These days we're used to turning on the news and seeing shocking footage of disasters around the world, but when you take a step back and look at the dramatic differences these events make, it's easier to understand how terrifying they are.
1. The Mount Saint Helens Eruption
The volcano's eruption in 1980 killed more than 50 people, but it also changed the nearby area overnight, destroying the forest at its base and sending ash everywhere.
2. The 2016 Italian Earthquake
Tiny towns in Italy's mountains were hit the worst by this disaster, which killed almost 300 people. These photos show how the historic buildings in the village of Amatrice were ravaged by the quake.
3. Hurricane Sandy
The deadliest hurricane of 2012 left lots of destruction throughout the Northeast, but the iconic image of the disaster was the Seaside Heights amusement park and boardwalk. The roller coaster track that was washed into the sea even found its way onto the cover of Time magazine.
4. Nepal Earthquake
The small country in the Himalayas was ruined by a 7.8 earthquake back in 2015, which destroyed a number of landmarks. The Durbar Square temple, seen here before and after the disaster, was a UNESCO World Heritage site.
5. The 9/11 attacks
While the most devastating losses that day were the men and women who died during the attacks, the dramatic events also changed New York's skylines forever. For older generations, the Twin Towers will always be "missing" from views of the city.
Click to the next page to see the aftermath of the world's biggest explosion!
6. The Tianjin explosions
In less than a minute, 800 tonnes of ammonium nitrate detonated at this shipping container storage yard in china. The fire caused by the explosions burned for a whole weekend, causing even more smaller explosions. The blasts, which killed almost 200 people, left this enormous crater.
The colorful shapes in this photo show the area of landmarks for scale.
7. The Waldo fire
In 2012 a wildfire tore through Colorado Springs, leaving a path of destruction behind it. These before and after photos from the Denver Post show entire subdivisions wiped out by the fire.
8. Hurricane Katrina
One of the deadliest hurricanes in US history, Katrina also displaced thousands of people. Over 26,000 of them crowded in the city's Superdome stadium for shelter during the storm.
9. Avalanche on Mount Everest
The same 2015 earthquake that destroyed Nepal's monuments sent 4,000 feet of snow crashing down Mount Everest. The crush killed 18 mountain climbers and injured dozens more. These pictures show what the base camp looked like before and after the avalanche.
10. The Japanese earthquake
The coastal town of Minamisanriku was flattened by the earthquake and tsunami that rocked Japan in 2011. In these satellite photos from before and after the disaster you can see the docks disappear and the sports complex on the left side get washed away.
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