Natural Disasters in Latin America and the Caribbean, 2000-2019

Latin America and the Caribbean (LAC) is the second most disaster-prone region in the world 152 million affected by 1,205 disasters (2000-2019)

548 FLOODS: - Floods are the most common disaster in the region.

• Brazil ranks among the top 15 countries in the world with the greatest population exposed to river flood risk.
• On 12 occasions since 2000, floods in the region have caused more than US$1 billion dollars in total damages.

330 STORMS: - An average of 17 hurricanes per year and 23 Category 5 hurricanes (2000-2019).

• The 2017 hurricane season is the third worst on record in terms of number of disasters and countries affected as well as the magnitude of damage.
• In 2019, Hurricane Dorian became the strongest Atlantic hurricane on record to directly impact a landmass.

75 EARTHQUAKES: - 25 per cent of earthquakes magnitude 8.0 or higher have occurred in South America Since 2000, there have been 20 magnitude-7.0 or greater earthquakes in the region

• The 2010 Haiti earthquake ranks among the top 10 deadliest earthquakes in human history.

74 DROUGHTS: - Drought is the disaster which affects the highest number of people in the region.
Crop yield reductions of 50-75 per cent in central and eastern Guatemala, southern Honduras, eastern El Salvador and parts of Nicaragua.

• In these countries (known as the Dry Corridor), 8 out of 10 households in the communities most affected by drought resort to crisis coping mechanisms.

66 LANDSLIDES

24 WILDFIRES

50 EXTREME TEMPERATURE

38 VOLCANIC EVENTS