Disaster records

World natural disasters, 2012–2016: events and sources

Browse 267 sourced disaster events by year and place, with agency records and practical household planning links.

Map, water bottle, radio and emergency bag on a household table

Browse 267 sourced disaster events from 2012 to 2016. Open a year or follow a country link to find a date, place and brief account.

Disaster events, 2012–2016

Jump to a year or country
2012 56 events

2012

2012 disaster events
DatePlaceHazardWhat happened and source
Southern NorwayStorm
off the west coast of northern Sumatra, IndonesiaEarthquake
125 km W of Port-Vila, VanuatuEarthquake
MadagascarTropical cyclone
Viti Levu, FijiTropical cyclone
6 km E of Santiago Llano Grande, MexicoEarthquake
23 km NE of Constitución, ChileEarthquake
Wharton Basin, off Sumatra, IndonesiaEarthquake
Wharton Basin, off Sumatra, IndonesiaEarthquake
69 km ENE of San Luis, MexicoEarthquake
Seti River, Kaski, NepalFlood
Damarda, AfghanistanFlash Flood
Northern AfghanistanFlash Flood
Piet Retief area, near Eswatini, South AfricaEarthquake
Peruvian AndesCold Wave
Oaxaca, MexicoHurricane
Colorado Springs area, United StatesWild Fire
NigeriaFlood
Western Cape, South AfricaFlood
Troms, NorwayFlood
Veracruz, MexicoTropical cyclone
156 km ENE of Poronaysk, RussiaEarthquake
Parigi Moutong, IndonesiaFlash Flood
126 km S of Puerto El Triunfo, El SalvadorEarthquake
89 km E of Sulangan, PhilippinesEarthquake
Downtown Carbondale, Illinois, United StatesFlood
Coastal VietnamFlood
11 km ENE of Hojancha, Costa RicaEarthquake
Eastern and southern PakistanFlood
Manaslu, Camp 3, NepalAvalanche
11 km WNW of San Agustín, ColombiaEarthquake
Southern BangladeshTropical cyclone
Jamaica, Cuba and the Bahamas, CaribbeanTropical cyclone
Hainan and Guangxi, ChinaTropical cyclone
Northern VietnamTropical cyclone
Haida Gwaii, British Columbia, CanadaEarthquake
New Jersey and New York coast, United StatesTropical cyclone
Sri LankaDrought
Beijing and surrounding ChinaSnowstorm
Andhra Pradesh, IndiaFlood
Pacific coast near Champerico, GuatemalaEarthquake
Sulawesi, IndonesiaFlash Flood
Kel, Kashmir, PakistanLandslide
Northern BangladeshCold Wave
Mindanao, PhilippinesTropical cyclone
Japan (37.89°N, 143.95°E)Earthquake
Banda Sea, IndonesiaEarthquake
SamoaTropical cyclone
Eastern Europe, RussiaCold Wave
Sri LankaFlood
KyrgyzstanCold Wave
Eastern Terai, NepalCold Wave
Delhi and northern IndiaCold Wave
Terengganu, Pahang and Kelantan, MalaysiaFlood
KazakhstanCold Wave
Eastern JapanSnowstorm
2013 73 events

2013

2013 disaster events
DatePlaceHazardWhat happened and source
NigeriaFlood
Tasmania, AustraliaWild Fire
110 km SW of Edna Bay, Alaska, United StatesEarthquake
Jakarta, Java, IndonesiaFlood
Limpopo basin, MozambiqueFlood
Santa Cruz Islands, Solomon IslandsEarthquake
112 km WSW of Lata, Solomon IslandsEarthquake
33 km NW of Lata, Solomon IslandsEarthquake
Arequipa, PeruFlood
32 km SE of Lata, Solomon IslandsEarthquake
El Hierro, Canary Islands, SpainVolcanic activity
ColombiaFlood
Brahmanbaria, BangladeshTornado
260 km WSW of Abepura, IndonesiaEarthquake
Sistan and Baluchistan, near the Iran–Pakistan borderEarthquake
252 km ENE of Kuril’sk, RussiaEarthquake
Balkh, AfghanistanFlash Flood
Sri LankaLandslide
Patuakhali, BangladeshTropical cyclone
292 km SW of Vaini, TongaEarthquake
Sea of Okhotsk, RussiaEarthquake
8 km SSW of Guabito, PanamaEarthquake
Calgary and southern Alberta, CanadaFlood
Southwestern Sri LankaFlood
Panchi Morh, Vaishno Devi route, IndiaLandslide
George Town, Penang, MalaysiaStorm
Kedarnath and Uttarakhand valleys, IndiaFlood and landslide
Peninsular Malaysia, including Muar and LedangHaze
Darchula and western districts, NepalFlood
Lourdes and the Pyrenean river valleys, FranceFlood
61 km S of Bireun, IndonesiaEarthquake
Ukay Perdana construction site, MalaysiaLandslide
Southwest of Sungai Penuh, Sumatra, IndonesiaEarthquake
190 km ENE of Kokopo, Papua New GuineaEarthquake
Toronto, CanadaFlood
South Sandwich Islands region, South Atlantic islandsEarthquake
Sehnde, Lehrte and Peine, GermanyHailstorm
Carabaya, PeruCold Wave
Khartoum, Gezira and Nile states, SudanFlood
Karachi, PakistanFlood
Surobi, AfghanistanFlash Flood
Paluweh island, IndonesiaVolcanic activity
Northern California, United StatesWild Fire
101 km SW of Atka, Alaska, United StatesEarthquake
Colorado Front Range, United StatesFlood
Sinabung, North Sumatra, IndonesiaVolcano
MexicoFlood
113 km NW of Bela, PakistanEarthquake
16 km WSW of Atiquipa, PeruEarthquake
4 km SE of Sagbayan, PhilippinesEarthquake
Odisha, IndiaFlood
off the east coast of Honshu, JapanEarthquake
Northern GermanyStorm
Armala, Kaski, Pokhara Valley, NepalSinkhole
Central Philippines and LeyteTropical cyclone
VietnamTropical cyclone
SomaliaTropical cyclone
Southern ChinaTropical cyclone
Central VietnamFlood
Somerset West and Cape Town, South AfricaFlood
Trøndelag and Helgeland, NorwayStorm
Saudi ArabiaFlood
Scotia Sea, Ocean regionsEarthquake
Southeastern IndiaTropical cyclone
Fiji regionEarthquake
Falkland Islands region, South Atlantic islandsEarthquake
Pahang, Terengganu and Johor, MalaysiaFlood
Gansu, ChinaLandslide
Southern ThailandFlood
Northern Gaza, PalestineFlood
Northeastern Brazil and Rio de JaneiroFlood
Java, IndonesiaFlood
Toronto and southern Ontario, CanadaWinter storm
2014 46 events

2014

Earthquakes in India

India’s National Center for Seismology records earthquakes across the country. Its event notices identify the location, time, magnitude and depth.

2014 disaster events
DatePlaceHazardWhat happened and source
Near Balassagyarmat, HungaryEarthquake
Mount Sinabung, North Sumatra, IndonesiaVolcanic activity
Jayapura, Papua, IndonesiaFlood and landslide
Tharparkar, PakistanDrought
Offshore Iquique, northern ChileEarthquake
Pacific coast of JapanTsunami
53 km SW of Iquique, ChileEarthquake
56 km WSW of Panguna, Papua New GuineaEarthquake
Valparaiso, ChileWild Fire
93 km SSE of Kirakira, Solomon IslandsEarthquake
112 km S of Kirakira, Solomon IslandsEarthquake
9 km ENE of Coyuquilla Norte, MexicoEarthquake
70 km SW of Panguna, Papua New GuineaEarthquake
Northern AfghanistanFlash Flood
United States Midwest and SouthTornado
AfghanistanLandslide
Southern California, United StatesWild Fire
Tehran, IranSand and Dust Storm
Chiapas coast, MexicoTropical cyclone
North Rhine-Westphalia, including Düsseldorf, GermanyStorm
Cape Town settlements, South AfricaFlood
Rat Islands, Aleutian Islands, Alaska, United StatesEarthquake
Quang Ninh, VietnamTropical cyclone
Jure, near Barabise, Sunkoshi River, NepalLandslide
Bihar, IndiaFlood
Northern BangladeshFlood
Guizhou, ChinaFlood
Punjab and Kashmir, PakistanFlood
Meghalaya and neighboring Assam, IndiaFlood
Southern ChinaTropical cyclone
southern East Pacific Rise, Ocean regionsEarthquake
Andhra Pradesh, IndiaTropical cyclone
Himalayan trekking routes, NepalSnow Avalanche
74 km S of Intipucá, El SalvadorEarthquake
Badulla district, Sri LankaLandslide
Aceh, IndonesiaFlood
Fiji regionEarthquake
155 km NW of Ternate, IndonesiaEarthquake
Sri LankaFlood
JapanSnowstorm
Eastern Samar, PhilippinesTropical cyclone
Jemblung, Central Java, IndonesiaLandslide
Central and northern JapanSnowstorm
Southern ThailandFlood
Kelantan, Pahang and Terengganu, MalaysiaFlood
Southern and central PhilippinesTropical cyclone
2015 60 events

2015

Nepal earthquakes, April and May 2015

The 25 April magnitude 7.8 earthquake and 12 May magnitude 7.3 earthquake are listed with their USGS records below.

2015 disaster events
DatePlaceHazardWhat happened and source
Nsanje, Chikwawa, Phalombe and Zomba, MalawiFlood
Communities across PeruFlood and landslide
northern Mid-Atlantic Ridge, Ocean regionsEarthquake
Middle Tennessee and Cumberland Plateau, United StatesWinter storm
Panjshir, AfghanistanSnow Avalanche
150 km NNE of Maumere, IndonesiaEarthquake
Southern and central Bogotá, ColombiaHailstorm
Atacama and Antofagasta, ChileFlood
53 km SE of Kokopo, Papua New GuineaEarthquake
ColombiaFlood
Kissonerga, near Paphos, CyprusEarthquake
Gorkha region, NepalEarthquake
131 km SSW of Kokopo, Papua New GuineaEarthquake
143 km SW of Panguna, Papua New GuineaEarthquake
Eastern NepalEarthquake
Bonin Islands, Japan regionEarthquake
Near Ranau, Sabah, MalaysiaEarthquake
NepalLandslide
Hanoi, VietnamStorm
southern Mid-Atlantic Ridge, Ocean regionsEarthquake
Karachi and Sindh, PakistanHeat Wave
Chitral and other areas of PakistanGLOF
80 km WNW of Lata, Solomon IslandsEarthquake
Northern IranFlood
Quang Ninh, VietnamFlood
234 km W of Abepura, IndonesiaEarthquake
Southern BangladeshFlash Flood
Southeastern BangladeshTropical cyclone
Western NepalLandslide
Malumfashi and other Katsina communities, NigeriaFlood
West Bengal, Gujarat and Rajasthan, IndiaFlood
Manikaran, Himachal Pradesh, IndiaLandslide
Papua, IndonesiaLandslide
48 km W of Illapel, ChileEarthquake
25 km WNW of Illapel, ChileEarthquake
Sri LankaLandslide
Fujian, ChinaTropical cyclone
Outskirts of Guatemala CityLandslide
Alpes-Maritimes, FranceFlood
Zhanjiang, Guangdong, ChinaTropical cyclone
31 km NE of Port-Olry, VanuatuEarthquake
Southwestern Pacific coast, MexicoTropical cyclone
Hindu Kush region, AfghanistanEarthquake
Tamil Nadu, IndiaFlood
Cuddalore, Tamil Nadu, IndiaFlood
Sri LankaFlood
ParaguayFlood
Pahang, Perak and Selangor, MalaysiaFlood
155 km WNW of Iñapari, PeruEarthquake
185 km WNW of Iñapari, PeruEarthquake
Addu City, MaldivesFlood
–Chennai and adjoining districts, IndiaFlood
Western IndonesiaLandslide
southeast Indian Ridge, Ocean regionsEarthquake
104 km W of Murghob, TajikistanEarthquake
Central PhilippinesTropical cyclone
CARAGA, PhilippinesTropical cyclone
Southern United StatesTornado
Lunana, BhutanViolent Wind
United States MidwestFlood
2016 32 events

2016

2016 disaster events
DatePlaceHazardWhat happened and source
Central and southern VietnamDrought
Near Imphal, Manipur, IndiaEarthquake
Thar, PakistanDrought
Eastern and northeastern JapanSnowstorm
United States East CoastSnowstorm
47 km ESE of Pedro Bay, Alaska, United StatesEarthquake
80 km S of Mil’kovo, RussiaEarthquake
FijiTropical cyclone
Java, IndonesiaFlood
southwest of Sumatra, IndonesiaEarthquake
Bandung, West Java, IndonesiaFlood
Dubai and Abu Dhabi, United Arab EmiratesStorm
Flood-affected communities across the UAE, United Arab EmiratesFlood
6 km ESE of Kumamoto, JapanEarthquake
27 km SSE of Muisne, EcuadorEarthquake
3 km NW of Norsup, VanuatuEarthquake
Fort McMurray, Alberta, CanadaWildfire
South Sandwich Islands region, South Atlantic islandsEarthquake
West Virginia, United StatesFlood
Gorkha and Pyuthan, western NepalLandslide
Pagan region, Northern Mariana Islands, United StatesEarthquake
Baton Rouge and Hammond areas, United StatesFlood
southeast of the Loyalty Islands, Ocean regionsEarthquake
South Georgia Island region, Ocean regionsEarthquake
north of Ascension Island, Ocean regionsEarthquake
175 km NE of Gisborne, New ZealandEarthquake
Haiti and eastern Cuba, CaribbeanTropical cyclone
South Carolina and North Carolina, United StatesTropical cyclone
53 km NNE of Amberley, New ZealandEarthquake
69 km WSW of Kirakira, Solomon IslandsEarthquake
140 km E of Kokopo, Papua New GuineaEarthquake
41 km SW of Quellón, ChileEarthquake

Flood risk in Alor Setar

Heavy rain and rapid development contribute to recurring floods around Alor Setar. Malaysia’s natural-resources ministry describes river upgrades and diversion works in the Sungai Kedah and Anak Bukit flood-management project.

Bukit Nanas

Kathmandu earthquake monitoring

The National Earthquake Monitoring and Research Center in Kathmandu publishes earthquake dates, epicenters and local magnitudes.

Browse by country or region

Country and region entries

Each year link opens that country’s first event for the year. Use the country filter to show all its events.

Australia

2013

Bangladesh

2012201320142015

Bhutan

2015

Brazil

2013

Canada

201220132016

Chile

2012201420152016

China

2012201320142015

Colombia

201220132015

Costa Rica

2012

Cyprus

2015

Ecuador

2016

El Salvador

20122014

Fiji

2012201320142016

France

20132015

Germany

20132014

Guatemala

20122015

Hungary

2014

Iran

201320142015

Japan

20122013201420152016

Kazakhstan

2012

Kyrgyzstan

2012

Malawi

2015

Maldives

2015

Mexico

2012201320142015

New Zealand

2016

Norway

20122013

Ocean regions

2013201420152016

Pakistan

20122013201420152016

Palestine

2013

Panama

2013

Papua New Guinea

2013201420152016

Paraguay

2015

Peru

201220132015

Philippines

2012201320142015

Russia

201220132016

Samoa

2012

Saudi Arabia

2013

Solomon Islands

2013201420152016

Somalia

2013

South Atlantic islands

20132016

Spain

2013

Sri Lanka

2012201320142015

Sudan

2013

Tajikistan

2015

Thailand

20132014

Tonga

2013

United Arab Emirates

2016

Vanuatu

201220152016

Vietnam

20122013201420152016

Turn an event into a household plan

Choose a safe destination for the hazards near your home. Put a meeting place and an outside contact in your family emergency plan. Check portable emergency supplies, choose a radio for power cuts and arrange stored drinking water. Use the preparedness checklist to review those decisions together.

Regional tables: Nepal, India, United States and Caribbean, Southern Africa, Nigeria, Afghanistan, Malaysia, Indonesia. Read disaster types and official alerts for warning terms.

About the records

This selective list covers notable disasters in 2012–2016. Dates and descriptions come from the linked agencies and research. Some events span several days. USGS dates are UTC unless a local date is stated. Magnitudes and other estimates may change after assessment.