1. The Great Miami Hurricane – 1926 – Hurricanes
The Great Miami Hurricane was a category 4 storm when it struck Miami on September 18th of 1926, virtually destroying the city. Storm tides in Miami ranged from 7.5 to 11.7 feet. At Miami Beach, the tides ranged from 10.6 feet on the ocean side and 6.4 feet on the bayside. The hurricane also caused significant damage in the Florida panhandle, Alabama, and the Bahamas. Deaths from the hurricane totaled 372, with damage estimated at $105 million.
2. Hurricane Katrina- 2005
Hurricane Katrina was an extraordinarily powerful and deadly storm that carved a wide swath of catastrophic damage. Katrina was one of the deadliest and most destructive Atlantic hurricanes in U.S. history, with at least 1,836 fatalities and total property damage of approximately $81 billion.
3.1900 Galveston Hurricane
The 1900 Galveston Hurricane was a category 4 storm with 145 mph winds when it made landfall on the city of Galveston, Texas on September 8, 1900. The hurricane produced a storm surge of more than 15 feet. The 1900 Galveston Hurricane is known as the greatest natural disaster ever to strike the United States. The storm is said to have caused at least 8,000 deaths, and by some reports as many as 12,000. The second deadliest storm was the Hurricane of Lake Okeechobee in 1928, with approximately 2,500 causalities. The Galveston storm destroyed 3,600 buildings and caused damage exceeding $20 million.
4.1915 Galveston Hurricane
The 1915 Galveston Hurricane struck Galveston, Texas on August 17, 1915, as a category 4 storm. It arrived only fifteen years after the 1900 hurricane that devastated the Galveston region and killed at least 8,000 people. After the 1900 storm, Galveston built a seawall to protect the city from future hurricanes. Thanks to the seawall, only 11 Galveston citizens lost their lives in the 1915 hurricane, despite the storm’s 21-foot waves 16-foot storm surge.
5. Hurricane Andrew – 1992
Hurricane Andrew struck Dade County, Florida as a category 5 storm, with a central pressure of 922 millibars, the third-lowest in the 20th century. At the time, Hurricane Andrew was the costliest on record, causing $26.5 billion in damage with 65 deaths. Both Katrina and Ike have caused greater damage in more recent years.
6. The Great New England Hurricane – 1938
The Great New England Hurricane, also known as The Long Island Express and Yankee Clipper, was a Category 3 storm that struck Long Island and Connecticut on September 21, 1938. The storm arrived without warning at an extremely high tide, causing 12-25-foot surges throughout southern New England. Sustained winds of 121 mph were reported, downing power lines and blowing roofs off of houses. Due in part to the lack of warning, this hurricane caused 600-800 fatalities and $308 million in damages.
7. Cuba-Florida Hurricane – 1944
The Cuba-Florida hurricane struck near Sarasota, Florida on October 19th, 1944. The hurricane crossed the state, reaching the Atlantic coast near Jacksonville. The hurricane again made landfall just north of Savannah Georgia and passed through South Carolina, North Carolina, and Virginia. The area between Sarasota and the Everglades suffered the greatest damage from high tides, with a maximum tide of 28 feet. The hurricane was responsible for 18 deaths in Florida and over $100 million in damage. Most of the citrus harvest in Florida was destroyed.
8. Hurricane Sandy – 2012
Hurricane Sandy caused extensive damage to the mid-Atlantic states, even though the storm had weakened to a subtropical cyclone by the time it made landfall. Damage was especially severe in New York and New Jersey, although other states, including Maryland, Delaware, Connecticut, Massachusetts, and Rhode Island, were affected. 72 deaths were recorded.
9. Lake Okeechobee Hurricane – 1928
The Lake Okeechobee Hurricane, also known as the San Felipe Segundo Hurricane, struck South Florida as a strong Category 4 storm on September 16th, 1928. It cost over 4,078 lives—2,500 in South Florida alone—making it the second most deadly hurricane in U.S. history. Damage totaled approximately $100 million, including its impact in the Caribbean.
10. Hurricane Donna – 1960
Hurricane Donna struck the Florida Keys as a Category 4 storm with atmospheric pressure at landfall of 27.46 inches, making Donna the 5th largest hurricane in United States history. The hurricane moved slowly up the Atlantic coastline, striking eastern North Carolina and parts of South Carolina as a Category 3 storm. Donna moved back out to sea before again making landfall at Long Island as a Category 3 hurricanes. It continued northward through New England as a Category 1 & 2 storm. It recorded 164 deaths.
Source: Arcgis
