# List of disasters in Massachusetts by death toll

This is a list of known disasters that have occurred in Massachusetts, organized by death toll. Historically documented events that caused 10 or more deaths are included. Notes:
* Some of the events occurred prior to Massachusetts becoming a U.S. state.
* Acts of war are excluded, such as battles of the American Revolutionary War in Massachusetts.
* Some of the events occurred in the Atlantic Ocean, at varying distances from land (such distances, when known, and noted via footnote).
| Year | Event | Type | Death toll | Location |
| 1918 | Spanish flu pandemic | Disease | 28,870 | Statewide |
| 2020 | COVID-19 pandemic | Disease | 20,872 | Statewide |
| 1693 | 1693 Boston yellow fever epidemic | Disease | 3,100+ | Boston |
| 1911 | 1911 Eastern North America heat wave | Weather | 1,110 | Statewide |
| 1633 | Massachusetts smallpox epidemic | Disease | 1,000 | Statewide |
| 1721 | 1721 Boston smallpox outbreak | Disease | 844 | Boston |
| 1677 | 1677–1678 Boston smallpox epidemic | Disease | 750–1,000 | Boston |
| 1942 | Cocoanut Grove fire | Fire | 492 | Boston |
| 1898 | Sinking of the Portland | Shipwreck | 193 to 245 | off Gloucester |
| 1874 | Mill River Flood of 1874 | Flood | 139 | Williamsburg/Northampton |
| 1963 | Sinking of the USS Thresher | Shipwreck | 129 | off Cape Cod |
| 1884 | Sinking of the SS City of Columbus | Shipwreck | 103 | off Martha's Vineyard |
| 1953 | 1953 Worcester tornado | Weather | 94 | Worcester |
| 1973 | Delta Air Lines Flight 723 | Aviation accident | 89 | Boston |
| 1860 | Pemberton Mill collapse | Collapse (building) | 88 to 145 | Lawrence |
| 1938 | 1938 New England hurricane | Weather | 88 | Statewide |
| 1875 | Precious Blood Church fire | Fire | 78 | Holyoke |
| 1960 | Eastern Air Lines Flight 375 | Aviation accident | 62 | Boston Harbor |
| 1905 | Grover Shoe Factory disaster | Explosion | 58 | Brockton |
| 1916 | Summer Street Bridge disaster | Railway accident | 46 | Boston |
| 1956 | Sinking of the SS Andrea Doria | Ship collision | 46 | off Nantucket |
| 1925 | Pickwick Club collapse | Collapse (building) | 44 | Boston |
| 1927 | Sinking of the USS S-4 | Ship collision | 40 | off Provincetown |
| 1887 | Forest Hills disaster | Collapse (rail bridge) | 38 | Boston |
| 1911 | Septic sore throat outbreak | Disease | 38 | Boston |
| 1953 | Explosion aboard USS Leyte | Shipboard explosion | 37 | Boston (Naval Annex) |
| 1871 | Great Revere train wreck of 1871 | Railway collision | 30 | Revere |
| 1913 | Arcadia Hotel fire | Fire | 28 | Boston |
| 1872 | Great Boston Fire of 1872 | Fire | 26 to 30 | Boston |
| 1946 | Mount Tom B-17 crash | Aviation accident | 25 | Holyoke |
| 1874 | Granite Mill fire | Fire | 23 | Fall River |
| 1890 | 1890 Quincy train wreck | Railway accident | 23 | Quincy |
| 1958 | Northeast Airlines Flight 258 | Aviation accident | 23 | Nantucket |
| 1903 | United States Cartridge Company explosion | Explosion | 22 | Lowell |
| 1915 | St. John's School fire | Fire | 21 | Peabody |
| 1919 | Great Molasses Flood | Flood | 21 | Boston |
| 1928 | Preble Box Toe Company explosion | Explosion | 20 | Lynn |
| 1878 | Wollaston disaster | Railway accident | 19 | Quincy |
| 1908 | Great Chelsea fire of 1908 | Fire | 19 | Chelsea |
| 1945 | SS Silver Star Park and SS Mangore collision | Ship collision | 19 | off New Bedford |
| 1966 | 1966 Nantucket radar plane crash | Aviation accident | 19 | off Nantucket |
| 2012 | 2012–2013 flu season | Disease | 18 | Statewide |
| 1905 | Baker Bridge train wreck | Railway collision | 17 | Lincoln |
| 1910 | Morewood Lake Ice Company explosion | Explosion | 17 | Pittsfield |
| 1944 | Sinking of the USS YF-415 | Shipboard explosion | 17 | off Hingham |
| 1804 | 1804 New England hurricane | Weather | 16 | Statewide |
| 1965 | 1965 Nantucket radar plane crash | Aviation accident | 16 | off Nantucket |
| 1942 | Garnet Peak C-53 crash | Aviation accident | 16 | Peru |
| 1958 | Westover Air Force Base KC-135 crash | Aviation accident | 15 | Chicopee |
| 1967 | 1967 Nantucket radar plane crash | Aviation accident | 15 | off Nantucket |
| 1984 | Beverly rooming house fire | Fire | 15 | Beverly |
| 1893 | Chester train wreck | Collapse (rail bridge) | 14 | Chester |
| 1928 | Beacon Oil explosion | Explosion | 14 | Everett |
| 1867 | Hoosac Tunnel Central Shaft accident | Collapse (rail tunnel) | 13 | Florida |
| 1906 | Amsden Building collapse | Collapse (building) | 13 | Framingham |
| 1941 | Strand Theatre fire | Fire | 13 | Brockton |
| 1942 | Melvin Hall fire | Fire | 13 | Lynn |
| 1956 | Swampscott train wreck | Railway collision | 13 | Swampscott |
| 1966 | Everett train-truck crash | Railway accident | 13 | Everett |
| 1890 | North End tenement fire (North Street) | Fire | 12 | Boston |
| 1952 | Camp Edwards C-47/F-94B collision | Aviation accident | 12 | Mashpee |
| 1958 | Northeast Airlines Flight 285 | Aviation accident | 12 | New Bedford |
| 1886 | Deerfield railway accident | Railway accident | 11 | Deerfield |
| 1902 | Frank A. Palmer and Louise B. Crary collision | Ship collision | 11 | off Gloucester |
| 1913 | Lawrence bathhouse tragedy | Drowning | 11 | Lawrence |
| 1919 | Springfield Boys' Club Camp drownings | Drowning | 11 | East Otis |
| 1964 | January 1964 blizzard | Weather | 11 | Statewide |
| 1966 | Paramount Hotel explosion | Explosion | 11 | Boston |
| 1902 | North End lodging house fire (Fleet Street) | Fire | 10 | Boston |
| 1944 | Mount Holyoke B-24 crash | Aviation accident | 10 | South Hadley |
| 1973 | Worcester rooming house fire | Fire | 10 | Worcester |