Natural hazards (2006) | Natural hazards (2001) | ||
Albania | destructive earthquakes; tsunamis occur along southwestern coast; floods; drought | destructive earthquakes; tsunamis occur along southwestern coast; drought | |
Algeria | mountainous areas subject to severe earthquakes; mudslides and floods in rainy season | mountainous areas subject to severe earthquakes; mud slides | |
Andorra | avalanches | snowslides, avalanches | |
Argentina | San Miguel de Tucuman and Mendoza areas in the Andes subject to earthquakes; pamperos are violent windstorms that can strike the pampas and northeast; heavy flooding | San Miguel de Tucuman and Mendoza areas in the Andes subject to earthquakes; pamperos are violent windstorms that can strike the Pampas and northeast; heavy flooding | |
Australia | cyclones along the coast; severe droughts; forest fires | cyclones along the coast; severe droughts | |
Austria | landslides; avalanches; earthquakes | NA | |
Azerbaijan | droughts | droughts; some lowland areas threatened by rising levels of the Caspian Sea | |
Bahamas, The | hurricanes and other tropical storms cause extensive flood and wind damage | hurricanes and other tropical storms that cause extensive flood and wind damage | |
Belgium | flooding is a threat along rivers and in areas of reclaimed coastal land, protected from the sea by concrete dikes | flooding is a threat in areas of reclaimed coastal land, protected from the sea by concrete dikes | |
Belize | frequent, devastating hurricanes (June to November) and coastal flooding (especially in south) | frequent, devastating hurricanes (September to December) and coastal flooding (especially in south) | |
Benin | hot, dry, dusty harmattan wind may affect north from December to March | hot, dry, dusty harmattan wind may affect north in winter | |
Bhutan | violent storms from the Himalayas are the source of the country's name, which translates as Land of the Thunder Dragon; frequent landslides during the rainy season | violent storms coming down from the Himalayas are the source of the country's name which translates as Land of the Thunder Dragon; frequent landslides during the rainy season | |
Brunei | typhoons, earthquakes, and severe flooding are rare | typhoons, earthquakes, and severe flooding are very rare | |
Cameroon | volcanic activity with periodic releases of poisonous gases from Lake Nyos and Lake Monoun volcanoes | recent volcanic activity with release of poisonous gases | |
Canada | continuous permafrost in north is a serious obstacle to development; cyclonic storms form east of the Rocky Mountains, a result of the mixing of air masses from the Arctic, Pacific, and North American interior, and produce most of the country's rain and snow east of the mountains | continuous permafrost in north is a serious obstacle to development; cyclonic storms form east of the Rocky Mountains, a result of the mixing of air masses from the Arctic, Pacific, and North American interior, and produce most of the country's rain and snow | |
Cape Verde | prolonged droughts; seasonal harmattan wind produces obscuring dust; volcanically and seismically active | prolonged droughts; harmattan wind can obscure visibility; volcanically and seismically active | |
China | frequent typhoons (about five per year along southern and eastern coasts); damaging floods; tsunamis; earthquakes; droughts; land subsidence | frequent typhoons (about five per year along southern and eastern coasts); damaging floods; tsunamis; earthquakes; droughts | |
Cocos (Keeling) Islands | cyclone season is October to April | cyclones may occur in the early months of the year | |
Congo, Democratic Republic of the | periodic droughts in south; Congo River floods (seasonal); in the east, in the Great Rift Valley, there are active volcanoes | periodic droughts in south; volcanic activity | |
Cuba | the east coast is subject to hurricanes from August to November (in general, the country averages about one hurricane every other year); droughts are common | the east coast is subject to hurricanes from August to October (in general, the country averages about one hurricane every other year); droughts are common | |
East Timor | floods and landslides are common; earthquakes, tsunamis, tropical cyclones | - | |
Ecuador | frequent earthquakes, landslides, volcanic activity; floods; periodic droughts | frequent earthquakes, landslides, volcanic activity; periodic droughts | |
Egypt | periodic droughts; frequent earthquakes, flash floods, landslides; hot, driving windstorm called khamsin occurs in spring; dust storms, sandstorms | periodic droughts; frequent earthquakes, flash floods, landslides, volcanic activity; hot, driving windstorm called khamsin occurs in spring; dust storms, sandstorms | |
El Salvador | known as the Land of Volcanoes; frequent and sometimes destructive earthquakes and volcanic activity; extremely susceptible to hurricanes | known as the Land of Volcanoes; frequent and sometimes very destructive earthquakes and volcanic activity | |
Estonia | sometimes flooding occurs in the spring | flooding occurs frequently in the spring | |
European Union | flooding along coasts; avalanches in mountainous area; earthquakes in the south; volcanic eruptions in Italy; periodic droughts in Spain; ice floes in the Baltic | - | |
France | flooding; avalanches; midwinter windstorms; drought; forest fires in south near the Mediterranean | flooding; avalanches | |
Ghana | dry, dusty, northeastern harmattan winds occur from January to March; droughts | dry, dusty, harmattan winds occur from January to March; droughts | |
Guadeloupe | hurricanes (June to October); Soufriere de Guadeloupe is an active volcano | hurricanes (June to October); Soufriere is an active volcano | |
Guam | frequent squalls during rainy season; relatively rare, but potentially very destructive typhoons (June - December) | frequent squalls during rainy season; relatively rare, but potentially very destructive typhoons (especially in August) | |
Guatemala | numerous volcanoes in mountains, with occasional violent earthquakes; Caribbean coast extremely susceptible to hurricanes and other tropical storms | numerous volcanoes in mountains, with occasional violent earthquakes; Caribbean coast subject to hurricanes and other tropical storms | |
Heard Island and McDonald Islands | Mawson Peak, an active volcano, is on Heard Island | Heard Island is dominated by a dormant volcano called Big Ben | |
Honduras | frequent, but generally mild, earthquakes; extremely susceptible to damaging hurricanes and floods along the Caribbean coast | frequent, but generally mild, earthquakes; damaging hurricanes and floods along Caribbean coast | |
Iles Eparses | all islands subject to periodic cyclones
Bassas da India: maritime hazard since it is under water for a period of three hours prior to and following the high tide and surrounded by reefs |
- | |
India | droughts; flash floods, as well as widespread and destructive flooding from monsoonal rains; severe thunderstorms; earthquakes | droughts, flash floods, severe thunderstorms common; earthquakes | |
Indonesia | occasional floods, severe droughts, tsunamis, earthquakes, volcanoes, forest fires | occasional floods, severe droughts, tsunamis, earthquakes, volcanoes | |
Iran | periodic droughts, floods; dust storms, sandstorms; earthquakes | periodic droughts, floods; dust storms, sandstorms; earthquakes along western border and in the northeast | |
Israel | sandstorms may occur during spring and summer; droughts; periodic earthquakes | sandstorms may occur during spring and summer; droughts | |
Jarvis Island | the narrow fringing reef surrounding the island poses a maritime hazard | the narrow fringing reef surrounding the island can be a maritime hazard | |
Jordan | droughts; periodic earthquakes | droughts | |
Kenya | recurring drought; flooding during rainy seasons | recurring drought in northern and eastern regions; flooding during rainy seasons | |
Kuwait | sudden cloudbursts are common from October to April and bring heavy rain, which can damage roads and houses; sandstorms and dust storms occur throughout the year, but are most common between March and August | sudden cloudbursts are common from October to April; they bring inordinate amounts of rain which can damage roads and houses; sandstorms and dust storms occur throughout the year, but are most common between March and August | |
Laos | floods, droughts | floods, droughts, and blight | |
Macedonia | high seismic risks | - | |
Macedonia, The Former Yugoslav Republic of | - | high seismic risks | |
Madagascar | periodic cyclones, drought, and locust infestation | periodic cyclones | |
Malaysia | flooding, landslides, forest fires | flooding, landslides | |
Mali | hot, dust-laden harmattan haze common during dry seasons; recurring droughts; occasional Niger River flooding | hot, dust-laden harmattan haze common during dry seasons; recurring droughts | |
Marshall Islands | infrequent typhoons | occasional typhoons | |
Mexico | tsunamis along the Pacific coast, volcanoes and destructive earthquakes in the center and south, and hurricanes on the Pacific, Gulf of Mexico, and Caribbean coasts | tsunamis along the Pacific coast, volcanoes and destructive earthquakes in the center and south, and hurricanes on the Gulf of Mexico and Caribbean coasts | |
Mongolia | dust storms, grassland and forest fires, drought, and "zud," which is harsh winter conditions | dust and snow storms, grassland and forest fires, drought and "zud", which is a combination of drought followed by harsh winter conditions | |
Montenegro | destructive earthquakes | - | |
Montserrat | severe hurricanes (June to November); volcanic eruptions (Soufriere Hills volcano has erupted continuously since 1995) | severe hurricanes (June to November); volcanic eruptions (full-scale eruptions of the Soufriere Hills volcano occurred during 1996-97) | |
Mozambique | severe droughts; devastating cyclones and floods in central and southern provinces | severe droughts and floods occur in central and southern provinces; devastating cyclones | |
Navassa Island | hurricanes | NA | |
Nicaragua | destructive earthquakes, volcanoes, landslides; extremely susceptible to hurricanes | destructive earthquakes, volcanoes, landslides, and occasionally severe hurricanes | |
Nigeria | periodic droughts; flooding | periodic droughts | |
Panama | occasional severe storms and forest fires in the Darien area | NA | |
Papua New Guinea | active volcanism; situated along the Pacific "Ring of Fire"; the country is subject to frequent and sometimes severe earthquakes; mud slides; tsunamis | active volcanism; situated along the Pacific "Rim of Fire"; the country is subject to frequent and sometimes severe earthquakes; mud slides; tsunamis | |
Poland | flooding | NA | |
Romania | earthquakes, most severe in south and southwest; geologic structure and climate promote landslides | earthquakes most severe in south and southwest; geologic structure and climate promote landslides | |
Russia | permafrost over much of Siberia is a major impediment to development; volcanic activity in the Kuril Islands; volcanoes and earthquakes on the Kamchatka Peninsula; spring floods and summer/autumn forest fires throughout Siberia and parts of European Russia | permafrost over much of Siberia is a major impediment to development; volcanic activity in the Kuril Islands; volcanoes and earthquakes on the Kamchatka Peninsula | |
Saint Helena | active volcanism on Tristan da Cunha, last eruption in 1961 | active volcanism on Tristan da Cunha | |
Serbia | destructive earthquakes | - | |
Solomon Islands | typhoons, but rarely destructive; geologically active region with frequent earth tremors; volcanic activity | typhoons, but they are rarely destructive; geologically active region with frequent earth tremors; volcanic activity | |
Spratly Islands | typhoons; numerous reefs and shoals pose a serious maritime hazard | typhoons; serious maritime hazard because of numerous reefs and shoals | |
Sudan | dust storms and periodic persistent droughts | dust storms | |
Svalbard | ice floes often block the entrance to Bellsund (a transit point for coal export) on the west coast and occasionally make parts of the northeastern coast inaccessible to maritime traffic | ice floes often block up the entrance to Bellsund (a transit point for coal export) on the west coast and occasionally make parts of the northeastern coast inaccessible to maritime traffic | |
Swaziland | drought | NA | |
Tajikistan | earthquakes and floods | NA | |
Turkey | severe earthquakes, especially in northern Turkey, along an arc extending from the Sea of Marmara to Lake Van | very severe earthquakes, especially in northern Turkey, along an arc extending from the Sea of Marmara to Lake Van | |
Tuvalu | severe tropical storms are usually rare, but, in 1997, there were three cyclones; low level of islands make them sensitive to changes in sea level | severe tropical storms are usually rare, but, in 1997, there were three cyclones; low level of islands make them very sensitive to changes in sea level | |
United Kingdom | winter windstorms; floods | NA | |
United States Pacific Island Wildlife Refuges | Baker, Howland, and Jarvis Islands: the narrow fringing reef surrounding the island can be a maritime hazard
Kingman Reef: wet or awash most of the time, maximum elevation of less than 1 m makes Kingman Reef a maritime hazard Midway Islands, Johnston, and Palmyra Atolls: NA |
- | |
Uruguay | seasonally high winds (the pampero is a chilly and occasional violent wind that blows north from the Argentine pampas), droughts, floods; because of the absence of mountains, which act as weather barriers, all locations are particularly vulnerable to rapid changes from weather fronts | seasonally high winds (the pampero is a chilly and occasional violent wind which blows north from the Argentine pampas), droughts, floods; because of the absence of mountains, which act as weather barriers, all locations are particularly vulnerable to rapid changes in weather fronts | |
Vanuatu | tropical cyclones or typhoons (January to April); volcanic eruption on Aoba (Ambae) island began 27 November 2005, volcanism also causes minor earthquakes; tsunamis | tropical cyclones or typhoons (January to April); volcanism causes minor earthquakes | |
Vietnam | occasional typhoons (May to January) with extensive flooding, especially in the Mekong River delta | occasional typhoons (May to January) with extensive flooding | |
Yugoslavia | - | destructive earthquakes | |
Zambia | periodic drought, tropical storms (November to April) | tropical storms (November to April) |