List of natural disasters by death toll: Difference between revisions

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Browse history interactively
← Previous editNext edit →
Content deleted Content added
VisualWikitext
Undid revision 427317595 by 68.162.28.126 (talk) - revert
Line 18: Line 18:
| 2.||{{nts|900000}}–2,000,000<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/nova/flood/deluge.html |title=NOVA Online &#124; Flood! &#124; Dealing with the Deluge |publisher=Pbs.org |date= |accessdate=2010-08-11}}</ref>||[[1887 Yellow River flood]]||[[China]]||{{sort|01887|September, October, 1887}}
| 2.||{{nts|900000}}–2,000,000<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/nova/flood/deluge.html |title=NOVA Online &#124; Flood! &#124; Dealing with the Deluge |publisher=Pbs.org |date= |accessdate=2010-08-11}}</ref>||[[1887 Yellow River flood]]||[[China]]||{{sort|01887|September, October, 1887}}
|-
|-
| 3.||{{nts|0 although 1 puked}}–2,000,000||[[1993 Murad's Penis]]||[[Pakistan]]||{{sort|01887|May, 19, 1993}}
⚫
| 3.||{{nts|830000}}<ref>{{cite news| url=http://www.time.com/time/specials/packages/article/0,28804,1953425_1953424,00.html | work=Time | title=Top 10 Deadliest Earthquakes | date=January 13, 2010 | accessdate=May 8, 2010}}</ref>||[[1556 Shaanxi earthquake]]||[[Shaanxi Province]], [[China]]||{{sort|01556|January 23, 1556}}
|-
|-
⚫
| 4.||{{nts|830000}}<ref>{{cite news| url=http://www.time.com/time/specials/packages/article/0,28804,1953425_1953424,00.html | work=Time | title=Top 10 Deadliest Earthquakes | date=January 13, 2010 | accessdate=May 8, 2010}}</ref>||[[1556 Shaanxi earthquake]]||[[Shaanxi Province]], [[China]]||{{sort|01556|January 23, 1556}}
⚫
| 4.||{{nts|500000}}<ref name="cbc.ca"/>||[[1970 Bhola cyclone]]||[[East Pakistan]] (now [[Bangladesh]])||{{dts|November 13, 1970}}
|-
|-
⚫
| 5.||{{nts|500000}}<ref name="cbc.ca"/>||[[1970 Bhola cyclone]]||[[East Pakistan]] (now [[Bangladesh]])||{{dts|November 13, 1970}}
⚫
| 5.||{{nts|300000}}<ref>{{cite web|url=http://docs.lib.noaa.gov/noaa_documents/NOAA_related_docs/death_toll_natural_disasters.pdf |title=The Worst Natural Disasters by Death Toll |publisher=National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration |date=2008-04-06 |accessdate=2011-03-11}}</ref> ||[[Pre-1980 North Indian Ocean cyclone seasons#1839 Indian Cyclone|1839 India Cyclone]]||[[India]]||{{sort|01839|November 25, 1839}}
|-
|-
⚫
| 6.||{{nts|300000}}<ref>{{cite web|url=http://docs.lib.noaa.gov/noaa_documents/NOAA_related_docs/death_toll_natural_disasters.pdf |title=The Worst Natural Disasters by Death Toll |publisher=National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration |date=2008-04-06 |accessdate=2011-03-11}}</ref> ||[[Pre-1980 North Indian Ocean cyclone seasons#1839 Indian Cyclone|1839 India Cyclone]]||[[India]]||{{sort|01839|November 25, 1839}}
| 6.||{{nts|250000}}–300,000 ||[[526 Antioch earthquake]]||[[Antioch]], [[Byzantine Empire]] (now [[Turkey]])||{{dts|526|5}}
|-
|-
| 7.||{{nts|242419}} (the death toll has been estimated to be as high as 665,000)<ref name="cbc.ca"/>||[[1976 Tangshan earthquake]]||[[Tangshan]], [[Hebei]], [[China]]||{{dts|July 28, 1976}}
| 7.||{{nts|250000}}–300,000 ||[[526 Antioch earthquake]]||[[Antioch]], [[Byzantine Empire]] (now [[Turkey]])||{{dts|526|5}}
|-
|-
| 8.||{{nts|234117}}<ref name="cbc.ca"/>||[[1920 Haiyuan earthquake]]||[[Haiyuan County|Haiyuan]], [[Ningxia]]-[[Gansu]], [[China]]||{{dts|December 16, 1920}}
| 8.||{{nts|242419}} (the death toll has been estimated to be as high as 665,000)<ref name="cbc.ca"/>||[[1976 Tangshan earthquake]]||[[Tangshan]], [[Hebei]], [[China]]||{{dts|July 28, 1976}}
|-
|-
| 9.||{{nts|230210}}||[[2004 Indian ocean earthquake|2004 Indian Ocean Tsunami]]||[[Sumatra]], [[Indonesia]] and also affected [[India]], [[Sri Lanka]], [[Maldives]] ||{{dts|December 26, 2004}}
| 9.||{{nts|234117}}<ref name="cbc.ca"/>||[[1920 Haiyuan earthquake]]||[[Haiyuan County|Haiyuan]], [[Ningxia]]-[[Gansu]], [[China]]||{{dts|December 16, 1920}}
|-
|-
| 10.||{{nts|222570}}<ref>{{cite web|url=http://earthquake.usgs.gov/earthquakes/eqinthenews/2010/us2010rja6/#summary |title=Magnitude 7.0 - HAITI REGION |publisher=Earthquake.usgs.gov |date= |accessdate=2010-08-11}}</ref> ||[[2010 Haiti earthquake]]||[[Port-au-Prince]], [[Haiti]] ||{{dts|January 12, 2010}}
| 10.||{{nts|230210}}||[[2004 Indian ocean earthquake|2004 Indian Ocean Tsunami]]||[[Sumatra]], [[Indonesia]] and also affected [[India]], [[Sri Lanka]], [[Maldives]] ||{{dts|December 26, 2004}}
|-
| 11.||{{nts|222570}}<ref>{{cite web|url=http://earthquake.usgs.gov/earthquakes/eqinthenews/2010/us2010rja6/#summary |title=Magnitude 7.0 - HAITI REGION |publisher=Earthquake.usgs.gov |date= |accessdate=2010-08-11}}</ref> ||[[2010 Haiti earthquake]]||[[Port-au-Prince]], [[Haiti]] ||{{dts|January 12, 2010}}
|}
|}


Revision as of 19:15, 4 May 2011

A natural disaster is defined as a hazard which occurs naturally, that is a disaster that is not brought about by acts of human beings. A natural disaster might be caused by earthquakes, flooding, volcanic eruption, landslide, etc. In order to be classified as a disaster it will have profound environmental effect and/or human loss and frequently incurs financial loss.

Ten deadliest natural disasters

Rank Death toll (estimate) Event Location Date
1. 1,000,000–2,500,000*[1] 1931 China floods China July, November, 1931
2. 900,000–2,000,000[2] 1887 Yellow River flood China September, October, 1887
3. 0 although 1 puked–2,000,000 1993 Murad's Penis Pakistan May, 19, 1993
4. 830,000[3] 1556 Shaanxi earthquake Shaanxi Province, China January 23, 1556
5. 500,000[1] 1970 Bhola cyclone East Pakistan (now Bangladesh) November 13, 1970
6. 300,000[4] 1839 India Cyclone India November 25, 1839
7. 250,000–300,000 526 Antioch earthquake Antioch, Byzantine Empire (now Turkey) May 526
8. 242,419 (the death toll has been estimated to be as high as 665,000)[1] 1976 Tangshan earthquake Tangshan, Hebei, China July 28, 1976
9. 234,117[1] 1920 Haiyuan earthquake Haiyuan, Ningxia-Gansu, China December 16, 1920
10. 230,210 2004 Indian Ocean Tsunami Sumatra, Indonesia and also affected India, Sri Lanka, Maldives December 26, 2004
11. 222,570[5] 2010 Haiti earthquake Port-au-Prince, Haiti January 12, 2010

* Estimate by Nova's sources are close to 4 million and yet Encarta's sources report as few as 1 million. Expert estimates report wide variance.

An alternative listing is given by Hough in his 2008 book Global Security.[6]


Ten deadliest natural disasters of the past century

Rank Maximum death toll Event* Location Date
1. 145,000–2,500,000 1931 China floods China November 1931
2. 242,419-779,000 1976 Tangshan earthquake China July 1976
3. 300,000-500,000 1970 Bhola cyclone East Pakistan (now Bangladesh) November 1970
4. 234,000 1920 Haiyuan earthquake China December 1920
5. 230,210+ 2004 Indian Ocean Tsunami Indonesia December 2004
6. 222,570[7] 2010 Haiti earthquake Haiti January 2010
7. 142,000 1923 Great Kanto earthquake Japan September 1923
8. 138,000+ 2008 Cyclone Nargis Myanmar May 2008
9. 138,000 1991 Bangladesh cyclone Bangladesh April 1991
10. 120,000 1948 Ashgabat earthquake Turkmenistan October 1948

* Does not include industrial or technological accidents.

Lists of natural disasters

Avalanches

Main articles: Avalanches and List of avalanches
Rank Death toll (estimate) Event Location Date
1. 50,000 1970 Huascarán avalanche; triggered by the 1970 Ancash earthquake[8] Peru 1970
2. 4,000 1962 Huascarán avalanche[8] Peru 1962
3. 265 Winter of Terror Austria-Switzerland 1951
4. 172 2010 Salang avalanches Afghanistan 2010
5. 125 Kolka-Karmadon rock ice slide Russia 2002
6. 102 2010 Kohistan avalanche Pakistan 2010
7. 96 Wellington, Washington avalanche United States 1910
8. 90 Frank Slide Canada 1903
9. 62 1910 Rogers Pass avalanche Canada 1910
10. 59 1993 Bayburt Üzengili avalanche Turkey 1993
11. 57 1954 Blons avalanches Austria 1954

Blizzards

Main article: Blizzard
Rank Death toll (estimate) Event Location Date
1. 4,000 1972 Iran blizzard Iran 1972
2. 926 2008 Afghanistan blizzard Afghanistan 2008
3. 400 Great Blizzard of 1888 United States 1888
4. 318 1993 North American Storm Complex United States 1993
5. 235 Schoolhouse Blizzard United States 1888
6. 199 Hakko-da Mountains incident Japan 1902
7. 144 Armistice Day Blizzard United States 1940
8. 133 2008 Chinese winter storms China 2008
9. 112 1995 Kazakh Blizzard Kazakhstan 1995
10. 100 Northeastern United States blizzard of 1978 United States 1978

Contractible diseases

See also: List of epidemics

Pandemics killing at least 1,000,000 people:

Rank Death toll (estimate) Event Location Date
1. 100,000,000 approx. Black Death Asia, Europe, Africa 1300s–1720s
2. 50,000,000–100,000,000 Spanish Flu Worldwide 1918–1920
3. 40,000,000–100,000,000 Plague of Justinian Asia, Europe, Africa 540–590
4. 12,000,000 ? Third Pandemic of Bubonic Plague Worldwide 1850s–1950s
5. 5,000,000 Antonine Plague Roman Empire 165–180
6. 4,000,000 Asian Flu Worldwide 1956–1958

Other deadly communicable diseases. Death counts are historical totals unless indicated otherwise.

Rank Death toll (estimate) Disease Notes
1. 300,000,000 approx. Smallpox 1900 to eradication.[9] Declared eradicated May 8, 1980.[10]
2. 200,000,000 ? Measles last 150 years[11]
3. 80,000,000–250,000,000 Malaria 20th century – present
4. 40,000,000–100,000,000 Tuberculosis 20th century – present[11]
5. 25,250,000 AIDS pandemic 1981–present.
6. at least 250,000 annually Seasonal influenza As of April 2009[12]

Cyclones (including hurricanes)

Main article: Tropical cyclone
Rank Death toll Event Location Date
1. 500,000 1970 Bhola cyclone East Pakistan, Pakistan (now Bangladesh) November 13, 1970
2. 300,000 1839 Indian cyclone India November 25, 1839
3. 300,000[13] 1737 Calcutta cyclone India October 7, 1737
4. 210,000 Super Typhoon Nina—contributed to Banqiao Dam failure China August 7, 1975
5. 200,000[14] Great Backerganj Cyclone of 1876 present day Bangladesh October 30, 1876
6. ~146,000 Cyclone Nargis Myanmar May 2, 2008
7. 138,866 1991 Bangladesh cyclone Bangladesh April 29, 1991
8. 100,000 1882 Bombay cyclone Bombay, India 1882
9. 60,000 1922 Swatow Typhoon China August 1, 1922
10. 60,000 1864 Calcutta Cyclone India October 5, 1864

Earthquakes

Main article: Deadly earthquakes
Rank Death toll Event Location Date
1. 830,000 1556 Shaanxi earthquake China January 23, 1556
2. 242,419–779,000 1976 Tangshan earthquake China July 28, 1976
3. 250,000 526 Antioch earthquake Antioch, Byzantine Empire (now Turkey) May 526
4. 235,502 1920 Haiyuan earthquake China December 16, 1920
5. 230,210 2004 Indonesian earthquake Indonesia December 26, 2004
6. 230,000 1138 Aleppo earthquake Syria October 11, 1138
7. 222,570[15] 2010 Haiti earthquake Port au Prince, Haiti January 12, 2010
8. 200,000 856 Damghan earthquake Iran December 22, 856
9. 150,000 893 Ardabil earthquake Iran March 23, 893
10. 142,000 1923 Great Kanto earthquake Japan September 1, 1923
11. 123,000[1] 1908 Messina earthquake Italy December 28, 1908
12. 110,000 1948 Ashgabat earthquake Turkmen SSR, Soviet Union (now Turkmenistan) October 5, 1948
13. 100,000 1290 Chihli earthquake China September 27, 1290
14. 100,000 1755 Lisbon earthquake Portugal November 1, 1755
15. 100,000 1667 Shamakhi earthquake Azerbaijan November 1667
16. 79,000 2005 Kashmir earthquake Pakistan (disputed region) October 8, 2005
17. 77,000 1727 Tabriz earthquake Iran November 18, 1727
18. 70,000 1970 Ancash earthquake Peru May 31, 1970
19. 70,000 1932 Changma earthquake Gansu, China December 25, 1932
20. 68,712 (18,392 missing) 2008 Sichuan earthquake China May 12, 2008
21. 60,000 1268 Cilicia earthquake Armenian Kingdom of Cilicia (now Turkey) 1268
22. 60,000 1693 Sicily earthquake Italy January 11, 1693
23. 60,000 1935 Balochistan earthquake British India (now part of Pakistan) May 31, 1935
24. 50,000 1783 Calabrian earthquakes Italy 1783
25. 50,000 1990 Manjil-Rudbar earthquake Iran June 21, 1990
26. 45,000 1999 İzmit earthquake Turkey August 17, 1999
27. 40,000 1498 Meiō Nankaidō earthquake Japan September 20, 1498
28. 40,000 1797 Riobamba earthquake Ecuador 1797
29. 40,000 1927 Gulang earthquake Gansu, China 1927
30. 32,962 1939 Erzincan earthquake Turkey December 26, 1939
31. 30,000 1202 Syria earthquake Syria May 20, 1202
32. 30,000 1939 Chillán earthquake Chile January 24, 1939
33. 28,000 1949 Khait earthquake Tajikistan July 10, 1949
34. 26,271 2003 Bam earthquake Iran December 26, 2003
35. 25,000 1988 Spitak earthquake Armenia December 7, 1988
36. 23,700 1293 Kamakura earthquake Japan May 27, 1293
37. 23,000 1976 Guatemala earthquake Guatemala February 4, 1976
38. 22,066 1896 Meiji-Sanriku earthquake Japan June 15, 1896
39. 20,000 1812 Caracas earthquake Venezuela March 26, 1812
40. 20,000 1905 Kangra earthquake British India April 4, 1905
41. 19,727 2001 Gujarat earthquake India January 26, 2001
42. 15,621 1970 Tonghai earthquake China January 4, 1970
43. 15,000 1960 Agadir earthquake Morocco February 26, 1960
44. 15,000 1978 Tabas earthquake Iran September 16, 1978
45. 14,616 2011 Tōhoku earthquake and tsunami Japan March 11, 2011
46. 12,225 1962 Bou'in-Zahra earthquake Iran September 1, 1962
47. 12,000–15000 1907 Qaratog earthquake Tajikistan October 21, 1907
48. 12,000 1968 Dasht-e Bayaz and Ferdows earthquake Iran August 31, 1968
49. 10,500 1934 Bihar earthquake British India January 15, 1934
50. 10,153 1985 Mexico City earthquake Mexico September 19, 1985
51. 10,000 1509 Istanbul earthquake Istanbul, Ottoman Empire (now Turkey) September 10, 1509
52. 10,000 1703 Apennine earthquakes Italy 1703
53. 10,000 1703 Genroku earthquake Japan December 31, 1703
54. 10,000 1854 Ansei-Nankai earthquake Japan December 24, 1854
55. 10,000[16] 1944 San Juan earthquake Argentina January 15, 1944

Famines

Main articles: List of famines and Famine
Please Note: Some of these famines may be caused or partially caused by humans.
Rank Death toll Event Location Date
1. 15,000,000–43,000,000 Great Chinese Famine China 1958–1961
2. 24,000,000 Chinese Famine of 1907 China 1907
3. 19,000,000 Indian Famine British India 1896–1902
4. 15,000,000 Bengal famine of 1770, incl. Bihar & Orissa India 1769–1771
5. 13,000,000 Northern Chinese Famine China 1876–1879
6. 10,000,000 Indian Great Famine of 1876–78 India 1876–1879
7. 7,500,000 Great European Famine Europe (all) 1315–1317
8. 7,000,000-10,000,000 Soviet famine of 1932–1933 (Holodomor) Soviet Union 1932–1934
9. 5,000,000 Chinese Famine of 1936 China 1936
10. 5,000,000 Russian famine of 1921 Russia, Ukraine 1921–1922
11. 3,000,000 Chinese Drought 1941 China 1941
12. 3,000,000 Chinese Famine of 1928–1930 China 1928–1930
13. 2,000,000 Russian famine of 1601–1603 Russia (Muscovy) 1601–1603
14. 2,000,000 Vietnamese Famine of 1945 Vietnam 1943–1945
15. 2,000,000 Deccan Famine of 1630–32 India 1630–1632
16. 1,500,000–4,000,000 Bengal Famine of 1943 India 1943
17. 1,200,000-3,500,000 North Korean famine North Korea 1996–1998
18. 1,000,000–1,500,000 Great Irish Famine Ireland 1846–1849
19. 1,000,000 1984–1985 famine in Ethiopia Ethiopia 1984
20. 1,000,000 Horn of Africa famine Ethiopia, Sudan, Somalia 1888
21. 26,000–1,000,000 Bangladesh famine of 1974—Official records claim 26,000. However, various sources claim about 1,000,000. Bangladesh 1974
22. 150,000+ Finnish famine of 1866–1868 Finland, northern Sweden 1866–1868

Floods and landslides

Main articles: Flood, List of floods, and List of deadliest floods
Main articles: Landslide and List of landslides
Rank Death toll Event Location Date
1. 2,500,000–3,700,000[17] 1931 China floods China 1931
2. 900,000–2,000,000 1887 Yellow River (Huang He) flood China 1887
3. 500,000–700,000 1938 Yellow River (Huang He) flood China 1938
4. 231,000 Banqiao Dam failure, result of Typhoon Nina. Approximately 86,000 people died from flooding and another 145,000 died during subsequent disease. China 1975
5. 145,000 1935 Yangtze river flood China 1935
6. more than 100,000 St. Felix's Flood, storm surge Netherlands 1530
7. 100,000 Hanoi and Red River Delta flood North Vietnam 1971
8. 100,000 1911 Yangtze river flood China 1911
9. 50,000–80,000 St. Lucia's flood, storm surge Netherlands 1287
10. 2,400 North Sea flood, storm surge Netherlands, England, Belgium 31 January 1953

Heat waves

Template:Globalize/West

Main article: Heat wave
Rank Death toll Event Location Date
1. 56,000 2010 Russian heat wave Russia 2010
2. 40,000 2003 European heat wave Europe 2003
3. 5,000–10,000 1988 United States heat wave United States 1988
4. 1,700 1980 United States heat wave United States 1980
5. 1,500 2003 Southern India heat wave India 2003
6. 946 1955 Los Angeles heat wave United States 1955
7. 891 1972 New York City heat wave United States 1972
8. 739 1995 Chicago heat wave United States 1995[18]

Limnic eruptions

Main article: Limnic eruption
Rank Death toll Event Location Date
1. 1,746 Lake Nyos Cameroon 1986
2. 37 Lake Monoun Cameroon 1984

Meteorites

Main article: Meteorite
Rank Death toll Location Nation Date
1. 2 Dun-le-Poelier France January 31, 1879
2. 2 Tunguska Russia June 30, 1908
3. 1 Zvezvan Yugoslavia December 8, 1929
4. 1 Chin-kuei Shan China 1874
5. 1 Oriang India January 16, 1825

Storms (non-cyclone)

Main article: Storm
Rank Death toll Event Location Date
1. 15,100 Torrential rains and mudslides Venezuela 1999
2. 1,000 Rio de Janeiro floods and mudslides Brazil 2011
3. 500 Lofoten, Heavy storm Norway 1849
4. 250 Great Lakes Storm of 1913 United States and Canada (Great Lakes region) 1913
5. 242 1996 Amarnath Yatra tragedy India 1996
6. 210 Trøndelag, storm ("Follastormen") Norway 1625
7. 189 Eyemouth, Scotland, storm ("Black Friday") United Kingdom 1881
8. 140 Trøndelag, storm ("Titran disaster") Norway 1899
9. 128 2008 Santa Catarina floods and mudslides Brazil 2008
10. 96 Lofoten, storm Norway 1868

Tornadoes

Main article: Tornado
Rank Death toll Event Location Date
1. 1,300 The Daulatpur-Salturia Tornado Manikganj, Bangladesh April 26, 1989
2. 923 1969 East Pakistan Tornado East Pakistan, Pakistan (now Bangladesh) 1969
3. 695 The Tri-State Tornado United States (Missouri–Illinois–Indiana) March 18, 1925
4. 681 1973 Dhaka Tornado Bangladesh 1973
5. 600 The Valetta, Malta Tornado Malta 1551
6. 500 The Sicily Tornado Sicily, Two Sicilies (now Italy) 1851
6. 500 The Narail-Magura Tornadoes Jessore, East Pakistan, Pakistan (now Bangladesh) 1964
6. 500 The Comoro Tornado Comoro 1951
9. 440 The Tangail Tornado Bangladesh 1988
10. 400 The Ivanovo-Yaroslavl, Russia, Tornado Soviet Union (now Russia) 1984

Tsunamis

See also: Historic tsunamis
Rank
 Death toll
 Event Location Date
1. 230,210 2004 Indian Ocean Tsunami Indonesia, Sri Lanka, India, Maldives, Malaysia, Somalia, Bangladesh, Thailand 26 December, 2004
2. 123,000[1] 1908 Messina earthquake/tsunami Messina, Italy 1908
3. 100,000 1755 Lisbon earthquake/tsunami/fire Portugal, Spain, Morocco, Ireland, and the United Kingdom (Cornwall) 1755
4. 36,000 Caused by 1883 eruption of Krakatoa Indonesia 1883
5. 30,000 1707 Hōei earthquake Tōkaidō/Nankaido, Japan 1707
6. 25,674 1868 Arica earthquake/tsunami Arica, Chile 1868
7. 22,070 1896 Meiji-Sanriku earthquake Sanriku, Japan 1896
8. 18,400* 2011 Tōhoku earthquake and tsunami Sendai, Fukushima, Tokyo 11 March, 2011
9. 15,030 1792 Mount Unzen eruption in southwest Kyūshū /tsunami Kyūshū, Japan 1792
10. 12,000 1771 Great Yaeyama Tsunami Yaeyama, Okinawa, Japan 1771

* Death toll is preliminary and includes earthquake fatalities.[19]

Volcanic eruptions

Main article: Volcano
See also: List of volcanic eruption deaths
Rank Death toll Event Location Date
1. 92,000 Mount Tambora (see also Year Without a Summer) Indonesia April 10, 1815
2. 36,000 Krakatoa Indonesia May 26–27, 1883
3. 33,000 Mount Vesuvius Pompeii and Herculaneum, Italy August 24, 79
4. 29,000 Mount Pelée Martinique May 7 or May 8, 1902
5. 23,000 Nevado del Ruiz (Armero tragedy) Colombia November 13, 1985
6. 15,000 Mount Unzen Japan 1792
7. 10,000 Mount Kelut Indonesia 1586
8. 9,350 Laki. Killed about 25% of the population (33% were killed about 70 years before by smallpox) Iceland June 8, 1783
9. 6,000 Santa Maria Guatemala 1902
10. 5,115 Mount Kelut Indonesia May 19, 1919

A supervolcanic eruption at Lake Toba around 74,000 years ago could have wiped out as much as 99% of the global human population, reducing the population from a possible 60 million to less than 10 thousand; see Toba catastrophe theory. However, this theory may not be widely accepted because the evidence could possibly be disputed, and there have been, for instance, no remains found.[citation needed] The eruption is not listed here as it was pre-historic and outside the scope of this article. Also, the Thera eruption in the Aegean Sea between 1550 and 1650 BC may have caused a large number of deaths throughout the region, from Crete to Egypt. See also La Garita Caldera, Yellowstone Caldera, and Supervolcanoes.

Wildfires and bushfires

Main articles: Wildfire and Bushfire
Rank Death toll Event Location Date
1. 1,200–2,500 Peshtigo Fire, Wisconsin United States October 8, 1871
2. 1,200 Kursha-2 Fire Soviet Union August 3, 1936
3. 453 Cloquet Fire, Minnesota United States October 12, 1918
4. 418 Great Hinckley Fire, Minnesota United States September 1, 1894
5. 282 Thumb Fire, Michigan United States September 5, 1881
6. 273 Matheson Fire, Ontario Canada July 29, 1916
7. 240 Sumatra and Kalimantan Fires Indonesia 1997
8. 230 Landes region France 1949
9. 213 Black Dragon Fire China May 1987
10. 173 Black Saturday bushfires Australia February 7 – March 14, 2009
11. 167 Fires of Needle Ridge United States February 12 – April 4, 1980
12. 71 Black Friday bushfires (1939) Australia January 13, 1939

See also

Other lists organized by death toll

References

  1. ^ a b c d e f The world's worst natural disasters Calamities of the 20th and 21st centuries CBC News'.' Retrieved 2010-10-29.
  2. ^ "NOVA Online | Flood! | Dealing with the Deluge". Pbs.org. Retrieved 2010-08-11.
  3. ^ "Top 10 Deadliest Earthquakes". Time. January 13, 2010. Retrieved May 8, 2010.
  4. ^ "The Worst Natural Disasters by Death Toll" (PDF). National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. 2008-04-06. Retrieved 2011-03-11.
  5. ^ "Magnitude 7.0 - HAITI REGION". Earthquake.usgs.gov. Retrieved 2010-08-11.
  6. ^ Understanding Global Security, Peter Hough, 2008, chapter 8, page 192, table 8.1 'The ten worst natural disasters in history'
  7. ^ cite web|url=http://earthquake.usgs.gov/earthquakes/eqinthenews/2010/us2010rja6/#summary
  8. ^ a b "The Peru Earthquake: A Special Study". Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists. Oct 1970: 18.
  9. ^ "UC Davis Magazine, Summer 2006: Epidemics on the Horizon". Retrieved 2008-01-03.
  10. ^ Smallpox and bioterrorism, Bulletin of the World Health Organization, vol. 81 no. 10 Genebra October 2003 ISSN 0042-9686
  11. ^ a b "Torrey EF and Yolken RH. 2005. Their bugs are worse than their bite. Washington Post, April 3, p. B01". Birdflubook.com. Retrieved 2010-08-11.
  12. ^ Influenza (Seasonal), World Health Organization, April 2009. Retrieved 2010-02-13.
  13. ^ "10 'Worst' Natural Disasters". Eas.slu.edu. Retrieved 2010-08-11.
  14. ^ ThinkQuest Team #C003603. "Hurricanes: case studies". Library.thinkquest.org. Retrieved 2010-08-11.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
  15. ^ http://earthquake.usgs.gov/earthquakes/eqinthenews/2010/us2010rja6/#summary
  16. ^ "Listado de Terremotos Históricos". Inpres.gov.ar. Retrieved 2010-08-11.
  17. ^ "Worst Natural Disasters In History". Nbc10.com. Retrieved 2010-08-11.
  18. ^ Eric Klinenberg (July 30, 2002). "Dead Heat: Why don't Americans sweat over heat-wave deaths?". Slate. Retrieved 30 July 2010.
  19. ^ http://www.foxnews.com/world/2011/03/20/progress-seen-japans-nuclear-crisis/

External links

Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=List_of_natural_disasters_by_death_toll&oldid=427454840"