New York City (NYC)

NYC was first settled some 400 years ago and has been growing ever since. Most of the time, the growth exceeded expectations. As a consequence, the infrastructure was almost always inadequate to meet the needs of a crowded and growing metropolis. Inevitably, there were disasters of every kind, some by the forces of nature, some by social failures, others by small and large accidents.

We have selected here the major disasters, what happened and the consequences. In many of these cases, the disasters were followed by major correction. For example, the Fire of 1835, which raged for three days and destroyed a large segment of the then standing city, led to the construction of the Croton Aqueduct, a major engineering feat of the time, to provide an adequate water supply. The tragedy of the Triangle Shirtwaist fire led to vast improvements in building and worker safety. And, the Stonewall Inn riot marked the emergence of "Gay Pride."

So here they are, disasters and tragedies. Some led to basic improvements. All reaffirmed the reality that life is uncertain.