Natural disasters are sudden events that always cause widespread destruction, major collateral damage, or loss of life, brought about by forces other than the acts of human beings. Natural disasters have been afflicted humanity from the dawn of time. Hurricanes, earthquakes, floods, tsunamis, and many others have to lead to the deaths of around 60,000 people every year. That is such shocking data to know because people could not do anything about it.
To be classified as a disaster, will have profound environmental effects and/or human loss and frequently causes financial loss. Many people might not know but there are a lot of natural disasters that have happened in human history and they also sadly happened all over the world.
These are 5 of the worst natural disasters in human history.
1) Central China Flood, 1931
Picture: China Dialogue
The 1931 China floods occurred from June to August 1931 in China, hitting major cities such as Wuhan, Nanjing, and beyond, which eventually culminated in a dike breach along Lake Gaoyou on 25 August 1931. Fatality estimates vary widely. A number of 150,000 people had drowned, and that this number represented less than a quarter of all fatalities during the first 100 days of the flood. The official report found 140,000 drowned and claims that 2 million people died during the flood, having drowned or died from lack of food. A cholera epidemic in the subsequent year, from May 1932, was officially reported to have 31,974 deaths and 100,666 cases. A popular high-end estimate of 3.7 to 4.0 million fatalities.
2) Great Bengal Famine Of 1770
Picture: Indian History Awareness and Research
The Bengal Famine of 1770 was a famine that struck the Bengal region between 1769 and 1770 and affected some 30 million people. It occurred during a period of dual governance in Bengal. This existed after the East India Company had been granted the diwani, or the right to collect revenue in Bengal by the Mughal emperor in Delhi, but before it had wrested the nizamat, or control of civil administration, which continued to lie with the Mughal governor, the Nawab of Bengal.
3) 1887 Yellow River Flood
Picture: Global Energy
The 1887 Yellow River flood was a devastating flood on the Yellow River (Huang He) in China. This river is prone to flooding due to the elevated nature of the river, running between dikes above the broad plains surrounding it. The flood, which began in September 1887, killed at least 900,000 people. The highest estimated death toll is 2,000,000. It was one of the deadliest natural disasters ever recorded. This flood is ranked one of the topmost dangerous natural disasters ever.
4) 1970 Bhola Cyclone
Picture: Get Bengal
The 1970 Bhola cyclone was a devastating tropical cyclone that struck East Pakistan (present-day Bangladesh) and India’s West Bengal on November 11, 1970. It remains the deadliest tropical cyclone ever recorded and one of the world’s deadliest natural disasters. At least 500,000 people lost their lives in the storm, primarily as a result of the storm surge that flooded much of the low-lying islands of the Ganges Delta. Bhola was the sixth and strongest cyclonic storm of the 1970 North Indian Ocean cyclone season.
5) North Korea’s Arduous March
Picture: the Borgen Project
The North Korean Arduous March or the March of Suffering was a period of mass starvation together with a general economic crisis from 1994 to 1998 in North Korea. During this time there was an increase in defection from North Korea which peaked towards the end of the famine period.
Sources: YouTube The Infographics Show.
