Every tornado, hurricane, flood, blizzard, heat wave, record, earthquake, eruption, tsunami, wildfire and geomagnetic storm on record for August 31, in any year, each linked to its full record.
Every event with a place, colored by kind. Tap one to open its record.
By deaths, damage and strength together, across every archive.
Earthquakes
A magnitude 7.1 earthquake struck Dasht-E-Bayaz, Iran. It killed 10,488 people, injured 17,000, destroyed 12,000 houses and did $35 million in damage.
Earthquakes
A magnitude 6 earthquake struck Kunar, Nangarhar, Afghanistan. It killed 2,205 people, injured 3,640, destroyed 6,782 houses and did $180 million in damage.
Other weather
On 31 August 2025, a landslide destroyed the village of Tarasin in the Marrah Mountains in Central Darfur, western Sudan, killing between 375 and 1,500 people.
From Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0.
Billion-dollar disasters
A tropical cyclone disaster that cost $8.6 billion in 2024 dollars and killed 53, on NOAA’s billion-dollar list. It lasted from August 31, 2008 to September 3, 2008.
Floods
The Hungarian city of Miskolc lies on the drainage area of the river Sajó and the stream Szinva. Both the river and the stream played an important part in the development of the city, but during great rains they also meant danger.
From Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0.
Earthquakes
An earthquake struck Senhoku, Ugo, Japan. It killed 206 people, destroyed 5,911 houses and did extreme (about $25 million or more) damage.
Volcanoes
Semeru, Indonesia erupted with a Volcanic Explosivity Index of 2. It killed 119 people.
Tornadoes
An F4 tornado touched down in Marathon County, Wisconsin and tracked 31.8 miles, 1,000 yards wide at its widest, injuring 10.
Earthquakes
A magnitude 5.6 earthquake struck Benzilan, Yunnan Province, China. It killed 5 people, injured 24, destroyed 600 houses and did $155 million in damage.
Hurricanes and tropical storms
An unnamed storm reached its peak of 140 kt (160 mph), a category 5 storm.
Hurricanes and tropical storms
Hurricane Wendy reached its peak of 140 kt (160 mph) with a central pressure of 920 mb, a category 5 storm.
Hurricanes and tropical storms
Hurricane Jebi reached its peak of 155 kt (180 mph) with a central pressure of 907 mb, a category 5 storm.
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An F3 tornado touched down in Le Sueur County, Minnesota and tracked 18.9 miles, 130 yards wide at its widest, killing 1 and injuring 8. From Grazulis's record of significant tornadoes: S Le Center, MN.
An F3 tornado touched down in Ellis County, Kansas and tracked 8.3 miles, 10 yards wide at its widest.
An F1 tornado touched down in Polk County, Minnesota and tracked 4.3 miles, 30 yards wide at its widest, killing 2.
An F4 tornado touched down in Marathon County, Wisconsin and tracked 31.8 miles, 1,000 yards wide at its widest, injuring 10.
A thunderstorm spawned a small tornado during the early morning hours. Downburst winds with an embedded tornado downed numerous trees. Some of the trees were 1 to 1.5 feet in diameter and at least 100 feet high.
A fast moving line of severe thunderstorms crossed the region causing widespread damage. There were countless reports of downed trees and power lines, many onto cars and houses. Several SKYWARN observers recorded wind gusts of 60-70 mph as the storms moved through.
Windows were broken due to the large hail.
A small tornado touched down in a wooded area just southwest of exit 165 on Interestate 20. The tornado moved northeast moving across three structures on the south side of the Interstate, two of the structures suffered extensive damage.
Clusters of severe thunderstorms moved through the Lower Rio Grande Valley of Texas causing damage to numerous trees, utility poles, railroad equipment, and buildings extending from Raymondville to Harlingen to McCook and Edinburg.The storms began to develop in the mid afternoon…
TROPICAL STORM ERNESTO, WITH MAXIMUM SUSTAINED WINDS OF 70 MPH, MADE LANDFALL ON AUGUST 31ST DURING THE LATE EVENING HOURS. THE STRONG TROPICAL STORM MOVED ACROSS THE COASTAL PLAINS REGION DURING THE EARLY MORNING HOURS ON FRIDAY SEPTEMBER 1ST.
Remnants of Hurricane Isaac tracked northward into Missouri on August 31st, producing showers and and isolated thunderstorms across west-central Illinois. One of the cells produced two brief tornado touch-downs near the town of Franklin in Morgan County.
An unstable airmass was in place across Iowa with afternoon highs reaching well into the 80s, and dewpoint readings in the low to mid 70s. CAPE rose to 2000 to 3000 J/kg.
36 tornadoes were recorded on August 31, 2014, in Iowa, Massachusetts.
An upper level disturbance moved across New England in the evening. This combined with warm humid air and breaks of sunshine led to developing showers and thunderstorms.
The remnants of Hurricane Harvey tracked northeast across Louisiana and along the Mississippi River. Feeder bands on the east side of Harvey produced four tornadoes across central Alabama.
The remnants of Harvey tracked across the Mid-South with heavy rain and gusty winds. There were several reports of flash flooding and a few tornadoes.
One week after Hurricane Harvey made landfall along the middle Texas coast, a weakened but still intense Tropical Depression Harvey moved across Middle Tennessee from Thursday August 31, 2017 into Friday September 1, 2017.
The remnants of Harvey tracked across the Mid-South with heavy rain and gusty winds. There were several reports of flash flooding and a few tornadoes.
A quasi-linear convective systeam (QLCS) band of showers and thunderstorms swept northeast through north Alabama during the mid to late evening hours. This band was associated with Tropical Depression Harvey which was tracking into southwest and middle Tennessee.
An unusual low-topped supercell with no lightning spawned the brief spin-up of an EF-1 tornado west of Escanaba on the afternoon of the 31st.
The center of the remnants of Hurricane Ida moved well west and north of the region. However, a localized favorable environment of instability and shear existed across a small area of southeast Alabama with a few brief, weak tornadoes reported.
Storms and tornadoes occurred on the last day of August thanks to the atmospheric conditions provided by the remnants of Hurricane Ida moving over the Mid-Atlantic.
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An unnamed storm crossed the coast as a category 2 hurricane, 90 kt (105 mph).
An unnamed storm crossed the coast as a category 1 hurricane, 70 kt (80 mph).
An unnamed storm crossed the coast as a category 1 hurricane, 75 kt (85 mph).
An unnamed storm reached its peak of 140 kt (160 mph), a category 5 storm.
Hurricane Baker crossed the coast near Dauphin Island, AL as a category 1 hurricane, 75 kt (85 mph), central pressure 979 mb. Hurricane Baker was a Category 2 hurricane that affected the Leeward Islands, Greater Antilles, and the Gulf Coast of the United States. The tropical cyclone was the second tropical storm and second hurricane of the 1950 Atlantic hurricane season.
From Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0.
Hurricane Able crossed the coast near Port Royal, SC as a category 2 hurricane, 85 kt (100 mph). Hurricane Able was the only hurricane to make landfall in the United States in the 1952 season. Forming on August 18 off the west coast of Africa, Able moved generally west- to west-northwestward for much of its duration.
From Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0.
Hurricane Carol crossed the coast near Wainscott, NY as a category 3 hurricane, 100 kt (115 mph), central pressure 955 mb. Hurricane Carol was among the worst tropical cyclones on record to affect the states of Connecticut and Rhode Island in the United States. It developed from a tropical wave near the Bahamas on August 25, 1954, and slowly strengthened as it moved northwestward.
From Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0.
Hurricane Wendy reached its peak of 140 kt (160 mph) with a central pressure of 920 mb, a category 5 storm.
Hurricane Ele reached its peak of 115 kt (130 mph) with a central pressure of 948 mb, a category 4 storm.
Hurricane Frances reached its peak of 125 kt (145 mph) with a central pressure of 942 mb, a category 4 storm.
Hurricane Songda reached its peak of 125 kt (145 mph) with a central pressure of 916 mb, a category 4 storm.
TYPHOON NABIThe disturbance that gave rise to Tropical Depression 14W developed rapidly about 600 miles east of Saipan in the Mariana Islands on Sunday evening August 28th.
Ernesto moved off the Florida coast at Cape Canaveral on the morning of August 31st, and reached tropical storm strength by late morning while off the Georgia coast. Tropical storm Ernesto made landfall on the eastern coast of Brunswick county near 10:30 pm EST.
Hurricane Jimena reached its peak of 135 kt (155 mph) with a central pressure of 935 mb, a category 4 storm.
Hurricane Lester reached its peak of 125 kt (145 mph) with a central pressure of 944 mb, a category 4 storm.
Hurricane Jebi reached its peak of 155 kt (180 mph) with a central pressure of 907 mb, a category 5 storm.
Hurricane Larry was a strong and long-lived tropical cyclone that became the first hurricane to make landfall in Newfoundland since Igor in 2010. The twelfth named storm, fifth hurricane, and third major hurricane of the 2021 Atlantic hurricane season, Larry originated from a tropical wave that emerged off the coast of Africa and organized into a tropical depression on August 31.
From Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0.
30 on August 31, oldest first.
The Hungarian city of Miskolc lies on the drainage area of the river Sajó and the stream Szinva. Both the river and the stream played an important part in the development of the city, but during great rains they also meant danger.
From Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0.
Homes were flooded by high water on the west side of town.
Strong thunderstorms fed by intense heat and humidity under strong high pressure aloft, developed as an upper-level low over southern Nevada began drifting toward southern California.
As the showers and thunderstorms continued moving southeastward, they entered Lavaca and DeWitt Counties just after midnight.
Again on the afternoon of the 31 st, scattered showers and thunderstorms reformed across the eastern portion of the Texas Hill Country and began producing heavy rainfall as they moved southeastward.
Scattered showers and thunderstorms reformed shortly after midnight again across the I-35 corridor between San Antonio, New Braunfels, and San Marcos.
The large hail broke windows, smashed windshields. damaged siding and vehicles, and left dents in the ground.
Water flowed over county roads.
Flooding on various creeks and roadways due to torrential rains. An 18 year old Johnson county male died swimming in a rain swollen Indian Creek. Indian Creek crested at 12.6 feet or 0.6 feet above flood stage.
Heavy rain caused water to back up around a drainage system at a school, resulting in significant flood damage to the school.
Scattered thunderstorms erupted over the west Texas Trans Pecos region by midday on the 31st. The activity initiated over Pecos County where dangerous flash flooding conditions affected Fort Stockton.
August of 2005 was wetter than average across much of Oklahoma. However, it was a record-breaking month across western north Texas. Nearly seven and one-half inches of rain was measured at Wichita Falls, making it the second wettest August on record for Wichita Falls.
From the National Weather Service in Norman, Oklahoma.
Monsoon flow resulted in severe thunderstorms and flash flooding for a second straight day. Thunderstorms along the Elsinore Convergence Zone produced a severe microburst which resulted in damage to roofs, trees, and other property in the Lake Elsinore area.
A cold front and associated upper level disturbance ignited strong to severe thunderstorms across central and southeast Kansas from the late afternoon into the mid-evening hours on the 31st. Winds of 60 to 80 mph were reported, along with quarter size hail.
Northwest flow aloft was well established over the Lower Ohio Valley during the morning hours on August 31st. Just above the surface, light southwesterly winds brought modified Gulf moisture across the Commonwealth and southern Indiana.
An upper level disturbance moved through southern New England, providing a focus for a few showers and thunderstorms. Instability was limited somewhat by cloud cover and weak winds at the mid and upper levels of the atmosphere resulted in slow moving storms.
A weak cold front dropping south through the region was the focus for afternoon and evening convection. High precipitable water values combined with weak shear to produced slow moving thunderstorms and very heavy rain.
For a few hours on this Sunday afternoon, a concentrated zone of several strong to severe thunderstorms streamed through eastern portions North Central Kansas, almost exclusively affecting Mitchell and eastern Jewell counties within the local area.
The weather pattern across south central Arizona was favorable for scattered strong thunderstorms on August 31st; wind fields aloft were stronger than normal and there was ample moisture and instability present.
A mid level shortwave trough passed just north and west of the region throughout the day. Forcing associated with this feature interacted with a deep plume of moisture, helping produce widespread rain along and east of Interstate 95.
Shortly after noon, moisture deep in the atmosphere was activated by late morning/early morning heating, which triggered the sea breeze and boundaries set off by early morning storms.
A collision of two outflow boundaries directly over the city of Lubbock around 1445 CST resulted in a stationary line of thunderstorms for about the next 40 minutes. These storms extended from Wolfforth northeast to just beyond Texas Tech University.
A large upper level ridge of warm air over the Great Basin brought persistent east to southeast flow over the region in late August. Strong flow and limited instability largely kept the convection below severe levels.
Showers and thunderstorms developed around a stalled boundary. A slow storm motion combined with copious amounts of moisture led to heavy rain.
Warm moist air lifted along a wavy stationary front. This combined with slow moving and merging thunderstorms resulted in heavy rain and flash flooding, including a dam break in Johnston County and two fatalities.
A stalled frontal boundary and anomalous moisture led to the development of numerous thunderstorms which produced large hail and a few damaging wind reports.
A similar pattern existed on the 31st compared to the previous day with an upper level low in the eastern Pacific near the west coast of the Baja Peninsula promoting diffluent flow across southeast California.
Slow moving thunderstorms developed along stationary frontal boundary that stretched east/west near I-70. The favorable environment, tall/skinny CAPE profiles and warm cloud|depths up to 4 km, helped drive more efficient rain rates.
The overall pattern featured an upper-level low pressure situated along the west coast and the subtropical high pressure centered over New Mexico. This overall pattern configuration resulted in southerly flow across Arizona, which helped transport moisture into the region.
A frontal boundary moved into a moist airmass and generated thunderstorms. Some of these storms produced heavy rain. Two to four inches of rain fell in the Salado Creek basin in northern San Antonio. This rainfall led to flash flooding.
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A squall line moved across Vermont ahead of a strong cold front during the late afternoon and evening hours of August 31st resulting in severe thunderstorms across much of the state. Hardest hit were Addison, Chittenden, and Franklin Counties.
High thunderstorm winds caused about $55,000 in damage to a gymnasium in Colebrook. Several nearby trees were blown down. A ham operator reported golfball-size hail in the Halls Stream area just north of Pittsburg.
Tree were downed and a local police officer reported winds estimated to 80 mph.
The roof was blown off a building on the northeast side of Indianapolis.
The roof was blown off the Farmers Market building, and roof damage occurred to the Heritage building.
A wood silo was blown down and a barn was damaged by strong thunderstorm winds southwest of Brookland on Route SR1001. Several trees also were downed near Ellisburg.
A brief damaging wind lifted a 9-foot camper and threw it about 30 feet.
A tree fell on an automobile killing the driver. City Police reported numerous trees and power lines downed, a store roof and a business sign were damaged.
Trees and power lines down.
A downburst hit the Rockingham Dragway. The wind destroyed the scoreboard and a large outbuilding.Torrential rainfall also created localized flooding.
Power lines down.
Numerous trees were blown down. Several trees caused minor damage to several homes. Some power lines were knocked down by fallen trees and limbs. Porches were blown off of several mobile homes. A few homes and other buildings received minor roof damage.
Several stores and a car dealership were damaged from severe thunderstorm winds. A large department store received significant roof damage, causing water to come into the building.
A microburst approaching 100 mph hit Brainerd, damaging several buildings and knocking down numerous trees.
A 20 foot by 40 foot metal building which housed building materials was completely destroyed. Debris from the building was blown onto cars at a nearby car dealership. At least 15 cars received slight to moderate damage. A barn received some damage.
One permanent home and one mobile home were destroyed in Carencro and Lafayette. One home received major damage, and ten other homes received minor damage in the Broussard-Lafayette area. Most of the damage was caused by trees falling on the structures.
A stronger microburst struck Sugarcreek and West Franklin townships, near Cowansville, between 115 AM and 130 AM EDT on the 31st. Numerous trees were toppled and large branches snapped off. Several buildings had structural damage.
A cold front moved into the state from the northwest during the day on the 31st. The airmass became unstable in front of it with a considerable push of deep moisture. Precipitable water values increased to 2 to 2.4 inches by afternoon.
A strong cold front moved across eastern Minnesota during the late afternoon of Tuesday, August 31st. A line of strong to severe thunderstorms developed along the Iowa border and moved northeast across South Central, and into East Central Minnesota.
Increasing warm air advection ahead of a short wave impulse combined with a moderately unstable and strongly sheared environment to result in severe thunderstorms over much of west and portions of central North Dakota in the evening of the 31st.
Thunderstorms produces numerous reports of large hail and damaging winds in and near Sioux Falls on the evening of August 31st.
A cold front interacting with a hot and humid airmass triggered scattered thunderstorms across portions of central and southeast Illinois during the late afternoon and evening of August 31st.
Thunderstorms produced damaging winds and large hail at a few locations in Woodbury and Buena Vista Counties in northwest Iowa during the late afternoon of August 31st.
An organized complex of thunderstorms moved across the area late day and during the evening ahead of a mid-level shortwave. Damage was concentrated and significant in Darlington County. The damage in Horry and Marion counties was confined to trees.
Scattered thunderstorms moved northwest across southeast Arizona during the late afternoon and early evening. Thunderstorm winds downed power poles on the west side of the Tucson and on the Tohono O'odham Nation. About 6,000 customers lost power in Tucson.
Several rounds of showers and thunderstorms progressed through West Virginia on August 31st as a cold front swept through the Ohio Valley.
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August is usually a hot month in Oklahoma, but August 1936 was much hotter than average. It is the hottest month ever recorded in Oklahoma City, with an average temperature of 88.7 degrees. This is 7.5 degrees above the average for August, and 0.4 degrees warmer than the second hottest months, a tie between July 1980 and July 1934. Also, the two hottest daily temperatures ever recorded in August in Oklahoma City occurred in 1936, along with the warmest daily minimum temperature ever recorded in the city. Many of the daily record highs set in 1936 are still records for their respective dates.
From the National Weather Service in Norman, Oklahoma.
The last Heat Wave of the summer started on August 31 and continued into early September. St. Louis set a record on the 31st hitting 103 degrees. The Heat Index across the region ranged from 105 to 110. St. Louis City and County both reported one heat related illness on the 31st.
Several hundred people were treated for heat-related issues before, during, and after the Arkansas Razorbacks football game in Fayetteville. A couple dozen of those people were transported to the hospital due to the pronounced nature of their symptoms.
The first 90-degree day of August 2014 and one of the few 90-degree days overall of a very cool summer also brought a heat-related child death. A 2-year old girl left in a parked, closed van was found dead the following day.
Hot temperatures around 5 degrees above normal caused the Moderate Heat Risk category to be reached. Two heat-related fatalities were reported by the Pima County Medical Examiner in the Tucson Metro area.
Hot temperatures typically 3 to 6 degrees above normal were experienced across portions of southeast Arizona August 31 resulting in moderate HeatRisk.
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The Paper Fire started on August 31, 1987, in California, and burned 49,333 acres.
The Lost Fire started on August 31, 1987, in California, and burned 23,588 acres.
The Travis Fire started on August 31, 1987, in California, and burned 11,976 acres.
The Jimbo Fire started on August 31, 1987, in Oregon, and burned 6,975 acres.
The Horse Mtn Fire started on August 31, 1987, in Oregon, and burned 5,300 acres.
The Cowboy Fire started on August 31, 1987, in Oregon, and burned 4,536 acres.
The Red Mountain Fire started on August 31, 1987, in California, and burned 4,353 acres.
The Lightning 120 (Crank) Fire started on August 31, 1987, in California, and burned 3,545 acres.
The Turner Ck Fire started on August 31, 1991, in Oregon, and burned 7,268 acres.
The Crain Fire was discovered on August 31, 1992, in Louisiana, and burned 3,500 acres.
The Cinder Butte Fire was discovered on August 31, 1995, in Oregon, and burned 5,750 acres; the cause was recorded as smoking.
The Pauba Fire was discovered on August 31, 1997, in California, and burned 7,231 acres; the cause was recorded as recreation and ceremony.
The Dewey 2 Fire was discovered on August 31, 1997, in Wyoming, and burned 4,415 acres; the cause was recorded as railroad operations and maintenance.
Thunderstorm wind at 45 knots from the east swept into the Paradise Cove area along the south shore of Lake Isabella. Downed powerlines sparked a grass fire (Yankee Fire) that subsequently burned 1,100 acres at a cost to suppress of $1M.
The Bradshaw Fire was discovered on August 31, 1998, in Custer County, Montana, and burned 20,921 acres; the cause was recorded as natural.
The Eagle Two Fire was discovered on August 31, 1998, in Idaho, and burned 12,607 acres; the cause was recorded as natural.
The Juniper Fire was discovered on August 31, 1998, in California, and burned 6,000 acres; the cause was recorded as natural.
The Weirick Fire was discovered on August 31, 1998, in California, and burned 5,000 acres; the cause was recorded as natural.
The Wildcat Fire was discovered on August 31, 1998, in California, and burned 3,568 acres; the cause was recorded as natural.
The Mud Wfu Fire was discovered on August 31, 2003, in California, and burned 4,102 acres; the cause was recorded as natural.
The Basin Draw Fire was discovered on August 31, 2004, in Crook County, Wyoming, and burned 4,700 acres; the cause was recorded as human.
The Jungle Fire was discovered on August 31, 2006, in Park County, Montana, and burned 25,828 acres; the cause was recorded as natural.
The Sandy Fire was discovered on August 31, 2007, in Washington County, Idaho, and burned 10,238 acres; the cause was recorded as natural.
The Gw Fire was discovered on August 31, 2007, in Deschutes County, Oregon, and burned 7,357 acres; the cause was recorded as natural.
The Black Rock Fire was discovered on August 31, 2007, in Grant County, Washington, and burned 3,492 acres; the cause was recorded as human.
The Pendleton Fire began at approximately 3:30 PM PDT on August 31st near Yucaipa. Evacuations were ordered for 1,100 homes and some roads were closed. One residential structure and one outbuilding were destroyed in the 860 acre fire, which was contained on September 3rd.
The Hornets Tank Fire was discovered on August 31, 2011, in Briscoe County, Texas, and burned 5,500 acres; the cause was recorded as natural.
The Maple Canyon Fire was discovered on August 31, 2011, in Box Elder County, Utah, and burned 4,900 acres; the cause was recorded as natural.
The Wellnitz Fire was discovered on August 31, 2012, in Nebraska, and burned 28,800 acres; the cause was recorded as natural.
The Selway Complex was reported on August 31, 2014, in Idaho County, Idaho, and burned 8,084 acres; the cause was recorded as natural.
The Paddelford Fire was reported on August 31, 2016, in Blaine County, Idaho, and burned 3,469 acres; the cause was recorded as natural.
The Deer Creek Fire was reported on August 31, 2017, in Sheridan County, Wyoming, and burned 40,266 acres; the cause was recorded as natural.
The Brush Flat Fire was reported on August 31, 2017, in Big Horn County, Montana, and burned 39,387 acres; the cause was recorded as natural.
The Snider Fire was reported on August 31, 2017, in Rosebud County, Montana, and burned 6,643 acres; the cause was recorded as natural.
The Cottonwood One Fire was reported on August 31, 2017, in Sheridan County, Wyoming, and burned 4,151 acres; the cause was recorded as natural.
The Buffalo Pasture Fire was reported on August 31, 2018, in Roosevelt County, Montana, and burned 7,800 acres; the cause was recorded as human.
The FDH-MTLG17254 Fire was reported on August 31, 2018, in Roosevelt County, Montana, and burned 6,634 acres.
The Evans Canyon Fire was reported on August 31, 2020, in Yakima County, Washington, and burned 75,817 acres.
The Smith Canyon Fire was reported on August 31, 2020, in Pecos County, Texas, and burned 11,348 acres.
The Route Fire was a wildfire that burned during the 2022 California wildfire season, along Interstate 5 near the community of Castaic in Los Angeles County, California during a dramatic state-wide heatwave in late August and early September, 2022. At least seven firefighters sustained heat-related injuries, while two structures were destroyed and 5,208 acres (2,108 ha) burned.
From Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0.
The Border 32 Fire was a destructive wildfire that burned amid the 2022 California wildfire season, in the Barrett Junction area along Highway 94 due north of the United States-Mexican border in San Diego County, California during a statewide heatwave. The fire started on August 31, 2022, and proceeded to destroy ten structures and eventually grow to 4,456 acres (1,803 ha) within the rugged chaparral-dense hillsides throughout the area.
From Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0.
The Warm Springs Fire was reported on August 31, 2022, in Idaho County, Idaho, and burned 5,232 acres; the cause was recorded as natural.
The Route Fire was reported on August 31, 2022, in Los Angeles County, California, and burned 5,208 acres.
The Route Fire was reported on August 31, 2022, in Los Angeles County, California, and burned 5,208 acres.
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An earthquake struck Dimashq (Damascus), Syria.
A magnitude 5.8 earthquake struck Luroy, Rana Region, Norway. It caused a tsunami.
A magnitude 7.3 earthquake struck Amuri District, South Island, New Zealand. It did severe (about $5 to $25 million) damage.
An earthquake struck Senhoku, Ugo, Japan. It killed 206 people, destroyed 5,911 houses and did extreme (about $25 million or more) damage.
A magnitude 7.3 earthquake struck Bogota, Ubaque, Soacha, Caqueza, Colombia. It killed 3 people.
A magnitude 5.8 earthquake struck Fayal Island, Azores. It killed 9 people and injured 200. It caused a tsunami.
A magnitude 5.2 earthquake struck Southern, California, United States. With the tsunami it caused, it killed 1 person.
A magnitude 7.5 earthquake struck Peru.
A magnitude 7.1 earthquake struck Dasht-E-Bayaz, Iran. It killed 10,488 people, injured 17,000, destroyed 12,000 houses and did $35 million in damage.
A magnitude 6.5 earthquake struck Apartado, Medellin, Colombia. It killed 3 people.
A magnitude 5.2 earthquake struck Izmit, Turkey. It killed 1 person and injured 166.
A magnitude 7.6 earthquake struck Cagayan DE Oro, Tacloban, Philippines. It killed 1 person, injured 1 and did $300,000 in damage. It caused a tsunami.
A magnitude 5.6 earthquake struck Benzilan, Yunnan Province, China. It killed 5 people, injured 24, destroyed 600 houses and did $155 million in damage.
A magnitude 6 earthquake struck Kunar, Nangarhar, Afghanistan. It killed 2,205 people, injured 3,640, destroyed 6,782 houses and did $180 million in damage.
4 on August 31, oldest first.
Niuafo'ou, Tonga erupted with a Volcanic Explosivity Index of 4. It killed few people (about 1 to 50).
Kelud, Indonesia erupted with a Volcanic Explosivity Index of 4. It killed 7 people.
Semeru, Indonesia erupted with a Volcanic Explosivity Index of 3. It killed 3 people.
Semeru, Indonesia erupted with a Volcanic Explosivity Index of 2. It killed 119 people.
6 on August 31, oldest first.
A tsunami caused by a magnitude 5.8 earthquake struck Luroy, Rana Region, Norway.
A tsunami caused by a magnitude 5.8 earthquake struck Azores, Portugal, with a maximum water height of 0.3 meters. It killed 9 people and injured 200.
A tsunami with a source recorded as earthquake and landslide struck S. California, United States, with a maximum water height of 3.05 meters. It killed 1 person.
A tsunami struck Azores, Portugal.
A tsunami with a source recorded as landslide struck Northern Norway.
A tsunami caused by a magnitude 7.6 earthquake struck Philippine Islands, Philippines, with a maximum water height of 0.15 meters. It killed 1 person, injured 1 and did $300,000 in damage.
3 on August 31, oldest first.
A G4 (severe) geomagnetic storm began August 31, 1946, reached Kp 8- and lasted 9 hours, with a daily Ap as high as 52; at that Kp the aurora may be seen from about 47 degrees geomagnetic latitude.
A G3 (strong) geomagnetic storm began August 31, 1957, reached Kp 7 and lasted 15 hours, with a daily Ap as high as 37; at that Kp the aurora may be seen from about 50 degrees geomagnetic latitude.
A G3 (strong) geomagnetic storm began August 31, 2005, reached Kp 7 and lasted 12 hours, with a daily Ap as high as 49; at that Kp the aurora may be seen from about 50 degrees geomagnetic latitude.
1 on August 31, oldest first.
A tropical cyclone disaster that cost $8.6 billion in 2024 dollars and killed 53, on NOAA’s billion-dollar list. It lasted from August 31, 2008 to September 3, 2008.
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A woman was struck by lightning on a mountain ridge while riding a mountain bike with three friends. The friends were uninjured. The victim was in between two other cyclists, separated about 15 yards apart from each other.
Lightning struck the attic, and quickly spread across the second floor of a house in DeQuincy. Two firefighters were treated and released at the hospital for heat exhaustion, and the homeowner's wife was treated and released from the hospital after she passed out at the scene.
Strong onshore winds continued during the second day of the three-day Labor Day Weekend. Two local residents swimming in the ocean late at night were caught in a rip current. One of the women drowned.
A Lowndes County teen was struck by lightning while outside his home. Three days later, he died of cardiac failure at Shands Hospital in Gainesville. Reported by the Valdosta Daily Times.
A thirty year old male from Texas drowned while swimming in rough surf east of Casino Beach. He was swimming in an unguarded part of the beach when he disappeared. Life guards said they had to make numerous rescues from the rough surf on Pensacola Beach that weekend.
An eighteen year old resident alien from Mexico disappeared in rough surf near Fort Pickens. He worked for a landscaping company who were treating their employees to a day at the beach. He drowned in the rough surf.
A twenty-five year old male from the north part of Alabama drowned in rough surf near Gulf Shores. He was swimming in an unguarded private area of the beach when he disappeared in the rough water..
Lightning sparked a fire that destroyed a home on the 700 block of Shorecrest Drive.
Strong winds caused by the outer circulation of Hurricane Gustav produced rip currents along the Atlantic coast of South Florida. These rip currents produced multiple fatalities, one injury, and caused around 15 rescues.
Southeast swells from Tropical Storm Hannah, combined with east northeast winds produced dangerous rip currents at New Hanover County beaches.
A rip current claimed the life of a 23-year-old man on August 31st in Asbury Park (Monmouth County). The man was last seen swimming swimming at the Second Avenue Beach about 530 p.m. EDT on the 31st.
Two men were setting up camp when they were struck by lightning. One man died and the other was knocked unconscious.
An 8-year-old boy was struck and killed by lightning while running across an open field after getting out of the Conowingo Creek in Fulton Township Lancaster County.
Scattered showers and storms developed in the afternoon over central Kentucky. This weather was triggered by an upper level shortwave pushing in from the southwest and a weak surface boundary over south central Kentucky that was drifting northward.
With afternoon sea breezes and diurnal heating, the development of showers and thunderstorms was fueled across inland and Southwest Florida in the afternoon of August 31st.
A 40 year old male visitor drowned after he and his juvenile son were swept out into the Gulf of Mexico by a rip current. Both father and son were taken to the hospital. The son was reportedly in stable condition, but the father did not survive.
On 31 August 2025, a landslide destroyed the village of Tarasin in the Marrah Mountains in Central Darfur, western Sudan, killing between 375 and 1,500 people.
From Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0.
Gathered from this site’s archives: the tornado record (NOAA SPC, and Grazulis before 1950), IBTrACS and the National Hurricane Center, NOAA NCEI’s Storm Events Database, Regional Snowfall Index, billion-dollar disasters list, State Climate Extremes Committee and hazard databases, USGS, NIFC, GFZ Potsdam’s Kp index (CC BY 4.0), the National Weather Service in Norman, Oklahoma, and Wikidata (CC0), with article leads from Wikipedia under CC BY-SA 4.0, each credited where it appears. Rebuilt 2026-09-24.