Natural disasters are big events in nature that can cause a lot of damage. These include earthquakes, floods, tornadoes, hurricanes, and wildfires. People have always talked about these events, and over time, they created special phrases called idioms to describe strong emotions, big problems, or sudden events. These idioms don’t always mean what they say. Instead, they use ideas from natural disasters to talk about everyday life in fun and interesting ways.
For example, someone might say “a storm is coming” when they feel trouble is near. Others may say “on shaky ground” when they are unsure about something. Idioms like these help us share how we feel or describe tough situations in a simple way. In this article, we’ll learn 30 idioms that use natural disasters to describe things in life.
Idioms About Natural Disasters
1. Storm is brewing
Meaning: Trouble is coming soon
Example Sentence:
• I can tell a storm is brewing—Mom looks very upset.
• When the kids started arguing, I knew a storm was brewing.
Other ways to say: Trouble ahead, something bad is coming
Fun Fact/Origin: This comes from watching dark clouds form before a real storm.
Usage: Used when a problem is about to start
2. On thin ice
Meaning: In a risky or dangerous situation
Example Sentence:
• You’re on thin ice if you keep talking back to the teacher.
• He was on thin ice after missing practice again.
Other ways to say: In trouble, walking a fine line
Fun Fact/Origin: Comes from walking on frozen water that could crack anytime.
Usage: Used when someone is close to getting in trouble
3. Weather the storm
Meaning: Get through a tough time
Example Sentence:
• We had to weather the storm during Dad’s job loss.
• She weathered the storm and came out stronger.
Other ways to say: Get through it, survive hard times
Fun Fact/Origin: From sailors surviving storms at sea
Usage: Used when someone makes it through a difficult situation
4. Like a tornado
Meaning: Very fast or chaotic
Example Sentence:
• My little brother moves through the house like a tornado.
• After the birthday party, the room looked like a tornado hit it.
Other ways to say: Very messy, full of action
Fun Fact/Origin: Tornadoes are fast and spin with great power.
Usage: Used to describe messy or crazy behavior
5. In hot water
Meaning: In trouble
Example Sentence:
• I was in hot water for not doing my homework.
• He got in hot water after lying about his grades.
Other ways to say: In trouble, caught in a bad spot
Fun Fact/Origin: Comes from the idea of being in boiling water—uncomfortable!
Usage: Used when someone is in trouble
6. Earth-shattering
Meaning: Very shocking or important
Example Sentence:
• The news was earth-shattering—it changed everything.
• Her win in the contest was earth-shattering for our small school.
Other ways to say: Shocking, life-changing
Fun Fact/Origin: From how earthquakes shake the ground
Usage: Used when something is very surprising
7. Come out of the blue
Meaning: Happen suddenly and unexpectedly
Example Sentence:
• The rain came out of the blue during recess.
• Her question came out of the blue—I wasn’t ready.
Other ways to say: All of a sudden, without warning
Fun Fact/Origin: Comes from the idea of a clear blue sky suddenly changing
Usage: Used for sudden surprises
8. Get wind of
Meaning: To hear about something secretly
Example Sentence:
• I got wind of the surprise party from my cousin.
• She got wind of the plan and joined in.
Other ways to say: Hear a rumor, find out
Fun Fact/Origin: From the way animals sense wind to detect danger
Usage: Used when someone hears secret news
9. Firestorm
Meaning: A lot of anger or excitement at once
Example Sentence:
• The school rule change caused a firestorm among students.
• The comment started a firestorm on social media.
Other ways to say: Big fuss, uproar
Fun Fact/Origin: A firestorm is a strong fire that spreads quickly
Usage: Used when people react strongly and quickly
10. Calm before the storm
Meaning: A quiet time before something big happens
Example Sentence:
• The house was quiet—just the calm before the storm of visitors.
• Everything seemed fine before the test—it was the calm before the storm.
Other ways to say: Peace before trouble, quiet moment
Fun Fact/Origin: From the still weather just before a real storm
Usage: Used when something big is about to happen
11. Blow over
Meaning: A problem goes away without causing harm
Example Sentence:
• The fight will blow over soon.
• Everyone was upset, but it blew over by the next day.
Other ways to say: Settle down, pass
Fun Fact/Origin: Comes from how storms move past and disappear
Usage: Used when a problem ends on its own
12. In the eye of the storm
Meaning: In the middle of a bad situation
Example Sentence:
• The teacher was in the eye of the storm during the class argument.
• She found herself in the eye of the storm after the rumor spread.
Other ways to say: In the center of trouble, part of the issue
Fun Fact/Origin: In a hurricane, the center is called the eye—it is calm, but surrounded by danger
Usage: Used when someone is caught in the middle of a conflict
13. Go up in flames
Meaning: End suddenly and badly
Example Sentence:
• His plans went up in flames after the mistake.
• The event went up in flames when the power went out.
Other ways to say: Fail suddenly, fall apart
Fun Fact/Origin: Comes from something burning quickly in a fire
Usage: Used when plans or events fail fast
14. Drown in something
Meaning: Have too much to do or deal with
Example Sentence:
• I’m drowning in homework this week.
• She’s drowning in chores today.
Other ways to say: Overloaded, buried
Fun Fact/Origin: From the idea of being underwater and unable to breathe
Usage: Used when someone has too much to handle
15. Lightning fast
Meaning: Very quick
Example Sentence:
• He moved lightning fast on the football field.
• She gave a lightning-fast answer in class.
Other ways to say: Super quick, speedy
Fun Fact/Origin: Comes from how fast lightning strikes
Usage: Used to describe fast action or movement
16. Rock the boat
Meaning: To cause trouble or change things
Example Sentence:
• Don’t rock the boat—just follow the rules.
• He rocked the boat by asking a tough question.
Other ways to say: Stir things up, cause change
Fun Fact/Origin: From being on a boat where rocking can cause trouble
Usage: Used when someone causes disruption
17. Break the ice
Meaning: To start a conversation or make people feel comfortable
Example Sentence:
• We played a game to break the ice at the party.
• She told a joke to break the ice with her new class.
Other ways to say: Start talking, ease tension
Fun Fact/Origin: Comes from ships breaking ice to move forward
Usage: Used when helping people feel less awkward
18. A flood of emotions
Meaning: Many feelings at once
Example Sentence:
• I felt a flood of emotions at the graduation.
• Seeing my old dog brought a flood of emotions.
Other ways to say: Overwhelmed by feelings, emotional burst
Fun Fact/Origin: Compares feelings to water rushing in
Usage: Used when someone feels many things at once
19. Spread like wildfire
Meaning: Move or grow very fast
Example Sentence:
• The news spread like wildfire.
• The video spread like wildfire on the internet.
Other ways to say: Spread fast, go viral
Fun Fact/Origin: Wildfires move very quickly over dry land
Usage: Used for fast-moving news or trends
20. Shake things up
Meaning: To cause big changes
Example Sentence:
• The new coach really shook things up.
• Changing the rules shook things up at school.
Other ways to say: Change everything, stir things
Fun Fact/Origin: Comes from shaking something so it’s not the same
Usage: Used when something big changes
21. Walking on air
Meaning: Feeling very happy
Example Sentence:
• She was walking on air after winning the contest.
• He felt like he was walking on air after the big game.
Other ways to say: On cloud nine, super happy
Fun Fact/Origin: From the feeling of floating due to excitement
Usage: Used when someone is very joyful
22. Ice cold
Meaning: Unfriendly or without emotion
Example Sentence:
• His reply was ice cold.
• She gave me an ice-cold stare.
Other ways to say: Very cold, not kind
Fun Fact/Origin: Ice is freezing, just like the feeling when someone is mean
Usage: Used to describe cold behavior
23. Tidal wave of support
Meaning: A large amount of help or kindness
Example Sentence:
• After the fire, they got a tidal wave of support.
• A tidal wave of support came in for the fundraiser.
Other ways to say: Lots of help, big response
Fun Fact/Origin: A tidal wave is a large ocean wave caused by nature
Usage: Used when people give lots of support
24. Hit like a ton of bricks
Meaning: Affect someone very strongly
Example Sentence:
• The bad news hit me like a ton of bricks.
• When I realized my mistake, it hit me like a ton of bricks.
Other ways to say: Hit hard, feel deeply
Fun Fact/Origin: Bricks are heavy—imagine a whole ton!
Usage: Used when something feels sudden and powerful
25. Storm out
Meaning: Leave a place angrily
Example Sentence:
• He stormed out after the argument.
• She stormed out of the room during dinner.
Other ways to say: Leave in anger, rush out
Fun Fact/Origin: From the quick and loud action of a storm
Usage: Used when someone leaves while mad
26. Blow off steam
Meaning: Let out anger or stress
Example Sentence:
• He played basketball to blow off steam.
• I went for a walk to blow off steam after the test.
Other ways to say: Cool down, calm your nerves
Fun Fact/Origin: Comes from steam engines needing to release pressure
Usage: Used when someone needs to calm down
27. Like a volcano
Meaning: Ready to explode with anger
Example Sentence:
• Mom looked like a volcano after the mess.
• He was like a volcano after hearing the bad grade.
Other ways to say: Very angry, about to explode
Fun Fact/Origin: Volcanoes explode with hot lava—just like big feelings
Usage: Used when someone is very upset
28. Meltdown
Meaning: Emotional breakdown
Example Sentence:
• She had a meltdown after losing her phone.
• He had a meltdown when the project didn’t work.
Other ways to say: Emotional burst, freak-out
Fun Fact/Origin: Comes from metal melting down in too much heat
Usage: Used when someone gets overwhelmed
29. Uprooted
Meaning: Forced to move or leave
Example Sentence:
• They were uprooted by the flood.
• The family felt uprooted after moving states.
Other ways to say: Displaced, forced to move
Fun Fact/Origin: Like pulling a tree out of the ground
Usage: Used when people must leave home
30. Get swept away
Meaning: Get carried away by emotions or events
Example Sentence:
• She got swept away by the fun of the party.
• He got swept away in the excitement of winning.
Other ways to say: Get carried off, caught up
Fun Fact/Origin: Comes from how floods or waves can carry things away
Usage: Used when someone gets caught up in a strong feeling or moment
Quiz: Idioms About Natural Disasters
Instructions: Read each question and the answer choices carefully. Pick the letter that best matches the meaning of the phrase or expression.
Question Key
1. What does “weather the storm” mean?
A) To avoid going outside
B) To survive a tough situation
C) To create a storm
2. If someone says, “You’re on thin ice,” what are they saying?
A) You’re very cold
B) You’re in a risky spot
C) You’re skating well
3. What does “come out of the blue” mean?
A) Something happened suddenly
B) The sky turned gray
C) Someone is sad
4. What does “spread like wildfire” mean?
A) Something burned
B) Something moved very slowly
C) Something became popular or known quickly
5. If a person “blew off steam,” what did they do?
A) They got angrier
B) They let out their stress
C) They boiled water
6. What does it mean if someone “rocked the boat”?
A) They played in water
B) They caused change or trouble
C) They sailed calmly
7. What does “in hot water” mean?
A) Taking a warm bath
B) Getting into trouble
C) Drinking tea
8. If someone had a “meltdown,” what happened?
A) They cleaned up
B) They got very cold
C) They became very upset
9. What does “eye of the storm” mean?
A) Watching the weather
B) Being in the middle of a problem
C) A calm person
10. What does it mean to be “swept away”?
A) To get carried off by feelings or excitement
B) To clean the floor
C) To go swimming
11. If something “goes up in flames,” what does it mean?
A) It was burned for fun
B) It ended badly or failed
C) It became very bright
12. What does “tidal wave of support” mean?
A) A group of people surfing
B) A huge amount of help
C) A lot of ocean water
Answer Key
- B) To survive a tough situation
- B) You’re in a risky spot
- A) Something happened suddenly
- C) Something became popular or known quickly
- B) They let out their stress
- B) They caused change or trouble
- B) Getting into trouble
- C) They became very upset
- B) Being in the middle of a problem
- A) To get carried off by feelings or excitement
- B) It ended badly or failed
- B) A huge amount of help
Wrapping Up
Idioms that use natural disasters help us describe big feelings and tricky times. They make talking about life more colorful. Whether you’re “walking on air” or trying to “weather the storm,” these phrases add meaning in simple ways.
By learning these idioms, you can better understand what people mean. You can also use them to share your own feelings in fun and clear ways.
