Natural disasters are scary events that result from the Earth’s natural processes. They include hurricanes, tsunamis, earthquakes, volcanic eruptions, and more.

The following natural disaster statistics prove that these catastrophes destroy the environment and affect the lives of millions of people and animals around the world.

But first, let’s take a look at some impressive figures about natural disasters. 

Top 10 Natural Disaster Facts and Stats 

• More than 800 million people live within 62 miles of an active volcano.
• The 1815 eruption of Mount Tambora was the deadliest in recorded history. 
• One of the world’s largest volcanoes lies in the middle of the Pacific Ocean. 
• The largest volcano in the solar system is almost 17 miles tall, and it’s on Mars.
• Around 80% of all earthquakes occur along the Ring of Fire. 
• Around 500,000 detectable earthquakes occur worldwide every year. 
• Besides earthquakes, Antarctica has icequakes, too.
• The earliest recorded earthquake was in China’s Shandong province in 1831 BC. 
• Hawaii gets struck by a tsunami yearly, a severe one every 7 years. 
• The world’s highest tsunami had 1,720 feet tall killer waves.

In our previous article on natural disasters, we touched upon the effects of the natural disasters caused by the weather. This time we’ll discuss Earth’s movements like earthquakes, volcanoes, and tsunamis and how they affect people, animals, and the environment.  

Keep reading if you want to discover more about how and why earthquakes shake the ground, how powerful tsunamis are, and what happens when a volcano erupts.

Volcano Facts

Volcanoes are ruptures in the Earth’s crust that allow lava, volcanic ash, and gases to escape from their magma chambers.

Volcanoes have created more than 80% of the Earth’s surface, including mountains and craters. On the other hand, magma paths have also altered the planet’s landscapes. Approximately 1,500 potentially active volcanoes are found on every continent, including Antarctica.

Not all volcanoes are the same. Some spew lava, ashes, and rocks in explosive eruptions, while others just let out rivers of magma.

According to the volcano facts and information, many volcanoes form along the edges of Earth’s tectonic plates. These are vast expanses of Earth’s lithosphere that constantly shift and bump into one another.

Some volcanoes form when the plates collide, causing one to go beneath the other. Others form when the tectonic plates move apart, allowing magma to rise and erupt.

1. The Ring of Fire is home to a whopping 75% of the Earth’s volcanoes.

(National Geographic)

Volcano eruptions aren’t fun, but the facts show us that we can’t do much to stop them.

The Ring of Fire is 25,000 miles long. It’s a horseshoe-shaped zone stretching from the southern tip of South America to New Zealand. It’s the area where the tectonic plates of the Pacific and Nazca collide with several other tectonic plates.

These volcanoes aren’t geologically connected, which means that an eruption in Indonesia isn’t related to the one in Alaska.

2. Natural disaster statistics show that between 50–70 volcanoes erupt every year.

(VolcanoDiscovery)

Some of these volcanoes emit lava only once. The others erupt multiple times, bringing the number of individual eruptions to approximately 60–80 annually. Furthermore, only new explosions count since the current ones aren’t on the yearly list.

3. More than 800 million people live within 62 miles of an active volcano.

(HowStuffWorks)

Some of the latest natural disaster facts reveal that 10% of the population around the world lives very close to a potentially active volcano, which is extremely dangerous. However, researchers have shown that quiet volcanoes can also be deadly.

4. One of the most infamous volcano eruptions is the Mount Vesuvius eruption in 79 AD.

(National Geographic)

That was one of the biggest natural disasters that struck humanity, taking into account the global natural disaster statistics.

The Mount Vesuvius eruption has created pyroclastic flows. These avalanches of hot rocks, ash, and toxic gas raced down at 450 mph. They wiped out the entire populations of Pompeii and Herculaneum.

5. With 71,000–121,000 victims, the 1815 eruption of Mount Tambora was the deadliest in recorded history.

(National Geographic, History Today, UCAR)

It had the most powerful ever recorded blast. Moreover, it created a volcano crater 3,600 feet deep and four miles wide. The volcano spewed hot ash and gas 28 miles into the sky, producing pyroclastic flows on touchdown.

The eruption instantly killed 10,000 people. Another 80,000 died from starvation and disease during the disaster’s dark period that followed. Namely, the lack of sunlight cooled down the Earth’s surface, which led to a period known as the “Year Without Summer.”

6. One of the world’s largest volcanoes lies in the middle of the Pacific Ocean, 3,000 feet beneath the sea surface.

(Ocean)

The Havre volcano had a 90-day eruption in 2012. The underwater volcano facts reveal that this is the most massive underwater volcanic eruption in modern history. The volcano released lava from 14 vents around the semicircular volcanic opening.

Despite the volcano’s size and explosion, people almost didn’t notice it. Luckily, a passenger on a commercial flight spotted it on time.

7. A volcano that erupts more than 240 cubic miles of material is classified as a super–volcano, facts reveal.

(National Geographic)

There are few super-volcanoes in the world. One of the best-known ones is the Yellowstone volcano in the US.

The volcano had at least three eruptions of this kind in its lifetime. The eruptions occurred 2.1 million, 1.3 million, and 640,000 years ago, respectively, according to the facts about the Yellowstone volcano.

While another one is possible, it’s unlikely to happen in the next few thousand years.

8. The largest volcano in the solar system is almost 17 miles tall, and it’s on Mars.

(Universe Today)

That’s right. Volcanoes are not Earth-exclusive. They form on other planets as well.

Namely, the Olympus Mons is Mars’ largest volcano. It’s 27 kilometers (88,582.7 feet) high and 550 kilometers (1,804,461 feet) across. According to the facts, this makes it the biggest shield volcano in the solar system.

Scientists believe it got so big because Mars doesn’t have any tectonic plates.

9. The 1980 Mount St. Helens eruption killed more than 11,000 hares, 6,000 deer, 5,200 elks, and many other animals.

(OSU)

However, volcanoes don’t only affect land animals. They can disturb aquatic life as well. Namely, changes in water temperature and acidity pose a significant threat to marine animals.

Volcanoes also disrupt bird migration, roosting, flying, and feeding, while plants, forests, and rainforests also suffer.  

Earthquake Facts

Thousands of earthquakes, or temblors, occur worldwide every day. The majority of them happen when the tectonic plates collide or slide one over another, causing tremors that we notice only in the case of major earthquakes.

However, temblors can also happen in areas where tectonic plates are far apart. And they can even cause tsunamis.

10. Around 80% of all earthquakes occur along the Ring of Fire, as per interesting facts about earthquake-prone areas.

(National Geographic)

Most earthquakes happen in this area because of volcanic activity. According to the strength and duration of their seismic waves, earthquakes can be:

• Minor — measuring 3–4.9
• Moderate — measuring 5–6.9, and 
• Great — measuring 8 or more on the seismic scale.

11. Around 500,000 detectable earthquakes occur worldwide every year.

(USGS)

The facts about earthquakes show that we can feel approximately 100,000 of them, while about 100 earthquakes are damaging. Additionally, the southern California area experiences about 10,000 earthquakes per year. But most of them are too weak for us to feel them.

12. Around 10,000 people die in earthquakes globally every year.

(National Geographic)

As the earthquake statistics show, a magnitude 8 earthquake strikes somewhere every year, destroying buildings and claiming lives.

Other disasters that accompany earthquakes, such as mudslides, floods, tsunamis, and wildfires, are also responsible for the loss of life.

13. Besides earthquakes, Antarctica has icequakes, too.

(USGS)

Icequakes are almost the same as earthquakes. They just happen within the ice sheet itself instead of the land underneath the ice. They’re more frequent than earthquakes but much less intense.

14. Ancient Greeks believed that Poseidon, the God of the Sea, caused earthquakes.

(Fact Retriever)

Each culture has its own beliefs. Some of the cool earthquake facts reveal that Poseidon would strike the ground with his trident when he was angry, causing an earthquake. Because of this unpredictable behavior, he got the nickname “Earth-Shaker.”

According to Japanese mythology, a giant catfish called Namazu causes earthquakes. In Hindu mythology, eight elephants hold the Earth in place, and earthquakes happen when one moves.

15. The earliest recorded earthquake occurred in China’s Shandong province in 1831 BC.

(USGS)

However, further history on earthquakes shows even earlier proof of an earthquake. It was in 780 BC during the Zhou Dynasty in China.

Additionally, the Greek philosopher Aristotle reported soft ground shakes in 350 BC. While the first recorded earthquake in the US occurred in 1663 with the arrival of the early European settlers.

16. Close to 9,000 people died when a 7.8 magnitude earthquake struck Nepal in 2015.

(World Vision)

The Nepal earthquake fact states that the country experienced the deadliest earthquake in 81 years in 2015! It destroyed buildings in Kathmandu, the capital of Nepal, killing 9,000 people and injuring more than 22,000.

Minor earthquakes followed it, and a 7.3 magnitude earthquake struck 17 days later. It affected one-third of the 8 million population and destroyed more than 600,000 homes.

17. A city in Chile moved 8 feet because of an 8.8 magnitude earthquake in 2010, as earthquakes facts reveal.

(Live Science)

A massive earthquake struck the city of Concepción in Chile on February 27, 2010. A rip in the Earth’s crust shifted to the west, moving the whole town by eight feet. It’s also believed that this earthquake changed the planet’s rotation slightly and shortened the length of the day.

18. Animals saved a Chinese city called Haicheng from an earthquake in 1975.

(National Geographic)

One of the most interesting facts about earthquakes is that animals can predict them. When they feel an oncoming earthquake, animals start fleeing cities or acting strangely. Scientists believe that dogs become aggressive a few days before a quake.

In 1975, Haicheng officials ordered the evacuation of the entire city based solely on animal behavior. And they were right because a 7.3 magnitude earthquake struck the city a few days later, affecting only a part of the population.

19. Covid-19 lockdowns have reduced seismic noise.

(Nature)

Coronavirus lockdowns have shown multiple positive effects. Besides cutting down the spreading of the virus, they’ve also decreased seismic noise. With more people at home, there wasn’t as much traffic and industrial machinery use.

This allowed seismologists to detect even smaller movements in the Earth’s crust.

Tsunami Facts

Tsunamis are destructive surges of water caused by underwater earthquakes. These waves are sometimes higher than 100 feet and destroy everything that comes in their way when they hit the land.

They occur when the ocean floor rises and falls suddenly, displacing the water above and creating enormous waves.

Underwater landslides and volcanic eruptions can also cause tsunamis. Facts reveal that around 80 of the world’s tsunamis happen in the Pacific Ring of Fire. It’s because this area has the highest concentration of tectonic plates, volcanoes, and earthquakes.

20. A tsunami can reach a speed of 500 mph.

(National Geographic)

They’re as fast as a jet plane. Tsunamis can cross the entire Pacific Ocean in less than a day. Additionally, their wavelength enables them to lose very little energy.

One of the fun facts about tsunamis is that they may start as small waves in the deep ocean. However, their power and height grow as they approach the land. And since the top of a wave is larger than the bottom, they rise precipitously.

21. Hawaii gets struck by a regular tsunami yearly, a severe one every 7 years.

(DoSomethig.org)

In 1946, a massive tsunami hit the coast of Hawaii’s Hilo Island. Facts about tsunamis tell us that its waves were 30 feet high, moving 500 mph.

Hawaii, Alaska, Washington, Oregon, and California are at the highest risk of tsunamis of all the US states.

22. A magnitude 9 earthquake struck Japan in 2011, creating one of the most destructive tsunamis ever.

(Live Science)

People all over the world felt the quake. The tsunami debris continued washing up on North America’s shores for years after the disaster.

When it comes to Japan, tsunami facts reveal that there were 15,894 confirmed deaths, while more than 2,500 people are still missing. The tsunami destroyed over 120,000 buildings, causing $199 billion in damages.

Moreover, the tsunami caused a cooling system failure at the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant. It resulted in a level 7 nuclear meltdown and release of radioactive materials.

23. A magnitude 9 earthquake caused a 50-feet tsunami in Sumatra, Indonesia, in 2004.

(National Geographic)

Indonesian tsunami facts report that this is the deadliest tsunami in the world. It hit 14 countries, from Thailand to East Africa, and killed more than 227,898 people, leaving millions homeless.

Unfortunately, it hit the Indonesian province of Aceh the hardest. In the aftermath, people suffered from diseases, lack of shelter, and inadequate nutrition.

24. Tsunami flooding can extend inland by 1,000 feet.

(National Geographic)

Facts on this natural disaster show that tsunamis are so powerful they can lift giant boulders, flip vehicles, and demolish houses.

Moreover, many witnesses claim that tsunamis sound like freight trains. And they don’t always approach the shore in a series of giant breaking waves, but they rise suddenly.

25. The world’s highest tsunami had 1,720 feet tall killer waves.

(Forbes)

A magnitude 7.7–8.3 earthquake caused the tsunami that hit Alaska in 1958. As the tsunami statistics report, this triggered a massive rockfall in a remote bay along the Gulf of Alaska.

Around 40 million cubic yards of rock fell from 3,000 feet, hitting the Lituya Glacier. This caused ice and water to hit the surface of the sea, contributing to the tsunami. Sadly, two people that were on a boat at the time vanished into the sea.

26. Interesting facts about tsunamis show that 37 tsunamis have hit the Caribbean since 1498.

(National Geographic)

Some of the tsunamis were in the Caribbean, while others hit from afar. The 1775 Lisbon earthquake caused a tsunami that killed 60,000 people in just a few minutes. While the total death toll of the Caribbean tsunamis is 9,500.

27. Tsunamis statistics estimate that 117,548 animals were affected by the 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami.

(World Animal Protection)

The tsunami released energy equaled 23,000 Hiroshima-type atomic bombs. It swept, killed, and injured everything and everyone in its way.

Many aquatic animals died from the impact, while some land animals drowned. The ones that survived were injured and left without their homes or any food. The tsunami’s impact on the animals’ lives and the environment was as horrible as its impact on people’s lives.

FAQ

28. What was the biggest natural disaster in history?

The biggest and deadliest disaster in the history of humanity is the Yellow River (Huang He) flood that killed approximately 4 million people in 1931.

29. What causes natural disasters?

The movement of the Earth causes earthquakes, tsunamis, and volcanic eruptions. Moreover, the weather causes hurricanes, tornadoes, extreme heat, cold, floods, landslides, mudslides, and famine.

30. How can we control natural disasters?

We can’t control nature. But we can help prevent natural disasters by fighting climate change and protecting the environment. We can do that by reducing all forms of pollution and clearing the land for urbanization and agriculture.

31. How do you survive a tsunami?

Stay informed about the weather and try to avoid getting into risky situations. However, if you find yourself in a tsunami, move immediately to a safe place as high and as far inland as possible, and listen to the authorities.

If you’re in the water, grab onto something that floats. If you’re on a boat, face the direction of the waves and head out to sea. However, if you’re in a harbor, go further inland.

32. What was the worst earthquake in history?

The Valdivia earthquake of 1960, also known as the Great Chilean earthquake was the worst quake recorded in history. It was a 9.5-magnitude quake that struck a 621-mile zone along southern Chile’s coast.

It left 2 million people homeless, injured 3,000, and killed 1,655 individuals. It also triggered a massive tsunami that traveled across the Pacific and hit New Zealand, Japan, and the Philippines.

The Bottom Line

If you didn’t know much about natural disasters, hopefully, these facts have shed some light on the raw power of nature. These stats are scary but educational. They show us that people can’t control nature, even though we can destroy it. 

However, if we take care of our planet, the natural disaster statistics and figures could be much more optimistic. However, there is still hope, and we can make this planet better for us, the animal kingdom, and future generations if we only try.

Sources

• Fact Retriever
• Forbes
• History Today
• HowStuffWorks
• Live Science
• Live Science
• National Geographic
• National Geographic
• National Geographic
• National Geographic
• National Geographic
• National Geographic
• National Geographic
• National Geographic
• Nature
• Ocean
• OSU
• UCAR
• Universe Today
• USGS
• VolcanoDiscovery
• World Animal Protection
• World Vision