The 5 Most Expensive Natural Disasters in the World

4.  North American Drought of 1988

Only eight years after the Heat Wave, yet another hot disaster had to be faced by the United States. This time the drought continued into 1989, causing unbelievable amounts of damage to the Midwestern population. The drought led to wildfires and dust storms, which together with the elevated temperatures led to huge crop losses. Eventually, the concurrent 1988-1989 heat wave and drought killed around 10,000 people and resulted in $78 billion in damage.