10 Dramatic American Natural Disasters Caught on Camera

10 Most Dramatic Footage of American Natural Disasters Caught on Camera

Welcome to WatchMojo, and today we’re counting down our picks for the 10 Most Dramatic Footage of American Natural Disasters Caught on Camera.

For this list, we’ll be looking at 10 of the most shocking videos from the most destructive natural disasters that affected the 50 United States in recent memory.

Which piece of footage shocked YOU the most? Let us know below.

Louisiana Sinkhole

In 2012, an underground salt dome in the Bayou Corne community in Assumption Parish, Louisiana, collapsed, creating a sinkhole that required the area to be evacuated. Originally, the hole was 1 acre in size. By 2018, it was 34. In 2013, John Boudreaux was at a lake and recorded a disturbing incident. A bunch of trees positioned in the water began to move forward and lower. Then, the current gets more aggressive as the trees are sucked under the surface. Within moments, the water relaxes and becomes calm, showing no evidence of the destructive power it had just demonstrated.

Moore Tornado

In May 2013, a powerful tornado tore through the city of Moore, Oklahoma. Lasting under 40 minutes, 24 lives were lost and 212 other people were injured. In the aftermath, CBS News interviewed Barbara Garcia at the wreckage of the house she had lived in for 45 years. She spoke about her terrifying experience and mentioned her dog, Bowser, being somewhere in the debris, likely having perished. But amazingly, the crew spotted her trapped dog. Straight away, an emotional Garcia, with the help of the reporters, rescued her scared pup. In a follow-up interview a month later, Garcia stated that she would take having Bowser in her life rather than her house every time.

Ridgecrest Earthquakes

In 2019, a series of earthquakes around Ridgecrest, California, were being felt across the state. As KCAL9 News anchors Juan Fernandez and Sara Donchey presented their show, a massive 7.1 magnitude earthquake took place live on air. The fear in their eyes is heartbreaking as they constantly check that nothing in the studio falls on them. Donchey even grabbed Fernandez’s arm in panic as the shaking continued. They soon cut to a break before going under the desk to protect themselves.

Camp Fire

Every year, the California Wildfires are seemingly getting worse. And in November 2018, one singular blaze, known as Camp Fire, was notably destructive. Starting at Camp Creek Road, it destroyed over 18,000 buildings and took the lives of 85 people. One particularly intense piece of footage was taken by Brynn Parrott Chatfield as she and her family drove through Paradise, California. Flames rage on both sides of the road, and heavy smoke mists the area while Chatfield prays for her family’s safety. They eventually reach the end of the destruction.

Hurricane Maria

In September 2017, Puerto Rico, alongside other Caribbean islands, was ransacked by Hurricane Maria. The Category 5 hurricane took the lives of 3058 people, including an estimated 2975 from Puerto Rico. It also resulted in around $91.61 billion in damages during its warpath. Mike Theiss, known for recording extreme weather with National Geographic and Ultimate Chase, was at the El Conquistador Hotel in Fajardo, Puerto Rico. Starting off calm, the scenery soon becomes cloudy, foreshadowing the terror to come. Theiss shows hotel staff at work ensuring the building is secure and as well as the destruction taking place outside, and trees are seen violently shaking and debris flying away. Afterward, he recorded the waterlogged roads and the damage in Maria’s wake.

Oklahoma Hail

In the span of a week in May 2010, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, and nearby areas in the state were battered by not one but two big hail storms. They caused massive property damage estimated to be upwards to $2 billion. One viral video at the time from YouTuber “beatlesfanxxl” showed the storm’s power as ice thundered into their swimming pool and strong winds gushed around. The power and size of the hail made the water look like mist at its strongest. Another user, “stuartmil123,” also showed the massive ice balls firing into their pool.

Tennant Fire Tornado

In 2021, Rachel Smith, a supervisor for the US Forest Service at Klamath National Forest, recorded an event that made a standard fire and tornado more terrifying when the two combined into one. Although rare, the extreme drought in the area caused the fire tornado, also known as a fire whirl, to form around construction and rescue equipment. The spinning mass of flames, dust, and smoke is a jaw-dropping sight to behold. Smith’s radar recorded around 30 minutes of rotation before it stopped.

Great Flood of 1993

In 1993, an unprecedented amount of rainfall from storms ended up causing one of the biggest flooding events in US history. In April of that year, several bodies of water, including the Mississippi River, were flooded, with havoc wreaking across the Midwest. Around 50 people lost their lives, and the rampaging water caused $15 billion worth of damage, which is around $31.57 billion today. A particularly disastrous moment of the disaster involved the Gummersheimer farm, which had been in the family for 100 years. Captured live during a news report, the strong currents had surrounded the farmhouse on the property and then moved it further down off its foundations. Eventually, the whole building crumbled into the brown water.

Eruption of Mount St. Helens

In 1980, small earthquakes around Mount St. Helens in Skamania County, Washington, proved the inevitable was about to happen; a volcanic eruption. Several meteorologists, reporters, and photographers arrived to record the event. One person who was there to witness the event was KOMO News employee Dave Crockett. Once the eruption began, Crockett drove off when the debris and ash were getting closer. However, the road was blocked by flowing mud and water. So, he started walking and kept recording the eruption as he struggled to breathe. Thankfully, he was later saved.

Hurricane Katrina

Back in 2005, Mike Theiss was present in Gulfport, Mississippi, to record the destruction being caused by Hurricane Katrina . His time-stamped video showed how much damage the storm surge caused in a relatively short time. Waves of water battered a Holiday Inn and several trees hung onto the ground for dear life. Eventually, the hotel gets flooded, giving a terrifyingly claustrophobic feel to the footage as items float around and cameras are swallowed by the water. Theiss’ stunning footage even earned him an Emmy nomination.