Hurricane Katrina, U.S. (2005)

Cost: $81 billion total damage cost (by NOAA)

Hurricane Katrina of the 2005 Atlantic hurricane season was one of the worst disasters in the U.S. history. It made landfall along the Gulf Coast on Aug. 25, 2005. At least 1,836 people died in the hurricane and in the subsequent floods. Five years later, thousands of displaced residents in Mississippi and Louisiana were still living in temporary accommodations.

The total damage from Katrina is estimated at $81 billion (2005 U.S. dollars). It also generated the largest single loss in the history of insurance - $41 billion, according to the Insurance Information Institute.

 Northridge earthquake, California, U.S. (1994)

Cost: $42 billion (by NOAA)

While there have been more powerful earthquakes than the magnitude 6.7 Northridge quake, it caused large-scale damage throughout Los Angeles and the San Fernando Valley due to the location of its epicenter.

The Northridge earthquake occurred on Jan. 17, 1994, in Reseda, a neighborhood in the city of Los Angeles, Calif., and lasted for about 10-20 seconds. The quake resulted in more than 60 deaths and more than 5,000 injuries. More than 25,000 people were left homeless, according to the Federal Emergency Management Agency. In addition, the earthquake caused an estimated $25 billion in damage, making it one of the costliest natural disasters in the U.S. history.