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Subject: E12) What have been the deadliest hurricanes for the USA?
Contributed by Chris Landsea (NHC)
| RANK | HURRICANE | YEAR | CAT | DEATHS | COMMENTS |
| 1 | TX (Galveston) | 1900 | 4 | 8000-12,000 |
| 2 | FL (SE/Lake Okeechobee) | 1928 | 4 | 2500-3000 | Same storm as #13 ADDENDUM |
| 3 | KATRINA (LA,MS,AL,FL,GA) | 2005 | 3 | 1500 | Deaths directly attributed |
| 4 | LA (Cheniere Caminanda) | 1893 | 4 | 1100-1400 | 2000 including offshore deaths
August |
| 5 | SC/GA (Sea Islands) | 1893 | 3 | 1000-2000 |
| 6 | GA/SC | 1881 | 2 | 700 |
| 7 | AUDREY (SW LA/N TX) | 1957 | 4 | >416 |
| 8 | FL (Keys) | 1935 | 5 | 408 |
| 9 | LA (Last Island) | 1856 | 4 | 400 | With offshore deaths total is ~600 |
| 10 | FL (Miami)/MS/AL/Pensacola | 1926 | 4 | 372 |
| 11 | LA (Grand Isle) | 1909 | 3 | 350 |
| 12 | FL (Keys)/S TX | 1919 | 4 | 287 | With offshore deaths total is ~600 |
| 13 | LA (New Orleans) | 1915 | 4 | 275 |
| 14 | TX (Galveston) | 1915 | 4 | 275 |
| 15 | New England | 1938 | 3 | 256 | With offshore deaths total is ~600 |
| 16 | CAMILLE (MS/SE LA/VA) | 1969 | 5 | 256 |
| 17 | DIANE (NE U.S.) | 1955 | 1 | 184 |
| 18 | GA, SC, NC | 1898 | 4 | 179 |
| 19 | TX | 1875 | 3 | 176 |
| 20 | SE FL | 1906 | 3 | 164 |
| 21 | TX (Indianola) | 1886 | 4 | 150 |
| 22 | MS/AL/Pensacola | 1906 | 2 | 134 |
| 23 | FL, GA, SC | 1896 | 3 | 130 |
| 24 | AGNES (FL/NE U.S.) | 1972 | 1 | ≤122 |
| 25 | HAZEL (SC/NC) | 1954 | 4 | 95 |
| 26 | BETSY (SE FL/SE LA) | 1965 | 3 | 75 |
| ** | SANDY (NJ,NY,CN) | 2012 | - | 72 | |
| 27 | Northeast U.S. | 1944 | 3 | 64 | Total 390 with offshore deaths |
| 28 | CAROL (NE U.S.) | 1954 | 3 | 60 |
| 29 | FLOYD (Mid Atlantic & NE U.S.) | 1999 | 2 | 56 |
| 30 | NC | 1883 | 2 | 53 |
| 31 | SE FL/SE LA/MS | 1947 | 4 | 51 |
| | 32 | NC, SC | 1899 | 3 | ≥50 | Same storm as #2 in ADDENDUM |
| 32 | GA/SC/NC | 1940 | 2 | 50 |
| 32 | DONNA (FL/Eastern U.S.) | 1960 | 4 | 50 |
| 35 | LA | 1860 | 2 | ≥47 |
| 36 | IRENE NC/VA/NE | 2011 | 1 | 47 |
| 37 | NC, VA | 1879 | 3 | ≥46 | Could include offshore deaths |
| 38 | CARLA (N & Central TX) | 1961 | 4 | 46 |
| 39 | TX (Velasco) | 1909 | 3 | 41 |
| 40 | ALLISON (SE TX) | 2001 | TS | 41 |
| 41 | Mid-Atlantic | 1889 | unk | ≥40 | Could include offshore deaths
Storm remained offshore |
| 41 | TX (Freeport) | 1932 | 4 | 40 |
| 41 | S TX | 1933 | 3 | 40 |
| 44 | HILDA (LA) | 1964 | 3 | 38 |
| 45 | SW LA | 1918 | 3 | 34 |
| 46 | SW FL | 1910 | 3 | 30 |
| 47 | ALBERTO (NW FL, GA, AL) | 1994 | TS | 30 |
| 48 | SC, FL | 1893 | 3 | 28 | Mid-October |
| 49 | New England | 1878 | 2 | ≥27 |
| 50 | Texas | 1886 | 2 | ≥27 |
ADDENDUM
(Not Atlantic/Gulf Coast) |
| 2 | Puerto Rico | 1899 | 3 | 3369 | Same storm as #32 |
| 5 | P.R. USVI | 1867 | 3 | ≤811 | Could include offshore deaths |
| 5 | Puerto Rico | 1852 | 1 | ≤800 | Total possibly from 2 storms |
| 13 | Puerto Rico (San Felipe) | 1928 | 5 | 312 | Same storm as #2 |
| 17 | USVI, Puerto Rico | 1932 | 2 | 225 |
| 25 | DONNA (St. Thomas, VI) | 1960 | 4 | 107 |
| 25 | Puerto Rico | 1888 | 1 | ≥100 |
| 37 | Southern California | 1939 | TS | 45 |
| 37 | ELOISE(Puerto Rico) | 1975 | TS | 44 |
| 47 | USVI | 1871 | 3 | ≥27 |
** SANDY 2012 was not classified a tropical cyclone when it came ashore
but is placed in this table for reference relative to other storms.
From The Deadliest, Costliest, and Most Intense United States Tropical
Cyclones from 1851 to 2006 (and other Frequently Requested Hurricane Facts)
NOAA Technical Memorandum NWS TPC-5 April 15, 2007, Eric S. Blake,
Edward N. Rappaport, Christopher W. Landsea.
Last updated May 22, 2013
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