Several parts of the world have seen natural disasters over the last few years, but few rank as high as some of the worst ones on record within the last decade. From devastating, long-lasting wildfires to flooding capable of submerging a third of a country, Mother Nature has caused disastrous events that will be hard to forget down the line. We’ve rounded up 10 of the deadliest natural disasters that have occurred within the last 10 years.
1. Gulf Coast Winter Storm, 2014
States that don’t typically see freezing temperatures like Florida, Texas, Louisiana and Georgia received quite the winter ice snowstorm. Temperatures dipped over 30 degrees Fahrenheit below their normal average, and over 3,000 flights were canceled in the area. Since these states aren’t used to these frigid conditions, they were completely unprepared, resulting in several car accidents and state emergency declarations.
2. Australian Wildfires, 2019
The Australian wildfires were first spotted in September 2019, but they raged on well into 2020. The country experienced an excess of air pollution, hundreds of reported deaths and over 3,000 destroyed homes. The extended dry heat wave is what originally sparked the massive bushfires.
3. Indian Heatwave, 2015
While India is no stranger to the heat, this wave made the boiling temperatures unbearable. For most of May 2015, high temperatures averaged out to 110 degrees Fahrenheit, and it killed about 2,300 people in the process. During the peak hours of 11 AM to 4 PM, taxi drivers didn’t work because of the risk of heat stroke during the deadly wave.
4. Hurricane Maria in Puerto Rico, 2017
Listed as a category 4 storm, Hurricane Maria landed on the southeast coast of Puerto Rico in September 2017. Its winds killed the power grid on the island and took away almost all cellular communications. Roads were demolished, with traffic signs left askew. There were 64 deaths reported, but some speculate that the death toll was much higher.
5. Sulawesi Earthquake and Tsunami, 2018
This 7.4 magnitude earthquake off the coast of Indonesia impacted over 1.5 million people. A tsunami was triggered from the impact. Over 2,000 people died and nearly 212,000 people lost their homes.
6. Southern Africa Cyclones, 2019
Only five weeks apart, two huge cyclones hit South Africa and submerged 900 square miles of the area under water. It’s thought to be the worst natural disaster in the area in nearly 20 years. The storms killed an estimated 600 people, and over 1.9 million people needed aid.
7. Hurricane Ian in Florida, 2022
Out of all hurricanes in the U.S., Hurricane Ian is known to have caused some of the most damage in the country’s history. Over 2 million people lost power and over 64 people died. The hurricane stormed through Cuba, Florida, North Carolina and South Carolina.
8. Afghanistan Earthquake, 2023
After weeks of smaller earthquakes impacting the region, a large 6.3 magnitude earthquake hit Afghanistan. As a result, 150 people were injured and one person passed away. There were several villages destroyed and families displaced.
9. Pakistan Flood, 2022
The Pakistan flood in 2022 is reported as one of the world’s deadliest floods since the 2020 South Asian floods. The flood placed a third of the country under water, which affected over 33 million people. Of those, 5.4 million people were left with polluted water throughout the ponds and wells. The unsafe water may have contributed to the increased number of infections throughout the population.
10. Canada Cold Snap, 2024
Even though Canada is known to experience freezing winter weather, the country wasn’t expecting it to hit record temperatures this year. Ski resorts were closing in Vancouver because the cold was too extreme, and many were freezing boiling water instantly to demonstrate the frigid temperatures. In Western Canada specifically, temperatures went as low as negative 30 degrees Fahrenheit.
