The following is a list of weather events that occurred on Earth in 2002. There were several natural disasters around the world from various types of weather, including blizzards, cold waves, droughts, heat waves, tornadoes, and tropical cyclones. The deadliest disaster was a heat wave in India in May, which killed more than 1,030 people. The costliest event of the year was a flood in Europe in August, which killed 232 people and caused €27.7 billion (US$27.115 billion) in damage. In September, Typhoon Rusa struck South Korea, killing at least 213 people and causing at least ₩5.148 trillion (US$4.2 billion) in damage.
The first storm to develop in the northern hemisphere was Tropical Storm Tapah on January 9 east of the Philippines. There were a total of 36 tropical cyclones that year. Among the storms were Typhoon Rusa, which was the most powerful typhoon to strike South Korea in 43 years, and which caused at least 213 fatailties and ₩5.148 trillion (US$4.2 billion).[16][17]Tropical Storm Kammuri killed 153 people in China.[18] Mudslides caused by Typhoon Chataan killed 47 people in the Federated States of Micronesia, becoming the deadliest natural disaster in the history of Chuuk State.[19] In the North Indian Ocean, there were seven tropical cyclones, beginning with a cyclonic storm that struck Oman in May.[20] In November, a cyclonic storm struck West Bengal, killing 173 people.[21] There were 19 tropical cyclones in the eastern Pacific, including three Category 5 hurricanes – Elida, Hernan, and Kenna. The last of the three, Kenna, also struck southwestern Mexico.[22] In the Atlantic Ocean, there were 14 tropical cyclones, nine of which formed in September, including hurricanes Isidore and Lili which moved through the Caribbean and into the southern United States.[23]
^Kim, Yong-kyun; Sohn, Hong-Gyoo (11 July 2017). "Disasters from 1948 to 2015 in Korea and Power-Law Distribution". Disaster Risk Management in the Republic of Korea. Disaster Risk Reduction. pp. 77–97. doi:10.1007/978-981-10-4789-3_3. ISBN978-981-10-4788-6. PMC7123863.
^Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (10 March 2003). "2002 Annual Tropical Cyclones Review"(PDF). World Meteorological Organization. Archived(PDF) from the original on 3 March 2016. Retrieved 15 July 2008.
^Disaster List. Université Catholique de Louvain (Report). EM-DAT: The OFDA/CRED International Disaster Database. Archived from the original on 3 February 2014. Retrieved 16 October 2013.