Accidents & Disasters, HUR-UNI
Nature isn’t always peaceful and idyllic. Earthquakes, tsunamis, hurricanes, and other powerful natural phenomena can have devastating consequences on communities and regions throughout the world. But nature is far from the only instigator of large-scale misfortune; human-made disasters and tragedies, both accidental and intentional, can cause significant misery, damage, and loss of life.
Accidents & Disasters Encyclopedia Articles By Title
Hurricane Otis
Hurricane Otis, category 5 hurricane that made landfall near the city of Acapulco, Guerrero, Mexico, on October......
Hyatt Regency walkway collapse
Hyatt Regency walkway collapse, disaster that occurred at a hotel in Kansas City, Missouri, U.S., on July 17, 1981,......
India-Pakistan heat wave of 2015
India-Pakistan heat wave of 2015, extended period of extreme heat that spanned the Indian subcontinent during April,......
Indian Ocean tsunami of 2004
Indian Ocean tsunami of 2004, tsunami that hit the coasts of several countries of South and Southeast Asia in December......
influenza pandemic (H1N1) of 2009
influenza pandemic (H1N1) of 2009, the first major influenza outbreak in the 21st century, noted for its rapid......
influenza pandemic of 1918–19
influenza pandemic of 1918–19, the most severe influenza outbreak of the 20th century and, in terms of total numbers......
Iran Air flight 655
Iran Air flight 655, flight of an Iranian airliner that was shot down by the missile cruiser USS Vincennes on July......
Irene, Hurricane
Hurricane Irene, tropical cyclone that brought significant wind damage to several islands in The Bahamas and torrential......
Ise Bay typhoon of 1959
Ise Bay typhoon of 1959, one of the most destructive typhoons (tropical cyclones) in Japanese history. The storm......
Japan Airlines flight 123
Japan Airlines flight 123, crash of a Japan Airlines (JAL) passenger jet on August 12, 1985, in southern Gumma......
Japan earthquake and tsunami of 2011
Japan earthquake and tsunami of 2011, severe natural disaster that occurred in northeastern Japan on March 11,......
John F. Kennedy, Jr., plane crash
On the night of July 16, 1999, John F. Kennedy, Jr., his wife, Carolyn Bessette Kennedy, and her sister Lauren......
Johnstown flood
Johnstown flood, disastrous flood that occurred in 1889 in the town of Johnstown, Pa. Johnstown lies at the confluence......
kamikaze of 1274 and 1281
kamikaze of 1274 and 1281, (1274, 1281), a pair of massive typhoons (tropical cyclones) that each wrecked a Mongol......
Kashmir earthquake of 2005
Kashmir earthquake of 2005, disastrous earthquake that occurred on October 8, 2005, in the Pakistan-administered......
Katrina, Hurricane
Hurricane Katrina, catastrophic tropical cyclone that struck the southeastern United States in late August 2005.......
Korean Air Lines flight 007
Korean Air Lines flight 007, flight of a passenger jet that was shot down by Soviet air-to-air missiles on September......
Kursk submarine disaster
Kursk submarine disaster, one of Russia’s most serious naval disasters. Over the weekend of August 12–13, 2000,......
Kyshtym disaster
Kyshtym disaster, explosion of buried nuclear waste from a plutonium-processing plant near Kyshtym, Chelyabinsk......
Kōbe earthquake of 1995
Kōbe earthquake of 1995, (Jan. 17, 1995) large-scale earthquake in the Ōsaka-Kōbe (Hanshin) metropolitan area of......
Labor Day hurricane of 1935
Labor Day hurricane of 1935, one of the most powerful hurricanes to make landfall in the United States. It struck......
Lake Nyos disaster
Lake Nyos disaster, massive release of carbon dioxide from Lake Nyos in Cameroon on August 21, 1986. The disaster......
Libya flooding of 2023
Libya flooding of 2023, catastrophic flooding that struck eastern Libya on September 10 and 11, 2023. More than......
Lisbon earthquake of 1755
Lisbon earthquake of 1755, series of earthquakes that occurred on the morning of Nov. 1, 1755, causing serious......
Los Angeles wildfires of 2025
Los Angeles wildfires of 2025, series of wildfires that scorched parts of the Los Angeles region in January to......
Lusitania
Lusitania, British ocean liner, the sinking of which by a German U-boat on May 7, 1915, contributed indirectly......
L’Aquila earthquake of 2009
L’Aquila earthquake of 2009, severe earthquake that occurred on April 6, 2009, near the city of L’Aquila in the......
Maine, destruction of the
destruction of the Maine, (February 15, 1898), an incident preceding the Spanish-American War in which a mysterious......
Malaysia Airlines flight 17
Malaysia Airlines flight 17, flight of a passenger airliner that crashed and burned in eastern Ukraine on July......
Malaysia Airlines flight 370 disappearance
Malaysia Airlines flight 370 disappearance, disappearance of a Malaysia Airlines passenger jet on March 8, 2014,......
Mary Rose
Mary Rose, an English warship commissioned during Henry VIII’s reign that often served as the flagship of the fleet.......
Maui wildfires of 2023
Maui wildfires of 2023, a series of wildfires that burned parts of the island of Maui in the U.S. state of Hawaii......
Messina earthquake and tsunami of 1908
Messina earthquake and tsunami of 1908, earthquake and subsequent tsunami that devastated southern Italy on Dec.......
Mexico City earthquake of 1985
Mexico City earthquake of 1985, severe earthquake that occurred on September 19, 1985, off the coast of the Mexican......
Minneapolis I-35W bridge collapse
Minneapolis I-35W bridge collapse, collapse of an interstate highway bridge spanning the Mississippi River in Minneapolis,......
Mississippi River flood of 1927
Mississippi River flood of 1927, flooding of the lower Mississippi River valley in April 1927, one of the worst......
Mississippi River flood of 2011
Mississippi River flood of 2011, flooding of the Mississippi River valley in the central United States from late......
Mitch, Hurricane
Hurricane Mitch, hurricane (tropical cyclone) that devastated Central America, particularly Honduras and Nicaragua,......
Modane train crash of 1917
Modane train crash of 1917, train derailment in Modane, France, on Dec. 12, 1917, that killed more than 500 French......
Monongah mining disaster of 1907
Monongah mining disaster of 1907, deadly mining explosion on Dec. 6, 1907, in Monongah, W.Va., that killed more......
Moorgate Tube crash
Moorgate Tube crash, train crash on February 28, 1975, at Moorgate station in the London Underground system. It......
Mount Erebus disaster
Mount Erebus disaster, airplane crash that occurred on November 28, 1979, when Air New Zealand flight TE901 flew......
Mount Unzen eruption of 1792
Mount Unzen eruption of 1792, volcanic eruption of Mount Unzen, western Kyushu, Japan, that led to a destructive......
Munich air disaster
Munich air disaster, airplane crash that occurred on February 6, 1958, after a British European Airways plane slid......
Myanmar earthquake of 2025
Myanmar earthquake of 2025, powerful magnitude-7.7 earthquake that struck Myanmar (Burma) on March 28, 2025. The......
Nepal earthquake of 2015
Nepal earthquake of 2015, severe earthquake that struck near the city of Kathmandu in central Nepal on April 25,......
Nepal floods of 2026
Nepal floods of 2026, catastrophic flash flood and debris flow triggered by the partial collapse of the glacier......
New Madrid earthquakes of 1811–12
New Madrid earthquakes of 1811–12, series of three large earthquakes that occurred near New Madrid, Missouri, between......
North Sea flood
North Sea flood, the worst storm surge on record for the North Sea, occurring Jan. 31 to Feb. 1, 1953. In the Netherlands......
Northridge earthquake of 1994
Northridge earthquake of 1994, earthquake that struck the densely populated San Fernando Valley in southern California,......
Notre-Dame fire
Notre-Dame fire, conflagration that broke out at Notre-Dame Cathedral, Paris, on the evening of April 15, 2019,......
Pakistan Floods of 2010
Pakistan Floods of 2010, flooding of the Indus River in Pakistan in late July and August 2010 that led to a humanitarian......
Pakistan floods of 2022
Pakistan floods of 2022, instances of massive flooding of the Indus River and its tributaries in Pakistan between......
Palm Sunday tornado outbreak of 1965
Palm Sunday tornado outbreak of 1965, series of tornados that struck the Midwestern region of the United States......
Pan Am flight 103
Pan Am flight 103, flight of a passenger airliner operated by Pan American World Airways (Pan Am) that exploded......
Pan Am flight 73 hijacking
Pan Am flight 73 hijacking, takeover of a Pan American World Airways jet on September 5, 1986, by hijackers linked......
Piper Alpha disaster
Piper Alpha disaster, explosion and sinking of the Piper Alpha oil platform in the North Sea on July 6, 1988. The......
Plague of Justinian
Plague of Justinian, plague pandemic that spread throughout the Mediterranean region and beyond beginning about......
Qinghai earthquake of 2010
Qinghai earthquake of 2010, severe earthquake that occurred on April 14, 2010, in the isolated southern Yushu Tibetan......
Red Cross and Red Crescent
Red Cross and Red Crescent is a humanitarian agency with national affiliates in almost every country in the world.......
Sabena flight 548
Sabena flight 548, flight of a Boeing 707 airliner that crashed on February 15, 1961, in Brussels, killing all......
Sampoong Department Store collapse
Sampoong Department Store collapse, disaster that occurred on June 29, 1995, when a department store in Seoul,......
San Francisco earthquake of 1906
San Francisco earthquake of 1906, major earthquake with a magnitude of 7.9 that occurred on April 18, 1906, at......
San Francisco earthquake of 1989
San Francisco earthquake of 1989, major earthquake that struck the San Francisco Bay Area, California, U.S., on......
Sandy, Superstorm
Superstorm Sandy, massive storm that brought significant wind and flooding damage to Jamaica, Cuba, Haiti, the......
Saturia–Manikganj Sadar tornado
Saturia–Manikganj Sadar tornado, catastrophic tornado that struck the Manikganj district of Bangladesh on April......
September 11 attacks
September 11 attacks, series of airline hijackings and suicide attacks committed in 2001 by 19 militants associated......
Shaanxi province earthquake of 1556
Shaanxi province earthquake of 1556, massive earthquake in Shaanxi province in northern China, believed to be the......
Sichuan earthquake of 2008
Sichuan earthquake of 2008, massive and enormously devastating earthquake that occurred in the mountainous central......
St. Francis Dam disaster
St. Francis Dam disaster, catastrophic dam failure in California on March 12, 1928, that remains one of the worst......
Storm of the Century
Storm of the Century, large, intense storm system that devastated the eastern coast of North America during March......
Super Outbreak of 1974
Super Outbreak of 1974, series of tornadoes that caused severe damage to the Midwestern, southern, and eastern......
Super Outbreak of 2011
Super Outbreak of 2011, series of tornadoes on April 26–28, 2011, that affected parts of the southern, eastern,......
Super Typhoon Fung-wong
Super Typhoon Fung-wong, late-season tropical cyclone that grew into a super typhoon in November 2025 and caused......
Super Typhoon Haiyan
Super Typhoon Haiyan, massive and highly destructive storm in the North Pacific Ocean that affected Palau, the......
Super Typhoon Ragasa
Super Typhoon Ragasa, tropical cyclone that attained super typhoon status on September 21, 2025, according to reports......
Super Typhoon Sinlaku
Super Typhoon Sinlaku, powerful tropical cyclone in the western Pacific Ocean that cut across the islands of Tinian......
Swissair flight 111
Swissair flight 111, flight of a passenger airliner that crashed on September 2, 1998, off the coast of Nova Scotia,......
Taiwan earthquake of 1999
Taiwan earthquake of 1999, earthquake that began at 1:47 am local time on Sept. 21, 1999, below an epicentre 93......
Tangshan earthquake of 1976
Tangshan earthquake of 1976, earthquake on July 28, 1976, with a magnitude of 7.5, which nearly razed the Chinese......
Tenerife airport disaster
Tenerife airport disaster, runway collision of two Boeing 747 passenger airplanes in the Canary Islands on March......
Texas City explosion of 1947
Texas City explosion of 1947, industrial disaster sparked by the fire and explosion of the SS Grandcamp on April......
The Day the Music Died
The Day the Music Died, February 3, 1959, when an airplane crash resulted in the deaths of American musicians Buddy......
The Station nightclub fire
The Station nightclub fire, fire on February 20, 2003, that destroyed The Station nightclub in West Warwick, Rhode......
Thera, eruption of
eruption of Thera, devastating Bronze Age eruption of a long-dormant volcano on the Aegean island of Thera, about......
Three Mile Island accident
Three Mile Island accident, accident in 1979 at the Three Mile Island nuclear power station that was the most serious......
Tirol avalanches of 1916
Tirol avalanches of 1916, series of massive avalanches in December 1916 that killed as many as 10,000 troops in......
Titan submersible implosion
More than 100 years after sinking, the Titanic continues to capture the public’s imagination. It has inspired numerous......
Titanic
Titanic, British luxury passenger liner that sank on April 14–15, 1912, during its maiden voyage, en route to New......
Tokyo-Yokohama earthquake of 1923
Tokyo-Yokohama earthquake of 1923, earthquake with a magnitude of 7.9 that struck the Tokyo-Yokohama metropolitan......
Toya Maru ferry disaster
Toya Maru ferry disaster, deadliest ship disaster in Japanese history. On Sept. 26, 1954, the Toya Maru, a Japanese......
Tri-State Tornado of 1925
Tri-State Tornado of 1925, tornado, the deadliest in U.S. history, that traveled from southeastern Missouri through......
Triangle Shirtwaist Factory fire
Shortly before 5:00 pm on March 25, 1911, the approximately 500 people working at the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory......
Tunguska event
Tunguska event, enormous explosion that is estimated to have occurred at 7:14 am plus or minus one minute on June......
TWA flight 800
TWA flight 800, flight of a Trans World Airlines (TWA) jumbo jet airliner that broke up over the Atlantic Ocean......
Typhoon Kalmaegi
Typhoon Kalmaegi, late-season tropical cyclone whose strong winds and heavy rains brought widespread damage to......
Typhoon Nina–Banqiao dam failure
Typhoon Nina–Banqiao dam failure, catastrophic dam failure in August 1975 in western Henan province, China, caused......
Typhoon Tip
Typhoon Tip, storm that developed in the northwestern Pacific Ocean in October 1979 and the largest tropical cyclone......
Ukraine International Airlines flight 752
Ukraine International Airlines flight 752 (PS752), flight of a passenger airliner that was shot down by the Islamic......
United Airlines flight 175
United Airlines flight 175, domestic passenger flight that was hijacked on the morning of September 11, 2001, as......