Chronology of Extreme Weather

Copyright © 2007-2008 Ken Polsson
internet e-mail: kpolsson@islandnet.com
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URL: http://www.islandnet.com/~kpolsson/weather/

References are numbered in [brackets], which are listed here. A number after the dot gives the page in the source.

Last updated: 2008 June 28.


79-1804 1805-1899 1900-1949 1950-1969 1970-1979 1980-1984 1985-1989 1990-1994 1995-1999 2000-2004
2005-end

1970

February 10
  • Dry powder avalanche moving at 120 mph smashes into youth hostel killing 40 Belgian, French, and German youths (Val d'Isere, France). [1]
February 11
  • 26.37 cm (10.38 inches) of rainfall, Mount Washington, New Hampshire (state 24-hour record). [1]
February 24
  • 29 Swiss Army officers die in avalanche (Reckingen, Switzerland). [1]
March 28
  • 1,086 die when 7.3 earthquake destroys 254 villages in Gediz, Turkey. [1]
April 16
  • 70 die in an avalanche (France). [1]
May 31
  • At 03:23 PM, Yungay, Peru levelled by 7.75 earthquake (50-70,000 die). [1]
August 3
  • Hurricane "Celia" becomes most expensive Gulf storm in history. [1]
September 5
  • Estimated 15 cm (6 inches) of rainfall, Bug Point, Utah (state record). [1]
November 13
  • Cyclone kills estimated 300,000 in Chittagong, Bangladesh. [1]

1971

January 23
  • Prospect Creek Camp, Alaska, (north of Fairbanks) reaches a record low temperature of -80 degrees F. [1] [32.23]
February 9
  • Earthquake in San Fernando Valley kills 65 and causes over US$500 million damage. [1]
February 21
  • Series of tornadoes cuts through Mississippi and Louisiana killing 117. [1]
March 18
  • 200 die in landslide into Lake Yanahuani, Chungar, Peru. [1]
April 5
  • Mount Etna erupts in Sicily, Italy. [1]
April 26
  • Heaviest rains ever in Bahia district of Brazil, 15 inches in 24 hours. [1]

1972

January 12
  • Juneau, Alaska, reaches a record low temperature: -22 degrees F. [32.22]
March 20
  • Nineteen mountain climbers killed on Japan's Mount Fuji during an avalanche. [1]
April 10
  • 7.0 earthquake kills one-fifth of population of Iranian province of Fars. [1]
June 9
  • 14 inches of rain in six hours burst Rapid City, South Dakota dam, drowns 200. [1]
June 23
  • Hurricane Agnes is costliest natural disaster in American history. [1]
July 22
  • 27.53 cm (10.84 inches) of rainfall, Fort Ripley, Minnesota (state 24-hour record). [1]
December 23
  • 6.25 Earthquake destroys central Managua, Nicaragua; 10,000-20,000 die. [1]

1973

January 23
  • Helgafell, island of Heimaey Iceland erupts for first time in 7,000 years. [1]
July 7
  • 78 drown as flash flood sweeps a bus into a river (India). [1]
July 23
  • Ozark Air Lines' plane knocked out of the air by lightning over Saint Louis - 36 die. [1]
August 28
  • 6.8 earthquake centered in Oaxaca State in Mexico kills 527. [1]

1974

January 16
  • L A landslide kills 9, Canyonville, Oregon. [1]
March 11
  • Mount Etna in Sicily erupts. [1]
April 3
  • In the USA, 148 tornadoes are reported over an area covering a dozen states in the east, south and midwest killed approximately 315. [1]

April 26
  • Landslide in Huancavelica Province, Peru creates a natural dam. [1]
September 18
  • Hurricane Fifi strikes Honduras with 110 mph winds, 5,000 die. [1]
December 25
  • Cyclone Tracy virtually destroys Darwin, Australia. [1]
December 28
  • 6.3 earthquake strikes Pakistan; 5200 killed. [1]

1975

May 6
  • Early warnings provided by REACT (ham radio operators) means only three people die in tornado that strikes Omaha, Nebraska. [1]
May 13
  • Hail stones as large as tennis balls hit Wernerville, Tennessee. [1]
June 28
  • Golfer Lee Trevino is struck by lightning at Western Open (Illinois). [1]
June 29
  • 20.57 cm (8.10 inches) of rainfall, Litchville, North Dakota (state 24-hr record). [1]
July 7
  • Juneau, Alaska, reaches a record high temperature: 90 degrees F. [32.22]
July 8
  • Earthquake damages over 2,000 temples in Pagan, Burma. [1]
July 13
  • 8.5 inches (21.6 cm) of rainfall in Dover, Delaware (US state record). [1]
September 6
  • 6.8 earthquake along Anatolian Fault kills over 2,000 in Lice, Turkey. [1]
September 30
  • Five drown in flash flood of sewer and water tunnel (Niagara Falls, New York). [1]
November 10
  • Ore ship Edmund Fitzgerald and crew of 29 lost in storm on Lake Superior. [1]
November 29
  • Kilauea Volcano erupts in Hawaii. [1]

1976

February 4
  • 7.5 earthquake kills 22,778 in Guatemala and Honduras. [1]
May 17
  • Earthquake in Uzbekistan: thousands killed. [1]
July 28
  • 242,000 die in Tientsin-Tangshan (China) 8.2 earthquake. [1]
Year
  • Global mean surface temperature at lowest point since 1964, beginning of gradual rise through at least 2007. [58]

1977

February 1
  • Heavy blizzard in New England claims 100 lives. [1]
February 8
  • Earthquake in San Francisco, California, at 5.0, strongest since 1966. [1]
March 4
  • Earthquake in Romania kills 1,541. [1]
July 20
  • Flash flood hits Johnstown, Pennsylvania, kills 80 and causing US$350 million damage. [1]

1978

February 6
  • Snowstorm hits New England (54 inches (137cm)). [1]
September 16
  • 25,000 die in 7.7 earthquake in Iran. [1]

1979

January 12
  • Record blizzard strikes American midwest killing over 100. [1]
February 13
  • Washington State's Hood Canal Bridge breaks up in windstorm. [1]
February 18
  • Snow falls in the African Sahara Desert. [1]
July 26
  • Estimated 109 cm (43 inches) of rain falls in Alvin, Texas (national record). [1]
September 3
  • Hurricane David, a strong Atlantic storm, kills over 1,000. [1]

End of 1970-1979. Next: 1980.
The complete timeline can be purchased in a PDF file for US$10 from the author.

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79-1804 1805-1899 1900-1949 1950-1969 1970-1979 1980-1984 1985-1989 1990-1994 1995-1999 2000-2004
2005-end


A list of references to all source material is available.

Other web pages of interest:

  • Chronology of World History
  • Ken P's Today in History
  • Last updated: 2008 June 28.
    Copyright © 2007-2008 Ken Polsson (email: kpolsson@islandnet.com).
    URL: http://www.islandnet.com/~kpolsson/weather/
    Link to Ken P's home page.


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