**WORST DISASTERS -- LIVES LOST (U.S.)**

Wayne Blanchard, Ph.D., CEM

FEMA Emergency Management Higher Education Project

September 19, 2005 Draft

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

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

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

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

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

6.  Galveston Hurricane, 1900 \-- 6K - 10,000

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

14. San Francisco Earthquake and Fire, 1906 \-- 700-3,000

15. 9/11 Terrorist Attacks, 2001 \-- \~3,000

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

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

18. Great Okeechobee Hurricane and Flood, 1928 \-- 2,000-2,500

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

20. Riverboat Sultana Explosion and Sinking, 1865 \-- 1,547-\~2000

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

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

23. Hurricane Katrina, Louisiana, MS, AL, FL, 2005 \-- \~900

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

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

26. Heatwave 1995 \-- \~739

27. New England Hurricane, 1938 \-- 600-720

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

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

30. Iroquois Theater Fire, Chicago, December 30, 1903 \-- 602

31. Florida Keys, LA, AL Hurricane, Sep. 2-15, 1919 \-- 600+

32. Wildfire, Hinckley, Minn., September 1, 1894 \-- 600

**WORST DISASTERS (LIVES LOST) -- NATURAL HAZARDS -- (LIVES LOST)**

1.  Galveston Hurricane, 1900 \-- 6K - 10,000

2.  Great Okeechobee Hurricane and Flood, 1928 \-- 2,000-2,500

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

4.  San Francisco Earthquake and Fire, 1906 \-- 700-3,000

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

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

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

8.  Hurricane Katrina, Louisiana, Miss. AL, FL, 2005 \-- \~1,000

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

10. Heatwave 1995 \-- \~739

11. New England Hurricane, 1938 \-- 600-720

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

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

14. Florida Keys, LA, AL Hurricane, Sep. 2-15, 1919 \-- 600+

15. Wildfire, Hinckley, Minn., September 1, 1894 \-- 600

WORST DISASTERS (LIVES LOST) -- NATURAL HAZARDS -- CHRONOLOGICAL

1.  1871 \-- Pestigo Firestorm, Wisconsin \-- 2,200+

2.  1884 \-- Tornadoes, MI, NC, TN, IN \-- \~800

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

4.  1893 \-- Louisiana Hurricane \-- 2,000+

5.  1893 \-- South Carolina-Georgia Hurricane \-- 1,000-2,000

6.  1900 \-- Galveston Hurricane \-- 6K - 10,000

7.  1906 \-- San Francisco Earthquake and Fire \-- 700-3,000

8.  1928 \-- Great Okeechobee Hurricane and Flood \-- 2,000-2,500

9.  1995 -- Heat Wave \-- \~739

10. 2005 \-- Hurricane Katrina, Louisiana, Miss. AL, FL \-- \~1,000