History of the Worst Hurricanes

?-Major Storms
U.S. Hurricanes
(U.S. deaths only, except where noted. Damages are actual cost in U.S. dollars, followed in parentheses by dollar figures adjusted to the year 2000.)



1776
Sept. 2-9, N.C. to Nova Scotia: called the "Hurricane of Independence," it is believed that 4,170 in the U.S. and Canada died in the storm.
1856
Aug. 11, Last Island, La.: 400 died.
1893
Aug. 28, Savannah, Ga., Charleston, S.C., Sea Islands, S.C.: at least 1,000 died.
1900
Sept. 8, Galveston, Tex.: an estimated 6,000-8,000 died in hurricane and tidal surge. The "Galveston Hurricane" is considered the deadliest in U.S. history.
1909
Sept. 10-21, La. and Miss.: 350 deaths.
1915
Aug. 5-23, Galveston, Tex., and New Orleans, La.: 275 killed.
1919
Sept. 2-15, Fla. keys, La., and southern Tex.: more than 600 killed, mostly lost on ships at sea.
1926
Sept. 11-22, southeast Fla. and Ala.: 243 deaths.
1928
Sept. 6-20, Lake Okeechobee, southeast Fla.: 1,836 deaths. Second-deadliest U.S. hurricane on record.
1935
Aug. 29-Sept. 10, Fla. keys: "Labor Day Hurricane"; 408 deaths.
1938
Sept. 10-22, Long Island, N.Y., and southern New England: "New England Hurricane"; 600 deaths.
1944
Sept. 9-16, N.C. to New England: 390 deaths, 344 of which were at sea.
1947
Sept. 4-21, southeast Fla., La., Miss., Ala.: 51 killed.
1954
Aug. 25-31, N.C. to New England: "Carol" killed 60 in Long Island-New England area.

Oct. 5-18, S.C. to N.Y.: "Hazel" killed 95 in U.S.; about 400-1,000 in Haiti; 78 in Canada.
1955
Aug. 7-21, N.C. to New England: "Diane" took 184 lives and cost $8.3 million ($5.5 billion).
1957
June 25-28, southwest La. and northern Tex.: "Audrey" wiped out Cameron, La., causing 390 deaths.
1960
Aug. 29-Sept. 13, Fla. to New England: "Donna" killed 50 in the U.S.; 115 deaths in Antilles, mostly from flash floods in Puerto Rico.
1961
Sept. 3-15, Tex. coast: "Carla" devastated Tex. gulf cities, taking 46 lives.
1965
Aug. 27-Sept. 12, southern Fla. and La.: "Betsy" killed 75 people and cost more than $1.4 ($8.5) billion.
1969
Aug. 14-22, Miss., La., Ala., Va., and W. Va.: 256 killed as a result of "Camille." Damages estimated at $1.4 ($6.9) billion.
1972
June 14-23, northwest Fla. to N.Y.: "Agnes" caused 117 deaths (50 in Pa.). Damages estimated at over $2.1 ($8.6) billion. Still the worst natural disaster ever in Pa.
1979
Aug. 25-Sept. 7, Caribbean to New England: "David" caused five U.S. deaths; 1,200 in the Dominican Republic.
Aug. 29-Sept. 15, Ala. and Miss.: "Frederic" devastated Mobile, Ala., and caused $2.3 ($4.9) billion in damage overall.
1980
Aug. 3-10, Caribbean to Tex. Gulf: "Allen" killed 28 in U.S.; over 200 in Caribbean.
1983
Aug. 15-21, Galveston and Houston, Tex.: "Alicia" caused 21 deaths and $2 ($3.4) billion in damages.
1985
Oct. 6-Nov. 1: "Juan" struck La. and the Southeast. Though only a category 1 hurricane, it caused severe flooding and $1.5 ($2.4) billion in damages; 63 lives were lost.
1989
Sept. 10-22, Caribbean Sea, S.C., and N.C.: "Hugo" claimed 86 lives (57 U.S. mainland). With damages estimated at over $7 ($9.7) billion, it is the second most costly U.S. hurricanes.
1991
Oct. 30-Nov. 1, Eastern Atlantic seaboard: an unnamed hurricane labeled the "perfect storm" caused extensive erosion and flooding along the Atlantic seaboard and created 39-foot waves.
1992
Aug. 22-26, Bahamas, southern Fla., and La.: Hurricane "Andrew" left 26 dead and more than 100,000 homes destroyed or damaged. With total U.S. damages estimated at $26.5 ($34.9) billion, it is the most costly hurricane in U.S. history.
1994
Nov. 8-21, Caribbean and southern Fla.: "Gordon" led to an estimated 1,122 deaths in Haiti. Eight died in Fla.
1995
Nov. 29, Fla. panhandle and Ala.: storm surge during "Opal" caused extensive damage to coastal areas. In U.S. death toll reached nine and damages $3 ($3.5) billion.
1996
Sept. 5, N.C. and Va.: "Fran" took 37 lives and caused more than $3.2 ($3.6) billion in damage.
1999
Sept. 14-18, Bahamas to New England: "Floyd" and associated flooding caused at least 57 deaths including one in the Bahamas. Hardest-hit N.C. suffered 36 "Floyd" related deaths. Damage estimated at $4.5 ($4.6) billion.
2001
June 8-15, Gulf Coast to southern New England: tropical storm "Allison" caused severe flooding, especially around Houston, where 20,000 residents were evacuated from their homes. Damage estimated at $5 billion (actual cost); 41 deaths.