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List of natural disasters by death toll

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This is an old revision of this page, as edited by De Administrando Imperio (talk | contribs) at 17:38, 15 June 2008 (→Earthquakes). The present address (URL) is a permanent link to this revision, which may differ significantly from the current revision.

For man-made disasters see: List of wars and disasters by death toll

A death toll is the number of dead as a result of war, violence, accident, natural disaster, extreme weather, or disease.

Below is a list of death tolls for various natural disasters. Most numbers are estimates and are often in dispute. The incidents are ranked from the highest to the lowest estimate given. This list is, by necessity, somewhat biased toward the modern period, due to better reporting of events.

Some events overlap categories.

Top Ten deadliest natural disasters

List excludes diseases and famines, which would otherwise occupy the entire list.

Rank Event Location Date Death Toll (Estimate)
1. 1931 China floods China 01931-01-011931 2,000,000-4,000,000*
2. 1887 Yellow River flood China 01887-01-011887, September–October 900,000–2,000,000
3. 1556 Shaanxi earthquake Shaanxi Province, China 01556-01-011556, January 23 830,000
4. 1970 Bhola cyclone Bangladesh 01970-01-011970, November 13 500,000
5. 1839 India Cyclone India 01839-01-011839, November 25 ≥ 300,000
6. 2004 Indian Ocean earthquake/tsunami Indian Ocean 02004-12-262004, December 26 283,100**
7. 526 Antioch earthquake Syria 00526-05-20526, May 20 250,000
8. 1976 Tangshan earthquake China 01976-07-281976, July 28 242,000***
9. 1975 Banqiao Dam failure China 01975-08-011975, August 231,000
10. 1138 Aleppo earthquake Syria 01138-01-011138 230,000

* Estimate by Nova's sources are close to four million and yet Encarta's sources report as few as one million. Expert estimates report wide variance.

** Official figure. Estimated death toll as high as 350,000.

*** Official Government figure. Estimated death toll as high as 655,000.

Deadliest natural disasters by kind of event

Event Event name Location Date Death Toll (Estimate)
Avalanche Wellington avalanche United States 01910-03-01March 1, 1910 96
Blizzard Iran Blizzard Iran 01972-02-01February 1972 4,000
Drought Great Famine of 1876–78 India 01921-01-011876–1878 5,250,000
Earthquake Shaanxi Earthquake China 01556-01-011556 830,000
Flood 1931 China floods China 01931-01-011931 1,000,000–4,000,000
Hailstorm Roopkund, Uttaranchal India 00800-01-019th Century 200–600
Heat wave European Heat Wave of 2003 Europe 02003-01-012003 37,451
Landslide 1999 Vargas mudslide Venezuela 01999-01-011999 20,006
Limnic Eruption Lake Nyos Cameroon 01986-01-011986 1,746
Pandemic Black Death worldwide 01330-01-011330–1351 75,000,000
Tornado Saturia-Manikganj Sadar Tornado Bangladesh 01989-04-26April 26, 1989 1,300
Tropical cyclone 1970 Bhola cyclone Bangladesh 01970-11-13November 13, 1970 200,000–500,000
Tsunami Indian Ocean Earthquake and Tsunami Indian Ocean 02004-12-26December 26, 2004 285,000
Volcano Mount Tambora Indonesia 01815-01-011815 92,000
Wildfire Peshtigo Fire United States 01871-10-08October 8, 1871 2,000

Earthquakes

Death Toll Event Location Date
$830,000 Shaanxi earthquake China 1556
$255,000 Tangshan earthquake China 1976
$240,000 Haiyuan earthquake China 1920
$230,000 Aleppo earthquake Syria 1138
$ 229,866 Indian Ocean earthquake & tsunamis Indian Ocean 2004
$200,000 Damghan earthquake Iran 856
$150,000 Ardabil earthquake Iran 893
$137,000 1730 Hokkaidō earthquake Japan 1730
$110,000 1948 Ashgabat earthquake Turkmenistan 1948
$105,000 Great Kanto earthquake Japan 1923
$100,000 Messina earthquake Italy 1908
$100,000 1755 Lisbon earthquake Portugal 1755
$100,000 Chihli earthquake China 1290
$87,000 2005 Kashmir earthquake Pakistan 2005
$85,000 Great Ansei Nankai Quakes, Japan (安政南海地震) Japan 1854
$80,000 Shamakhi Azerbaijan 1667
$77,000 Tabriz earthquake Iran 1727
$70,000 Changma, Gansu earthquake China 1932
$ 69,136 2008 Sichuan earthquake China 2008
$66,000 Ancash earthquake Peru 1970
$60,000 Sicily earthquake Italy 1693
$60,000 Quetta earthquake British India 1935
$50,000 Calabria earthquake Italy 1783
$40,000 Gulang, Gansu earthquake China 1927
$40,000 Meiō Nankai, Japan (明応地震) earthquake Japan 1498
$37,000 Genroku earthquake (元禄大地震) Japan 1703
$35,000 1990 Manjil Rudbar earthquake Iran 1990
$32,962 Erzincan earthquake Turkey 1939
$30,000 Great Hōei Earthquake (宝永大地震) Japan 1707
$ 30,000 2003 Bam earthquake Iran 2003
$25,000 Spitak Earthquake Armenia 1988
$25,000 1978 Tabas earthquake Iran 1978
$23,700 Kamakura earthquake Japan 1293
$23,000 Guatemala earthquake Guatemala 1976
$20,000 Gujarat earthquake India 2001
$20,000 Caracas earthquake Venezuela 1812
$20,000 Chillán earthquake Chile 1939
$18,000 Khait earthquake Tajikistan 1949
$17,118 Izmit earthquake Turkey 1999
$15,621 Tonghai earthquake China 1970
$15,000 Agadir earthquake Morocco 1960
$12,403 Qazvin earthquake Iran 1962
$5,000–12,000 Managua earthquake Nicaragua 1972
$11,600 Dasht-e Bayaz and Ferdows earthquake Iran 1968
$11,000 Naples earthquake Italy 1857
$10,700 Bihar earthquake Nepal, India 1934
$10,000 1944 San Juan Earthquake Argentina 1944
$9,748 Latur, India earthquake India 1993
$9,500 Michoacán earthquake Mexico 1985
$8,300 1847 Zenkoji earthquake Japan 1847
$7,273 Mino-Owari Earthquake Japan 1891
$7,000 Samarkand Earthquake Uzbekistan 1907
$6,800 1933 Diexi earthquake China 1933
$6,433 Great Hanshin earthquake Japan (Kobe) 1995
$5,782 May 2006 Java earthquake Indonesia (Yogyakarta) 2006
$5,500 1909 Boroujerd earthquake Iran 1909
$5,300 Pattan earthquake Pakistan 1974
$5,057 Ghir earthquake Iran 1972
$5,000 Pelile earthquake Ecuador 1949
$4,700 Faizabad Earthquake Afghanistan 1998
$4,562 Andishan Earthquake Uzbekistan 1902
$4,000 1906 Valparaiso Earthquake Chile 1906
$3,959 Tosya-Ladik earthquake Turkey 1943
$3,895 Fukui earthquake Japan 1948
$3,840 Van Muradiye earthquake Turkey 1976
$3,300 1929 Beinin earthquake Iran 1929
$3,276 Hsinchu-Taichung earthquake Taiwan 1935
$3,000 1906 San Francisco earthquake United States (California) 1906
$2,925 North Tango earthquake Japan 1927
$2,914 Irpinia Italy 1980
$2,824 Bolu-Gerede earthquake Turkey 1944
$2,633 El Asnam earthquake Algeria 1980
$2,400 Chi-Chi earthquake Taiwan 1999
$2,500 1992 Flores earthquake Indonesia 1992
$2,394 Varto earthquake Turkey 1966
$2,323 1998 Takhar earthquake Afghanistan 1998
$2,266 2003 Boumerdes earthquake Algeria 2003
$2,085 Diyarbakir-Lice earthquake Turkey 1975
$2,041 1975 Haicheng earthquake China 1975
$2,040 Neftegorsk Russia (Sakhalin) 1995
$2,000 1981 Golbaf earthquake Iran 1981
$1,961 1945 Mikawa earthquake Japan 1945
$1,800 1999 Armenia earthquake Colombia 1999
$1,641 1977 Bucharest Earthquake Romania 1977
$1,621 1990 Luzon earthquake Philippines 1990
$1,567 1997 Ardekul earthquake Iran 1997
$1,507 1982 Yemen Dhamar earthquake Yemen 1982
$1,400 1946 Ancash earthquake Peru 1946
$1,266 Meishan earthquake Taiwan 1905
$1,100 Skopje earthquake Macedonia 1963
$1,000 Friuli earthquake Italy 1976
$845 Düzce earthquake Turkey 1999
$612 Zarand Iran 2005
$600 Tumaco Earthquake Colombia 1979
$571 2004 Morocco earthquake Morocco 2004
$519 2007 Peru earthquake Peru 2007
$400–500 Caracas earthquake Venezuela 1641
$300 Caracas earthquake Venezuela 1967
$258 Napier earthquake New Zealand 1931
$131 Good Friday Earthquake United States (Alaska) 1964
$115 Long Beach earthquake of 1933 United States (California) 1933
$90 Caracas earthquake Venezuela 1900

Note: As of May 2008, the 2008 Sichuan earthquake is a recent event and the death toll is likely to rise.

Volcanic eruptions

Death Toll Event Location Date
$ 71,000 Mount Tambora (see also Year Without a Summer) Indonesia 01815-01-011815
$36,000 Krakatoa Indonesia 01883-08-26August 26 - August 27, 1883
$29,000 Mount Pelée Martinique 01902-05-07May 7 or May 8, 1902
$23,000 Nevado del Ruiz Colombia 01985-11-13November 13, 1985
$18,000 Mount Vesuvius Italy 01631-01-011631
$15,000 Mount Unzen Japan 01792-01-011792
$10,000 Mount Kelut Indonesia 01586-01-011586
$9,350 Laki. Killed about 25% of the population (1/3 was killed about 70 years before by smallpox) Iceland 01783-06-08 June 8, 1783
$6,000 Santa Maria Guatemala 01902-01-011902
$5,115 Mount Kelut Indonesia 01919-05-19 May 19, 1919
$4,000 Mount Galunggung Indonesia 01822-01-011822
$3,600 Mount Vesuvius Roman Empire 00079-08-24August 24, 79
$3,500 El Chichón Mexico 01982-03-29 March 29, April 3 and April 4, 1982
$2,942 Mount Lamington Papua New Guinea 01951-01-18 January 18, 1951
$2,000 Tseax Cone Canada 01770-01-011770 - 1775
$1,680 Soufrière St. Vincent 01902-05-07 May 7, 1902
$1,584 Mount Agung Indonesia 01963-01-011963 - 1964
$1,369 Mount Merapi Indonesia 01930-01-011930
$1,335 Mount Mayon Philippines 01897-06-23 June 23, 1897
$1,335 Mount Taal Philippines 01911-01-011911
$1,151 Mount Asama Japan 01783-01-011783
$1,000 Cotopaxi Ecuador 01877-01-011877
$700 Mount Pinatubo Philippines 01991-04-02 April 2, 1991
$245 Mount Nyiragongo Democratic Republic of the Congo 02002-01-17 January 17, 2002
$152 Mt Ruapehu, Tangiwai New Zealand 01953-12-24 December 24, 1953
$120 Mount Tarawera New Zealand 01886-06-10 June 10, 1886
$57 Mount St. Helens United States (Washington) 01980-05-18 May 18, 1980

Notes

A supervolcano eruption at Lake Toba around 74,000 years ago is thought to have wiped out as much as 99% of the global human population, reducing the population from at most 60 million to less than 10 thousand; see Toba catastrophe theory. This eruption is not listed because it occurred before recorded history. Also, the Thera eruption in the Aegean Sea between 1550 and 1650 B.C. may have caused a large number of deaths throughout the region, from Crete to Egypt. See also La Garita Caldera, Yellowstone Caldera, and Supervolcanoes.

References

Tsunamis

See Historic tsunami for more detailed information.
Death Toll Event Location Date
$ > 350,000 (sources vary) Indian Ocean earthquake with tsunami Indian Ocean 2004
$100,000 1755 Lisbon earthquake, tsunami, earthquake and fire Portugal, Morocco, Ireland and United Kingdom (Cornwall) 1755
$100,000 Messina, Italy earthquake and tsunami Italy 1908
$36,000 Krakatoa volcano explosion Indonesia 1883
$30,000 Tokaido-Nankaido Japan 1707
$27,000 Japan 1826
$25,674 1868 Arica earthquake Chile 1868
$22,070 Sanriku Japan 1896
$15,030 Caused by Mount Unzen, Southwest Kyūshū Japan 1792
$13,486 Ryukyu Trench 1771
$5,233 Tokaido-Kashima Japan 1703
$5,000 Nankaido Japan 1605
$5,000 Moro Gulf Philippines 1976
$4,000 Borneo Indonesia 1952
$3,000 Papua New Guinea 1998
$3,008 Sanriku Japan 1933
$2,300 Kuril, Kamchatka Russia 1952
$2,000 Great Chilean Earthquake Chile, United States (Hawaii), Philippines and Japan 1960
$2,000 Bristol Channel United Kingdom 1607
$1,330 1946 Nankai earthquake and tsunami Japan 1946
$1,223 Tonankai Japan 1944
$549 Java earthquake Indonesia 2006
$202 Okushiri Japan 1993
$173 Aleutian Island earthquake United States (Alaska) and (Hawaii) 1946
$131 Good Friday Earthquake United States (Alaska) and (Hawaii) 1964
$102 Northern Honshu Japan 1983
$52 2007 Solomon Islands earthquake Solomon Islands 2007
$46 United States (Hawaii) 1868
28 1929 Grand Banks earthquake Placentia Bay Canada (Newfoundland) 1929
$23 Nice France 1979

Limnic eruptions

Death Toll Event Location Date
$1,746 Lake Nyos Cameroon 1986
$37 Lake Monoun Cameroon 1984

Extreme weather

Heat waves

Death Toll Event Location Date
37,451 European Heat Wave of 2003 Europe 02003-06-012003
3,418 European Heat Wave of 2006 France, Belgium, Netherlands, Portugal, Spain, Romania 02006-01-012006
2,541 1998 India heat wave India 01998-01-011998
1,900 2003 India heat wave India 02003-01-012003
1,250–10,000 1980 United States heat wave United States 01980-01-011980
1,000–1,500 1987 Mediterranean heat wave Greece, Bosnia, Serbia, Turkey, Italy 01987-01-011987
over 1,000 1994 East Asia heat wave China, Japan, South Korea 01994-01-011994
739 Chicago Heat Wave of 1995 United States (Chicago, Illinois) 01995-01-011995
500 Hungary Heat Wave of 2007 Hungary 02007-01-012007
437 Southern regions, Australia 1895–1896 Australia 01895-01-011895–1896
380 Northern Mexico Heat Wave of 1990 Mexico 01990-01-011990

Hail

Storms (non-cyclone)

Death Toll Event Location Date
200–600 Roopkund, Uttaranchal India 00801-01-019th century
246 Moradabad, Uttar Pradesh India 01888-01-011888
Death Toll Event Location Date
15,100 Torrential rains and mudslides Venezuela 1999
669 (and 695 missing) Heavy storms ("Winnie") Philippines 2004
500 Lofoten, Heavy storm Norway 1849
≥ 250 Great Lakes Storm of 1913 United States and Canada (Great Lakes region) 1913
210 Trøndelag, storm ("Follastormen") Norway 1625
189 Eyemouth, Scotland, storm ("Black Friday") United Kingdom 1881
140 Trøndelag, storm ("Titran disaster") Norway 1899
96 Lofoten, storm Norway 1868
30 Haugesund, storm ("Røvær disaster") Norway 1899
26 Vesterålen, storm Norway 1802
~20 2007 Hunter region and Central Coast storms Australia 2007

Tornadoes

Death Toll Event Location Date
$1,300 The Saturia-Manikganj Sadar Tornado Bangladesh; Manikganj 1989
$923 1969 East Pakistan Tornado Bangladesh 1969
$695 The Tri-State Tornado United States; MO–IL–IN 1925
$681 1973 Dhaka Tornado Bangladesh 1973
$600 The Malta Tornado Malta 1551
$500 The Sicily Tornado Italy 1851
$500 The Narail-Magura Tornadoes Bangladesh (Jessore) 1964
$500 The Comoro Tornado Comoro 1951
$440 The Tangail Tornado Bangladesh 1996
$400 Ivanovo, Yaroslavl Tornado Russia 1984
$317 The Great Natchez Tornado United States; LA–MS 1840
$255 The St. Louis – East St. Louis Tornado United States; MO–IL 1896
$233 The Tupelo Tornado United States; MS 1936
$213 1838 Kolkatta Tornado India 1838
$203 The Gainesville Tornado United States; GA 1936
$181 Glazier-Higgins-Woodward tornadoes United States; TX–OK–KS 1947
$165 Casamance Tornado Senegal 1999
$160 The Chakislampur-Goborghata Tornado India; West Bengal-Orissa 1998
$150 The Purunabandha and Keonjhargarh Tornadoes India; Orissa 1978
$143 The 1908 Southeast tornado outbreak United States; LA–MS, USA 1908
$139 The Assam Tornado India Assam 1963
$118 The Dhaka Tornado Bangladesh 1888
$117 The New Richmond Tornado United States; WI 1899
$115 The Flint Tornado United States; MI 1953
$114 The 1953 Waco tornado outbreak United States; TX 1953
$114 The Goliad Tornado United States; TX 1902
$94 The Worcester Tornado United States; MA 1953
$59 The 2008 Super Tuesday tornado outbreak United States; TN AR KY AL 2008
$54 The San Justo Tornado Argentina 1973

Cyclones, hurricanes and typhoons

Death Toll Event Location Date
500,000 500,000 1970 Bhola cyclone Bangladesh (East Pakistan) 1970
300,000 300,000 1839 Coringa cyclone India 1839
300,000 300,000 cyclone Vietnam 1881
300,000 300,000[1] 1737 Calcutta cyclone India 1737
210,000 210,000 Super Typhoon Nina—contributed to Banqiao Dam failure China 1975
200,000 200,000[2] 1876 Bengal cyclone present day Bangladesh 1876
138,866 138,866 1991 Bangladesh cyclone Bangladesh 1991
134,000 ~134,000 Cyclone Nargis Myanmar 2008
060,000 100,000 1882 Bombay cyclone Bombay, India June 6,1882
060,000 60,000 1922 Swatow Typhoon China 1922
060,000 60,000 1864 Calcutta Cyclone India 1864
050,000 50,000 1912 Wenzhou typhoon China 1912
040,000 40,000 1942 Bengal Calcutta cyclone India 1942
022,000 22,000 Great Hurricane of 1780 Barbados, Martinique, Sint Eustatius 1780
017,000 19,270 1965 East Pakistan cyclone Bangladesh (East Pakistan) 1965
018,277 18,277 Hurricane Mitch Honduras, Nicaragua 1998
014,202 14,202 1977 Andhra Pradesh cyclone India 1977
011,520 11,520 1963 East Pakistan cyclone Bangladesh (East Pakistan) 1963
011,468 11,468 1961 East Pakistan cyclone Bangladesh (East Pakistan) 1961
011,149 11,149 1960 East Pakistan cyclone Bangladesh (East Pakistan) 1960
011,069 11,069 1985 Bangladesh cyclone Bangladesh 1985
011,000 11,000 Great Hong Kong Typhoon of 1937 Hong Kong, China 1937
010,000 10,000 1965 Karachi cyclone Pakistan 1965
010,000 10,000 typhoon Hong Kong 1906
009,803 9,803 1999 Orissa Kendrapara cyclone India 1999
009,658 9,658 1971 Bengal Orissa cyclone India 1971
008,000 8,000 Galveston Hurricane of 1900 United States (Texas) 1900
008,000 8,000 Hurricane San Zenón Dominican Republic 1930
008,000 8,000 Hurricane Fifi Honduras 1974
007,186 7,186 Hurricane Flora Haiti, Cuba 1963
006,315 6,315 Tropical Storm Thelma Philippines 1991
005,708 5,708 1988 Bangladesh cyclone Bangladesh 1988
005,149 5,149 1960 Chittagong cyclone Bangladesh 1960
005,098 5,098 Typhoon Vera Japan 1959
004,950 4,950 Super Typhoon Wanda China, Taiwan 1956
004,170 4,170 Newfoundland Hurricane Canada, United States 1775
004,075 ≥ 4,075 Lake Okeechobee Hurricane United States, Bahamas 1928
003,433 3,756 1945 Makurazaki Typhoon Japan 1945
004,140 3,477 Cyclone Sidr Bangladesh, India 2007
003,433 3,433 Hurricane San Ciriaco Puerto Rico, Dominican Republic 1899
003,107 3,107 1932 Cuba Hurricane Cuba 1932
003,037 3,037 Hurricane Jeanne Haiti 2004
003,036 3,036 1934 Muroto Typhoon Japan 1934
003,000 3,000 hurricane Atlantic Ocean 1782
003,000 3,000 hurricane Cuba 1791
003,000 3,000 1737 Calcutta cyclone India 1737
002,871 2,871 1998 Maharasthra, Gujarat cyclone India 1998
002,700 2,700 1926 Myanmar cyclone Myanmar 1926
002,500 2,500 Great Caribbean Hurricane Caribbean, Cuba, United States 1831
002,500 2,500 Sea Islands Hurricane United States (Georgia, South Carolina) 1893
002,500 2,500 hurricane Belize 1931
002,500 2,500 1996 Andhra Pradesh cyclone India 1996
002,150 2,150 hurricane Caribbean 1935
002,060 2,060 Hurricane David Dominican Republic, United States 1979
002,000 2,000–3,000 1934 Central America Hurricane Belize, Guatemala 1934
002,000 2,000 hurricane Gulf of Mexico 1780
002,000 2,000 hurricane United States (Florida) 1781
002,000 2,000 hurricane Cuba, United States (Florida) 1870
002,000 2,000 Chenier Caminada Hurricane United States (Louisiana) 1893
001,930 1,930 Typhoon Kathleen Japan 1947
001,836 ≥ 1,836 Hurricane Katrina United States (Louisiana, Mississippi) 2005
001,800 1,800 1959 Mexico Hurricane Mexico 1959
001,761 1,761 Typhoon Marie Japan 1954
001,716 1,716 Typhoon Iris China (Fujian) 1959
001,620 1,620 Hurricane Stan Mexico, Guatemala 2005
001,600 1,600 Typhoon Mary China 1960
001,500 1,500 hurricane Dominican Republic, Cuba, Mexico 1909
001,497 1,497 Typhoon Durian Philippines, Vietnam 2006
001,363 1,363 Typhoon Ike Philippines 1984
001,269 1,269 Typhoon Ida Japan 1958
001,200 1,200 Hurricane Hazel Grenada, Bahamas, Haiti, United States, Canada 1954
001,177 1,177 Typhoon Fred China, Taiwan 1994
001,167 1,167 Typhoon Agnes Philippines, Vietnam 1984
001,163 1,163 Cyclone Yemyin Pakistan, Afghanistan, India 2007
001,145 1,145 Hurricane Gordon Haiti, United States 1994
001,115 1,115 hurricane Jamaica, Cuba 1780
001,104 1,104 1936 Korean Peninsula typhoon Japanese Empire 1936
001,075 1,075 Typhoon Ellen Taiwan 1959
001,070 1,070 1968 Arakan Cyclone Myanmar 1968
001,060 1,060 Typhoon Gay Thailand, India (Andaman) 1989
001,036 1,036 Typhoon Nina Philippines, Hong Kong, Macau 1987
001,000 1,000 Hurricane Inez Guadeloupe, Mexico 1966
001,000 1,000 1936 Arakan Cyclone Myanmar 1936
000,957 957 Cyclone 02B India 1990
000,943 943 Typhoon Ruth Japan 1951
000,921 921 hurricane Greater Antilles, Mexico 1888
000,915 915 Typhoon Kate (1970) Philippines 1970
000,911 911 Typhoon Harriet Thailand 1962
000,884 884 Super Typhoon Angela Philippines, Viet Nam 1995
000,874 874 Typhoon Bilis China, Philippines, Viet Nam 1997
000,838 838 Typhoon Ion Japan 1948
000,798 798 Typhoon Cecil Vietnam 1985
000,768 768 Typhoon Sarah South Korea, Japan 1959
000,768 768 Typhoon Joan Philippines, China (Hainan) 1970
000,748 748 Typhoon Mike Philippines 1990
000,739 739 1902 Yangon Cyclone Myanmar 1902
000,735 735 Typhoon Ruby Hong Kong, China 1964
000,709 709 1926 Havana-Bermuda Hurricane Cuba, Bermuda 1926
000,700 700 hurricane United States (Georgia) 1881
000,700 700 hurricane Greater Antilles 1891
000,682 682 New England Hurricane of 1938 United States 1938
000,613 613 Typhoon Patsy Philippines 1970
000,604 604 Hurricane Georges Greater Antilles 1998
000,600 ≥ 600 hurricane United States (Florida, Gulf Coast States) 1919
000,600 600 Hurricane Fox Cuba 1952
000,583 583 Typhoon Sening Philippines 1970
000,539 539 Typhoon Jane Japan 1950
000,538 538–680 Hurricane Janet Honduras, Mexico 1955
000,526 526 Typhoon Titang Philippines 1970
000,458 458 Typhoon Saomai China 2006
000,445 445 Typhoon Kent China 1995
000,434 434 Typhoon Wanda Hong Kong 1962
000,424 424 hurricane United States (North Carolina) 1857
000,408 408 Labor Day Hurricane United States (Florida) 1935
000,400 400 Last Island Hurricane United States (Louisiana) 1856
000,400 400 Cyclone Mahina Australia 1899
000,400 400 hurricane United States (Texas) 1915
000,399 399–550 Hurricane Audrey United States (Louisiana) 1957
000,390 390 1944 Great Atlantic Hurricane Canada, United States (New England, North Carolina, New York), 1944
000,387 387 hurricane United States 1866
000,383 383 hurricane Windward Islands 1898
000,364 364 Hurricane Donna Caribbean, Bahamas, United States 1960
000,350 350 Grand Isle Hurricane United States (Louisiana) 1909
000,345 345 Typhoon Zita Hong Kong, China 1997
000,318 318 Hurricane Gilbert Jamaica, Mexico 1988
000,318 318 Pinar del Río Hurricane of 1944 Cuba, Cayman Islands, United States (Florida, North Carolina, Virginia), 1944
000,304 304 Hurricane Hilda Hispaniola, Cuba, Mexico 1955
000,275 275 Hurricane Hattie Belize 1961
000,274 274 Hurricane Allen Caribbean, United States 1980
000,265 265–350 Great Miami Hurricane United States 1926
000,256 256 Hurricane Camille United States 1969
000,252 ≥ 252 Hurricane Charlie Jamaica, Mexico 1951
000,250 250 Cyclone Gafilo Madagascar 2004
000,240 240 Cyclone Nadya Mozambique 1994
000,227 227 Tropical Storm Greg Malaysia, Thailand 1996
000,250 220 2004 Myanmar Cyclone Myanmar 2004
000,217 217 Hurricane Cleo Caribbean, United States 1964
000,216 216–334 Hurricane Joan Colombia, Venezuela, Costa Rica, Nicaragua, El Salvador 1988
000,200 200 Cyclone Daisy and Cyclone Geralda Madagascar 1994
000,195 195 Hurricane Diana Mexico 1990
000,184 184 Hurricane Diane United States (North Carolina) 1955
000,171 171 Typhoon Fran Japan 1976
000,170 170 Cyclone Guba Papua New Guinea 2007
000,128 128 Hurricane Agnes United States 1972
000,127 127 extra tropical cyclone Lothar France, Germany, United Kingdom, Switzerland 1999
000,124 124 Hurricane Ivan Caribbean, United States 2004
000,120 120 Hurricane Rita United States 2005
000,115 115 Typhoon Maemi South Korea 2003
000,109 109 Cyclone Domoina Mozambique 1984
000,098 98 Typhoon Tokage Japan 2004
000,096 96 Typhoon Nari Taiwan 2001
000,087 87 Hurricane Floyd Bahamas, United States 1999
000,080 80 Hurricane Eloise Dominican Republic, Haiti, United States 1975
000,076 76 Hurricane Betsy United States 1965
000,072 72 Typhoon Toraji Taiwan 2001
000,071 71 Cyclone Tracy Australia 1974
000,060 68 Hurricane Carol United States 1954
000,067 67 Hurricane Hugo Leeward Islands, Puerto Rico, United States 1989
000,062 62 Hurricane Andrew Bahamas, United States 1992
000,059 59 Hurricane Beulah United States 1967
000,059 59 Hurricane Opal Guatemala, Mexico, United States 1995
000,051 51 Hurricane Cesar Nicaragua, Colombia, Venezuela 1996
000,051 51 Typhoon Herb Taiwan 1996
000,050 50 Hurricane Isabel United States 2003
000,049 49 Hurricane Frances Bahamas, United States (Florida) 2004
000,045 45 Typhoon Songda Japan 2004
000,045 45 1939 Long Beach Tropical Storm United States (California) 1939
000,043 43 Hurricane Celia United States 1970
000,042 42 Hurricane Hortense Leeward Islands 1996
000,041 41 Tropical Storm Allison United States 2001
000,038 38 Hurricane Hilda United States 1964
000,035 35 Hurricane Charley Jamaica, Cuba, United States 2004
000,034 34 Hurricane Fran United States 1996

References

Floods and landslides

Death Toll Event Location Date
2,500,000–3,700,000[citation needed] 1931 China floods China 1931
900,000–2,000,000 1887 Yellow River (Huang He) flood China 1887
500,000–700,000 1938 Yellow River (Huang He) flood China 1938
231,000 Banqiao Dam failure, result of Typhoon Nina. Approximately 86,000 people died from flooding and another 145,000 died during subsequent disease. China 1975
145,000 1935 Yangtze river flood China 1935
more than 100,000 St. Felix's Flood, storm surge Netherlands 1530
100,000 Hanoi and Red River Delta flood North Vietnam 1971
100,000 1911 Yangtze river flood China 1911
50,000–80,000 St. Lucia's flood, storm surge Netherlands 1287
60,000 North Sea flood, storm surge Netherlands 1212
40,000 1949 Eastern Guatemala flood Guatemala 1949
36,000 St. Marcellus flood, storm surge Netherlands 1219
30,000 1954 Yangtze river flood China 1954
28,700 1974 Bangladesh monsoon rain Bangladesh 1974
25,000–40,000 St. Marcellus flood / Grote Mandrenke, storm tide Netherlands, Germany, Denmark 1362
20,006 1999 Vargas mudslide Venezuela 1999
20,000 All Saints' Flood, storm surge Netherlands 1570
20,000 1939 Tianjin flood China 1939
14,000 Christmas flood, storm surge Netherlands, Germany, Denmark 1717
10,000–100,000 St. Elisabeth flood, storm surge Netherlands, Belgium 1421
8,000–15,000 Burchardi flood Germany, Denmark 1634
10,000 Great Iran Flood Iran 1954
10,000 1824 St. Petersburg flood Russia 1824
several thousands St. Juliana flood, storm surge Netherlands 1164
several thousands St. Agatha flood, storm surge Netherlands 1288
several thousands St. Clemens flood, storm surge Netherlands 1334
several thousands All Saints flood, storm surge Netherlands 1532
several thousands North Sea flood, storm surge Netherlands 1703
6,200 Sichuan, Hubei, Anhui flood China 1980
5,000 Cojup valley, Cordillera Blanca mountain range, landslide by massive avalanche Peru 1941
4,892 1968 Rajasthan, Gujarat monsoon rain India 1968
4,800 1951 Manchuria flood China 1951
3,838 1998 Eastern India, Bangladesh monsoon rain India, Bangladesh 1998
3,814 1989 Sichuan flood China 1989
3,800 1978 Northern India monsoon rain India 1978
3,656 1998 Yangtze river flood China 1998
3,500 1948 Fuzhou flood China 1948
3,084 1993 South Asian monsoon rain Nepal, India, Bangladesh, Pakistan 1993
3,076 2004 Eastern India, Bangladesh monsoon rain India, Bangladesh 2004
3,000 1992 Afghanistan flood, mainly, Gulbahar, Kalotak, Shutul, Parwan, flash flood, mudslide Afghanistan 1992
2,910 1950 Pakistan flood Pakistan 1950
2,775 1996 China flood, torrential floods, mud-rock flows China 1996
2,566 1953 Japan flood, mainly Kitakyushu, Kumamoto, Wakayama, Kizugawa, massive rain, flood, mudslide Japan 1953
2,400 North Sea flood, storm surge Netherlands 838
2,379 1988 Bangladesh monsoon rain Bangladesh 1988
2,200 Johnstown Flood United States (Pennsylvania) 1889
2,142 North Sea flood of 1953 storm surge Netherlands, United Kingdom 1953
2,075 1981 Sichuan, Shanxi Flood China 1981
2,055 1987 Bangladesh monsoon rain Bangladesh 1987
2,000–5,000 some reports list as many as 12,000 dead Morvi dam burst India (Morvi, Gujarat) 1979
2,000–4,000 Huascaran, Ranrahirca landslide by massive avalanche Peru 1962
1,909 Vajont Dam landslide and flood Italy 1963
1,834 1992 Pakistan, Northern India monsoon rain Pakistan, India 1992
1,723 1991 China flood, mainly, Sichuan, Guizhou, Hubei, torrential floods, mud-rock flows China 1991
1,624 Fujian, Anhui, Zhejiang flood China 2005
1,605–3,363 spring flooding Haiti, Dominican Republic 2004
1,558 St. Martin flood, storm surge Netherlands 1686
1,532 2002 China flood, torrential floods, mud-rock flows China 2002
1,503 Mumbai and the surrounding state Maharashtra, Kamataka, monsson rain India 2005
1,437 1995 China flood, mainly, Hunan, Jiangxi, Liaoning, Sichuan, Fujian, torrential rain, devastating floods, mud-rock flows China 1995
1,348 2007 China flood, mountain torrents, mud-rock flows China 2007
1,144 2006 Southern Leyte mudslide Philippines 2006
1,029 2004 China flood, mountain torrents, mud-rock flows, landslide China 2004
1,000–1,500 Santa Catarina, [1]Tubarão], torrential heavy rain Brazil 1974
992 Isahaya, massive rain and mudslide Japan 1957
941 Inuyama Iruka pond failure Japan 1868
933 1938 Massive rain of Japan, mainly Tokyo, Kobe, massive rain and landslide Japan 1938
915 Barcelona, flash flood Spain 1962
848 1977 Karachi flood Pakistan 1977
844 2006 North Korea flooding North Korea 2006
827 Algiers, Bab El Oued, devastating flood, mudslide Algeria 2001
800 North Sea flood, storm surge Netherlands 1825
800 2000 Mozambique flood Mozambique 2000
785 1967 Brazil flood, mainly Rio de Janeiro, Sao Paulo, flood and landslide Brazil 1967
705 2006 Ethiopia flood, mainly Omo River Delta, Dire Dawa, Tena, Gode, flash flood, heavyrain Ethiopia 2006
702 1999 Vietnam flood, mainly occurred at Thua Thien Hue Vietnam 1999
672 1972 Seoul, Kyonggi flood South Korea 1972
653 1972 Luzon flood Philippines 1972
640 1987 Villatina landslide disaster Colombia 1987
610 2007 North Korea flooding North Korea 2007
540 1969 Tunisia flooding Tunisia 1969
532 Cuzco, Huallaga, torrential rain, flooding, landslide Peru 1982
517 1967 Massive rain of Japan, mainly, Kobe, Kure, Agano river, massive rain and landslide Japan 1967
506 KwaZulu-Natal South Africa 1987
500 Malawi, flash flood and landslide Malawi 1991
500 Gauldal, landslide Norway 1345
464 Lisbon flash flood Portugal 1967
445 Western Japan, massive rain and landslide Japan 1972
429 2002 Nepal flood, mainly occurred at Makwanpur, monssnal rain, flood, landslide Nepal 2002
425 1999 Mexico flood, mainly occurred at Tabasco, Puebla, Chiapas, flood and mudslide Mexico 1999
421 Malpasset Dam failure France 1959
420 St. Aarons Flood Amsterdam 1420
408 1969 South Korea flood, mainly, Gyeongsangbukdo, Gyeongsangnamdo, Gangwon, torrential rain, landslide South Korea 1969
407 1993 Iran flood, mainly occurred at Isfahan, Bandar Abass, flash flood and landslide Iran 1993
405 1998 South Korea flood, heavy massive rain, landslide South Korea 1998
400 1955 Lebanon Tripoli flood Lebanon 1955
400 St. Francis Dam failure United States (California) 1928
386 Thailand, Malaysia, mainly, Nakhon, Songkhla, Kelantan, torrential rain Thailand, Malaysia, 1988
385 Ohio River flood of 1937 United States (Pennsylvania, Ohio, West Virginia, Kentucky, Indiana, Illinois) 1937
373 1966 Rio de Janeiro flood, flood and landslide Brazil 1966
364 Piura, Tumbes, torrential rain, flooding, landslide Peru 1983
>360 Great Dayton Flood United States 1913
353 2007 African Nations flood mainly Sudan, Nigeria, Burkina Faso, Ghana, Kenya, and many African country 2007
347 1996 Yemen flood Yemen 1996
345 1987 South Korea flood, mainly, Chungchongnamdo, Chollanamdo, Kangwon, torrential rain, landslide South Korea 1987
342 2006 East African Flood Kenya, Ethiopia, Somalia 2006
315 North Sea flood of 1962 storm tide Germany 1962
313 2003 Sumatra flood, mainly Jambi, Batanghari, Tondano, torrential rain, flash flood, landslide Indonesia 2003
300 Quebrada Blanca canyon, landslide Colombia 1974
299 Nagasaki, massive rain and landslide Japan 1982
290 Rio de Janeiro and Fluminense flood Brazil 1988
272 1973 Granada, Almeria, Murcia flood Spain 1973
270 Great Sheffield flood dam disaster United Kingdom 1864
268 Val di Stava dam disaster Italy 1985
261 Gormec, avalanche Turkey 1992
259 1966 Maian flood Jordan 1966
255 1998 Tajikistan flood Tajikistan 1998
250 Josefina dam failure Ecuador 1993
238 Rapid City, South Dakota flood United States 1972
230 Marrakesh flash flood Morocco 1995
200–600 Chungar landslide, flood, avalanche Peru 1971
200 Pamir Mountain area, mud and rock slides, torrential rain Tajikistan 1992
190 Huigra, landslide Ecuador 1931
165 2004 Brazil flood, mainly Sao Paulo, Pemambuco, torrential rain, mudslide Brazil 2004
159 Sarno flood and landslide Italy 1998
154 KwaZulu-Natal South Africa 1995
144 Aberfan disaster United Kingdom (Wales) 1966
135 Ozengeli, avalanche Turkey 1993
128 Izumo, massive rain and mudslide Japan 1964
120 1991 Antofagasta Flood, mud swept Chile 1991
119 2007 Central and East Java torrential monsson rain, landslide, flood Indonesia 2007
117 Masuda, massive rain and landslide Japan 1983
116 Verdal, landslide Norway 1893
114 Seoul, Inchon, heavy rain South Korea 1990
110 northern Caucasas, northern Okrug, heavy rain, landslide Russia 2002
104 1981 Laingsburg flood South Africa 1981
98 Flood of the millennium Poland, Czech Republic 1997
94 Mameyes Disaster Puerto Rico (Ponce) 1985
over 90 Columbus, Ohio flood on March 25, 1913 United States 1913
81 Holmfirth Flood—Bilberry Reservoir dam failure United Kingdom 1852
80 Johnstown Flood—Failure of Laurel Run Dam and flash flooding United States 1977
78 Austin Dam failure United States 1911
73 Kagoshima, mudslide and debris flow Japan 1993
72 Gudbrandsdalen flood and landslides Norway 1789
70 2005 levee failures in Greater New Orleans United States 2005
70 Frank Slide, Alberta Canada 1903
47 McDonald Dam failure United states 1900
37 Yuba City, California Christmas Eve flood, levee failure United States 1955
19 North Sea flood, storm surge Netherlands 1916
19 1997 Threadbo landslide Australia 1997
16 Brisbane flood Australia 1974
11 2007 United Kingdom floods United Kingdom 2007

Wildfires, bushfires

Death Toll Event Location Date
$1,200–2,500 Peshtigo Fire, Wisconsin United States 1871
$453 Cloquet Fire, Minnesota United States 1918
$418 Hinckley Fire, Minnesota United States 1894
$≥ 250 Thumb Fire, Michigan United States 1881
$200–250 Matheson Fire, Ontario Canada 1916
$240 Sumatra, Kalimantan Indonesia 1997
$230 Landes region France 1949
$213 Greater Hinggan, Heilongjiang China 1987
$160 Miramichi Fire, New Brunswick Canada 1825
$110 1963 Paraná Forest fires, Brazil 1963
$75 Ash Wednesday [2] Australia 1983
$74 2007 Greek forest fires Greece 2007
$73–200 Great Porcupine Fire, Ontario Canada 1911
$71 Black Friday (1939) Australia (Victoria) 1939
$62 1967 Tasmanian fires Australia (Tasmania) 1967
$60 SE Victoria (incl Gippsland & Dandenongs) Bushfire [3] Australia (Victoria) 1926
$48 Massif des Aures Algeria 1959

References

Blizzards

Death Toll Event Location Date
$4,000 Iran Blizzard Iran 1972
$1,317 2008 Afghanistan blizzard with snow storm Afghanistan 2008
$400 Great Blizzard of 1888 United States 1888
$318 1993 North American Storm Complex United States 1993
$235 Schoolhouse Blizzard United States 1888
$199 Hakkōda during military training exercise Japan 1902
$144 Armistice Day Blizzard United States 1940
$133 2008 China Blizzard during snow storm China 2008
$112 1995 Kazakh Blizzard during snow storm Kazakhstan 1995
$54 Blizzard of 1978 United States 1978
$29 Blizzard of 1977 United States 1977

Contractible diseases

Death Toll Event Location Date
300,000,000-500,000,000 Smallpox Worldwide 01901-01-0120th century alone[3]
approx. 100,000,000 Bubonic Plague: Black Death Asia, Europe, Africa 01300-01-011300s–1720s;
≥ 200,000,000 Measles Worldwide 01851-01-01last 150 years[4]
80,000,000–250,000,000 Malaria Worldwide 01900-01-0120th century – present
50,000,000–100,000,000 Spanish Flu Worldwide 01918-01-011918–1919[5]
40,000,000–100,000,000 Tuberculosis Worldwide 01900-01-0120th century – present[4]
approx. 40,000,000 Bubonic Plague: Plague of Justinian Asia, Europe, Africa 00540-01-01540–590
25,250,000 AIDS Worldwide 01981-01-011981–present (as of 2007)
≥ 12,000,000 Bubonic Plague: Third Pandemic Worldwide 01850-01-011850s–1950s
5,000,000 Antonine Plague Roman Empire 00165-01-01165–180
4,000,000 Asian Flu pandemic Worldwide 01957-01-011957
750,000 Hong Kong Flu pandemic Worldwide 01968-01-011968
775 Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS) Mostly East Asia, few cases in Europe, Canada and United States 02002-01-012002–2003
677 West Nile Virus outbreak North America 01999-01-011999–2004
256 H5N1 strain of Bird Flu (mainly in Asia, few in Africa and Middle East) 02003-01-012003–present (as of 2007)

Famine

Please Note: Some of these famines may be partially or completely caused by humans.
Death Toll Event Location Date
20,000,000–43,000,000 Great Chinese Famine China 1958–1961
24,000,000 Chinese Famine of 1907 China 1907
19,000,000 Indian Famine India 1896–1902
13,000,000 Northern Chinese Famine China 1876–1879
10,000,000 Southern and Central Indian Famine India 1876–1879
7,500,000 Great European Famine Europe 1315–1317
5,000,000 Chinese Famine of 1936 China 1936
5,000,000 Holodomor Ukraine 1932–1934
5,000,000 Ukraine and Volga Famine Ukraine, Russia 1921–1922
3,000,000 Chinese Drought 1941 China 1941
3,000,000 Chinese Famine of 1928–1930 China 1928–1930
1,000,000-1,500,000 Great Irish Famine Ireland 1846–1849
2,000,000 Vietnamese War Famine Vietnam 1943–1945
1,500,000–3,000,000 Bengal Famine of 1943 India 1943
1,200,000 North Korean famine North Korea 1996–1998
1,000,000 Ethiopian famine Ethiopia 1984
1,000,000 Horn of Africa famine Ethiopia, Sudan, Somalia 1888
26,000-1,000,000 Bangladesh famine of 1974—Official records claim 26,000. However, various sources claim about 1,000,000. Bangladesh 1974
150,000 Finnish famine of 1866–1868 Finland 1866–1868
30,000 Dutch famine of 1944 The Netherlands 1944
25,000 Great Xhosa Cattle Killing South Africa 1864

Footnotes

  1. ^ 10 'Worst' Natural Disasters
  2. ^ Hurricanes: case studies
  3. ^ "UC Davis Magazine, Summer 2006: Epidemics on the Horizon". Retrieved 2008-01-03.
  4. ^ a b Torrey EF and Yolken RH. 2005. Their bugs are worse than their bite. Washington Post, April 3, p. B01.
  5. ^ 1918 Influenza: the Mother of All Pandemics, CDC

See also

Other lists organized by death toll

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