Unpredictability is a standard part of our lives, ruled by numerous factors. Among them, the natural calamities often take the cake to fit themselves at the top of the list. Storms, as ferocious as they are, are equally insane.
Throughout history, there have been a few notable storms, ones that have been captured in photos that have made chills run down people’s spines. Not only do they showcase their turbulent nature, but they truly depict the ferocity of nature.
If you are intrigued, scroll down because we have sorted out the top 25 insane storm photos that deserve your attention.
1. The Supercell Over Colorado Plains (USA, 2013)
When the Supercell formed and made landfall in 2013, most onlookers around Colorado reported that the storm resembled an “alien mothership.” The hues of green and grey spun around, creating golf-ball-sized hail and winds that snapped trees like matchsticks.
2. Hurricane Katrina’s Landfall (Louisiana, USA – August 2005)
Hurricane Katrina, labelled as the “costliest tropical cyclone” in U.S history, truly left people speechless. The satellite and ground-level images showed walls of black clouds and roiling waves consuming the city when the hurricane’s landfall happened in August 2005. The photos truly showcase the fierceness of a Category 5 storm.
3. The Twin Tornadoes of Pilger (Nebraska, USA – June 2014)
Two violent EF-4 tornadoes touched down simultaneously near Pilger, a rare meteorological event. However, beyond the destruction, the conjoined tornadoes posed for an epic photo, leaving you dumbfounded, appearing like twin funnels tearing across open fields, tearing apart homes and barns.
4. Shelf Cloud Over Sydney (Australia – November 2015)
Almost resembling the appearance of an apocalypse, the shelf clouds that hovered over Sydney in 2015 cloaked the skyscrapers in black. People enjoying a soak in Bondi Beach were left speechless, and some stunned photographers captured these advancing clouds, almost resembling a tsunami in the sky.
5. The Wedge Tornado in El Reno (Oklahoma, USA – May 2013)
Measuring 2.6 miles in width, the Wedge Tornado was recorded as the widest tornado to date. It was a storm chaser’s dream sight wherein the tornado’s majestic nature dwarfed the buildings and highways.
6. Volcanic Thunderstorm at Calbuco (Chile – April 2015)
Sometimes, nature leaves us speechless, and the sight of lightning raging inside the ash plume as Calbuco erupted was truly a rare phenomenon. It led to “volcanic lightning,” which was photographed as a storm within a storm: fire meeting ice and static.
7. Haboob in Phoenix (Arizona, USA – July 2011)
Named Haboob, this enormous dust storm hit Phoenix in 2011, almost resembling a rolling brown avalanche. This photo captured it moments before it swallowed the skyline, darkening day into night. The storm’s onslaught led to power outages, traffic chaos, etc.
8. Tornado at Rozel (Kansas, USA – May 2013)
Not every day do you get to witness a hauntingly beautiful tornado spiraling like a white ghost against the backdrop of an orange-hued sunset. The event was captured in Rozel, Kansas, and truly defines nature’s terrifying beauty. The stark yet minimalistic terror behind the picture is what has made it so popular to this day.
9. Thundersnow Over Boston (Massachusetts, USA – February 2015)
Thundersnow events are rare, so immortalizing such a moment from 2015 in pictures and videos is truly a miracle. The view of the snow-filled sky, but with lightning piercing through, almost felt like an AI-curated event.
10. The Derecho Over Chicago (Illinois, USA – June 2012)
A derecho—essentially a thunderstorm superhighway—flattened parts of the Midwest with hurricane-force winds. This photo showed a terrifying arcus cloud curling over Chicago’s skyline, moments before the city was pummeled by lightning, downpours, and winds over 90 mph.
11. Cyclone Yasi’s Approach (Queensland, Australia – February 2011)
The view of the approaching Cyclone Yasi almost felt like an experience from the outer universe. However, it tore through Queensland with 155 mph winds on the ground. The picture truly encapsulates the wrath of the cyclone and the power it holds in uprooting everything that comes in its way.
12. The Green Sky Before a Tornado (South Dakota, USA – June 2016)
When viewing the Northern Lights, it is one thing to witness the sky change colors to green, blue, and purple. However, in 2016, the entire sky over South Dakota turned a bright neon green before a tornado, simultaneously leaving the residents in fear and awe.
13. Typhoon Haiyan’s Aftermath (Tacloban, Philippines – November 2013)
Not just the before, but the aftermath of a typhoon is enough to tear through people’s hearts. The storm surge flooding in Tacloban is unforgettable, showcasing entire neighborhoods submerged under the waves and floodwater. Haiyan’s 195 mph winds and catastrophic flooding made this image a sombre reminder of how powerful nature can be.
14. Lightning Superstorm in Rapid City (South Dakota, USA – July 2015)
The look of an electrified sky above Rapid City in South Dakota felt and looked like something out of a mythology book. No rain, just lightning—simply nature’s fireworks. This storm produced over 10,000 strikes in just a few hours.
15. Tornado Over Fields of Simla (Colorado, USA – June 2015)
This photo caught a delicate yet powerful twister twisting across the open fields. The surrounding nature had a calm beauty, while the tornado emerged as a swirling fury. The entire event almost felt fragile yet feral.
16. The “Mammatus Apocalypse” (Nebraska, USA – May 2004)
Mammatus clouds hung like an upside-down sea above Nebraska after a massive supercell passed through. This photo looked surreal: orange-lit bulges creating a fiery alien sky. The storm had already dropped baseball-sized hail, but the clouds were its strange, beautiful aftermath.
17. Ice Storm Over Ljubljana (Slovenia – February 2014)
Snowfall in Slovenia is a common occurrence. However, in 2014, the sudden ice storm over Ljubljana left people frozen. The entire urban city was covered in snow and icicles, an event that truly looks crippling. Even the power lines snapped under the weight of the storm.
18. The Fire Tornado of Redding (California, USA – July 2018)
Rare natural calamities are fascinating but equally devastating, and the Fire Tornado of Redding is one of the finest examples. A rare firenado roared to life during the Carr Fire, spinning at EF-3 strength. The photo of this flaming vortex—red, glowing, swirling—is hell incarnate.
19. Storm Over Table Mountain (Cape Town, South Africa – January 2020)
The occurrence of a shelf cloud is one of the most terrifying natural occurrences, and the storm over table mountains in Cape Town in 2020 is one such example. This epic photo caught the moment a rare summer storm broke over Cape Town, surrounded by fog and lightning.
20. The Lightning Spiderweb in Rio (Brazil – December 2014)
As a storm erupted over Rio de Janeiro, lightning bolts scattered across the sky like cracked glass. This image—Christ the Redeemer beneath a sky aflame with electricity—became one of the most shared storm photos of the decade. It was as divine as it was dangerous.
21. Hurricane Dorian’s Eye Over the Bahamas (Abaco Islands – September 2019)
Shot from above, Dorian’s eye was a near-perfect circle surrounded by walls of fury. On the ground, it stalled over the Abacos, unleashing 185 mph winds for over 24 hours. The satellite photo captured the stillness, one that would eventually wreak havoc.
22. Dust Storm at Sunset in Woomera (Australia – January 2020)
A vivid orange dust storm swallowed the outback town of Woomera during a 2020 heatwave. Many people said that the image almost looked and felt as if Mars was engulfing the Earth. The thick orange backdrop of the sky with the cloaking red sand was a mystery unfolding.
23. Tornado in Suburbia (Dallas, Texas – October 2019)
A narrow, twisting tornado touched down in a Dallas neighborhood, and one resident caught it from their front yard.
24. Lightning Show Over Dubai (UAE – December 2018)
This time-lapse image from the Burj Khalifa showed bolts of lightning piercing Dubai’s skyscrapers from multiple directions. Beyond the desert thunderstorms, this nighttime miracle was truly worth highlighting.
25. Tropical Storm Harvey Flooding (Houston, USA – August 2017)
This photo showed a highway transformed into a river. Cars floated. Street signs were submerged. Harvey dropped 50+ inches of rain in 4 days—unprecedented.
Conclusion
Whether it’s the before, the ongoing wrath, or the aftermath of the storm, each phase truly brings up the massive power that nature holds. Witnessing that strength in its rawest form is a fascinating experience one can’t forego for anything else.
