Feature Writer: 
A natural disaster is defined as a consequence of a natural hazard occurring on land, sea or air.
Some of the most common natural disasters found on earth are:
- Tornadoes
- Hurricanes
- Earthquakes
- Ice storms
- Tsunamis
- Floods
- Volcanoes
- Heat waves
- Avalanches
- Landslides
- Forest fires
- Blizzards
- Electrical storms
Read about some of the worst natural disasters that have occurred in the world. Discover why these disasters happened and the destruction caused to people and property. Although the forces of nature cannot be tamed, lessons learned from events in the past could minimize the disastrous effects on society and our environment.
September 2009 Atlanta Georgia Floods
Although it looked like a tropical storm had swept across northern Georgia, flooding was caused by steady rain saturating the ground until it had nowhere to go. more...
Samoa Earthquake and Tsunami September 29, 2009
In: Tsunamis/Floods
An early morning offshore earthquake on September 29, 2009 in the Samoa Islands caused a tsunami that brought death and destruction to American Samoa, Samoa and Tonga. more...
Xenia, Ohio was unexpectedly struck by a F5 tornado on April 3, 1974, which was the beginning of a 24-hour tornado outbreak that became the worst in US history. more...
Barrie Ontario Tornado Outbreak 1985
Part of a tornado swarm that hit Pennsylvania, Ohio, New York, and Southern Ontario, a F4 tornado struck the city of Barrie located north of Toronto on May 31, 1985. more...
Sumatra Indonesia Earthquake September 30, 2009
The Sumatra earthquake occurred only hours after an 8.0 magnitude struck the Samoan Islands and triggered a 20 foot tsunami which killed over 100 people. more...
Great California ShakeOut October 15, 2009
After the success of the 2008 earthquake drill with 5.5 million participants, the California ShakeOut is now an annual event held on the third Thursday of October. more...
Camille took a sudden turn and battered the U.S. Gulf Coast as a Category 5 hurricane and caused widespread damage as far north as the Appalachian Mountains. more...
Sinking of the SS Edmund Fitzgerald
Also known as the "Mighty Fitz", this Great Lakes freighter sank during a gale near Whitefish Point. No distress signal was broadcast and all 29 crew members died. more...
All feature articles in Natural Disasters
All contributors in Natural Disasters
The Supervolcano At Yellowstone National Park
In: Volcanoes
Coldest Decade on Earth in the Past 500 Years
In: Volcanoes
By: Don Kaiser
Mount Vesuvius, the Last Volcanic Eruption
In: Volcanoes
By: Don Kaiser
The New Madrid Earthquake in Missouri, USA
By: Diane Evans
Twenty-Year Anniversary of Loma Prieta Quake
By: June Smith
All contributing articles in Natural Disasters