20 Cities Abandoned After Natural Disasters

Earthquakes, volcanoes, floods, and other forces made them too dangerous to live in. Some were buried in ash or washed away, while others slowly sank or crumbled over time. Each one tells a story of how nature can end a community’s life in a single moment or over many years.

1. Pompeii, Italy

Pompeii sits frozen in time after a catastrophic volcanic eruption of Mount Vesuvius in 79 AD. The ash buried entire streets and homes, so residents could not return. Archaeologists later uncovered preserved frescoes and casts of people caught in the disaster. The site remains a vivid example of rapid abandonment triggered by a natural event.

2. Helike, Greece

Helike was a Greek city-state destroyed by an earthquake and tsunami around 373 BC. Its location was lost for centuries beneath sediment and swamp. Recovery efforts in recent decades have exposed its foundations beneath the lagoon. Its story reveals how extreme natural forces erased an entire settlement from the map.

3. Coringa (Hope Island), India

The port city of Coringa faced a devastating cyclone on 25 November 1839. A storm surge of 40 feet destroyed ships and houses, while more than 300,000 lives were lost. Survivors did not rebuild in the same spot, and the old city faded away. Its disappearance shows how single-event disasters can leave no trace of human habitation.

4. Beichuan, China

Beichuan was devastated by the 2008 Sichuan earthquake and subsequent landslides. Many structures collapsed, and the town was largely evacuated. Today, it remains preserved as a memorial rather than a functioning community. It highlights how seismic forces can trigger permanent abandonment.

5. Valmeyer, Illinois, USA

Valmeyer faced severe flooding during the Great Flood of 1993 and chose to relocate to higher ground. The old town district was abandoned, and only a few structures remain. Residents built a new community instead of rebuilding on the floodplain. The case shows how flooding risk can lead to pre-emptive abandonment of entire towns.

6. Holland Island, Maryland, USA

Holland Island once supported dozens of homes, a church, and a dance hall on the Chesapeake Bay. Rising sea levels and shoreline erosion gradually destroyed the land beneath the houses. In 2010, the last house collapsed into the water, and the island no longer hosts a community. This example illustrates how slow-acting natural processes can render a settlement uninhabitable.

7. Villa Epecuén, Argentina

Villa Epecuén became inundated by a rising salt lake after heavy rains breached its retaining wall in 1985. The town was evacuated and largely submerged under brine for decades. When the waters receded, many ruins appeared, but the town never regained its residents. Its story emphasizes how changing hydrology can kill a settlement’s viability.

8. Akrotiri, Greece

Akrotiri on the island of Santorini was buried by a volcanic eruption around 1600 BC. The settlement was abandoned and preserved under ash, similar in concept to Pompeii. Archaeologists uncovered multi-storey buildings, murals, and advanced infrastructure. This site shows ancient proactive abandonment due to volcanic risk.

9. Chaitén, Chile

The town of Chaitén was forced to evacuate after the eruption of Chaitén Volcano in 2008. Rivers of ash and lahars destroyed infrastructure and made the location unsafe. Some residents never returned, and the original settlement remains largely uninhabited. The slide shows how volcanic hazards lead to abandonment even in modern times.

10. Thistle, Utah, USA

Thistle, Utah was destroyed by a massive landslide in 1983 that blocked a river and flooded the town. The federal government declared it a disaster and relocated the community elsewhere. Very little remains of the original town today. Thistle demonstrates how geological movement can abruptly end a settlement’s life.

11. Saint‑Jean‑Vianney, Quebec, Canada

On 4 May 1971, a massive landslide in Saint-Jean-Vianney killed dozens and destroyed the town. The land beneath the town was unstable due to Leda clay. Authorities evacuated the remaining residents, and the town ceased to exist. This case underscores the danger of building on unstable terrain.

12. Armero, Colombia

Armero was buried by volcanic mudflows (lahars) in 1985 after the eruption of Nevado del Ruiz. Approximately 23,000 people died, and the town lost its purpose. The abandoned site is now a memorial to lives lost and the disaster’s power. This example highlights how volcanic and hydrological hazards combine to destroy settlements.

13. Plymouth, Montserrat

Plymouth, Montserrat was evacuated after the eruption of Soufrière Hills in 1995. Pyroclastic flows and ash forced the abandonment of the island’s capital. The government declared no-go zones, and the town remains uninhabited. It provides a clear example of modern urban abandonment caused by volcanic activity.

14. Port Wakefield, Alaska, USA

Port Wakefield in Alaska was abandoned after its harbour and settlement were destroyed by erosive forces and geological change. The site now features decaying wooden buildings standing on rapidly eroding ground. Residents had little choice but to leave. It shows how remote communities may be especially vulnerable to environmental change.

15. Vunidogoloa, Fiji

Vunidogoloa is the first Fijian village relocated because of sea-level rise and storm surges in 2014. The entire community moved inland, abandoning their original coastal home. The old site remains as evidence of climate-driven relocation. It highlights how gradual environmental change can force the abandonment of towns.

16. Thistle City (ruins), Utah, USA

The flooding after the landslide in Thistle submerged railroad tracks and homes alike in 1983. The town’s transportation links were severed, and the rail line was diverted. Without core infrastructure, the town did not return. It demonstrates how infrastructure failure can doom a settlement.

17. Herculaneum, Italy

Herculaneum was destroyed alongside Pompeii by Mount Vesuvius’ eruption but preserved under hot volcanic flows. The town’s sudden end forced the complete abandonment of homes and lives. Excavations reveal wooden structures, food stores, and wooden doors still intact. This dial illustrates how rapid volcanic disasters leave entire communities frozen in time.

18. Thorne Bay (Alaska mining town)

Although Thorne Bay’s abandonment was driven by industry collapse, its remote location and environmental hardship contributed to the departure. The logging economy dried up, and the settlement dwindled. Residents moved away in search of better opportunities. It serves as a reminder that disasters can be economic and ecological, not just natural catastrophes.

19. Craco, Italy

Craco sits on a hilltop in southern Italy and was evacuated after soil erosion and landslides made it unsafe in the 1960s. Residents relocated to a nearby settlement, leaving the old village intact but empty. The dramatic setting attracts film crews and photographers now. This demonstrates how geologic instability can lead to abandonment even in historic European towns.

20. Kitakami Ghost City (Japan)

This planned Japanese town faced relocation when the disaster risks and population decline outpaced its development. Despite infrastructure investment, the town failed to attract residents and was ultimately vacated. Nature’s risks combined with demographic shifts to make the settlement unsustainable. This final slide underlines how abandonment is not only a sudden disaster but can be a gradual collapse of viability.

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