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Wildfires blazing in forests, hurricanes washing away homes along the coasts, tornados knocking down businesses — America has a long history of documented natural disasters that have razed buildings, leveled towns and left a heartbreaking path of destruction in its wake.
24/7 Wall St. compiled a list of the worst natural disaster in every state based on data from government sources that evaluated the weather event that caused the highest number of fatalities in each state. According to the site, natural disasters are increasing each year, stating:
"American weather continues to become more volatile. In 2018, there were 14 weather events that each caused over $1 billion in damage. And in many parts of the country, these weather events could become even more destructive because global warming... ."
The worst natural disaster in Missouri history was the tornado in Joplin in May 2011, which resulted in over 150 fatalities. According to Missouri Storm Aware, a dangerous EF-5 multiple-vortex tornado hit the town with wind speeds peaking at 200 mph and is one of the single deadliest tornadoes in the U.S. since 1953. Another event that 24/7 Wall St. considered among the worst in state history was the Great Flood in 1951.
Check out the full report at 24/7 Wall St. to read up on the worst natural disasters around the country.