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Storms of the Century Trivia Quiz

Some storms are remembered for generations and set the standard against which other storms are judged. Let's see how many of these "super storms" you can recognize.

A multiple-choice quiz by chicochi3. Estimated time: 5 mins.

Author
chicochi3

Time
5 mins

Type
Multiple Choice

Quiz #
315,238

Updated
Dec 03 21

# Qns
10

Difficulty
Average

Avg Score
7 / 10

Plays
3378

Last 3 plays: Guest 71 (5/10), Dreessen (8/10), Guest 75 (4/10).

One at a Time - Single Page - Timed Game

Question 1 of 10

1. This storm began at 1:01 pm on March 18, 1925 in Southeast Missouri. It travelled at a speed of 62 mph with wind speeds of 261-318 mph. Areas affected were Missouri, Illinois, and Indiana. The death toll from this storm was 695+. What is this storm known as? Hint

The Tri-State Tornado

The St.Louis/East St.Louis Tornado

The Natchez Tornado

The Gainesville Tornado

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Question 2 of 10

2. This storm was first tracked in Cuba on September 3, 1900 and struck land on September 4, 1900. The death toll from this storm is estimated and 6,000-12,000, making it the most deadly storm in US history. Hint

The Great Labor Day Storm

Hurricane Katrina

The Great Galveston Hurricane

The Long Island Express

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Question 3 of 10

3. A blizzard is a heavy snowstorm with extremely cold temperatures, sustained winds of at least 35 mph, and visibility of less than 0.25 mile. One of the worst blizzards ever in the US took place on January 27-28, 1922, and is called "The Knickerbocker Storm". Where did the name "The Knickerbocker Storm" come from? Hint

From the collapse of the Knickerbocker Theater in Washington D.C. which killed 98 people and injured 133

From the discovery that wearing short pants,or "knickerbockers" or "knickers" made it easier for rescuers to walk through the deep snow

From the large number of people who were in attendence at a New York Knickerbockers basketball game who were trapped in the stadium by the high snowdrifts for three days

From the fact that an overturned Knickerbocker Beer truck caused a flood of spilled beer that froze on Wall Street making clean-up work impossible for nearly a week

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Question 4 of 10

4. On April 3-4 of one year during a sixteen hour period, one of the worst tornado outbreak in US history took place with 148 twisters touching down in thirteen states. What was the year? Hint

1968

1974

1972

1977

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Question 5 of 10

5. The Great Atlantic Hurricane of 1944 came ashore near Cape Hatteras, NC on September 14. It moved north/northeast through New England and Canada. Although this hurricane is estimated to have killed 46 people and done $100 million in damage in the US, it caused its greatest harm somewhere else. Where was this? Hint

Eastern Canada

The Atlantic Ocean

Cuba

Nova Scotia

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Question 6 of 10

6. In 1999 a tornado occurred that was too large and had wind speeds too high to fit the official statistics of the Fujita scale, which until 2007 was the official scale used to measure the size and wind speeds of a tornado. Where did this tornado take place? Hint

Wichita, KS

Greensburg, KS

Tulsa, OK

Oklahoma City, OK

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Question 7 of 10

7. Which of the following things did not cause the "Black Blizzards" of the 1930's? Hint

Drought

Increased automobile traffic due to the settlement of the plains

Removal of the native grasslands

Repeated plowing of the prairie soil

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Question 8 of 10

8. Although not officially called a "storm", a heat wave can do just as much, if not more, damage. In one particular year, a heat wave in the US killed at least 1,700 people and did $15-19 billion in damage. What year was this? Hint

1996

1936

1980

1954

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Question 9 of 10

9. Some of the worst storms in history have produced large hailstones that have added to the economic damage from the storm. The largest hailstone ever officially recorded in the USA was 8 inches across with a circumference of just over 18.6 inches. In what state did this hail stone fall? Hint

Oklahoma

Texas

South Dakota

Kansas

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Question 10 of 10

10. Finally, the strongest hurricanes are rated Category 5. A hurricane seldom makes landfall at Category 5. In fact only three hurricanes in US recorded history have ever made landfall at Category 5. Which of the following hurricanes did NOT make landfall as a Category 5 hurricane? Hint

1935 Florida Keys hurricane

Andrew

Camille

Katrina

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Quiz Answer Key and Fun Facts

Answer: The Tri-State Tornado

The Natchez Tornado took place on May 7, 1840 in Louisiana and Mississippi. It was the second deadliest tornado in the US with a death toll of 317. Most of the deaths were slaves on plantations and so were not counted. The St.Louis/East St. Louis tornado took place on May 27, 1896.

It is rated as an F4 tornado with a death toll of 284+. The Gainesville tornado took place on April 6, 1936 in Gainesville, Georgia. It was a double tornado,meaning that there were two funnel clouds involved. It was ranked an F4 tornado with a death toll of 436+.

Answer: The Great Galveston Hurricane

Hurricane Katrina took place on August 25-29, 2005 in Louisiana/Mississippi. The storm was rated Category 3 and had sustained wind speeds of 175 mph at the highest. The death toll was estimated at 1,800-2,500. The Long Island Express took place on September 20-22, 1938.

It was rated as a Category 3 storm and had sustained wind speeds of 160 mph. The death toll was estimated at 662-800. The Great Labor Day Storm was a Category 5 hurricane that took place on September 2, 1935. Its highest sustained wind speed was 185 mph.

The death toll from this storm was estimated at 600-800.

Answer: From the collapse of the Knickerbocker Theater in Washington D.C. which killed 98 people and injured 133

The Knickerbocker Storm is Washington D.C.'s largest snowstorm on record with official snow depth of 28 inches. The storm did a large amount of damage along the entire Eastern Seaboard, the worst of which being the disaster at the Knickerbocker Theater. To make the tragedy of the Knickerbocker Theater even worse, in later years the theater's owner and architect both committed suicide.

As for the three incorrect answers above--they didn't happen.

4. On April 3-4 of one year during a sixteen hour period, one of the worst tornado outbreak in US history took place with 148 twisters touching down in thirteen states. What was the year?

Answer: 1974

The thirteen states hit by tornadoes in this storm were Alabama, Georgia, Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, Michigan, Mississippi, North Carolina, Ohio, South Carolina, Tennessee, Virginia, and West Virginia. 330 people died, 5,484 were injured. The damage covered about 2,500 miles.

Answer: The Atlantic Ocean

The Great Atlantic Hurricane of 1944 did its worst damage to WWII shipping. Five ships sank in the Atlantic Ocean because of this storm. They were a US Navy destroyer, a US Navy minesweeper, two US Coast Guard cutters, and a light vessel. The death toll of this storm in the Atlantic Ocean was 344.

Answer: Oklahoma City, OK

The May 1999 Oklahoma City tornado had wind speeds of 318 mph. Officially it was rated an F5 tornado which on the old Fujita scale, or F scale, was rated as an "incredible" tornado. Since this tornado exceeded the rating of F5, many people in the area will tell you that this tornado was an F6, which was rated as an "inconceivable tornado".

The Fujita scale is no longer in use, having been replaced in 2007 by the Enhanced Fujita scale which means that tornadoes are now rated EF0-EF5. The OKC tornado killed 36 people and early warning systems saved many lives.

7. Which of the following things did not cause the "Black Blizzards" of the 1930's?

Answer: Increased automobile traffic due to the settlement of the plains

The Dust Bowl was actually a man-made disaster. Farmers were given large tracts of land to farm. The native grasslands of the plains were plowed and the grass discarded. With drought coming and no grass to hold the soil, the soil began to blow away. Many people and animals died because the dust filled up their lungs.

This was a disaster of major proportions, contributing to the great depression among other things, in the US. Recommended reading - "The Grapes of Wrath".

Answer: 1980

Some estimate that the actual death toll for this heat wave was 10,000. Temperatures were over 100 degrees for nearly three weeks straight with night time temperatures in the 90's. Huge wind storms called "derechos" formed that also destroyed lives and property.

Answer: South Dakota

It fell on July 23, 2010 in Vivian, South Dakota. Large hail stones often fall at speeds of 100+ mph.

Answer: Katrina

The Florida Keys hurricane also known as the Labor Day storm made landfall as a Category 5 storm in 1935. Hurricane Camille made landfall as a Category 5 storm near the mouth of the Mississippi River in August of 1969. Hurricane Andrew made landfall as a Category 5 storm striking Florida and Louisiana in August of 1992. It caused approximately 26.5 billion dollars in damage.

Source: Author chicochi3

This quiz was reviewed by FunTrivia editor bloomsby before going online.
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