Natural disasters profoundly impact national economies and development, necessitating reliable data for effective disaster management. This paper explores the intersection of natural disasters and economic development, emphasizing the role of emerging technologies in enhancing societal resilience. It addresses the issue of data unreliability in current disaster databases and advocates for collaborative efforts to improve data accuracy. Specifically, a Disaster Severity Index (DSI) is introduced as a novel global framework for assessing disaster severity, integrating various economic and developmental indicators. The study highlights how a country’s socio-economic environment influences disaster impacts, particularly in vulnerable nations. Using regression and time series analysis, it uncovers intriguing relationships, such as the effect of epidemics on the Livestock Index in nations with low resilience. This underscores the complexity of disaster impacts and emphasizes the critical role of data reliability and technological advancements in strengthening societal resilience.