Additional Coverage:
Chilling Photos Capture the Moment Disaster Struck
These striking images capture the instant everything changed, frozen in time by tragedy. From natural disasters to acts of terror, each photo offers a glimpse into the raw power of these events.
- Mount St. Helens Erupts (1980): A massive plume of ash and smoke engulfs the Washington landscape.
- Tornado in Oklahoma (1898): A rare photograph captures the destructive force of a tornado.
- Challenger Explosion (1986): The heartbreaking moment the space shuttle disintegrated mid-flight.
- September 11 Attacks (2001): A haunting image of the World Trade Center towers.
- Deepwater Horizon Oil Rig Explosion (2010): Flames and smoke billow from the offshore rig.
- Chernobyl Nuclear Disaster (1986): A somber view of the Chernobyl power plant after the explosion.
- Texas City Disaster (1947): The devastating aftermath of the industrial explosion.
- Port Chicago Disaster (1944): A captured moment of the catastrophic munitions explosion.
- Hurricane Katrina (2005): Floodwaters inundate New Orleans in the wake of the hurricane.
- Triple Tragedy in Japan (2011): The devastating earthquake, tsunami, and subsequent nuclear crisis.
- Oklahoma City Bombing (1995): The wreckage of the Alfred P.
Murrah Federal Building.
- Costa Concordia Shipwreck (2012): The cruise ship lies capsized off the coast of Italy.
- San Francisco Earthquake and Fire (1906): A city in ruins after the devastating earthquake and subsequent fires.
- The Great New England Hurricane (1938): The destructive power of nature is on full display.
- The Halifax Explosion (1917): A chilling image capturing the aftermath of the massive explosion.