Natural disasters have wiped out entire nations ... It is said that one natural disaster can exterminate an entire nation, which has already happened in many parts of the earth over the past centuries. But most of the devastating natural disasters have occurred a long time ago and it is difficult to determine the number of victims and most of the existing figures are only estimates.
Here is a list of the 10 most devastating natural disasters in the history of mankind and are officially documented:
10
Hurricane of India in 1839 - 300 thousand people
Hurricane of India in 1839 - 300 thousand people
The cyclone struck India on November 25, 1839, killing 300,000 people. Most of the victims were swallowed up by the earth, others were killed by the collapse of buildings, and some 20,000 people drowned in the sea. The cyclone devastated the coastal city of Coringa, hit by a 40-foot high wave.
9
Hurricane Bangladesh / Eastern Pakistan in 1970 - 500 thousand people
Hurricane Bangladesh / Eastern Pakistan in 1970 - 500 thousand people
On November 12, 1970, Hurricane Pula struck coastal areas of eastern Pakistan. The tropical cyclone destroyed large areas, uprooted several villages and then headed north to the Bay of Bengal. According to experts, the wind speed was 185 km per hour.
The Ganges region was one of the worst affected by its lowlands. The number of people killed by Hurricane Paula has reached about 500,000, becoming the worst hurricane in history in terms of death toll.
8
The Shanxi earthquake in China in 1556 - 830 thousand people
The Shanxi earthquake in China in 1556 - 830 thousand people
On January 23, 1556, an earthquake measuring 8.0 on the Richter scale hit Shanxi Province in central China. Most villages have been destroyed in the disaster and 40 percent of the population has died, with more than 830,000 dead.
That figure is due to the fact that most residents of Shanxi Province lived in small huts and collapsed on their heads when the disaster occurred.
China has been hit by several devastating natural disasters over the years, as we will see later.
7
The earthquake of Egypt and Syria in 1201 - million people
The earthquake of Egypt and Syria in 1201 - million people
On July 5, 1201, a strong earthquake hit the southeastern Mediterranean and killed more than a million people. But the magnitude of the quake was not known because of the lack of technological equipment at the time.
6
The potato famine in Ireland between 1845 and 1848 - million people
The potato famine in Ireland between 1845 and 1848 - million people
The Irish potato famine occurred between 1845 and 1848, at which time a third of Ireland's population depended on potato cultivation and marketing. Some fungi have caused potato pest and eliminated all crops in the country. Because of this, more than 1 million people have died, most of them poor, and another one million have fled the devastation of their lands.
5
Yellow River flood in China in 1887 - 2 million people
Yellow River flood in China in 1887 - 2 million people
Henan Province, in central China, lies north of the Yellow River and is one of China's largest industrial zones. The province dates back more than 1,000 years and has a flourishing history of culture, politics and economy.
In September of 1887, the worst flood in history and the second largest death toll occurred. The Yellow River flooded, all dams were affected, 11 cities were flooded and many villages in Henan Province were flooded. The flood has left millions of people homeless and 900,000 to 2 million people dead.
4
China floods in 1931 - 3.7 million people
China floods in 1931 - 3.7 million people
China is the largest country with more than 1.35 billion people. Most of the fertile land in central China lies on the Huang Hu River basin or the Yellow River.
In 1931 and between July and August, successive floods of the Yangtze River occurred, one of the largest floods recorded in human history. A quarter of China's population has been affected by the floods and has killed nearly 3.7 million people from drowning, disease and famine that followed the disaster.
3
The great drought in China between 1876 and 1879 - 9 million people
The great drought in China between 1876 and 1879 - 9 million people
The drought that hit China between 1876 and 1879 is one of several natural disasters that hit this country, one of the worst droughts in human history. During those three years, China lost all its livestock and agricultural crops because of river droughts and more than 9 million people died of starvation.
2
The Great Famine in India between 1769 and 1773 - 10 million people
The Great Famine in India between 1769 and 1773 - 10 million people
Shortly before the age of technology, India suffered the worst famine recorded in history in 1769. More than 10 million people have died from the severe drought that has damaged crops for four consecutive years.
1
The influenza pandemic between 1918 and 1919 - 100 million people is the worst natural disasters in history
The influenza pandemic between 1918 and 1919 - 100 million people is the worst natural disasters in history
The influenza pandemic hit the world between 1918 and 1919 and nearly 100 million people died when the virus spread. India was one of the most affected, with 16 million people dying on its territory, and in the United States of America 650,000 people died. The virus has spread to commercial and maritime routes and most of the victims were children and the elderly. Many see the flu pandemic as the worst disaster in human history.
