Weather

The Worst Hurricanes on Record

Hurricane Irene Nears Landfall. Irene, the first hurricane of the 2011 Atlantic season, was poised on August 26 to be the first to make landfal Elements of this image furnished by NASA.
BEST-BACKGROUNDS / Shutterstock.com

The Atlantic hurricane season started June 1 and lasts through the end of November. And it could be a doozy! The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration recently announced there’s an 85% chance of an above-average season, with a projected 17-25 total named storms. In this article, we will review some of the worst hurricanes on record to get an idea of how bad things could get. We’ll also review some tips from the National Weather Service to help you prepare for the worst, even as you hope for the best.

Hurricanes Affect Us All

Cincinnati house flooding
Videomike89 / Shutterstock.com
In 2008, Hurricane Ike brought flooding and Category 1 winds as far north as Ohio.

Hurricanes are the most damaging natural disasters in the United States. They’ve caused over $1.3 trillion in damage and cost 6,890 lives. Disrupted flight schedules, higher insurance rates, a greater tax burden, and national debt, disruption of supply chains, and higher food prices are just a few of the ways these major storms impact every American, regardless of where they live. And keep in mind, they can go far inland. In 2008, hurricane Ike still had 75 mph winds when it reached Ohio, causing over a billion dollars in damage and leaving 2 million people without power for days.

A little understanding of the science behind these storms and their past history can help you make smart vacation and investment plans as well as take warnings seriously and take appropriate action if you find yourself in the path of one of these storms.

Hurricanes 101

Eye of the Storm: Satellite Glimpse into a Hurricane’s Heart
DynamicDepths / Shutterstock.com
Hurricanes are the largest and most destructive storms on Earth.

When a low-pressure system forms over warm water in the tropics, it pulls in surrounding air, lifts evaporating water high into the atmosphere, and creates towering thunderstorms. These can evolve into gigantic rotating storms that are technically called “tropical cyclones.” But conventionally they’re called hurricanes in the United States, typhoons in the Western Pacific, and cyclones in the Indian Ocean. They are the largest weather phenomenon on Earth, stretching anywhere from 300-1,000 miles across, rotating around a calm, clear center of about 60 miles wide.

Hurricane Categories

Tropical storm, heavy rain and high winds in tropical climates
Elizaveta Galitckaia / Shutterstock.com
Meteorologists categorized hurricanes by wind speed.

Meteorologists use a ranking system to categorize hurricanes by wind speed:

  • Category 1 (Minimal damage): 79-95 mph
  • Category 2 (Moderate damage): 96-110 mph
  • Category 3 (Extensive damage): 111-129 mph
  • Category 4 (Extreme damage): 130-156 mph
  • Category 5 (Catastrophic damage): 157 mph or more

In addition to the hurricane itself, these weather systems also spawn numerous tornadoes that multiply their devastating impact.

Hurricane Damage: Wind

Tree on building roof and damage from hurricane tropical storm
Josh Foote / Shutterstock.com
Hurricane-force winds can blow off roofs, flip over cars, and uproot large trees.

The fastest wind speed ever measured in a hurricane was 253 mph in a storm in Australia. This is as fast as an F5 tornado, which can lift houses off their foundations and disintegrate them, hurl vehicles, and strip the bark off trees. Hurricane-force winds cause fatalities when people are picked up by the wind or hit with flying debris.

Hurricane Damage: Water

Storm Surge March 3, 2018 Massachusetts
Erik K. Smith / Shutterstock.com
Hurricanes bring storm surges: abnormally high tides that flood coastal areaas.

Hurricanes dump an average of 6-12 inches of rain across a broad area, causing extensive flooding from overflowing rivers. In coastal areas, they cause a storm surge: an abnormally high tide that can be 20 feet or more above normal and travel far up rivers. These effects are worse when a slow-moving storm settles over an area for a long time. Most fatalities in hurricanes happen from drowning as people are unable to get to high ground in time or underestimate the strength of floodwaters and try to wade or drive through them.

Hurricane Damage: Accidents

Downed power lines in residential street.
Scott Alan Ritchie / Shutterstock.com
Downed power lines are one of the serious safety hazards during and after a hurricane.

During and after a hurricane, casualties occur from falls, electrocution, carbon monoxide, gas leaks and fires, infections, and medical emergencies like heart attacks. These can happen, of course, for weeks or months later and may exceed the number of direct casualties from the storm itself.

Countries and States with the Most Hurricanes

Dark stormy clouds over shanghai city
hxdbzxy / Shutterstock.com
China experiences more hurricanes than any country in the world.

Hurricanes are at their strongest over warm water and rapidly lose their punch as they move further north and over land. Naturally, the countries and states that experience the most hurricanes are those close to tropical waters, mainly in the Pacific and Caribbean.

The 10 countries that are hit with the most hurricanes annually are: China, the Philippines, Japan, Mexico, the United States, Australia, Taiwan, Vietnam, Madagascar, and Cuba. China experiences the effects of 19 hurricanes a year and Cuba deals with 7, on average.

The 10 most hurricane-prone U.S. states are: Florida, Texas, North Carolina, Louisiana, South Carolina, Alabama, Georgia, Mississippi, New York, and Massachusetts. Florida gets about 7 hurricanes a year. Massachusetts gets one about every 6 years.

The 10 Most Fatal Hurricanes in the World

Flood situation has been further worsen in Munshiganj, Bangladesh .The flood situation in Munshiganj is unchanged. Heavy current is being created in the Padma River as the river has been flowing over
Sultan Ahmed Niloy / Shutterstock.com
Highly populated and situated at a low elevation, Bangladesh has suffered more fatalities from hurricanes than any other country.

While Americans understandably pay most attention to hurricanes that hit our own country, the greatest loss of life from these storms by far happens in other parts of the world. No country has experienced more tragedy from tropical cyclones than Bangladesh. 6 of the top-10 deadliest hurricanes in history have affected this small, low-lying, and heavily populated country, causing a total of a million or more fatalities.

Name Date Location Deaths
Great Bhola 1970 Bangladesh 300,000-500,000
Hooghly River 1737 India and Bangladesh 300,000
Haiphong 1881 Vietnam 300,000
Coringa 1839 India 300,000
Backerganj 1584 Bangladesh 200,000
Great Backerganj 1876 Bangladesh 200,000
Chittagong 1897 Bangladesh 175,000
Nina 1975 China 171,000
Cyclone 02B 1991 Bangladesh 138,866
Cyclone Nargis 2008 Myanmar 138,366

The 10 Most Fatal Hurricanes in the U.S.

Hurricane Katrina One Year Later
Gary Paul Lewis / Shutterstock.com
The deadliest hurricane in recent U.S. history was Katrina in 2005, which cost 1,200 lives.

Hurricanes in the U.S. cause fewer fatalities than those in foreign countries, and fatalities have decreased over the centuries. This is because of the comparatively lower population density in low-lying areas, improvements in construction technology, advances in meteorology to give the population warning, advanced transportation infrastructure for evacuation, and emergency medical services to save lives.

Name Date Location Category Deaths
Great Galveston Hurricane 1900 Texas 4 8,000
Lake Okeechobee 1928 Florida 4 2,500
Katrina 2005 Southern U.S. 3 1,200
Cheniere Caminanda 1893 Louisiana 4 1,100
Sea Islands 1893 South Carolina, Georgia 3 1,000
(unnamed) 1881 South Carolina, Georgia 2 700
Audrey 1957 Louisiana, Texas 4 416
Great Labor Day Hurricane 1935 Florida 5 408
Last Island 1856 Louisiana 4 400
Miami Hurricane 1926 Florida, Mississippi, Alabama 4 372

The 10 Most Expensive Hurricanes in the U.S.

New Orleans, Louisiana. Amazing aerial skyline.
pisaphotography / Shutterstock.com
Hurricane Katrina flooded large areas of New Orleans, becoming the most expensive natural disaster of any kind in U.S. history.

All of the most expensive tropical cyclones in the world have occurred in the United States. This is due to high levels of development in coastal areas such as luxury beach houses and condominiums, high rise office buildings, port facilities, boats, industrial complexes, bridges, roads, and railroads.

Name Date Location Category Cost (billions)
Katrina 2005 Gulf Coast 5 $125
Harvey 2017 Southern and Eastern U.S. 4 $125
Ian 2022 Southeastern U.S. 5 $113
Maria 2017 Puerto Rico and Eastern U.S. 5 $91.6
Sandy 2012 Eastern U.S. 3 $68.7
Irma 2017 Eastern U.S. 5 $77.2
Ida 2021 Gulf and East Coasts 4 $75.3
Ike 2008 Southern and Central U.S. 4 $38
Andrew 1992 Gulf and East Coasts 5 $27.3
Ivan 2004 Gulf and East Coasts 5 $26.1

Will Hurricanes Get Worse?

Flooded cars on the street of the city. Street after heavy rain. Water could enter the engine, transmission parts or other places. Disaster Motor Vehicle Insurance Claim Themed. Severe weather concept
mkfilm / Shutterstock.com
Rising global temperatures may cause hurricanes to intensify more quickly, bring more rain, and more powerful winds.

Climate research indicates the number of tropical cyclones is likely to remain about the same until the end of the century, but the number of category 4 and 5 storms could increase. Moreover, warmer temperatures may also cause storms to strengthen more quickly and bring more rain.

Protecting Yourself From Hurricanes

These are some of the recommendations of the National Weather Service to keep yourself safe during a hurricane:

Before a Storm

Emergency backpack equipment organized on the table. Documents, water,food, first aid kit and another items needed to survive.
Skylines / Shutterstock.com
Every home should have emergency supplies set aside, not only for hurricanes but for other types of disasters as well.

Well before any specific storm is on its way, here are some advance preparations people in hurricane-prone areas can make:

During a Storm

Boarded up windows with plywood storm shutters for hurricane protection of residential house. Protective measures before natural disaster in Florida
Bilanol / Shutterstock.com
Plywood can become scarce and expensive immediately before a storm. Get yours early!
  • Board up windows with 5/8 in exterior grade plywood.
  • Monitor the weather using weather apps, local television, the NWS website, or NOAA weather radio.
  • Follow instructions by local officials and evacuate immediately if ordered to do so.
  • Do not attempt to wade or drive through floodwaters if there is any other option. As little as 6 inches of rushing floodwater can sweep a person off their feet; 12 inches can wash a vehicle away. It’s impossible to tell how deep floodwater is from just looking at it.
  • If an evacuation is not ordered, take shelter in a small interior room, closet, or hallway on the lowest level and stay away from windows.
  • If the house begins to flood, get to the highest level, but do not go into an attic with no exits, as you could drown.
  • Remember if the eye of the storm passes over, the sky will clear but the storm is not over. When the other side of the hurricane reaches you, violent wind will blow from the opposite direction.

After a Storm

ALLIGATOR BY THE CLUB HOUSE
Camason / Shutterstock.com
Displaced alligators and other wildlife might turn up in your yard, basement, or swimming pool during and after a storm.
  • Continue monitoring the news for weather updates.
  • Do not return home until local officials say it is safe to do so.
  • Watch for debris in the road, downed electrical wires, tree branches, and weakened walls, bridges, and roads that may collapse unexpectedly.
  • Be alert for the possibility of displaced wildlife, such as snakes, small mammals, or alligators, taking refuge on your property.
  • Stay away from areas with the smell of gas. Use only battery-powered flashlights, not candles.
  • Do not use a portable generator inside your home or garage as it can cause carbon monoxide poisoning, one of the most common causes of death after a storm.

Be Prepared

Dad holds his son hands, giving him the strength to fly in life. concept of freedom and self-confidence. family time, happy fatherhood, childhood. father's day, son's day. The joy of communication
Anna Pasichnyk / Shutterstock.com
You’ll want to help your family be prepared for the worst, but not living every day in fear of it.

Thinking about natural disasters can be scary, and preparing adequately for them can be expensive. All too often, that means most of us do not take the very basic steps we need to that could save us a lot of hardship and heartbreak later. When you think about it, though, no matter where in the world you live there is the possibility of some type of disaster or emergency. If you live in Florida, at least you don’t have to prepare for life-threatening blizzards, right?

Don’t feel like you have to do everything immediately, but do begin educating yourself and checking off preparation steps one by one. Over time, you’ll likely become the best-prepared family on your block. But more important, you and your loved ones will come safely through the danger and have years of stories to tell your grandchildren!

 

Take This Retirement Quiz To Get Matched With An Advisor Now (Sponsored)

Are you ready for retirement? Planning for retirement can be overwhelming, that’s why it could be a good idea to speak to a fiduciary financial advisor about your goals today.

Start by taking this retirement quiz right here from SmartAsset that will match you with up to 3 financial advisors that serve your area and beyond in 5 minutes. Smart Asset is now matching over 50,000 people a month.

Click here now to get started.

Thank you for reading! Have some feedback for us?
Contact the 24/7 Wall St. editorial team.