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Worst Weather of the Twentieth Century

Climatologists, meteorologists, and hydrologists at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) compiled a list of the world's most notable weather, water, and climate events in the twentieth century. Criteria for selection included an event's magnitude, meteorological uniqueness, as well as its economic impact and death toll. Events are listed in chronological order.

United States

Date(s)	Event
1900	Galveston Hurricane
1925	Tri-state Tornado
1928	Great Okeechobee Hurricane and Flood
1930s	Dust Bowl
1935	Florida Keys Hurricane
1938	New England Hurricane
1950	“Storm of the Century”
1969	Hurricane Camille
1974	Super Tornado Outbreak
1978	New England Blizzard
1982–83 & 1997–98	El Niño Episodes
1992	Hurricane Andrew
1993	Great Midwest Flood
1993	“Superstorm”
1999	Okla./Kan. Tornado Outbreak

Source: consensus of climate and weather experts at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). For background on individual events, see www.noaanews.noaa.gov/stories/s334c.htm .

World

Date(s)	Event
1910–1914, 1940–44, 1970–85	Sahel Drought, Africa
India: 1900, 1907, 1965–67; China: 1907, 1928–30, 1936, 1941–42; Soviet Union: 1921–22	Asian Droughts
1912, 1922	China Typhoons
1931	Yangtze River Flood, China
1952	Great Smog of London
1953	Europe Storm Surge
1954	Great Iran Flood
1958	Typhoon Vera, Japan
1970	Bangladesh Cyclone
1971	North Vietnam Flood
1972	Iran Blizzard
1982–83	El Niño
1991	Typhoon Thelma, Philippines
1991	Bangladesh Cyclone
1998	Hurricane Mitch, Honduras and Nicaragua

Retired Hurricane Names

Weather

El Niño

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