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 adjective (more catastrophic; most catastrophic)
The effect of the war on the economy was catastrophic.
a catastrophic drought
— catastrophically adverb
The dam failed catastrophically, flooding the entire valley.