This is Each State’s Worst Natural Disaster

On June 16th, a deadly heat wave swept through regions of North America. As this record-breaking heat rages on in southern, midwestern, and northeastern states, many Americans are at risk of heat-related illnesses. Extreme heat is the deadliest form of weather in the United States. On average, excessive temperatures kill more than twice as many people annually as tornadoes and hurricanes. Unfortunately, scorching heat is not the only natural disaster our country contends with. In fact, The U.S. was home to 25 natural disasters in 2023, more than any other country incurred that year.

Because of the great geographical diversity across the U.S., each region is susceptible to different disasters. The West Coast is ripe with wildfires that the northern U.S. almost never sees. Likewise, the southern and East Coast states are frequently hit with shattering hurricanes, the likes of which rarely occur elsewhere in the nation. As a whole, America is an annual victim of a large range of natural disasters, including tornadoes, flash floods, fires, hurricanes, earthquakes, mud slides, and avalanches. All of these have the capacity to wreak major havoc on our cities and infrastructure.

To develop our list, 24/7 Wall St. researched historic government data on weather events across all 50 states. We only reviewed disasters caused by natural forces, such as earthquakes, blizzards, ice storms, hurricanes, volcanic eruptions, avalanches, floods, and tornados. Government sources analyzed include the United States Geological Survey and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. We also reviewed data from the National Weather Service Weather Forecast Office. News reports provided supplemental information.

Though disasters are notable for different reasons, like the immense damage they cause and the costly reconstruction that follows, we focused on events that caused the most deaths. The weather event with the highest fatalities was chosen as the state’s worst natural disaster.

Some states are lucky enough to have never lost hundreds or thousands of residents to a disaster. For example, Maine’s greatest disaster, an ice storm, resulted in the loss of only eight people. Maine’s placement on the map helps it avoid extremely dangerous weather events, like mass wildfires and destructive hurricanes. In contrast, Texas’ most major disaster was much more deadly. In 1900, the Galveston Hurricane took the lives of 8,000 people.

Why We Are Covering This

Thanks to climate change and increasing global temperatures, natural disasters are on the rise. Of the 10 recorded years with the highest number of natural disasters, eight of them occurred in the last decade. In reference to climate change-related disasters, Rick Spinrad of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Atmosphere says, “Buckle up. More extreme events are expected.” Practical Americans who wish to take precautionary measures must remain alert to impending disasters.

Here is the worst natural disaster in each state: