List of natural disasters by death toll

From the deepest oceans to the highest peaks, our planet's raw power can reshape landscapes and lives in an instant. Natural disasters, unleashed by forces far beyond human control, remind us of our delicate place in the grand scheme of Earth's rhythms. This exploration delves into history's deadliest natural events, revealing the astonishing scale of nature's impact and the resilience of those who faced its fury. Floods and famines, often intertwined with societal factors, have historically been the deadliest natural disasters, particularly in densely populated agricultural regions. Geological events like earthquakes and tsunamis can cause catastrophic losses in moments, often amplified by urban density and lack of preparedness. The sheer scale of these events often transcends modern comprehension, with some ancient disasters claiming millions of lives and fundamentally altering human civilizations.

Source: Wikipedia

AI Summary

Floods and famines, often intertwined with societal factors, have historically been the deadliest natural disasters, particularly in densely populated agricultural regions.
Geological events like earthquakes and tsunamis can cause catastrophic losses in moments, often amplified by urban density and lack of preparedness.
The sheer scale of these events often transcends modern comprehension, with some ancient disasters claiming millions of lives and fundamentally altering human civilizations.

When Nature Unleashes Its Fury

What exactly defines a 'natural disaster'? It's a sudden, devastating event, not primarily caused by human actions, that brings widespread destruction, collateral damage, or immense loss of life. Earthquakes, floods, volcanic eruptions, hurricanes—these are just a few of nature's raw forces that can profoundly reshape our world.

To truly classify as a disaster, an event must leave significant environmental effects and, tragically, a substantial death toll. It's often accompanied by staggering financial losses, leaving communities to rebuild from the ground up against overwhelming odds. But some events stand out above all others, forever etched in the annals of human suffering.

The World's Ten Deadliest — A Grim Accounting

When we look at the deadliest natural disasters, specifically excluding epidemics and famines which often unfold over longer periods, a striking pattern emerges. Water, in its most destructive forms, often takes the greatest toll, particularly in densely populated river basins.

These figures are often historical estimates, reflecting the challenges of precise record-keeping in past centuries. While some events like the 1556 Shaanxi earthquake are famously devastating, this particular list focuses on the very highest estimated death tolls across various disaster types, revealing events that impacted millions.

Death toll (Highest estimate)	Event	Location	Date
4,000,000	1931 China floods	China	July 1931
2,000,000	1887 Yellow River flood	China	September 1887
655,237	1976 Tangshan earthquake	China	July 28, 1976
500,000	1970 Bhola cyclone	East Pakistan (now Bangladesh)	November 13, 1970
316,000	2010 Haiti earthquake	Haiti	January 12, 2010
300,000	526 Antioch earthquake	Byzantine Empire (now Hatay/Turkey)	May 526
≈300,000	1839 Coringa cyclone	Andhra Pradesh, India	November 25, 1839
≈300,000	1737 Calcutta cyclone	West Bengal and Bangladesh	October 1737
273,407	1920 Haiyuan earthquake	China	December 16, 1920
230,000	1139 Ganja earthquake	Seljuk Empire (present-day Azerbaijan)	September 30, 1139

This sobering table highlights the profound impact of floods and earthquakes, particularly in densely populated regions of Asia. The 1931 China floods, with an estimated four million deaths, remains a stark reminder of nature's capacity for wide-scale devastation, submerging vast swathes of land.

When Rivers Rage: The Deadliest Floods

Floods, whether from torrential rains, overflowing rivers, or devastating storm surges, have historically claimed more lives than almost any other single type of disaster. The sheer force of water, coupled with widespread agricultural reliance on river systems, often turns fertile lands into deadly traps.

Beyond the monumental 1931 and 1887 Yellow River floods, which together caused millions of deaths in China, we also see the devastating impact of engineering failures. The 1975 Banqiao Dam failure, exacerbated by Typhoon Nina, led to an estimated 230,000 deaths as a cascade of dam collapses unleashed unimaginable volumes of water.

Earth Shakes, Lives Lost: Significant Earthquakes

Earthquakes are sudden, brutal reminders of our planet's restless crust. They strike without warning, turning cities into rubble in mere seconds. The 1976 Tangshan earthquake in China, with its staggering death toll of up to 655,000, stands as one of the deadliest seismic events in modern history, particularly due to its shallow depth directly beneath a densely populated industrial city.

The 2010 Haiti earthquake, claiming between 110,000 and 316,000 lives, tragically showcased how vulnerability is heightened in regions with inadequate building codes and healthcare infrastructure. Ancient events like the 526 Antioch earthquake and the 1138 Aleppo earthquake demonstrate that destructive seismic activity has been a constant threat throughout human history, often obliterating entire cities.

Cyclones and Storm Surges: Coastal Catastrophes

Tropical cyclones, with their ferocious winds and towering storm surges, have repeatedly devastated coastal communities. The 1970 Bhola cyclone, striking East Pakistan (now Bangladesh), remains the deadliest tropical cyclone on record, claiming over half a million lives—primarily due to the massive storm surge inundating the low-lying Ganges Delta.

Other historic cyclones, such as the 1839 Coringa and 1737 Calcutta cyclones in India and Bangladesh, each caused approximately 300,000 deaths. These events underscore the extreme vulnerability of heavily populated coastal regions to the combined forces of wind, rain, and rapidly rising sea levels during a major storm.

Invisible Killers: Epidemics and Famines

While not 'natural disasters' in the geological sense, epidemics and famines are often triggered or exacerbated by natural events or represent widespread environmental breakdowns. These silent, drawn-out catastrophes have arguably claimed more lives throughout history than all other natural disasters combined, fundamentally altering the course of civilizations.

The Scourge of Disease

The Black Death, an outbreak of bubonic plague from 1346–1353, is estimated to have killed between 75 and 200 million people across Europe, Asia, and North Africa—a truly unimaginable scale of loss. Even in the modern era, the 1918 Spanish Flu pandemic claimed over 50 million lives worldwide, demonstrating how quickly disease can spread and decimate populations.

More recently, the HIV/AIDS pandemic has tragically claimed over 43 million lives since 1981, and the COVID-19 pandemic added millions more to the global death toll. These events highlight the persistent threat of pathogens, which can overwhelm even the most advanced healthcare systems and transcend national borders.

The Shadow of Hunger

Famines, often brought on by severe drought, floods, or widespread crop failures, push human suffering to its absolute limit. The Great Chinese Famine of 1959–1961, while partly human-induced, was exacerbated by severe weather conditions and led to an estimated 11 to 40 million deaths. This catastrophic event is a sobering reminder of the delicate balance between food supply and survival.

Historical famines, such as the Northern Chinese Famine of 1876–1879 and the Great Bengal famine of 1770, each accounted for millions of lives. These widespread agricultural collapses, often spanning multiple years and vast regions, demonstrate how acutely dependent human societies are on stable environmental conditions for their very existence.

Other Destructive Forces

Beyond these major categories, many other natural phenomena have left indelible marks on human history. Tsunamis, often triggered by powerful undersea earthquakes, are sudden, overwhelming walls of water. The 2004 Indian Ocean earthquake and tsunami, for instance, killed nearly 230,000 people across fourteen countries, demonstrating the devastating global reach of such events.

Volcanoes, Avalanches, and More

Volcanic eruptions, while less frequent, can be incredibly destructive. The 1815 eruption of Mount Tambora in Indonesia, the most powerful eruption in recorded history, directly killed over 71,000 people and led to the 'Year Without a Summer' globally due to climatic effects. Avalanches and landslides, often triggered by earthquakes or heavy rains, also account for significant localized death tolls, such as the 1970 Huascarán avalanche in Peru, which killed 22,000.

Even heat waves, often overlooked, can be shockingly deadly. The 2003 European heatwave, for example, caused an estimated 72,000 deaths across the continent, largely among the elderly and vulnerable. Tornadoes, wildfires, and winter storms also feature on the list of nature's lethal forces, each with their own catastrophic potential.

Facing the Future

Studying these deadliest natural disasters is not merely an exercise in historical accounting; it's a vital lesson in resilience and preparedness. As our climate changes and global populations grow, understanding the patterns and impacts of nature's fury becomes ever more critical. It compels us to build stronger infrastructure, develop better early warning systems, and foster a deeper respect for the powerful planet we call home.

Article

List of natural disasters by death toll

Global multihazard mortality risks and distribution (2005) for cyclones, drought, earthquakes, floods, landslides, and volcanoes (excluding heat waves, snowstorms, and other deadly hazards).

A natural disaster is a sudden event that causes widespread destruction, major collateral damage, or loss of life, brought about by forces other than the acts of human beings. A natural disaster might be caused by earthquakes, flooding, volcanic eruption, landslide, cyclones, etc. To be classified as a disaster, it must have profound environmental effects or loss of life and frequently causes financial loss.

Ten deadliest natural disasters by highest estimated death toll excluding epidemics and famines

List of natural disasters by death toll

This list takes into account only the highest estimated death toll for each disaster and lists them accordingly. It does not include epidemics and famines. The list also does not include the 1938 Yellow River flood, which was caused by the deliberate destruction of dikes.

<table><thead><tr><th>Death toll (Highest estimate)</th><th>Event</th><th>Location</th><th>Date</th></tr></thead><tbody><tr><td>4,000,000</td><td>1931 China floods</td><td>China</td><td>July 1931</td></tr><tr><td>2,000,000</td><td>1887 Yellow River flood</td><td>September 1887</td></tr><tr><td>500,000</td><td>1970 Bhola cyclone</td><td>East Pakistan (now Bangladesh)</td><td>November 13, 1970</td></tr><tr><td>316,000</td><td>2010 Haiti earthquake</td><td>Haiti</td><td>January 12, 2010</td></tr><tr><td>≈300,000</td><td>1976 Tangshan earthquake</td><td>China</td><td>July 28, 1976</td></tr><tr><td>300,000</td><td>526 Antioch earthquake</td><td>Byzantine Empire (now Hatay/Turkey)</td><td>May 526</td></tr><tr><td>≈300,000</td><td>1839 Coringa cyclone</td><td>Andhra Pradesh, India</td><td>November 25, 1839</td></tr><tr><td>≈300,000</td><td>1737 Calcutta cyclone</td><td>West Bengal and Bangladesh</td><td>October 1737</td></tr><tr><td>273,407</td><td>1920 Haiyuan earthquake</td><td>China</td><td>December 16, 1920</td></tr><tr><td>230,000</td><td>1139 Ganja earthquake</td><td>Seljuk Empire (present-day Azerbaijan)</td><td>September 30, 1139</td></tr></tbody></table>

Lists of deadliest natural disasters by cause

Avalanche and landslides (landslips)

<table><thead><tr><th>Rank</th><th>Death toll (estimate)</th><th>Event</th><th>Location</th><th>Date</th></tr></thead><tbody><tr><td>1.</td><td>100,000</td><td>1786 Dadu River landslide dam; triggered by the 1786 Kangding-Luding earthquake</td><td>China</td><td>1786</td></tr><tr><td>1920 Haiyuan landslides; triggered by the 1920 Haiyuan earthquake</td><td>1920</td></tr><tr><td>3.</td><td>70,000+</td><td>Landslides triggered by the 1718 Tongwei–Gansu earthquake.</td><td>1718</td></tr><tr><td>4.</td><td>22,000</td><td>1970 Huascarán avalanche; triggered by the 1970 Ancash earthquake</td><td>Peru</td><td>1970</td></tr><tr><td>5.</td><td>10,000–30,000</td><td>Vargas tragedy</td><td>Venezuela</td><td>1999</td></tr><tr><td>10,253</td><td>1815 Singaraja landslide; triggered by 1815 Bali earthquake</td><td>Indonesia</td><td>1815</td></tr><tr><td>10,000</td><td>White Friday avalanches</td><td>Italy</td><td>1916</td></tr><tr><td>8.</td><td>5,000–28,000</td><td>Khait landslide</td><td>Tajikistan</td><td>1949</td></tr><tr><td>9.</td><td>4,000–6,000</td><td>1941 Huaraz avalanche</td><td>Peru</td><td>1941</td></tr><tr><td>4,000</td><td>1962 Huascarán avalanche</td><td>1962</td></tr></tbody></table>

Disease outbreaks

Death counts are historical totals unless indicated otherwise. Events in boldface are ongoing.

<table><thead><tr><th>Rank</th><th>Death toll (estimate)</th><th>Event</th><th>Location</th><th>Date</th><th>Pathogen − (disease caused)</th></tr></thead><tbody><tr><td>1.</td><td>75–200 million</td><td>Black Death</td><td>Europe, Asia and North Africa</td><td>1346–1353</td><td>Yersinia pestis − (Plague)</td></tr><tr><td>2.</td><td>50 million+ (17–100 million)</td><td>Spanish flu</td><td>Worldwide</td><td>1918–1920</td><td>Influenza A virus subtype H1N1 − (Influenza/"the flu")</td></tr><tr><td>3.</td><td>43 million (as of 2024)</td><td>HIV/AIDS pandemic</td><td>Worldwide</td><td>1981–present</td><td>Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) − (HIV/AIDS)</td></tr><tr><td>4.</td><td>30–50 million</td><td>Plague of Justinian</td><td>Europe and West Asia</td><td>541–542</td><td>Yersinia pestis − (Plague)</td></tr><tr><td>5.</td><td>7–29 million</td><td>COVID-19 pandemic</td><td>Worldwide</td><td>2019–2023</td><td>SARS-CoV-2 − (COVID-19)</td></tr><tr><td>6.</td><td>12–24 million (Indian Subcontinent and China)</td><td>Third plague pandemic</td><td>Worldwide</td><td>1855–1960</td><td>Yersinia pestis − (Bubonic plague)</td></tr><tr><td>7.</td><td>5–15 million</td><td>Cocoliztli Epidemic of 1545–1548</td><td>Mexico</td><td>1545–1548</td><td>Uncertain. Likely Salmonella enterica subsp. enterica − (Enteric fever) or viral hemorrhagic fever but no consensus.</td></tr><tr><td>8.</td><td>5–10 million</td><td>Antonine Plague</td><td>Roman Empire</td><td>165–180 (possibly up to 190)</td><td>Likely Variola − (Smallpox), possibly alongside Measles morbillivirus − (Measles)</td></tr><tr><td>9.</td><td>5–8 million</td><td>1520 Mexico smallpox epidemic</td><td>Mexico</td><td>1519–1520</td><td>Variola virus − (Smallpox)</td></tr><tr><td>10.</td><td>2.5 million</td><td>1918–1922 Russia typhus epidemic</td><td>Russia</td><td>1918–1922</td><td>Rickettsia prowazekii − (Epidemic typhus)</td></tr></tbody></table>

Earthquakes

<table><thead><tr><th>Rank</th><th>Death toll (estimate)</th><th>Event</th><th>Location</th><th>Date</th></tr></thead><tbody><tr><td>1.</td><td>242,419–655,000</td><td>1976 Tangshan earthquake</td><td>China</td><td>July 28, 1976</td></tr><tr><td>2.</td><td>110,000−316,000</td><td>2010 Haiti earthquake</td><td>Haiti</td><td>January 12, 2010</td></tr><tr><td>3.</td><td>250,000–300,000</td><td>526 Antioch earthquake</td><td>Byzantine Empire (now Turkey)</td><td>May 526</td></tr><tr><td>4.</td><td>273,407</td><td>1920 Haiyuan earthquake</td><td>Ningxia, Republic of China (now People's Republic of China)</td><td>December 16, 1920</td></tr><tr><td>5.</td><td>270,000</td><td>1303 Hongdong earthquake</td><td>Mongol Empire (now China)</td><td>September 17, 1303</td></tr><tr><td>6.</td><td>260,000</td><td>115 Antioch earthquake</td><td>Roman Empire (now Turkey)</td><td>December 13, 115</td></tr><tr><td>7.</td><td>230,000</td><td>1138 Aleppo earthquake</td><td>Zengid dynasty (now Syria)</td><td>October 11, 1138</td></tr><tr><td>1139 Ganja earthquake</td><td>Seljuk Empire (now Azerbaijan)</td><td>20 September 1139</td></tr><tr><td>9.</td><td>227,898</td><td>2004 Indian Ocean earthquake</td><td>Indonesia</td><td>December 26, 2004</td></tr><tr><td>10.</td><td>200,000</td><td>856 Damghan earthquake</td><td>Abbasid Caliphate (now Iran)</td><td>December 22, 856</td></tr></tbody></table>

Famines

Note: Some of these famines may have been caused or partially caused by humans.

<table><thead><tr><th>Rank</th><th>Death toll</th><th>Event</th><th>Location</th><th>Date</th></tr></thead><tbody><tr><td>1.</td><td>11,000,000–40,000,000</td><td>Great Chinese Famine</td><td>China</td><td>1959–1961</td></tr><tr><td>2.</td><td>25,000,000</td><td>Chinese famine of 1906–1907</td><td>Qing dynasty</td><td>1906–1907</td></tr><tr><td>3.</td><td>9,000,000–13,000,000</td><td>Northern Chinese Famine of 1876–1879</td><td>1876–1879</td></tr><tr><td>4.</td><td>11,000,000</td><td>Chalisa famine</td><td>North India</td><td>1783–1784</td></tr><tr><td>Doji bara famine or Skull famine</td><td>India</td><td>1789–1793</td></tr><tr><td>6.</td><td>10,000,000</td><td>Great Bengal famine of 1770, incl. Bihar & Orissa</td><td>British company India</td><td>1769–1773</td></tr><tr><td>7.</td><td>7,500,000</td><td>Great European Famine</td><td>Europe</td><td>1315–1317</td></tr><tr><td>8.</td><td>7,400,000</td><td>Deccan famine of 1630–1632</td><td>Mughal Empire, now India</td><td>1630–1632</td></tr><tr><td>9.</td><td>5,000,000–8,000,000</td><td>Soviet famine of 1930–1933</td><td>Soviet Union</td><td>1930–1933</td></tr><tr><td>10.</td><td>8,200,000</td><td>Indian Great Famine of 1876–1878</td><td>British India</td><td>1876–1878</td></tr></tbody></table>

Floods

Note: Some of these floods and landslides may be partially caused by humans – for example, by failure of dams, levees, seawalls or retaining walls. This list does not include the man-made 1938 Yellow River flood caused entirely by a deliberate man-made act (an act of war, destroying dikes). Some of the death tolls below are unverified, see separate lists.

<table><thead><tr><th>Rank</th><th>Death toll</th><th>Event</th><th>Location</th><th>Date</th></tr></thead><tbody><tr><td>1.</td><td>422,499–4,000,000</td><td>1931 China floods</td><td>China</td><td>1931</td></tr><tr><td>2.</td><td>930,000–2,000,000</td><td>1887 Yellow River (Huang He) flood</td><td>1887</td></tr><tr><td>3.</td><td>230,000</td><td>1975 Banqiao Dam failure</td><td>1975</td></tr><tr><td>4.</td><td>145,000</td><td>1935 Yangtze flood</td><td>1935</td></tr><tr><td>5.</td><td>100,000+</td><td>St. Felix's flood, storm surge</td><td>Holy Roman Empire, (Nowadays the Netherlands)</td><td>1530</td></tr><tr><td>7.</td><td>100,000</td><td>1911 Yangtze River flood</td><td>China</td><td>1911</td></tr><tr><td>8.</td><td>100,000</td><td>The flood of 1099</td><td>Netherlands & England</td><td>1099</td></tr><tr><td>9.</td><td>50,000–80,000</td><td>St. Lucia's flood, storm surge</td><td>Holy Roman Empire, (Nowadays the Netherlands)</td><td>1287</td></tr><tr><td>10.</td><td>60,000</td><td>North Sea flood, storm surge</td><td>1212</td></tr></tbody></table>

Hailstorm

<table><thead><tr><th>Rank</th><th>Death toll</th><th>Event</th><th>Location</th><th>Date</th></tr></thead><tbody><tr><td>1.</td><td>246</td><td>1888 Moradabad hailstorm</td><td>India</td><td>April 30, 1888</td></tr><tr><td>2.</td><td>200</td><td>1932 Henan hailstorm</td><td>China</td><td>July 19, 1932</td></tr><tr><td>3.</td><td>92</td><td>1986 Gopalganj hailstorm</td><td>Bangladesh</td><td>April 14, 1986</td></tr><tr><td>4.</td><td>25</td><td>2002 Henan hailstorm</td><td>China</td><td>July 19, 2002</td></tr><tr><td>5.</td><td>23</td><td>1923 Rostov</td><td>Russia (then Soviet Union)</td><td>July 10, 1923</td></tr><tr><td>5.</td><td>23</td><td>2009 Anhui Province</td><td>China</td><td>June 7, 2009</td></tr><tr><td>7.</td><td>22</td><td>1930 Siatista district, Greek Macedonia</td><td>Greece</td><td>June 1930</td></tr><tr><td>8.</td><td>14</td><td>2009 Anhui Province</td><td>China</td><td>June 14, 2009</td></tr><tr><td>9.</td><td>9</td><td>2003 Dingxi Prefecture, Gansu</td><td>July 22, 2003</td></tr><tr><td>10.</td><td>8</td><td>1784 Winnsborough, South Carolina</td><td>United States</td><td>May 8, 1784</td></tr></tbody></table>

Heat waves

Note: Measuring the number of deaths caused by a heat wave requires complicated statistical analysis, since heat waves tend to cause large numbers of deaths among people weakened by other conditions. As a result, the number of deaths is only known with any accuracy for heat waves in the modern era in countries with developed healthcare systems.

<table><thead><tr><th>Rank</th><th>Death toll</th><th>Event</th><th>Location</th><th>Date</th></tr></thead><tbody><tr><td>1.</td><td>72,000</td><td>2003 European heatwave</td><td>Europe</td><td>2003</td></tr><tr><td>2.</td><td>62,700</td><td>2024 European heatwaves</td><td>2024</td></tr><tr><td>3.</td><td>56,000</td><td>2010 Russian heat wave</td><td>Russia</td><td>2010</td></tr><tr><td>4.</td><td>24,501-70,000</td><td>2022 European heatwaves</td><td>Europe</td><td>2022</td></tr><tr><td>5.</td><td>47,000</td><td>2023 European heatwaves</td><td>2023</td></tr><tr><td>6.</td><td>41,072</td><td>1911 France heat wave</td><td>France</td><td>1911</td></tr><tr><td>7.</td><td>14,507–16,500</td><td>2025 European heatwaves</td><td>Europe</td><td>2025</td></tr><tr><td>8.</td><td>9,500</td><td>1901 eastern United States heat wave</td><td>United States</td><td>1901</td></tr><tr><td>9.</td><td>5,000–10,000</td><td>1988–1990 North American drought</td><td>1988</td></tr><tr><td>10.</td><td>3,951</td><td>2019 European heatwaves</td><td>Europe</td><td>2019</td></tr></tbody></table>

Limnic eruptions

<table><thead><tr><th>Rank</th><th>Death toll</th><th>Event</th><th>Location</th><th>Date</th></tr></thead><tbody><tr><td>1.</td><td>1,744</td><td>Lake Nyos disaster</td><td>Cameroon</td><td>August 21, 1986</td></tr><tr><td>2.</td><td>37</td><td>Lake Monoun disaster</td><td>August 15, 1984</td></tr></tbody></table>

Tornadoes

<table><thead><tr><th>Rank</th><th>Death toll</th><th>Event</th><th>Location</th><th>Date</th></tr></thead><tbody><tr><td>1.</td><td>1,300</td><td>The Daulatpur–Saturia tornado</td><td>Manikganj, Bangladesh</td><td>1989</td></tr><tr><td>2.</td><td>751</td><td>The 1925 Tri-State tornado</td><td>United States (Missouri–Illinois–Indiana)</td><td>1925</td></tr><tr><td>3.</td><td>681</td><td>The 1973 Faridpur District tornado</td><td>Bangladesh</td><td>1973</td></tr><tr><td>4.</td><td>660</td><td>1969 East Pakistan tornado</td><td>East Pakistan (now Bangladesh)</td><td>1969</td></tr><tr><td>5.</td><td>600</td><td>1996 Bangladesh tornado</td><td>Bangladesh</td><td>1996</td></tr><tr><td>6.</td><td>The Valletta, Malta tornado</td><td>Malta</td><td>1551 or 1556</td></tr><tr><td>7.</td><td>500</td><td>The 1851 Sicily tornadoes</td><td>Sicily, Two Sicilies (now Italy)</td><td>1851</td></tr><tr><td>Narail-Magura tornado</td><td>Jessore, East Pakistan, Pakistan (now Bangladesh)</td><td>1964</td></tr><tr><td>Madaripur-Shibchar tornado</td><td>Bangladesh</td><td>1977</td></tr><tr><td>10.</td><td>400</td><td>The 1984 Soviet Union tornado outbreak</td><td>Soviet Union (Volga Federal District, Central Federal District, and Northwestern Federal District in Russia)</td><td>1984</td></tr></tbody></table>

Tropical cyclones

Note: Earlier versions of this list have included the so-called "Bombay Cyclone of 1882" in tenth position, but this supposed event has been proven to be a hoax.

<table><thead><tr><th>Rank</th><th>Death toll</th><th>Event</th><th>Location</th><th>Date</th></tr></thead><tbody><tr><td>1.</td><td>500,000+</td><td>1970 Bhola cyclone</td><td>East Pakistan (now Bangladesh)</td><td>November 13, 1970</td></tr><tr><td>2.</td><td>300,000</td><td>1839 Coringa cyclone</td><td>British India (now India and Bangladesh)</td><td>November 25, 1839</td></tr><tr><td>3.</td><td>300,000+</td><td>1737 Calcutta cyclone</td><td>October 11, 1737</td></tr><tr><td>4.</td><td>229,000</td><td>Super Typhoon Nina—contributed to Banqiao Dam failure</td><td>China</td><td>August 7, 1975</td></tr><tr><td>5.</td><td>200,000</td><td>Great Backerganj Cyclone of 1876</td><td>British Raj (now Bangladesh)</td><td>October 31, 1876</td></tr><tr><td>6.</td><td>138,866</td><td>1991 Bangladesh cyclone</td><td>Bangladesh</td><td>April 29, 1991</td></tr><tr><td>7.</td><td>138,373</td><td>Cyclone Nargis</td><td>Myanmar</td><td>May 2, 2008</td></tr><tr><td>8.</td><td>100,000</td><td>July 1780 typhoon</td><td>Philippines</td><td>1780</td></tr><tr><td>9.</td><td>60,000+</td><td>1864 Calcutta cyclone</td><td>India and Bangladesh</td><td>October 5, 1864</td></tr><tr><td>10.</td><td>50,000-220,000</td><td>1912 China typhoon</td><td>China</td><td>August 29, 1912</td></tr></tbody></table>

Tsunamis

Note: A possible tsunami in 1782 that caused about 40,000 deaths in the Taiwan Strait area may have been of "meteorological" origin (a cyclone).

<table><thead><tr><th>Rank</th><th>Death toll</th><th>Event</th><th>Location</th><th>Date</th></tr></thead><tbody><tr><td>1.</td><td>227,898</td><td>2004 Indian Ocean earthquake and tsunami</td><td>Indian Ocean</td><td>December 26, 2004</td></tr><tr><td>2.</td><td>~80,000</td><td>1908 Messina earthquake</td><td>Italy</td><td>December 28, 1908</td></tr><tr><td>3.</td><td>36,417</td><td>1883 eruption of Krakatoa</td><td>Indonesia</td><td>August 27, 1883</td></tr><tr><td>4.</td><td>40,000–50,000</td><td>1755 Lisbon earthquake</td><td>Portugal</td><td>November 1, 1755</td></tr><tr><td>5.</td><td>30,000–100,000</td><td>Minoan eruption</td><td>Greece</td><td>2nd Millennium BC</td></tr><tr><td>6.</td><td>31,000</td><td>1498 Meiō earthquake</td><td>Japan</td><td>September 20, 1498</td></tr><tr><td>7.</td><td>30,000</td><td>1707 Hōei earthquake</td><td>October 28, 1707</td></tr><tr><td>8.</td><td>27,122</td><td>1896 Sanriku earthquake</td><td>June 15, 1896</td></tr><tr><td>9.</td><td>25,674</td><td>1868 Arica earthquake</td><td>Chile</td><td>August 13, 1868</td></tr><tr><td>10.</td><td>5,700–50,000</td><td>365 Crete earthquake</td><td>Greece</td><td>July 21, 365</td></tr></tbody></table>

Volcanic eruptions

<table><thead><tr><th>Rank</th><th>Death toll</th><th>Event</th><th>Location</th><th>Date</th></tr></thead><tbody><tr><td>1.</td><td>71,000+</td><td>1815 eruption of Mount Tambora (see also Year Without a Summer)</td><td>Indonesia</td><td>April 10, 1815</td></tr><tr><td>2.</td><td>36,000+</td><td>1883 eruption of Krakatoa</td><td>August 27, 1883</td></tr><tr><td>3.</td><td>30,000</td><td>1902 eruption of Mount Pelée</td><td>Martinique</td><td>May 7, 1902</td></tr><tr><td>4.</td><td>23,000</td><td>Armero tragedy</td><td>Colombia</td><td>November 13, 1985</td></tr><tr><td>5.</td><td>15,000</td><td>1792 Unzen earthquake and tsunami</td><td>Japan</td><td>May 21, 1792</td></tr><tr><td>6.</td><td>13,000</td><td>Eruption of Mount Vesuvius in 79 AD</td><td>Italy</td><td>79</td></tr><tr><td>7.</td><td>10,000+</td><td>1586 Kelud eruption</td><td>Indonesia</td><td>1586</td></tr><tr><td>8.</td><td>6,000</td><td>1902 Santa Maria eruption</td><td>Guatemala</td><td>October 24, 1902</td></tr><tr><td>9.</td><td>5,000</td><td>1919 Kelud mudflow</td><td>Indonesia</td><td>May 19, 1919</td></tr><tr><td>10.</td><td>4,011</td><td>1822 Galunggung eruption</td><td>1822</td></tr></tbody></table>

Wildfires

<table><thead><tr><th>Rank</th><th>Death toll</th><th>Event</th><th>Location</th><th>Date</th></tr></thead><tbody><tr><td>1.</td><td>1,200–2,500</td><td>Peshtigo fire</td><td>Wisconsin, United States</td><td>October 8, 1871</td></tr><tr><td>2.</td><td>1,000+</td><td>Kursha-2 fire</td><td>Soviet Union</td><td>August 3, 1936</td></tr><tr><td>3.</td><td>453</td><td>Cloquet fire</td><td>Minnesota, United States</td><td>October 12, 1918</td></tr><tr><td>4.</td><td>418–476</td><td>Great Hinckley Fire</td><td>September 1, 1894</td></tr><tr><td>5.</td><td>282</td><td>Thumb Fire</td><td>Michigan, United States</td><td>September 5, 1881</td></tr><tr><td>6.</td><td>240</td><td>1997 Indonesian forest fires</td><td>Sumatra and Kalimantan, Indonesia</td><td>September 1997</td></tr><tr><td>7.</td><td>160–300</td><td>1825 Miramichi fire</td><td>Canada</td><td>October 7, 1825</td></tr><tr><td>8.</td><td>223</td><td>Matheson Fire</td><td>Ontario, Canada</td><td>July 29, 1916</td></tr><tr><td>9.</td><td>211</td><td>1987 Black Dragon fire</td><td>China and Soviet Union</td><td>May 1, 1987</td></tr><tr><td>10.</td><td>173</td><td>Black Saturday bushfires</td><td>Australia</td><td>February 7, 2009</td></tr></tbody></table>

Winter storms

<table><thead><tr><th>Rank</th><th>Death toll (estimate)</th><th>Event</th><th>Location</th><th>Date</th></tr></thead><tbody><tr><td>1.</td><td>4,000</td><td>1972 Iran blizzard</td><td>Iran</td><td>1972</td></tr><tr><td>2.</td><td>3,000</td><td>Carolean Death March</td><td>Norway</td><td>1719</td></tr><tr><td>3.</td><td>926</td><td>2008 Afghanistan blizzard</td><td>Afghanistan</td><td>2008</td></tr><tr><td>4.</td><td>400</td><td>Great Blizzard of 1888</td><td>United States</td><td>1888</td></tr><tr><td>5.</td><td>353</td><td>Great Appalachian Storm of 1950</td><td>1950</td></tr><tr><td>6.</td><td>318</td><td>1993 Storm of the Century</td><td>1993</td></tr><tr><td>7.</td><td>299–978</td><td>2021 North American winter storm</td><td>United States and Mexico</td><td>2021</td></tr><tr><td>8.</td><td>286</td><td>December 1960 nor'easter</td><td>United States</td><td>1960</td></tr><tr><td>9.</td><td>250</td><td>Great Lakes Storm of 1913</td><td>United States and Canada (Great Lakes region)</td><td>1913</td></tr><tr><td>10.</td><td>235</td><td>Schoolhouse Blizzard</td><td>United States</td><td>1888</td></tr></tbody></table>