What is the worst kind of natural disaster?

[La_Serpiente]

Poll question: What is the worst kind of natural disaster?

I am looking for an answer based not on the monetary damages, but of the ferocity and intensity of the natural disaster.

Edit: Hopefully, we can learn how different countries respond to different disasters. Share any information that you feel is necessary.

[Dogmudgeon]

1. Floods

They kill an enormous number of people around the world each year.

--bkl

[opihimoimoi]

5. Drought will kill millions at a time. Leads to famine.

Soon, unless Mankind gets off his ass, the mega Famine will hit Earth like no other,

hundreds of millions will succumb to a crash/famine

and no Nation will be strong enough to help.

It will be anarchy, every man/family for it self.

To date, there are no serious FAMINE PREVENTION 101 CLASSES by the UN, US, or UK.
\
Sad

[RebelOne]

2. I vote earthquake, cause there's no shelter from them

and no warning. No place to run to. At least there are hurricane, flood and tornado warnings, so you have some advance notice.

[NashVegas]

9. And So Unpredictable

With drought, at least, it takes enough time to set in that you can pull up stakes, or look for relief from outside.

earthquake? BOOM.

[frustrated_lefty]

3. The kind that destroy homes and make people

fear for their lives. I've lived in hurricane country and earthquake country, the question, to me, just misses the point.

[Booberdawg]

4. Depends on where you live

Where I live the worst is a tornado. And I've been through one!

[VOX]

6. Earthquake. Unlike most of the others, you NEVER know when it'll hit...

BANG, there it is. The ground may open up under you in a split second. Your roof could come down on top of you, or your car may be pancaked by a falling overpass.

There is no way to batten down for a quake, or get to a safe spot, or go to a shelter, etc. There is no tracking a quake, no quake season, no way of knowing where, when or how strong it will be, no chance to pack up and evacuate, no advance word of its imminent arrival.

It strikes you where you stand (or sleep). You can only prepare by having emergency supplies around the house, and having an auto gas-shutoff valve, but other than that, it's all up to Mother Nature.

All of this is very remote, of course, but if you live in earthquake country, it's always in the back of your mind.

[amazona]

10. trust me you never know when a tree will hit either...

I didn't expect my house to be crushed by a freakin' tropical storm that formed in one day and didn't even make it to hurricane status, which is what happened with Bill.

The worse natural disaster is the one that hits you and yours.

Yikes!

[sandnsea]

7. Fire

I've been through a mild earthquake, flood, tornado, and fire. Big no thank you on the fire. No explainable reason, just no.

[m-jean03]

8. Plague

disgusting and horrifying.