These Are The Deadliest Natural Disasters In Modern History

San Francisco Earthquake, 1906

On April 18, 1906, at 5:12 AM, a 7.8 magnitude earthquake struck the coast of Northern California. The ‘quake was felt from southern Oregon all the way to Los Angeles. After the earthquake, a fire broke out which lasted for several days. All in all, the catastrophe left 3,000 dead, and over 80 percent of San Francisco destroyed.

It is estimated that during the earthquake 700 people died, and the rest of the deaths were attributed to the fire, totaling around 3,000. To this day, the event is considered one of the worst natural disasters in American history and is the greatest loss of life in California’s history.