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Natural disasters have changed the tide of world history killing millions and often chilling whole continents. Though improvements in technology and disaster planning have greatly diminished impacts over the last several years, several catastrophic events can serve as harsh realities that remind us just how powerful nature truly is. In this article, we look at the 10 most deadly natural disasters humanity has ever seen (their causes and death tolls).

1. The 1931 China Floods: The Deadliest Natural Disaster

• Worst Natural Disaster In Recorded History: The 1931 China Floods Known as the deadliest ever, it occurred in China along the Yangtze River and was caused by an unusual convergence of snowmelt upstream followed immediately by very heavy rainfall and tropical cyclone-induced severe rains. It submerged swaths of China underwater, killed hundreds, and displaced millions more while causing billions in damage.

• Death toll: Between 1 to 4 million people.

• Cause: River floods, fresh rain, and substandard flood management systems.

• Consequence: The flooding devastated agriculture, causing widespread famine and epidemics which killed many more than the initial flood.

2. The Shaanxi Earthquake (1556): The Deadliest Earthquake

• The 1556 Shaanxi earthquake or Jiajing earthquake was catastrophic with estimated of is insisting. The disaster is the most fatal earthquake to have occurred throughout history and destroyed whole villages as well thousands of homes.

• Death Toll: Around 830,000 individuals.

• Under: This is part of California's infamous fault line, which shifts from tectonic movement earthquakes.

• Effects: Around 86 percent of the homes were destroyed in addition to dozens more deaths from cave dwellings next to cliffs.
  
  

3. The 1970 Bhola Cyclone: Deadliest Cyclone in History

• Cyclones are a common occurrence in coastal areas, but few have echoed such disaster and death tolls as Cyclone Bhola that slammed into East Pakistan (now Bangladesh), across the Bay of Bengal to eastern India during early November 1970. It resulted in a storm surge of up to 5 m (16 ft) that affected low-lying areas, leading to catastrophic loss of life.

• Deaths: Between 300,000 to 500,000 people killed.

• Cause: A strong tropical cyclone with winds of 115 mph, paired with a catastrophic storm surge

• Outcomes: Entire towns were under water and food, clean drinking water ran out with disease now attacking survivors.

4. The Indian Ocean Tsunami (2004): Global Tragedy

• A 9.1 magnitude earthquake strikes under the Indian Ocean near Sumatra, triggering one of the worst Tsunamis in recorded history on December 26, 2004. The earthquake was strong enough that it made planet Earth vibrate and jerked our spinning place oh so slightly. These waves battered coastal regions in 14 countries including Thailand, Sri Lanka, India, and Indonesia leading to the deadly Boxing Day Tsunami.

• Death Toll: Over 230,000 people as of Oct.

• Cause: Undersea earthquake, tsunami.

• Results: Whole coastal communities were demolished and the globe stood up to support where (the disaster hit)

5. Deadliest volcanic eruption: 1815 Eruption of Mount Tambora

• The largest known volcanic eruption in recorded history was that of Mount Tambora, located on the Indonesian island. Not only did tens of thousands of experts in the field reason but also this eruption caused a year known as “The Year Without A Summer” around 1816 due to its effect on global weather.

• Common geekery, such as Casualties: Dead — 71k or so.

• Eruptions: A massive volcanic eruption injected a tremendous amount of ash into the stratosphere

• Unit: Tsunamis caused by volcanic eruption swamp miles of crops under a roof Minneapolis seethral Volcanic ash blocks years of settlements, darkening lower surface temperatures globally and reducing yield relative geographic areas to place famine.

6. The 1976 Tangshan Earthquake: China’s Tragic Quake

• Another Chinese Quake, This Time in North 28, 1976 The Tangshan Earthquake (Northern China) Land/Property Damage = Unknown. At 7.5 on the Richter scale, it leveled Tangshan and took most of its inhabitants with it in this industrial city in 2010. It is among the deadliest earthquakes in history.

• Death Toll: Estimates vary from 240,000 to as high as 655,000 slain.

• Reason: A strong tectonic movement occurred under this region.

• Impact: The quake destroyed more than 85% whole of Tangshan, also leaving millions homeless. One of the reasons the region had a hard time rebuilding was that resources were scarce, and international aid arrived slowly.

7. The 1887 Yellow River Flood: China’s Constant Struggle with Flooding

• Widely considered the cradle of Chinese civilization, The Yellow River has yielded few surprises about its deadly floods that plagued ancient China for thousands of years and is bitterly named Huang He – “the river of sorrow” in Chinese. By far the worst was a 1887 flood that resulted from heavy rainfall well above the forks, spreading over thousands of square miles.

• Deaths: Estimated 900,000–2 million

• Cause: The Yellow River breached dikes after extremely heavy rains.

• Effect of the Flood: The tempest washed away enormous tracts of farmland, causing huge malnutrition and illness pandemics that greatly raised the number killed.

8. The 1983 Ethiopian Famine: Drought and Political Crisis

• Famine is a slow-onset disaster that can take many months even years to develop as it relates not just to natural causes, but mainly results from human behavior. The 1983 Ethiopian famine was the result of one such long drought and war when millions were on the brink of starvation because they ran short of food supplies.

• Casualties: 400,000 to 1 million

• Concerns: Government land confiscation and social unrest

• Impact: The global community offered aid in the aftermath, but the famine underscored enduring agricultural and governance woes.

9. The film recalls the Sichuan Earthquake of 2008.

• Central China's Sichuan Province May 12, 2008; the area was hit by another earthquake on Friday. The quake set off landslides that buried entire villages, particularly in hilly areas such as Langtang.

• Deaths: About 87,000 people.

• Caused: The Longmenshan fault moved 20 feet and tectonic plates slipped.

• Impact: hundreds of millions became homeless and the rescue method inevitably ended up being the most supportive re-building effort in China.

10. The scene of devastation from the 1920 Haiyuan Earthquake

• However, the Haiyuan Earthquake in Ningxia Province, China occurred on December 16, 1920. Was another direct hit from an earthquake trying to win more fame than its predecessor. Though Chile has experienced an outsize number of severe earthquakes in recorded history, and much regional infrastructure such as this bridge was engineered for shaking; it will take areas years or even decades to fully recover. Elsewhere, the spate of landslides left entire villages cut off in the Illapel mountains and impeded access to disaster zones.

• Death Toll: ~ 273,000 people.

• Amount: Reduces laterally into the Haiyuan Fault.

• Effects: the buildings that collapsed were generally terribly built or of multiple stands; Together with several landslides, tens of thousands of square measure currently homeless.