Galveston, TX - Sept. 18, 1900
This hurricane was the deadliest weather disaster in United States history. Storm tides of 8 to 15 feet flooded the whole of Galveston Island, as well as other portions of the nearby Texas coast.
These tides were largely responsible for the 8,000 deaths (estimates range from 6,000 to 12,000) caused by this storm.
The damage to property was estimated at $30 million.
For an interactive map of the Hurricane click here
Lake Okeechobee, FL - Sept. 16, 1928
This hurricane caused heavy casualties and extensive destruction in the state of Florida. The worst tragedy occurred at inland Lake Okeechobee in Florida, where the hurricane caused a lake surge of 6 to 9 feet that flooded the surrounding area.
Tragically, 1,836 people died in Florida, mainly due to the lake surge. An additional 312 people died in Puerto Rico, and 18 more were reported dead in the Bahamas.
Damage to property was estimated at $50 million in Puerto Rico and $25 million in Florida.
For an interactive map of the Hurricane click here
Hurricane Katrina - August 28, 2005
Katrina was one of the most devastating hurricanes in the history of the United States. It is the deadliest hurricane to strike the United States since the Palm Beach-Lake Okeechobee hurricane of September 1928. It produced catastrophic damage in the estimated ranges of $75 billion in the New Orleans area and along the Mississippi coast.
It is the costliest U. S. hurricane on record.
For an interactive map of the Hurricane click here
Cheniere Caminada, LA - Oct. 2, 1893
Originating near the Yucatan Peninsula, the hurricane traveled a low pressure system trough and across the river and bayou plains of Southeastern Louisiana at such an angle that the wall of Gulf waters it drove flooded and submerged the peninsula settlement of Cheniere Caminada three times.
Before exiting the continent from North Carolina 10 days later, it had killed nearly 2,000 people.
Sea Islands Hurricane - August 27, 1893
This hurricane carried a heavy storm surge, reported at 16 feet, which caused devastating destruction along the coastline and offshore Sea Islands in Georgia and South Carolina.
An estimated 1,000 to 2,000 people were killed.
This estimate is probably inaccurate though, considering the large populations of poor rural African-Americans in the area who had little means of reporting casualties. Thirty thousand or more were left homeless as nearly every building along the barrier islands was damaged beyond repair.
Florida Keys Labor Day Hurricane - Sept. 2, 1935
The combination of winds and tides were responsible for 408 deaths in the Florida Keys, primarily among World War I veterans working in the area. Damage in the United States was estimated at $6 million.
For an interactive map of the Hurricane click here
Last Island Hurricane - August 9, 1856
This storm destroyed Last Island in southern Louisiana. The first tropical cyclone, first hurricane, and first major hurricane of the season, it rapidly intensified before making landfall as a Category 4 hurricane.
The powerful winds and storm surge of 11 to 12 feet destroyed the island, which was a popular tourist resort at the time, and killed 400 people.
According to modern estimates by NOAA, the storm probably approached Category 5 strength, and its central pressure has been estimated around 934 mbar. It tied with Hurricane Hugo as the tenth most intense hurricane to hit the mainland United States
Hurricane Audrey - June 26, 1957
No reliable wind or pressure measurements are available from Audrey's core at landfall according to NOAA. The main impact was from the 8 to 12 ft storm surges that penetrated as far inland as 25 miles over portions of low-lying southwestern Louisiana. These surges were responsible for the vast majority of the 390 deaths from Audrey.
Damage in the United States was estimated at $150 million.
For an interactive map of the Hurricane click here
Atlantic-Gulf Hurricane - Sept. 14, 1919
Although hurricane-force winds occurred over the Florida Keys and the central and south Texas coast, no reliable wind measurements are available from near the center. A storm surge of up to 12 feet flooded Corpus Christi, Texas causing major damage to the coastal areas. A ship moored near the Dry Tortugas measured a pressure of 27.37 inches as the center passed, and based on this, the storm is ranked as the third most intense to hit the United States.
The death toll was estimated at 600 to 900 people. Of these, more than 500 were lost on 10 ships that either sunk or were reported missing. Damage in the United States was estimated at $22 million.
For an interactive map of the Hurricane click here
Great Miami Hurricane - Sept. 18, 1926
Little in the way of meteorological information on the approaching hurricane was available to the Weather Bureau in Miami. As a result, hurricane warnings were not issued until midnight on September 18th, which gave the large population of South Florida little to no notice of the approaching disaster.
A storm surge of nearly 15 feet was reported in Coconut Grove. Many casualties resulted as people ventured outdoors during the half-hour lull in the storm as the eye passed overhead. Most residents, having not experienced a hurricane, believed that the storm had passed during the lull.
This storm killed 372 people.
For an interactive map of the Hurricane click here
