Photo: TitleMax

These Are the World’s Deadliest Natural Disasters

Maps + Infographics
by Eben Diskin Aug 22, 2018

This chart created by TitleMax and posted by Redditor OakFace depicts the most devastating natural disasters ever recorded in each category, complete with death toll, location, and even runners-up. This is one list you definitely don’t want to top.

Natural disaster infographic

Photo: TitleMax

Click here to zoom in.

Even with a quick glance at the chart, it becomes clear which region of the world has been struck with the most catastrophic natural disasters. The worst famine, flood, and earthquake all occured in China (the runners-up for each also took place in China). Topping the list is the Great Chinese Famine, which claimed a staggering 36 million lives between 1959 and 1961. Southeast Asia is no less disaster prone, with the worst tropical cyclone striking West Bengal in 1970; the worst tsunami occurring in the Indian Ocean in 2004; the most violent volcanic eruption in Indonesia in 1815; the most fatal tornado in Bangladesh in 1989; and even the worst hailstorm in India in 1888, with 246 casualties.

Europe and the United States are somewhat less susceptible to be victims of natural disasters, but that doesn’t mean they escaped the chart altogether. Western Europe can lay claim to the deadliest heat wave in history, which took 70,000 lives in 2003. As for wildfires, Wisconsin burns the brightest; 2,500 people perished in the Peshtigo fire of 1871.

H/T: Reddit

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