A Disaster is a Natural or man-made event that negatively affects Life , Property , livelihood or Industry , often resulting in permanent changes to human Societies , Ecosystem s and Environment . Disasters manifest as Hazard s exacerbating Vulnerable conditions and exceeding individuals' and communities' means to survive and thrive. Most of the catastrophic disasters listed in this article have occurred at a specific non-enduring time in history rather than a longer time-period (e.g. this excludes entire long-lasting wars while including specific events during wars).
- New Madrid Earthquake ( 1811 - 12 )
- Volcanic eruption of Mount Tambora , Indonesia ( 10 April , 1815 ), resulting to climate abnormalities in 1816 , known as the " Year Without A Summer ".
- 1839 Cyclone in India ( November 25 ) 300,000 deaths make this the 19th century´s worst disaster.
- 1876 Bakarganj Cyclone in India ( October 31 ) 215,000 dead, gruesome event.
- Krakatoa , Indonesia , volcanic eruption, ( August 26 , 1883 )
- St. Louis-East St. Louis Tornado , ( May 27 , 1896 )
- Galveston Hurricane Of 1900 , Galveston, Texas ( September 8 , 1900 ) death toll 6000-12000
- 1902 Mont Pelée Eruption, Martinique , Caribbean ( May 2 , 1902 ) 26,000 casualties.
- 1906 San Francisco Earthquake , San Francisco, California ( April 18 , 1906 ) 478 reported deaths but 3000 more likely
- Great Lakes Storm Of 1913 , Great Lakes Basin region (November, 1913 ) 250 dead
- 1914 Hillcrest Mine Disaster , 189 dead.
- 1917 Mattoon, Illinois tornado destroys town, kills 101. ( May 26 )
- Great Kantō Earthquake , Tokyo, Japan ( September 1 1923 ) 105,385 lost lives
- Tri-State Tornado , Missouri , Illinois , and Indiana ( March 18 , 1925 ) 727 confirmed dead
- 1926 Thanksgiving Tornado Outbreak in Arkansas and Central U.S., 104 deaths. ( November 25 )
- 1931 Huang He Floods , China (August 1931 ) estimates between 850,000 and 4,000,000
- Quetta earthquake 1935 (then in India, now in Pakistan ) killed 35,000.
- Labor Day Hurricane Of 1935 , Southeastern United States (August to September 1935 ) 423 people killed
- 1950 Blizzard kills 323 in the Eastern U.S. ( November 25 )
- North Sea Flood Of 1953 , United Kingdom and The Netherlands ( January 31 - February 1 , 1953 ) 1835 killed
- Escuminac Disaster , Escuminac , New Brunswick , Canada ( June 20 , 1959 ) 95 dead
- Agadir (Morocco) earthquake, February 29, 1960.
- Great Chilean Earthquake , May 21 and 22 , 1960 . 3.000 deaths estimated.
- North Sea Flood Of 1962 , Germany
- Vajont Dam Landslide/Tsunami Disaster , Italy October 9 1963 close to 2000 perished
- Palm Sunday Tornado Outbreak , Midwest , United States ( April 11 , 1965 ) 271 died
- Hurricane Camille , Mississippi , United States (August, 1969 ) 256
- Ancash Earthquake And Landslide in north central Peru May 31 , 1970 47,194-66,000 dead
- Bhola Cyclone in East Pakistan / Bangladesh , ( November 13 , 1970 ) 500,000 dead 100,000 missing
- Super Outbreak , Tornado es in 13 U.S. State s ( April 3 , 1974 ) 315-330 dead
- Tropical Cyclone Tracy , Darwin, Australia on Christmas Eve, 1974. 65-71
- Tangshan Earthquake , China ( July 26 1976 ) 242,419 dead
- USA Heat Wave Of 1980 , (June to September 1980 ) between 1250 and 10,000
- Mount St. Helens , volcanic eruption May 18, 1980, killed 57
- Hurricane Allen , Greater Antilles , Texas , United States (August 1980 ) 250-260 dead
- 1983 Tsunami strikes Japan , 104 confirmed deaths, hundreds missing. ( May 26 )
- Mexico City Earthquake , Mexico ( September 19 1985 ) between 5000 and 20,000
- Nevado Del Ruiz volcanic eruption, Armero , Colombia (November, 1985 ) 23,000-25,000 died.
- 1987 Supertyphoon Nina slams the Philippines , 1036 deaths. ( November 25 )
- Hurricane Gilbert , Jamaica , Central America , Mexico (September, 1988 ) 318 dead
- Spitak Earthquake , Spitak , Armenia ( December 7 , 1988 ) 25,000 lives lost
- 1991 Bangladesh Cyclone , Bangladesh ( April 29 , 1991 ) 138,000 died
- Mount Pinatubo volcanic eruption ( June 15 , 1991 ) 300 killed
- Hurricane Andrew , Florida , Louisiana , United States (August, 1992 ) 26 dead
- Paez River Disaster , Cauca and Huila provinces, Colombia (June 6, 1994 ) over 1,100 people were killed in an earthquake and mudslide disaster in the Paez river basin
- Chicago Heat Wave Of 1995 , Chicago, Illinois 739 dead
- Kobe Earthquake , Kobe , Hyogo ( January 17 , 1995 )6,433 lost lives
- 1996 , May 13 , Tornado in India kills over 600, hundreds more missing.
- 1996 , November 6 , Cyclone bashes Andhra Pradesh , India , kills more than 2000 people.
- November 25 , 1996 Ice Storm kills 26, hundreds injured in the Central United States.
- Hurricane Mitch , Central America (October to November, 1998 ) 18,000 people killed
- Galtur Avalanche , Galtür , Austria ( February 23 , 1999 ) 31 killed
- 1999 Izmit, Turkey Earthquake , Kocaeli , Turkey ( August 17 , 1999 ) 17,000 dead
- Chi-Chi Earthquake , Nantou , Taiwan ( September 21 , 1999 ) 2,415 dead or missing
- Tropical Cyclone 05B ( 1999 ), killed around 10,000 people in the Orissa state of India
- Vargas State Mudslide s, Venezuela (December 1999) 10,000 to 50,000 dead or missing
- 2001 Gujarat Earthquake , Bhuj , India ( January 26 , 2001 )
- European Heat Wave Of 2003 , Europe
- Bam Earthquake , Iran ( December 26 , 2003 )
- Hurricane Ivan , Caribbean Sea , Southeastern United States (September, 2004 )
- Hurricane Jeanne , Greater Antilles , Eastern United States (September, 2004 )
- 2004 Indian Ocean Earthquake And Tsunami , Indonesia ( December 26 , 2004 ) at least 200,000 killed
- 2005 Sumatran Earthquake , Indonesia ( March 28 , 2005 )
- 2005 Maharashtra Floods , Mumbai , Maharashtra , Western India (July 2005 )
- Hurricane Katrina , United States (August 2005 ), estimates of deaths vary between 1,383 and 5,000
- Hurricane Stan , Mexico , Central America , Guatemala , (October, 2005 )
- 2005 Kashmir Earthquake , Kashmir , Pakistan , ( October 8 , 2005 )
- Hurricane Wilma , Caribbean Sea , Mexico , United States (October 2005 )
- 2006 Southern Leyte Mudslide , Philippines , ( 17 February 2006 ) c. 950 killed.
This is a list of disasters involving objects in flight or near-flight. From 1990 onward, the list is exhaustive, including all air disasters killing 20 or more people.
See also: List Of Space Disasters , Accidents And Incidents In Aviation
- August 6 , 1913 -- Curtiss Seaplane (Private) -- First fatal airplane incident in Canada (1 killed)
- L-1 Airship (14 killed)
- L-2 Airship (28 killed)
- August 31 , 1940 -- Lovettsville Air Disaster -- Douglas DC-3 (25 killed)
- February 15 , 1947 -- Colombia Avianca Douglas DC-4 Air Disaster (53 killed)
- May 29 , 1947 -- U.S. United Air Lines Douglas DC-4 Air Disaster (43 killed)
- May 29 , 1947 -- Japan U.S. Air Force Douglas DC-4 Air Disaster (40 killed)
- May 30 , 1947 -- U.S. Eastern Air Lines Douglas DC-4 Air Disaster (53 killed)
- June 13 , 1947 -- U.S. Pennsylvania-Central Airlines Douglas DC-4 Air Disaster (50 killed)
- October 16 , 1947 -- Spain Societé Aérienne Du Littoral Bristol 170 Air Disaster (41 killed)
- October 24 , 1947 -- U.S. United Air Lines Douglas DC-6 Air Disaster (52 killed)
- October 26 , 1947 -- Greece AB Aerotransport Douglas DC-4 Air Disaster (44 killed)
- June 17 , 1948 -- U.S. United Air Lines Douglas DC-6 Air Disaster (43 killed)
- August 1 , 1948 -- Atlantic Ocean Air France Latécoere 631 Air Disaster (52 killed)
- October 20 , 1948 -- United Kingdom KLM Lockheed L-049 Air Disaster (40 killed)
- May 4 , 1949 -- Superga Air Disaster (31 killed)
- June 7 , 1949 -- Puerto Rico Strato-Freight Curtiss C-46 Air Disaster (53 killed)
- July 12 , 1949 -- India KLM Lockheed L-749 Air Disaster (45 killed)
- October 28 , 1949 -- Portugal Air France Lockheed L-749 Air Disaster (48 killed)
- November 1 , 1949 -- U.S. Eastern Air Lines Douglas DC-4 Air Disaster (55 killed)
- Staines Air Disaster ( July 18 , 1972 ) 118 killed
- Sinai Libyan Arab Airlines Boeing 727 Air Disaster ( February 21 , 1973 ) 108 killed
- Ermenonville Air Disaster north of Paris ( March 3 , 1974 ) 346 killed
- Seven Virgins Air Disaster Martinair DC-8 Series 55F hits mountain range in Maskeliya , Sri Lanka December 4 , 1974 , 191 killed
- Zagreb Air Disaster mid-air collision between a British Airways Trident and a Inex-Adria DC-9 ( September 10 , 1976 ) 176 killed
- Tenerife Disaster collision between KLM and PanAm Boeing 747's ( March 27 , 1977 ) 583 killed, the world's largest multiple aircraft air disaster
- San Diego air disaster (September 25, 1978) collision between a Cessna and a Boeing 727, PSA flight 182, 144 killed.
- Katunayake Air Disaster , Icelandair DC-8 Super 63CF ploughs into a coconut plantation in Sri Lanka , November 15 , 1978 - 184 killed,78 survivors.
- American Airlines Flight 191 from O'Hare Airport Chicago, IL disaster May 25 , 1979 DC-10 crashes due to mechanical failure minutes after take-off in a field adjacent to a trailer park in Des Plaines, IL - 271 flight casualties, 2 killed on ground in trailer park Deadliest US flight disaster to date with exception of September 11th, 2001 attacks
- Mount Erebus Disaster in Antarctica ( November 28 , 1979 ) 257 killed
- Iran Iran Air Boeing 727 Air Disaster ( January 21 , 1980 ) 128 killed
- Spain Dan-Air Services Boeing 727 Air Disaster ( April 25 , 1980 ) 146 killed
- Kazakhstan Aeroflot Tupolev 154 Air Disaster ( July 7 , 1980 ) 163 killed
- Saudi Arabia Saudi Arabian Lockheed L-1011 Air Disaster ( August 19 , 1980 ) 301 killed
- Taiwan FEAT Boeing 737-200 Air Disaster ( August 22 , 1981 ) 110 killed
- NLM Cityhopper Flight 431 ( October 6 , 1981 ) 17 killed
- Russia Aeroflot Tupolev 154 Air Disaster ( November 16 , 1981 ) 99 killed
- France Inex Adria Aviopromet MD-80 Air Disaster ( December 1 , 1981 ) 180 killed
- China CAAC HS-121 Trident Air Disaster ( April 26 , 1982 ) 112 killed
- Brazil VASP Boeing 727 Air Disaster ( June 8 , 1982 ) 137 killed
- Belarus Aeroflot Yakovlev 42 Air Disaster ( June 28 , 1982 ) 132 killed
- USA Pan Am Boeing 727 Air Disaster ( July 9 , 1982 ) 145 killed
- Air Canada Flight 797 Air Disaster ( June 2 , 1983 ) 23 killed
- Ecuador TAME Ecuador Boeing 737-200 Air Disaster ( July 11 , 1983 ) 119 killed
- Korean Air Flight 7 Boeing 747 shootdown ( September 1 , 1983 ) 269 killed
- U.A.E. Gulf Air Boeing 737-200 Air Disaster ( September 23 , 1983 ) 112 killed
- Angola TAAG Boeing 737-200 Air Disaster ( November 8 , 1983 ) 130 killed
- Spain Avianca Boeing 747 Air Disaster ( November 27 , 1983 ) 181 killed
- Russia Aeroflot Tupolev 154 Air Disaster ( October 11 , 1984 ) 174 killed
- Russia Aeroflot Tupolev 154 Air Disaster ( December 23 , 1984 ) 110 killed
- Galaxy Airlines Lockheed Electra 188 Disaster ( January 21 , 1985 ) 70 killed
- Spain Iberia Boeing 727 Air Disaster ( February 19 , 1985 ) 148 killed
- Atlantic Ocean Air India Boeing 747 Air Disaster ( June 23 , 1985 ) 329 killed
- Uzbekistan Aeroflot Tupolev 154 Air Disaster ( July 10 , 1985 ) 200 killed
- USA Delta Air Lines Lockheed L-1011 Air Disaster ( August 2 , 1985 ) 134 killed
- Japan JAL Boeing 747 Air Disaster ( August 12 , 1985 ) 520 killed, the world's largest single aircraft air disaster
- Canada Arrow Air DC-8 Air Disaster ( December 12 , 1985 ) 256 killed
- Challenger Space Shuttle explosion ( January 28 , 1986 ) 7 killed
- Mexico Mexicana Boeing 727 Air Disaster ( March 31 , 1986 ) 167 killed
- Poland LOT Ilyushin 62 Air Disaster ( May 9 , 1987 ) 183 killed
- USA Northwest Airlines MD-80 Air Disaster ( August 16 , 1987 ) 154 killed
- Indian Ocean SAA Boeing 747 Air Disaster ( November 28 , 1987 ) 159 killed
- Indian Ocean Korean Air Boeing 707 Air Disaster ( November 29 , 1987 ) 115 killed
- China China Southwest Ilyushin 18 Air Disaster ( January 18 , 1988 ) 108 killed
- Colombia Avianca Boeing 727 Air Disaster ( March 17 , 1988 ) 143 killed
- Mulhouse-Habsheim Airshow Airbus A320 Air Disaster ( June 26 , 1988 ) 3 killed
- Iran Air Flight 655 Airbus A300 USS Vincennes shootdown ( July 3 , 1988 ) 290 killed
- Ramstein Airshow Disaster ( August 28 , 1988 ) 3 pilots and 67 spectators killed
- India Indian Airlines Boeing 737-200 Air Disaster ( October 19 , 1988 ) 124 killed
- Lockerbie Pan Am Boeing 747 Air Disaster ( December 21 , 1988 ) 270 killed (including 11 on the ground)
- Kegworth Air Disaster ( January 8 , 1989 ) 47 killed
- Portugal Independent Air Boeing 707 Air Disaster ( February 8 , 1989 ) 144 killed
- Suriname Surinam Airways DC-8 Air Disaster ( June 7 , 1989 ) 176 killed
- Sioux City United DC-10 Air Disaster ( July 19 , 1989 ) 111 killed
- Cuba Cubana Ilyushin 62 Air Disaster ( September 3 , 1989 ) 126 killed
- Niger UTA DC-10 Air Disaster ( September 19 , 1989 ) 171 killed
- Honduras TAN Boeing 727 Air Disaster ( October 21 , 1989 ) 127 killed
- Colombia Avianca Boeing 727 Air Disaster ( November 27 , 1989 ) 107 killed
- Russia Aeroflot-North Kavkaz Tupolev 134 Air Disaster ( January 13 , 1990 ) 27 killed
- Costa Rica SANSA CASA 212 Air Disaster ( January 15 , 1990 ) 23 killed
- Venezuela Venezuelan Navy CASA 212 Air Disaster ( January 24 , 1990 ) 24 killed
- U.S. Avianca Boeing 707 Air Disaster ( January 25 , 1990 ) 73 killed
- Congolese Air Force Nord 262 Air Disaster ( January 27 , 1990 ) 23 killed
- India Indian Airlines Airbus A320 Air Disaster ( February 14 , 1990 ) 92 killed
- Zambian Air Force DHC-5 Buffalo Air Disaster ( February 17 , 1990 ) 28 killed
- Mongolia MIAT Antonov 26 Air Disaster ( March 1 , 1990 ) 30 killed
- Angolan Government CASA 212 Air Disaster ( March 27 , 1990 ) 25 killed
- Panama AeroPerlas DHC-6 Twin Otter Air Disaster ( April 18 , 1990 ) 20 killed
- Zaire Air Force Lockheed C-130 Air Disaster ( April 20 , 1990 ) 20 killed
- Mexico Aviacsa Fairchild F-27 Air Disaster ( May 10 , 1990 ) 21 killed
- Aerolift Philippines Beech 1900 Air Disaster ( May 18 , 1990 ) 21 killed
- Brazil TABA Fairchild FH-227 Air Disaster ( June 6 , 1990 ) 22 killed
- Azerbaijan Aeroflot-Armenia Yakovlev 40 Air Disaster ( August 1 , 1990 ) 47 killed
- Afghan Republican Air Force Antonov 12 Air Disaster ( August 10 , 1990 ) 83 killed
- China Xiamen Airlines Boeing 737-200 Air Disaster ( October 2 , 1990 ) 82 killed
- China China Southern Boeing 757 Air Disaster ( October 2 , 1990 ) 46 killed
- Switzerland Alitalia DC-9-30 Air Disaster ( November 14 , 1990 ) 46 killed
- Thailand Bangkok Airways DHC-8 Air Disaster ( November 21 , 1990 ) 38 killed
- Venezuelan Navy CASA 212 Air Disaster ( January 10 , 1991 ) 21 killed
- U.S. USAir Boeing 737-300 Air Disaster ( February 1 , 1991 ) 34 killed (USAir: 22; SkyWest: 12)
- Greek Air Force Lockheed C-130 Air Disaster ( February 5 , 1991 ) 63 killed
- Ecuadorian Air Force DHC-6 Twin Otter Air Disaster ( February 14 , 1991 ) 22 killed
- Chile LAN Chile BAe-146 Air Disaster ( February 20 , 1991 ) 20 killed
- Angolan Air Force Antonov 26 Air Disaster ( February 22 , 1991 ) 47 killed
- Dahran Scud Attack ( February 25 , 1991 ) 28 killed
- U.S. United Boeing 737-200 Air Disaster ( March 3 , 1991 ) 25 killed
- Venezuela LAV DC-9-30 Air Disaster ( March 5 , 1991 ) 43 killed
- Saudi Air Force Lockheed C-130 Air Disaster ( March 21 , 1991 ) 98 killed
- Uzbekistan Aeroflot-Uzbekistan Antonov 24 Air Disaster ( March 23 , 1991 ) 34 killed
- Indian Air Force HAL-748 Air Disaster ( March 25 , 1991 ) 28 killed
- U.S. Atlantic Southeast Embraer 120 Air Disaster ( April 5 , 1991 ) 23 killed
- Thailand Lauda Air Boeing 767 Air Disaster ( May 26 , 1991 ) 223 killed
- Saudi Arabia Nationair DC-8 Air Disaster ( July 11 , 1991 ) 261 killed
- India Indian Airlines Boeing 737-200 Air Disaster ( August 16 , 1991 ) 69 killed
- Indonesian Air Force Lockheed C-130 Air Disaster ( October 5 , 1991 ) 134 killed
- Russia Aeroflot-North Kavkaz Yakovlev 40 Air Disaster ( November 7 , 1991 ) 34 killed
- Russia Aeroflot Antonov 12 Air Disaster ( November 16 , 1991 ) 20 killed
- Russia Azerbaijan Airlines Yakovlev 40 Air Disaster ( November 21 , 1991 ) 20 killed
- Russia Aeroflot-Privolzhsk Antonov 24 Air Disaster ( November 26 , 1991 ) 41 killed
- Brazilian Air Force Embraer 110 Air Disaster ( November 29 , 1991 ) 20 killed
- Germany Classic Wings Douglas DC-3 Air Disaster ( December 22 , 1991 ) 28 killed
- France Air Inter Airbus A320 Air Disaster ( January 20 , 1992 ) 87 killed
- Senegal Gambcrest Convair CV-640 Air Disaster ( February 9 , 1992 ) 31 killed
- U.S. USAir Fokker F-28 Air Disaster ( March 22 , 1992 ) 27 killed
- Iran Air Force Fokker F-27 Air Disaster ( April 26 , 1992 ) 39 killed
- Panama COPA Panama Boeing 737-200 Air Disaster ( June 6 , 1992 ) 47 killed
- Azerbaijan Russian Air Force Antonov 12 Air Disaster ( July 14 , 1992 ) 29 killed
- Yemen Air Force Antonov 12 Air Disaster ( July 17 , 1992 ) 57 killed
- Georgia Aeroflot-Georgia Tupolev 154 Air Disaster ( July 20 , 1992 ) 24 killed
- Indonesia Mandala Airlines Vickers Viscount Air Disaster ( July 24 , 1992 ) 70 killed
- Nepal Thai Airways Airbus A310 Air Disaster ( July 31 , 1992 ) 113 killed
- China China General Yakovlev 42 Air Disaster ( July 31 , 1992 ) 108 killed
- Russia Aeroflot-Central Region Tupolev 134 Air Disaster ( August 27 , 1992 ) 84 killed
- Nigerian Air Force Lockheed C-130 Air Disaster ( September 26 , 1992 ) 158 killed
- Nepal PIA Airbus A300 Air Disaster ( September 28 , 1992 ) 167 killed
- Netherlands Bijlmer Disaster ( October 4 , 1992 ) 43 killed (4 on board and 39 on the ground)
- Indonesia Merpati Nusantara CASA CN.235 Air Disaster ( October 18 , 1992 ) 31 killed
- Soviet Air Force Antonov 22 Air Disaster ( November 11 , 1992 ) 33 killed
- Vietnam Vietnam Airlines Yakovlev 40 Air Disaster ( November 14 , 1992 ) 30 killed
- Dominican Republic Aerocaribbean Ilyushin 18 Air Disaster ( November 15 , 1992 ) 34 killed
- China China Southern Boeing 737-300 Air Disaster ( November 24 , 1992 ) 141 killed
- Democratic Republic Of The Congo Scibe Airlift Cargo Zaire Fokker F-27 Air Disaster ( December 13 , 1992 ) 37 killed
- Portugal Martinair Holland DC-10 Air Disaster ( December 21 , 1992 ) 56 killed
- Libya Libyan Arab Airlines Boeing 727 Air Disaster (
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