One day, while living in Mexico, you read the news and find out that there was a hurricane on the coast of Mexico. Exactly where you wanted to take a vacation. You will need to get immediate information regarding the situation or talk about it. After getting to know the essential vocabulary related to natural disasters in Spanish, you will understand and talk about these situations with native speakers with ease.
Just like learning about the weather, or important phrases for emergencies, this blog post will be helpful during your stay in Spanish-speaking countries.
So, let’s begin!
Important Disasters That Happened In Latin America And Spain
The most shocking example is the Valdivia earthquake in Bio-Bio, Chile, in 1960. It has gone down in history as the strongest earthquake globally, with 9.0 degrees, 621 miles from the coast. This natural disaster left many families homeless, several injured, and more than 1,500 people dead.
The most shocking fact about this earthquake is that it changed the earth’s axis and shortened the days.

In addition, this strong earthquake caused a Tsunami that left many disasters on various Pacific coasts such as Hawaii, Japan, the Philippines, and New Zealand.
Likewise, there have been strong earthquakes in Peru (8.4 – 2001), Ecuador (7.8 – 2016), and El Salvador (7.7 – 2001). The magnitude of the damage in each country depends on how prepared the country is to receive such events.
In Spain, on the other hand, floods are events that constantly occur throughout the country. People still have not forgotten the famous Riada de Biescas (Huesca) in 1996. The water swept away the campsite, leaving 80 people dead and many injured.
Spain also regularly suffers from forest fires that affect almost all regions of the country and, in turn, cause other damage to the environment.
Common Spanish Terms For Natural Disasters And Examples
How To Say ‘Natural Disasters’ In The Spanish Language?
Los Desastres Naturales – Natural Disasters
El Desastre Natural – Natural Disaster
How To Say Hurricane In Spanish?
El huracán en Florida fué muy fuerte. – The hurricane in Florida was too strong.
How To Say Tsunami In Spanish?
Mi amigo sobrevivió el Tsunami en Japón. – My friend survived the Tsunami in Japan.

How To Say Flood In Spanish?
¡Ayuda! Mi auto está siendo arrastrado por la inundación! – Help! My car is being pushed through the flood!
More Vocabulary For Natural Disasters In Spanish With Sentence Examples
La Erupción Volcánica/Explosión – Volcanic Eruption/Explotion
El volcán Nyiragongo es temido por su fuerte erupción volcánica. – (The Nyiragongo volcano is feared for its strong volcanic eruption.)
El Deslizamiento de Tierra/El Derrumbe – Landslide
Hubo un fuerte deslizamiento de tierra hace poco tiempo. – (There was a strong landslide a short time ago.)
El estado de Oklahoma, es uno de las regiones con mayor cantidad de tornados en Estados Unidos. – The state of Oklahoma is one of the regions with the highest number of tornadoes in the United States.)
La granizada fue tan fuerte que el parque parece como si estuviera tapado con nieve. – (The hailstorm was so strong that the park looks like it’s covered in snow.)
Varias personas se vieron afectadas por el reciente tifón en Corea del Sur. – (Several people were affected by the recent typhoon in South Korea.)
Ciclón Tropical – Tropical Cyclon
Estuve en el ciclón tropical de República Dominicana. – (I was in the tropical cyclone in the Dominican Republic.)
El terremoto de Alaska de 1964 es el segundo más fuerte del mundo. – (The 1964 Alaska earthquake is the second strongest in the world.)
El Deslizamiento de Rocas – Rockslide
El deslizamiento de rocas provocó graves daños en las casas cercanas. – (The rock slide caused severe damage to nearby houses.)
El volcán erupcionó y el valle quedó destrozado por el flujo de lava. – (The volcano erupted, and the valley was destroyed by the lava flow.)

Tormenta de Invierno – Winter storm
Los días en los que hay tormenta de invierno son los más aburridos. – The days when there is a winter storm are the most boring.
La Tormenta de Nieve – Blizzard
No podemos salir cuando hay tormenta de nieve. – We can’t go out when there is a snow storm.
La manija de mi auto se congeló en la tormenta de hielo. – My car handle froze in the ice storm.
Inundación Costera – Coastal Flood
Subió la marea causando una inundación costera. – The tide rose causing a coastal flood.
Fue la tormenta más peligrosa con rayos. – It was the most dangerous storm with lightning.
El Impacto de Meteorito – Meteor Impact
El impacto de meteorito dejó un gran cráter. – The meteorite impact left a large crater.
Etiopía es un país afectado por la sequía. – Ethiopia is a country affected by drought.
Los bomberos continúan batallando en contra del fuego fatuo. – Firefighters continue to battle against a wildfire.
Tuvimos que construir una nueva vivienda después del incendio. – We had to build a new house after the fire.
El incendio forestal en Australia destruyó hogares y vida silvestre. – The bushfire in Australia destroyed homes and wildlife.
La gran barrera de coral se ve afectada por la ola de calor. – The Great Barrier Reef is affected by the heat wave.
Canadá está sufriendo una ola de frío extremo. – Canada is experiencing a strong cold wave.
En China existe un gran sumidero con un hermoso bosque dentro. – In China, there is a big sinkhole with a beautiful forest inside.
Learn More Essential Spanish Words With Ling App!
When the opportunity to learn a new language presents itself, you have to do it. Don’t miss the chance to speak with natives about different topics such as planets, colors, food, or natural disasters in Spanish.

Becoming a pro in these conversations is in your hands. Ling App is here to support you in the learning process. To make your experience much more enjoyable and effective, learning with our app will take you through entertaining lessons to learn vocabulary, grammar, pronunciation, and much more from beginner to advanced.
Are you interested in trying Ling? Download the app today!