2005
- January 8
- Over night, violent storm Gudrun sweeps across the southern half of Sweden, the worst storm in the country since 1969, and one of the worst natural catastrophes in recorded Swedish history. Storm gusts reached 150 km/hour, knocking down 250 million trees, the equivalent of a year's normal harvest of 80 million cubic metres throughout the country. Seven die in the storm, another nine die in clean-up work. 500,000 households are left with no electricity, and the Öresund bridge is closed to road traffic. [7]
- January 9
- The same storm which pounded the U.S. earlier in the month hits England, Scandinavia, and the Baltic States, leaving 13 dead with widespread flooding and power cuts. [26]
- February 22
- More than 500 people are killed and over 1,000 injured after entire villages are flattened in an earthquake measuring 6.4 on the Richter scale in the Zarand region of Kerman province in southern Iran. [26]
- March 20
- At least 250 people in Japan are injured and at least one killed, when a magnitude 7 earthquake strikes west of Kyushu Island, just 9km (5.5 miles) below the ocean floor. [26]
- March 28
- In Northern Sumatra, Indonesia, a magnitude 8.6 earthquake occurs. At least 1,300 people killed, 350 injured and hundreds of buildings destroyed. A 3-metre tsunami damaged the port and airport on Simeulue. [26] [53]
- April 20
- A magnitude 5.8 earthquake hits Fukuoka and Kasuga, Fukuoka Prefecture, Japan, injuring 56. [26]
- May 15
- A passenger ferry capsizes and sinks in strong winds in the Bura Gauranga River in Bangladesh, leaving over 100 people missing. [26]
- June 15
- Off the coast of Northern California, a magnitude 7.2 earthquake occurs. [53]
- June 17
- A 6.7 aftershock, which followed a 5.3 earthquake the previous day, hits California, making it the fourth earthquake since June 12 in California. [26]
- July 10
- Hurricane Dennis strikes near Navarre Beach, Florida as a Category 3 storm, killing ten people after killing over 50 people in the Caribbean. [26]
- July 26
- Mumbai and the Mumbai Conurbation area are submerged in 5-7 feet of water due to heavy rains, making nearby dams release water causing a massive flood, which virtually stops the financial capital of India for 4-5 days. [26]
- August 29
- At least 1,836 are killed, and severe damage is caused along the U.S. Gulf Coast, as Hurricane Katrina strikes coastal areas from Louisiana to Alabama, and travels up the entire state of Mississippi (flooding coast 31 feet/10 m), affecting most of eastern North America. [26] [68.29]
- September 24
- Hurricane Rita hits the U.S. Gulf Coast, devastating areas near Beaumont, Texas and Lake Charles, Louisiana. The New Orleans's 9th Ward re-floods since Katrina, and Mississippi and Alabama are also affected. [26]
- October 4
- Hurricane Stan hits Mexico and Central America, killing over 1,620 people. [26]
- October 8
- In Pakistan, a magnitude 7.6 earthquake occurs. At least 86,000 people killed, more than 69,000 injured and extensive damage in northern Pakistan. An estimated 4 million people in the area were left homeless. [26] [53]
- October 19
- Hurricane Wilma swells into a Category 5 storm. [26]
- October 20
- Hurricane Wilma enters the Mexican Caribbean, passing through Cozumel and then the Yucatán Peninsula, staying over Cancún for over 60 hours. [26]
- October 22
- Tropical Storm Alpha forms, making the 2005 Atlantic hurricane season the most active on record. [26]
- October 24
- Hurricane Wilma makes landfall in southwestern Florida as a category 3 hurricane. [26]
- October 30
- Hurricane Beta hits the coast of Nicaragua. It is the 13th hurricane of 2005, breaking the 1969 record of 12 hurricanes. [26]
- November 6
- A tornado hits western Kentucky and southwestern Indiana, killing at least 22. [26]
- November 15
- An earthquake hits near Sanriku in Japan, prompting a tsunami warning to be issued. [26]
- December 8
- Hurricane Epsilon dies in the eastern Atlantic Ocean. It becomes the longest-lived December hurricane on record and ties for second-place strongest December hurricane. [26]
- December 13
- A 6.7 magnitude earthquake rocks South Asia. [26]
- Year
- Number of named Atlantic hurricanes: 28. [32.46]
- Global mean surface temperature at highest point since accurate measurements in 1880. [58]
2006
- January 6
- The record-breaking 2005 Atlantic hurricane season officially draws to a close as Tropical Storm Zeta dissipates. [27]
- January 8
- A powerful, magnitude 6.9 earthquake centered off the coast of the Greek island of Kythera shakes much of Greece and is felt throughout the eastern Mediterranean basin. [27]
- January 11
- The Augustine Volcano in Alaska erupts twice, marking its first major eruption since 1986. [27]
- February 17
- As many as 1,800 people die when a mudslide occurs on Leyte Island in the Philippines. [27]
- March 20
- Tropical Cyclone Larry makes landfall in Queensland, Australia. [27]
- May 26
- In Java, Indonesia, a magnitude 6.3 earthquake occurs. At least 5,749 people killed, 38,568 injured and as many as 600,000 people were displaced in the Bantul-Yogyakarta area. Total loss estimated at approximately US$3.1 billion [27] [53]
- July 21
- Saint Louis, Missouri, is hit by two major derechos (violent windstorms) in a span of three days. [27]
- October 15
- In Hawaii, a magnitude 6.7 earthquake occurs. Power outages occur throughout the Hawaiian Islands. Damage estimated at US$73 million. [53]
- November 7
- The Japanese town of Saroma, Hokkaido is struck by a tornado, killing nine. It is the deadliest tornado in Japan since 1941. [27]
- November 15
- In the Kuril Islands, a magnitude 8.3 earthquake occurs. A tsunami with a recorded wave height of 176 cm damages a dock at Crescent City, California. [53]
- November 30
- Typhoon Durian triggers a massive mudslide and kills hundreds of people in the Philippines. [27]
- December 26
- The Hengchun earthquake in Taiwan kills two people, damages about 15 historical buildings and several undersea cable, disrupting Internet and IDD telecommunication services in Asia. [27]
- Year
- According to the Met Office, England experienced its warmest year since records began in 1659 with an average temperature of 10.82 degrees C. [27]
- Number of named Atlantic hurricanes: 9. [32.46]
2007
- January 18
- The strongest storm in the UK for 17 years kills 14 people, and Germany sees the worst storm since 1999 with 13 deaths. Hurricane Kyrill causes at least 44 deaths across 20 countries in Western Europe. Other losses include the Container Ship MSC Napoli destroyed by the storm off the coast of Devon, England. [38]
- February 2
- Three tornadoes cross a 70-mile path across Florida, USA, killing 21, injuring 100, destroying 1500 homes and mobile homes. [38] [290.18]
- February 3
- State of Emergency is declared in Indonesia after 'El Nino'-like flooding. [38]
- April 2
- The Solomon Islands is shaken by a magnitude 8.1 earthquake, and hit by a subsequent tsunami. [38]
- May 4
- Tornado strikes Greensburg, Kansas, killing at least 12 and destroying about 90 percent of the town. [38]
- May 9
- Subtropical storm Andrea forms off the coast of Florida, the earliest subtropical storm since Ana in 2003. [38]
- June 6
- Twelve people are killed by cyclone Gonu in Oman. [38]
- June 22
- A Force 5 tornado tears through Elie, Manitoba, Canada; no injuries are reported. [38]
- June 25
- Intense heatwaves begin to hit Southeast Europe as temperatures reach 46 celcius in Bulgaria and Greece. [38]
- In England, following the wettest June on record, Sheffield and South Yorkshire are affected by flooding. Much of Sheffield, Doncaster and Rotherham is flooded when the River Don breaches its banks. [38]
- June 28
- In the aftermath of Greece's worst heatwave in a century, at least eleven people are reported dead from heatstroke, approximately 200 wildfires break out nationwide, and the country's electricity grid nearly collapses due to record breaking demand. [38]
- July 3
- Torrential rains cause the onset of the 2007 Sudan floods, the worst in the Sudan's history. [38]
- July 9
- While celebrating Argentinean Independence Day, snow falls in Buenos Aires for the first time in almost 100 years. [38]
- July 16
- Earthquake occurs in Japan, killing seven and causing a pipe at a nuclear power plant to break and release about 300 gallons of radioactive water. [38]
- July 19
- Ol Doinyo Lengai mountain erupts, bringing a stop to the daily week long tremors experienced in Nairobi and Northern Tanzania. [38]
- July 22
- Floods cause chaos through wide areas of Britain, especially the counties of Gloucestershire, Warwickshire, Worcestershire and Oxfordshire, leaving hundreds homeless and thousands of vehicles stranded on major roads. [38]
- August 15
- An 8.0 Richter scale earthquake strikes off the southwest coast of Peru, near Pisco, killing 512 people, injuring more than 1,500, leaving 100,000 homeless, and causing tsunami warnings in the Pacific Ocean. [38] [68.35]
- August 18
- Typhoon Sepat makes landfall in eastern Taiwan. [38]
- August 21
- Hurricane Dean, a powerful Category 5 storm, slams into a sparsely populated area of the Yucatán Peninsula of Mexico. Hundreds of Mayan village houses are destroyed. [38] [68.36]
- September 4
- Northeast Nicaragua takes a direct hit from Hurricane Felix. The hurricane is a strong Category 5 storm when it reaches the coast. [38]
- September 19
- Typhoon Wipha hits Fuding, China. Authorities had evacuated over two million people prior to the storm's landfall. [38]
- October 20
- Georgia's governor Sonny Perdue declares a state of emergency due to drought conditions. [38]
- (to November 9) Wildfires in Southern California result in the evacuation of more than one million people and destruction of over 1,600 homes and businesses. Total damage estimate is US$1 billion. [38] [191.37]
- November 14
- A 7.7 magnitude earthquake occurs in northern Chile. [38]
- November 16
- 4,000 people are killed by flooding by Cyclone Sidr in Bangladesh. Cost of damage totals US$2.3 billion. [38] [139.131]
- November 30
- The 2007 Atlantic Hurricane Season officially ends. [38]
- December 20
- An earthquake of magnitude 6.6 ML hits the east coast of the North Island of New Zealand, causing one death and significant damage in the town of Gisborne. [38]
2008
- January 3
- Rare snow flurries in southeast Florida, USA. [290.15]
- January 25
- China's worst snowstorm since 1954 kills 133, delays traffic, and causes massive power outages in central and southern parts of the country. [310]
- February 5
- (to February 6) A tornado outbreak, the deadliest in 23 years, kills 58 in the Southern United States. [310]
- February 6
- Over 60 tornadoes across the US South in two days kill 48 and injure over 150. [35]
- March 7
- A dozen tornadoes cause much damage in northern Florida and southern Georgia. Cars are flipped, trees and power poles knocked down, homes and businesses damaged, and two people are killed. [35]
- March 24
- In northern Chile, a 6.1 magnitude earthquake strikes. [57]
- March 25
- In western Austria, over 60 vehicles are involved in a highway accident, caused by poor visibility in a major snowstorm. One person is dead, 30 are injured. [57]
- April 18
- In southeast Illinois, USA, a 5.2 magnitude earthquake occurs. [35]
- May 1
- Near the tip of the Aleutian island chain off Alaska, a 6.5 magnitude earthquake occurs. [35]
- May 2
- In the Patagonia region of Chile, volcano Chaiten begins erupting for the first time in over 9000 years. Two nearby towns are completely evacuated. [57]
- May 3
- Tropical cyclone Nargis passes through western Myanmar killing 78,000 to 130,000 people and destroying thousands of homes. Winds reached 120 mph and tidal waves reached 12 feet high. [35] [57] [149.49] [209.11] [310]
- May 11
- Tornadoes and strong storms across central United States kill 22 and severely damage towns of Picher, Oklahoma, and Seneca, Missouri. [57]
- May 12
- A 7.8-magnitude earthquake hits China's southwestern Sichuan province, killing about 90,000, injuring 300,000, leaving 5 milion homeless. [35] [57] [105] [310]
- May 24
- In central Colombia (55km from Bogota), a 5.7 earthquake occurs, killing at least six people, causing landslides and shaking buildings. [57]
- May 29
- An earthquake measuring 6.1 hits southern Iceland, 50km from Reykjavik. [57]
- June 8
- Southern Greece is struck by a 6.5-magnitude earthquake, killing two, injuring 20, and collapsing some buildings. [57]
- June 14
- In Iwate, northern Japan, a 7.2 magnitude earthquake occurs, killing nine, injuring over 200, and causing landslides. [35] [57] [310]
- July 28
- Typhoon Fung-Wong dumps up to 28 inches of rain on Taiwan, killing one person and causing widespread flooding. [35]
- July 29
- Southern California is hit by a 5.4 magnitude earthquake, felt from Los Angeles to San Diego and slightly in Las Vegas. [105]
- September 1
- Hurricane Gustav hits Louisiana, causing US$372 million damage to crops. [275.34]
- September 3
- Tropical Storm Gustav disperses, after causing US$20 billion damage in the US, and 283 deaths in the US and Caribbean. [290.28]
- September 10
- An undersea earthquake measuring 7.6 on the Richter scale hits the eastern Moluccas islands. [35]
- September 13
- Hurricane Ike lands in Texas, USA. [275.34]
- October 6
- An earthquake measuring 6.6 magnitude kills at least 65 in Kyrgyzstan. [310]
- October 29
- An earthquake of 6.4 magnitude hits Baluchistan province in south-western Pakistan, killing at least 160 people. Four aftershocks register at up to 6.2. [57] [266.52]
- November 22
- An earthquake measuring 6.7-6.8 strikes off the Indonesian island of Sumatra. [57]
- November 24
- Floods in Santa Catarina, Brazil kill 126 and force the evacuation of over 78,000 people. [310]
2009
- January 3
- A series of powerful earthquakes hits eastern Indonesia, the strongest with a magnitude of 7.6, north of the city of Manokwari in West Papua province. [57]
- January 4
- At least 33 people die in a landslide in northern Guatemala; many more are missing. [57]
- January 11
- The Teartai Prima ferry sinks in high waves off central Indonesia, with the loss of about 225 people. [57]
- March 13
- The Galeras volcano in southern Colombia erupts, blanketing the area with ash, forcing evacuation of 3000 people. [315.A13]
- March 20
- A 7.9 magnitude earthquake about 200km south-east of Tonga triggers a tsunami in the South Pacific, but little damage results. [35]
- March 26
- Mount Redoubt volcano in Alaska erupts, shooting a plume of ash and smoke into the atmosphere, up to 20,000m. [317.A9]
- April 6
- An earthquake measuring 6.1 on the Richter scale in central Italy kills 281, injures 1500, and leaves about 17,000 homeless. The quake flattened houses, ancient churches and other buildings in 26 cities and towns. The damage is estimated at US$4 billion. [35] [57]
- April 17
- In eastern Afghanistan, a 5.5 magnitude earthquake occurs, followed in two hours by a 5.1 aftershock. [35]
- April 27
- A 5.6 magnitude earthquake strikes central Mexico, centred near Chilpancingo, about 210 kilometres southwest of Mexico City. [105]
- May 24
- An earthquake measuring 5.1 on the Richter scale hits southern Macedonia near the Greek border. [105]
- May 26
- More than 155 people are killed by Cyclone Aila in Bangladesh and West Bengal in eastern India. At least 500,000 people are made homeless by the storm. [57]
- May 28
- A 7.4-magnitude earthquake strikes off the coast of Honduras, killing five people. [57]
- August 3
- A 6.9-magnitude earthquake strikes off Baja California in Mexico, 49 miles from Santa Isabel, 9.3 miles deep. [35]
- September 2
- A powerful 7.0 earthquake strikes off the Indonesian island of Java, killing 57 people, injuring over 300. [57]
- September 12
- A 6.4 magnitude earthquake strikes off the coast of Venezuela, 110km west of Caracas, knocking out power in the capital, causing minor damage and injuries. [57]
- September 21
- A 6.1-magnitude earthquake strikes Bhutan and neighboring Himalayan regions, killing ten people and damaging houses, monasteries, and roads. [57]
- September 29
- An 8.3-magnitude earthquake strikes due south of Samoa, causing a tsunami with waves of up to 4.5m which kills more than 190 people in several islands. Whole villages in Samoa are destroyed. [57]
- September 30
- A powerful Typhoon Ketsana sweeps through Vietnam, killing 40 people. [35]
- A 7.6 magnitude earthquake strikes Padang, Indonesia, a city of 900,000, killing over 1000, toppling buildings and trapping thousands under debris. [35]
- A 7.9-magnitude earthquake strikes a fault line off the Indonesian island of Sumatra, killing at least 75 people. [57]
- October 2
- A 6.3-magnitude earthquake strikes south of Tonga in the Pacific Islands. [35]
- October 8
- A 7.8 magnitude earthquake occurs about 300km north-northwest of Vanuatu, followed by a 7.1 earthquake an hour later. [57]
- October 13
- A magnitude 6.3 earthquake strikes off Alaska's Aleutian Islands. [35]
- October 15
- A magnitude 6.0 earthquake strikes in the ocean 227 miles off Western Samoa. [35]
- October 24
- A magnitude 7.0 earthquake hits deep under the sea off Indonesia's coast. [57]
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