Dense Smoke
Smoke reducing visibility to a quarter mile or less. Every one the National Weather Service has filed, by year and by state, with the deadliest and costliest.
The deadliest and costliest on the map
The deadliest and costliest dense smoke episodes on record.
- Tornadoes
- Tropical storms and surge
- Floods
- Wind
- Hail
- Winter weather
- Heat and drought
- Cold
- Fire, smoke and dust
- Marine and coastal
- Other
The record
- Events
- 147
- Deaths
- 2
- Injuries
- 17
- Damage
- $130,000
Deaths and injuries are direct and indirect together, as the offices filed them. Damage is property and crops in the dollars of the year, not adjusted for inflation, and only where an office estimated it.
Every year
Deaths each year
The deadliest
Deaths from this kind of event within each episode.
- Dense Smoke in Indiana, August 18, 2012Dense smoke from a farm that was burning hay reduced visibility to less than 30 feet over portions of Interstate 65 near mile marker 227 leading to three separate collisions involving 20 cars between 6:00 AM CST and 6:18 AM CST. Four injuries and one fatality were reported.
- Wildfire and High Wind in Montana, March 28 to 31, 2015A strong upper level disturbance and associated cold front moved rapidly across the Northern Rockies on Saturday March 28th. The system produced widespread severe wind, with peak wind gusts ranging from 60 to 70 mph, along with critical fire weather conditions.
The costliest
Damage from this kind of event within each episode, in the dollars of its year.
By state
| State or waters | Events | Deaths | Injuries | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| North Dakota | 36 | 0 | 0 | |
| California | 35 | 0 | 0 | |
| Washington | 26 | 0 | 0 | |
| Idaho | 15 | 0 | 0 | |
| South Dakota | 10 | 0 | 0 | |
| Colorado | 8 | 0 | 0 | |
| Florida | 4 | 0 | 0 | |
| Montana | 2 | 1 | 0 | |
| Alaska | 2 | 0 | 0 | |
| Nevada | 2 | 0 | 0 | |
| Oregon | 1 | 0 | 10 | $100,000 |
| Texas | 1 | 0 | 0 | |
| North Carolina | 1 | 0 | 3 | |
| South Carolina | 1 | 0 | 0 | |
| Arizona | 1 | 0 | 0 | |
| Indiana | 1 | 1 | 4 | |
| Nebraska | 1 | 0 | 0 | $30,000 |
Every kind of event
- Thunderstorm Wind
- Hail
- Flash Flood
- High Wind
- Winter Storm
- Drought
- Winter Weather
- Tornado
- Heavy Snow
- Flood
- Marine Thunderstorm Wind
- Heat
- Heavy Rain
- Strong Wind
- Excessive Heat
- Extreme Cold/Wind Chill
- Cold/Wind Chill
- Lightning
- Dense Fog
- Blizzard
- Frost/Freeze
- Ice Storm
- High Surf
- Funnel Cloud
- Wildfire
- Tropical Storm
- Waterspout
- Coastal Flood
- Lake-Effect Snow
- Debris Flow
- Hurricane (Typhoon)
- Dust Storm
- Rip Current
- Storm Surge/Tide
- Marine High Wind
- Sleet
- Avalanche
- Marine Hail
- Astronomical Low Tide
- Marine Tropical Storm
- Tropical Depression
- Freezing Fog
- Lakeshore Flood
- Dust Devil
- Marine Strong Wind
- Dense Smoke
- Marine Hurricane/Typhoon
- Volcanic Ashfall
- Seiche
- Sneakerwave
- Volcanic Ash
- Tsunami
- Marine Tropical Depression
- Marine Dense Fog
- Northern Lights
- Marine Lightning
- Hurricane
Sources
NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information, Storm Events Database, compiled from the National Weather Service’s monthly Storm Data. Complete through 2026-06; NCEI adds each month about 75 days after it ends and revises past years a few times a year. Rebuilt 2026-09-24.