Natural Disasters timeline

  • 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... Read more

  • 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... Read more

  • 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... Read more

  • 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... Read more

  • 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... Read more

  • 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... Read more

  • 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... Read more

  • 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... Read more

  • 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... Read more

  • 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... Read more

  • 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... Read more

  • 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... Read more

  • 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... Read more

  • 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... Read more

  • 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... Read more

  • 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,... Read more

  • 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... Read more

  • 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... Read more

  • 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,... Read more

  • 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... Read more

  • 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... Read more

  • 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... Read more

  • 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... Read more

  • 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... Read more

  • 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... Read more