More Related Content Similar to Deadliest hurricanes in American history (15) 16. The United States has not seen a major hurricane in
almost 10 years, a the phenomenon being termed
"Hurricane Drought."
The last major hurricane to make landfall was Wilma,
which struck the East Coast in October 2005.
Though lower-intensity hurricanes have continued
causing loss of life and property since, none of those
qualified as Category 3 storms – wind speed of at least
110 mph – or above.
17. Great Galveston Hurricane, 1900
With a wind speed of 145 mph, this hurricane qualified as a Category 4 storm. The hurricane struck the coastal city of Galveston in Texas. One of the deadliest and costliest storms in the
history of the United States, it claimed approximately 8,000 lives and damaged property worth $20 million (in 1900 dollars).© Associated Press
18. Galveston Hurricane, 1915
Galveston fell prey to yet another major hurricane just 15 years after the Great Hurricane struck. It was a major Category 4 hurricane that generated waves reaching as high as 21 feet,
causing a great deal of destruction. It left about 400 people dead and caused damages amounting to $50 million (in 1915 dollars).© Buyenlarge/Getty Images
19. Miami Hurricane, 1926
This Category 4 hurricane produced the highest sustained wind speed ever recorded in the United States at the time which led to a storm surge of nearly 15 feet high. The hurricane
ended the economic boom in South Florida and destroyed $78.5 million (in 1926 dollars) worth of properties—making it one of the costliest in U.S. history. The death toll remains
uncertain, since more than 800 people went missing after the cyclone. However, a Red Cross International report says that 373 people died and 6,381 were injured. © R. B. Holt/MPI/Getty
Images
20. San Felipe-Okeechobee Hurricane, 1928
It was a Category 5 hurricane that made landfall near Palm Beach, Florida, causing heavy casualties and destruction. The Lake Okeechobee area bore the major brunt, where the lake
surged six to nine feet, inundating the nearby locations and killing 1,836 people. Other than that, 312 people died in Puerto Rico and 18 deaths were reported from the Bahamas. Property
worth $100 million (in 1928 dollars) was damaged in Florida. © National Weather Service/AP Photo
21. Florida Keys Labor Day Hurricane, 1935
When the Florida Keys Labor Day Hurricane reached Florida, it was a Category 5 hurricane. It created havoc and ran through the Florida Keys before turning northward. It caused 408
deaths in the Florida Keys and damaged property worth $6 million (in 1935 dollars). © AP Photo, File
22. New England Hurricane, 1938
Also known as the "Long Island Express," it was first detected over the tropical Atlantic. Wind speeds were measured between 121 mph to 183 mph, making it a Category 5 hurricane.
Heavy rain led to flooding along the Connecticut River, causing the loss of 600 lives and property worth $308 million (in 1938 dollars).© Boston Public Library, Leslie Jones/FILE/AP Photo
23. Hurricane Hazel, 1954
This Category 4 hurricane led to high winds in parts of the eastern United States. In North Carolina, wind speeds were measured between 130 mph and 150 mph. A storm surge of up to 18
feet inundated portions of the North Carolina coast; 95 people were killed and property worth $281 million (in 1954 dollars) were damaged.© Clifton Guthrie/AP Photo
24. Hurricane Carol, 1954
One of the worst hurricanes that primarily affected New England, Hurricane Carol rampaged through North Carolina and New York. Seventy-two deaths were reported and property worth
$462 million (in 1954 dollars) were destroyed by this Category 3 storm.© Associated Press
25. Hurricane Diane, 1955
North Carolina, the mid-Atlantic states and New England were affected by this Category 3 hurricane. Though only a small part of North Carolina got affected, heavy rains caused
widespread floods there. The storm, coupled with floods, caused 184 deaths and damaged $832 million (in 1955 dollars) worth of property.© Associated Press
26. Hurricane Audrey, 1957
Hurricane Audrey struck Texas and Louisiana as a Category 4 hurricane and caused heavy rains over portions of the eastern United States and Canada. The hurricane caused storm
surges rising up to 12 feet; most of the deaths were caused by these surges. Overall, 390 people died and losses amounted $150 million (in 1957 dollars).© Randy Taylor/AP Photo
27. Hurricane Donna, 1960
This Category 5 hurricane brought storm surges which rose up to 13 feet in the Florida Keys and wind speeds clocking in at 128 mph. It claimed 50 lives in the United States and damaged
properties worth $387 million (in 1960 dollars).© Associated Press
28. Hurricane Betsy, 1965
This Category 4 storm hit Florida and the central Gulf Coast. It was the first tropical cyclone to cause damages more than $1 billion (in 1965 dollars). 81 people were killed. © Associated
Press
29. Hurricane Camille, 1969
Hurricane Camille formed west of the Cayman Islands and gained momentum before striking Cuba. It maintained its intensity until striking Mississippi. On reaching the Mississippi coast,
it was so strong that it destroyed the wind-recording instruments. Some estimated Camille's wind speed to be 200 mph near the coast and 120 mph inland. It led to rainfall up to 10
inches. As the storm passed Virginia, it produced a burst of 12 to 20 inches of rainfall, causing flash flooding. It claimed 256 lives and caused losses amounting to $1.42 billion (in 1969
dollars).© Joe Holloway Jr./AP Photo
30. Hurricane Agnes, 1972
Hurricane Agnes was the second tropical cyclone of the 1972 Atlantic hurricane season. When Agnes reached Florida, it was classified as Category 1 hurricane. The effects were minor in
Florida. However, the major impact was over the northeastern United States. It caused 122 deaths and damaged properties worth $2.1 billion (in 1972 dollars).© /Paul Vathis/AP Phot
31. Hurricane Alicia, 1983
By the time it reached the western end of Galveston Island in Texas, Alicia had become a Category 3 hurricane. Sustained winds of 96 mph with gusts to 125 mph were reported. Hobby
Airport in Houston reported 94 mph sustained winds with gusts to 107 mph. These strong winds caused heavy damage: 21 people lost their lives and property worth $2 billion (in 1983
dollars) was destroyed.© Associated Press
32. Hurricane Andrew, 1992
Hurricane Andrew started as a modest tropical wave but went on to be one of the deadliest hurricanes of all time. Gusts as strong as 177 mph were reported in places. In Florida, it
produced a 17-foot storm surge. It even produced a deadly tornado in Louisiana. Across the United States, 23 people were killed and property worth $26.5 billion (in 1992 dollars) was
destroyed.© Lynne Sladky/AP Photo
33. Hurricane Georges, 1998
Hurricane Georges was the second costliest Atlantic hurricane since Hurricane Andrew in 1992. Though it did not cause any fatalities in the United States, the Category 2 storm damaged
property worth $676.8 million (in 1998 dollars) in Mississippi.© Dave Martin/AP Photo
34. Hurricane Floyd, 1999
Hurricane Floyd caused heavy rainfalls in excess of 10 inches in some parts, traversing through North Carolina and New England after striking at the Bahamas. The Category 2 storm
caused severe flooding, which claimed 56 lives and devastated property worth $6.9 billion (in 199 dollars).© Chris O'Meara/AP Photo
35. Hurricane Frances, 2004
Hurricane Frances started as a Category 4 storm with wind speed of 145 mph, but by the time it reached the shores of Florida, it had weakened to a Category 2 storm with maximum wind
speed of up to 105mph. It caused heavy rains which led to flooding in the eastern parts of the United States. Linville Falls in North Carolina recorded a maximum rainfall of 18.07 inches. It
even led to 100 tornadoes in the southeastern and mid-Atlantic states. Eight people lost their lives—seven in the United States and one in the Bahamas. Property worth $8.9 billion (in
2004 dollars) was damaged.© Chris Hondros/Getty Images
36. Hurricane Jeanne, 2004
When it struck Puerto Rico, Hurricane Jeanne was just 70 mph-strong, but it gradually gathered strength and made landfall at Florida near Stuart, virtually the same place where Hurricane
Frances had struck three weeks earlier. Most of the destruction was caused in Puerto Rico and Hispaniola. Rains led to mudslides in Haiti, with 3,000 people losing their lives and about
200,000 rendered homeless. Three deaths occurred in Florida, and one each in Puerto Rico, South Carolina, and Virginia. The United States suffered damage of $6.9 billion (in 2004
dollars).© ROBERT SULLIVAN/AFP/Getty Images
37. Hurricane Charley, 2004
2004 was a year of many hurricanes. Hurricane Charley was a minor one in comparison to Frances and Jeanne. It made landfall in Florida. The storm surge did not exceed 7 feet; the
violent winds caused some devastation, but rainfall amounts were less than 8 inches. It did, however, lead to 16 tornadoes in Florida, North Carolina and Virginia. The Category 4
hurricane killed 10 people and damaged property worth $15 billion (in 2004 dollars).© Sipa Press/REX
38. Hurricane Ivan, 2004
Ivan struck as a major Category 5 storm and affected Louisiana, Texas and Florida. It led to heavy rainfall up to 10-15 inches. Property worth $18.2 billion (in 2004 dollars) was devastated
and 25 people were killed.© Visions of America/UIG via Getty Images
39. Hurricane Rita, 2005
Rita was the third Category 5 hurricane of the season and caused some serious damage in Texas, southwestern Louisiana and the Florida Keys. It caused storm-surge flooding of 10 to 15
feet above the normal level in Louisiana. It also led to heavy rainfalls of five to nine inches and caused 90 tornadoes over the southern United States. It claimed seven lives and caused
damages amounting to $10 billion (in 2005 dollars) in the United States.© Carlo Allegri/Getty Images
40. Hurricane Katrina, 2005
One of the most devastating hurricanes in the history of the United States, Katrina destroyed property worth over $108 billion (in 2005 dollars)—making it the costliest hurricane in the
United States to that point. It reached Florida as a Category 1 storm and strengthened to Category 3 by the time it reached Louisiana. Southern Florida received 10 to 14 inches of rain due
to Katrina. It also spawned 33 tornadoes. Around 1,200 deaths were reported due to Hurricane Katrina.© Jérôme de Perlinghi
41. Hurricane Wilma, 2005
Hurricane Wilma was the last Category 3 hurricane to have hit the United States. It made landfall near Marco Island, Florida, damaged property worth $21 billion (in 2005 dollars), and
claimed 45 lives.© Carlo Allegri/Getty Images
42. Hurricane Ike, 2008
The Category 2 storm affected Texas, Louisiana and Arkansas, causing 155 deaths and damage to property worth $20.5 billion (in 2008 dollars).© Paul Flipse/US Air Force via Getty
Images
43. Hurricane Alex, 2010
Alex was the first hurricane in the Atlantic basin since Hurricane Allison in 1995 to strike in June. Areas of southern Texas were particularly affected due to widespread flooding. The
Category 2 hurricane damaged property worth $1.8 billion (in 2010 dollars) and killed 51.© STR/AFP/Getty Images
44. Hurricane Irene, 2011
This Category 1 hurricane made landfall in North Carolina, causing damages worth $7.3 billion and claiming 45 lives. It is ranked as the seventh costliest hurricane in the United States
history. © Bill Greene/The Boston Globe via Getty Images
45. Hurricane Isaac, 2012
Isaac, he fourth hurricane of the 2012 hurricane season, was classified as a Category 1 storm. Before hitting Louisiana, it was of moderate intensity, but reached a peak of 80 mph later. It
weakened once reaching inland, but not before producing tornadoes. Forty-one people lost their lives and property worth $2.39 billion was damaged.© Mario Tama/Getty Images
46. Hurricane Sandy, 2012
Though it is considered to be one of the deadliest hurricanes of recent times, Sandy was only a Category 2 storm. The coastlines of New Jersey and New York fell in Sandy’s path. It
destroyed property worth $50 billion and caused 165 deaths.© Dan Callister/Rex Features
49. An infrared satellite image, rendered on Sept. 23, 2005, and provided by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, the center of Hurricane Rita is positioned about 55 miles
southeast of Sabine Pass along the coast at the border between Texas and Louisiana, according to the National Hurricane Center in Miami. (AP Photo/NOAA)
50. A National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration infrared satellite images shows the outer bands of Hurricane Katrina, well ashore on the northern Gulf coast and the center of the
storm about 165 miles, south-southeast of New Orleans, Aug. 28, 2005. (AP Photo/NOAA)
51. In this National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration color-enhanced satellite image, the center of Hurricane Wilma coming ashore at Cape Romano, Fla., at about 6:30 a.m., Oct. 24,
2005, as a Category 3 storm with sustained winds measured at 125 mph. (AP Photo/NOAA)
