Any natural phenomenon which may cause loss of life and property for man is called natural disaster.
A natural disaster is a sudden, catastrophic event caused by natural processes of the Earth. Different types of natural disasters include floods, earthquakes, hurricanes, volcanic eruptions and many more. There are varying estimates that peg the number of natural disasters per year across the world in the range of 500-1000. Some of the most recent examples include the Kaikoura (New Zealand) earthquake on 14 November 2016 , the Nepal earthquake in 2015 and the Indian Ocean tsunami in 2004.
Nature is analogous to a person with split personality (like the character in Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde); at its best it is beautiful and mesmerizing but at its worst, can be disastrous and catastrophic. There are many types of natural disasters that strike different parts of Earth and cause extensive damage to life, property and economic health in the affected areas. Some common examples of natural disasters include floods, hurricanes, earthquakes, tsunamis, tornadoes and volcanic eruptions. While many natural disasters are the result of natural geological and meteorological processes of the Earth, human activities such as forest degradation, pollution, engineering and construction are also altering natural systems dramatically and destabilizing climate, resulting in such disasters. In this article, we look at various types of natural disasters and their deadliest occurrences from the past, that continue to remind us that Nature is indeed the most powerful force after all!