Hollywood screenwriters love to conjure up the worst-case scenario for every situation. What if you met the love of your life, but they died a slow, painful death? What if an evil megalomaniac wanted to kill half of the world's population? What if sharks start falling out of the sky? Moviegoers always show up when disaster strikes.

One needn't look to the world of fantasy or science fiction to find a story with real stakes. Mother Nature gives us plenty of tales of destruction all on her own. Indeed, some of the most compelling films examine humankind's often futile struggle to overpower — or simply survive — the awe-inspiring forces of nature. From true stories of survival against all odds to fictional calamities that stretch the limits of believability, we're drawn toward catastrophe.

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