What was the most destructive natural disaster?

Answer 1

The worst natural disaster in recorded history is the 1931 Central China Floods, which is the deadliest natural event in terms of death toll, with up to 4 million casualties. It was caused by heavy flooding from snowstorm melt-off and an unusual number of cyclones following a two-year drought; it affected all of China's major rivers, including the Yellow, the Yangtze and the Huai. Many died from drowning; others died from water-borne diseases such as typhus and cholera.

Another strong contender is the 1815 explosion of Mount Tambora in Indonesia, which killed more than 70,000 people directly, and blasted so much dust into the atmosphere that crops failed worldwide the following year, in what came to be known as "The Year Without a Summer."

However, the worst disaster in Earth's history was the Permian-Triassic Extinction Event, also known as The Great Dying, which occurred 251 million years ago. 96% of marine species, and 70% of land species, were killed off. Scientists still debate the cause of the event, with leading theories pointing to a critical combination of meteor strikes, massive volcanic eruptions, and a sudden release of poisonous methane gas from pockets of pressurized methane ice located on or under the sea floor.

Answer 2

Most destructive is subjective, but the answer should be quantifiable in terms of human suffering or impact on future generations. Something like the numbers of deaths, injuries, towns destroyed, civilizations annihilated, would be useful. How about the extinction of whole classes of species? Also, what constitutes a "natural disaster"? Certainly the various geophysical phenomena are "natural," but what about the man-made disasters (are we natural or are we super-natural?). What about the man-involved (but not made) disasters such as the great Stock Market crash? The disaster was clearly beyond the control of any living person, was completely unpredictable, had a very real impact on humanity. And, though there was no physical destruction as a direct result of the crash, might the proximate causes of the eventual physical destruction be considered aftershocks?

Answer 3

In terms of lives lost, damage caused, and frequency of occurrence, tropical storms (hurricane, typhoon, cyclone) are the "worst" natural disasters. They effect many densely populated areas (America, Asia, Australia) and occur annually. Although much less common, eruptions of massive volcanoes (see Yellowstone) have the potential to kill millions of people via famine brought about by subsequent climate change resulting from large amounts of ash and sediment ejected into the atmosphere.

Even less frequent still, impact events (comet/asteroid) are by far the "worst" natural disasters. An object of 1km (0.6 miles) in diameter has the potential to disrupt civilization, at least. An object on the order of 2+ miles across will kill

Answer 4

I dont think the Jonas brothers is a terrible natural disaster. I think it is the asteroid that wiped out 80% of life on the planet. This asteroid was as big as Mount Everest. It caused the sun to be blocked for 6 months. I think this is the most terrible natural disaster to have hit the Earth.

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Nessa loves nesquick

Answer 5

I have a feeling its tornadoes because of its speed

I would guess to say that a large meteorite (or even smaller showers of meteorites) impact would do more damage to our earth, than any other natural disasters combined! The last one 13,000 yrs ago, plunged us into a 1,000 year ice age.

Not to mention devastation done by tidal waves from meteorites hitting any body of water. I'll take a tornado any day of the week. Have been in 3, and with proper shelter, came out of all 3 alive and well.

you definitly would not want to have a large torando on your trail, because they're horrific. But fortunately they only affect a small part of the planet. The deadliest natural disaster would be a supervolcano which would have planetary consequences.

The deadliest disaster (not natural) however, would be failure of the sun, because it would wipe out all life in the solar system.

Answer 6

there are alot of natural disasters but the worst is janish china were 830,000 people were killed

Answer 7

The deadliest known natural disaster in history was the 1931 China floods, where an estimated 2-3 million people lost their lives due to the combination of flooding and disease outbreaks.

Answer 8

Earthquakes