# List of disasters in New York City by death toll

This is a list of disasters that have occurred in New York City organized by death toll. The list is general and comprehensive, comprising natural disasters (including epidemics) and man-made disasters both purposeful and accidental. It does not normally include numerous non-notable deadly events such as disease deaths in an ordinary year, nor most deaths due to residential fires, traffic collisions and criminal homicide. Particularly for epidemics, years reflect when the event impacted New York City rather than the world at large.
| Year | Event | Type | Death toll | Notes and sources |
| 1983–present | HIV/AIDS epidemic | disease | 84,027+ | |
| 2020–2023 | COVID-19 pandemic | disease | 38,795–45,194 | |
| 1918–1919 | Spanish flu | disease | 20,403–33,000 | |
| 1849 | Third cholera pandemic (1st wave) | disease | 5,071 | |
| 1832 | Second cholera pandemic (1st wave) | disease | 3,513 | |
| 2001 | September 11 attacks | terrorism | 2,753 | |
| 1854 | Third cholera pandemic (2nd wave) | disease | 2,509 | |
| 1798 | Yellow fever | disease | 2,086 | |
| 1916 | 1916 New York City polio epidemic | disease | 2,000+ | |
| 1872 | Smallpox epidemic | disease | 1,666 | |
| 1896 | 1896 Eastern North America heat wave | weather | 1,300 | |
| 1866 | Fourth cholera pandemic | disease | 1,137 | |
| 1904 | PS General Slocum | maritime | 1,021 | |
| 1834 | Second cholera pandemic (2nd wave) | disease | 971 | |
| 1972 | Heat wave | weather | 891 | |
| 1795 | Yellow fever | disease | 732 | |
| 1731 | Smallpox | disease | 549 | |
| 1702 | Yellow fever | disease | 500 | |
| 1776 | Battle of Long Island | warfare | 364 | |
| 1963 | 1963 New York City smog | pollution | 300–405 | |
| 1876 | Brooklyn Theatre fire | fire | 278+ | |
| 2001 | American Airlines Flight 587 | aircraft | 265 | |
| 1996 | TWA Flight 800 | aircraft | 230 | |
| 1953 | 1953 New York City smog | pollution | 200–260 | |
| 1966 | 1966 New York City smog | pollution | 168–400 | |
| 1911 | Triangle Shirtwaist Factory fire | fire | 146 | |
| 1776 | Battle of Fort Washington | warfare | 143 | |
| 1840 | Lexington | maritime | 139–154 | |
| 1960 | Park Slope plane crash | aircraft | 134 | |
| 1776 | Battle of Harlem Heights | warfare | 122 | |
| 1863 | New York City draft riots | mass unrest | 119–120 | |
| 1975 | Eastern Air Lines Flight 66 | aircraft | 113 | |
| 1871 | Westfield disaster | maritime | 104–125 | |
| 1888 | Great Blizzard of 1888 | weather | 100–200 | |
| 1918 | Malbone Street Wreck | rail | 93–102 | |
| 1962 | American Airlines Flight 1 | aircraft | 95 | |
| 1990 | Happy Land fire | fire | 87 | |
| 1899 | Windsor Hotel fire | fire | 86 | |
| 1965 | Eastern Air Lines Flight 663 | aircraft | 84 | |
| 1950 | Kew Gardens train crash | rail | 78 | |
| 1932 | Observation | maritime | 72 | |
| 1732 | Yellow fever | disease | 70 | |
| 1850 | Hague Street explosion | explosion | 67+ | |
| 1959 | American Airlines Flight 320 | aircraft | 65 | |
| 1871 | Second Orange Riot | mass unrest | 62 | |
| 1891 | Park Place disaster | explosion | 61 | |
| 2012 | Hurricane Sandy | weather | 53 | |
| 1926 | Linseed King | maritime | 51–58 | |
| 1852 | Henry Clay | maritime | ~50 | |
| 1947 | United Airlines Flight 521 | aircraft | 43 | |
| 1851 | Ninth Ward School disaster | fire | 43 | |
| 1969 | February 1969 nor'easter | weather | 42 | |
| 1973 | 1973 Staten Island gas explosion | explosion | 40 | |
| 1643 | Massacre at Corlears Hook | warfare | 40 | |
| 1920 | Wall Street bombing | terrorism | 38 | |
| 1946 | Knickerbocker Ice Company disaster | fire | 37 | |
| 1741 | New York Conspiracy of 1741 | mass unrest | 34 | |
| 1966 | New York Harbor tanker collision | maritime | 33 | |
| 1845 | Great New York City Fire of 1845 | fire | 30 | |
| 1712 | New York Slave Revolt of 1712 | mass unrest | 29–36 | |
| 1892 | Hotel Royal fire | fire | 28 | |
| 1992 | USAir Flight 405 | aircraft | 27 | |
| 1923 | Manhattan State Hospital fire | fire | 27 | |
| 1954 | Alitalia Flight 451 | aircraft | 26 | |
| 1976 | Puerto Rican Social Club fire | fire | 25 | |
| 1962 | Eastern Air Lines Flight 512 | aircraft | 25 | |
| 1958 | Monarch Underwear Company fire | fire | 24 | |
| 1880 | Seawanhaka disaster | maritime | 24–35 | |
| 1962 | New York Telephone Company boiler explosion | explosion | 23 | |
| 1849 | Astor Place Riot | mass unrest | 22–31 | |
| 1902 | Park Avenue Hotel fire | fire | 21 | |
| 1908 | Gold Street explosion | explosion | 20+ | |
| 1905 | Allen Street tenement fire | fire | 20+ | |
| 1957 | Northeast Airlines Flight 823 | aircraft | 20 | |
| 1860 | Elm Street tenement fire | fire | 20 | $^{:30}$ |
| 1937 | New Brighton tenement collapse | structural collapse | 19 | |
| 2022 | 2022 Bronx apartment fire | fire | 17 | |
| 1885 | Glass House disaster | structural collapse | 17 | |
| 1928 | 1928 Times Square derailment | rail | 16–18 | |
| 1895 | Ireland Building collapse | structural collapse | 16 | |
| 1893 | 1893 Long Island Rail Road collision | rail | 16 | |
| 1902 | Park Avenue Tunnel crash | rail | 15–17 | |
| 2011 | World Wide Tours bus crash | road | 15 | |
| 1902 | Madison Square fireworks explosion | explosion | 15 | |
| 1883 | Church of the Most Holy Redeemer school fire | fire | 14–16 | |
| 1945 | 1945 Empire State Building B-25 crash | aircraft | 14 | |
| 2021 | Hurricane Ida | weather | 13 | |
| 1968 | Williamsburg apartment fire | fire | 13 | |
| 1905 | Ninth Avenue derailment | rail | 13 | |
| 1899 | Andrews mansion fire | fire | 13 | |
| 1877 | E. Greenfield candy factory fire | fire | 13 | |
| 2017 | 2017 Bronx apartment fire | fire | 12 | |
| 1970 | 1970 New York City gas explosion | explosion | 12 | |
| 1966 | 23rd Street Fire | fire | 12 | |
| 1915 | Diamond Candy Company fire | fire | 12 | |
| 1883 | 1883 Brooklyn Bridge stampede | mass unrest | 12 | |
| 2003 | 2003 Staten Island Ferry crash | maritime | 11 | |
| 1975 | LaGuardia Airport bombing | terrorism | 11 | |
| 1970 | Trans International Airlines Flight 863 | aircraft | 11 | |
| 1854 | W. T. Jennings fire | fire | 11 | $^{:29}$ |
| 1984 | Palm Sunday massacre | homicide | 10 | |
| 1956 | Bush Terminal explosion | explosion | 10 | |
| 1938 | 1938 New England hurricane | weather | 10 | |
| 1910 | Grand Central Station explosion | explosion | 10 | |
| 2009 | Hudson River mid-air collision | aircraft | 9 | |
| 1991 | City College stampede | mass unrest | 9 | |
| 1977 | Everard Baths fire | fire | 9 | |
| 1894 | Newtown Creek Bridge disaster | structural collapse | 9 | |
| 2017 | New York City truck attack | terrorism | 8 | |
| 2014 | East Harlem gas explosion | explosion | 8 | |
| 1995 | Freddy's Fashion Mart attack | homicide | 8 | |
| 1932 | Ritz Tower Hotel fire and explosion | explosion | 8 | |
| 1923 | 1923 Brooklyn elevated train crash | rail | 8 | |
| 1902 | 1902 New York City Subway explosion | explosion | 8 | |
| 1870 | First Orange Riot | mass unrest | 8 | |
| 1882 | 1882 Spuyten Duyvil train wreck | rail | 8 | |
| 1857 | Dead Rabbits riot | mass unrest | 8 | |
| 2008 | 303 East 51st Street crane collapse | structural collapse | 7 | |
| 1915 | 1915 New York City Subway explosion | explosion | 6–25 | |
| 1917 | Domino Sugar Refinery explosion | explosion | 6–12 | |
| 1993 | World Trade Center Bombing | terrorism | 6 | |
| 1978 | Waldbaum's fire | fire | 6 | |
| 1967 | 1967 New York City freight train collision | rail | 6 | |
| 1962 | Queens soap plant fire | fire | 6 | $^{:109}$ |
| 1943 | Harlem riot of 1943 | mass unrest | 6 | |
| 1912 | Equitable Life Building fire | fire | 6 | |
| 1891 | 1891 New York City train collision | rail | 6 | |
| 2018 | 2018 New York City helicopter crash | aircraft | 5 | |
| 1991 | Union Square derailment | rail | 5 | |
| 1977 | Pan Am Building helicopter crash | aircraft | 5 | |
| 1959 | American Airlines Flight 514 | aircraft | 5 | |
| 1952 | 1952 Queens plane crash | aircraft | 5 | |
| 1946 | 40 Wall Street plane crash | aircraft | 5 | |
| 1901 | 1901 Staten Island Ferry crash | maritime | 4–5 | |
| 2013 | December 2013 Spuyten Duyvil derailment | rail | 4 | |
| 1975 | Fraunces Tavern bombing | terrorism | 4 | |
| 1973 | Broadway Central Hotel collapse | structural collapse | 4 | |
| 1947 | North American blizzard of 1947 | weather | 4 | |
| 1929 | 1929 New York City Subway collision | rail | 4 | |
| 1914 | Lexington Avenue explosion | terrorism | 4 | |
| 1691 | Leisler's Rebellion | warfare | 4 | |
| 1788 | Doctors' riot | mass unrest | 3–20 | |
| 1989 | Gramercy Park asbestos steam explosion | explosion | 3 | |
| 1970 | Greenwich Village townhouse explosion | terrorism | 3 | |
| 1946 | 1946 St. George Terminal fire | fire | 3 | |
| 1935 | Harlem riot of 1935 | mass unrest | 3 | |
| 2015 | East Village gas explosion | explosion | 2 | |
| 2006 | 2006 New York City plane crash | aircraft | 2 | |
| 1991 | Crown Heights riot | mass unrest | 2 | |
| 1989 | USAir Flight 5050 | aircraft | 2 | |
| 1958 | 1958 East River collision | maritime | 2 | |
| 1947 | 1947 New York City smallpox outbreak | disease | 2 | |
| 1929 | 1929 Yankee Stadium stampede | mass unrest | 2 | |
| 1835 | Great Fire of New York | fire | 2 | |
| 2020 | 2020 New York City Subway fire | rail | 1 | |
| 2019 | 2019 New York City helicopter crash | aircraft | 1 | |
| 2007 | 2007 New York City steam explosion | explosion | 1 | |
| 1995 | Williamsburg Bridge subway collision | rail | 1 | |
| 1964 | Harlem riot of 1964 | mass unrest | 1 | |
| 1956 | Sylvania Electric Products explosion | explosion | 1 | |
| 1949 | Holland Tunnel fire | fire | 1 | |
| 1942 | SS Normandie | maritime | 1 | |
| 1915 | 1915 New York City Subway fire | rail | 1 | |
| 1770 | Battle of Golden Hill | warfare | 0–1 | |
| 2009 | US Airways Flight 1549 | aircraft | 0 | |
| 1975 | Overseas National Airways Flight 032 | aircraft | 0 | |
| 1969 | 1969 New York City gas explosion | explosion | 0 | |
| 1919 | 1919 Standard Oil Company fire | fire | 0 | |
| 1866–present | Greenpoint oil spill | pollution | unknown | |
| 1776 | Great Fire of New York | fire | unknown | |
| 1655 | Peach War | warfare | unknown | |
| 1643–1645 | Kieft's War | warfare | unknown | |