destroyed many buildings in the...
1887 Sep 28 Yellow River Flood of 1887
China has had a particularly long and terrible history of flooding. In the last 2000 years, the Yangtze River has flooded more than 1000 times. But it is the Hwang Ho or "Yellow River" th...
1888 Jan 12 Schoolhouse Blizzard
In one (blizzard) which visited Dakota and the States of Montana, Minnesota, Nebraska, Kansas and Texas in January, 1888, the mercury fell within twenty-four hours from 74 degrees F above...
1888 Mar 11
to 1888 Mar 14
 Great Blizzard of 1888
The notorious "Blizzard of 1888" literally paralyzed The Northeast after three days of snow, wind and freezing temperatures. Two-and-a-half to four feet of snow fell, and drifts were repo...
1893 Aug 15
to 1893 Sep 2
 Sea Island Hurricane of 1893
On August 27, 1893 a major hurricane which came to be known as the Sea Islands Hurricane struck the United States near Savannah, Georgia. It was one of two deadly hurricanes during the 18...
1893 Sep 27
to 1893 Oct 5
 Cheniere Caminada Hurricane of 1893
Originating near the Yucatan Peninsula, a compact and fast-moving hurricane rode a low pressure trough across the river and bayou plains of extreme Southeastern Louisiana at such an angle...
1896 May 27
to 1896 May 28
 St. Louis-East St. Louis Tornado of 1896
This tornado, which was to be one of the deadliest in US history, touched down about 6 miles west of the Eads Bridge in St. Louis. From the northwest edge of Tower Grove Park, this comple...
1896 Jun 15 Meiji-Sanriku Earthquake
Twenty-seven thousand people died in a huge tsunami that swept over the seaport of Kamaishi, Japan, on June 15, 1896. A local earthquake cause mild shaking of the port city, which was not...
1900 Jul 4 Tacoma Trolley Disaster
Nearly a hundred people, passengers on a car bound for this city, were plunged into a gulch at Twenty-sixth and C Streets shortly after 8 o'clock this morning. Those who were standing on ...
1900 Sep 8 Galveston Hurricane of 1900
The Hurricane of 1900 made landfall on the city of Galveston in the U.S. state of Texas, on September 8, 1900. It had estimated winds of 135 miles per hour (217 km/h) at landfall, making ...
1902 May 8 Eruption of Mount Pellée
At about 7:50 a.m. on May 8, the volcano erupted with a deafening roar. A large black cloud composed of superheated gas, ash and rock rolled headlong down the south flank of Mt. Pelée at ...
1905 Apr 4 Kangra Earthquake of 1905
1905 Kangra earthquake was a major earthquake that occurred in the Kangra Valley and the Kangra region of Himachal Pradesh in India on 4 April 1905. The earthquake measured 7.8 on the sur...
1907 Jan 14 The Kingston Earthquake of 1907
In 1907, 800 people died in another earthquake known as the 1907 Kingston earthquake, destroying nearly all the historical buildings south of Parade in the city. That was when a restricti...
1908 Jun 20 Tunguska Event
It is generally accepted that the Tunguska event resulted from the catastrophic disruption of a large meteor high above the ground. Previous studies have yielded diverse interpretations a...
1908 Dec 28 Messina Earthquake of 1908
On the early morning of December 28, 1908, the Italian city of Messina awoke to the deadliest earthquake in European history. Striking just days after Christmas in the Straits of Messina,...
1910 Mar 1 Wellington Avalanche
The Cascade Tunnel, completed in 1900, bypassed the switchbacks. Several snowsheds were also added for safety, but winter conditions still presented serious hazards. Trains were often sto...
1913 Nov 6
to 1913 Nov 11
 Great Lakes Storm of 1913
Anyone living in the Great Lakes Region for an extended period of time can become all too familiar with the incredible storms, or low pressure areas, that can settle over the Great Lakes ...
1915 Aug 5 Galveston Hurricane of 1915
The 1915 Galveston Hurricane was a deadly hurricane that struck Leeward Islands, Hispanola, Cuba and Texas, in mid August of the 1915 Atlantic hurricane season. Striking Galveston, Texas,...
1917 May 26 Mattoon Tornado of 1917
The funnel of the tornado on May 26, 1917 first appeared at noon just west of a small town southeast of Quincy (Wilson and Changnon, 1971). It moved east along a remarkably straight line ...
1918 Mar 4 Flu Pandemic of 1918
In the fall of 1918 the Great War in Europe was winding down and peace was on the horizon. The Americans had joined in the fight, bringing the Allies closer to victory against the Germans...
1919 May 19 Eruption of Mt. Kelud
The volcano sits on the island of Java, about 385 miles east of the capital of Jakarta. It last erupted in 1990, killing dozens. In 1919, an explosion that blew the top off the mountain k...
1926 Jul 22 Nassau Hurricane of 1926
The 1926 storm was described by the U.S. Weather Bureau in Miami as "probably the most destructive hurricane ever to strike the United States." It hit Fort Lauderdale, Dania, Hollywood, H...
1930 Jun 26 John B. King Drill Scow is Struck by Lightning
Thirty members of the drill scow JOHN B. KING of St. Catharines were either instantly killed or blow to death by drowning when a lightning bolt struck the dynamite laden craft three and a...
1931 Feb 3 Hawke's Bay Earthquake
The 7.9 earthquake struck at 10.46 on the morning of February 3, 1931, the first day of the school year, a beautiful summer’s day. It was felt as two distinct movements half a minute apar...
1931 Aug 18 China Flood of 1931
On this day in 1931, the Yangtze River in China peaks during a horrible flood that kills 3.7 million people directly and indirectly over the next several months. This was perhaps the wors...
1933 Aug 25 Diexi Earthquake of 1933
The 1933 Diexi earthquake occurred in Diexi, Mao County, Sichuan, Republic of China on August 25, 1933. This earthquake destroyed the town of Diexi and surrounding villages, and caused...
1935 May 31 Balochistan Earthquake of 1935
The town of Quetta saw most of the fatalities, and this earthquake has since been known as the Quetta Earthquake. The civil lines was completely destroyed and up to 15,000 people are thou...
1935 Aug 29 Labor Day Hurricane of 1935
On September 1, 1935, storm warnings were posted for all of south Florida, including the Keys. This was on Sunday, the day before Labor Day. Miamians wasted little time in beginning the t...
1936 Jul 5 North American Heat Wave of 1936
The "Dust Bowl" years of 1930-36 brought some of the hottest summers on record to the United States, especially across the Plains, Upper Midwest and Great Lake States. For the Upper Missi...
1938 Feb 27
to 1938 Mar 3
 Los Angeles Flood of 1938
The 1938 flood event resulted in the deaths of 115 people. It destroyed 5,601 homes and damaged 1,500 homes making them uninhabitable. For many Angelenos, the storm evoked grim memories o...
1938 Sep 10
to 1938 Sep 22
 New England Hurricane of 1938
In the days following the cyclone southern Rhode Islanders were in a state of grief-stricken shock. The first days after the storm were a somber time - the dead and injured were everywher...