 |
Afghanistan |
damaging earthquakes occur in Hindu Kush mountains; flooding; droughts
|
 |
Albania |
destructive earthquakes; tsunamis occur along southwestern coast; floods; drought
|
 |
Algeria |
mountainous areas subject to severe earthquakes; mudslides and floods in rainy season
|
 |
American Samoa |
typhoons common from December to March
|
 |
American Virgin Islands |
several hurricanes in recent years; frequent and severe droughts and floods; occasional earthquakes
|
 |
Andorra |
avalanches
|
 |
Angola |
locally heavy rainfall causes periodic flooding on the plateau
|
 |
Anguilla |
frequent hurricanes and other tropical storms (July to October)
|
 |
Antarctica |
katabatic (gravity-driven) winds blow coastward from the high interior; frequent blizzards form near the foot of the plateau; cyclonic storms form over the ocean and move clockwise along the coast; volcanism on Deception Island and isolated areas of West
|
 |
Antigua and Barbuda |
hurricanes and tropical storms (July to October); periodic droughts
|
 |
Arctic Ocean |
ice islands occasionally break away from northern Ellesmere Island; icebergs calved from glaciers in western Greenland and extreme northeastern Canada; permafrost in islands; virtually ice locked from October to June; ships subject to superstructure icing
|
 |
Argentina |
San Miguel de Tucuman and Mendoza areas in the Andes subject to earthquakes; pamperos are violent windstorms that can strike the pampas and northeast; heavy flooding
|
 |
Armenia |
occasionally severe earthquakes; droughts
|
 |
Aruba |
lies outside the Caribbean hurricane belt
|
 |
Ashmore and Cartier Islands |
surrounded by shoals and reefs that can pose maritime hazards
|
 |
Atlantic Ocean |
icebergs common in Davis Strait, Denmark Strait, and the northwestern Atlantic Ocean from February to August and have been spotted as far south as Bermuda and the Madeira Islands; ships subject to superstructure icing in extreme northern Atlantic from Oct
|
 |
Australia |
cyclones along the coast; severe droughts; forest fires
|
 |
Austria |
landslides; avalanches; earthquakes
|
 |
Azerbaijan |
droughts
|
 |
Bahamas, The |
hurricanes and other tropical storms cause extensive flood and wind damage
|
 |
Bahrain |
periodic droughts; dust storms
|
 |
Baker Island |
the narrow fringing reef surrounding the island can be a maritime hazard
|
 |
Bangladesh |
droughts, cyclones; much of the country routinely inundated during the summer monsoon season
|
 |
Barbados |
infrequent hurricanes; periodic landslides
|
 |
Bassas da India |
maritime hazard since it is usually under water during high tide and surrounded by reefs; subject to periodic cyclones
|
 |
Belarus |
NA
|
 |
Belgium |
flooding is a threat along rivers and in areas of reclaimed coastal land, protected from the sea by concrete dikes
|
 |
Belize |
frequent, devastating hurricanes (June to November) and coastal flooding (especially in south)
|
 |
Benin |
hot, dry, dusty harmattan wind may affect north from December to March
|
 |
Bermuda |
hurricanes (June to November)
|
 |
Bhutan |
violent storms from the Himalayas are the source of the country's name which translates as Land of the Thunder Dragon; frequent landslides during the rainy season
|
 |
Bolivia |
flooding in the northeast (March-April)
|
 |
Bosnia and Herzegovina |
destructive earthquakes
|
 |
Botswana |
periodic droughts; seasonal August winds blow from the west, carrying sand and dust across the country, which can obscure visibility
|
 |
Bouvet Island |
NA
|
 |
Brazil |
recurring droughts in northeast; floods and occasional frost in south
|
 |
British Indian Ocean Territory |
NA
|
 |
British Virgin Islands |
hurricanes and tropical storms (July to October)
|
 |
Brunei |
typhoons, earthquakes, and severe flooding are rare
|
 |
Bulgaria |
earthquakes, landslides
|
 |
Burkina Faso |
recurring droughts
|
 |
Burma |
destructive earthquakes and cyclones; flooding and landslides common during rainy season (June to September); periodic droughts
|
 |
Burundi |
flooding, landslides, drought
|
 |
Cambodia |
monsoonal rains (June to November); flooding; occasional droughts
|
 |
Cameroon |
volcanic activity with periodic releases of poisonous gases from Lake Nyos and Lake Monoun volcanoes
|
 |
Canada |
continuous permafrost in north is a serious obstacle to development; cyclonic storms form east of the Rocky Mountains, a result of the mixing of air masses from the Arctic, Pacific, and North American interior, and produce most of the country's rain and s
|
 |
Cape Verde |
prolonged droughts; seasonal harmattan wind produces obscuring dust; volcanically and seismically active
|
 |
Cayman Islands |
hurricanes (July to November)
|
 |
Central African Republic |
hot, dry, dusty harmattan winds affect northern areas; floods are common
|
 |
Chad |
hot, dry, dusty harmattan winds occur in north; periodic droughts; locust plagues
|
 |
Chile |
severe earthquakes; active volcanism; tsunamis
|
 |
China |
frequent typhoons (about five per year along southern and eastern coasts); damaging floods; tsunamis; earthquakes; droughts; land subsidence
|
 |
Christmas Island |
the narrow fringing reef surrounding the island can be a maritime hazard
|
 |
Clipperton Island |
NA
|
 |
Cocos (Keeling) Islands |
cyclone season is October to April
|
 |
Colombia |
highlands subject to volcanic eruptions; occasional earthquakes; periodic droughts
|
 |
Comoros |
cyclones possible during rainy season (December to April); Le Kartala on Grand Comore is an active volcano
|
 |
Congo, Democratic Republic of the |
periodic droughts in south; Congo River floods (seasonal); in the east, in the Great Rift Valley, there are active volcanoes
|
 |
Congo, Republic of the |
seasonal flooding
|
 |
Cook Islands |
typhoons (November to March)
|
 |
Coral Sea Islands |
occasional tropical cyclones
|
 |
Costa Rica |
occasional earthquakes, hurricanes along Atlantic coast; frequent flooding of lowlands at onset of rainy season and landslides; active volcanoes
|
 |
Cote d'Ivoire |
coast has heavy surf and no natural harbors; during the rainy season torrential flooding is possible
|
 |
Croatia |
destructive earthquakes
|
 |
Cuba |
the east coast is subject to hurricanes from August to November (in general, the country averages about one hurricane every other year); droughts are common
|
 |
Cyprus |
moderate earthquake activity; droughts
|
 |
Czech Republic |
flooding
|
 |
Denmark |
flooding is a threat in some areas of the country (e.g., parts of Jutland, along the southern coast of the island of Lolland) that are protected from the sea by a system of dikes
|
 |
Djibouti |
earthquakes; droughts; occasional cyclonic disturbances from the Indian Ocean bring heavy rains and flash floods
|
 |
Dominica |
flash floods are a constant threat; destructive hurricanes can be expected during the late summer months
|
 |
Dominican Republic |
lies in the middle of the hurricane belt and subject to severe storms from June to October; occasional flooding; periodic droughts
|
 |
Ecuador |
frequent earthquakes, landslides, volcanic activity; floods; periodic droughts
|
 |
Egypt |
periodic droughts; frequent earthquakes, flash floods, landslides; hot, driving windstorm called khamsin occurs in spring; dust storms, sandstorms
|
 |
El Salvador |
known as the Land of Volcanoes; frequent and sometimes very destructive earthquakes and volcanic activity; extremely susceptible to hurricanes
|
 |
Equatorial Guinea |
violent windstorms, flash floods
|
 |
Eritrea |
frequent droughts; locust swarms
|
 |
Estonia |
sometimes flooding occurs in the spring
|
 |
Ethiopia |
geologically active Great Rift Valley susceptible to earthquakes, volcanic eruptions; frequent droughts
|
 |
Europa Island |
NA
|
 |
European Union |
flooding along coasts; avalanches in mountainous area; earthquakes in the south; volcanic eruptions in Italy; periodic droughts in Spain; ice floes in the Baltic
|
 |
Falkland Islands (Islas Malvinas) |
strong winds persist throughout the year
|
 |
Faroe Islands |
NA
|
 |
Fiji |
cyclonic storms can occur from November to January
|
 |
Finland |
NA
|
 |
France |
flooding; avalanches; midwinter windstorms; drought; forest fires in south near the Mediterranean
|
 |
French Guiana |
high frequency of heavy showers and severe thunderstorms; flooding
|
 |
French Polynesia |
occasional cyclonic storms in January
|
 |
French Southern and Antarctic Lands |
Ile Amsterdam and Ile Saint-Paul are extinct volcanoes
|
 |
Gabon |
NA
|
 |
Gambia, The |
drought (rainfall has dropped by 30% in the last 30 years)
|
 |
Gaza Strip |
droughts
|
 |
Georgia |
earthquakes
|
 |
Germany |
flooding
|
 |
Ghana |
dry, dusty, northeastern harmattan winds occur from January to March; droughts
|
 |
Gibraltar |
NA
|
 |
Glorioso Islands |
periodic cyclones
|
 |
Greece |
severe earthquakes
|
 |
Greenland |
continuous permafrost over northern two-thirds of the island
|
 |
Grenada |
lies on edge of hurricane belt; hurricane season lasts from June to November
|
 |
Guadeloupe |
hurricanes (June to October); Soufriere de Guadeloupe is an active volcano
|
 |
Guam |
frequent squalls during rainy season; relatively rare, but potentially very destructive typhoons (June - December)
|
 |
Guatemala |
numerous volcanoes in mountains, with occasional violent earthquakes; Caribbean coast extremely susceptible to hurricanes and other tropical storms
|
 |
Guernsey |
NA
|
 |
Guinea |
hot, dry, dusty harmattan haze may reduce visibility during dry season
|
 |
Guinea-Bissau |
hot, dry, dusty harmattan haze may reduce visibility during dry season; brush fires
|
 |
Guyana |
flash floods are a constant threat during rainy seasons
|
 |
Haiti |
lies in the middle of the hurricane belt and subject to severe storms from June to October; occasional flooding and earthquakes; periodic droughts
|
 |
Heard Island and McDonald Islands |
Mawson Peak, an active volcano, is on Heard Island
|
 |
Holy See (Vatican City) |
NA
|
 |
Honduras |
frequent, but generally mild, earthquakes; extremely susceptible to damaging hurricanes and floods along the Caribbean coast
|
 |
Hong Kong |
occasional typhoons
|
 |
Howland Island |
the narrow fringing reef surrounding the island can be a maritime hazard
|
 |
Iceland |
earthquakes and volcanic activity
|
 |
India |
droughts; flash floods, as well as widespread and destructive flooding from monsoonal rains; severe thunderstorms; earthquakes
|
 |
Indian Ocean |
occasional icebergs pose navigational hazard in southern reaches
|
 |
Indonesia |
occasional floods, severe droughts, tsunamis, earthquakes, volcanoes, forest fires
|
 |
Iran |
periodic droughts, floods; dust storms, sandstorms; earthquakes
|
 |
Iraq |
dust storms, sandstorms, floods
|
 |
Ireland |
NA
|
 |
Isle of Man |
NA
|
 |
Israel |
sandstorms may occur during spring and summer; droughts; periodic earthquakes
|
 |
Italy |
regional risks include landslides, mudflows, avalanches, earthquakes, volcanic eruptions, flooding; land subsidence in Venice
|
 |
Jamaica |
hurricanes (especially July to November)
|
 |
Jan Mayen |
dominated by the volcano Haakon VII Toppen/Beerenberg; volcanic activity resumed in 1970
|
 |
Japan |
many dormant and some active volcanoes; about 1,500 seismic occurrences (mostly tremors) every year; tsunamis; typhoons
|
 |
Jarvis Island |
the narrow fringing reef surrounding the island poses a maritime hazard
|
 |
Jersey |
NA
|
 |
Johnston Atoll |
NA
|
 |
Jordan |
droughts; periodic earthquakes
|
 |
Juan de Nova Island |
periodic cyclones
|
 |
Kazakhstan |
earthquakes in the south, mudslides around Almaty
|
 |
Kenya |
recurring drought; flooding during rainy seasons
|
 |
Kingman Reef |
wet or awash most of the time, maximum elevation of about 1 meter makes Kingman Reef a maritime hazard
|
 |
Kiribati |
typhoons can occur any time, but usually November to March; occasional tornadoes; low level of some of the islands make them very sensitive to changes in sea level
|
 |
Korea, North |
late spring droughts often followed by severe flooding; occasional typhoons during the early fall
|
 |
Korea, South |
occasional typhoons bring high winds and floods; low-level seismic activity common in southwest
|
 |
Kuwait |
sudden cloudbursts are common from October to April and bring heavy rain, which can damage roads and houses; sandstorms and dust storms occur throughout the year, but are most common between March and August
|
 |
Kyrgyzstan |
NA
|
 |
Laos |
floods, droughts
|
 |
Latvia |
NA
|
 |
Lebanon |
dust storms, sandstorms
|
 |
Lesotho |
periodic droughts
|
 |
Liberia |
dust-laden harmattan winds blow from the Sahara (December to March)
|
 |
Libya |
hot, dry, dust-laden ghibli is a southern wind lasting one to four days in spring and fall; dust storms, sandstorms
|
 |
Liechtenstein |
NA
|
 |
Lithuania |
NA
|
 |
Luxembourg |
NA
|
 |
Macau |
typhoons
|
 |
Macedonia |
high seismic risks
|
 |
Madagascar |
periodic cyclones, drought, and locust infestation
|
 |
Malawi |
NA
|
 |
Malaysia |
flooding, landslides, forest fires
|
 |
Maldives |
low level of islands makes them very sensitive to sea level rise
|
 |
Mali |
hot, dust-laden harmattan haze common during dry seasons; recurring droughts; occasional Niger River flooding
|
 |
Malta |
NA
|
 |
Marshall Islands |
infrequent typhoons
|
 |
Martinique |
hurricanes, flooding, and volcanic activity (an average of one major natural disaster every five years)
|
 |
Mauritania |
hot, dry, dust/sand-laden sirocco wind blows primarily in March and April; periodic droughts
|
 |
Mauritius |
cyclones (November to April); almost completely surrounded by reefs that may pose maritime hazards
|
 |
Mayotte |
cyclones during rainy season
|
 |
Mexico |
tsunamis along the Pacific coast, volcanoes and destructive earthquakes in the center and south, and hurricanes on the Pacific, Gulf of Mexico, and Caribbean coasts
|
 |
Micronesia, Federated States of |
typhoons (June to December)
|
 |
Midway Islands |
NA
|
 |
Moldova |
landslides (57 cases in 1998)
|
 |
Monaco |
NA
|
 |
Mongolia |
dust storms, grassland and forest fires, drought, and "zud," which is harsh winter conditions
|
 |
Montserrat |
severe hurricanes (June to November); volcanic eruptions (Soufriere Hills volcano has erupted continuously since 1995)
|
 |