List of disasters in New York City by death toll

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 and man-made disasters both purposeful and accidental. It does not 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.

Year	Event	Type	Death toll	Notes and sources
2020	COVID-19 pandemic	disease	+
1918	Spanish flu	disease	20,403
1994	HIV/AIDS	disease	7,102
1849	Third cholera pandemic	disease	5,071
1832	Second cholera pandemic	disease	3,513
2001	September 11 attacks	terrorism	2,753
1854	Third cholera pandemic	disease	2,509
1798	Yellow fever	disease	2,086
1916	1916 New York City polio epidemic	disease	+
1872	Smallpox epidemic	disease	1,666
1896	1896 Eastern North America heat wave	weather	1,300
1866	Fourth cholera pandemic	disease	1,137
1904	PS General Slocum	maritime	1,021
1834	Second cholera pandemic	disease	971
1972	Heat wave	weather	891
1795	Yellow fever	disease	732
1702	Yellow fever	disease	500
1776	Battle of Long Island	warfare	364
1963	1963 New York City smog	pollution	–405
1876	Brooklyn Theatre fire	fire	+
2001	American Airlines Flight 587	aircraft	265
1996	TWA Flight 800	aircraft	230
1953	1953 New York City smog	pollution	–260
1966	1966 New York City smog	pollution	–400
1911	Triangle Shirtwaist Factory fire	fire	146
1776	Battle of Fort Washington	warfare	143
1840	Lexington	maritime	–154
1960	Park Slope plane crash	aircraft	134
1776	Battle of Harlem Heights	warfare	122
1863	New York City draft riots	mass unrest	–120
1975	Eastern Air Lines Flight 66	aircraft	113
1871	Westfield disaster	maritime	–125
1888	Great Blizzard of 1888	weather	–200
1918	Malbone Street Wreck	rail	–102
1962	American Airlines Flight 1	aircraft	95
1990	Happy Land fire	fire	87
1899	Windsor Hotel fire	fire	86
1965	Eastern Air Lines Flight 663	aircraft	84
1950	Kew Gardens train crash	rail	78
1932	Observation	maritime	72
1850	Hague Street explosion	explosion	+
1959	American Airlines Flight 320	aircraft	65
1871	Orange Riots	mass unrest	62
1891	Park Place disaster	explosion	61
2012	Hurricane Sandy	weather	53
1926	Linseed King	maritime	–58
1947	United Airlines Flight 521	aircraft	43
1851	Ninth Ward School disaster	fire	43
1969	February 1969 nor'easter	weather	42
1973	1973 Staten Island gas explosion	explosion	40
1920	Wall Street bombing	terrorism	38
1946	Knickerbocker Ice Company disaster	fire	37
1741	New York Conspiracy of 1741	mass unrest	34
1966	New York Harbor tanker collision	maritime	33
1845	Great New York City Fire of 1845	fire	30
1712	New York Slave Revolt of 1712	mass unrest	–36
1892	Hotel Royal fire	fire	28
1992	USAir Flight 405	aircraft	27
1923	Manhattan State Hospital fire	fire	27
1954	Alitalia Flight 451	aircraft	26
1976	Puerto Rican Social Club fire	fire	25
1962	Eastern Air Lines Flight 512	aircraft	25
1958	Monarch Underwear Company fire	fire	24
1880	Seawanhaka disaster	maritime	24
1962	New York Telephone Company building explosion	explosion	23
1849	Astor Place Riot	mass unrest	–31
1902	Park Avenue Hotel fire	fire	21
1908	Gold Street explosion	explosion	+
1905	Allen Street tenement fire	fire	+
1957	Northeast Airlines Flight 823	aircraft	20
1860	Elm Street tenement fire	fire	20
1937	New Brighton tenement collapse	structural collapse	19
1885	Glass House disaster	structural collapse	17
1928	1928 Times Square derailment	rail	–18
1895	Ireland Building collapse	structural collapse	16
1893	1893 Long Island Rail Road collision	rail	16
1902	Park Avenue Tunnel crash	rail	–17
2011	World Wide Tours bus crash	road	15
1902	Madison Square Garden fireworks explosion	explosion	15
1883	Church of the Most Holy Redeemer school fire	fire	–16
1945	1945 Empire State Building B-25 crash	aircraft	14
1905	Ninth Avenue derailment	rail	13
1899	Andrews mansion fire	fire	13
1877	E. Greenfield candy factory fire	fire	13
1970	1970 New York City gas explosion	explosion	12
1966	23rd Street Fire	fire	12
1915	Diamond Candy Company fire	fire	12
1883	1883 Brooklyn Bridge stampede	mass unrest	12
2003	2003 Staten Island Ferry crash	maritime	11
1975	LaGuardia Airport bombing	terrorism	11
1970	Trans International Airlines Flight 863	aircraft	11
1854	W. T. Jennings fire	fire	11
1882	1882 Spuyten Duyvil train collision	rail	–12
1984	Palm Sunday massacre	homicide	10
1956	Bush Terminal explosion	explosion	10
1938	1938 New England hurricane	weather	10
1910	Grand Central Station explosion	explosion	10
2009	Hudson River mid-air collision	aircraft	9
1991	City College stampede	mass unrest	9
1977	Everard Baths fire	fire	9
1894	Newtown Creek Bridge disaster	structural collapse	9
2017	New York City truck attack	terrorism	8
2014	East Harlem gas explosion	explosion	8
1932	Ritz Tower Hotel fire and explosion	explosion	8
1923	1923 Brooklyn elevated train crash	rail	8
1902	1902 New York City Subway explosion	explosion	8
1857	Dead Rabbits riot	mass unrest	8
2008	303 East 51st Street crane collapse	structural collapse	7
1915	1915 New York City Subway explosion	explosion	–25
1917	Domino Sugar Refinery explosion	explosion	–12
1993	World Trade Center Bombing	terrorism	6
1978	Waldbaum's fire	fire	6
1967	1967 New York City freight train collision	rail	6
1962	Queens soap plant fire	fire	6
1943	Harlem riot of 1943	mass unrest	6
1912	Equitable Life Building fire	fire	6
1891	1891 New York City train collision	rail	6
1991	Union Square derailment	rail	5
1977	Pan Am Building helicopter crash	aircraft	5
1959	American Airlines Flight 514	aircraft	5
1952	1952 Queens plane crash	aircraft	5
1946	40 Wall Street plane crash	aircraft	5
1901	1901 Staten Island Ferry crash	maritime	4–5
2013	December 2013 Spuyten Duyvil derailment	rail	4
1975	Fraunces Tavern bombing	terrorism	4
1973	Broadway Central Hotel collapse	structural collapse	4
1947	North American blizzard of 1947	weather	4
1929	1929 New York City Subway collision	rail	4
1914	Lexington Avenue explosion	terrorism	4
1691	Leisler's Rebellion	warfare	4
1788	Doctors' riot	mass unrest	–20
1989	Gramercy Park asbestos steam explosion	explosion	3
1970	Greenwich Village townhouse explosion	terrorism	3
1946	1946 St. George Terminal fire	fire	3
1935	Harlem riot of 1935	mass unrest	3
2015	East Village gas explosion	explosion	2
2006	2006 New York City plane crash	aircraft	2
1991	Crown Heights riot	mass unrest	2
1989	USAir Flight 5050	aircraft	2
1947	1947 New York City smallpox outbreak	disease	2
1929	1929 Yankee Stadium stampede	mass unrest	2
1835	Great Fire of New York	fire	2
2020	2020 New York City Subway fire	rail	1
2007	2007 New York City steam explosion	explosion	1
1995	Williamsburg Bridge subway collision	rail	1
1964	Harlem riot of 1964	mass unrest	1
1949	Holland Tunnel fire	fire	1
1915	1915 New York City Subway fire	rail	1
1770	Battle of Golden Hill	warfare	–1
2009	US Airways Flight 1549	aircraft	0
1776	Great Fire of New York	fire	unknown
1655	Peach Tree War	warfare	unknown
1643	Kieft's War	warfare	unknown

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