American History 1970s-Early 2000s

The Modern United States ~ Lesson 14 US Natural Disasters

Event   Description Number of Fatalities Damage
April 3-4, 1974 
Super Tornado Outbreak
Bridgeport Tornado
148 twisters across 13 states [Alabama, Georgia, Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, Michigan, Mississippi, North Carolina, Ohio, South Carolina, Tennessee, Virginia, and West Virginia] 330 $3.13 Billion
1980 
Mount St. Helens Eruption
Mount St Helens
Volcanic Eruption blast sent magma up 100 stories high and spread 10 miles wide. 57 $1 Billion 
1980
Drought and Heat Wave
Drought
The drought was especially hard on cattle farmers. 10,000 $56.4 Billion
1988
Heat Wave

Forest Fires
Fires in Yellowstone

Drought covered 36% of the US causing forest fires across the West.  Crops came in at only 33% of the expected levels. 7,500 $78.8 Billion
August 1992
Hurricane Andrew
Hurricane Andrew Winds of 177 mph across southern Florida  61 $44.8 Billion
March 12 - 14, 1993
Storm of the Century
1993 Storm of the Century category 5 storm - record snowfall hit the Eastern United States leaving 2.5 million people without power over 300 $9 Billion
2005
Hurricane Katrina
Katrina Category 5 hurricane with 20 to 30 feet storm surges along Mississippi and Louisiana  hit New Orleans 1,833 $148.8 Billion
October 2012 
Superstorm Sandy
Hurricane Sandy devastated parts of New Jersey, Long Island, and southern New England 159 $65.7 Billion
 
Information Sources

 

 

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