Glacier collapse buries Swiss Alpine village

September 11 attacks

The terror attacks of September 11, 2001, led to the mass evacuation of numerous buildings across the country, especially high-rise ones. In addition, over 500,000 people fled New York City following the attacks; many by boat.

1906 San Francisco earthquake

On April 18, 1906, California was hit by a violent earthquake, which destroyed a great part of San Francisco. At least 20,000 people evacuated the area by sea.

Portuguese colonial war

Between July and October 1975, following the end of the Portuguese colonial war in Africa, the government flew around 600,000 Portuguese citizens from ex-colonies such as Angola and Mozambique to Portugal.

Hurricane Floyd

In September 1999, Hurricane Floyd prompted one of the largest evacuations in American history. It's estimated that three million people had to leave their homes.

Eruption of Mount Vesuvius in 79 CE

In 79 CE, the devastating eruption of Mount Vesuvius in Italy caused the mass evacuation of Pompeii.

The Great Famine (1845-1852)

The Great Famine, aka the Irish Potato Famine or the Great Hunger, led to at least 2.1 million people leaving Ireland.

World War II evacuation of women and children in Germany

The same happened in Germany, with millions of citizens being evacuated to the countryside. The aim of the Kinderlandverschickung or KLV, as Germans called it, was for women and children to be safe from air raids.

1979 Mississauga train derailment

On November 10, 1979, a train derailed in Mississauga, Ontario, Canada. The accident caused a chlorine leak, leading to the evacuation of around 218,000 people.

Operation Solomon

Operation Solomon was a covert Israeli military operation conducted between May 24 and 25, 1991. The goal was to take 14,325 Ethiopian Jews to Israel.

Grand Forks flooding

In April 1997, the Red River of the North flooded, leading to the evacuation of nearly 50,000 people in Grand Forks, North Dakota.

2002 European floods

In August 2002, several countries in Europe were hit by heavy rainfall, which resulted in flooding. Some 250,000 Czech citizens were evacuated, around 156,000 people were evacuated in Germany, and 1,500 individuals in Hungary had to flee, just to name a few instances.

2016 Fort McMurray wildfire

On May 1, 2016, a wildfire in Fort McMurray, Alberta, Canada, led to the evacuation of over 88,000 people. This remains the largest wildfire evacuation in Alberta's history.

Hurricane Rita

In 2005, this intense tropical cyclone prompted the evacuation of at least 2.5 million people in Louisiana and Texas.

2021 Kabul airlift

The withdrawal of US and NATO forces from Afghanistan in 2021 led to a massive evacuation operation. It's estimated that over 120,000 people, both foreign and Afghan citizens, fled the country over the course of two weeks.

Hurricane Gustav

In 2008, Hurricane Gustav led to the evacuation of least 1.9 million people in Louisiana alone. Around 300,000 people were also evacuated in Cuba.

Hurricane Irene

Hurricane Irene hit the Caribbean and the East Coast of the United States in August 2011, prompting the evacuation of over 1,400 people.

Typhoon Hagupit

Typhoon Hagupit, or Typhoon Ruby, ravaged the Philippines in 2014. An estimated one million people were evacuated.

Kincade Fire in 2019

On October 23, 2019, a wildfire broke out in Sonoma County, California. It was not fully contained until November 6. At least 185,000 people were forced to leave their homes.