2000
- January 14
- In Yunnan, China, a magnitude 5.9 earthquake occurs. Seven people are killed, 2,528 injured, and 92,479 are left homeless. More than 41,000 houses are destroyed in central Yunnan Province. [53]
- February 26
- In the Mariana Islands, a magnitude 6.2 earthquake occurs. Felt strongly on Guam and Saipan. [53]
- May 4
- In Sulawesi, Indonesia, a magnitude 7.6 earthquake occurs. At least 46 people killed, 264 injured, and extensive damage and power outages occur in the Luwuk area, Sulawesi and on nearby islands. 80 percent of buildings damaged or destroyed on Banggai. A local tsunami with estimated wave heights up to 6 meters cause much damage east of Luwuk and on Peleng. [53]
- May 28
- The volcano Mouent Cameron erupts. [21]
- June 1
- Mount Etna erupts on the island of Sicily. [21]
- June 4
- In Southern Sumatera, Indonesia, a magnitude 7.9 earthquake occurs. At least 103 people killed, 2,174 injured, extensive damage and landslides. [53]
- June 17
- A centennial earthquake measuring 6.5 on Richter scale in Iceland. 17th of June is Iceland's national day. [21]
- November 3
- Widespread flooding occurs throughout England and Wales after days of heavy rain. [21]
- November 17
- A catastrophic landslide in Log pod Mangartom, Slovenia, kills seven, and causes millions of SIT of damage. It is one of the worst catastrophes in Slovenia in the past 100 years. [21]
2001
- January 13
- In El Salvador, a magnitude 7.7 earthquake occurs, felt from Mexico City to Colombia. At least 844 people killed, 4,723 injured, 108,226 houses destroyed and more than 150,000 buildings damaged in El Salvador. [22] [53]
- January 26
- In India, a magnitude 7.6 earthquake occurs. At least 20,085 people killed, 166,836 injured, approximately 339,000 buildings destroyed and 783,000 damaged in the Bhuj-Ahmadabad-Rajkot area and other parts of Gujarat. Felt throughout northern India, much of Pakistan, Bangladesh, and western Nepal. [22] [53]
- February 13
- In El Salvador, a magnitude 6.6 earthquake occurs, felt also in Guatemala and Honduras. At least 315 people killed, 3,399 injured and extensive damage. Landslides occurred in many areas of El Salvador. [22] [53]
- February 28
- In Washington, a magnitude 6.8 earthquake occurs. About 400 people injured and major damage in the Seattle-Tacoma-Olympia area. Damage estimate between US$1 and 4 billion. [22] [53]
- June 5
- (to June 9) Houston, Texas is devastated by flooding when Tropical Storm Allison produces 36 inches (900 mm) of rain. Particularly hard hit are the downtown area and the Texas Medical Center, which loses years of research and data and thousands of lab animals. Twenty-two people die; damage exceeds US$5 billion. [22]
- June 23
- Near the coast of Peru, a magnitude 8.4 earthquake occurs. At least 75 people killed, 2,687 injured, 17,510 homes destroyed and 35,549 homes damaged in the Arequipa-Camana-Tacna area. A resulting tsunami measured as high as 7 metres, reaching inland 1 kilometre. [22] [53]
- July 7
- Near the coast of Peru, a magnitude 7.6 earthquake occurs. Few deaths and injuries, but hundreds of buildings that had been weakened by the previous earthquakes were destroyed. [53]
- November 4
- Hurricane Michelle hits Cuba, destroying crops and thousands of homes. [22]
- November 10
- Heavy rains and mudslides in Algeria kill more than 900 people. [22]
- December 19
- A new world-record high barometric pressure of 1085.6 hPa (32.06 inHg) is recorded in Tosontsengel, Khövsgöl Province, Mongolia. [22]
- December 27
- Typhoon Vamei forms within 1.5 degrees of the equator. No other tropical cyclone in recorded history has come as close to the equator. [22]
2002
- January 17
- The eruption of Mount Nyiragongo in the Democratic Republic of the Congo displaces an estimated 400,000 people. [23]
- March 31
- Earthquake in Taiwan. [23]
- July 13
- A lightning strike sets off the Sour Biscuit Fire in Oregon and northern California, which is left to burn 499,570 acres (2,022 square km). [23]
- July 19
- In Henan Province, the People's Republic of China, 25 die and hundreds are injured due to hail. [23]
- July 31
- In the south of Panama, a magnitude 6.5 earthquake occurs. No deaths, about 20 injured, some building damage and collapses, felt strongly in parts of Argentina and Costa Rica. [53]
- September 8
- Typhoon Sinlaku causes huge waves on the Qiantangjiang River in Sheijang Province, China. [23]
- November 3
- In Central Alaska, a magnitude 7.9 earthquake occurs, the world's largest earthquake in 2002. No deaths, few injuries, but extensive damage to roads. Felt as far away as Seattle, Washington. [53]
- December 30
- An eruption on the volcanic island Stromboli off the coast of Sicily causes a flank failure and tsunami. The island is later evacuated. [23]
2003
- May 4
- (to May 10) A major severe weather outbreak spawns more tornadoes than any week in U.S. history; 393 tornadoes are reported in 19 states. [24]
- May 21
- An earthquake in the Boumerdès region of northern Algeria kills 2,200. [24]
- June 22
- The largest hailstone ever recorded falls in Aurora, Nebraska. [24]
- August 10
- The United Kingdom reaches a record-high temperature, the first time breaking 38.5 degrees C (101.3 degrees Fahrenheit), at Brogdale near Faversham in Kent. [5] [24]
- August 11
- A heat wave in Paris causes temperatures up to 44 degrees C (112 degrees F). [24]
- August 14
- A 6.4 Richter scale earthquake occurs near the Greek Ionian island of Lefkada; 24 are injured. [24]
- August 16
- The 2003 Okanagan Mountain Park Fire spreads quickly on the outskirts of Kelowna, British Columbia, threatening to engulf the largest town in B.C.'s interior. [24]
- September 18
- Hurricane Isabel makes landfall as a Category 2 Hurricane on North Carolina's Outer Banks. It will directly kill 16 people in the Mid-Atlantic area. [24]
- September 25
- In Hokkaido, Japan, a magnitude 8.3 earthquake occurs, the world's largest earthquake of 2003. At least 589 people injured, many roads damaged, landslides and power outages in southeastern Hokkaido. A tsunami was generated with an estimated wave height of 4m along the southeastern coast of Hokkaido. [53]
- September 29
- Hurricane Juan lands at Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada as a category two storm, killing two directly and five indirectly. [24]
- October 25
- The Cedar Fire begins in San Diego County, burning 280,000 acres (1,100 square km), 2,232 homes and killing 14. [24]
- December 22
- An earthquake shakes up California, killing two people. [24]
- December 26
- In Southeastern Iran, a magnitude 6.6 earthquake occurs, the deadliest earthquake in 2003, likely the largest earthquake in this area in 2000 years. About 31,000 people killed, 30,000 injured, 75,600 homeless and 85 percent of buildings damaged or destroyed in the Bam area. [24] [53]
2004
- February 13
- Athens, Greece, is hit by a major blizzard which blankets the entire city for days, causing widespread havoc. [25]
- February 17
- (to February 20) A nor'easter blizzard devastates Atlantic Canada, dumping more than 95 centimeters on some areas. [25]
- February 24
- A 6.5 Richter scale earthquake in Northern Morocco hits in the Rif mountains near the city of Al Hoceima, killing 400. Ait Kamara is destroyed; 517 are killed. [25]
- March 28
- The first ever South Atlantic hurricane makes landfall in South Brazil on the state of Santa Catarina - the hurricane is dubbed Hurricane Catarina. [25]
- August 13
- Hurricane Charley kills 27 people in Florida after killing four in Cuba and one in Jamaica. Charley made landfall near Cayo Costa, Florida as a Category 4 hurricane. Charley is the most intense hurricane to strike the United States since Hurricane Andrew in 1992. [25]
- August 16
- Severe flooding occurs in the village of Boscastle in Cornwall. [25]
- September 2
- Hurricane Ivan forms. [25]
- September 3
- Hurricane Frances makes landfall in Florida. After killing two people in the Bahamas, Hurricane Frances kills ten people in Florida, two in Georgia and one in South Carolina. [25]
- September 7
- Hurricane Ivan passes directly over Grenada, killing 37 people. It passes over other Caribbean islands over the next two days, killing five people in Venezuela, four in the Dominican Republic, one in Tobago and 20 in Jamaica. [25]
- September 16
- Hurricane Ivan strikes Gulf Shores, Alabama, as a Category 3 storm, killing 25 in Alabama and Florida, becoming the third costliest hurricane in American history. [25]
- September 17
- Hurricane Jeanne leaves mudslides in Haiti, killing 3006. [25]
- September 23
- Tropical Storm Ivan, having come around and reformed in the Gulf of Mexico, makes its final landfall near Cameron, Louisiana, to little effect. In total, the storm will kill 92 people. [25]
- September 25
- Hurricane Jeanne makes landfall near Port Saint Lucie, Florida, near location Hurricane Frances hit two weeks earlier. Jeanne kills over 3,030, mostly in Haiti. [25]
- December 25
- An historic and unprecedented snowfall occurs over portions of southern Texas during the early morning hours. Daily totals include 1.5 inches at Brownsville, 3.5 inches at McAllen, 4.4 inches at Corpus Christi, and 12.1 inches at Victoria. [25]
- December 26
- One of the worst natural disasters in recorded history hits Southeast Asia when the strongest earthquake in 40 years hits the entire Indian Ocean region. The massive 9.3 magnitude earthquake, epicentered just off the west coast of the Indonesian island of Sumatra, generates enormous tsunami waves that crash into the coastal areas of 14 nations including Thailand, India, Sri Lanka, the Maldives, Malaysia, Myanmar, Bangladesh, and Indonesia. 228,000 people are killed or missing, and 1.7 million are left homeless. The tsunami caused more casualties than any other in recorded history and was recorded nearly world-wide on tide gauges in the Indian, Pacific and Atlantic Oceans. [25] [46.463] [53]
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