Natural Disasters

Find out everything there is to know about natural disasters and stay updated on the latest weather news with the comprehensive articles, interactive features and natural disaster pictures at LiveScience. Learn more about devastation caused by weather as scientists continue to make amazing discoveries about natural disasters.

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The sinkhole is roughly 40 feet in diameter, or about half the size of a tennis court.

Huge sinkhole bursts open near underwater 'blowhole' in South Australian coast

By Brandon Specktor

A large 40-foot-wide sinkhole opened suddenly near South Australia's ancient Limestone Coast, threatening to break away even more

Smoke pours out of Fukushima Daiichi power plant shortly after a devastating earthquake and tsunami struck in 2011.

Millions of tons of nuclear wastewater from Fukushima will be dumped into the sea

By Brandon Specktor

The Japanese government announced plans to dump more than 1 million tons of treated wastewater from the Fukushima nuclear power plant into the ocean, beginning in two years.

Nanda Devi is the second-tallest mountain in India.

18 dead and hundreds missing in catastrophic Himalayan avalanche

By Brandon Specktor

Part of a glacier collapsed in the Indian Himalayas, triggering an avalanche that destroyed one dam and damaged another. Hundreds are feared missing or dead.

Destroyed buildings after an earthquake.

Top 10 deadliest natural disasters in history

By Stephanie Pappas, Tiffany Means

Here are the world's most deadliest earthquakes, cyclones and floods.

Infrared satellite imagery of Hurricane Dorian as it made landfall as a Category 5 hurricane over three islands in the Bahamas on the morning of Sep. 2, 2019.

Hurricanes, typhoons and cyclones: Earth's tropical windstorms

By Tiffany Means

Hurricanes and typhoons — or more broadly, tropical cyclones — begin as clusters of thunderstorms over tropical ocean waters, taking anywhere from several hours to days to become organized.

The Creek Fire rapidly moves near Shaver Lake, California on Tuesday (Sept. 8).

Record-breaking 2.2 million acres burned by California wildfires

By Yasemin Saplakoglu

California is having a record-breaking year of flames, as dozens of wildfires have set the state ablaze.

A screenshot shows the rush of the debris flow down the trail.

Steaming river of black sludge floods through Arizona

By Rafi Letzter

After the Bighorn Fire burned a large area near Pima County, Arizona, a river of dark sludge rushed toward town.

A Violent Tornado Hit Dallas Last Night, Throwing Debris 3 Miles High

By Brandon Specktor

A destructive tornado hit northern Dallas on Sunday, Oct. 20, causing widespread power outages and significant property damage.

Extremely dangerous Hurricane Dorian closes in on the Northwestern Bahamas on Sunday, Sept. 1, 2019.

How Strong Can a Hurricane Get?

By Live Science Staff

The Saffir-Simpson hurricane only goes up to Category 5. But in theory, winds from a powerful hurricane could blow the scale out of the water, scientists say.

Epic 'Terminator' Events Could Result in Gargantuan Solar Tsunamis, New Studies Suggest

By Brandon Specktor

What causes the sun's 11-year cycle of sunspot activity? According to two new studies, it could be literal tsunamis of plasma.

The Mississippi River laps at the stairs on a protective levee in New Orleans as Tropical Storm Barry approaches on July 11, 2019.

New Orleans Braces for Intense Floods As Tropical Storm Barry Rolls In

By Yasemin Saplakoglu

New Orleans is bracing for a tropical storm that is expected to hit tonight or tomorrow, bringing with it chances of intense flooding.

A September 2013 image shows the then-brand new island.

Pakistan's 'Earthquake Island' Has Vanished

By Rafi Letzter

A mud-volcano island that burst from the waters off the coast of Pakistan during a deadly earthquake in 2013 has disappeared beneath the waves.

Highway workers repair a hole that opened up after a 7.1-magnitude earthquake rocked an area near Ridgecrest, California on July 5, 2019.

SoCal Has An 8% Chance of Another Huge Quake This Week

By Stephanie Pappas

Even so, the chance of big quakes near Ridgecrest, California, decreases with time.

A storm caused extreme flooding in parts of Washington, D.C., including in East Potomac Park where you could dangle your feet in the water while sitting on a park bench, on July 8, 2019.

The Science Behind Washington's Scary 'Flash Flood Emergency'

By Rafi Letzter

One critical factor turned the heavy rainfall in Virginia and Washington D.C. into a flash flood emergency.

magnitude 7.1 Ridgecrest quake map

An Even Larger Quake Just Rocked Southern California. Experts Say the Fault System Is Growing.

By Tia Ghose

This time, a magnitude-7.1 temblor struck the region near Ridgecrest, California. Experts say the next one could be even bigger.

crack that opened up in Earth after Ridgecrest quake

As Aftershocks Rattle Southern California, a More Powerful Earthquake Could Soon Strike, Experts Warn

By Yasemin Saplakoglu

Southern California was rattled by a magnitude 6.4 quake on Thursday (July 4). Bigger quakes could be coming soon.

The moon's shadow passes south of Hurricane Barbara during the total solar eclipse of July 2, 2019, in this photo captured by the NOAA/NASA GOES West satellite.

Satellite Image Captures a Total Solar Eclipse and a Hurricane in One Awesome Shot

By Mike Wall

The GOES-West weather satellite captured the gorgeous shot.

Human Civilization Will Crumble by 2050 If We Don't Stop Climate Change Now, New Paper Claims

By Brandon Specktor

Human society could collapse by 2050, a new climate policy paper claims.

A strong tornado hit the edge of Kansas City yesterday (May 28).

Powerful Tornadoes Rip Through Midwest, the Plains, Leaving Trail of Destruction

By Yasemin Saplakoglu

A destructive tornado moved through the outskirts of Kansas City on Tuesday, injuring at least a dozen people and killing one.

Why Thousands of Aftershocks of a 1959 Earthquake Just Rumbled Through Yellowstone 60 Years Later

By Brandon Specktor

Recent rumblings at Yellowstone National Park are actually aftershocks of a quake that occurred 60 years ago.