History's deadly, destructive, and dramatic weather captured on camera

Global weather through the ages

No matter where we live, we are ultimately all affected by the weather. Over the last 100 years or so, the world has witnessed some extraordinary weather events, from bone-chilling blizzards and hurricane-force winds to devastating droughts and biblical-style floods.

Click through this gallery for a sobering look back at some of the most dramatic and deadly weather events to hit the world between 1900 and the present day...

1900s: The Great Galveston Storm, Texas, USA

The deadliest natural disaster in US history took place on September 8, 1900, when a Category 4 hurricane ripped apart the island city of Galveston on Texas’s Gulf Coast. The estimated death toll of between 8,000 and 12,000 people was a result of extreme winds, flying debris, and storm swells that submerged the city.

Residents were caught unawares, since US meteorologists underestimated warnings from Cuba about the incoming storm and its direction.

1900s: Vagabond Hurricane, New Jersey, USA

The Vagabond Hurricane, also known as the New Jersey Hurricane, hit the east coast of America on September 16, 1903. The intense storm originated some 550 miles away, off the coast of Antigua, and reached New Jersey with wind speeds of 80 miles per hour. The incident caused ships to capsize, left 30 people missing, and destroyed dozens of buildings.

According to the World Heritage Encyclopedia, President Roosevelt's life was also briefly threatened, when he found himself stranded on a yacht.

1900s: Pittsburgh Flood of 1907, Pennsylvania, USA

On March 16, 1907, torrential rains and melt water caused the three rivers of Pittsburgh to burst their banks, flooding the center of the US city. Homes and businesses were destroyed and many lost their jobs due to the closure of local mills and industrial plants, while between six and 12 people are thought to have lost their lives.

According to the University of Pittsburgh’s archives, the city experienced extensive damage, totaling a staggering $5 million.

1900s: Velasco hurricane, Texas, USA

Strong waves and storm surges pounded the Gulf Coast during July 1909, when an intense cyclone made landfall near the town of Velasco, Texas, after intensifying from a tropical depression in the West Indies.

There were numerous shipping incidents in the Caribbean and along the Texas coast, although thanks to its new seawall, blighted Galveston fared far better than elsewhere this time around.

1910s: The Great Floods, Paris, France

After an unusually rainy summer and fall in 1909, water levels in Paris were alarmingly high. The situation became a crisis in January 1910, when the French capital flooded.

Thousands of people were evacuated, while those that stayed had to travel by boat or across wooden walkways that were erected over the submerged streets. The floods lasted for two months and five people lost their lives.

1910s: The Big Blow Up, USA

A raging wildfire that consumed parts of Idaho, Montana, and Washington in 1910 is still regarded as one of the largest single fires in recorded US history. The August inferno was the result of strong winds fanning the embers of a series of forest fires, which had broken out across the states during the dry summer months.

There were at least 85 fatalities from the fire, most of whom were firefighters, and several towns were destroyed. The devastating blaze led to new prevention policies.

1910s: The Great Storm, Great Lakes, USA

The notoriously weather-beaten Great Lakes Basin witnessed its worst ever storm during November 1913. Also known as the White Hurricane, the blizzards, thunderstorms, powerful winds, lethal waves, and freezing spray of two different weather systems resulted in the deaths of 250 people, as well as the destruction of over 42 ships in just a few days.

1910s: The Great Flood of 1913, Ohio, USA

In March 1913 rain fell to such an extent that rivers across Ohio burst their banks. Considered one of the region’s greatest weather disasters of all time, the state-wide flood was brought on by storms over three consecutive days, causing homes, bridges, and railways to wash away.

It’s thought that around 65,000 people were left homeless, while more than 400 lost their lives. Despite the damage, the disaster did have a positive impact on flood prevention and led to the Flood Control Act of 1917.

1910s: Windstorm, Cincinnati, USA

Intense winds and torrential rain swept into Cincinnati, Ohio on July 7, 1915, wreaking widespread destruction. Trees, cars, signs, and streetcars were torn apart and blown over, buildings collapsed and boats capsized on the Ohio River.

There were also 38 recorded deaths caused by the vicious windstorm.

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1910s: The Mackay cyclone, Queensland, Australia

Queensland in Australia has weathered a number of tropical storms over the centuries, including a cyclone that struck the small township of Mackay in January 1918. The Category 4 winds whipped up a tidal surge that destroyed 1,000 buildings and killed 30 people.

Residents were stranded for five days before they managed to alert the rest of the country.

1920s: The Knickerbocker Storm, Washington DC, USA

A deadly blizzard engulfed the east coast of America in January 1922, with the capital, Washington DC, recording a staggering 28 inches of snow. The snowbound city largely ground to a halt during what is now considered one of the worst snowstorms in US history.

The event became known as the Knickerbocker Storm, after the roof of the Knickerbocker Theatre (pictured) collapsed due to the accumulation of heavy snow. The incident killed 98 people.

1920s: Great Tri-State Tornado, USA

Parts of the Midwest were struck by a huge and devastating outbreak of tornadoes in March 1925, including the deadliest tornado in US history. The Great Tri-State Tornado on March 18 left a trail of destruction in its path, from southeastern Missouri through southern Illinois and southwest Indiana. It killed 695 people and destroyed around 15,000 homes.

This image shows a toppled house that was carried for more than 50 feet by the gusts, which reached up to 300 miles per hour.

1920s: The Great Mississippi flood, USA

The most devastating river flood in US history took place in April 1927, after months of extreme rainfall swelled the Mississippi Delta and collapsed the entire levee system along the river. The flooding inundated nearly 26,000 square miles of land in 170 counties, across seven states.

The catastrophe, which hit Arkansas, Mississippi, and Louisiana the worst, drove around 931,000 people from their homes and it is thought that between 250 and 1,000 people died. 

1920s: The Great Flood of London, UK

A storm surge, sent up the River Thames by a depression in the North Sea on January 7, 1928, saw the moat at the Tower of London fill for the first time in 80 years. Floodwaters engulfed some of the capital’s most historic buildings, including the Houses of Parliament.

The flood also hit much of the city's poorest and most crowded basement dwellings. Fourteen people died and many became homeless after the tidal surge. 

1920s: Okeechobee hurricane, Guadeloupe, Puerto Rico and Florida, USA

A monstrous Category 4 hurricane ravaged Guadeloupe, Puerto Rico, and the Gulf Coast in September 1928. In the US, the storm made landfall near West Palm Beach in Florida on September 17, leaving many destroyed buildings in its wake.

A storm surge caused Lake Okeechobee to flood, resulting in at least 2,500 people drowning and houses being swept away. 

1930s: Central China Flood, China

It’s thought the Central China Flood, from July to November 1931, could have killed as many as 3.7 million people, not only from drowning but as a result of the famine and disease that ensued. The most destructive flood in Chinese history, and one of the world's deadliest natural disasters, occurred after a summer of torrential rains and several severe storms.

The Yangtze, Yellow, and Huai Rivers all burst through their dykes in August and September and flooded an area larger than England.

1930s: The 1931 British Honduras hurricane, Belize

Violent winds and tidal waves swept into Belize, or British Honduras as it was then known, on September 10, 1931, during what was the worst hurricane in its history.

Belize City was inundated with at least five feet of water, leading to the drowning of many residents. An estimated 2,500 people perished in the disaster.

1930s: Cloudburst floods, Venice, Italy

On December 18, 1933, a cloudburst appeared over Venice, Italy. As a result, the area's sea levels rose four feet higher than usual and the city's canals spilled over. According to an article held in the National Library of Australia "houses were flooded and gondoliers were unable to navigate through the rough water." 

While no one in Venice died, 15 people were killed in the nearby village of Chioggia. By December 28, heavy snowfall caused icebergs to gather on top of the newly formed lake in St. Mark's Square.

1930s: Muroto typhoon, Japan

One of the most violent typhoons to ever strike Japan, the Muroto first made landfall at Cape Muroto in Kochi Prefecture on September 20, 1934. A powerful storm surge and extreme winds in Osaka, which was the hardest hit, damaged and destroyed buildings and led to extensive loss of life.

The potent storm caused 2,702 fatalities, while 334 people went missing.

1930s: The Dust Bowl period, USA

Years of sustained drought caused the Dust Bowl, the name given to the parched Southern Plains region in the 1930s. During the drought there were many dramatic dust storms, referred to as "black blizzards," which were caused by high winds stirring the dusty topsoil throughout Kansas, Colorado, New Mexico, Oklahoma, and Texas.

The worst storm happened on April 14, 1935, when severe dust storms spread east from the Oklahoma Panhandle. It was dubbed Black Sunday. 

1930s: The Great New England Hurricane of 1938, USA

Parts of New England were ravished by deadly waves and vicious winds of up to 186 miles per hour when a hurricane blew up the Eastern Seaboard and struck Long Island on September 21, 1938.

Katharine Hepburn’s Connecticut beach house was one of 8,900 homes swept into the sea as a result of powerful storm surges. The movement of water, pushed ahead by the hurricane, caused the most damage.

1940s: Seine Flood, Paris, France

While it wasn’t quite the deluge of the historic 1910 flood, a swollen River Seine burst its banks once again in 1944, flooding Paris’s embankments and piers.

Happening at the tail end of World War II, the newly liberated Parisians went about their business by boat and along precarious-looking wooden walkways set up above the rising water.

1940s: Snow, UK

Post-war Britain was belted with a bitterly cold winter in 1947, when record amounts of snow fell over a six-week period. Snowdrifts of up to 13 feet were recorded and led to blocked roads and railways around the country, as well as stranded communities and livestock left to perish in snowbound fields.

The armed forces were called upon to clear the snowdrifts. By March, the thawing snow caused rivers around the country to overflow, flooding homes and rendering roads inaccessible.

1940s: The Blizzard of '49, USA

The UK wasn't the only place to be hit by severe snowfall during the 1940s. Considered the worst on record, the Blizzard of '49 covered much of South Dakota, Wyoming, Colorado, and Nebraska from January 2, 1949.

Heavy snowfall, strong winds, and freezing temperatures continued into February and subsequent snow drifts saw entire houses submerged. Around 40 people are thought to have lost their lives.

1940s: Wildfire, Landes, France

France’s deadliest forest fire tore through the Landes forest, in the southwest of the country, in the summer of 1949. Fueled by three hot and dry summers and fanned by strong northeasterly winds, the flames devastated the forest and killed 82 people.

1950s: Lynmouth Floods, England, UK

The residents of Lynmouth in Devon had been experiencing an exceptionally rainy summer when an enormous wave tore their community apart. On the night of August 15, 1952, after nine inches of rain fell in 24 hours, a destructive wall of water surged down a narrow valley from Exmoor, uprooting trees and boulders on its way.

Buildings and bridges were obliterated and cars were swept away to sea. Thirty-four people also lost their lives in the disaster.

1950s: The Great Smog, London, England, UK

Another dramatic weather event saw post-war Britain suffer more casualties, when a toxic smog choked London on December 5, 1952. The smog, a result of fog combining with sulfurous coal smoke, could not disperse upwards due to a high-pressure weather system trapping the stagnant and soot-laden air.

It lasted for five days, paralyzed the city, and is thought to have led to the premature deaths of at least 4,000 people. The Clean Air Act was introduced as a direct result of the crisis.

1950s: The North Sea Flood, northwest Europe

One of Europe’s most dramatic weather events took place on January 31, 1953, when hurricane-force winds gathered over the North Sea and caused a mighty storm surge. The wall of water barreled towards the Netherlands, Britain’s east coast, and parts of Belgium.

In the former, the flooding, which became known as Watersnoodramp, led to at least 1,800 deaths and an extensive loss of livestock and property. It was the Netherlands' worst natural disaster.

1950s: Canvey Island Flood, UK

The powerful storm also decimated parts of the UK, killing 307 people. In the treacherous weather, the ferry MV Princess Victoria sank off the County Down coast and 133 lives were lost as a result. Canvey Island in the Thames estuary was one of the worst hit on the UK’s eastern coast.

The low-lying island was impacted by the tidal surge and engulfed by water. Around 13,000 people were evacuated and tragically 59 people died, many from exposure while waiting on cold rooftops to be rescued.

1950s: Hurricane Hazel, Toronto, Canada

Violent winds and unrelenting rains wreaked havoc in Toronto on October 15 and 16, 1954. The horrific hurricane, which caused flooding in the city area, washed away roads, bridges, and houses, leaving 1,900 families homeless and leading to the deaths of 81 people.

The storm has been noted as the most destructive in Canadian history, and also struck Haiti and South Carolina.

1960s: The Bel Air Fire, Los Angeles, California, USA

Burt Lancaster and Zsa Zsa Gabor were among the Hollywood elite who lost their homes during the Bel Air Fire, which engulfed the exclusive community on November 5, 1961. One of Los Angeles' most destructive infernos started as a bushfire that was fueled by strong Santa Ana winds.

The fast-moving wildfire went on to scorch through 16,000 acres of land. Lancaster’s property (pictured) was totally destroyed.

1960s: North Sea Flood, Hamburg, Germany

An intense storm in the North Sea on February 16 and 17, 1962 led to wide-scale flooding and destruction in parts of coastal Germany. Strong winds caused a powerful storm surge, and the port city of Hamburg suffered the most, as a sixth of it flooded.

Over 6,000 buildings were destroyed and 315 people lost their lives.

1960s: Rubi flood, Barcelona, Spain

Hundreds of people were killed and thousands injured in communities near the Mediterranean port city of Barcelona, when heavy rains sparked flash floods that destroyed anything in their wake on September 27, 1962.

After two hours of intense rainfall, strong winds pushed flood waters and mudslides through the region, crumpling factories, homes, and cars.

1960s: Flood of the Arno, Florence, Italy

Florence’s historic center is renowned for floods of tourists, but it was a dramatically different scene in November 1966 when the Arno River overflowed and sparked the city's most devastating natural disaster of modern times.

The flooding, which reached 10 feet above street level in some places, killed 35 people and caused extensive damage to homes, buildings, and treasured artworks, including some inside the Uffizi Gallery. 

1960s: Tornado outbreak, western Europe

You might not associate tornadoes with Europe but the weather phenomenon is not uncommon on the Continent. In fact, numerous tornadoes struck France, Belgium, and the Netherlands during the month of June in 1967.

One powerful storm on June 26 charged through villages such as Pommereuil in northern France, destroying homes and buildings and killing several people. 

1970s: The Great Bhola Cyclone, Bangladesh

A deadly tropical storm that struck Bangladesh – or East Pakistan as it was known at the time – led to the greatest loss of life ever due to a cyclone. It’s thought that between 300,000 and 500,000 people perished as a result of the treacherous storm that formed over the Bay of Bengal in November 1970.

This image shows the coastal area of Patuakhali, which was left littered with dead cattle after the powerful winds and tidal wave wreaked havoc. 

1970s: Hurricane Agnes, USA

At the time it struck, Hurricane Agnes was the costliest hurricane in US history. As well as extensive damage to property and industry, the winds, rain, and floods killed 122 people across eight states in the eastern part of the country. The city of Apalachicola bore the brunt of Agnes, and the hurricane first made landfall on Florida’s coast in June 1972.

The area suffered millions of dollars in damages and the storm also caused terrible flooding across Pennsylvania and New Jersey.

1970s: Cyclone Tracy, Darwin, Australia

Christmas took a tragic turn for the people of Darwin, in Australia’s Northern Territory, in 1974, when the city was pretty much wiped out by the voracious Cyclone Tracy. The Category 4 storm barreled in from the northern coast on Christmas Eve and destroyed around 90% of the city, killing 71 and rendering thousands homeless.

At the airport, 31 planes were destroyed and another 25 badly damaged. It remains among Australia’s worst cyclones in terms of both deaths and damages.

1970s: Drought, UK

The UK suffered its worst drought in 150 years in 1976. A record hot summer and a lingering high pressure system saw temperatures reach above 85°F for 18 consecutive days. Despite the delight of months of sunshine and blue skies, the country’s hottest summer in centuries meant water supplies reached dangerously low levels – so much so that a Minister for Drought was appointed.

This photograph shows a man walking through Pitsford Reservoir in Northants, which completely dried up.

1970s: The Blizzard of 1978, USA

One of the worst winter storms in living memory blasted across parts of the USA in 1978, causing blizzards and frigid temperatures. A historic nor'easter (a type of storm specific to North America's East Coast) brought blizzard conditions to New England, New Jersey, and New York City in early February. 

Hurricane-force winds, white-outs, and snow drifts trapped drivers on the road and families in their homes. Combined with spring high tides, severe flooding also destroyed many homes on Long Island Sound and Cape Cod Bay.

1980s: Drought, Ethiopia

Drought and border conflicts in the first half of the 1980s contributed to a major famine in Ethiopia. Northern Ethiopia is a drought-prone part of the world and in this period shortfalls of rain caused repeated failed harvests. According to the United Nations, the food shortages from 1983 to 1985 caused over one million famine deaths and led to hundreds of thousands of people being displaced.

This image was taken during the distribution of corn to isolated villages by helicopter in February 1987.

1980s: Bushfires, Australia

One of the worst bushfire disasters in Australia's history overwhelmed parts of Victoria and South Australia in February 1983. As extreme temperatures and gale-force winds in both states fueled the inferno and hampered firefighters, a state of emergency was declared.

The wildfire occurred during one of the worst droughts in Australian history and caused a huge dust cloud to descend over the city of Melbourne. It became known as Ash Wednesday: 75 people died and over 3,000 buildings were destroyed.

1980s: Lightning storm, California, USA

On September 19, 1984, an extremely dramatic lightning storm took over the skies above the US city of San Francisco, California. Characterized by intense fork-like beams, the activity was chronicled by locals and members of the press, who captured incredible live images of the storm hitting the downtown area of the city.

A rare sight in this part of America, the lightning storm remains one of San Francisco's most impressive and well-documented weather events.

1980s: The Great Storm of 1987, UK

Now known as a sting jet, a violent storm raged across England on October 15 and 16, 1987, resulting in 18 deaths and widespread damage, including the loss of 15 million trees. There were also casualties in France and the Channel Islands. BBC weatherman Michael Fish infamously dismissed concerns about an approaching hurricane, with the words: "Don't worry, there isn't.”

Later, gusts of up to 115 miles per hour were recorded on the Kent coast. 

1980s: Hurricane Hugo, Caribbean and USA

Wind gusts of 140 miles per hour, heavy rains, and monstrous waves left a trail of devastation through Guadeloupe, the US Virgin Islands, and Puerto Rico in September 1989. Hugo, as the hurricane became known, formed over the eastern Atlantic near Cape Verde and struck land once again in South Carolina.

At its peak, it was classified as a Category 5 hurricane. When it swept across Guadeloupe, it left 20 people dead and tens of thousands homeless. 

1990s: Floods, China

Several catastrophic floods struck China in the 1990s, including one in 1996 that saw parts of central China suffer some of the worst flooding in two centuries. Torrential rains caused the Yangtze River to surge and breach its barriers. Thousands died and fragile communities were left devastated.

According to UN figures reported in 1996, more than 2,000 died in floods in 1995, more than 5,000 in 1994, and 5,000 lost their lives in 1991, which saw the largest flood of the decade.

1990s: Hurricane Andrew, Florida, USA

Category 5 Hurricane Andrew clobbered south Florida during the night of August 24, 1992, with winds of up to 170 miles per hour. It was one of the biggest natural disasters in American history, causing 61 deaths and an estimated $26.5 billion in damage.

The long-lasting impact of Hurricane Andrew led to major changes to the state’s storm preparation strategies.

1990s: Braer oil spill, Shetland Isles, UK

Hurricane-force winds and stormy seas in the Shetland Isles sparked concerns of an ecological disaster when the Braer oil tanker ran aground, spilling almost 85,000 tons of crude oil into the ocean. The tanker lost power in the ferocious storm and went on to hit rocks on the southern tip of Shetland on January 5, 1993.

While thousands of birds perished and many marine animals were affected, in the end the bad weather helped limit the damage by sweeping the oil out to sea.

1990s: The Great Miami Tornado, Florida, USA

The Great Miami Tornado, also known as the 1997 Miami Tornado, touched down in the city on May 12. Registering F1 on the Fujita scale, the tornado is thought to have had wind speeds above 100 miles per hour and swept directly through the heart of downtown Miami.

Despite causing significant damage and injuring dozens of people, the event is mostly remembered for the iconic photographs that were captured of the tornado ripping past the city's towering skyscrapers.

1990s: Hurricane Mitch, Central America

Honduras was the first country to be torn apart by Hurricane Mitch, a deadly storm that struck Central America in late October 1998. Severe floods and mudslides saw villages swept away and thousands killed.

Nicaragua was also hard hit by Mitch. Its intensity lessened and it reached Florida as a tropical storm in November. In total, more than 11,000 people died.

1990s: Mudslides, Venezuela

Incessant rains struck northern Venezuela and caused an unstoppable wall of water, with boulders and debris sweeping down the side of the Avila mountain in the Vargas state.

The floods and mudslides took place in December 1999 and led to the deaths of hundreds of thousands of people.

2000s: Hurricane Katrina, Louisiana, USA

On August 29, 2005, New Orleans was lashed by one of the biggest hurricanes the South had ever seen. It started as a tropical depression over the Bahamas but by the time it struck Louisiana, winds of more than 100 miles per hour pummeled the city, causing damage to property and catastrophic flooding.

It led to at least 1,833 deaths and displaced more than 400,000 residents.

2000s: Cyclone Kyrill, western Europe

Container ship MSC Napoli was destroyed by a powerful windstorm in the English Channel in mid-January 2007. Cyclone Kyrill also hit other parts of western Europe, leading to 44 deaths and damage to an estimated 75 million trees.

The hurricane also saw waves as tall as houses pummel the coast of the United Kingdom.

2000s: Heatwave, Greece

Some of the worst wildfires in Greek history ravaged parts of the parched country during the scorching summer of 2007. Southern Europe's intense heatwave, which saw Athens reach temperatures of 113°F in the shade, sparked forest fires that were then fanned by high winds.

There were ferocious fires in the Peloponnese and on the fringes of the Greek capital, Athens. 

2000s: Hurricane Ike, Texas, USA

The city of Galveston in Texas was hit by another powerful hurricane 108 years after the 1900 storm decimated the island city. Hurricane Ike made landfall here on September 13, 2008, leading to a storm surge in coastal Texas and severe flood damage.

It also led to great destruction and loss of life in both Haiti and Cuba.

2000s: Dust storm, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia

An ominous red haze hung over Sydney in September 2009, after severe winds in New South Wales blew in red dust from the state’s drought-ravaged interior. The strange and unusual weather saw flights grounded, ferries suspended, and Sydneysiders choking in the polluted air.

Luckily, the thick orange smog dissipated within a couple of days.

2010s: Flooding, Thailand

Thailand suffered its worst floods in decades during 2011 and 2012, triggered by heavy monsoon rain. More than a third of the country's provinces were inundated with water, including parts of Bangkok and the UNESCO World Heritage Site Chaiwatthanaram Temple, located in the ancient Thai capital of Ayutthaya (pictured).

The floods resulted in over 800 deaths and also affected parts of Cambodia and Vietnam.

2010s: Floods, Kerala, India

The worst monsoon floods in a century led to extensive loss of life and damage across the southern Indian state of Kerala in August 2018. Torrential rain in a short space of time led to landslides and sent torrents crashing through villages.

Thousands of people were marooned and rescue efforts were hampered by high winds.

2010s: Snowfall in the Sahara, Algeria

Despite it reaching freezing temperatures at night, snow in the Sahara Desert is very rare. In fact, it snowed there for only the fourth time in 40 years during January 2018.

The rare weather event happened near the Algerian town of Ain Sefra and saw the region's renowned desert dunes covered in a deep layer of perfect white snow.

2010s: Polar vortex, USA

The US, meanwhile, is used to snowfall. Yet no one quite expected the deep freeze that saw record-setting low temperatures in January and February 2019. The brutal weather was the result of a polar vortex – an area of low pressure and extremely cold air that swirls over the Arctic – which brought the coldest conditions in decades to the Midwest.

In fact, ice-bound Chicago recorded temperatures that were lower than Antarctica at the same time.

2010s: Cyclone Idai, Southern Africa

One of Africa and the southern hemisphere’s most damaging cyclones swept through Mozambique, Malawi, and Zimbabwe in March 2019, with winds of 106 miles per hour blazing a trail of destruction.

It caused extensive flooding, killed thousands, devastated homes, and destroyed crops.

2010s: Heatwave bushfires, Australia

Over the summer of 2019-2020, Australia endured some of the most devastating bushfires in its history. Caused by soaring temperatures, drought, and high winds, the bushfire season started in June, in winter, and continued well into the New Year, eradicating 72,000 square miles of land.

According to the Center for Disaster Philanthropy, almost 3,000 homes were destroyed, 34 people lost their lives, and more than a billion animals were killed.

2020s: El Paso dust storm, Texas, USA

High winds from west Texas on March 16, 2021 cloaked El Paso in a blanket of dust so striking it turned the sky orange. The 200-mile-wide dust storm engulfed the city and neighboring regions, whipped up by 64 mile per hour winds.

The visibility was extremely poor, making this usually clear view of El Paso from Scenic Drive (pictured) unrecognizable.

2020s: Storm Eunice, UK

On February 18, 2022, millions of people across the UK were told to stay indoors as Storm Eunice battered parts of southwest England, Scotland, and Wales. Two rare red weather warnings were issued by the Met Office, as severe winds of up to 80 miles per hour hit the coastline and caused widespread disruption and damage.

The famous chalk stack The Needles, on the Isle of Wight, recorded a wind gust of 122 miles per hour and heavy snow blanketed parts of Scotland. Power cuts left thousands without power across the UK. 

2020s: Saharan dust cloud, Europe

Skies across southern and western Europe turned a dystopian orange-brown in March 2022 when a dust storm from the Sahara desert blanketed the continent. For two days straight sand and dust particles swirled in air, affecting visibility and air quality. Pictured here is the Albaicin neighborhood in Granada, Spain.

The country bore the brunt of the storm, with its national air quality index raised to "extremely unfavorable" – the worst rating on the scale.

2020s: Yellowstone River flooding, Montana, Wyoming and Idaho, USA

On June 13, 2022, over 10,000 visitors were evacuated from Yellowstone National Park when unprecedented rainfall and snowmelt burst the banks of Yellowstone River, swallowing sections of bridge and roadway. 

Despite the US Geological Survey (USGS) announcing that the devastating flood was a once-in-500-year event, parts of the park were reopened within a week.

2020s: UK's hottest day in history

The UK registered its hottest day since records began on July 19, 2022. An unprecedented 104.5°F was recorded in Coningsby in eastern England, as the rest of the country sweated in highs of 100°F and above. Public transport was suspended, schools had to close, and people were warned to stay indoors.

A combination of extremely dry ground and sweltering temperatures caused wildfires to spread, with Wennington, near London, the worst hit (pictured). Forty-one houses were destroyed as firefighters battled to contain the inferno, as the London Fire Brigade declared a major emergency. It was the service's busiest day since World War II.

2020s: Hurricane Ian, Cuba and USA

In fall 2022, Hurricane Ian ravaged Cuba before heading to the US, where it hammered states such as Florida, North Carolina, South Carolina, Virginia, and Georgia. Florida was hit especially hard as deadly floodwaters and strong winds of up to 150 miles per hour left almost one hundred dead and millions of homes and businesses without power.

Popular tourist attractions such as Fort Myers Beach (pictured) were completely destroyed by the hurricane, leading Senator Marco Rubio to state: "Fort Myers Beach no longer exists."

2020s: Maui wildfires, Hawaii, USA

On August 8, 2023, high winds and dry weather fanned devastating wildfires across the western shores of the Hawaiian island of Maui. It was one of the deadliest US wildfires in the last 100 years, killing 101 people, destroying hundreds of homes, and causing roughly $6 billion in damage.

The historic town of Lahaina (pictured) was virtually wiped out, with boats anchored in the harbor destroyed and the island’s oldest living tree, a 150-year-old Banyan, incinerated.

2020s: Storm Daniel, Libya

More than 4,000 people were killed and 25% of the Libyan port city of Derna (pictured) destroyed when two dams collapsed under the pressure of rain dumped on the region by Storm Daniel. The storm brought unprecedented rainfall along the North African coast between September 10 and 11, 2023 a week after inundating villages in Greece, Bulgaria, and Turkey.

Storm Daniel has since been declared the deadliest Mediterranean cyclone in recorded history and one of the costliest tropical cyclones on record outside the north Atlantic Ocean.

2020s: Dubai floods, UAE

On April 15, 2024, the desert emirate of Dubai was lashed by 9.8 inches of rain in less than 24 hours, inundating a city that usually only receives 3.8 inches of rain every year. Dubai International Airport, the world’s second busiest airport, was forced to close and news reports showed high-end vehicles like Porsches, Mercedes, and Land Rovers floating down the city's flooded highways.

The flooding was exacerbated by poor drainage systems and witnessed again barely two weeks later when another rainstorm hit on May 2.

2020s: Alberta wildfires, Canada

Lightning followed by continuous hot, dry, and windy conditions were to blame for the Alberta wildfires in July 2024. The alpine town of Jasper, in the southwest of the province, was hit worst as flames reached up to 164 feet and tore their way through Jasper National Park.

Around 30% of buildings in the town were destroyed, as residents were forced to evacuate their homes for at least three weeks, in what became one of the costliest natural disasters in Canada's history.

2020s: Hurricane Helene, various states, USA

In late September 2024, Hurricane Helene made landfall in Florida's Big Bend region. The powerful tropical storm proved to be the deadliest in the US since Hurricane Katrina, 19 years earlier.

Exceptionally warm water from the Gulf of Mexico, coupled with wind speeds and intense rainfall caused Helene to carve out a 500-mile path of destruction across six states, killing more than 230 people. Catastrophic flooding followed creating what one expert called "apocalyptic scenes."

2020s: Hurricane Milton, USA, Cuba and Mexico

Just 13 days after Hurricane Helene's destruction, Hurricane Milton struck the west coast of Florida, western Cuba, and Yucatán in Mexico. The tropical storm turned into a Category 5 hurricane in less than 24 hours, resulting in one of the strongest Atlantic hurricanes in history.

Milton caused a whopping $34.3 billion in damages and claimed 42 lives in the US and three in Mexico. Pictured is a flooded neighborhood in Punta Gorda, Florida.

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Now discover the most shocking weather event in every US state and DC