Year |
Event |
Type |
Death toll |
Notes and sources |
1983–present |
HIV/AIDS epidemic |
disease |
84,027+ |
[1][lower-alpha 1] |
2020–2023 |
COVID-19 pandemic |
disease |
38,795–45,194 |
[3][lower-alpha 2] |
1918–1919 |
Spanish flu |
disease |
20,403–33,000 |
[4][5][6][lower-alpha 3] |
1849 |
Third cholera pandemic (1st wave) |
disease |
5,071 |
[7] |
1832 |
Second cholera pandemic (1st wave) |
disease |
3,513 |
[7] |
2001 |
September 11 attacks |
terrorism |
2,753 |
[8] |
1854 |
Third cholera pandemic (2nd wave) |
disease |
2,509 |
[7] |
1798 |
Yellow fever |
disease |
2,086 |
[9][10][lower-alpha 4] |
1916 |
1916 New York City polio epidemic |
disease |
2,000+ |
[12] |
1872 |
Smallpox epidemic |
disease |
1,666 |
[7][lower-alpha 5] |
1896 |
1896 Eastern North America heat wave |
weather |
1,300 |
[13][lower-alpha 6] |
1866 |
Fourth cholera pandemic |
disease |
1,137 |
[7] |
1904 |
PS General Slocum |
maritime |
1,021 |
[15] |
1834 |
Second cholera pandemic (2nd wave) |
disease |
971 |
[7] |
1972 |
Heat wave |
weather |
891 |
[16][17] |
1795 |
Yellow fever |
disease |
732 |
[9] |
1731 |
Smallpox |
disease |
549 |
[18] |
1702 |
Yellow fever |
disease |
500 |
[9] |
1776 |
Battle of Long Island |
warfare |
364 |
[19] |
1963 |
1963 New York City smog |
pollution |
300–405 |
[20] |
1876 |
Brooklyn Theatre fire |
fire |
278+ |
[21][lower-alpha 7] |
2001 |
American Airlines Flight 587 |
aircraft |
265 |
[24] |
1996 |
TWA Flight 800 |
aircraft |
230 |
[25] |
1953 |
1953 New York City smog |
pollution |
200–260 |
[20][26] |
1966 |
1966 New York City smog |
pollution |
168–400 |
[27][28] |
1911 |
Triangle Shirtwaist Factory fire |
fire |
146 |
[29] |
1776 |
Battle of Fort Washington |
warfare |
143 |
[30] |
1840 |
Lexington |
maritime |
139–154 |
[lower-alpha 8] |
1960 |
Park Slope plane crash |
aircraft |
134 |
[35][36] |
1776 |
Battle of Harlem Heights |
warfare |
122 |
[37] |
1863 |
New York City draft riots |
mass unrest |
119–120 |
[38][39] |
1975 |
Eastern Air Lines Flight 66 |
aircraft |
113 |
[40] |
1871 |
Westfield disaster |
maritime |
104–125 |
[41][42] |
1888 |
Great Blizzard of 1888 |
weather |
100–200 |
[43][44] |
1918 |
Malbone Street Wreck |
rail |
93–102 |
[45][46] |
1962 |
American Airlines Flight 1 |
aircraft |
95 |
[47] |
1990 |
Happy Land fire |
fire |
87 |
[48] |
1899 |
Windsor Hotel fire |
fire |
86 |
[49][lower-alpha 9] |
1965 |
Eastern Air Lines Flight 663 |
aircraft |
84 |
[50] |
1950 |
Kew Gardens train crash |
rail |
78 |
[51] |
1932 |
Observation |
maritime |
72 |
[52] |
1732 |
Yellow fever |
disease |
70 |
[18] |
1850 |
Hague Street explosion |
explosion |
67+ |
[53][54] |
1959 |
American Airlines Flight 320 |
aircraft |
65 |
[55] |
1871 |
Second Orange Riot |
mass unrest |
62 |
[56] |
1891 |
Park Place disaster |
explosion |
61 |
[57] |
2012 |
Hurricane Sandy |
weather |
53 |
[58] |
1926 |
Linseed King |
maritime |
51–58 |
[59][60] |
1852 |
Henry Clay |
maritime |
~50 |
[61] |
1947 |
United Airlines Flight 521 |
aircraft |
43 |
[62] |
1851 |
Ninth Ward School disaster |
fire |
43 |
[63] |
1969 |
February 1969 nor'easter |
weather |
42 |
[64] |
1973 |
1973 Staten Island gas explosion |
explosion |
40 |
[65] |
1643 |
Massacre at Corlears Hook |
warfare |
40 |
[66] |
1920 |
Wall Street bombing |
terrorism |
38 |
[67] |
1946 |
Knickerbocker Ice Company disaster |
fire |
37 |
[68] |
1741 |
New York Conspiracy of 1741 |
mass unrest |
34 |
[69] |
1966 |
New York Harbor tanker collision |
maritime |
33 |
[70] |
1845 |
Great New York City Fire of 1845 |
fire |
30 |
[71] |
1712 |
New York Slave Revolt of 1712 |
mass unrest |
29–36 |
[lower-alpha 10] |
1892 |
Hotel Royal fire |
fire |
28 |
[76] |
1992 |
USAir Flight 405 |
aircraft |
27 |
[77] |
1923 |
Manhattan State Hospital fire |
fire |
27 |
[78] |
1954 |
Alitalia Flight 451 |
aircraft |
26 |
[79] |
1976 |
Puerto Rican Social Club fire |
fire |
25 |
[80] |
1962 |
Eastern Air Lines Flight 512 |
aircraft |
25 |
[81] |
1958 |
Monarch Underwear Company fire |
fire |
24 |
[80] |
1880 |
Seawanhaka disaster |
maritime |
24–35 |
[82][83] |
1962 |
New York Telephone Company boiler explosion |
explosion |
23 |
[84] |
1849 |
Astor Place Riot |
mass unrest |
22–31 |
[85][86] |
1902 |
Park Avenue Hotel fire |
fire |
21 |
[87] |
1908 |
Gold Street explosion |
explosion |
20+ |
[88][89] |
1905 |
Allen Street tenement fire |
fire |
20+ |
[90] |
1957 |
Northeast Airlines Flight 823 |
aircraft |
20 |
[91] |
1860 |
Elm Street tenement fire |
fire |
20 |
[92]: 30 |
1937 |
New Brighton tenement collapse |
structural collapse |
19 |
[93] |
2022 |
2022 Bronx apartment fire |
fire |
17 |
[94] |
1885 |
Glass House disaster |
structural collapse |
17 |
[95] |
1928 |
1928 Times Square derailment |
rail |
16–18 |
[42][96] |
1895 |
Ireland Building collapse |
structural collapse |
16 |
[97] |
1893 |
1893 Long Island Rail Road collision |
rail |
16 |
[98] |
1902 |
Park Avenue Tunnel crash |
rail |
15–17 |
[99][100] |
2011 |
World Wide Tours bus crash |
road |
15 |
[101] |
1902 |
Madison Square fireworks explosion |
explosion |
15 |
[102] |
1883 |
Church of the Most Holy Redeemer school fire |
fire |
14–16 |
[103][104] |
1945 |
1945 Empire State Building B-25 crash |
aircraft |
14 |
[105] |
2021 |
Hurricane Ida |
weather |
13 |
[106] |
1968 |
Williamsburg apartment fire |
fire |
13 |
[107] |
1905 |
Ninth Avenue derailment |
rail |
13 |
[108][109] |
1899 |
Andrews mansion fire |
fire |
13 |
[110] |
1877 |
E. Greenfield candy factory fire |
fire |
13 |
[111] |
2017 |
2017 Bronx apartment fire |
fire |
12 |
[112] |
1970 |
1970 New York City gas explosion |
explosion |
12 |
[113] |
1966 |
23rd Street Fire |
fire |
12 |
[114] |
1915 |
Diamond Candy Company fire |
fire |
12 |
[115] |
1883 |
1883 Brooklyn Bridge stampede |
mass unrest |
12 |
[116] |
2003 |
2003 Staten Island Ferry crash |
maritime |
11 |
[117] |
1975 |
LaGuardia Airport bombing |
terrorism |
11 |
[118] |
1970 |
Trans International Airlines Flight 863 |
aircraft |
11 |
[119] |
1854 |
W. T. Jennings fire |
fire |
11 |
[92]: 29 |
1984 |
Palm Sunday massacre |
homicide |
10 |
[120] |
1956 |
Bush Terminal explosion |
explosion |
10 |
[121] |
1938 |
1938 New England hurricane |
weather |
10 |
[122] |
1910 |
Grand Central Station explosion |
explosion |
10 |
[123] |
2009 |
Hudson River mid-air collision |
aircraft |
9 |
[124] |
1991 |
City College stampede |
mass unrest |
9 |
[125] |
1977 |
Everard Baths fire |
fire |
9 |
[126] |
1894 |
Newtown Creek Bridge disaster |
structural collapse |
9 |
[127] |
2017 |
New York City truck attack |
terrorism |
8 |
[128] |
2014 |
East Harlem gas explosion |
explosion |
8 |
[129] |
1995 |
Freddy's Fashion Mart attack |
homicide |
8 |
[130] |
1932 |
Ritz Tower Hotel fire and explosion |
explosion |
8 |
[131] |
1923 |
1923 Brooklyn elevated train crash |
rail |
8 |
[132] |
1902 |
1902 New York City Subway explosion |
explosion |
8 |
[133] |
1870 |
First Orange Riot |
mass unrest |
8 |
[134] |
1882 |
1882 Spuyten Duyvil train wreck |
rail |
8 |
[135] |
1857 |
Dead Rabbits riot |
mass unrest |
8 |
[136] |
2008 |
303 East 51st Street crane collapse |
structural collapse |
7 |
[137] |
1915 |
1915 New York City Subway explosion |
explosion |
6–25 |
[138] |
1917 |
Domino Sugar Refinery explosion |
explosion |
6–12 |
[139][140] |
1993 |
World Trade Center Bombing |
terrorism |
6 |
[141] |
1978 |
Waldbaum's fire |
fire |
6 |
[142] |
1967 |
1967 New York City freight train collision |
rail |
6 |
[143] |
1962 |
Queens soap plant fire |
fire |
6 |
[92]: 109 |
1943 |
Harlem riot of 1943 |
mass unrest |
6 |
[144] |
1912 |
Equitable Life Building fire |
fire |
6 |
[145] |
1891 |
1891 New York City train collision |
rail |
6 |
[146] |
2018 |
2018 New York City helicopter crash |
aircraft |
5 |
[147] |
1991 |
Union Square derailment |
rail |
5 |
[42][148] |
1977 |
Pan Am Building helicopter crash |
aircraft |
5 |
[149] |
1959 |
American Airlines Flight 514 |
aircraft |
5 |
[150] |
1952 |
1952 Queens plane crash |
aircraft |
5 |
[151] |
1946 |
40 Wall Street plane crash |
aircraft |
5 |
[152] |
1901 |
1901 Staten Island Ferry crash |
maritime |
4–5 |
[153][154] |
2013 |
December 2013 Spuyten Duyvil derailment |
rail |
4 |
[155] |
1975 |
Fraunces Tavern bombing |
terrorism |
4 |
[156] |
1973 |
Broadway Central Hotel collapse |
structural collapse |
4 |
[157] |
1947 |
North American blizzard of 1947 |
weather |
4 |
[158] |
1929 |
1929 New York City Subway collision |
rail |
4 |
[159] |
1914 |
Lexington Avenue explosion |
terrorism |
4 |
[160] |
1691 |
Leisler's Rebellion |
warfare |
4 |
[161][lower-alpha 11] |
1788 |
Doctors' riot |
mass unrest |
3–20 |
[162] |
1989 |
Gramercy Park asbestos steam explosion |
explosion |
3 |
[163] |
1970 |
Greenwich Village townhouse explosion |
terrorism |
3 |
[164] |
1946 |
1946 St. George Terminal fire |
fire |
3 |
[165] |
1935 |
Harlem riot of 1935 |
mass unrest |
3 |
[166] |
2015 |
East Village gas explosion |
explosion |
2 |
[167] |
2006 |
2006 New York City plane crash |
aircraft |
2 |
[168] |
1991 |
Crown Heights riot |
mass unrest |
2 |
[169] |
1989 |
USAir Flight 5050 |
aircraft |
2 |
[170] |
1958 |
1958 East River collision |
maritime |
2 |
[171] |
1947 |
1947 New York City smallpox outbreak |
disease |
2 |
[172] |
1929 |
1929 Yankee Stadium stampede |
mass unrest |
2 |
[173] |
1835 |
Great Fire of New York |
fire |
2 |
[174] |
2020 |
2020 New York City Subway fire |
rail |
1 |
[175] |
2019 |
2019 New York City helicopter crash |
aircraft |
1 |
[176] |
2007 |
2007 New York City steam explosion |
explosion |
1 |
[163] |
1995 |
Williamsburg Bridge subway collision |
rail |
1 |
[177] |
1964 |
Harlem riot of 1964 |
mass unrest |
1 |
[178] |
1956 |
Sylvania Electric Products explosion |
explosion |
1 |
[179] |
1949 |
Holland Tunnel fire |
fire |
1 |
[180] |
1942 |
SS Normandie |
maritime |
1 |
[181] |
1915 |
1915 New York City Subway fire |
rail |
1 |
[182] |
1770 |
Battle of Golden Hill |
warfare |
0–1 |
[183] |
2009 |
US Airways Flight 1549 |
aircraft |
0 |
[184] |
1975 |
Overseas National Airways Flight 032 |
aircraft |
0 |
[185] |
1969 |
1969 New York City gas explosion |
explosion |
0 |
[186][187] |
1919 |
1919 Standard Oil Company fire |
fire |
0 |
[188] |
1866–present |
Greenpoint oil spill |
pollution |
unknown |
[189][lower-alpha 12] |
1776 |
Great Fire of New York |
fire |
unknown |
[190][lower-alpha 13] |
1655 |
Peach War |
warfare |
unknown |
[lower-alpha 14] |
1643–1645 |
Kieft's War |
warfare |
unknown |
[lower-alpha 15] |