List of Disasters by cost - wikipedia List of Disasters by cost This article is incomplete. Please help to improve it, or discuss the issue on the talk page. ( September 2017 ) Disasters can be particularly notable for the high costs associated with responding to and recovering from them. This page lists the estimated economic costs of relatively recent disasters. The costs of disasters vary considerably depending on a range of factors, such as the geographical location where they occur. When a disaster occurs in a densely populated area in a wealthy country, the financial damage might be huge, but when a comparable disaster occurs in a densely populated area in a poorer country, the actual financial damage might be relatively small, in part due to a lack of insurance. For example, the 2004 Indian Ocean earthquake and tsunami, with a death toll of over 230,000 people, cost a ' mere ' $15 billion, whereas in the Deepwater Horizon oil spill, in which 11 people died, the damages were six-fold. Note : All damage figures are listed in billions of United States dollars. List of disasters by cost Cost in billions USD Cost ( 2017 - 2018 ) Fatalities Event Type Year Nation $360 $411.3 15894 2011 Tōhoku earthquake and tsunami Earthquake, Tsunami 2011 Japan $197 $329.8 5502 -- 6434 Great Hanshin earthquake Earthquake 1995 Japan $148 $176.4 87587 2008 Sichuan earthquake Earthquake 2008 China $125 $164.9 1245 -- 1836 Hurricane Katrina Tropical cyclone 2005 United States $125 $129.5 107 Hurricane Harvey Tropical cyclone 2017 United States ≥ $91.6 ≥ $94.9 146 -- 8498 Hurricane Maria Tropical cyclone 2017 North America (,,, others ) $68.7 $76.3 233 Hurricane Sandy Tropical cyclone 2012 North America (,,, others ) $64.8 $66.5 134 Hurricane Irma Tropical cyclone 2017 North America (,,, others ) $60 -- $100 $69.7 -- $116.1 11 Deepwater Horizon oil spill Contamination ( Oil ) United States $53.25 $115.8 4800 -- 17000 1988 -- 89 North American drought Drought 1988 United States, Canada $49.6 -- $56.1 $53.3 -- $60.3 104 2012 -- 13 North American drought Drought 2012 United States, Canada $49 $81 57 1994 Northridge earthquake Earthquake United States $45.7 $49.8 815 2011 Thailand floods Flood 2011 Thailand $40 $115.5 2483 -- 4900 1980 Irpinia earthquake Earthquake 1980 Italy $40 $44.6 185 2011 Christchurch earthquake Earthquake 2011 New Zealand $50 -- $433 $113 -- ~ $700 31 -- 46 Chernobyl disaster Contamination ( Radiation ) 1986 Soviet Union (, ) $38 $43.3 214 Hurricane Ike Tropical cyclone 2008 North America (,,, others ) $28 $36.2 68 2004 Chūetsu earthquake Earthquake Japan $27.4 $34.4 87 Hurricane Wilma Tropical cyclone 2005 North America (,,, others ) $27.3 $47.6 65 Hurricane Andrew Tropical cyclone 1992 United States $26.1 $33.9 124 Hurricane Ivan Tropical cyclone North America (,,, others ) $21.8 -- $135 $30.2 -- $186.9 2996 September 11 terrorist attacks Terror attack 2001 United States $18.5 $23.2 97 -- 125 Hurricane Rita Tropical cyclone 2005 United States $19.2 $24.6 110 2002 European floods Flood 2002 Central Europe (,,, others ) $17.6 $23.9 140 Cyclones Lothar and Martin European windstorm 1999 Western Europe (,,, others ) $16.9 $21.9 35 Hurricane Charley Tropical cyclone North America (,, ) $15.8 $17 27 2012 Northern Italy earthquakes Earthquake 2012 Italy $15.1 $15.4 603 Hurricane Matthew Tropical cyclone 2016 North America (,,, others ) $15 -- $20 $25.6 -- $34.1 47 Great Flood of 1993 Flood United States $15.0 $28.8 197 Cyclones Daria, Vivian, and Wiebke European windstorm Western Europe (,,, others ) $15 $19.4 230000 -- 280000 2004 Indian Ocean earthquake and tsunami Earthquake, Tsunami Southeast Asia (,,, others ) $14.2 $15.5 58 Hurricane Irene Tropical cyclone 2011 North America (,,, others ) $12.9 $14.7 138366 Cyclone Nargis Tropical cyclone 2008 Myanmar $12.7 $13.2 130 November 2015 Paris attacks Terror attack 2015 France $11.6 -- $18.9 $17 -- $27.7 17118 -- 17127 1999 İzmit earthquake Earthquake 1999 Turkey $10.4 $11 12 Typhoon Fitow Tropical cyclone 2013 China $10.2 $11.1 348 2011 Super Outbreak Tornado 2011 United States $10 -- $15 $10.3 -- $15.4 13 2016 Louisiana floods Flood 2016 United States $10 $29.6 1700 -- 10000 1980 United States heat wave Drought 1980 United States $10 $18 64 Typhoon Mireille Tropical cyclone 1991 Japan $10 $12.1 44 Cyclone Kyrill European windstorm 2007 Western Europe (,,, others ) $10 $11.3 16 June 2008 Midwest floods Flood 2008 United States $9.8 $12.7 50 Hurricane Frances Tropical cyclone North America (, ) $9.5 $18.7 60 Hurricane Hugo Tropical cyclone 1989 North America (,,, others ) $9.5 $9.7 2016 Fort McMurray Wildfire Wildfire 2016 Canada $9.4 $14.1 604 Hurricane Georges Tropical cyclone 1998 North America (,,, others ) $9.4 $9.4 44 October 2017 Northern California wildfires Wildfire 2017 United States $9 $11.7 28 Typhoon Songda Tropical cyclone Japan $8.5 $11.8 55 Tropical Storm Allison Tropical cyclone 2001 United States 8.3 $9.5 153 Hurricane Gustav Tropical cyclone 2008 North America (,,, others ) $8.1 -- $14 $9.2 -- $16 100000 -- 220000 2010 Haiti earthquake Earthquake Haiti $7.9 $10.3 3035 Hurricane Jeanne Tropical cyclone North America (,,, others ) $7.13 $7.4 196 Typhoon Rammasun Tropical cyclone 2014 Southeast Asia (,,, others ) $7 $13.8 0 Exxon Valdez oil spill Contamination ( Oil ) 1989 North America (, ) $6.5 $9.6 74 Hurricane Floyd Tropical cyclone 1999 North America (,, ) $6.2 $6.2 630 2017 Iran -- Iraq earthquake Earthquake 2017 Iran Iraq $6.2 $7.1 789 Typhoon Morakot Tropical cyclone 2009 Southeast Asia (,,, others ) $6.1 $9.1 11374 + Hurricane Mitch Tropical cyclone 1998 North America (,,, others ) $6.1 $7 75 Cyclone Xynthia European windstorm Southeastern Europe (,,, others ) $6.01 $8.6 75 Typhoon Prapiroon Tropical cyclone 2000 Southeast Asia (,,, others ) $6 $7.01 26 Cyclone Klaus European windstorm 2009 Southeastern Europe (,,, others ) $6 $6.3 2013 Alberta floods Flood 2013 Canada $5.6 -- $6 $11 -- $11.8 63 1989 Loma Prieta earthquake Earthquake 1989 United States $5.5 $7.1 24 Cyclone Gudrun European windstorm 2005 North Europe (,,, others ) $5.5 $7.3 51 Hurricane Isabel Tropical cyclone 2003 United States $5 $11.4 10000 -- 35000 1985 Mexico City earthquake Earthquake 1985 Mexico $5 $7.9 284 -- 590 Typhoon Herb Tropical cyclone China $4.8 $6 101 Firenze flash flood Flood 1966 Italy $4.7 $7.6 63 Hurricane Opal Tropical cyclone 1995 North America (,,, others ) $4.6 $4.8 6329 -- 7403 Typhoon Haiyan Tropical cyclone 2013 Southeast Asia (,,, others ) $4.4 $5.2 78 Cyclone Gonu Tropical cyclone 2007 Oman $4.2 $4.4 123 Hurricane Manuel Tropical cyclone 2013 Mexico $4 $8.8 22 Great Storm of 1987 European windstorm Western Europe (,,, others ) $3.1 $5.4 6 Hurricane Iniki Tropical cyclone 1992 United States $2 -- $4 $2 -- $4 370 2017 Central Mexico earthquake Earthquake 2017 Mexico $3.0 $6.2 318 Hurricane Gilbert Tropical cyclone 1988 North America (,,, others ) $2.9 $3.1 22 June 2012 North American derecho Severe storm 2012 United States $2.84 -- $5 $3.21 -- $7.23 2015 Sabah earthquake earthquake 2015 Malaysia $2.8 $3.1 158 2011 Joplin tornado Tornado 2011 United States $2.68 $3.7 29 AZF chemical plant explosion Explosion 2001 France $2.5 $2.5 2017 Montana wildfires Drought, Wildfire 2017 United States $2.5 $2.5 0 2017 Minneapolis hailstorm Hailstorm 2017 United States $2.4 $2.5 20 2016 European floods Flood 2016 Western Europe (,,, others ) $2.4 $3.2 6 Century flood of Rhône Flood 2003 France $2.2 $2.2 0 2017 Denver hailstorm Hailstorm 2017 United States $2.1 $2.1 0 Tornado outbreak of March 6 -- 7, 2017 Tornado 2017 United States $2 $2.2 33 Costa Concordia disaster Maritime disaster 2012 Italy $1.7 $1.9 0 2010 eruptions of Eyjafjallajökull Volcano Europe (,,, others ) $1.4 $1.4 44 Cyclone Winston Tropical cyclone 2016 Fiji $1.24 -- $2 $1.7 -- $2.7 15 Cedar Fire Wildfire 2003 United States $1.1 $3.8 0 Three Mile Island accident Contamination ( Radiation ) 1979 United States $1.1 $3 57 1980 eruption of Mount St. Helens Volcano 1980 United States $1 $2.3 22540 Armero tragedy Volcano 1985 Colombia $0.8 -- $1.1 $3.6 -- $4.9 71 Cyclone Tracy Tropical cyclone Australia $0.8 -- $1.3 $0.9 -- $1.4 0 2014 Paris Hailstorm Hailstorm 2014 France $0.7 $1.3 800 1991 Mount Pinatubo eruption Volcano 1991 Philippines $0.7 $0.8 2011 Slave Lake wildfire Wildfire 2011 Canada $0.53 -- $1 $0.8 -- $1.4 23 2014 - 15 Malaysia floods Flood 2014 -- 15 Malaysia $0.2 $0.8 583 Tenerife airport disaster Aviation disaster 1977 Canary Islands References ^ Jump up to : `` Costs beyond measure ''. 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Disasters Overview Lists by death toll by cost Disasters Natural ( by death toll ) Tornadoes Drought Mudslide Flood Tropical cyclone Earthquake Volcanic eruptions Fires Wildfires Impact event Accidents Transport Rail Maritime Shipwreck Aircraft Airship Industrial Structural failures and collapses Bridge Dam Nuclear by death toll Civilian radiation Civilian nuclear Military nuclear Oil spills Levee breach Mast and tower Infrastructure Space Health Famines Epidemics Man - made Wars and anthropogenic disasters Battles and other violent events Military Wars Terrorist incidents Riots Massacres Nightclub fires Countermeasures Humanitarian aid Emergency population warning Emergency Alert System Earthquake preparedness Earthquake warning system Evacuations Emergency management Hurricane preparedness Crisis management Disaster risk reduction Media Feature films Organizations Global Risk Forum GRF Davos International Association of Emergency Managers International Disaster and Risk Conference Disaster Accountability Project International Disaster Emergency Service Portal WikiProject Disasters portal Retrieved from `` https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=List_of_disasters_by_cost&oldid=852462325 '' Categories : Lists of disasters History of insurance Hidden categories : Webarchive template wayback links CS1 maint : Unfit url Articles to be expanded from September 2017 All articles with unsourced statements Articles with unsourced statements from November 2017 Talk About Wikipedia Add links This page was last edited on 29 July 2018, at 04 : 20 ( UTC ). 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Question: what is the costliest natural disaster in us history
Answer: Hurricane Katrina