Shelter From the Storm!

[yotoc]

So all three major networks are banding together for a benefit concert tonight.  I've been driving around like mad today listening to talk radio and I keep hearing commercials for it.  They're having it to help the victims of AND I FUCKING QUOTE!: "The worst disaster in U.S. History!"

That's great.  Last check was 300 dead officially.  I'm sure I'm wrong.  Anybody have any numbers?  Do they compare to this:

Forest Fire, Peshtigo, Wis., Oct. 8, 1871: Fires burned 3.8 million acres, destroyed nine towns, caused $169 million in damage and killed 1,500 people..

"Blizzard of 1888," March 11-14, 1888: The blizzard raged for 36 hours throughout northeastern United States, dumping 4 feet of snow and leaving snowdrifts that reached 40 feet. New York, Boston, Philadelphia and Washington were cut off for days. More than 400 deaths were reported. .

Johnstown Flood, May 31, 1889: The town of Johnstown, Pa., was inundated after the earthen South Fork Dam broke and released water from a nearby lake. A wall of water 100 feet high, which traveled at 40 mph, destroyed much of the town. The death toll was more than 2,200..

Galveston Hurricane, Sept. 8, 1900: The hurricane-induced flood in Galveston, Texas, was the deadliest in U.S. history. At that time, the highest point in the city was only 8.7 feet above sea level. The hurricane brought a storm surge of more than 15 feet, which washed over Galveston Island. Some 8, 000 people died..

San Francisco Earthquake, April 18, 1906: The earthquake, which measured between magnitude 7.7 and 8.3, was followed by fires that razed more than 4 square miles of the city. At the time, 470 deaths were recorded. Today it is believed that 3,000 or more people died. .

"Tri-State Tornado," March 18, 1925: The tornado killed more than 690 people in Missouri, Illinois and Indiana and caused $25 million in property damage..

"Great Mississippi Flood," May 6, 1927: The Mississippi River broke from its levee system in 145 places, flooding 27,000 square miles of Arkansas, Illinois, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi and Tennessee. Thirteen percent of the state of Arkansas was under water. The flood killed 247 people and caused more than $400 million in damage, according to officials, though some estimates put the death toll as high as 1,000..

Twisters, South/Midwest, April 3, 1974: In a period of 16 hours, 148 twisters touched down in 13 states (Alabama, Georgia, Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, Michigan, Mississippi, North Carolina, Ohio, South Carolina, Tennessee, Virginia and West Virginia), killing 330 people and injuring 5,484 in a path covering 2,500 miles. More than 27,500 buildings were destroyed. Total property damage was estimated at $600 million.

Well does it?  No?  Still, it happened recently so I guess it's the worst that's happened since July.

JOIN US IN THE BENEFIT TO HELP PEOPLE THAT ARE VICTIMS OF THE WORST THING THAT'S HAPPENED TO THE UNITED STATES SINCE JULY 2005!!!!

[RottingCorpse]

Yotoc, I'm sort of inclined to agree with you in a weird way. (Scary, I know.) I think we're getting all riled up about it because everybody saw the totall nastiness of eth situation on TV. Also, I think it's the first time a city of N.O.'s size got wiped out . . . or at least evacuated.

I'm wiating until the final body count comes in.

[nacho]

Ooh!  A new game!  Okay, as the news comes in, let's cross off historical disasters and see where Katrina ranks.  


Bets on where Katrina will rank!  Whoever gets it wins junk items from my basement.

I'll rank these just based on death/damage/how important I think they are (the city of Galveston was totally destroyed in a flash).  If folks suggest a different order, let's hear it.

The list, counting down from the top worst:

Galveston Hurricane, Sept. 8, 1900

Johnstown Flood, May 31, 1889

San Francisco Earthquake, April 18, 1906

"Great Mississippi Flood," May 6, 1927

Twisters, South/Midwest, April 3, 1974

Forest Fire, Peshtigo, Wis.

"Tri-State Tornado," March 18, 1925

Blizzard of 1888 (additional info -- $25 million in damage)


Katrina's current status:  
90,000 sq. miles damaged/flooded/destroyed
Three main towns/cities destroyed/seriously damaged (Biloxi, Gulfport, New Orleans) Several small towns destroyed
$125 billion (current estimate)
337 dead (9/9 update)
One million people displaced (greatest displacement anywhere in the world since WW2)

Can anyone help fill this in?  I can't find the list of small towns that were wiped out.  

My current analysis -- Katrina beats #8, the Blizzard of 88, even though the death toll hasn't yet reached 400.  Do I have a second?

[RottingCorpse]

Also, let's place bets on the final Katrina death toll.

My guess? 857.

[nacho]

Also, let's place bets on the final Katrina death toll.

My guess? 857.

I say it tops a thousand.  Let's get the rankings, though.  Yay or nay, it beats the Blizzard?

[nacho]

Oho!  Numbers 2-7 below are in 2002 dollars.  If anyone has better, post it.  But close enough.

#1 $700 million (in 2005 dollars -- http://www.1900storm.com/facts.lasso)

#2 $333 million (more info: http://www.jaha.org/FloodMuseum/facts.html)

#3 $8 billion (NOAA estimates 400 million 1906 dollars, more info: http://quake.wr.usgs.gov/info/1906/casualties.html)

#4 $4 billion

#5 $2 billion

#6 $2 billion

#7 $471 million

#8 Also $471 million


Additional quotes:  Hurricane Andrew: $32 billion

Camille: $7.5 billion (2005 dollars)

[Matt]

My Intro to Poli Behavior professor noted in a lecture that you only need a small percentage of the population to go into complete chaos, the TV crews to focus on them, and suddenly the situation is far more dire than it seemed before.

[yotoc]

How are we ranking the worst?  In dollars or lives?  If lives I'm gonna say it doesn't crack the top ten.  Which is more important people?  I know...whichever will make Bush look more like a monster.

[nacho]

If lives, there are only 63 to go until it knocks out the blizzard, then.  You think 337 is the max number dead?  They haven't even tallied up New Orleans yet, you know.

It's also worth mentioning the displacement, which hasn't been seen on this scale since the Nazi's were having at it.  And Katrina doesn't even have a cool uniform.

[nacho]

We're still racing!

Disease, pollution: Under control.

Cost:  Now $200 billion (Bush is putting in for more money today)

Deathcount: 414 (9/12)

I'd like to note how difficult it is to get that deathcount.

Current liberal paranoia:  Actual deathcount is being suppressed

Current conservative paranoia:  Katrina flood photos are faked

[nacho]

New death count from the Washington Post:

654 (9/15)

The Post has also dubbed KAtrina the "10th worst natural disaster in US history."  

No longer overhyped, Yotoc.

[nacho]

883 dead (9/19)


Or do we not care about this anymore because Katrina was "blown out of proportion" and because there was a greater disaster in the year 1278?

Here's another top 10 list:

http://www.livescience.com/forcesofnature/ap_050914_worst_disasters.html

[Nubbins]

I still care about it, but it's too depressing to listen to the news about it anymore.  Call me when Mardi Gras is back on again.

This is definitely the worst disaster in U.S. history as long as I've been alive.  So, so terrible.

[nacho]

1036 -- 9/22 (ABC news)