Historical natural and industrial disasters in Texas

Texas has experienced several major disasters throughout its history involving significant loss of life and property damage.

In April 1947, the Texas City disaster occurred when a French ship carrying 2,300 tons of ammonium nitrate detonated at a port. The explosion destroyed up to 1,000 buildings, ignited refineries, and resulted in 581 fatalities and over 5,000 injuries, costing more than $1 billion in damages.

The New London School explosion in May 1937, caused by a gas leak, killed 219 students and teachers, marking it as the worst school disaster in American history.

Other significant events include the 1921 San Antonio flood, where a tropical storm dropped over 38 inches of rain in 24 hours, causing 224 deaths. Additionally, the 1953 Waco tornado, an F5 twister that struck Lorena and Waco, killed 114 people and injured over 500.