For those in the United States, last years will probably always be associated with the record hurricanes that caused widespread damage in Texas, Florida and Puerto Rico. In California, raging wildfires destroyed thousands of structures.
But around the world, millions faced other natural disasters as well, including volcanic eruptions in Indonesia and massive flooding in Peru. Scroll down to see photos of these events from across the globe!
Residents wade through flood waters from Tropical Storm Harvey in Houston, Texas.
A firefighter tackles a wildfire close to the village of Pucarica in Portugal.
People leave San Ramon in a car taking their horse by the reins after a forest fire devastated the nearby town of Santa Olga, 240 kilometers south of Santiago, Chile.
The Sinabung volcano spews molten lava during an eruption in Indonesia.
A man rides his bicycle through a damaged road in Toa Alta, west of San Juan, Puerto Rico, on Sept. 24, 2017, following the passage of Hurricane Maria.
Residents of the Huachipa populous district, east of Lima, Peru, are helped on March 17, 2017, by police and firemen rescue teams to cross over flash floods hitting their neighborhood and isolating its residents.
Wildfires burn along the Twelve Apostles area of Table Mountain in Cape Town, South Africa.
An aerial view shows burned properties in Santa Rosa, California.
An aerial view of a flooded area in Asakura City in Japan.
Firefighters work to put out a forest fire near Bouca, in central Portugal.
A wave breaks against a pier and a lighthouse as storm Ana smashes into Cassis, France.
A view from Colima State, Mexico, shows the Volcano of Fire in eruption on Jan. 19, 2017.
Indonesian rescuers search for survivors after a wall of mud slammed onto houses on a hillside after heavy rainfall on April 2, 2017.
Soldiers stand guard near the Sensacion hotel, which collapsed when a powerful earthquake struck Mexico.
Firefighters work to put out a forest fire in Valparaiso, Chile.
A boy walks towards a stranded boat in San Juan del Sur beach following the passage of Tropical Storm Nate in Nicaragua.
A firefighter monitors flames as a house burns in the Napa wine region in California.
A man runs as a big wave hits the pier of the port of A Guarda in northwestern Spain during a storm.
The Oroville Dam spillway releases 100,000 cubic feet of water per second down the main spillway in Oroville, California.
Indian villagers travel by boat through floodwaters.