Worst Hurricanes in U.S. History

It is the television event of the year—and no, we are not talking about the second coming of Friends. We’re talking about the live coverage provided by the Weather Channel during hurricane season.

A team of brave reporters that typically includes Jim Cantore and Mike Seidel braves the elements to give us a firsthand look into the devastation caused by tropical systems that morph into the beasts that we call hurricanes.

Whether a hurricane forms near the entrance into the Gulf of Mexico or near the Cape Verde Islands off the coast of West Africa, the storm has the potential to wreak havoc from Martha’s Vineyard to Brownsville, Texas. The United States has seen its fair share of destructive hurricanes that date back as far as the earliest recorded event.

What were the worst hurricanes in the US? We have compiled a list of the 15 worst hurricanes to make landfall in the United States. Of the 15 worst hurricanes, what was the worst hurricane in history?

What Was the Worst Hurricane in History?

What defines the worst hurricanes in the United States? The answer is a combination of the loss of life and the value of the property damage. Some hurricanes such as Harvey wreaked havoc with storm surge and inland flooding, while other storms like Andrew did most of its damage through tornadoes and high winds.

We ranked the following 12 storms as the worst hurricanes in the US. Some of the hurricanes do not have names because the National Weather Service had yet to operate as a hurricane warning center.

#12: Hurricane Charley (2004)

Hurricane Charley epitomizes the meaning of unpredictability when it comes to forecasting hurricanes. Initially forecasted to barrel into the Tampa Bay-St. Petersburg metro area, the storm made a sudden right turn to tear through Punta Gorda and Port Charlotte. Hurricane Charley then sped up to produce 80 miles an hour winds as far inland as Orlando. After departing on the Atlantic Ocean side of Florida, Charley left behind more than $20 billion in property damage.

#11: The 1938 Hurricane

New England bore the brunt of the 1938 hurricane, as wind speeds exceeding 180 miles per hour destroyed more than 150 houses in Westhampton, New York. Storm surge of 14 feet engulfed the south coast of Long Island, killing hundreds of people. It is considered the deadliest and costliest hurricane in New England’s history.

#10: Superstorm Sandy (2012)

As a sprawling monster that negatively impacted 24 states, Superstorm Sandy is the second costliest tropical storm in US history. Estimated damages of more than $50 billion combined with power cut off to nearly nine million residents put Sandy in our list of the worst hurricanes in the US. The storm’s swath was so large that it helped fuel a winter storm that approached the Great Lakes from the west.

#9: Hurricane Irma (2017)

As a hurricane that remained intact for almost two weeks, Irma did a number on islands in the Caribbean before unleashing its fury in the Florida Keys and South Florida. Reaching wind speeds of more than 180 miles an hour, Irma caused $65 in property damage, making it the second-costliest Caribbean hurricane in history.

#8: Hurricane Michael (2018)

As the first Category 5 hurricane to pummel the United States in nearly 30 years, Michael made landfall near Mexico Beach, Florida. Wind speeds in excess of 160 miles per hour shredded homes and businesses located along the Florida Panhandle. Sixteen people died and the storm produced more than $25 billion in property damage.

#7: Hurricane Camille (1969)

Because of its record-breaking power, Hurricane Camille destroyed all the wind-measuring instruments set up in Galveston Bay. Camille came ashore compactly, churning up a storm surge of 24 feet. The incredible storm surge was the main reason why 259 people lost their lives. Camille’s path of destruction left behind $1.4 billion in property damage, which would have been considerably higher if the storm had grown in size before making landfall.

#6: Hurricane Andrew (1992)

If any hurricane on our list defines the term “close call,” it would be Andrew. Projected to devastate the coast along the Miami shoreline, the Category 3 storm went south of the city to level Homestead and Elliot Key. The relatively small hurricane destroyed nearly 130,000 homes because of wind speeds that topped 160 miles per hour. After moving into the Gulf of Mexico, Andrew flattened dozens of oil platforms before coming ashore along the Louisiana coast.

#5: The 1926 Hurricane

The tragedy of this storm is that the tragedy could have been prevented with the use of modern weather detection equipment. Residents of Miami left their homes thinking the storm was over. However, a 10 foot-storm surge that came in from Lake Okeechobee killed around 2,500 people. The 105 million in property damage translates into a cost of more than $1 trillion in today's currency.

#4: Hurricane Harvey (2017)

Zigging and zagging off the Gulf Coast of southern Texas, Hurricane Harvey displaced more than 30,000 residents living in the Houston Metro area. The barrage of heavy rain overwhelmed sewer systems and destroyed bridges that succumbed to raging streams and rivers. At $125 billion, Harvey generated as much property damages as Hurricane Katrina.

#3: 1900 Hurricane

More than 8,000 residents and tourists along the Galveston coast lost their lives because of the 1900 hurricane. A storm surge of 20 feet and wind speeds exceeding 120 miles an hour demolished Galveston’s infrastructure. Because of the lack of weather detection equipment, most of the tourists and residents were taken by surprise when the hurricane made landfall.

#2: Hurricane Katrina (2005)

An estimated storm surge of 25 feet in Mississippi was one of the contributing factors that made Katrina one of the deadliest hurricanes in American history. More than 1,800 people lost their lives because of the storm surge and a famously compromised levy system that caused deadly flooding over 80 percent of New Orleans. The property damage bill for Hurricane Katrina exceeded $100 billion

#1: Hurricane Maria (2017)

With maximum sustained winds over 175 miles per hour, Hurricane Maria blasted Puerto Rico to claim more than 3,000 lives and generate nearly $100 billion in property damage. It remains the deadliest Atlantic hurricane in recorded history. As of 2021, residents of the island continue to recover from the once-in-a-lifetime hurricane.