Global Cat Events
01 Sep 2026
On Wednesday morning, August 25th, rock supporting a very large glacier collapsed, sending the glacier into the valley floor in Nepal’s Langtang national park, about 35 miles (60km) north of the capital, Kathmandu, near the mountainous Nepal-Tibet border. The resulting debris flow pushed millions of metric tons of water, rock, mud, and ice down to the valley below and into the Lhende Khola, Bhotekoshi and Trishuli rivers, flooding and destroying entire villages and infrastructure along its path. The path of the debris and flooding measured more than 62 miles long. Search and rescue attempts continue but are difficult due to mud, destroyed roads, and the remoteness of much of the impacted area. The death toll in Nepal stands at 1,395 and 5,130 people remain missing. Chinese authorities reported 40 deaths and over 500 missing, a large share of which were foreigners and citizens of Nepal.
The Himalayan mountain range is very vulnerable to natural disasters such as landslides, flooding, and other natural hazards. Research indicates that the region is warming rapidly, increasing the likelihood and severity of these hazards.
25 Aug 2026
On Thursday, the 15th of August 2026, a magnitude 7.7 earthquake struck in Indonesia off the north coast of Flores Island, East Nusa Tenggara. The quake caused widespread damage. Thousands of homes were damaged as well as schools, hospitals, and infrastructure. The death toll currently stands at 100 people and thousands were displaced. The region has experienced thousands of aftershocks, with the largest measuring M6.2.
25 Aug 2026
A magnitude 7.4 earthquake struck in western Columbia on Monday morning, August 10th, 2026. The epicenter was 3 miles east of San José del Palmar, Colombia – about 150 miles west of Bogotá, the capital. The most impacted cities include Pereira, Cali, Quibdó, Manizales and Armenia, with minimal damage to the country’s largest cities, Bogotá and Medellín. Three hundred and thirty people have been confirmed killed, with 240 still missing. The earthquake damaged schools, medical facilities and hospitals, and disrupted infrastructure. Officials report that more than 12,000 homes were destroyed.
30 Jul 2026
Japan’s southern island of Kyushu was struck by a strong earthquake on Tuesday, July 28th, 2026. According to the USGS, the quake measured a magnitude of 6.8. The epicenter was near Uto, a coastal city about 30 miles south of Kumamoto City in Kumamoto prefecture. The neighboring Nagasaki prefecture also impacted. At least 34 people were killed and nearly 10,000 people are staying in evacuation shelters. The quake caused considerable damage to homes, buildings and infrastructure, including roads, bridges, and power. Train and air travel were halted and some major manufacturing plants closed for damage inspection. Search and rescue are ongoing amidst sweltering heat and strong earthquakes.
30 Jul 2026
Western Europe is experiencing a wildfire emergency, with hundreds of fires breaking out amid extreme heat.
Numerous fires have plagued southwestern France, with Gironde and Landes departments being the most impacted. The Gironde fire near Bordeaux has burned an area four times the size of Paris. Another large fire is burning near Madrid in Spain. It is largest wildfire in Spain’s recorded history. Across both Spain and France, approximately 330,000 people were forced to evacuate. These 2 fires are now considered contained and some evacuation notices have been lifted. A wildfire in eastern England along the Suffolk coast began on Wednesday, July 29th. It is burning just 4 miles from a nuclear power plant. Approximately 200 wildfires have broken out in England and Wales in the last 2 weeks. A large fire also broke out on the Greek island of Crete on Thursday, July 30th. Thousands of people have evacuated and two firefighters killed.
Europe, the world’s fastest-warming continent, is experiencing a record-breaking summer, with extreme heat, dryness, and high winds creating dangerous fire conditions.
06 Jul 2026
Two strong quakes struck off the northern coast of Venezuela in the evening of Wednesday, June 24th, 2026. The first, a 7.2 magnitude quake, was a foreshock. The second quake occurred less than a minute later, measuring magnitude 7.5. The epicenters were west and southwest of the coastal town, Morón, respectively. The heavily populated northern states, La Guaira in particular, and the city of Caracas, suffered heavy damage, including large-scale building damage and collapse and loss of lifelines. Official deaths rose to 3,535 and some experts estimate that 41,000 are still missing. More than 1,600 people are displaced.
Seismic engineers attribute the extensive damage to a combination of soft ground soil and tall concrete structures that often lack sufficient seismic reinforcement.
12 Jun 2026
A 7.8 magnitude earthquake shook the Island of Mindanao in the southern Philippines on Monday, June 8th. The strong quake struck off the coast in the early morning, causing widespread damage in several provinces, including Sarangani, the site of a deadly post-quake landslide. The city of General Santos on Mindanao was severely impacted. Thirty-seven deaths have been reported and at least 18,000 people are displaced. Early government reports estimate around 2,500 houses and 117 government buildings and facilities were damaged across the impacted area, as well as roads and power infrastructure affecting hundreds of thousands of households.
02 Jun 2026
Four wildfires broke out in Southern California in mid-May and scorched nearly 23,000 acres of land. According to Cal Fire, all but one are fully contained.
The first and largest California wildfire this year is located in California’s Channel Islands National Park on Santa Rosa Island in Santa Barbara County. The blaze started on May 15, and it burned 18,379 acres – nearly a third of the island which is home to rare vegetation and wildlife. The blaze is 97% contained as of May 31st. On May 18th, the Sandy Fire started in the Simi Valley of Ventura County. The fast-moving fire threatened homes and thousands of people were ordered to evacuate, burning approximately 2,183 acres. One day later, the Bain fire started in the Jurupa Valley of Riverside County; thousands of residents in the Mira Loma neighborhood were forced to evacuate, and Cal Fire reports the fire scorched 1,473 acres. The Verona fire began near Hemet in Riverside County, also on May 19th, and burned 638 acres.
There were no reported fatalities from these wildfires.
02 Apr 2025
A 7.7-magnitude earthquake struck in Myanmar on Friday, March 28th, 2025. The epicenter was near Mandalay, the country’s second largest city. The earthquake impacted much of the country. Over 10,000 buildings are reported either destroyed or severely damaged. Infrastructure is damaged as well, leaving large areas of the country without power, and rescue and recovery hampered by damaged bridges and roads. Authorities have reported that, while the current casualty count exceeds 2,700, it is expected to rise to over 3,000. The quake, Myanmar’s second largest recorded, was felt in Bangladesh, India, Thailand, and China.
13 Jan 2025
Two historically destructive wildfires are burning in Southern California. Unusually strong Santa Ana winds and dry conditions created ideal conditions for wildfire in the region. The Palisades fire started on January 7th along the Pacific coast, north of Santa Monica. The fire destroyed much of the Pacific Palisades neighborhood between Santa Monica and Malibu. The fire has burned almost 24,000 acres and is threatening over 12,000 structures. CAL FIRE estimates more than 5,000 structures have been destroyed. It is 14% contained.
The Eaton fire, which also began on the 7th, started in the San Gabriel mountains and moved south into densely populated Altadena and the City of Pasadena. It has burned over 14,000 acres and is 33% contained. CAL FIRE estimates that over 7,000 structures are destroyed and almost 40,000 threatened. The intense demand for water has depleted the supply, further hampering fire suppression. Four smaller fires, the Hurst, Lidia, Sunset, and Kenneth, have been largely or completely contained.
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