List of disasters in the United States by death toll
List of United States disasters by death toll is a list of notable disasters which occurred in the United States or involved U.S. citizens, in a definable incident.
Due to inflation, the monetary damage estimates are not comparable. Unless otherwise noted, the year given is the year in which the currency's valuation was calculated.
This list is not comprehensive in general, and epidemics are not included.
More than 400 fatalities
Year | Type | Fatalities | Damage (US$) | Article | Location | Comments |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1900 | Tropical cyclone | 6,000 to 12,000 | about $28 000 000 | 1900 Galveston hurricane | Texas | Fatalities estimated. Remains the deadliest natural disaster in North American history. |
1906 | Earthquake and Fire (urban conflagration) | 3,000-6,000 | 1906 San Francisco Earthquake | San Francisco, California | Conflagration followed quake; fatalities estimated | |
1928 | Tropical cyclone | 3,000+ | $800,000,000 (2005) |
1928 Okeechobee hurricane | Florida | 4,078+ believed dead total. 2500+ in Florida, 500+ in Puerto Rico. |
2001 | Terrorism | 2,996 | $1,000,000,000 (2001) |
September 11 attacks | New York City, New York
Arlington, Virginia and Shanksville, Pennsylvania |
2,977 victims (mostly U.S.) plus 19 hijackers. |
1941 | Military strike | 2,466 | Attack on Pearl Harbor | Pearl Harbor, Hawaii | 2,402 U.S. victims and 64 Japanese soldiers. | |
1889 | Accident - Dam burst | 2,209 | Johnstown Flood | Pennsylvania | Much rain, deforestation; dam failed | |
1893 | Tropical cyclone | 2,000 | 1893 Cheniere Caminada Hurricane | Louisiana | Fatalities estimated | |
2005 | Tropical cyclone | 1,836 | $108,000,000,000 | Hurricane Katrina | Florida, Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama, Georgia, Kentucky, and Ohio | Costliest natural disaster in U.S. history. |
1865 | Accident - Shipwreck | 1,700 | Sultana | Memphis, Tennessee | Steamboat sank due to boiler explosion; fatalities estimated | |
1980 | Heat wave | 1,700 | 1980 United States heat wave | Central and southern states | Official death toll, may have been higher | |
1912 | Accident - Shipwreck | 1,490-1,517 | Sinking of the RMS Titanic | Near Newfoundland
and Nova Scotia, Canada. |
En Route to New York City from Queenstown, Ireland. | |
1871 | Fire (rural) | 1,200-2,500 | Peshtigo Fire | Peshtigo, Wisconsin | Fatalities estimated; most deaths in single fire in U.S. history | |
1904 | Accident - Shipwreck | 1,021 | PS General Slocum | East River near New York City | Steamship sank due to fire on board | |
1893 | Tropical cyclone | 1,000-2,000 | 1893 Sea Islands Hurricane | Georgia, | Fatalities estimated | |
1945 | Direct action (military), | 879 | USS Indianapolis (CA-35) | Near Guam | ||
1915 | Accident - Shipwreck | 844 | S.S. Eastland | Chicago, Illinois | ||
1995 | Heat wave | 739 | Chicago Heat Wave of 1995 | Chicago, Illinois | ||
1925 | Tornado | 695-747 | $1,650,000,000 (2005) |
Tri-State Tornado | Missouri, Illinois and Indiana (Kentucky, Tennessee) | Lower number for single 3-state tornado; higher for 5-state outbreak |
1903 | Fire (building) | 602 | Iroquois Theatre Fire | Chicago, Illinois | ||
1919 | Tropical cyclone | 600 | 1919 Florida Keys Hurricane | Florida | ||
1928 | Accident - Dam failure | 600 | St. Francis Dam | Santa Clarita, California | ||
1938 | Tropical cyclone | 600 | 1938 New England hurricane | |||
1947 | Accident - Explosion | 581 | Texas City Disaster | Texas City, Texas | Ammonium nitrate onboard ship | |
1871 | Fire | 500 (estimated) | Great Michigan Fire | Michigan | ||
1942 | Fire (building) | 492 | Cocoanut Grove fire | Boston, Massachusetts | Nightclub | |
1927 | Exploitation, Silicosis | 476-1,000+ | Hawks Nest Tunnel Disaster | Gauley Bridge, West Virginia | 178 admitted deaths, 476 with congressional inquiry, 1,000+ by epidemiologists. | |
1918 | Fire (rural) | 453 | $7,300,000 | 1918 Cloquet Fire | Minnesota | |
1936 | Tornado outbreak | 436+ | 1936 Tupelo–Gainesville tornado outbreak | Alabama, Arkansas, Mississippi, Georgia, South Carolina, Tennessee | Two tornadoes in Tupelo, Mississippi, and Gainesville, Georgia, killed 233 and 203 people respectively | |
1913 | Flood | 428 | 1913 (Ohio) Statewide Flood | Ohio | ||
1935 | Tropical cyclone | 423 | 1935 Labor Day hurricane | Florida |
151 to 400 fatalities
Year | Type | Fatalities | Damage (US$) | Article | Location | Comments |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1860 | Accident - Shipwreck | 400 | PS Lady Elgin | Chicago, Illinois | ||
1888 | Blizzard | 400 | Great Blizzard of 1888 | Northeast | Fatalities estimated | |
1857 | Shipwreck | 400 | SS Central America, 1857 | Off the coast of Georgia | Fatalities estimated | |
1894 | Fire (rural) | 400 | Great Hinckley Fire | Hinckley, Minnesota and vicinity | ||
1937 | Flood | 385 | $5,000,000,000 | Ohio River flood of 1937 | Ohio, Kentucky, Indiana, Illinois | |
1907 | Accident - Coal mine | 362 | Monongah Mining disaster | Monongah, West Virginia | ||
1913 | Flood | 361 | Great Dayton Flood | Dayton, Ohio | Flood was created by a series of three winter storms that hit the region in March, 1913 | |
1950 | Blizzard | 353 | $66,700,000 (1950) |
Great Appalachian Storm of November 1950 | Eastern US States | |
2011 | Tornado outbreak | 348 | ~$11,000,000,000 (2011) |
April 25–28, 2011 tornado outbreak | Midwestern United States, Southern United States, Eastern United States, Southern Ontario | 355 tornadoes, with one of the deadliest in Tuscaloosa and Birmingham, Alabama. 324 tornadic deaths, with another 24 from related weather. |
1932 | Tornado outbreak | 330 | $4,340,000 | 1932 Deep South tornado outbreak | Southern United States | At least 36 tornadoes, including 10 violent (F4 or F5) storms, resulting in 268 deaths in Alabama alone. |
1930 | Fire (building) | 322 | Ohio Penitentiary | Columbus, Ohio | ||
1944 | Accident - Explosion | 320 | Port Chicago disaster | Port Chicago, California | WWII ammunition ignited | |
1974 | Tornado outbreak | 319 | $3,500,000,000 (2005) |
Super Outbreak | Ontario, Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, Ohio, Kentucky, Tennessee, Alabama, Mississippi, Georgia, North Carolina, Virginia, West Virginia and New York | 148 tornadoes |
1993 | Cyclonic Blizzard | 310 | $6,650,000,000 (2008) |
1993 Storm of the Century | Ontario, Quebec, Eastern United States, Cuba | |
1865 | Accident - Explosion | 300 | Mobile magazine explosion | Mobile, Alabama | Civil War ammunition | |
1937 | Accident - Explosion | 296-319 | $13,000,000 (2003) |
New London School explosion | New London, Texas | Gas leak |
1881 | Fire (rural) | 282 | $2,347,000 | Thumb Fire | Michigan | |
1898 | Explosion | 274 | USS Maine | Havana, Cuba | A major event that precipitated the Spanish–American War. Exact cause remains unknown. | |
1979 | Accident - Aircraft | 273 | American Airlines Flight 191 | Chicago, Illinois | Deadliest single-aircraft accident in US history | |
1965 | Tornado outbreak | 271 | Palm Sunday Tornado Outbreak | Iowa, Ohio, Michigan, Indiana | 78 tornadoes | |
1999 | Heat wave | 271 | Midwest and Northeast | |||
2001 | Accident - Aircraft | 265 | American Airlines Flight 587 | Queens, New York | ||
1913 | Accident - Coal mine | 263 | Dawson, New Mexico | |||
1909 | Accident - Coal mine | 259 | Cherry Mine Disaster | Cherry, Illinois | ||
1937 | Accident - Coal mine | 257 | Grundy, Virginia | |||
1969 | Tropical cyclone | 256 | Hurricane Camille | Mississippi, | ||
1896 | Tornado | 255-400 | $2,900,000,000 (1997) |
St. Louis-East St. Louis Tornado | Missouri | |
1913 | Blizzard | 250 | $5,000,000 (1913) |
Great Lakes Storm of 1913 | Great Lakes region | Fatalities estimated |
1953 | Tornado outbreak sequence | 247 | Flint-Worcester tornado outbreak sequence | Michigan
Ohio, Nebraska and Massachusetts |
116 Deaths in Flint, Michigan, 94 in Worcester, Massachusetts. | |
1927 | Flood | 246 | $400,000,000 | Great Mississippi Flood of 1927 | Arkansas, Illinois, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, and Tennessee | |
1972 | Flood | 238 | $160,000,000 (1972) $664,000,000 (2002) |
1972 Rapid City Flood | Rapid City, South Dakota | Average rainfall over area of 60 mi² measured at 10-15 inches (380 mm), over 6 hours in middle of night June 9–10, 1972. |
1996 | Accident - Aircraft | 230 | TWA Flight 800 | Long Island, New York | ||
1997 | Accident - Aircraft | 228 | Korean Air Flight 801 | Nimitz Hill, Guam | ||
1998 | Terrorism | 223 | 1998 United States embassy bombings | Tanzania | 4,000+ injured | |
1999 | Accident - Aircraft | 217 | EgyptAir Flight 990 | Atlantic Ocean near Nantucket, Massachusetts | ||
1940 | Fire (building) | 209 | Rhythm Club Fire | Natchez, Mississippi | ||
1871 | Fire (urban conflagration) | 200-300 | Great Chicago fire | Chicago, Illinois | Fatalities estimated; 125 bodies recovered | |
1900 | Accident - Coal mine | 200 | Scofield mine disaster | Scofield, Utah | ||
1898 | Accident - Shipwreck | 192 | The Portland | Gloucester, Massachusetts | ||
1863 | Mass Murder, Military Operation | 185-200 | Lawrence Massacre | Lawrence, Kansas | ||
1947 | Tornado | 181 | 1947 Glazier–Higgins–Woodward tornadoes | Oklahoma (especially Woodward), Texas (including Glazier and Higgins), Kansas | ||
1890 | Mass Murder, Military Operation | 178 | Wounded Knee Massacre | Wounded Knee Creek, South Dakota | ||
1908 | Fire (building) | 174 | Collinwood school fire | Cleveland, Ohio | ||
1908 | Fire (building) | 171 | Rhoads Opera House | Boyertown, Pennsylvania | Sources conflict on number of fatalities: 170 or 171. | |
1995 | Terrorism | 168 | Oklahoma City bombing | Oklahoma City, Oklahoma | ||
1944 | Fire (building) | 168 | Hartford circus fire | Hartford, Connecticut | ||
1917 | Fire (mine) | 168 | Speculator Mine disaster | Butte, Montana | ||
1977 | Fire (building) | 165 | Beverly Hills Supper Club fire | Southgate, Kentucky | ||
1946 | Tsunami and Earthquake | 165 | Aleutian Island earthquake | Alaska | ||
1944 | Maritime Accident | 163 | West Loch Disaster | Pearl Harbor, Hawaii | Classified as top secret until 1960. | |
2011 | Tornado | 158 | $2,800,000,000 (2011) |
2011 Joplin tornado | Joplin, Missouri | Part of the May 21–26, 2011 tornado outbreak sequence. 4 additional fatalities resulted indirectly from this tornado. |
1987 | Accident - Aircraft | 156 | Northwest Airlines Flight 255 | Detroit, Michigan | ||
1982 | Accident - Aircraft | 153 | Pan Am Flight 759 | New Orleans, Louisiana |
70 to 150 fatalities
Year | Type | Fatalities | Damage (US$) | Article | Location | Comments | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1911 | Fire (building) | 146 | Triangle Shirtwaist Factory fire | New York City, New York | |||
1976 | Flood | 145 | Big Thompson Canyon Flood of 1976 | Colorado | |||
1978 | Accident - Aircraft | 144 | PSA Flight 182 | San Diego, California | |||
1840 | Accident - Shipwreck | 139 | Lexington | Long Island Sound | Steamship sank due to fire on board | ||
1985 | Accident - Aircraft | 137 | Delta Air Lines Flight 191 | Dallas, Texas | |||
1967 | Fire | 134 | >$72,000,000 | 1967 USS Forrestal fire | Gulf of Tonkin, Vietnam | ||
1960 | Accident - Aircraft | 134 | 1960 New York mid-air collision | New York City, New York | |||
1994 | Accident - Aircraft | 132 | USAir Flight 427 | Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania | |||
1944 | Accident - Explosion | 130 | $7,000,000- $15,000,000 |
Cleveland East Ohio Gas Explosion | Cleveland, Ohio | ||
1963 | Accident - Submarine | 129 | USS Thresher (SSN-593) | Atlantic Ocean, off the coast of Massachusetts | Deadliest submarine disaster in history. | ||
1956 | Accident - Aircraft | 128 | 1956 Grand Canyon mid-air collision | Grand Canyon, Arizona | Parts of wreckage still visible | ||
1915 | Incident - Maritime | 128 | Sinking of the RMS Lusitania | Atlantic Ocean near Kinsale, Ireland | Ship torpedoed by a German U-boat. 1,198 fatalities resulted overall; 128 of them were Americans. | ||
1972 | Accident - Dam burst | 125 | Buffalo Creek Flood | Logan County, West Virginia | |||
2004 | Tropical cyclone | 121 | $18,800,000,000 (2004) |
Hurricane Ivan | Texas; Florida | 54 deaths in U.S.; 67 more in the Caribbean and Venezuela | |
1929 | Fire (building) | 123 | Cleveland Clinic fire of 1929 | Cleveland, Ohio | |||
2005 | Tropical cyclone | 120 | $12,000,000,000 (2005) |
Hurricane Rita | Louisiana | ||
1946 | Fire (building) | 119 | Winecoff Hotel | Atlanta, Georgia | |||
1899 | Tornado | 117 | >$300,000 ($8,381,000 in today's dollars). | New Richmond tornado | New Richmond, Wisconsin | Tornado hit the same time the circus was in town. | |
1918 | Earthquake | 116 | 1918 San Fermin earthquake | Puerto Rico | |||
1938 | Flood | 115 | Los Angeles Flood of 1938 | Los Angeles, California | |||
1964 | Tsunami and Earthquake | 115 | $1,800,000,000 (2006) |
Good Friday Earthquake | Alaska, Hawaii, Oregon, California, British Columbia | ||
1837 | Accident - Shipwreck | 115 | Wreck of the Mexico | Long Beach, New York | Eight people rescued from shore. One hundred fifteen crew and passengers (mostly Irish immigrants, and many of them women and children) froze to death on the deck of the ship just 200 yards from shore. See book: "Water and Ice: The Tragic Wrecks of the Bristol and the Mexico on the South Shore of Long Island" @ www.Lynhistory.com The wreck of the Mexico is the subject of Walt Whitman's poem, "Sleepers" in Leaves of Grass. | ||
1953 | Tornado | 114 | 1953 Waco tornado outbreak | Waco, Texas | Other tornadoes in the outbreak caused an additional 30 deaths | ||
1981 | Accident - collapse | 114 | Hyatt Regency walkway collapse | Kansas City, Missouri | |||
1975 | Accident - Aircraft | 113 | Eastern Air Lines Flight 66 | New York City, New York | |||
2008 | Tropical cyclone | 112 | $29,500,000,000 (2008) |
Hurricane Ike | Texas; Louisiana | 34 people still missing as of 2013 | |
1904 | Train wreck | 111 | Eden train wreck | Pueblo, Colorado | |||
1947 | Accident - Coal mine | 111 | Centralia mine disaster | Centralia, Illinois | |||
1971 | Accident - Aircraft | 111 | Alaska Airlines Flight 1866 | Juneau, Alaska | |||
1989 | Accident - Aircraft | 111 | United Airlines Flight 232 | Sioux City, Iowa | |||
1996 | Accident - Aircraft | 110 | ValuJet Flight 592 | Florida Everglades | |||
1869 | Accident - Coal mine | 108 | Avondale Mine Disaster | Plymouth, Pennsylvania | |||
1918 | Accident - Railroad | 101 | Great train wreck of 1918 | Nashville, Tennessee | |||
1963 | Accident - Aircraft | 101 | Northwest Airlines Flight 293 | Near Annette Island, Alaska | |||
1972 | Accident - Aircraft | 101 | Eastern Air Lines Flight 401 | Miami, Florida | |||
1978 | Blizzard | 100 | $1,075,000,000 (2010) |
Northeastern United States Blizzard of 1978 | Northeast | Fatalities Estimated | |
2003 | Fire (building) | 100 | The Station nightclub fire | West Warwick, Rhode Island | 4th-deadliest nightclub fire in U.S. history, killing 100 people and injuring more than 200. | ||
1890 | Accident - Shipwreck | 98 | Sea Wing disaster | Lake Pepin near Lake City, Minnesota | Strong winds toppled the excursion vessel. | ||
1922 | Roof collapse (snow) | 98 | Knickerbocker Theatre | Washington, District of Columbia | |||
1904 | Accident - Railroad | 97 | Eden train wreck | Pueblo, Colorado | |||
1910 | Avalanche | 96 | Wellington avalanche | Wellington, Washington | |||
1962 | Accident - Aircraft | 95 | American Airlines Flight 1 | New York City, New York | |||
1958 | Fire (building) | 95 | Our Lady of the Angels School Fire | Chicago, Illinois | |||
1954 | Tropical cyclone | 95 | Hurricane Hazel | North Carolina; South Carolina | U.S. victims only | ||
1918 | Accident - Railroad | 93 | Malbone Street Wreck | Brooklyn, New York | |||
1876 | Accident - Railroad | 92 | Ashtabula River Railroad Disaster | Ashtabula, Ohio | |||
1974 | Accident - Aircraft | 92 | TWA Flight 514 | Berryville, Virginia | |||
1973 | Accident - Aircraft | 89 | Delta Air Lines Flight 723 | Boston, Massachusetts | |||
2000 | Accident - Aircraft | 88 | Alaska Airlines Flight 261 | Pacific Ocean near Anacapa Island, California | |||
1990 | Fire (building) | 87 | Happy Land Fire | New York City, New York | |||
1910 | Fire (rural) | 86 | Great Fire of 1910 | Washington, Idaho, Montana | |||
1918 | Accident - Railroad | 86 | Hammond Circus Train Wreck | Hammond, Indiana | |||
1993 | Police raid - Fire | 86 | Waco Siege | Branch Davidian Complex, Waco, Texas | 6 Davidians and 4 police killed in initial raid, 76 Davidians died in assault weeks later when building was set on fire by Davidan leader David Koresh to gain martyrdom. | ||
1968 | Accident - Aircraft | 85 | United Airlines Flight 629 | Dawson, Texas | |||
1951 | Accident - Railroad | 85 | Woodbridge train wreck | Woodbridge, New Jersey | |||
1980 | Fire (building) | 84 | MGM Grand Hotel fire | Las Vegas, NV, Nevada | |||
1965 | Accident - Aircraft | 84 | Eastern Air Lines Flight 663 | New York City, New York | |||
1969 | Accident - Aircraft | 83 | Allegheny Airlines Flight 853 | Shelby County, Indiana | A Piper Cherokee 140, piloted by a student who was a week away from getting his private pilot's license, collided with an Allegheny Airlines DC-9. The flight originated in Boston and had stopped in Baltimore and Cincinnati.[1] | ||
1967 | Accident - Aircraft | 82 | Piedmont Airlines Flight 22 | Hendersonville, North Carolina | |||
1986 | Accident - Aircraft | 82 | 1986 Cerritos mid-air collision | Cerritos, California | |||
1887 | Accident - Railroad | 81-85 | Great Chatsworth Train Wreck | Chatsworth, Illinois | |||
1963 | Accident - Aircraft | 81 | Pan Am Flight 214 | Elkton, Maryland | Lightning strike | ||
1943 | Accident - Railroad | 79 | Frankford Junction train wreck | Philadelphia, Pennsylvania | |||
1982 | Accident - Aircraft | 78 | Air Florida Flight 90 | District of Columbia | |||
1976 | Accident - Shipwreck | 78 | MV George Prince ferry disaster | Mississippi River, Louisiana | Deadliest ferry disaster in US history | ||
1968 | Accident - Coal mine | 78 | Farmington Mine Disaster | Farmington, West Virginia | |||
1961 | Accident - Aircraft | 78 | TWA Flight 529 | Hinsdale, Illinois | |||
1950 | Accident - Railroad | 78 | Kew Gardens train crash | Kew Gardens, New York | |||
1961 | Accident - Aircraft | 77 | Imperial Airlines Flight 201/8 | Richmond, Virginia | |||
1970 | Accident - Aircraft | 75 | Southern Airways Flight 932 | Ceredo, WV | Deadliest sports tragedy in US history | ||
1963 | Accident - Explosion | 74 | Pepsi Coliseum | Indianapolis, Indiana | |||
1913 | Stampede | 73 | Italian Hall Disaster | Calumet, Michigan | |||
1933 | Accident - Airship | 73 | USS Akron (ZRS-4) | Atlantic Ocean, off the coast of New Jersey | Deadliest airship disaster in history. | ||
1957 | Fire (building) | 72 | Warrenton Nursing Home Fire | Warrenton, Missouri | |||
1974 | Accident - Aircraft | 72 | Eastern Air Lines Flight 212 | Charlotte, North Carolina | |||
1943 | Accident - Railroad | 72 | Rennert railroad accident | Rennert, North Carolina | |||
2012 | Tropical cyclone | 72 | $71,400,000,000 | Hurricane Sandy | Most of the United States East Coast | 87 indirect fatalities occurred in the United States. At least 126 additional fatalities (75 direct; 51 indirect) occurred in the Caribbean and the Bahamas; 21 people are still missing in Haiti. | |
1985 | Accident - Aircraft | 70 | Galaxy Airlines Flight 203 | Reno, Nevada |
30 to 69 fatalities
Fewer than 30 fatalities
Year | Type | Fatalities | Damage (US$) | Article | Location | Comments |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1871 | Accident - Railroad | 29 | Great Revere Train Wreck of 1871 | Revere, Massachusetts | ||
1971 | Accident - Explosion | 29 | Thiokol-Woodbine Explosion | Woodbine, Georgia | ||
1975 | Shipwreck | 29 | Wreck of the SS Edmund Fitzgerald | Lake Superior | ||
1976 | Accident - school bus | 29 | Yuba City bus disaster | Martinez, California | Deadliest road accident in U.S. history | |
1977 | Accident - Aircraft | 29 | University of Evansville basketball team charter crash | Evansville, Indiana | The University of Evansville basketball team was traveling to Middle Tennessee State University when the plane crashed 90 seconds after takeoff from Dress Regional Airport.[4] | |
1990 | Tornado | 29 | $160,000,000 | 1990 Plainfield tornado | Plainfield, Illinois | |
2010 | Accident - Coal mine | 29[5] | Upper Big Branch Mine disaster | Montcoal, West Virginia | ||
1951 | Flood | 28 | $7,000,000,000 (2005) |
Great Flood of 1951 | Kansas | |
2012 | Mass murder - School shooting | 28 | Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting | Sandy Hook, Connecticut | Adam Lanza shot and killed his mother, then drove to Sandy Hook Elementary School, where he fatally shot 20 students and 6 educators before committing suicide.[6] | |
1958 | Accident - school bus | 27 | Prestonsburg, Kentucky bus disaster | Prestonsburg, Kentucky | ||
1988 | Accident - school bus | 27 | Carrollton bus disaster | Carrollton, Kentucky | ||
1970 | Tornado | 26 | $1,411,900,000 (2008) |
Lubbock Tornado | Lubbock, Texas | F5 tornado killed 26 and wounded approximately 500 |
2008 | Accident - Railroad | 26 | 2008 Chatsworth train collision | Chatsworth, California | ||
1991 | Fire (building) | 25 | Hamlet chicken processing plant fire | Hamlet, North Carolina | Workers trapped behind locked doors | |
1982 | Fire (building) | 25 | Dorothy Mae Apartments | Los Angeles, California | Arson fire killed 19 residents on scene, 6 others died later from injuries. | |
1991 | Fire (rural) | 25 | $1,500,000,000 | 1991 Oakland firestorm | Oakland, California and vicinity | |
2005 | Tornado | 25 | $92,000,000 | Evansville Tornado of November 2005 | Missouri, Indiana, Kentucky, Ohio | 7 tornadoes |
1692 | Mass hysteria
Execution Neglect |
24 | Salem witch trials | Salem, Massachusetts | 21 Executed for "Witchcraft," 3 died in jail due to neglect. | |
1887 | Bridge Railroad | 24 | Forest Hills disaster | Boston, Massachusetts | ||
1991 | Mass murder | 24 | Luby's shooting | Killeen, Texas | 23 murdered, Gunman committed suicide | |
2005 | Accident - bus | 24 | Wilmer, Texas | carrying elderly, fleeing hurricane | ||
2013 | Tornado | 24 | 2013 Moore tornado | Moore, Oklahoma | 377 people were injured | |
1919 | Accident - Railroad | 23 | Onawa train wreck | Onawa, Maine | ||
1989 | Accident - Explosion | 23 | $1,415,000,000 (1990) |
Phillips Disaster | Pasadena, Texas | 314 people injured |
1959 | Explosion - Fire | 23 | Meldrim, Georgia trestle disaster | Meldrim, Georgia | ||
1992 | Tropical cyclone | 23 | $25,000,000,000 | Hurricane Andrew | Florida | |
1983 | Accident - Aircraft | 23 | Air Canada Flight 797 | Cincinnati, Ohio | ||
1977 | Blizzard | 23 | $56,250,000 (1977) |
Great Lakes Blizzard of 1977 | New York | The brunt of the blizzard was centered around Buffalo. |
1999 | Accident - tour bus | 22 | New Orleans, Louisiana | plunged over embankment, carrying senior citizens from casino | ||
1980 | Accident - tour bus | 22 | Jasper, Arkansas | |||
1960 | Accident - Aircraft | 22 | Cal Poly football team plane crash | Toledo, Ohio | ||
1910 | Fire, Structural failure | 21 | Chicago Union Stock Yards fire | Chicago, Illinois | ||
1986 | Accident - tour bus | 21 | Walker, California | |||
1915 | Fire (building) | 21 | St. Johns School Fire | Peabody, Massachusetts | Schoolgirls trapped behind exit door; resulted in first city law requiring that exit doors open outward | |
1919 | Accident - Explosion | 21 | $6,600,000,000 (2005) |
Boston molasses disaster | Boston, Massachusetts | Damages are out-of-court settlements only; repairs took 133 man-months |
2010 | Flood | 20 | June 2010 Arkansas floods | Albert Pike Recreational Area (near Langley, Arkansas) | ||
2005 | Accident - Shipwreck | 20 | Ethan Allen boating accident | Lake George, New York | Overloaded tour boat capsized from another boat's wake. | |
1872 | Fire (urban conflagration) | 20 | $73,500,000 (1872) |
Great Boston Fire of 1872 | Boston, Massachusetts | |
1897 | Accident - Railroad | 19 | Garrison train crash | Garrison, New York | ||
1944 | Accident - Aircraft | 19 | Long Creek Air Disaster | South Portland, Maine | ||
2013 | Wildfire | 19 | Yarnell Hill Fire | Yarnell, Arizona | 19 firefighters were killed trapped when they became trapped in the fast-spreading fire | |
1861 | Accident - Railroad | 17 to 20 | Platte Bridge Railroad Tragedy | St. Joseph, Missouri | ||
1903 | Accident - Railroad | 17 | Purdue Wreck | Indianapolis, Indiana | ||
1991 | Accident - Automobile | 17 | Dust Storm Accident | Coalinga, California | ||
1987 | Accident - Railroad | 17 | 1987 Maryland train collision | Chase, Maryland | ||
1978 | Accident - Railroad | 16 | Waverly, Tennessee, tank car explosion | Waverly, Tennessee | an additional 43 injured | |
1926 | Tornado | 16 | La Plata Tornado of 1926 | La Plata, Maryland | 13 killed in La Plata Elementary School | |
1954 | Fire (building) | 15 | Cleveland Hill Middle School Fire | Cheektowaga, New York | ||
1966 | Mass murder | 15 | University of Texas Massacre | Austin, Texas | ||
1999 | Mass murder | 15 | Columbine High School massacre | Jefferson County, Colorado | ||
2011 | Accident - tour bus | 15 | World Wide Tours bus crash | Bronx, New York | en route to Connecticut casino, March 12 | |
2013 | Accident - Explosion | 15 | West Fertilizer Company explosion | West, Texas | More than 160 people were injured. | |
2002 | Automobile accident | 14 | I-40 bridge disaster | Webbers Falls, Oklahoma | ||
1982 | Bridge - Accident | 14 | Cline Avenue Bridge collapse | East Chicago, Indiana | ||
1942 | Accident - Railroad | 14 | Ambassador - Cleveland Express rail collision | Dickerson, Maryland | Worst accident in B&O railroad's history | |
1935 | Bus accident | 14 | Appomattox River Drawbridge accident | Hopewell, Virginia | Bus drove across drawbridge when it was open. | |
1973 | Accident | 14 | Skyline Towers collapse | Bailey's Crossroads, Virginia | 74 others injured | |
2002 | Accident - van | 14 | Saint John River, Maine | |||
2007 | Wildfire | 14 | California wildfires of October 2007 | California | Large fires burnt out of control across southern California, fueled by unusually strong Santa Ana Winds; worst around San Diego; caused evacuation of over one million people. Most fires accidental; some arson. | |
1905 | Accident - Railroad | 13 | Ninth Avenue derailment | New York City, New York | ||
1963 | Accident - bus | 13 | Hole in the Rock Trail, Utah | Bus carrying Boy Scouts overturned climbing steep hill. | ||
2001 | Accident - Mine disaster | 13 | Jim Walter Resources Mine Disaster | Brookwood, Alabama | ||
2006 | Accident - Coal mine | 13 | Sago Mine disaster | Sago, West Virginia | ||
2007 | Accident - Bridge Collapse | 13 | $5,000,000 | I-35W Mississippi River bridge Collapse | Minneapolis, Minnesota | Collapsed on August 1 at 6:05 PM during rush hour while resurfacing in progress. An additional 111+ injured. |
2009 | Mass murder | 13 | Fort Hood shooting | Fort Hood, Texas | ||
1940 | Automobile accident | 12 | Two-car collision | Slayton, Minnesota | The deadliest two-car auto crash in U.S. history at the time. | |
1959 | Accident - Coal mine | 12 | Knox Mine Disaster | Pittston, Pennsylvania | ||
2012 | Mass Murder | 12 | 2012 Aurora shooting | Aurora, Colorado | 56 others were injured. | |
1999 | Accident - Railroad | 11 | 1999 Bourbonnais, Illinois train accident | Bourbonnais, Illinois | ||
2010 | Accident - Explosion | 11 | Deepwater Horizon explosion | Southeast of Louisiana coast | Caused by a blowout on April 20. 17 injuries. Subsequent oil spill regarded as worst environmental disaster in US history. | |
2003 | Accident - Shipwreck | 11 | 2003 Staten Island Ferry crash | New York City, New York | ||
1976 | Accident - Dam failure | 11 | $400,000,000 | Teton Dam | Idaho | |
2011 | Accident - Airshow | 11 | 2011 Reno Air Races crash | Reno, Nevada | At least 70 people injured in the disaster. Third-deadliest airshow disaster in U.S. history. | |
2005 | Mass murder - Railroad | 11 | 2005 Glendale train crash | Los Angeles, California | ||
1999 | Accident - Aircraft | 11 | American Airlines Flight 1420 | Little Rock, Arkansas | ||
1996 | Accident - Railroad | 11 | 1996 Maryland train collision | Silver Spring, Maryland | ||
1979 | Stampede | 11 | Riverfront Coliseum | Cincinnati, Ohio | The Who rock concert | |
1977 | Accident - Railroad | 11 | Chicago Loop derailment | Chicago, Illinois | ||
2014 | Accident - tour bus | 10 | Glenn County, California[7] | |||
2004 | Tropical cyclone | 10 | $15,000,000,000 | Hurricane Charley | Florida | |
1957 | Tornado | 10 | $25,883,000 | 1957 Fargo tornado | Fargo, North Dakota | |
1972 | Bridge - Accident | 10 | Sidney Lanier Bridge collapse | Brunswick, Georgia | ||
1972 | Accident - Aircraft | 10 | 1972 Chicago-O'Hare runway collision | Chicago, Illinois | ||
1987 | Bridge - Accident | 10 | Schoharie Creek Bridge Collapse | Fort Hunter, New York | ||
1858 | Structural failure - Bridge | 9 | Sauquoit Bridge Collapse | Sauquoit, New York | ||
1888 | Accident - Railroad | 9 | Wreck at the Fat Nancy | Orange County, Virginia | ||
2005 | Accident - Railroad | 9 | Graniteville, South Carolina train crash | Graniteville, South Carolina | ||
1903 | Accident - Railroad | 9 | Wreck of the Old 97 | Danville, Virginia | ||
2007 | Fire (Building) | 9 | Charleston Sofa Super Store Fire | Charleston, South Carolina | A flashover and structural collapse contributed to the deaths of nine Charleston firefighters. | |
2007 | Accident - Coal mine | 9 | Crandall Canyon Mine Collapse | Huntington, Utah | Original collapse on August 6 at 2:48 AM MDT, 6 miners missing. On August 16 at 6:30 PM MDT, 9 rescue workers caught in second collapse while trying to get to trapped miners. Three rescue workers pronounced dead; other 6 injured. | |
2009 | Accident - Railroad | 9 | Washington Metro subway train collision | Washington, District of Columbia | Approximately 80 injuries; deadliest subway train accident US history. Driver was texting at the time. | |
2012 | Fire - Building | 9 | 2012 Charleston house fire | Charleston, West Virginia | 1 injured | |
2013 | Tornado | 8 | 2013 El Reno tornado | Canadian County, Oklahoma | Four storm chasers killed, including Tim Samaras; first tornado on record to kill storm chasers; 151 injured; Widest tornado on record with a path width of 2.6 miles (4.2 km). | |
2009 | Accident - Automobile, Driving under the influence | 8 | 2009 Taconic State Parkway crash | Mount Pleasant, New York | 3 Additional Injuries | |
1984 | Fire - Building | 8 | Haunted Castle fire at Six Flags Great Adventure | Jackson Township, New Jersey | ||
1982 | Mass murder | 8 | Post Family Murders | Farwell, Michigan | ||
1996 | Flood | 8 | $500,000,000 | Willamette Valley Flood of 1996 | Washington, Oregon, Idaho, California | |
1989 | Bridge collapse | 8 | Hatchie River Bridge Collapse | Memphis, Tennessee | ||
2001 | Structural failure | 8 | Queen Isabella Causeway collapse | Cameron County, Texas | ||
2014 | Accident - Explosion | 8 | 2014 East Harlem apartment buildings explosion | New York City, New York | ||
1987 | Earthquake | 8 | $358,000,000 | Whittier Narrows earthquake | California, San Gabriel Valley | This earthquake occurred on a previously unknown, concealed thrust fault approximately 20 km east of downtown Los Angeles, California. |
1982 | Mass murder - Poisoning | 7 | Chicago Tylenol murders | Chicago, Illinois | Investigation still underway, as of 2012 | |
2012 | Mass murder- | 7 | Oikos University shooting | Oakland, California | ||
1976 | Mass murder- | 7 | California State University, Fullerton massacre | Fullerton, California | ||
1922 | Accident - Railroad | 7 | 1922 Winslow Junction Train Derailment | Winslow, Arizona | ||
1995 | Bridge - Accident | 7 | Coalinga, California | |||
1983 | Fire - Explosion | 7 | Propane explosion 12/27/83 | Buffalo, New York | Blast killed 5 fireman and 2 civilians | |
1901 | Fire (urban conflagration) | 7 | Great Fire of 1901 | Jacksonville, Florida | ||
2011 | Accident - collapse | 7 | Indiana State Fair stage collapse | Indianapolis, Indiana | 58 injured | |
1986 | Explosion Space Shuttle | 7 | Space Shuttle Challenger Disaster | Kennedy Space Center, Florida | The first in-flight deaths in the U.S. Space Program. Faulty booster design and engineers overruled by administrators. | |
2003 | Accident Space Shuttle | 7 | Space Shuttle Columbia Disaster | Texas, Louisiana | Heat shield damage due to debris strike during liftoff. | |
1974 | Mass murder | 6 | "The Amityville murders" committed by Ronald DeFeo, Jr. | Amityville, New York | "Butch" DeFeo told investigators that "voices" told him to kill his parents Louise and Ronald, Sr., and his siblings Dawn, Allison, Marc, and John Matthew. All the children were 18 and younger. The murders were exploited and fictionalized and later turned into a novel by Jay Anson called "The Amityville Horror" which was later turned into a popular movie. | |
1987 | Mass murder | 6 | The Flint Crack Murders | Flint, Michigan | ||
1993 | Terrorism | 6 | 1993 World Trade Center bombing | New York City, New York | at least 1,042 injured | |
1995 | Flood | 6 | $1,360,000,000 | May 8th 1995 Louisiana Flood | New Orleans, Louisiana area | |
1999 | Fire (Building) | 6 | Worcester Cold Storage Warehouse fire | Worcester, Massachusetts | Six firefighters lost their lives while searching for two homeless victims, they are now commonly referred to as the Worcester 6 | |
2008 | Mass murder | 6 | Northern Illinois University shooting | DeKalb, Illinois | Includes the gunman who killed himself; 21 people were injured | |
2011 | Mass murder | 6 | 2011 Tucson Shooting | Arizona | Attempted assassination of US representative Gabrielle Giffords. Among the fatalities is the Chief Judge for the US district court of Arizona John Roll and a ten-year-old girl. | |
2013 | Collapse (building) | 6 | 22nd and Market Building Collapse | Philadelphia, Pennsylvania | 14 other people were injured, 1 seriously. During the disaster, at least ten people were trapped under the rubble.[8][9] | |
1863 | Mass murder | 5 | Wiseman Massacre | Wynot, Nebraska | ||
1946 | Bridge failure | 5 | John P. Grace Memorial Bridge Disaster | Charleston, South Carolina | ||
2001 | Bioterrorism | 5 | 2001 anthrax attacks | New York City, New York | 17 Others Infected | |
2013 | Avalanche | 5 | 2013 Loveland Pass, Colorado avalanche | Loveland Pass, Colorado | ||
2010 | Accident - Explosion | 5[10] | 2010 Connecticut power plant explosion | Middletown, Connecticut | 12 or more injuries[11] | |
1959 | Accident - Aircraft | 4 | The Day the Music Died | Clear Lake, Iowa | Musicians Buddy Holly, Ritchie Valens, and J.P. "The Big Bopper" Richardson were killed along with their pilot Roger Peterson. | |
1970 | Direct action (military) | 4 | Kent State shootings | Kent, Ohio | An additional 9 injured. Students were fired upon when protesting the Vietnam War by the Ohio National Guard. | |
2013 | Terrorism | 3 | Boston Marathon bombings | Boston, Massachusetts | 3 immediate fatalities; 2 more people (including one of the perpetrators) were killed a few days later. An additional 264 people were injured by two separate bombings, which were 13 seconds apart. 17 others were injured in a gunfight a few days later (16 police officers and the other perpetrator). | |
1845 | Fire (urban conflagration) | 2 | $267,000,000 (est., 2006) |
Great Fire of Pittsburgh | Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania | Destroyed much of city. |
1891 | Accident - Railroad | 2 | Great East Thompson Train Wreck | Thompson, Connecticut | hundreds injured | |
2010 | Suicide Attack | 2 | 2010 Austin suicide attack | Austin, Texas | An additional 13 injured when a man tried to crash into the field office of the Internal Revenue Service in Texas. | |
2013 | Accident - Explosion | 2 | Williams Olefins Plant explosion | Geismar, Louisiana | 114 injured | |
2014 | Accident - Aircraft | 2 | 2014 KOMO-TV news helicopter crash | Seattle, Washington | ||
2014 | Fire (Building) | 2 | 2014 Boston Brownstone Fire | Boston, Massachusetts | ||
1995 | Accident - Railroad | 1 | 1995 Palo Verde, Arizona derailment | Palo Verde, Arizona | 78 injured | |
2000 | Accident - Explosion | 1 | Phillips explosion of 2000 | Pasadena, Texas | 71 injuries | |
2011 | Tsunami | 1 | >$50,000,000 | 2011 Tōhoku earthquake and tsunami | California, Oregon, Hawaii | 7 people swept out to sea, 1 fatality. Major damage to harbors, especially in Crescent City and Santa Cruz, California with tsunami waves reaching 8.1 feet. Extensive damage also reported in three Hawaiian islands, with tsunami waves up to 12 feet high. |
Unknown number of fatalities
Year | Type | Fatalities | Damage (US$) | Article | Location | Comments |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1816 | Famine (caused by volcano) | Unknown | Year Without a Summer | Volcanic dust from a massive eruption by Mount Tambora in the Dutch East Indies (present Indonesia) in 1815 led to an abnormally cold summer in 1816 in the northeastern United States and eastern Canada. Cold weather inhibited crops, and frosts and snowstorms killed what did grow, leading to a localized famine. | ||
1835 | Fire (urban conflagration) | Unknown | $20,000,000 (1835) |
Great Fire of New York | New York City, New York | |
1888 | Cold wave | Unknown | 1888 Northwest Cold Wave | Northwest | ||
1914 | Fire (urban conflagration) | Unknown | $325,000,000 (2008) |
Great Salem Fire of 1914 | Salem, Massachusetts | |
1931–1939 | Drought | Unknown | Unknown | Dust Bowl | Great Plains | Compounded by unsustainable agricultural techniques |
1929-37 | Economic | Unknown | Unknown | The Great Depression | Worldwide |
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 Indiana Plane Crashes
- ↑ Williams, Reed; Morrison, Shawna (April 26, 2007). "Police: No motive found". The Roanoke Times. Retrieved September 24, 2008.
- ↑ "Keansburg, NJ Boarding Home Fire, Jan 1981 | GenDisasters ... Genealogy in Tragedy, Disasters, Fires, Floods". .gendisasters.com. Retrieved 2013-05-13.
- ↑ "Memories of UE plane crash still linger". ECP.
- ↑ Lawrence Messina (April 5, 2010). "West Virginia Coal Mine Explosion: 25 Dead After Massey Blast". Huffingtonpost.com. Retrieved 2013-04-22.
- ↑ "Documents: New details on Newtown school massacre". CNN. March 28, 2013. Retrieved March 28, 2013.
- ↑ Joseph, Channing; Nirappil, Fenit. College visit turns tragic for students in Northern California bus crash, Associated Press, April 11, 2014.
- ↑ Boyette, Chris; Lear, Justin (June 5, 2013). "6 dead in Philadelphia building collapse, 13 injured". CNN. Retrieved 2013-06-06.
- ↑ Hurdle, Jon (June 5, 2013). "Workers Seek Survivors in Philadelphia Collapse". New York Times. Retrieved June 5, 2013.
- ↑
- ↑ "5 dead in Conn. power plant blast - US news - Life | NBC News". MSNBC. 2010-02-07. Retrieved 2013-04-22.