Worst Natural Disasters in the US in the Last 10 Years

In early September 2011, Tropical Storm Lee made landfall, dumping 10-15 inches of rain in southern Mississippi and Alabama and parts of the Florida Panhandle. Lee brought a 3- to 5-foot storm surge and moved northeast, bringing record flooding to parts of the Northeast and mid-Atlantic, hitting New York and Pennsylvania the hardest.

From Jan. 3 through 5 of 2018, a nor’easter — dubbed a “bomb cyclone” — covered nearly the entire East Coast in a sheet of snow. The storm brought over a foot of snow to parts of New England, and even parts of Florida were dusted with snow. By the end, 22 people were killed and $1.1 billion in damage was reported.

A storm that raged from June 22 to 24 brought torrential rain and flooding to West Virginia and several tornadoes to the Ohio Valley. The flooding was particularly devastating, killing many and damaging or destroying over 1,500 roads and bridges.

Over the course of three days in late January 2017, 79 confirmed tornadoes hit across at least seven southern states. The event was one of the largest tornado outbreaks to occur during a winter month on record. Georgia, Florida, and Mississippi were among the states hardest hit. During the same period, high winds caused widespread damage in southern California around San Diego.

In early October 2015, a low pressure system converged with moisture from Hurricane Joaquin out in the Atlantic to bring historic flooding to South Carolina. Rainfall exceeded 20 inches in parts of the state and flooding, causing major transportation routes — including parts of I-95 — to shut down. The disaster lead to 25 fatalities and $2.2 billion in damage.