natural disaster

American  

[nach-er-uhl-di-zas-ter] / ˈnætʃ ər əl dɪˈzæs tər /

noun

1. a sudden, severe event in nature, such as a flood, earthquake, wildfire, etc., especially one that causes widespread damage and harm.

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Example Sentences

TPS protects its holders from deportation and is granted to people deemed to be in danger if they return home because of war, natural disaster or other extraordinary circumstances.

From Barron's • Apr. 29, 2026

Because, for veterans of modern warfare, the question isn’t how to come to grips with something that befell us in the manner of a natural disaster.

From Slate • Mar. 16, 2026

In 1990, Congress authorized giving temporary shelter to non-citizens from countries experiencing armed conflict, natural disaster or “extraordinary and temporary conditions” that prevent them from returning there.

From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 16, 2026

And insurance providers will not let you purchase insurance that covers, say, cancellation for a natural disaster if that disaster has already happened.

From MarketWatch • Mar. 3, 2026

I felt myself to be among the survivors of some great natural disaster, some plague, some avalanche or earthquake.

From "Between the World and Me" by Ta-Nehisi Coates