Natural disasters

There are many types of various natural disasters that the Clans have had to overcome in their territories. Some can be sent by StarClan as a sign or signal, but sometimes a simple storm is just a storm. The Clans often have to move out of their camp to avoid the disasters, and many cats die because of them.

Fire

 * Fire is deadly to the Clans because of the wooded areas they live in. Even a small spark can lead to a raging forest fire which destroys all the flammable material in its path. Dry spells can make a fire more of a possibility. ThunderClan especially has had much trouble with fires due to their territory being the most thickly wooded and the most prone to fires spreading quickly. Yellowfang, Patchpelt, and Halftail were all killed in a forest fire back in Rising Storm. During a forest fire, many cats can die by breathing in too much smoke. They can also lead to prophecies and omens, such as the omen Cinderpelt predicted about Fire and Tiger.

Storms

 * Storms are quite common, but not all are dangerous. In extreme cases, they can cause other disasters. Heavy rain can cause flooding, and many forest fires are caused by lightning striking a tree and setting it on fire. On rare occasions, large amounts of rain can erode the dirt from around a tree's roots, making it fall. Multiple storms or lengthy storms can lead to flooding. Flooding is mostly trouble to RiverClan because of the rivers surrounding their camp. They are sometimes forced to move out of their camp to avoid the flood. There have also been occasions when cats have been indirectly killed by lightning.

Flood

 * Flooding is not unusual for the Clans in heavy rains, but RiverClan is most susceptible to it because of their habitat along the river. Floods often occur in newleaf after the leaf-bare snow and ice has melted, causing the excess water to flow to the river and make the water level rise. In some cases, RiverClan has been forced to relocate their camp temporarily due to flooding.

Drought

 * Sometimes in greenleaf the streams dry up from heat and lack of rain causing a drought. When this happens, it affects all the Clans, although sometimes RiverClan is better off because the river allows them a larger water source that does not often dry up completely. This can be very dangerous for an entire Clan as water is essential to survival, and warriors have to pitch in and fetch water, using moss, for kits, queens, and elders, so that they do not die of dehydration.

Snow and Freezing

 * Snow is frozen water that falls from clouds and is very cold. During leaf-bare, temperatures are always lower than usual, and this can present several dangers. Not only is it colder for the cats themselves, but it also causes scarcity of prey, and frost can kill herbs used by medicine cats, making them helpless to heal their Clanmates. Freezing of the river is also dangerous to RiverClan because it makes them unable to catch fish, their primary food source. On rare occasions, a cat (especially a very young or very old cat) can freeze to death if outside in snowy, freezing temperatures (such as Mosskit).

Falling Trees

 * Falling trees are hazardous and can crush whatever they land on. Falling trees occur naturally in the forest due to old age, borers, erosion, floods or lightning strikes, but Twolegs sometimes chop them down. In the New Prophecy Series, Twolegs chopped down the forest to build a new Thunderpath. One well-known example of a falling tree is in Fading Echoes, when a tree fell from its place after heavy rains. It killed Longtail and broke Briarlight's spine, leaving her crippled for life. It also damaged the ThunderClan camp and the nests had to be rebuilt.

Other Disasters

 * There are also other, less common natural occurrences that still present danger to the Clans. When the sun eclipses, it removes the Clans' only source of light, and leaves them barely able to see for a few minutes. Also, in rocky areas such as the tunnels, ThunderClan's hollow, Sunningrocks, or the Tribe of Rushing Water's mountains, rockfalls are possible and can crush a cat just as easily as a tree.

Crookedstar's Promise

 * In the prologue, there is a flood, and RiverClan is forced to move out of their camp. The flood completely destroys the camp, and after it is over, it takes more than a moon to rebuild. Crookedkit and Oakkit are born while RiverClan are moving out, and they are forced to shelter in an oak tree. Duskwater, who was making dirt when the camp flooded, dies somewhere in the floods, and Brightsky goes back to find her, but fails.

Bluestar's Prophecy

 * On a cold, snowy night, Mosskit freezes to death in her sleep while her mother, Bluefur, is taking her and her siblings, Stonekit and Mistykit, to live with their father, Oakheart, in RiverClan. Stonekit and Mistykit make it, but are also half frozen.

Forest of Secrets

 * The river is flooded, causing problems for RiverClan and forcing them to leave their camp, unable to catch prey, and take away two of Mistyfoot's kits, one being Reedwhisker. Fireheart and Graystripe rescue the two kits learning of the Clan's trouble and begins to bring them food from their territory until the flooded river settles down.

Rising Storm

 * A fire strikes ThunderClan's camp, and kills Yellowfang, Halftail, and Patchpelt. Bluestar identifies it with the &quot;fire&quot; prophecy, and she loses her faith in StarClan completely, seeing that the fire almost destroyed the Clan instead of saving it.

Midnight

 * During a dry greenleaf, the Clans suffer from drought. WindClan is especially hurt by this due to the lack of streams in their territory, so Tallstar asks Leopardstar if WindClan can take water from the river to survive the drought. Leopardstar agrees, but warns them not to take any prey from the river. Also, in ThunderClan, Leafpaw and Cinderpelt experience a fire, and Cinderpelt discovers the Fire and Tiger omen.

Starlight

 * During Mudclaw's rebellion, a thunderstorm brews. When he is standing by the lakeside confronting Brambleclaw and Hawkfrost, a bolt of lightning strikes a tall pine tree on the island and it topples right onto Mudclaw, crushing him to death. This ends Mudclaw's attempt to steal WindClan's leadership, and also provides the Clans with a bridge to cross to the Island for Gatherings, as they needed a Gathering place.

Sunset

 * Brambleclaw sees that Twolegs started a fire on the clearing near the ShadowClan border to cook their meal, and fears that they will set the forest to fire, but in the end, they don't.

The Sight

 * It is briefly mentioned that Rainwhisker was killed by a falling branch during a storm between Sunset and The Sight.

Dark River

 * When Lionpaw, Jaypaw, Hollypaw, Heatherpaw, and Breezepaw go to save the WindClan kits in the underground tunnels, it begins to rain and the tunnels fill up with water from a hole in the roof, causing them to flood. Only thanks to Fallen Leaves' and Rock's advice to Jaypaw are they able to find the kits and a way out of the rapidly filling tunnels through an underground river leading into the lake.

Eclipse

 * A solar eclipse occurs during a battle between the four Clans, frightening them and removing their only source of light. This sudden shock causes the battle to break up.

Long Shadows

 * When Lionblaze, Hollyleaf, Jayfeather, Flamepaw, Dawnpaw, and Tigerpaw are making a fake sign from StarClan to convince Blackstar to believe in them again, they dig up the roots of two trees, causing them to fall over. Because this was planned, no cat was injured.


 * A lightning bolt causes the forest near ThunderClan's camp to catch fire, so all the cats evacuate the camp. Fortunately, no cat dies. The cats shelter in the Abandoned Twoleg Nest during the fire.

Sunrise

 * When Hollyleaf runs into the tunnels, the entrance collapses behind her in an unexpected rockfall. However, the rock fall did not kill her.

The Fourth Apprentice

 * The Clans are suffering from a major drought during this greenleaf from lack of rainfall, and all the streams and most of the lake have dried up. All the Clans are barely able to survive with little prey and scarce water.


 * A small fire later strikes ThunderClan's camp due to the heat. A water patrol of Graystripe, Cloudtail, and Lionblaze throw the moss at the fire in order to stop it.


 * The drought is finally alleviated when a patrol containing cats from all four Clans journey upstream and remove a dam holding back all the lake's water, which rushes back to their territories.

Fading Echoes

 * After heavy rains for a long period of time, the ground is very muddy and unstable, leaving the roots of a tree on the edge of ThunderClan's hollow very loose, and eventually making it fall into the hollow. Fortunately, Dovepaw is able to hear the shifting of the roots before it falls and the camp is evacuated, but some cats are still in the camp when it crashes down. Longtail is killed, and Briarlight's backbone is broken from the impact. ThunderClan grieved and had a difficult time cleaning up the camp, but they are thankful that no more cats died.