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.

Related Topics: Volcanoes, Hurricanes, Heat Wave, Earthquakes

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A National Hurricane Center graphic shows where significant storm surges are likely.

Stunning Weather Channel Video Shows Why Storm Surges Are So Dangerous

By Rafi Letzter

Hurricane Florence is packing the potential for some dangerous flooding, and a new Weather Channel video highlights why it's important to avoid.

Watch Hurricane Florence Batter a Lighthouse 34 Miles Offshore

By Rafi Letzter

A lighthouse just off the coast of North Carolina is livestreaming the approach of Hurricane Florence.

Hurricane Florence Shifts Course, Will Make a 'Grand Tour' of Southeastern States

By Mindy Weisberger

Hurricane Florence is changing course, according to new models released today.

A Hurricane-Hunting Plane Flies Straight Through Florence's Eye, Captures Harrowing Video

By Mindy Weisberger

What does a hurricane's eye look like from the inside?

People walk down a flooded street as they evacuate their homes after the area was inundated with flooding from Hurricane Harvey on August 28, 2017 in Houston, Texas.

If You Stay Put During Hurricane Florence, Be Ready for Challenges After the Storm

By Ali Mostafavi

New Eye Means Hurricane Florence May Get Stronger Before Slamming into the US

By Mindy Weisberger

Hurricane Florence's eye wall has grown since yesterday.

A massive landslide struck Alaska's Tyndall Glacier in 2015.

Warnings Abounded Before Massive Alaska Landslide and Tsunami

By Stephanie Pappas

A 2015 landslide and tsunami in Alaska came after two decades of warning signs.

earthquake map

Tons of Major Quakes Have Rattled the World Recently. Does That Mean Anything?

By Kimberly Hickok

Yes, California will have a big earthquake, but the chances of "the big one" happening now didn't suddenly increase.

Hurricane Lane Bears Down on Hawaii

By Rafi Letzter

Hurricane Lane is nearing Hawaii from the southeast, and the first tendrils of the storm have already reached the Big Island.

Hawaii is seen from space, all alone in a big ocean.

Hawaii Faces Huge Hurricane: Why That's So Rare

By Rafi Letzter

A very big storm is coming for Hawaii, an island state that's largely avoided encounters with major cyclones in recent memory.

hurricane lane

Hurricane Lane, a Monster Category 4 Storm, Barrels Toward Hawaii

By Yasemin Saplakoglu

Damaging winds could hit the Big Island as early as this afternoon.

carr fire

In Photos: The Deadly Carr Fire Blazes Across Northern California

By Kimberly Hickok

The Carr Fire has burned well over 100,000 acres and destroyed thousands of structures.

Firenado

Like Hell on Earth, Raging Firenado Plows Through California Town

By Kimberly Hickok

This wasn't an ordinary fire whirl.

Earthquake in Mexico Cracked a Pyramid and Revealed an Ancient Temple

By Mindy Weisberger

A quake in Mexico had a surprisingly positive outcome for archaeologists.

There's No Way World Cup Soccer Fans Caused an Earthquake in Mexico, Seismic Expert Says

By Brandon Specktor

The soccer earthquake that wasn't.

Mexico soccer fans celebrate big at the Cuauhtemoc monument in Tijuana, Baja California state, after a win against Germany in their first match of the 2018 World Cup.

Jumping Soccer Fans Created a Small Earthquake in Mexico

By Brandon Specktor

The World Cup is literally shaking the world.

A plume of ash shoots into the air after a magnitude-5.0 earthquake shakes Hawaii's Kilauea south of the Pu'u 'Ō'ō crater floor on Thursday (May 3).

Hawaii's Kilauea Volcano Erupts Dramatically After a 5.0-Magnitude Quake

By Tia Ghose

A magnitude-5.0 earthquake shook the Big Island of Hawaii on Thursday (May 3), causing lava to spew into a residential subdivision.

A photo taken on September 20, 2017 shows San Juan in the aftermath of Hurricane Maria. Six months later, the U.S. territory is once again without power.

The Entire Island of Puerto Rico Just Lost Power Again — Here's Why

By Rafi Letzter

The entire island of Puerto Rico is without power again, 210 days after its grid first collapsed during Hurricane Maria on September 20, 2017.

2 Tornadoes Drop in on Fort Lauderdale in Just One Day

By Brandon Specktor

Two tornadoes touched down in Fort Lauderdale Tuesday, but how exactly does that happen?

a pair of bald eagles in a nest.

Watch These Adorable Baby Eagles Weather the Southern California Earthquake

By Stephanie Pappas

Thursday's temblor alarmed an eagle family on Santa Cruz Island.