Top 10 natural disasters

A sequence of the acts of God that have claimed more lives than any other event in human history.

Throughout history there have been thousands of natural disasters. However, some have been even more destructive than any others.

1. Aleppo Earthquake

   

   Took place in 1130 ad in northern Syria. Has been labelled as the fourth worst Earthquake of all time, causing the deaths of over 230,000 people, mainly due to the destruction of a number of citadels housing large populations. The town of Aleppo was totally levelled in the Earthquake, though casualties were reduced because the townspeople fled at the first-shocks came.

2. The Banqiao Dam

   

   In 1975 over a year’s worth of rainfall fell in 24 hours. The dam, in south-eastern China, collapsed, having been designed for less than half that. The ensuing flood of water, gushed down into the lowlands as a wave 10km long and 7 metres high. Over 230,000 people died due to the collapse, but over 11 million were affected.

3. The Tangshan Earthquake

   

   The third deadliest Earthquake of all time, this happened in 1976 in North-eastern China. The Earthquake struck early in the morning registering 7.8 on the Richter scale. Casualty figures were originally quoted as more than 600,000, but recent evidence suggests that it may have been less than 250,000.

4. The Antioch Earthquake

   

   Very little evidence survives this quake, but records suggest that upwards of 260,000 people died. Location: Antakya (Antioch), Turkey.

5. Indian Ocean Tsunami

   

   Most of us will remember this. On Boxing Day 2004 a large Earthquake beneath the Indian Ocean triggered a series of devastating Tsunamis. The Earthquake itself registered 9.3 on the Richter scale, and is the second largest ever recorded on a seismograph. The Tsunamis claimed 283,000 lives, and the world responded massively, donating more than $7 billion.

6. India Cyclone

   

   In 1839 a large cyclone ripped through Coringa, killing 300,000 people.

7. Bhola Cyclone

   

   In what is now Bangladesh, in 1970 a cyclone tore through the country. West Bengal was struck, adding to the damage and the casualties. Winds reached a peak of 185kph and an offshore island had 45% of its population killed by the winds. 500,000 people died.

8. Shaanxi Earthquake

   

   The deadliest Earthquake of all time took place in 1556, in the Shaanxi province, China. The devastation wrought by the Earthquake would now compare only to the detonation of a nuclear bomb. The tremors were so powerful new valleys were opened and cracks appeared in the ground. Upwards of 830,000 died, more than a quarter of who died in caves, as landslides trapped them.

9. Yellow River Flood

   

   The yellow river in China is known to regularly flood. However, in 1887 a particularly bad flood due to a high riverbed broke through dykes and killed more than a million people.

10. China Flood

    

    A drought had continued in China for 2 years, until in 1931 most major rivers flooded. The waters rose so rapidly no one had much time to reach higher ground. Overall, the series of floods killed between 2 and 4 million people however, over 100 million were affected.