The most significant in December
Earthquakes
3 earthquake struck with its epicenter off the west coast of Aceh, in northern Sumatra, Indonesia. The undersea megathrust earthquake, known in the scientific community as the Sumatra–Andaman earthquake, was caused by a rupture along the fault boundary between the Burma plate and the Indian plate, and reached a maximum Mercalli intensity of IX in some areas.
- Where
- Kenya
- Countries
- Kenya, France, Indonesia, South Africa, India, Yemen, Maldives, Malaysia, Myanmar, Sri Lanka, Thailand, Bangladesh, Tanzania, Comoros, Madagascar, Mauritius, Seychelles, Somalia, French Southern and Antarctic Lands, Chagos Archipelago
- Magnitude
- 9.3
- Deaths
- 227,898
From Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0.
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Earthquakes
A magnitude 9.1 earthquake struck Off West Coast, Aceh, Sumatra, Indonesia. With the tsunami it caused, it killed 227,899 people and did $10 billion in damage.
- When
- December 26, 2004
- Magnitude
- 9.1
- Deaths
- 227,899
- Damage
- $10 billion
- Where
- Off West Coast, Aceh, Sumatra, Indonesia
The full record
Tsunamis
A tsunami caused by a magnitude 9.1 earthquake struck Off W. Coast of Sumatra, Indonesia, with a maximum water height of 50.9 meters. It killed 227,899 people and did $10 billion in damage.
- When
- December 26, 2004
- Magnitude
- 9.1
- Water height
- 50.9 m
- Deaths
- 227,899
- Damage
- $10 billion
- Where
- Off W. Coast of Sumatra, Indonesia
The full record
Earthquakes
An earthquake occurred in Antioch on 13 December 115 AD. 5 on the surface-wave magnitude scale and an estimated maximum intensity of XI (Extreme) on the Mercalli intensity scale.
- Where
- Antioch
- Countries
- Turkey, Roman Empire
- Magnitude
- 7.5
- Deaths
- 260,000
From Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0.
The full record
Earthquakes
A magnitude 8.3 earthquake struck Gansu Province, Shanxi Province, China. It killed 235,502 people and did $25 million in damage. It caused a tsunami.
- When
- December 16, 1920
- Magnitude
- 8.3
- Deaths
- 235,502
- Damage
- $25 million
- Where
- Gansu Province, Shanxi Province, China
The full record
Earthquakes
A magnitude 6.8 earthquake struck Leninakan, Spitak, Kirovakan, Armenia. It killed 25,000 people and did $16 billion in damage.
- When
- December 7, 1988
- Magnitude
- 6.8
- Deaths
- 25,000
- Damage
- $16 billion
- Where
- Leninakan, Spitak, Kirovakan, Armenia
The full record
Earthquakes
m. 8 and maximum Mercalli intensity of XII (Extreme).
- Where
- Erzincan Province
- Country
- Turkey
- Magnitude
- 7.9
- Deaths
- 32,968
From Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0.
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Earthquakes
An earthquake struck the Kerman province of southeastern Iran at 01:56 UTC on December 26, 2003. 6 strike-slip shock had a maximum Mercalli intensity of X (Extreme).
- Where
- Iran
- Country
- Iran
- Magnitude
- 6.6
- Deaths
- 37,000
From Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0.
The full record
Earthquakes
A magnitude 7 earthquake struck Messina, Sicily, Calabria, Italy. With the tsunami it caused, it killed 80,000 people and did $116 million in damage.
- When
- December 28, 1908
- Magnitude
- 7
- Deaths
- 80,000
- Damage
- $116 million
- Where
- Messina, Sicily, Calabria, Italy
The full record
Tsunamis
A tsunami with a source recorded as earthquake and landslide struck Messina Strait, Ionian Sea, Italy, with a maximum water height of 13 meters. It killed 80,000 people and did $116 million in damage.
- When
- December 28, 1908
- Magnitude
- 7
- Water height
- 13 m
- Deaths
- 80,000
- Damage
- $116 million
- Where
- Messina Strait, Ionian Sea, Italy
The full record
Earthquakes
The 1920 Haiyuan earthquake occurred in Haiyuan County, Ningxia Province, Republic of China at 19:05:53 (UTC+8) on 16 December 1920. It was also called the 1920 Gansu earthquake because Ningxia was a part of Gansu Province when the earthquake occurred.
- Deaths
- 273,400
From Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0.
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Volcanoes
On 9 December 2019, Whakaari / White Island, an active stratovolcano island in New Zealand's northeastern Bay of Plenty region, explosively erupted. The island was a popular tourist destination, known for its volcanic activity, and 47 people were on the island at the time.
- Where
- Whakaari / White Island
- Country
- New Zealand
- Deaths
- 150,007
- Injured
- 29
From Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0.
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Earthquakes
A magnitude 7.5 earthquake struck Antakya (Antioch), Turkey. It killed 260,000 people and did extreme (about $25 million or more) damage. It caused a tsunami.
- When
- December 13, 115
- Magnitude
- 7.5
- Deaths
- 260,000
- Where
- Antakya (Antioch), Turkey
The full record
Tsunamis
A tsunami caused by a magnitude 7.5 earthquake struck Antakya (Antioch), Turkey. It killed 260,000 people and did extreme (about $25 million or more) damage.
- When
- December 13, 115
- Magnitude
- 7.5
- Deaths
- 260,000
- Where
- Antakya (Antioch), Turkey
The full record
Earthquakes
The Damghan earthquake or the Qumis earthquake occurred on 22 December 856 in Khorasan province, Abbasid Caliphate. 9, and a maximum intensity of X (Extreme) on the Mercalli intensity scale.
- Where
- Damghan
- Country
- Iran
- Deaths
- 200,000
From Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0.
The full record
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.