Every day of May and what happened on it, in any year, with the month’s most significant events.
Earthquakes
A magnitude 7.9 earthquake struck Sichuan Province, China. With the tsunami it caused, it killed 87,652 people, injured 374,171, destroyed 5,360,000 houses and did $86 billion in damage.
Hurricanes and tropical storms
Hurricane Nargis reached its peak of 115 kt (130 mph) with a central pressure of 937 mb, a category 4 storm.
Earthquakes
A magnitude 7.9 earthquake struck Northern, Pisco, Chiclayo, Peru. With the tsunami it caused, it killed 66,794 people, injured 50,000 and did $530 million in damage.
Tsunamis
A tsunami caused by a magnitude 7.9 earthquake struck N. Peru, with a maximum water height of 0.46 meters. It killed 66,794 people, injured 50,000 and did $530 million in damage.
Earthquakes
A magnitude 7 earthquake struck Antakya (Antioch), Samandag, Turkey. It killed 250,000 people and did extreme (about $25 million or more) damage.
Earthquakes
A magnitude 7.5 earthquake struck Quetta, Pakistan. With the tsunami it caused, it killed 60,000 people and did $25 million in damage.
Tsunamis
A tsunami caused by a magnitude 7.5 earthquake struck Quetta, Pakistan. It killed 60,000 people and did $25 million in damage.
Earthquakes
A magnitude 6.3 earthquake struck Bantul, Yogyakarta, Java, Indonesia. It killed 6,234 people, injured 38,568, destroyed 127,000 houses and did $3.1 billion in damage.
Tornadoes
An EF5 tornado touched down in Newton, Jasper counties, Missouri and tracked 21.62 miles, 1,600 yards wide at its widest, killing 158 and injuring 1,150.
Tornadoes
An F5 tornado touched down in McLennan County, Texas and tracked 20.9 miles, 583 yards wide at its widest, killing 114 and injuring 597.
Volcanoes
Between 19 May and 21 October 1883, the volcanic island of Krakatoa began erupting, lasting more than five months. On 27 August, the island had its most significant eruption, which destroyed over 70% of the island and its surrounding archipelago, the island collapsing into a caldera.
From Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0.
Earthquakes
A magnitude 7.7 earthquake struck Gansu Province, China. It killed 40,912 people, injured 524, destroyed 26,674 houses and did extreme (about $25 million or more) damage.
Tsunamis
A tsunami caused by a magnitude 7 earthquake struck Taiwan Strait, with a maximum water height of 10 meters. It killed 40,000 people and did severe (about $5 to $25 million) damage.
Earthquakes
A magnitude 6.8 earthquake struck Algiers, Boumerdes, Reghia, Thenia, Algeria. It killed 2,287 people, left 800 missing, injured 11,000, destroyed 19,000 houses and did $5 billion in damage. It caused a tsunami.
Tsunamis
A tsunami caused by a magnitude 6.8 earthquake struck N. Algeria, with a maximum water height of 3 meters. It killed 2,287 people, left 800 missing, injured 11,000, destroyed 19,000 houses and did $5 billion in damage.
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.