Earthquakes, hurricanes, century floods: Time and again, nature reveals its destructive side through such events - and has been doing so for millions of years. Natural disasters have also shaped and influenced our own history: they created myths, decided wars, and caused entire empires to fall. Even today - despite all advancements in science and technology - these natural phenomena remain among the forces of our planet that are still uncontrollable and often unpredictable. But what makes earthquakes and similar events so unpredictable? Why do tornadoes occur even in our regions? And how will climate change affect future natural hazards? This book explores the answers that exist so far to these and other questions, as well as what we still do not know today. It provides an overview of the major natural disasters of our planet and explains the underlying factors.