What is the Deadliest Natural Disaster in Your State?

24/7 Wall St. Insights

• 8,000 lives were lost in Texas during the 1990 Galveston Hurricane, one of the deadliest natural disasters on record.
• Alternately, in Maine, the deadliest natural disaster – an ice storm – claimed the lives of just eight people, thanks in part to Maine’s placement on the map.
• Natural disasters in the U.S. differ based on geographical area but can include tornadoes, flash floods, hurricanes, earthquakes, and fires (among others).
• Also: 2 Dividend Legends to Hold Forever

Amazon (NASDAQ: AMZN) recently began developing a Disaster Relief Hub located in Southern California to address the needs of communities affected by wildfires. The extent of wildfires in the U.S. each year continues to grow. The top fires causing the largest acreages burned have all happened in the last 10 years, and the effects of climate change will undoubtedly affect prevalence moving forward. Through its Disaster Relief Hub, Amazon hopes to more rapidly provide disaster mitigation equipment, such as smoke pumps and hydration packets, to affected areas. (Despite the potential complications, people are flocking to these wildfire zones.)

Wildfires are not the only natural disaster commonly seen in the United States. Because of the great geographical diversity across the U.S., each region is susceptible to different disasters. The West Coast is ripe with these wildfires that the northern U.S. almost never sees. Likewise, 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. (Here’s every $5 billion plus weather event since 2020.)

Here, 24/7 Wall St. explores the most terrifying and severe natural disasters in each state. To develop this 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. Some states are lucky enough to have never lost hundreds or thousands of residents to a disaster. Still, the weather event with the highest fatalities was chosen as the state’s worst natural disaster. 

Why We Needed to Cover This

Thanks to climate change and increasing global temperatures, natural disasters are on the rise. 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:

1. Alabama

• Natural disaster: Deep South Tornado Outbreak
• Date: March 21, 1932
• Fatalities: 286
• Other events considered: Killer tornadoes of 1920, 1980 Heat Wave

2. Alaska

• Natural disaster: Good Friday Earthquake
• Date: March 27, 1964
• Fatalities: Numbers vary between 115 and 131
• Other events considered: Chilkoot Trail “Palm Sunday” Avalanche of 1898, 1967 Fairbanks Flood

3. Arizona

• Natural disaster: Tropical Storm Norma
• Date: Sept. 4-5, 1970
• Fatalities: 23
• Other events considered: Tropical Storm Norma (1970), Yarnell Hill Fire (2013)

4. Arkansas

• Natural disaster: Mississippi River Flood
• Date: May-August 1927
• Fatalities: 127
• Other events considered: Albert Pike Flash Floods (2010), Flood of 1978

5. California

• Natural disaster: San Francisco Earthquake
• Date: April 18, 1906
• Fatalities: 3,000
• Other events considered: Crescenta Valley Flood (1933-34), Los Angeles Flood (1938)

6. Colorado

• Natural disaster: Big Thompson Canyon Flood
• Date: July 31, 1976
• Fatalities: 144
• Other events considered: Denver Flood (1965)

7. Connecticut

• Natural disaster: Great New England Hurricane
• Date: September 21, 1938
• Fatalities: 85
• Other events considered: Great Flood (1955)

8. Delaware

• Natural disaster: Gale of ’78
• Date: October 23, 1878
• Fatalities: 100
• Other events considered: Mid-Atlantic Flood (2006)

9. Florida

• Natural disaster: Lake Okeechobee Hurricane
• Date: September 6-20, 1928
• Fatalities: 2,500-3,000
• Other events considered: Labor Day Hurricane (1935)

10. Georgia

• Natural disaster: Sea Islands Hurricane
• Date: August 15, 1893
• Fatalities: 2,000+
• Other events considered: Atlanta Flood (2009)

11. Hawaii

• Natural disaster: Aleutian Islands Earthquake/Tsunami
• Date: April 1, 1946
• Fatalities: 159
• Other events considered: Maui Wildfires (2023), Hurricane Iniki (1992)

12. Idaho

• Natural disaster: The Big Burn of 1910
• Date: August 20-21, 1910
• Fatalities: 87
• Other events considered: Borah Earthquake (1983)

13. Illinois

• Natural disaster: Chicago Heat Wave
• Date: July 13-15, 1995
• Fatalities: 750
• Other events considered: Tri-State Tornado (1925)

14. Indiana

• Natural disaster: The Great Flood of 1913
• Date: March 1913
• Fatalities: 100
• Other events considered: Tri-State Tornadoes (1925)

15. Iowa

• Natural disaster: The Armistice Day Blizzard
• Date: November 11, 1940
• Fatalities: 154
• Other events considered: Great Flood (1993)

16. Kansas

• Natural disaster: Great Plains Tornado Outbreak
• Date: May 25-26, 1955
• Fatalities: 80
• Other events considered: Great Flood (1951)

17. Kentucky

• Natural disaster: Louisville Cyclone
• Date: March 27, 1890
• Fatalities: 100
• Other events considered: Ice and snowstorm (2009)

18. Louisiana

• Natural disaster: Hurricane Katrina
• Date: August 23-31, 2005
• Fatalities: 1,577
• Other events considered: Cheniere Caminada Hurricane (1893)

19. Maine

• Natural disaster: Ice Storm of ’98
• Date: January 4, 1998
• Fatalities: 8
• Other events considered: Great Flood (1987)

20. Maryland

• Natural disaster: Pan American jet hit by lightning
• Date: December 8, 1963
• Fatalities: 81
• Other events considered: Rainstorm and Flood (1971)

21. Massachusetts

• Natural disaster: Worcester Tornado
• Date: June 9, 1953
• Fatalities: 90
• Other events considered: Great New England Hurricane (1938)

22. Michigan

• Natural disaster: Great Michigan Fire
• Date: September 5, 1881
• Fatalities: 282
• Other events considered: Flint Tornadoes (1953)

23. Minnesota

• Natural disaster: Cloquet Fire
• Date: October 12, 1918
• Fatalities: 450
• Other events considered: Twin Cities Tornadoes (1965)

24. Mississippi

• Natural disaster: Hurricane Katrina
• Date: August 23-31, 2005
• Fatalities: 238
• Other events considered: Mississippi River Flood (1927)

25. Missouri

• Natural disaster: Joplin Tornado
• Date: May 22, 2011
• Fatalities: 158
• Other events considered: Great Flood (1951)

26. Montana

• Natural disaster: The Big Burn of 1910
• Date: August 20-21, 1910
• Fatalities: 87
• Other events considered: Flood (1964)

27. Nebraska

• Natural disaster: Schoolhouse Blizzard
• Date: January 12, 1888
• Fatalities: 100
• Other events considered: Blizzard (1949)

28. Nevada

• Natural disaster: Heat wave
• Date: July 14-23, 2005
• Fatalities: 17
• Other events considered: Flash Flood (1974)

29. New Hampshire

• Natural disaster: Great New England Hurricane
• Date: September 21, 1938
• Fatalities: 13
• Other events considered: Heat wave (1911)

30. New Jersey

• Natural disaster: Superstorm Sandy
• Date: October 29, 2012
• Fatalities: 43
• Other events considered: Hurricane Connie (1955)

31. New Mexico

• Natural disaster: Blizzard
• Date: December 14, 1967
• Fatalities: 51
• Other events considered: Cero Grande Fire (2000)

32. New York

• Natural disaster: Great Blizzard of 1888
• Date: March 12-14, 1888
• Fatalities: 200
• Other events considered: Superstorm Sandy (2012)

33. North Carolina

• Natural disaster: Hurricane Floyd
• Date: September 16, 1999
• Fatalities: 26
• Other events considered: Hurricane Hazel (1954)

34. North Dakota

• Natural disaster: Schoolhouse Blizzard
• Date: January 12, 1888
• Fatalities: 235
• Other events considered: Red River Flood (1997)

35. Ohio

• Natural disaster: Great Ohio Flood
• Date: March 23-27, 1913
• Fatalities: 467
• Other events considered: Ohio River Flood (1937)

36. Oklahoma

• Natural disaster: Glazier-Higgins-Woodward Tornadoes
• Date: April 4, 1947
• Fatalities: 113
• Other events considered: Tornado Outbreak (1999)

37. Oregon

• Natural disaster: Heppner Flash Flood
• Date: June 2, 1903
• Fatalities: 247
• Other events considered: Vanport Flood (1948)

38. Pennsylvania

• Natural disaster: Johnstown Flood
• Date: May 31, 1889
• Fatalities: 2,209
• Other events considered: Flood (1996)

39. Rhode Island

• Natural disaster: Great New England Hurricane
• Date: September 21, 1938
• Fatalities: 100
• Other events considered: Great Gale (1815)

40. South Carolina

• Natural disaster: Sea Islands Hurricane
• Date: August 15, 1893
• Fatalities: 2,000+
• Other events considered: Charleston Earthquake (1886)

41. South Dakota

• Natural disaster: Black Hills Flood
• Date: June 9-10, 1972
• Fatalities: 238
• Other events considered: Schoolhouse Blizzard (1888)

42. Tennessee

• Natural disaster: Southern United States Tornado Outbreak
• Date: March 21-22, 1952
• Fatalities: 67
• Other events considered: Nashville Tornado (1933)

43. Texas

• Natural disaster: Galveston Hurricane
• Date: September 8, 1900
• Fatalities: 8,000
• Other events considered: Brazos River Flood (1899)

44. Utah

• Natural disaster: Bingham Canyon Avalanche
• Date: February 17, 1926
• Fatalities: 36
• Other events considered: Flash Flood (2015)

45. Vermont

• Natural disaster: Great Vermont Flood
• Date: November 2-4, 1927
• Fatalities: 84
• Other events considered: Great New England Hurricane (1938)

46. Virginia

• Natural disaster: Hurricane Camille
• Date: August 19, 1969
• Fatalities: 153
• Other events considered: Hurricane Isabel (2003)

47. Washington

• Natural disaster: Wellington Avalanche
• Date: March 1, 1910
• Fatalities: 96
• Other events considered: Mount St. Helens Eruption (1980)

48. West Virginia

• Natural disaster: Great Appalachian Storm
• Date: November 24-30, 1950
• Fatalities: 160
• Other events considered: Tornado outbreak (1944)

49. Wisconsin

• Natural disaster: Peshtigo Fire
• Date: October 8, 1871
• Fatalities: 1,500-2,500
• Other events considered: Barneveld Tornadoes (1984)

50. Wyoming

• Natural disaster: Blackwater Fire
• Date: August 18, 1937
• Fatalities: 15
• Other events considered: Gros Ventre Landslide (1925)

The post What is the Deadliest Natural Disaster in Your State? appeared first on 24/7 Wall St..