Natural Disaster - Atlas Obscura
Places near me Random place

31 Items Tagged

Natural Disaster

Share Tweet
Our planet frequently gets dinged with smaller, harmless asteroids like RW1. Planetary defense systems able to detect them should also be able to spot bigger threats.
meteorites

Asteroid 2024 RW1 Just Hit Earth. That's a Good Thing.

The asteroid that exploded over Luzon was not a threat—but it was a victory for our planetary defense systems.
Robin George Andrews September 5, 2024
The crumbling tracks of the Ozarka Splash ride at Six Flags New Orleans.
abandoned

The Brief Rise and Steep Fall of a New Orleans Amusement Park

Nearly 20 years after Hurricane Katrina, the abandoned Six Flags that became a symbol of the city still bears deep scars.
Matthew Christopher August 5, 2024
Trees and other plants can’t escape wildfire smoke.
forests

Trees Hold Their Breath to Avoid Wildfire Smoke

Researchers made the surprise discovery when wildfire smoke blanketed their test site.
Delphine Farmer and Mj Riches August 5, 2024
Brooklyn, New York

Urban Post-Disaster Housing Prototype

An interim housing alternative to FEMA trailers that is designed for densely populated areas during recovery and rebuilding following a natural disaster.
Cougar, Washington

Trail of Two Forests

See the imprints of ancient trees, burned and preserved by lava.
Armero, Colombia

Armero, Colombia

A town half-submerged in volcanic mud has become a pilgrimage site for devotees of one of the tragedy's victims.
Flemming, Montserrat

Montserrat Volcano Observatory

Safely view the Soufrière Hills volcano, which has been erupting since 1995.
Lisbon, Portugal

Church of St. Dominic

The scorched Lisbon church that survived two earthquakes and a massive fire.
Is your state in danger of an earthquake? Well, yes.
disasters

Not Even Minnesota Is Safe From Earthquakes

Was the recent New York quake really all that uncommon? Here's a state-by-state map.
Frank Jacobs April 12, 2024
The beautiful Italian town has been left deserted since the '70s due to an aborted eruption.
abandoned

A False Volcano Emergency Created This Stunning Abandoned Village

Welcome to the ghost town of a modern Vesuvius that never happened.
Alessio Perrone February 27, 2024
Lower Mississippi River Museum
Vicksburg, Mississippi

Lower Mississippi River Museum

A free museum that memorializes the deadliest river flood in American history, and the civil engineering efforts to tame the Mississippi River.
Dolores, Colorado

Memorial Rock

A boulder so big and tough, they had to turn it into a landmark.
Memorial Park of Houses Destroyed by Debris Flows
Minamishimabara, Japan

Memorial Park of Houses Destroyed by Debris Flows

Buried nine feet under, these houses are preserved as a stark reminder of the disastrous 1991 Unzen eruption.
Port of Kobe Earthquake Memorial Park
Kobe, Japan

Port of Kobe Earthquake Memorial Park

This massive section of quay destroyed by an earthquake is preserved to remember the past.
Anchorage, Alaska

Earthquake Park

The now-serene site of the largest earthquake ever recorded in North America.
An adult male orangutan contemplates his next move in haze produced by Indonesia’s 2015 wildfires.
science

Wildfire Smoke Changes Orangutan Calls in Borneo

During massive fires in Indonesia, the critically endangered primates' voices provided clues to their overall health.
Wendy Erb July 3, 2023
Austin, Texas

Ghost Streets of Onion Creek

An entire subdivision was accidentally built on a flood plain, resulting in its eventual demolition—but the streets are still there.
A scene from the 1973 eruption on Heimay
Heimaey, Iceland

Eldheimar Museum

This museum explores how a 1973 volcanic eruption forever changed this small Icelandic island.