List of natural disasters in the United States

This list is incomplete; you can help by expanding it.

This list of United States natural disasters is a list of notable natural disasters which occurred in the United States from 1816 to 2017. In May 2018, an exhaustive overview of recurrent natural disasters in the United States since 1900, based largely on government data, including data from NASA, FEMA and others, was reported in The New York Times.[1]

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.

Year Disaster Death toll Damage cost Main article Location Notes
2017 Hurricane 112-4760 $91.61 billion Hurricane Maria Florida and Puerto Rico After strengthening at a near record pace and affecting multiple islands in the eastern Caribbean Sea, Maria struck Puerto Rico as a high-end Category 4 hurricane, causing catastrophic damage to the US island due to extremely powerful winds and devastating floods. The hurricane also knocked out the entire power grid, triggering a near total island blackout. The lack of aid after the disaster caused a humanitarian crisis, the worst in the US since Hurricane Katrina, which lasted several months and had a dramatic effect on Puerto Rico's population. Maria is the third costliest hurricane in history, behind only Katrina and Harvey.
2017 Hurricane 134 $64.76 billion Hurricane Irma Florida, South Carolina, Georgia, Puerto Rico Hurricane Irma ravaged the northern Leeward Islands as an extremely powerful Category 5 hurricane before making landfall in the Florida Keys as a Category 4 hurricane, and in the mainland as a Category 3 hurricane. Irma caused widespread damage in Florida due to high winds and destructive floods. The Florida Keys were hit the hardest, with the vast majority of infrastructure there receiving some degree of damage, and at least 25% receiving major damage. Hurricane Irma also knocked out power to 73.33% of the state, or 7.7 million homes and businesses. Irma is the fifth costliest hurricane of all time.
2017 Hurricane 107 $125.00 billion Hurricane Harvey Texas, Louisiana, Alabama Hurricane Harvey began as a tropical storm in the Caribbean Sea before degenerating into a tropical wave, only to regenerate in the Gulf of Mexico and make landfall in Southwestern Texas as a Category 4 hurricane. Most of the damage from Harvey occurred after it had weakened, due to extreme prolonged rains dropping several feet of water that triggered unprecedented floods in a large swath of Southeastern Texas, with the worst of the flooding occurring in Houston. Hurricane Harvey is widely considered to be the worst flooding disaster in the United States since Hurricane Katrina in 2005, which it tied with as the costliest hurricane in history.
2016 Wildfire 14 $990 Million 2016 Great Smoky Mountains wildfires Tennessee Destroyed nearly 2,000 structures; burned nearly 18,000 acres.
2016 Hurricane 49 $15.09 Billion Hurricane Matthew Florida, Georgia, The Carolinas
2016 Flood 13 2016 Louisiana floods Louisiana
2016 Flood 23 2016 West Virginia flood West Virginia
2016 Blizzard 55 $500,000,000 January 2016 United States blizzard Southeast through Mid Atlantic to Northeast Snowfall totals in excess of two feet (61 cm)
2015 Flood 25 Billions October 2015 North American storm complex Carolinas
2015 Flood 20 2015 Utah floods Utah
2015 Wildfire 3 $6–8 billion Okanogan Complex fire Okanogan County, Washington Damage figure includes costs involved in the fighting of the fire.
2015 Flood 46 2015 Texas–Oklahoma floods Texas, Kansas, Oklahoma
2014 Snow storm 24 November 2014 North American winter storm Buffalo, New York, Great Lakes region
2014 Tornado 35 $1 billion April 2014 tornado outbreak Nebraska, Louisiana, Oklahoma, Illinois, Florida, North Carolina
2014 Mudflow 43 2014 Oso mudslide Oso, Washington
2013–2014 Cold wave 21 Early 2014 North American cold wave Eastern US
2014 Wildfire 19 Yarnell Hill Fire Yarnell, Arizona
2013 Flood 8 $1.9 billion 2013 Colorado floods Colorado
2013 Tornado 24 $2 billion 2013 Moore tornado Moore, Oklahoma
2013 Blizzard 18 February 2013 nor'easter Eastern US
2012 Wildfires 6 2012 Colorado wildfires Colorado
2012 Hurricane 147 $75 billion Hurricane Sandy Eastern US
2011 Tornado 160 $69,000
– $3,000,000,000
(2011)		 2011 Joplin tornado Joplin, Missouri part of the tornado outbreak sequence of May 21–26, 2011
2011 Tornado 346 ~$11,000,000,000
(2011)		 2011 Super Outbreak Alabama, Tennessee, Mississippi, Georgia, Arkansas and Virginia 336 tornadoes
2011 Flood 20 $2–4 billion[2][3] 2011 Mississippi River floods Mississippi River Valley
2010 Flood 20 June 2010 Arkansas floods Albert Pike Recreational Area (near Langley, Arkansas)
2009 Tsunami 31 2009 Samoa earthquake and tsunami American Samoa and nearby islands 189 total deaths, with 31 in American Samoa.
2008 Tornado 59 $1.2 Billion 2008 Super Tuesday tornado outbreak Tennessee, Arkansas, Kentucky, Alabama, and Illinois
2007 Wildfires 14 California wildfires of October 2007 California Large fires burned 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 suspected arson.
2006 Snow storm 19 $530,000,000
(2006)		 Lake Storm "Aphid" Buffalo, New York
2005 Hurricane 1,836 $125,000,000,000 Hurricane Katrina Florida, Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama
2005 Hurricane 120 $10,000,000,000
(2005)		 Hurricane Rita Louisiana, Texas
2005 Tornado 25 $92,000,000 Evansville Tornado of November 2005 Missouri, India , Kentucky, Ohio 7 tornadoes
2005 Hurricane 124 $19,000,000,000
(2005)		 Hurricane Ivan Texas, Florida, East Coast
2004 Hurricane 49 $9,000,000,000 Hurricane Frances Florida
2004 Hurricane 10 $15,000,000,000 Hurricane Charley Florida
2002 Hurricane 41 $5,500,000,000 Tropical Storm Allison Texas, Louisiana, Pennsylvania
1999 Heat wave 271 Midwest and Northeast
1999 Tornado 48 $1,500,000,000
(2005)		 1999 Oklahoma tornado outbreak Oklahoma, Kansas, Texas, Tennessee 74 tornadoes
1998–1999 Landslide 0 $70,000,000 Aldercrest-Banyon landslide Kelso, Washington
1998 Blizzard 30 North American ice storm of 1998 Canada and Northeast
1997 Flood 0 $2,000,000,000 1997 Red River flood North Dakota, Minnesota, Southern Manitoba
1996 Flood 8 $500,000,000 Willamette Valley flood of 1996 Washington, Oregon, Idaho, California
1995 Heat wave 739 Chicago heat wave of 1995 Chicago, Illinois
1995 Flood 6 $1,360,000,000 May 8, 1995 Louisiana flood New Orleans, Louisiana, area
1994 Earthquake 57 $23,000,000,000 Northridge earthquake Greater Los Angeles area
1993 Blizzard 79–300 $6,600,000,00 Storm of the Century East Coast of North and Central America
1993 Flood 50 $15,000,000,000 Great Flood of 1993 Midwest
1992 Hurricane 26 $25,000,000,000 Hurricane Andrew Florida and Louisiana
1991 Wildfire 25 $1,500,000,000 Oakland Hills fire San Francisco Bay Area, California
1990 Tornado 29 $160,000,000 1990 Plainfield tornado Plainfield, Illinois Crest Hill, Illinois
1989 Earthquake 69 $6,000,000,000
 Loma Prieta earthquake San Francisco Bay Area, California
1989 Hurricane 49 $7,000,000,000
(1989)		 Hurricane Hugo Caribbean and Eastern North America. Damage figure for U.S. only. At least 111 total deaths, with 37 in the continental U.S. and 12 in the U.S. possession of Puerto Rico.
1988 Heat wave/drought 5,000–10,000 $120,000,000,000
(2014)		 1988-89 North American drought Widespread; 45% of the nation affected Costliest natural disaster in the United States prior to Hurricane Katrina.
1988 Wildfire 2 $240,000,000 Yellowstone fires of 1988 Yellowstone National Park, Wyoming 793,880 acres (36% of the park) was burned in the fires started by lightning.
1980 Heat wave 1,700 $20,000,000,000 1980 United States heat wave Central and southern states Official death toll, may have been higher; damage figure not adjusted for inflation.
1980 Volcano 57 $1,100,000,000 1980 eruption of Mount St. Helens Washington State Damage figure not adjusted for inflation; figure in 2015 dollars is $2,890,000,000.
1977 Blizzard 23 $56,250,000
(1977)		 Great Lakes Blizzard of 1977 New York and Ontario (esp. Buffalo, New York)
1976 Flood 145 Big Thompson Canyon Flood of 1976 Colorado
1974 Tornado 315 1974 Super Outbreak Ontario, Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, Ohio, Kentucky, Tennessee, Alabama, Mississippi, Georgia, North Carolina, Virginia, West Virginia and New York 148 tornadoes
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.
1971 Earthquake 65 $500,000,000 Sylmar earthquake Greater Los Angeles area
1970 Tornado 26 $1,411,900,000
(2008)		 Lubbock Tornado Lubbock, Texas F5 tornado killed 26 and wounded approximately 500
1969 Hurricane 256 Hurricane Camille Mississippi, Alabama and Virginia
1965 Tornado 271 Palm Sunday Tornado Outbreak Iowa, Ohio, Michigan, Indiana 78 tornadoes
1964 Tsunami and Earthquake 115 $1,800,000,000
(2006)		 Good Friday earthquake Alaska, Hawaii, Oregon, California, British Columbia
1960 Tsunami 61 $500,000
(2005)		 Great Chilean earthquake Hawaii, Alaska 2,290 to 6,600 killed and $3,500,000,000 (2005) in damage worldwide. 61 killed in Hilo, Hawaii. $500,000 in U.S. property damage
1957 Tornado 10 $25,883,000 1957 Fargo tornado Fargo, ND
1953 Tornado 114 Waco, TX
1951 Flood 28 $7,000,000,000
(2005)		 Great Flood of 1951 Kansas and Missouri
1950 Blizzard 353 $66,700,000
(1950)		 Great Appalachian Storm of November 1950 Eastern US States
1946 Tsunami and Earthquake 165 Aleutian Island earthquake Alaska and Hawaii
1940 Blizzard 154 $2,200,000 Armistice Day Blizzard North and Central Midwest Damage total not adjusted for inflation.
1938 Hurricane 600 Great New England Hurricane
1938 Flood 115 Los Angeles Flood of 1938 Los Angeles
1937 Flood 385 $5,000,000,000 Ohio River flood of 1937 Ohio, Kentucky, Indiana, Illinois
1936 Flood 69 $3,000,000,000
(2006)		 Pittsburgh Flood 1936 Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, area
1935 Hurricane 423 Labor Day Hurricane of 1935 Florida
1931–1939 Drought Unknown $1.403 Trillion (2017) Dust Bowl Great Plains Compounded by unsustainable agricultural techniques
1928 Hurricane 3,000 $800,000,000
(2005)		 1928 Okeechobee Hurricane Leeward Islands, Puerto Rico, the Bahamas, and Florida 4,078+ believed dead total. About 2,500 died in Florida and 500 in the U.S. possession of Puerto Rico.
1927 Flood 246 $400,000,000 Great Mississippi Flood of 1927 Arkansas, Illinois, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, and Tennessee
1926 Tornado 16 La Plata Tornado of 1926 La Plata, Maryland 13 killed in La Plata Elementary School
1925 Tornado 695–727 $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
1919 Hurricane 600 1919 Florida Keys Hurricane Florida, Texas
1918 Wildfire 453 $73 Million (US$1.145 Billion in 2015) 1918 Cloquet fire Minnesota Largest disaster in Minnesota history
1913 Flood 428 1913 (Ohio) Statewide Flood Southwest, Central, and Eastern Ohio
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
1913 Blizzard 250 Great Lakes Storm of 1913 Fatalities estimated
1913 Storm 250 $5,000,000
(1913)		 Great Lakes Storm of 1913 Great Lakes area Financial impact for lost vessels and cargo only
1910 Avalanche 96 Wellington avalanche Wellington, Washington
1906 Earthquake and fire (urban conflagration) 3,000–6,000 1906 San Francisco earthquake California Conflagration followed quake; fatalities estimated
1900 Hurricane 6,000–12,000 Galveston Hurricane of 1900 Texas Fatalities estimated – remains deadliest natural disaster in North American history.
1896 Tornado 255–400 $2,900,000,000
(1997)		 St. Louis-East St. Louis tornado Missouri
1894 Wildfire 418 $73 Million Great Hinckley Fire Minnesota Actual death toll likely higher than official death toll of 418.
1893 Hurricane 2,000 1893 Cheniere Caminada Hurricane Louisiana Fatalities estimated
1893 Hurricane 1,000–2,000 1893 Sea Islands Hurricane Georgia, South Carolina Fatalities estimated
1889 Flood 2,209 $17 Million ($425 Million in 2012 dollars) Johnstown Flood Johnstown, Pennsylvania A dam failure caused 20 million tons of water to be unleashed, devastating Johnstown, PA and the surrounding area.
1888 Blizzard 400 Great Blizzard of 1888 Northeast Fatalities estimated
1888 Cold wave Unknown 1888 Northwest Cold Wave Northwest
1871 Wildfire 1,500–2,500 Peshtigo fire Wisconsin Deadliest firestorm in United States history
1862 Flood Great Flood of 1862 California, Oregon, Utah, and the territories that now make up Arizona and Nevada An atmospheric river led to 43 days of rain starting at the end of 1861. When it was over, much of California's Central Valley was covered with inland seas that remained for months; the state's government had to move to San Francisco as Sacramento was under 10 feet of water. California nearly went bankrupt due to the costs of the damages and the loss of tax revenues from so many farms and mines; it is considered to be the worst disaster in the state's history.
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.

See also

References

  1. ↑ Chinoy, Sahil (May 24, 2018). "The Places in the U.S. Where Disaster Strikes Again and Again". The New York Times. Retrieved May 24, 2018.
  2. ↑ Masters, Jeffrey. "Mississippi River flood of 2011 already a $2 billion disaster". Weather Underground. Jeff Masters' WunderBlog. Retrieved May 12, 2011.
  3. ↑ Strauss, Gary; Marisol Bello (May 11, 2011). "Mississippi flood damages could reach billions". Tucson Citizen. Retrieved May 12, 2011.
This article is issued from Wikipedia. The text is licensed under Creative Commons - Attribution - Sharealike. Additional terms may apply for the media files.