Every year, the fortune tellers and soothsayers make vast claims of how the Earth will soon be punished with deadly, violent storms that will kill millions. Well, we don't want to piss off the prognosticators, but their predictions of natural disasters aren't so impressive; every year, storms and their ilk claim the lives of hundreds of thousands of people. But every once in a while, Mother Nature (just like Gilbert Gottfried) attacks with unusually harsh force. Here, we look at the ten biggest storms on record to hit the U.S. with Gilbert Gottfried-esque proportions.
Keep in mind that earlier storms often produced more damage (including injuries and deaths) than later storms because of the advancement of technology, which gave people more warning when storms were a-brewin'. So as the U.S. prepares itself for the hurricane season, it seems appropriate that we take a look back at some of the worst storms in U.S. history.
1. STORMS 10 - 8
10. AgnesDate: 1972
Deaths: 129
Hurricane Agnes smacked the Florida panhandle on June 19, 1972, and eventually hit every state from Florida to New York. It was a minimal force hurricane, but it carried extremely high floodwaters, causing 210,000 people to leave their homes in fear for their lives. Receiving a particularly nasty blow was Pennsylvania, where Agnes' floodwaters drowned dozens and washed away thousands of homes. Hurricane Agnes eventually caused $3.1 billion in damages, and killed 120 people.
9. March 1962 "Ash Wednesday" Storm
Date: 1962
Deaths: 30
This "stalled" storm stayed put on the Eastern seaboard for three days instead of following its normal course out to sea. Those were three tough days of continuous rain and high wind. The water levels in some places rose two feet in a matter of minutes, and then still higher, eventually up to 5 feet high. The rising water and 76 mph winds eventually killed 30 people, injured over 1250, and caused $200 million in damages.
8. November 1950 "Appalachian Storm"
Date: 1950
Deaths: 160
It started just before Thanksgiving 1950 as a seemingly "normal" winter storm. The snowfall began on November 25th and lasted until the 27th, dumping more snow in some areas than had ever been seen before. West Virginia and Cleveland both received over 2 feet of snow in three days. This unfortunate combination of record cold, record snowfall, and violent winds eventually claimed 160 lives.
