a terrible disaster
[count]
The oil spill was an environmental catastrophe.
Experts fear a humanitarian catastrophe if food isn’t delivered to the refugees soon.
global/nuclear/economic catastrophe
[noncount]
an area on the brink of catastrophe
— catastrophic kætəˈstrɑːfɪk adjective [more catastrophic; most catastrophic]
The effect of the war on the economy was catastrophic.
a catastrophic drought
— catastrophically kætəˈstrɑːfɪkli adverb
The dam failed catastrophically, flooding the entire valley.