Throughout history, natural disasters have devastated mankind and, in some cases, have even altered the course of human history. With more than 500 entries, this work provides a comprehensive and international survey of these tragic occurrences. Following a general introduction are chapters organized according to disaster type, including avalanches and landslides, hurricanes, earthquakes, ice storms and snowstorms, famines and droughts, tornadoes, floods, typhoons, plagues and epidemics, storms, cyclones, volcanic eruptions, and natural explosions. Each entry features basic facts about each disaster, background information, as well as its impact on mankind and the environment. Eyewitness accounts, helpful chronologies and illustrations provide additional insights for readers.