 Large areas of Earth 's surface are subject to extreme weather such as tropical cyclones , hurricanes , or typhoons that dominate life in those areas . From 1980 to 2000 , these events caused an average of 11 @,@ 800 human deaths per year . Many places are subject to earthquakes , landslides , tsunamis , volcanic eruptions , tornadoes , sinkholes , blizzards , floods , droughts , wildfires , and other calamities and disasters . 
