Buzz
Weather is notoriously fickle. The well-dressed meteorologist flashes a bright smile through your TV on a Monday morning, assuring you of clear skies, only for you to find yourself caught in an unexpected hailstorm, arriving late at work in a car littered with dents.
Weather can be profoundly perilous. Events like tornadoes, hurricanes, and blizzards wreak havoc annually across the globe, leaving devastation and loss in their wake. Featured here are some of the planet's most terrifying weather phenomena, captured on film or illustrated to preserve the memory, continually reminding us to take cover when danger looms.
10. Rain Bomb
In 2016, storm chaser Bryan Snyder was recording a time-lapse video of a storm over Tucson when he captured an extraordinary moment. A massive downpour seemed to fall from the sky in a spectacle known as a 'rain bomb' or microburst. Microbursts occur when a blast of cool air plunges through storm clouds, generating winds of up to 150 miles per hour, capable of uprooting trees.
Rain bombs are most commonly seen in the Midwestern United States and can be either wet or dry. Though they usually last only about 10 minutes, their sheer size gives them a frightening appearance.
9. Enormous Hailstones
Libya, located in North Africa, is a largely desert country with very little rainfall throughout the year.
Yet, in October 2020, an upper trough crossing the Mediterranean brought a storm that unleashed 'enormous' hailstones. The images that surfaced from the event are reminiscent of scenes from disaster films like *Geostorm*, with some hailstones so large they had to be cradled with both hands.
At the time, researchers believed these massive hailstones might have set a new record for Africa and possibly even become some of the largest ever captured on camera.
8. The Great Windstorm of 1839
The image above shows the worst storm ever recorded in Irish history. On January 6, 1839, what is believed to have been a Category 4 (or even Category 5 in some accounts) hurricane struck Ireland, killing around 500 people in Ireland, an additional 300 in the UK, and causing widespread devastation.
The day before, a heavy snowstorm had blanketed the country, leading people to assume the snowdrifts would take days to melt. However, January 6 dawned bright and sunny, and soon, there was no snow in sight. In the west of Ireland, an eerie silence took over, and when people spoke, their voices carried unusually far.
The brief period of sunshine quickly gave way to storm clouds. As towns were engulfed in near-total darkness, no one could have anticipated the terror to come. The wind began to rise steadily, reaching hurricane strength. Animals were tossed about like toys, and terrified residents scrambled for shelter in the old Parliament House.
No storm of this magnitude has ever been seen on Irish shores again to this day.
7. The Massive Ice Storm of 1998
Between January 5 and 9, 1998, an ice storm struck northern New England, northern New York, and southern Canada. This storm was significantly influenced by a powerful 'El Niño' pattern that was observed during the winter of 1997-1998.
The storm resulted in a widespread power outage affecting five million people, destroyed 11,000 hydro poles in Ontario alone, led to 35 fatalities, and caused $3 billion in damages. Additionally, around 300,000 farm animals lost their lives due to the extreme cold.
Known as the Great Ice Storm of 1998, the event was a culmination of five smaller ice storms, which led to the deployment of 16,000 Canadian military personnel—the largest mobilization since the Korean War.
In 2014, a study revealed that the stress experienced by pregnant women during the ice storm had affected their children's genetic expression. This finding suggested that the children might face an increased risk of developing asthma or diabetes due to these genetic changes.
6. Typhoon Haiyan
In November 2013, Typhoon Haiyan struck the Philippines with winds reaching up to 313 km/h. In some regions, the storm unleashed up to 281mm of rainfall in less than 12 hours, while 7-meter waves battered the coastline. Over 7,000 lives were lost, and approximately 6 million people were displaced.
Typhoon Haiyan is still regarded as one of the deadliest typhoons in history, and it was the most powerful storm of 2013. When it hit the Philippines, it was a Category 5 storm, delivering horrifying scenes. It remains the country’s worst natural disaster and caused damage in Palau, Vietnam, and China as well.
5. Satan’s Storm
Describing Texas as hot is an understatement, but on one fateful night in 1960, the residents of Central Texas encountered heat like never before. A sudden burst of scorching air hit the area near Kopperl just after midnight on June 15, instantly burning crops and causing car radiators to reach boiling temperatures.
The heat burst occurred as the remnants of a thunderstorm collapsed over Kopperl. The lack of rain allowed superheated air to plummet at a staggering speed of 121 kilometers per hour. At its highest point, temperatures nearly reached 140 degrees Fahrenheit (60 degrees Celsius).
Panicked residents wrapped their children in soaking wet towels and sheets, fearing that the event marked the beginning of Armageddon. This weather phenomenon soon became known as 'Satan’s Storm' and quickly became part of Texas lore.
4. Black Sunday
On Sunday, April 14, 1935, people across the Central Plains were relieved to see the sun after weeks of intense dust storms that had ravaged their farms, destroying over five million acres of wheat. However, the brief respite was short-lived, and soon, a terrifying 1,000-mile-long black cloud raced toward them at 60 miles per hour (96 km/h). Those who tried to escape it were overtaken, with some wandering off the road, blinded by the black dust. Others took refuge in abandoned buildings, praying for hours that the dust wouldn't suffocate them.
Seventeen people died from dust pneumonia and suffocation, and several birds were found dead after the black cloud finally passed. Black Sunday was one of the tragic events during the Dust Bowl era, which ultimately left over half a million people homeless.
3. The Joplin Tornado
On May 22, 2011, as tornado sirens blared throughout Joplin, many residents either ignored the warnings or took their time seeking shelter. This was largely due to the many false alarms they had experienced over the years.
At the time, Daniel Fluharty was working at a Pizza Hut. Along with some of his colleagues, he stepped outside to try to catch a glimpse of the tornado. What they saw was a massive EF5 twister so vast that they couldn't even identify a funnel. Initially, they mistook it for a thunderstorm. One of Fluharty’s coworkers made sure everyone was safe by ushering both staff and customers into a walk-in freezer. Unfortunately, veteran Christopher Lucas didn’t survive the storm but was later hailed as a hero for his actions.
The multi-vortex tornado claimed 161 lives and caused damage totaling $2.8 billion.
2. Central China Floods
In one of the deadliest natural disasters of the 20th century, China suffered immense loss of life during a series of floods in 1931. Between July and November, unusual weather patterns emerged, bringing heavy snow and rainfall after years of drought.
As the excessive rainfall continued into August, multiple cyclones struck the country, causing the Yangtze, Yellow, and Huai Rivers to overflow. Those who managed to survive the floods soon faced outbreaks of typhus and cholera. Desperate, many resorted to cannibalism and infanticide to stay alive. Others sold their children or wives to secure their survival. However, even after the floods, millions perished from hunger as entire rice crops were destroyed. The estimated death toll from this disaster is around 4 million.
It is believed that had proper flood-control measures been implemented, much of the devastation could have been avoided.
1. Volcanic Tornado
In May 2018, peace was shattered on Big Island when the Kilauea volcano erupted with spectacular force, destroying homes and spewing enormous molten rocks. Around 2,000 people were evacuated, and by May 27, 24 fissures had opened, unleashing torrents of lava.
As if the eruption wasn’t terrifying enough, the lava fountains that had reached heights of up to 230 feet eventually triggered the formation of a volcanic tornado. The intense heat caused air to rise rapidly, creating a vortex. These tornadoes can carry pieces of molten lava, hurling them around and causing further devastation.
In 2014, volcanic tornadoes spun above the lava during Iceland’s Holuhraun eruption, surrounded by a toxic cloud of sulfur dioxide gas. Despite the perilous conditions, both scientists and journalists had to be forcefully persuaded by police to leave the lava field.
