Worst U.S Natural Disasters Trivia Quiz

Answer: 1900 Galveston hurricane

This particular hurricane claimed an estimated 8,000 lives and is the pinnacle of natural disasters in the US.

Answer: 1928 Okeechobee hurricane

This hurricane was the first ever recorded Category 5 storm in the Atlantic Basin. The storm started in Puerto Rico killing people in Martinique (3), Guadeloupe (600-1,200), Montserrat (42), Nevis (3) and Puerto Rico (312). This monster of a storm made landfall in south Florida on Sept 16, 1928.

The storm surge caused Lake Okeechobee to overflow therefore giving the hurricane it's name. An estimated 2,500 or more people perished in Florida because of it.

Answer: 1889 Johnstown flood

This flood could be considered among the most deadliest floods of all time. After the South Fork Dam failed 14 miles upstream from Johnstown, a torrent of 20 million gallons of water rushed down the valley. Lake Conemaugh which was usually a lake used for fishing was now a raging monster destroying everything in its path.The total death toll for the disaster was 2,209 dead. 99 entire families had died, including 396 children. 124 women and 198 men were left without their spouses, 98 children lost both parents.

More than 750 victims (1 of every 3 bodies found) were never identified and rest in the Plot of the Unknown in Grandview Cemetery.It was the worst flood to hit the U.S. in the 19th century. 1,600 homes were destroyed, $17 million in property damage was done, and four square miles (10 km) of downtown Johnstown were completely destroyed. Clean-up operations continued for years.

Answer: 1893 Louisiana hurricane

The Chenier Caminanda Hurricane, also known as the Great October Storm, was a powerful hurricane that devastated the island of Chenier Caminanda, Louisiana in early October of 1893. It was one of two deadly hurricanes during the 1893 Atlantic hurricane season; the storm killed an estimated 2,000 people, mostly from storm surge.On the morning of October 2, with a peak of 135 mph winds, the hurricane struck southeast Louisiana near Chenier Caminanda (between New Orleans and Port Eads).

The hurricane continued to the northeast, and weakened while crossing southeast Louisiana.

After crossing the northern Gulf of Mexico for a few hours, the hurricane hit on the night of the 2nd, this time on southeast Mississippi. The storm continued to the northeast, weakening to a tropical storm over Alabama, and emerged into the Atlantic Ocean on the 4th.

The storm dissipated on the 5th.

Answer: 1893 South Carolina - Georgia hurricane

The "Sea Islands Hurricane" made landfall on Georgia's Sea Islands near Savannah on August 27, 1893. The storm, a Category 3, had been moving parallel to the shore before hitting the area and brought with it winds of 120 mph and a 16 foot tall storm surge. Most of the deaths occurred because of drowning and the storm left 30,000 people homeless.

The storm continued up the United States east coast before finally breaking up. The death toll ranged between 1,000-2,000.

Answer: Hurricane Katrina

The 20+ foot storm surge caused flooding to cover 80% of New Orleans. Hurricane Katrina was the costliest and one of the deadliest hurricanes in the history of the United States. It was the sixth-strongest Atlantic hurricane ever recorded and the third-strongest landfalling U.S. hurricane on record.

At least 1,836 people lost their lives in Hurricane Katrina and in the subsequent floods, making it the deadliest U.S. hurricane since the 1928 Okeechobee Hurricane. The storm is estimated to have been responsible for $81.2 billion (2005 U.S. dollars) in damage, making it the costliest natural disaster in U.S. history. Criticism of the federal, state and local governments' reaction to the storm was widespread and resulted in an investigation by the United States Congress and the resignation of FEMA director Michael Brown.

Answer: 1938 New England Hurricane

The New England Hurricane of 1938 (or Great New England Hurricane or Long Island Express or simply The Great Hurricane of 1938) was the first major hurricane to strike New England since 1869. The storm formed near the coast of Africa in September of the 1938 Atlantic hurricane season, becoming a Category 5 hurricane on the Saffir-Simpson Hurricane Scale before making landfall as a Category 3 hurricane [3] on Long Island on September 21. The hurricane killed 500-700 people and caused $6.0 billion (2004 US dollars) in damages.

The hurricane storm surge caused immense damage in New England because it hit during high tide, a new moon, and the fall equinox. It is the strongest hurricane to hit New England in recorded history.

Answer: 1906 San Francisco earthquake

The San Francisco earthquake of 1906 was a major earthquake that struck San Francisco and the coast of northern California at 5:12 A.M. on Wednesday, April 18, 1906. The most widely accepted estimate for the magnitude of the earthquake is a moment magnitude (Mw) 7.8; however, other values have been proposed from 7.7 to as high as 8.3.

The epicenter was offshore about 2 miles (3 km) from the city. It ruptured along the San Andreas Fault both northward and southward for a total length of 296 miles. Shaking was felt from Oregon to Los Angeles, and inland as far as central Nevada.

The earthquake and resulting fire would be remembered as one of the worst natural disasters in the history of the United States. The toll of the earthquake and fire is the greatest loss of life in California's history. An estimated 3000 people died but the true total will never be know.

Answer: 1881 Georgia - South Carolina hurricane

This hurricane hit Georgia and South Carolina and killed about 700 people was assigned Category 2 status.

Answer: 1925 Tri State tornado

The Great Tri-State tornado of Wednesday, March 18, 1925, crossed from southeastern Missouri, through southern Illinois, into southwestern Indiana, and was the deadliest tornado in U.S. history. With 695 confirmed fatalities, the tornado killed more than twice as many as the second deadliest, the 1840 Great Natchez Tornado. The continuous 219 mile (352 km) track left by the tornado was the longest ever recorded in the world. Historians would recognize it as an example of the maximum issued rating of an F5 on the Fujita scale.

The tornado was part of a larger tornado outbreak with several other destructive tornadoes in Tennessee, Kentucky, and Indiana. In all, at least 747 were killed and 2,298 were injured during this unusually early spring outbreak.