November 2001 Disasters

Updated September 9, 2022 | Infoplease Staff

• Nov. 4–5, Cuba: Hurricane Michelle destroyed tens of thousands of homes and caused widespread agricultural damage; five people died. Before striking Cuba, Hurricane Michelle wiped out homes, roads, and bridges and killed 12 people in Honduras, Nicaragua, and Jamaica.
• Nov. 8–9, central and southern Philippines: Tropical storm Lingling triggered floods and landslides that left some 350 people dead or missing.
• Nov. 10–12, Algiers, Algeria: Heavy rains caused the worst flooding in 2 decades; official death toll stood at 651 (701 nationwide) as of Nov. 15 but was expected to rise.
• Nov. 11–12, central Vietnam: Tropical storm Lingling continued to wreak havoc, with torrential rains and gusting winds that destroyed 15,000 homes and left 20 people dead. The storm caused an estimated $25 million in damage.
• Nov. 12, Queens, N.Y.: American Airlines Airbus A-300 bound for Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic, crashed into residential neighborhood minutes after taking off from JFK International Airport. All 260 people aboard and 5 on the ground were killed. Co-pilot error and poorly designed rudder system blamed for crash.
• Nov. 15–16, central and southern Texas: Massive downpours and heavy winds caused extensive flooding that damaged hundreds of homes and killed 10 people. Rising waters not only wrecked homes but also caused severe sewage spills in the area.
• Nov. 22, Irra, western Colombia: At least 67 people died, including 6 children, following a landslide at a huge open-pit gold mine.
• Nov. 24, Mississippi, Arkansas, Alabama: Fierce thunderstorms, which spawned a series of tornadoes, ripped through the area, killing at least 11 people.
• Nov. 24, Zurich, Switzerland: Swiss Crossair RJ-100 jet crashed in poor weather conditions on approach to Zurich International Airport, killing 24 of the 33 people aboard.

See also Major Earthquakes Around the World 2001

See also Recent Volcanic Activity