Friday Facts -- Hurricanes Thro' the Ages

Sea Islands Hurricane — August 1893

The Sea Islands Hurricane, which struck the Sea Islands, near Savannah, Georgia, in August 1893, was one of the deadliest storms in U.S. history. The Category 3 hurricane caused widespread devastation, with an estimated death toll of approximately 2,000 people. The storm left upwards of 30,000 people homeless, as nearly every building on the Sea Islands was damaged beyond repair. Damages from the hurricane totaled at least $1 million (roughly $34 million today).

The Galveston Hurricane — Aug to Sept. 1900

The deadliest hurricane in U.S. history was the 1900 Galveston Hurricane, a Cat 4 storm. The hurricane essentially obliterated the city of Galveston, Texas, on September 8, 1900. It is estimated that 8,000 to 12,000 people lost their lives in this storm, which lashed the city with winds of up to 143 mph and a storm surge of 8 to 15 feet. More than 3,600 homes were destroyed, leaving 10,000 people homeless, and the hurricane caused an estimated $30 million in damages (nearly $727 million in 2023 dollars). Galveston’s geography makes it a hotspot for future storms.

Great Miami Hurricane — September 1926

This Cat 4 storm hit Miami causing widespread devastation across Florida, Alabama, Louisiana, and Mississippi. The Red Cross reported that 372 people lost their lives in the storm, which produced a storm surge of 10 feet on Miami Beach. The surge breached the dike that protected the town of Moore Haven from the waters of Lake Okeechobee, causing severe flooding that persisted for weeks. Damages in 1926 dollars were estimated at $105 million, which would be more than $1.8 billion today.

Great Labor Day Hurricane — Aug to Sept 1935

The most intense hurricane ever to hit the United States slammed into the Florida Keys and it was also the first known Cat 5 hurricane. The hurricane caused catastrophic damage in the Florida Keys, destroying nearly all structures between Tavernier and Marathon; the town of Islamorada was obliterated. Portions of the Key West Extension of the Florida East Coast Railway were severely damaged or destroyed. The hurricane also caused damage in northwest Florida, Georgia, and the Carolinas. According to NOAA, 408 people lost their lives, many of them World War I veterans who were working on construction projects in the Keys. A train sent from Miami to evacuate them never arrived; most of it was swept from the tracks by the hurricane.

New England Hurricane — September 1938

The 1938 New England Hurricane struck Long Island, New York, and New England in September of 1938. The Category 3 hurricane reached wind speeds of 120 mph and caused an estimated 682 to 800 deaths. The storm resulted in widespread damage to property, infrastructure, and landscapes, and cost an estimated $306 million in 1938 (that’s equivalent to roughly $6.6 billion today).

Great Atlantic Hurricane — September 1944

The Category 3 Great Atlantic Hurricane caused extensive damage to New England, North Carolina, New York, and parts of Canada generating winds up to 160 mph and killed approximately 390 people along World War II shipping lines. Five ships sank during the storm, including two U.S. Coast Guard cutters off the coast of North Carolina and a U.S. Navy destroyer near Florida. The hurricane cost over $100 million in 1944, which would be approximately $1.7 billion in today’s dollars.

Hurricane Audrey — June 1957

This Cat 4 hurricane struck southern Louisiana and southeast Texas in 1957, with powerful winds and storm surge that left devastation in its wake. Winds reached speeds of up to 127 mph, and the storm took approximately 500 lives. Hurricane Audrey cost nearly $150 million in 1957, which is about $1.6 billion today.

Hurricane Camille — August 1969

Hurricane Camille recorded the highest wind speed at landfall at 190 mph when it hit the Mississippi Gulf Coast. The actual maximum sustained winds will never be known because the hurricane destroyed the wind-recording instruments. The storm surge from Camille was 24 feet causing damage throughout the Gulf Coast region and as far north as Virginia. 259 people lost their lives, 8,931 people were injured, 5,662 homes destroyed, and 13,915 homes sustained major damage. The storm caused an estimated $1.42 billion in damages

Hurricane Agnes — June 1972

The effects of Hurricane Agnes were widespread, with much of the United States East Coast greatly affected. The Cat 1 hurricane brought heavy rains and flooding to several states, with Pennsylvania being the hardest hit as it claimed approximately 128 lives and had an estimated cost of more than $2.1 billion.

Hurricane Andrew — August 1992

Hurricane Andrew, a Cat 5 storm, made landfall in South Florida with the second-highest recorded wind speed, estimated at 167 mph. Most of the instruments were destroyed so the actual sustained wind speeds are unknown. More than 63,500 houses were destroyed, more than 124,000 were damaged, and total damages were estimated at $27.3 billion. Andrew caused extensive damage to oil platforms in the Gulf of Mexico, leading to $500 million in losses for oil companies. As the storm made second landfall in Louisiana as a Category 3 storm it left about 230,000 people without electricity. In total, 65 people lost their lives.

Hurricane Katrina — August 2005

Although it is not the largest storm recorded, Hurricane Katrina in 2005 was by far the costliest hurricane in U.S. history, with property damage estimated at more than $125 billion ($195 billion in 2023 dollars). Katrina was a Cat 5 hurricane that first hit Florida as a Cat 1 storm and then intensified before slamming into New Orleans and surrounding areas in Louisiana. Much of the damage was due to a storm surge that caused more than 50 breaches in the surge protection levees surrounding New Orleans, flooding 80 percent of the city. The surge peaked at an estimated 28 feet, the highest surge on record in the United States. Katrina damaged or destroyed 30 oil platforms and caused the closure of nine refineries. An estimated 3 million people lost electricity, and more than 1,800 people died in the storm and its aftermath.

Hurricane Sandy — October to November 2012

Hurricane Sandy, also known as Superstorm Sandy, merged with a winter storm in late October 2012 resulting in the largest diameter Atlantic hurricane on record at 900 miles. The storm affected 24 states, including the entire Eastern Seaboard from Florida to Maine, and reached as far west as Michigan and Wisconsin. Nearly 20,000 flights were canceled across the country, Amtrak shut down most of its Northeast train service for 2 days. More than 8.5 million people in the Northeast lost power, 650,000 houses were damaged or destroyed, and at least 233 people in eight countries lost their lives. Sandy caused an estimated $70 billion in damage.

Hurricane Harvey — August 2017

The Category 4 Hurricane Harvey made landfall at San José Island, Texas, on August 25, 2017. It is tied with Hurricane Katrina as the costliest on record at an estimated $125 billion in damage. An estimated 300,000 structures were damaged or destroyed as well as more than half a million vehicles. Locations in Houston recorded more than 30 inches of rainfall within a 3-day period. Approximately 336,000 people were left without electricity and at least 68 people lost their lives.

Hurricane Michael — October 2018

Hurricane Michael, a Cat 5 hurricane made landfall on October 10, 2018, near Mexico Beach, Florida. With wind speeds reaching up to 160 mph, it was the first Category 5 hurricane to strike the United States since Andrew in 1992. The widespread destruction was in the Florida Panhandle and parts of Georgia, resulting in 74 fatalities and a cost of $25.5 billion.

Hurricane Ian — September 2022

Hurricane Ian has been described as the third-costliest weather disaster recorded in history and the most expensive hurricane to strike Florida. The Cat 5 hurricane reached wind speeds of 160 mph and was responsible for approximately 161 lives lost. Damage from the hurricane is reported to have cost $113 billion.