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

Wayne Blanchard, Ph.D., CEM, FEMA Emergency Management Higher Education
Project

July 5, 2006 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 - 12,000

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 \-- 664-3,000

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

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

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

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

19. Great Okeechobee Hurricane and Flood, 1928 \-- 1,836-2,500

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

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

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

23. Sinking of Titanic, April 15, 1912 \-- 1,503

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

25. Hurricane Katrina, Louisiana, MS, AL, FL, 2005 \-- \~1,300

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

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

28. MN & WI Forest Fire, 1918 \-- 1,000

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

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

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

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

33. Chicago Fire, 1871 \-- 766

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

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

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

37. Tri-State Tornado, 1925 \-- 689-695

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

39. Texas City Grandcamp Freighter Explosion, 1947 \-- 516

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

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

42. Northeastern United States "Great Atlantic Hurricane," Sep. 1944 \--
    394

43. Hurricane Audrey, June 1957 \-- 390

**WORST DISASTERS (LIVES LOST) -- NATURAL (non-bio) & ACCIDENTAL**

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

2.  Great Okeechobee Hurricane and Flood, 1928 \-- 1,836-2,500

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

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

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

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

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

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

9.  Sinking of Titanic, April 15, 1912 \-- 1,503

10. Hurricane Katrina, Louisiana, Miss. AL, FL, 2005 \-- \~1,300

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. MN & WI Forest Fire, 1918 \-- 1,000

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. Tri-State Tornado, 1925 \-- 695

WORST DISASTERS (LIVES LOST) -- CHRONOLOGICAL

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

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

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

4.  1849 \-- Cholera Epidemic, Mississippi Valley \-- 5,000+

5.  1853 \-- Yellow Fever, New Orleans \-- 7,790

6.  1865 \-- Riverboat Sultana Explosion/Sinking, MS River \-- 1,547-\~

7.  1867 \-- Yellow Fever, New Orleans \-- 3,093

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

9.  1871 \-- Eastland Excursion Steamer sinking, Chicago \-- 844

10. 1871 \-- Chicago Fire \-- 766

11. 1878 \-- Yellow Fever, Mississippi Valley \-- 13,000+

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

13. 1884 \-- Tornadoes, MI, NC, TN, IN \-- \~800

14. 1889 \-- Johnstown Flood \-- 2,000-3,000

15. 1893 \-- Louisiana Hurricane \-- 2,000+

16. 1893 \-- South Carolina-Georgia Hurricane \-- 1,000-2,000

17. 1894 \-- Wildfire, MN (Hinckley) & WI, September 1 \-- 894

18. 1900 \-- Galveston Hurricane \-- 6K - 12,000

19. 1903 \-- Iroquois Theater Fire, Chicago, December 30 \-- 602

20. 1904 \-- General Slocum Excursion Steamer Fire, June 15 \-- 1,000-
    1,350

21. 1906 \-- San Francisco Earthquake and Fire \-- 664-3,000

22. 1912 \-- Sinking of Titanic, April 15, 1912 \-- 1,503

23. 1916 \-- Polio \-- 7,000+

24. 1918 -- MN & WI Forest Fire \-- 1,000

25. 1918-19 \-- Influenza Pandemic, September \-- April \-- 675,000

26. 1919 \-- Florida Keys, LA, AL, TX Hurricane, Sep. 2-15 \-- 600-900

27. 1925 \-- Tri-State Tornado \-- 689-695

28. 1928 \-- Great Okeechobee Hurricane and Flood \-- 1,836-2,500

29. 1928 \-- St. Francis Dam Failure, Ventura County CA \-- 500

30. 1935 \-- Florida Keys Hurricane, September \-- 405-423

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

32. 1938 \-- New England Hurricane (Long Island Express) \-- 600-720

33. 1944 \-- Northeastern United States "Great Atlantic Hurricane," Sep.
    \-- 394

34. 1947 \-- Texas City Grandcamp Freighter Explosion \-- 516

35. 1949-1952 \-- Polio \-- 6,000+

36. 1957 \-- Influenza Epidemic \-- 70,000

37. 1957 \-- Hurricane Audrey, June \-- 390

38. 1966 \-- Illinois Heat Wave July 1-31 ("excess deaths") \-- 1,148

39. 1968 \-- Influenza Epidemic \-- 28,000

40. 1986 \-- New York City Heat Wave Aug 9-15 \-- 1,001

41. 1995 -- Heat Wave (Particularly Chicago) \-- \~739

42. 2001 \-- 9/11 Terrorist Attacks \-- \~3,000

43. 2005 \-- Hurricane Katrina, Louisiana, Miss. AL, FL \-- \~1,300

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