**DEADLIEST U.S. DISASTERS \-- TOP FIFTY**

Wayne Blanchard, Ph.D., CEM,

FEMA Emergency Management Higher Education Program Manager

September 21, 2008 Update

1.  Influenza Pandemic, September 1918 -- April 1919 \-- \<675,000
    (Armstrong,

> \-- 675,000 (Billings)
>
> \-- 675,000 (Redican)

\-- \<600,000 (PBS)

> \-- \<500,000 (Pocock)
>
> \-- \~500,000 (HHS 2004)

2.  Smallpox, 1775-1782 \-- \<130,000 (Fenn)

3.  Influenza Epidemic, 1957 \-- 70,000 (Johns Hopkins)

> \-- 70,000 (Armstrong)
>
> \-- \~69,800 (HHS 2004)

4.  Influenza Epidemic, 1968 \-- 38,800 (HHS 2004)

> \-- 28,000 (Armstrong)

5.  Yellow Fever, 1878, Mississippi Valley \-- \<13,000 (Pocock)

6.  Galveston Hurricane, 1900 \-- 6K - 12,000 (Hess; CNN)

> \-- 8K -- 12,000 (Larson, 1998)
>
> \-- 8,000 (Blake)[^1]
>
> \-- 6,000-8,000 (Pocock)

7.  Cholera Epidemic, 1849-51, Midwest \-- \<11,000 (Daly)[^2]

8.  Heat Wave/Drought (June-Sep 1980) Central/East US \-- 10,000 (Lott &
    Ross)

> \-- \>1,300 (Karl & Quayle, 1981)

9.  Heat Wave (Summer 1988, central/eastern U.S \--\~5K - 10,000 NCDC
    2007)

> \-- 7,500 (Lott/Ross, NCDC 2005)

10. Yellow Fever, New Orleans, 1853 \-- 7,790 (Pocock)

11. Cholera Epidemic, 1832 \-- \<7,000 (Pocock)

12. Polio, 1916 \-- \<7,000 (Pocock)

13. Polio, 1949-1952 \-- \<6,000 (Pocock)

14. Yellow Fever, Philadelphia, 1793 \-- \<5,000 (Pocock; Steffano[^3])

> \-- \~4,000 (PBS)

15. Yellow Fever, New Orleans, 1867 \-- 3,093 (Pocock)

16. San Francisco Earthquake and Fire, 1906 \-- \<3,000 (Hansen)

> \-- \~3,000 (USGS, 2008)
>
> \-- 3,000 (Spignesi, 140)
>
> \-- 700-800 (NOAA 1972)
>
> \-- \<500 (Pocock)
>
> \-- 498 (Greely 1906)

17. 9/11 Terrorist Attacks, 2001 \-- \<3,000 (9/11 Com.)

18. SE FL/Great Okeechobee Hurricane and Flood, 1928 \-- 2,500-3,000
    (Blake)

> \-- 1,836 (Barnes[^4]; Larson, 1998)

19. Johnstown Flood, 1889 \-- 3,000 (Frank Leslie)[^5]

> \-- 2,209 (Kutilek)
>
> \-- 2,209 (NPS)[^6]
>
> \-- \<2,200 (Pocock)
>
> \-- 2,200 (Armageddon)

20. Illinois Heat Wave, July 1-31, 1936 (access deaths) \-- 2,696 (Noji
    1997 p. 250)

21. Peshtigo Firestorm, Wisconsin, 8 October 1871 \-- 500-2,500
    (Gess/Lutz, 211)

> \-- \<2,200 (Frank)
>
> \-- 1,500 (Forces of Nature)
>
> \-- \~1,500 (Boise State)
>
> \-- 1,200-2,400 (Hipke)
>
> \-- \<1,200 (Pocock)
>
> \-- 1,152 (NFPA, Key...)

22. Cheniere Caminanda LA Hurricane of 1893 (Oct) \-- 2,000 (Heidorn
    2005)[^7]

> \-- 1,100-1,400 (Blake)[^8]
>
> \-- 799 (Heidorn 2005)[^9]

23. Riverboat Sultana Explosion and Sinking, 27Apr1865 \-- 1,800 --
    2,000 (American Her...)

> \-- 1,450 - 1,900 (Coggins)
>
> \-- 1,800 (Hendricks 2007)
>
> \-- \<1,700 (National Steam...)
>
> \-- 1,547 (NFPA, Key; Spignesi)
>
> \-- \<1,500 (Elmwood 1989)
>
> \-- 1,450 (History.com)

24. Sea Islands Hurricane (GA & SC), August 1893 \-- 1,000 - 2,000
    (Blake)

\-- \<1,000 (Pocock)

25. Hurricane Katrina, Louisiana, MS, AL, FL, 2005 \-- \~1,833 (NCDC
    July 2008)

> \-- \~1,500 (Blake)
>
> \-- 1,132 (Heidorn 2005)

26. General Slocum Excursion Steamer Fire, June 15, 1904 \-- 1,204
    (Brooklyn Daily)

> \-- \~1,200 (Cussler)
>
> \-- 1,030 (History.com; NFPA)
>
> \-- 1,021 (Kirschman; Haberman)

27. Illinois Heat Wave July 1-31, 1966 ("excess deaths") \-- 1,148 (Noji
    1997, p. 250)

28. New York City Heat Wave Aug 9-15, 1986 \-- 1,001

29. Cloquet, MN & WI Forest Fire, October 13-15, 1918 \-- 1,000 (Pocock)

30. Florida Keys, LA, AL, TX Hurricane, Sep. 2-15, 1919 \-- 600-900

> \-- 287 (Blake)

31. Eastland Excursion Steamer sinking, Chicago, 1871 \-- 844
    (History.com)

32. Tornadoes, February 19, 1884, MI, NC, TN, IN \-- \~800

> \-- \< 600 (Forces of Nature)

33. Chicago Fire, 1871 \-- 766

> \-- 250 (NFPA, Key)

34. Tri-State Tornado, IL, MO, IN, March 18, 1925 \-- 747 (Newspaper)

> \-- 695 (Doyle, 2008)
>
> \-- 689 (Pocock)
>
> \-- 671 (Enzler 2006)

35. Heat Wave (Particularly Chicago) 1995 \-- 739 (Pocock)

\-- 465 (Basu and Samet, 2002)

36. New England Hurricane (Long Island Express), Cat 3, 1938\-- 600-720

> \-- 700 (Mandia; Tucker 2008)
>
> \-- 600 (Pocock)
>
> \-- 256 (Blake)

37. Georgia-South Carolina Hurricane of 1881 \-- 700 (Blake)

38. Ohio River Flood of March 26, 1913 \-- \>700 (Forces of...)

39. Iroquois Theater Fire, Chicago, December 30, 1903 \-- 602 (NFPA
    Key...)

40. Wildfire, MN (Hinckley) & WI, September 1, 1894 \-- 600

41. Natchez, MS Tornado, May 6, 1840 \-- 586 (Newspaper)[^10]

42. Texas City Grandcamp Freighter Explosion, 1947 \-- \<576
    (History.com)

> \-- 468 (NFPA, Key...)

43. East Heat Wave / Drought (Summer 1999) \-- 502 (Lott and Ross 2005)

44. St. Francis Dam Failure, Ventura County CA, 1928 \-- 500

> \-- 450 (Pocock)
>
> \-- 408 (Ferguson 2007, 4)

45. Cocoanut Grove Night Club Fire, Boston MA Nov 1942\-- 492 (NFPA,
    Key...)

46. Florida Keys Hurricane, Cat 5, September 1935 \-- 423 Ferguson 2007,
    18)

> \-- 409 (McDonald)[^11]

\-- 408 (Blake)

47. Tupelo, MI, Gainesville, GA Tornadoes, Apr 5-6, 1936 \-- 419 (Forces
    of Nature)

> \-- 400 (Newspaper)

48. Hinckley MN Forest Fire, September 1, 1894 \-- 418 (Forces of...)

49. Hurricane Audrey, SW LA to No. TX, June 25-28,1957 \-- 416
    (Blake)[^12]

> \-- 390 (Pocock)

50. Louisiana Hurricane (Last Island), Category 4, 1856 \-- 400 (Blake;
    Pocock)

51. East Coast "Blizzard of 1888," March 11-14, 1888 \-- 400 (Pocock)

52. St. Louis, MO Tornado, May 27, 1896 \-- \>400 (Forces Nature)

53. Northeast US "Great Atlantic Hurricane," 9-16Sep1944 \-- 394

> \-- 390 (Pocock)

54. FL Hurricane (Miami/MS/AL/Pensacola, Cat 4, 1926 \-- 372

55. Grand Isle, LA & MI Hurricane Cat 3, 10-21Sep1909 \-- 350 (Blake;
    Pocock)

56. East U.S. "Super Tornado Outbreak" (184) 3-4Apr1974 \-- 330 (Pocock)

57. Munitions Ships Collision/Explosion, Port Chicago, CA, 1944 \-- 322
    (NFPA, Key...)

58. LA to GA Tornado outbreak (18), April 24-25, 1908 \-- 320 (Enzler
    2006)

> \-- 330 Newspaper)
>
> \-- 310 (Pocock)

59. Ohio State Penitentiary Fire, Columbus OH, April 1938 \-- 320 (NFPA,
    Key...)

60. Wisconsin Wildfire/Forest Fire, July 1894 \-- \<300 (Forces of)

61. Brooklyn, NY Theater Fire, December 1876 \-- 295 (NFPA, Key...)

62. Consolidated School Gas Explosion, New London, TX, 1937 \-- 294
    (NFPA, Key...)

63. Galveston TX/ New Orleans, LA Hurricane, Cat 4, 1915 \-- 275 (Blake;
    Pocock)

64. Coal Mine Explosion, Mather, PA, May 1928 \-- 273 (NFPA Key...)

65. Eastern Seaboard Storm/Blizzard of 1993 (March) \-- \~270 (Lott;
    NCDC)

66. St. Paul Coal Mine Explosion, Cherry Hill, IL, 1909 \-- 259 (NFPA
    Key...)

67. Hurricane Camille (MS/SE LA/VA), Cat 5, Aug 14-22, 1969 \-- 256
    (Blake; Pocock)

68. Southern Heat Wave/Drought (Summer1998) \-- 200 (Lott 2005)

69. Blizzard of \'96 Followed by Flooding (Jan 1996). \-- 187 (NCDC
    2007)

70. Heat Wave (Spring-Sum 2000). So. central, SE States \-- 140 (Lott
    and Ross)

71. 

DEADLIEST U.S. DISASTERS -- Excluding Epidemics

1.  Galveston Hurricane, 1900 \-- 6,000-12,000

2.  San Francisco Earthquake and Fire, 1906 \-- 498-\<3,000

3.  9/11 Terrorist Attacks, 2001 \-- \<3,000

4.  SE FL/Great Okeechobee Hurricane and Flood, 1928 \-- 1,836-3,000

5.  Johnstown Flood, 1889 \-- 2,200-3,000

6.  Illinois Heat Wave, July 1-31, 1936 (access deaths) \-- 2,696

7.  Louisiana Hurricane of 1893 \-- 2,000+

8.  Peshtigo Firestorm, Wisconsin, 8 October 1871 \-- 2,200+

9.  South Carolina-Georgia Hurricane of 1893 \-- 1,152-2,000

10. Hurricane Katrina, Louisiana, Miss. AL, FL, 2005 \-- \~1,833

11. Illinois Heat Wave July 1-31, 1966 ("excess deaths") \-- 1,148

12. New York City Heat Wave Aug 9-15, 1986 \-- 1,001

13. Cloquet, MN & WI Forest Fire, October 13-15, 1918 \-- 1,000 (Pocock)

14. Ship Fire, NYC Harbor, 1904 \-- 1,000

15. Florida Keys, LA, AL, TX Hurricane, Sep. 2-15, 1919 \-- 600-900

16. Wildfire, MN (Hinckley) & WI, September 1 \-- 894

17. Tornadoes, February 19, 1884, MI, NC, TN, IN \-- \~800

18. Chicago Fire, 1871 \-- 766

19. Heat Wave (Particularly Chicago) 1995 \-- \~739

20. New England Hurricane, 1938 (Long Island Express) \-- 700-720

21. Georgia-South Carolina Hurricane of 1881 \-- \~700

22. Ohio River Flood of March 26, 1913 \-- \>700

23. Tri-State Tornado, 1925 \-- 695

24. East Heat Wave / Drought (Summer 1999) \-- 502 (Lott 2005)

25. Heat Wave (Spring-Sum 2000). So. central, SE States \-- 140 (Lott
    and Ross)

26. 

DEADLIEST U.S. DISASTERS -- CHRONOLOGICAL

1.  1775-1782 \-- Smallpox \-- 130,000

2.  1793 \-- Yellow Fever, Philadelphia \-- 5,000+

3.  1832 \-- Cholera Epidemic \-- 7,000+

4.  1840 \-- Natchez, MS Tornado, May 6, 1840 \-- 586 (Newspaper)

5.  1849 \-- Cholera Epidemic, Mississippi Valley \-- 5,000+

6.  1853 \-- Yellow Fever, New Orleans \-- 7,790

7.  1856 \-- Louisiana Hurricane (Last Island) \-- 400 (Blake; Pocock)

8.  1865 \-- Riverboat Sultana Explosion/Sinking, MS River \-- 1,547-\~

9.  1867 \-- Yellow Fever, New Orleans \-- 3,093

10. 1871 \-- Peshtigo Firestorm, Wisconsin \-- 2,200+

11. 1871 \-- Eastland Excursion Steamer sinking, Chicago \-- 844

12. 1871 \-- Chicago Fire \-- 766

13. 1876 \-- Brooklyn, NY Theater Fire, December 1876 \-- 295 (NFPA,
    Key...)

14. 1878 \-- Yellow Fever, Mississippi Valley \-- 13,000+

15. 1881 \-- Georgia-South Carolina Hurricane \-- \~700

16. 1884 \-- Tornadoes, MI, NC, TN, IN \-- \~800 (Pocock)

17. 1888 \-- East Coast "Blizzard of 1888," March 11-14 \-- 400 (Pocock)

18. 1889 \-- Johnstown Flood \-- 2,000-3,000

19. 1893 \-- Cheniere Caminada Louisiana Hurricane \-- 2,000+

20. 1893 \-- Sea Islands Hurricane SC-GA Hurricane (Aug) \-- 1,000-2,000

21. 1894 \-- Wildfire, MN (Hinckley) & WI, September 1, 1984 \-- 600

22. 1896 \-- St. Louis, MO Tornado, May 27, 1896 \-- \>400 (Forces of...
    )

23. 1900 \-- Galveston Hurricane \-- 6K - 12,000

24. 1903 \-- Iroquois Theater Fire, Chicago, December 30 \-- 602 (NFPA)

25. 1904 \-- General Slocum Excursion Steamer Fire, June 15 \-- 1,000-
    1,350

26. 1906 \-- San Francisco Earthquake and Fire \-- 664-3,000

27. 1908 \-- LA to GA Tornado outbreak (18), April 24-25, 1908 \-- 310
    (Pocock)

28. 1909 \-- Grand Isle, LA & MI Hurricane (Sep 10-21), Cat 3 \-- 350

29. 1909 \-- St. Paul Coal Mine Explosion, Cherry Hill, IL, 1909 \-- 259
    (NFPA Key...)

30. 1913 -- Ohio River Flood of March 26, 1913 \-- \>700

31. 1915 -- Galveston TX/ New Orleans, LA Hurricane, Cat 4 \-- 275
    (Blake; Pocock)

32. 1916 \-- Polio \-- 7,000+

33. 1918 -- Cloquet, MN & WI Forest Fire, Oct. 13-15, 1918 \-- 1,000

34. 1918-19 \-- Influenza Pandemic, September \-- April \-- 675,000

35. 1919 \-- Florida Keys, LA, AL, TX Hurricane, Sep. 2-15, Cat 4 \--
    600-900

36. 1925 \-- Tri-State Tornado, IL, MO, IN, March 18, 1925 \-- 689-747

37. 1926 -- Florida Hurricane (Miami/MS/AL/Pensacola, Cat 4 \-- 372

38. 1928 \-- SE FL/Great Okeechobee Hurricane and Flood \-- 1,836-3,000

39. 1928 \-- St. Francis Dam Failure, Ventura County CA \-- 500

40. 1932 -- SE Tornado Outbreak, AL, MS, GA, TN, March 21-2 \-- 330
    (Newspaper)

41. 1935 \-- Florida Keys Hurricane, September \-- 405-423

42. 1936 \-- Illinois Heat Wave, July 1-31 (access deaths) \-- 2,696
    (Noji 1997, 250)

43. 1936 -- Tupelo, MI, Gainesville, GA Tornadoes, Apr 5-6, 1936 \-- 400
    (Newspaper)

44. 1937 \-- Consolidated School Gas Explosion, New London, TX \-- 294
    (NFPA, Key...)

45. 1938 \-- New England Hurricane (Long Island Express), Cat 3 \--
    600-720

46. 1938 \-- Ohio State Penitentiary Fire, Columbus OH, April 1938\--
    320 (NFPA, Key...)

47. 1942 \-- Cocoanut Grove Night Club Fire, Boston, MA, Nov. 1 \-- 492
    (NFPA, Key...)

48. 1944 \-- Northeastern U.S. "Great Atlantic Hurricane," Sep. \-- 394

49. 1944 \-- Munitions Ships Collision/Explosion, Port Chicago, CA\--
    322 (NFPA, Key...)

50. 1947 \-- Texas City Grandcamp Freighter Explosion \-- 516

51. 1949-1952 \-- Polio \-- 6,000+

52. 1950 \-- Eastern U.S. "Storm of the Century," Nov 25-27, 1950 \--
    383 (Pocock)

53. 1955 \-- Hurricane Diane (NE U.S.), Category 1 \-- 184 (Blake)

54. 1957 \-- Influenza Epidemic \-- 70,000

55. 1957 \-- Hurricane Audrey, June \-- 390-416

56. 1966 \-- Illinois Heat Wave July 1-31 ("excess deaths") \-- 1,148
    (Noji, 250)

57. 1968 \-- Influenza Epidemic \-- 28,000

58. 1969 \-- Hurricane Camille (MS/SE LA/VA), Category 5 \-- 256 (Blake)

59. 1974 \-- Eastern U.S. "Super Tornado Outbreak" (184) April 3-4\--
    330 (Pocock)

60. 1980 \-- Heat Wave/Drought (June-Sep 1980) Central/East US \--
    10,000 (Lott & Ross)

61. 1986 \-- New York City Heat Wave Aug 9-15 \-- 1,001

62. 1988 \-- Drought/Heat Wave (Summer 1988, central/eastern
    U.S\--\~5K - 10,000 NCDC 2007)

63. 1993 \-- Eastern Seaboard Storm/Blizzard of 1993 (March) \-- \~270
    (Lott; NCDC)

64. 1995 \-- Heat Wave (Particularly Chicago) \-- \~739

65. 1996 \-- Blizzard of \'96 Followed by Flooding (Jan 1996). \-- 187
    (NCDC 2007)

66. 1998 \-- Southern Heat Wave/Drought (Summer1998) \-- 200 (Lott 2005)

67. 1999 \-- East Heat Wave / Drought (Summer 1999) \-- 502 (Lott 2005)

68. 2000 \-- Heat Wave (Spring-Sum). So. central, SE States \-- 140
    (Lott and Ross)

69. 2001 \-- 9/11 Terrorist Attacks \-- \~3,000

70. 2005 \-- Hurricane Katrina, Louisiana, Miss. AL, FL \-- \~1,833
    (NCDC July 08)

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[^1]: Authors note that deaths "Could be as high as 12,000." (p. 7,
    Table 2 Note a)

[^2]: Dr. Daly writes that "In the 1849-51 outbreak, St. Louis lost
    4,557, Cincinnati 5, 969, and Detroit 700. In each outbreak, deaths
    totaled 5-10% of the population."

[^3]: Steffano-Davis, and others, have noted that "In three months, some
    5,000 residents died..." (p. 13; citing Pernick 1972)

[^4]: Barnes writes "...at least 1,836 dead in Florida, as well as
    another 1,575 in the Caribbean. At the time of the catastrophe, many
    in South Florida said the actual death count there was over 2,300;
    some say it may have been as high as 3,500..." (pp. 127-28)

[^5]: "Nearly 3,000 internments have been made, and a fair estimate of
    the dead in the Conemaugh Valley is from 7,000 to 10,000. It is
    reasonable to believe that thousands of bodies were carried down the
    river or were burned or torn to pieces in the wreck above the
    Pennsylvania Railroad bridge. A reliable estimate of the loss, based
    upon the belief that not more than one in three or four of the
    bodies of the dead could be recovered, fixes it at from 9,000 to
    12,000.

[^6]: National Park Service notes that the 2,209 death toll number "is
    seen as more symbolic today." (p. 327)

[^7]: Heidorn writes that "The estimated of fatalities have been given
    as high as 2000, though most lists of deadly US natural disasters do
    not include it."

[^8]: Authors note "Total including offshore losses near 2000." (p. 7,
    Table 2 Note c)

[^9]: Heidorn states that 779 died in the town of Cheniere Caminanda.

[^10]: 317 people were killed in Natchez, MI and 269 others on boats in
    Mississippi River.

[^11]: McDonald: "The best estimate of mortalities, furnished by the
    American Red Cross, places the total at 409, of which number 244 are
    known dead and 165 missing."

[^12]: Authors add note "at least," page 7, table 2, note h)