Natural Disasters | smithsonianmag.comhttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/rss/tag/natural-disasters/RSS feed for Natural DisastersenWed, 18 Feb 2026 21:09:04 +0000Couples Have Been Kissing Under the Lovers' Arch in Italy for Years. On Valentine's Day, It Collapsed Into the Seahttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/couples-have-been-kissing-under-the-lovers-arch-in-italy-for-years-on-valentines-day-it-collapsed-into-the-sea-180988215/The iconic rock formation crumbled after days of raging storms. Local officials are calling for new initiatives to help slow coastal erosion in the regionWed, 18 Feb 2026 21:09:04 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/couples-have-been-kissing-under-the-lovers-arch-in-italy-for-years-on-valentines-day-it-collapsed-into-the-sea-180988215/This 14-Year-Old Is Using Origami to Imagine Emergency Shelters That Are Sturdy, Cost-Efficient and Easy to Deployhttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/innovation/this-14-year-old-is-using-origami-to-design-emergency-shelters-that-are-sturdy-cost-efficient-and-easy-to-deploy-180988179/Miles Wu folded a variant of the Miura-ori pattern that can hold 10,000 times its own weightThu, 12 Feb 2026 13:02:48 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/innovation/this-14-year-old-is-using-origami-to-design-emergency-shelters-that-are-sturdy-cost-efficient-and-easy-to-deploy-180988179/After the Dinosaur-Killing Asteroid Wrecked the Planet, Life May Have Bounced Back Surprisingly Fasthttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/after-the-dinosaur-killing-asteroid-wrecked-the-planet-life-may-have-bounced-back-surprisingly-fast-180988150/The steady rate of falling space dust helped researchers recalibrate the timelineFri, 06 Feb 2026 15:34:36 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/after-the-dinosaur-killing-asteroid-wrecked-the-planet-life-may-have-bounced-back-surprisingly-fast-180988150/If Mount Vesuvius Erupted in August, Why Were Pompeii Victims Wearing Heavy Wool Garments?https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/if-mount-vesuvius-erupted-in-august-why-were-pompeii-victims-wearing-heavy-wool-garments-180987895/New research finds that at least four individuals who died in the eruption were wearing woolen tunics and cloaks, which raises questions about the presumed date of the famous catastropheThu, 18 Dec 2025 15:25:04 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/if-mount-vesuvius-erupted-in-august-why-were-pompeii-victims-wearing-heavy-wool-garments-180987895/A Storm Battered Western Alaska, Scattering Thousands of Indigenous Artifacts Across the Sandhttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/a-storm-battered-western-alaska-scattering-thousands-of-indigenous-artifacts-across-the-sand-180987606/Archaeologists and community members in Quinhagak are racing to recover as many Yup'ik objects as possibleFri, 31 Oct 2025 19:50:16 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/a-storm-battered-western-alaska-scattering-thousands-of-indigenous-artifacts-across-the-sand-180987606/One of the Strongest Hurricanes on Record Pummeled Jamaica and Continues to Wreak Havoc in the Caribbeanhttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/one-of-the-strongest-hurricanes-on-record-pummeled-jamaica-and-continues-to-wreak-havoc-in-the-caribbean-180987592/The Caribbean’s unusually hot waters allowed Hurricane Melissa to intensify rapidly, officials sayWed, 29 Oct 2025 19:21:37 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/one-of-the-strongest-hurricanes-on-record-pummeled-jamaica-and-continues-to-wreak-havoc-in-the-caribbean-180987592/Wildfires Are Ruining Your Favorite Wines. These Bacteria Might Be Able to Helphttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/wildfires-are-ruining-your-favorite-wines-scientists-say-these-bacteria-might-be-able-to-help-180987441/Microbes already growing on grape plants may help neutralize one of the compounds responsible for wildfire-exposed grapes' off-putting flavors, new research suggestsThu, 02 Oct 2025 21:20:07 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/wildfires-are-ruining-your-favorite-wines-scientists-say-these-bacteria-might-be-able-to-help-180987441/Wildfire Sweeps Through Historic California Gold Rush Town Settled by Chinese Minershttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/wildfire-sweeps-through-historic-california-gold-rush-town-settled-by-chinese-miners-180987294/Caused by a massive lightning storm, the 6-5 Fire destroyed the post office and several other buildings in the small town of Chinese CampFri, 05 Sep 2025 19:31:36 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/wildfire-sweeps-through-historic-california-gold-rush-town-settled-by-chinese-miners-180987294/Shipwreck Hunter Finds Large Freighter That Sank in Lake Huron During the 'White Hurricane' 112 Years Agohttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/shipwreck-hunter-finds-large-freighter-that-sank-in-lake-huron-during-the-white-hurricane-112-years-ago-180987263/The 529-foot-long vessel is submerged 190 feet deep, resting upside down on the American side of the lakeTue, 02 Sep 2025 14:07:00 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/shipwreck-hunter-finds-large-freighter-that-sank-in-lake-huron-during-the-white-hurricane-112-years-ago-180987263/World's Tallest Douglas Fir Tree Damaged in Mysterious, Multi-Day Blaze, but It's Alive After Firefighters Extinguish Flameshttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/worlds-tallest-douglas-fir-tree-damaged-in-mysterious-multi-day-blaze-but-its-alive-after-firefighters-extinguish-flames-180987232/The fire started burning on August 16 and only affected a single tree—the historic Doerner Fir in southern Oregon. Authorities are still investigating the causeMon, 25 Aug 2025 19:57:16 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/worlds-tallest-douglas-fir-tree-damaged-in-mysterious-multi-day-blaze-but-its-alive-after-firefighters-extinguish-flames-180987232/