What was the worst Natural Disaster in U.S history?

[Audrey2Katrina]

The volcano will spread dust/ash into the Atmopshere killing off the growing season for years. The year with out a summer was a very very small volcano next to this. This would most likely kill only about 50 million the blast its self. But the cloud would kill billions.

On this we kind of agree, and yet disagree. Most geologist estimates are that the immediate death toll from the pyroclastic blast would range anywhere from 100,000 to 200,000 (Remember this region is NOT heavily populated, the whole state of Wyoming is one of the most sparsely populated states in the Union, and the actual "blast" would not go beyond a few hundred miles of the actual caldera.

On the cloud, we sort of agree... the potential for a billion, or even more is very real... but NOT 6.5 Billion... at least not by any estimates I've seen, read, or heard of...or, for that matter conceive. We'll just have to hold our differing viewpoints and hope, as stated earlier, we never have the opportunity for one OR the other to say "I told you so"

A2K

[Aslkahuna]

I think the ultimate death toll in the wake of a Yellowstone superblast and aftermath will be very much a function of how capable out Technological Civilization will be able to cope with the effects. I suspect that most survivors will not be from the industrialized nations and the big cities but rather the primitive tribes that still exist because they have the ability to live off the land and to move with out much upheaval. Yellowstone would mean the end of the First World and the rise of the Third (wit a greatly reduced population to work with) whereas a big NEO impact merely means the end for all since for the most part it's the larger size species that get killed off. In the end, the Roaches will win.

Steve

[Audrey2Katrina]

In the end, the Roaches will win.

*sigh* Don't they always?

Anyway, getting back to the topic of the thread... interesting, how the numbers seem to have levelled off.

A2K

[Jim Cantore]

Katrina holds a big lead though, 109 votes is the most I've had in a poll too

[Audrey2Katrina]

Yes, it is a lot of respondents, undoubtedly because of the debatable controversy and factors it potentially involves. I've always said it would be between those two, and in the final analysis it boils down to one's particular perspective of interpreting the phrase. Still it's been a very interesting poll.