Most Formidable Hurricanes That Struck the U.S. Mainland and Other Notable Tropical Cyclone Milestones
Going Full Force: Top U.S. Hurricanes Wreaking Havoc
Let's talk about the awe-inspiring destructive power of hurricanes, few weather events that can leave cities and towns in ruins. Hurricanes like Andrew, Katrina, and Michael are names synonymous with devastation, the memories of their tropical fury still lingering.
But which one takes the cake as the worst U.S. hurricane?
To quantify the severity of a hurricane, we look at wind speed, lowest internal pressure, and the damages. In 2018, Hurricane Michael clocked in at third place as the most intense storm to ever hit the U.S. with a pressure of 919 millibars, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA).
Hurricanes in the History Books:
Here's a rundown of the 10 most intense hurricanes in U.S. history, ranked by central pressure:
- 1935 Florida Keys - 892 mb
- 1965 Camille (Mississippi, Louisiana, Virginia) - 900 mb
- 2018 Michael (Florida) - 919 mb
- 2005 Katrina (Louisiana) - 920 mb
- 1992 Andrew (Florida, Louisiana) - 922 mb
- 1884 Texas (Indianola) - 925 mb
- 1919 Florida Keys - 927 mb
- 1928 Florida (Lake Okeechobee) - 929 mb
- 1960 Donna (Florida) - 930 mb
- 1915 Louisiana; 1961 Carla (north and central Texas); 2022 Ian (southwest Florida) - 931 mb
Hurricane Katrina, bearing down on New Orleans in 2005, ranks with Michael as the third most intense U.S. storm to make landfall by pressure. However, Katrina was considerably more devastating in terms of cost, causing a staggering $187 billion in damages[1].
The most costly U.S. hurricanes since 2005 are:
- Katrina (2005) - $187 billion
- Harvey (2017) - $149 billion
- Ian (2022) - $113 billion
- Sandy (2012) - $83 billion
- Irma (2017) - $60 billion
- Andrew (1992) - $56.3 billion
- Ike (2008) - $40.7 billion
The 10 deadliest hurricanes in U.S. history look like this:
- 1900 Texas (Galveston) - 8,000-12,000 casualties
- 1928 Florida (SE/Lake Okeechobee) - 2,500-3,000 casualties
- 2005 Katrina (Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama, Florida, Georgia) - 1,500 casualties
- 1893 Louisiana (Cheniere Caminanda) - 1,100-1,400 casualties
- 1893 Sea Island (South Carolina/Georgia) - 1,000-2,000 casualties
- 1881 Georgia/South Carolina - 700 casualties
- 1957 Audrey (Louisiana, Texas) - 416 casualties
- 1935 Florida (Keys) - 408 casualties
- 1856 Louisiana (Last Island) - 400 casualties
- 1926 Florida (Miami) - 372 casualties
Factoring in hurricanes outside the continental U.S., the 1928 San Felipe hurricane and 1979 David hurricane, both in Puerto Rico, join the elite club of most intense U.S. hurricanes. And Hurricane Maria, which devastated Puerto Rico in 2017, left nearly 3,000 people dead and caused an estimated $90 billion in damages[1].
Note: Some figures are estimated
The deadliest storm on record is the 1970 Bangladesh Cyclone, which took an estimated 500,000 lives due to a storm surge[2].
[1] NOAA - National Centers for Environmental Information, NWS National Hurricane Center[2] National Weather Service[3] NOAA Office for Coastal Management, Cooperative Institute for Meteorological Satellite Studies, Bradford Angerman, June 2020[4] Intuitive Weather Analysis, www.iwaas.com[5] National Hurricane Center (HMI), U.S. National Weather Service, Hurricanes - Hurricane Maria. (2022, October 25). In Wikipedia. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hurricane_Maria#Impact_and_aftermath
In the history books, Hurricane Michael, with a central pressure of 919 millibars, ranks third among the most intense U.S. hurricanes, as documented by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). Interestingly, the study of environmental science reveals that the weather patterns that give rise to such destructive hurricanes are complex and deeply interconnected with the broader environment.
