Question: What was the death toll of the worst maritime disaster in United States history ?

text: List of disasters in the United States by death toll
Over 400 deaths

This list of United States disasters by death toll includes disasters that occurred either in the United States, at diplomatic missions of the United States, or incidents outside of the United States in which a number of U.S. citizens were killed. It does not include death tolls from the American Civil War. Due to inflation, the monetary damage estimates are not comparable. Unless otherwise noted, the year given is the year in which the currency's valuation was calculated. This list is not comprehensive in general and epidemics are not included.
Year Type Fatalities Article Location Comments
1900 Tropical cyclone 6,000 to 12,000 1900 Galveston hurricane Texas Fatalities estimated . Remains the deadliest natural disaster in United States history
1899 Tropical cyclone 3,389 1899 San Ciriaco hurricane Puerto Rico , East Coast of the United States
1906 Earthquake and fire ( urban conflagration ) 3,000+ 1906 San Francisco earthquake San Francisco , California Conflagration followed quake ; fatalities estimated ; also major casualties in Santa Rosa and San Jose . Deadliest earthquake in U.S. history
2001 Terrorism 2,996 September 11 attacks New York City , Arlington County , Virginia , and Stonycreek Township near Shanksville , Pennsylvania 2,977 victims and 19 hijackers . Deadliest in New York City and the Washington DC metropolitan area . Deadliest terrorist attack in world history
2017 Tropical cyclone 2,982 ( estimated ) Hurricane Maria Puerto Rico , United States Virgin Islands , East Coast of the United States Total includes at least 2,975 deaths based on a study by GWU on the estimated excess mortality . The official death count was previously 64 . The storm caused $ 90 billion ( 2017 USD ) in damage in Puerto Rico , and three deaths in the U.S. Virgin Islands , as well as an additional 75 deaths and $ 1.6 billion in damage across the rest of the Caribbean
1928 Tropical cyclone 2,823 1928 Okeechobee hurricane Florida , Puerto Rico 4,000+ believed dead total . Includes 2,511+ in the contiguous United States , 312 in Puerto Rico
1941 Military strike - bombing 2,467 Attack on Pearl Harbor Honolulu , Territory of Hawaii and nearby military installations 2,403 U.S. victims and 64 Japanese attackers . Deadliest attack on U.S. soil by a foreign government to date
1889 Accident - dam burst 2,209 Johnstown Flood Pennsylvania Much rain , deforestation ; dam failed
1893 Tropical cyclone 2,000 1893 Cheniere Caminada hurricane Louisiana Fatalities estimated
1865 Accident - shipwreck 1,700 Sultana Marion , Arkansas / Helena , Arkansas Steamboat sank due to boiler explosion ; fatalities estimated . Deadliest maritime disaster in U.S. history
1980 Heat wave 1,700 1980 United States heat wave Central and southern states Official death toll , may have been higher
1871 Wildfire 1,500-2,500 Peshtigo Fire Peshtigo , Wisconsin , Upper Peninsula of Michigan Fatalities estimated ; most deaths in single fire in U.S. history
2005 Tropical cyclone 1,245-1,836 Hurricane Katrina Florida , Louisiana , Mississippi , Alabama , Georgia , Kentucky , and Ohio Tied with Hurricane Harvey as the costliest natural disaster in U.S. history
1915 shipwreck , Military strike - Submarine 1,198 Sinking of the RMS Lusitania North Atlantic Sea near the Old head of Kinsale Ireland The RMS Lusitania was an ocean liner sunk by a German torpedo fired from a submarine during World War One
1943 Military strike - bombing 1,173 HMT Rohna Mediterranean Sea Luftwaffe glide bomb hit troopship causing the largest loss of U.S. soldiers ( 1,050 ) at sea due to enemy action in a single incident
1904 Accident - shipwreck 1,021 PS General Slocum East River near New York City Steamship sank due to fire on board . Deadliest maritime disaster in New York City , and deadliest in city 's history until 2001
1893 Tropical cyclone 1,000-2,000 1893 Sea Islands hurricane Georgia , South Carolina Fatalities estimated
1918 Wildfire ( rural ) 1,000 1918 Cloquet fire Minnesota
1978 Mass murder - suicide 918 Jonestown Jonestown , Guyana Jim Jones , cult leader of the Peoples Temple Agricultural Project , convinced most of the group to drink grape Flavor Aid poisoned with cyanide or to inject themselves and their children with cyanide , totaling 909 deaths of U.S. nationals . A family of four other Temple members committed murder/suicide by knife in Georgetown . Five others were shot and killed while trying to escape from Jonestown , including U.S . Congressman Leo Ryan
1945 Military strike - submarine 879 USS Indianapolis Philippine Sea Largest loss of life in the history of the U.S. Navy at sea