What expression do you have in English as a counterpart to Japanese saying “Earthquake, Thunderbolt, Fire and Father"?

Solution 1:

Fortunately, in the UK, we don't suffer from natural disasters on the scale other countries do, so expressions related to them are very uncommon and I don't think any are in popular usage all over the country.

The great (natural ) disaster comes always when you have totally forgotten it.

seems similar to 'Things always happen when you least expect them' although this is a rather generic expression.

The other one is (the most fearful things under the sun are) “Earthquake, Thunderbolt, Fire and Father.”

This one however doesn't seem to have an English counterpart, as the most common natural disaster in the UK is flooding or snow related in some areas maybe there are reigional expressions which resemble this but none in common usage that I can think of.

Solution 2:

What about 'the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse', who from my memory of the book of Revelation are War, Famine, Pestilence and Death?