List of disasters in New York City by death toll

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

This is a list of disasters that have occurred in New York City organized by death toll. The list is general and comprehensive, comprising natural disasters (including epidemics) and man-made disasters both purposeful and accidental. It does not normally include numerous non-notable deadly events such as disease deaths in an ordinary year, nor most deaths due to residential fires, traffic collisions and criminal homicide. Particularly for epidemics, years reflect when the event impacted New York City rather than the world at large.

More information Year, Event ...
Year Event Type Death toll Notes and sources
1982–present HIV/AIDS epidemic disease 84,027+ [1][a]
2020–2023 COVID-19 pandemic disease 38,795–45,194 [3][b]
1918–1919 Spanish flu disease 20,403–33,000 [4][5][6][c]
1849 Third cholera pandemic (1st wave) disease 5,071 [7]
1832 Second cholera pandemic (1st wave) disease 3,513 [7]
2001 September 11 attacks terrorism 2,753 [8]
1854 Third cholera pandemic (2nd wave) disease 2,509 [7]
1798 Yellow fever disease 2,086 [9][10][d]
1916 1916 New York City polio epidemic disease 2,000+ [12]
1872 Smallpox epidemic disease 1,666 [7][e]
1896 1896 Eastern North America heat wave weather 1,300 [13][f]
1866 Fourth cholera pandemic disease 1,137 [7]
1904 PS General Slocum maritime 1,021 [15]
1834 Second cholera pandemic (2nd wave) disease 971 [7]
1972 Heat wave weather 891 [16][17]
1795 Yellow fever disease 732 [9]
1731 Smallpox disease 549 [18]
1702 Yellow fever disease 500 [9]
1776 Battle of Long Island warfare 364 [19]
1963 1963 New York City smog pollution 300–405 [20]
1876 Brooklyn Theatre fire fire 278+ [21][g]
2001 American Airlines Flight 587 crash aircraft 265 [24]
1996 TWA Flight 800 explosion aircraft 230 [25]
1953 1953 New York City smog pollution 200–260 [20][26]
1966 1966 New York City smog pollution 168–400 [27][28]
1911 Triangle Shirtwaist Factory fire fire 146 [29]
1776 Battle of Fort Washington warfare 143 [30]
1840 Lexington fire maritime 139–154 [h]
1960 Park Slope plane crash aircraft 134 [35][36]
1776 Battle of Harlem Heights warfare 122 [37]
1863 New York City draft riots mass unrest 119–120 [38][39]
1975 Eastern Air Lines Flight 66 crash aircraft 113 [40]
1871 Westfield disaster maritime 104–125 [41][42]
1888 Great Blizzard of 1888 weather 100–200 [43][44]
1918 Malbone Street Wreck rail 93–102 [45][46]
1962 American Airlines Flight 1 crash aircraft 95 [47]
1990 Happy Land fire fire 87 [48]
1899 Windsor Hotel fire fire 86 [49][i]
1965 Eastern Air Lines Flight 663 crash aircraft 84 [50]
1950 Kew Gardens train crash rail 78 [51]
1932 Observation explosion maritime 72 [52]
1732 Yellow fever disease 70 [18]
1850 Hague Street explosion explosion 67+ [53][54]
1959 American Airlines Flight 320 crash aircraft 65 [55]
1871 Second Orange Riot mass unrest 62 [56]
1891 Park Place disaster explosion 61 [57]
2012 Hurricane Sandy weather 53 [58]
1926 Linseed King maritime 51–58 [59][60]
1852 Henry Clay maritime ~50 [61]
1947 United Airlines Flight 521 crash aircraft 43 [62]
1851 Ninth Ward School disaster fire 43 [63]
1969 February 1969 nor'easter weather 42 [64]
1973 1973 Staten Island gas explosion explosion 40 [65]
1643 Massacre at Corlears Hook warfare 40 [66]
1920 Wall Street bombing terrorism 38 [67]
1946 Knickerbocker Ice Company disaster fire 37 [68]
1741 New York Conspiracy of 1741 mass unrest 34 [69]
1966 New York Harbor tanker collision maritime 33 [70]
1845 Great New York City Fire of 1845 fire 30 [71]
1712 New York Slave Revolt of 1712 mass unrest 29–36 [j]
1892 Hotel Royal fire fire 28 [76]
1992 USAir Flight 405 aircraft 27 [77]
1923 Manhattan State Hospital fire fire 27 [78]
1954 Alitalia Flight 451 crash aircraft 26 [79]
1976 Puerto Rican Social Club fire fire 25 [80]
1962 Eastern Air Lines Flight 512 crash aircraft 25 [81]
1958 Monarch Underwear Company fire fire 24 [80]
1880 Seawanhaka disaster maritime 24–35 [82][83]
1962 New York Telephone Company boiler explosion explosion 23 [84]
1849 Astor Place Riot mass unrest 22–31 [85][86]
1902 Park Avenue Hotel fire fire 21 [87]
1908 Gold Street explosion explosion 20+ [88][89]
1905 Allen Street tenement fire fire 20+ [90]
1957 Northeast Airlines Flight 823 crash aircraft 20 [91]
1860 Elm Street tenement fire fire 20 [92]: 30 
1937 New Brighton tenement collapse structural collapse 19 [93]
2022 2022 Bronx apartment fire fire 17 [94]
1885 Glass House disaster structural collapse 17 [95]
1928 1928 Times Square derailment rail 16–18 [42][96]
1895 Ireland Building collapse structural collapse 16 [97]
1893 1893 Long Island Rail Road collision rail 16 [98]
1902 Park Avenue Tunnel crash rail 15–17 [99][100]
2011 World Wide Tours bus crash road 15 [101]
1902 Madison Square fireworks explosion explosion 15 [102]
1883 Church of the Most Holy Redeemer school fire fire 14–16 [103][104]
1945 1945 Empire State Building B-25 crash aircraft 14 [105]
2021 Hurricane Ida weather 13 [106]
1968 Williamsburg apartment fire fire 13 [107]
1905 Ninth Avenue derailment rail 13 [108][109]
1899 Andrews mansion fire fire 13 [110]
1877 E. Greenfield candy factory fire fire 13 [111]
2017 2017 Bronx apartment fire fire 12 [112]
1970 1970 New York City gas explosion explosion 12 [113]
1966 23rd Street Fire fire 12 [114]
1915 Diamond Candy Company fire fire 12 [115]
1883 1883 Brooklyn Bridge stampede mass unrest 12 [116]
2003 2003 Staten Island Ferry crash maritime 11 [117]
1975 LaGuardia Airport bombing terrorism 11 [118]
1970 Trans International Airlines Flight 863 crash aircraft 11 [119]
1854 W. T. Jennings fire fire 11 [92]: 29 
1984 Palm Sunday massacre homicide 10 [120]
1956 Bush Terminal explosion explosion 10 [121]
1938 1938 New England hurricane weather 10 [122]
1910 Grand Central Station explosion explosion 10 [123]
2009 Hudson River mid-air collision aircraft 9 [124]
1991 City College stampede mass unrest 9 [125]
1977 Everard Baths fire fire 9 [126]
1894 Newtown Creek Bridge disaster structural collapse 9 [127]
2017 New York City truck attack terrorism 8 [128]
2014 East Harlem gas explosion explosion 8 [129]
1995 Freddy's Fashion Mart attack homicide 8 [130]
1932 Ritz Tower Hotel fire and explosion explosion 8 [131]
1923 1923 Brooklyn elevated train crash rail 8 [132]
1902 1902 New York City Subway explosion explosion 8 [133]
1870 First Orange Riot mass unrest 8 [134]
1882 1882 Spuyten Duyvil train wreck rail 8 [135]
1857 Dead Rabbits riot mass unrest 8 [136]
2008 303 East 51st Street crane collapse structural collapse 7 [137]
1915 1915 New York City Subway explosion explosion 6–25 [138]
1917 Domino Sugar Refinery explosion explosion 6–12 [139][140]
2025 2025 Hudson River helicopter crash aircraft 6
1993 World Trade Center Bombing terrorism 6 [141]
1978 Waldbaum's fire fire 6 [142]
1967 1967 New York City freight train collision rail 6 [143]
1962 Queens soap plant fire fire 6 [92]: 109 
1943 Harlem riot of 1943 mass unrest 6 [144]
1912 Equitable Life Building fire fire 6 [145]
1891 1891 New York City train collision rail 6 [146]
2018 2018 New York City helicopter crash aircraft 5 [147]
1991 Union Square derailment rail 5 [42][148]
1977 Pan Am Building helicopter crash aircraft 5 [149]
1959 American Airlines Flight 514 aircraft 5 [150]
1952 1952 Queens plane crash aircraft 5 [151]
1946 40 Wall Street plane crash aircraft 5 [152]
1901 1901 Staten Island Ferry crash maritime 4–5 [153][154]
2025 2025 Midtown Manhattan shooting homicide 4
2013 December 2013 Spuyten Duyvil derailment rail 4 [155]
1975 Fraunces Tavern bombing terrorism 4 [156]
1973 Broadway Central Hotel collapse structural collapse 4 [157]
1947 North American blizzard of 1947 weather 4 [158]
1929 1929 New York City Subway collision rail 4 [159]
1914 Lexington Avenue explosion terrorism 4 [160]
1691 Leisler's Rebellion warfare 4 [161][k]
2025 Brooklyn club shooting homicide 3
1788 Doctors' riot mass unrest 3–20 [162]
1989 Gramercy Park asbestos steam explosion explosion 3 [163]
1970 Greenwich Village townhouse explosion terrorism 3 [164]
1946 1946 St. George Terminal fire fire 3 [165]
1935 Harlem riot of 1935 mass unrest 3 [166]
2026 Air Canada Express Flight 8646 aircraft 2 [167]
2015 East Village gas explosion explosion 2 [168]
2006 2006 New York City Cirrus SR20 crash aircraft 2 [169]
1991 Crown Heights riot mass unrest 2 [170]
1989 USAir Flight 5050 crash aircraft 2 [171]
1958 1958 East River collision maritime 2 [172]
1947 1947 New York City smallpox outbreak disease 2 [173]
1929 1929 Yankee Stadium stampede mass unrest 2 [174]
1835 Great Fire of New York fire 2 [175]
2020 2020 New York City Subway fire rail 1 [176]
2019 2019 New York City helicopter crash aircraft 1 [177]
2007 2007 New York City steam explosion explosion 1 [163]
1995 Williamsburg Bridge subway collision rail 1 [178]
1964 Harlem riot of 1964 mass unrest 1 [179]
1956 Sylvania Electric Products explosion explosion 1 [180]
1949 Holland Tunnel fire fire 1 [181]
1942 SS Normandie maritime 1 [182]
1915 1915 New York City Subway fire rail 1 [183]
1770 Battle of Golden Hill warfare 0–1 [184]
2009 US Airways Flight 1549 crash aircraft 0 [185]
1975 Overseas National Airways Flight 032 aircraft 0 [186]
1969 1969 New York City gas explosion explosion 0 [187][188]
1919 1919 Standard Oil Company fire fire 0 [189]
1866–present Greenpoint oil spill pollution unknown [190][l]
1776 Great Fire of New York fire unknown [191][m]
1655 Peach War warfare unknown [n]
1643–1645 Kieft's War warfare unknown [o]
Close
COVID-19 pandemic
September 11, 2001
PS General Slocum
Battle of Long Island
TWA Flight 800
1953 smog
Triangle Shirtwaist Factory fire
Great Blizzard of 1888
Hague Street explosion
Second Orange Riot
Hurricane Sandy
Ninth Avenue derailment
Lexington Avenue explosion
2006 Cirrus SR20 crash
Great Fire of New York (1835)
2007 steam explosion
Harlem riot of 1964
US Airways Flight 1549

See also

Notes

  1. [a]
    New York State was on track to announce the end of the HIV/AIDS epidemic in 2020; however, due to an increase in HIV cases during the COVID-19 pandemic, this has been delayed until at least 2024.[2]
  2. [b]
    Lower limit includes confirmed deaths only; upper limit includes confirmed and probable deaths.
  3. [c]
    Includes deaths from pneumonia, which frequently results from influenza.
  4. [d]
    At least one other source reports only 714 deaths.[11]
  5. [e]
    At least one other source reports 1,866 deaths.[11]
  6. [f]
    The estimated death toll of "nearly 1,300" people is restricted to the (1896) cities of New York and Brooklyn; the heat wave is considered to have killed approximately 1,500 people in total.[13] Other sources put the death toll at around 3,000 people.[14]
  7. [g]
    The exact death toll is uncertain, with various sources claiming at least 278,[21] approximately 295[22] or over 300 people died.[23]
  8. [h]
    Various sources place the death toll at 139,[31] 146,[32] 150[33] and 154 people.[34]
  9. [i]
    Death toll includes 45 recovered bodies and 41 missing persons.
  10. [j]
    Death toll includes nine white settlers plus an uncertain number of black slaves. Sources report that 20,[72] 21,[73] 23[74] or 27[75] slaves died either by execution or suicide.
  11. [k]
    Death toll includes two killed in battle and two subsequently executed.
  12. [l]
    The spill was discovered in 1978. Cleanup operations are ongoing.
  13. [m]
    The city had already been largely evacuated due to American Revolutionary War.
  14. [n]
    Various sources report 100 Dutch settlers killed across Hoboken (in modern day New Jersey), Pavonia (now Jersey City, New Jersey), Staten Island and New Amsterdam (Lower Manhattan), along with 150 taken hostage.[192] The number killed in what comprises New York City today is unknown, although one self-published source reports zero deaths in New Amsterdam.[193] The number of Native Americans killed is unknown.
  15. [o]
    The year 1642 became known as "the year of blood" among Dutch colonists. Historian John Romeyn Brodhead described the Native American revolt as a "devastating tide" that "rolled over the island of Manhattan itself. From its northern extremity to the Kolck [southern tip], there were now no more than five or six bouweries [large farms] left; and these were 'threatened by the Indians every night with fire, and by day with the slaughter of people and cattle.'"[194][195]

References

Related Articles

Wikiwand AI