Worst Natural Disasters in History

LiveScience has assembled this list of Worst Natural Disasters. The list is weighed according to the following factors: loss of live, increased population, people living near coastlines, and historical records. Because it’s nearly impossible to compare these disasters, the list is in chronological order, starting with the most recent. Here’s a sampling:

• May 2008: Cyclone Nargis, Myanmar (death toll could be as high as 63,000, according to the Telegraph)
• Oct. 8, 2005: Magnitude-7.6 earthquake, Pakistan (death toll: more than 40,000).
• August 2005: Hurricane Katrina, Southeastern United States (death toll: more than 1,800)
• Dec. 26, 2004: Magnitude-9.3 Indian Ocean earthquake and resulting Sumatran tsunami, Asia (death toll: more than 225,000).
• 1985: Nevado del Ruiz volcano eruption, Colombia (death toll: 25,000)
• 1931: Yellow River flood, China (death toll: 1 million to 3.7 million)
• 1737: Typhoon, Calcutta, India (death toll: 300,000)
• 1330-1351: Bubonic plague, Europe (death toll: 75 million people)
• Circa 1500 B.C.: Volcano eruption and tsunami, Santorini, Greece (death toll: unknown)

For more details and more disasters, see the list at LiveScience.