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Natural Disasters

A Schaus’ swallowtail (Papilio aristodemus) rests on a plant.

Why Does This Endangered Butterfly Thrive After Hurricanes?

For Schaus’ swallowtail butterflies, the powerful storms mean clear skies and bright futures

Miami's skyline in November 1925, at the height of the Florida land boom

How Dreams of Buried Pirate Treasure Enticed Americans to Flock to Florida During the Roaring Twenties

1925 marked the peak of the Florida land boom. But false advertising and natural disasters thwarted many settlers’ visions of striking it rich in the land of sunshine

People gather on Kaanapali Beach, a popular tourist destination near Lahaina, Hawaii, in August 2024.

Destinations Hit by Natural Disasters Need Tourists Back—but Maybe Not in the Same Way as Before

Places like Maui and Asheville, North Carolina, rebuilding after wildfires and hurricanes, are doing so with a mind to sustainable tourism

Gopher tortoises are disappearing from Florida, primarily because of habitat destruction that's often tied to residential development.

A Hurricane Swept These Tortoises Across Miles of Ocean to a New Home in Florida—and Now, They’re Thriving

Park rangers say at least 84 gopher tortoises are now living at Fort de Soto Park near St. Petersburg. Prior to Hurricane Helene in September, the local population was around eight

The Myanmar Fire Services Department conducts emergency search and rescue operations after the March 28 earthquake.

Death Toll Passes 2,000 After Magnitude 7.7 Earthquake Hits Myanmar, Among the Most Powerful Quakes in the Region Since 1900

The natural disaster compounds humanitarian concerns in a country already in the throes of a devastating civil war

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A Peculiar, Short-Lived Office at the Smithsonian Once Explored Reports of Bizarre Natural Phenomena

From surprising squirrel migrations to islands popping up out of nowhere, the organization’s scientists tracked strange events as they happened

The Barry Arm landslide in Alaska’s Prince William Sound

Studying This Slow-Moving Alaskan Landslide May Help Avert Future Disaster

If the landslide at the Barry Arm fjord collapses, its falling ice and rock could generate a devastating 650-foot-high tsunami

Crater Peak (photographed here on February 7, 2025) is the most likely site of a future Mount Spurr eruption.

‘Volcanic Unrest’ at Alaska’s Mount Spurr Suggests 50-50 Chance an Eruption Could Be Coming

Volcanologists are closely monitoring the 11,070-foot-tall stratovolcano, located roughly 75 miles from Anchorage, after a recent uptick in earthquakes

The coast horned lizard (Phrynosoma blainvillii) depends on chaparral habitat to survive. It has declined across much of its range due to habitat loss, whether from development or invasion of non-native grasses. After fires, non-native grasses often fill in habitat and create problems for the species.

Here’s How the Los Angeles Wildfires Are Affecting Animals, From Fish to Snakes to Birds

While scientists were able to save and move some creatures in the aftermath, researchers are worried about the prospects for other species

Embers from the Eaton Fire fly down a residential street in Altadena, California, on January 8.

How A.I. Can Help Humans Battle Wildfires, From Advanced Camera Systems to Forecasting Models

A variety of new technologies aim to improve wildfire detection and help map the spread of blazes

A firefighter works as the Hughes Fire burns north of Los Angeles on January 22.

Welcome to the Pyrocene

Human use of fire has produced an era of uncontrolled burning

The Knickerbocker Theater's roof collapsed under the weight of snowfall, resulting in 98 deaths.

On This Day in History

Nearly 100 Washingtonians Died When a Theater Collapsed in One of the Largest Snowfalls Ever to Hit D.C.

The Knickerbocker Theater disaster, which took place on this day in 1922, killed 98 moviegoers and injured another 133

The Douglas C-54D Skymaster vanished during a routine transit flight from Anchorage to Great Falls, Montana, on January 26, 1950.

The Enduring Mystery of a Plane That Vanished in the Icy Canadian Wilderness With 44 People On Board

Seventy-five years ago, a Douglas C-54D Skymaster disappeared en route from Alaska to Montana. No trace of its crew and passengers, including a pregnant mother and her young son, has ever been found

The frame of the house stands where former Australian child star Rory Sykes died in a neighboring cottage during the Palisades Fire on Rambla Pacifico Street. Sykes was 32 years old and had cerebral palsy. 

A Los Angeles Photographer Captures the Devastating Fires Threatening His Beloved Community

Ivan Kashinsky has traveled the world for Smithsonian magazine, but when disaster struck earlier this month, he rushed home to point his lens at his own neighborhood

A view of the Palisades fire on January 9. The strong Santa Ana winds that fueled much of the L.A. wildfires’ destruction are expected to relax for a few days.

L.A. Fire-Fueling Winds Slow Down, Offering a Short Reprieve. What Are the Santa Ana Winds, and Why Do They Fan the Flames?

The seasonal gusts have exacerbated the deadly fires, and they’re expected to pick back up next week

The exhibition includes a re-creation of Mount Vesuvius' eruption in 79 C.E.

What Was Life Like in Pompeii Before Mount Vesuvius Erupted Nearly 2,000 Years Ago?

An immersive new exhibition in Australia uses artifacts, sounds and projections to recreate the ancient Roman city

Will Rogers' Western Ranch House was on the National Register of Historic Places.

The Historic Landmarks Razed By Los Angeles’ Deadly Fires

Among the destroyed structures are the ranch established by comedian Will Rogers and a motel owned by notorious publisher William Randolph Hearst

The 226 people trapped on board the City of San Francisco endured freezing temperatures, carbon monoxide poisoning and food shortages.

When a Deadly Winter Storm Trapped a Luxury Passenger Train Near the Donner Pass for Three Days

Snowdrifts stranded the vehicle in the Sierra Nevada in January 1952, imprisoning 226 people traveling from Chicago to California

Stories in a wide variety of scientific disciplines made our list this year.

The Ten Most Significant Science Stories of 2024

From a total solar eclipse that captivated our continent to record temperatures that scorched the planet, these were the biggest moments of the year

 Mount Fuji from Lake Shōji

On This Day in History

It’s Been More Than 300 Years Since Japan’s Breathtaking Mount Fuji Last Erupted

Mount Fuji’s last eruption, which happened on this day in 1707, was also its largest, spewing ash and debris over cities and farms, causing famines, respiratory problems and untold death

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