8 of the Deadliest Natural Disasters in History

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7THE 2004 INDIAN OCEAN EARTHQUAKE AND TSUNAMI

The quake created a massive tsunami that killed approximately 230,000, and displaced nearly 2 million people in 14 South Asian and East African countries. Traveling as fast as 500 mph (804 kph), the tsunami reached land in as little as 15 to 20 minutes after the quake hit, giving residents little time to flee to higher ground.

In some places, especially hardest-hit Indonesia, the tsunami wave reached over 100 feet (30 meters) high, according to World Vision(opens in new tab), a humanitarian aid organization.