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Subject: E21) What is the total United States damage (before and after adjustment for inflation) and death toll for each year since 1900?

Contributed by Chris Landsea (NHC)


Estimated annual deaths and damages
YearDeaths Damage ($ Millions)
UnadjustedAdjustedNormalized
19008,0003011,271 237,541
190110142 2904
19020MinorMinor0
190315142 29,730
19045284 21,177
19050MinorMinor0
19062983+ 127 25,739
19070MinorMinor0
19080MinorMinor0
19094068339 24,121
191030142 21,591
1911171+ 42 2304
19121MinorMinor0
191353127 2920
19140MinorMinor0
1915550632,669 333,344
1916107331,1485,077
19175MinorMinor0
1918345113516
1919287224477,543
1920 2348514
192163614,584
19220MinorMinor0
19230MinorMinor0
19242MinorMinor0
19256MinorMinor0
19264081122,250104,908
19270MinorMinor0
19282,5002550219,457
19293118190
19300MinorMinor0
19310MinorMinor0
19324081712,558
193363471,1174,892
1934175108517
1935414122594,469
19369245146
19370MinorMinor0
19386003066,14823,464
19393MinorMinor0
1940515105722
19411081551,410
19428274571,647
194316172702,131
1944641652,61433,133
19457801,2379,958
194605663,162
1947531361,49715,196
19483181802,383
19494595908,707
195019363543,958
19510217256
1952332182
1953264237
19541937565,29322,844
19552189856,75717,204
19561927175456
19574001529603,186
195821169290
19592423147582
1960653962,53715,918
1961464142,6649,340
1962321255
1963101275194
1964495153,2689,193
1965751,4458,92116,557
1966541588215
1967182001,1462,673
196891054417
19692561,4217,20114,298
1970114542,1714,352
197182139541,580
19721222,1008,85813,978
197351870123
19741150512933
1975214901,5332,290
19769100299400
19770102842
1978362049100
1979223,0456,76911,264
198023005991,128
198102546102
19820MinorMinor36
1983222,0003,5235,289
1984466112170
1985304,0006,6418,567
19869172738
1987081217
198865988115
1989567,67010,98913,436
199013577996
1991161,5002,0642,234
19922426,50035,99343,152
19934577483
1994389731,2221,339
1995293,7234,4984,860
1996363,6004,2514,544
19974100114121
1998234,3445,9905,484
1999625,5325,9076,222
20006272832
2001455,2606,3146,254
200291,2201,4241,411
2003243,6004,0073,970
20046045,00046,33745,000
20052,067120,000120,000120,000
20060500484---
2007105048---
20084125,37023,013---
20096000
201011258231---
20115215,80013,720---
20128673,55062,564---
20131MinorMinor---
2014021.6---
20151017.914.8---
20163610,5508,585---
201780202,225161,123---
20184749,35038,382---

Adjusted - Adjusted to 2005 dollars based on U.S. Department of Commerce Implicit Price Deflator for Construction.
Normalized - Normalization reflects inflation changes in personal wealth and coastal county population to 2004. (Pielke and Landsea 1998)

1 1900 could have been as high as 12,000.
2 Considered too high in 1915 reference.
3 Using 1915 cost adjustment - none available prior to 1915.


This table ranks the top 30 years by deaths, by unadjusted damage and by adjusted damage. In most years the death and damage totals are the result of a single, major hurricane.

The Thirty Deadliest and Costliest Years
Ranked on Deaths
(1851-2015)
Ranked on Unadjusted Damage
(1900-2015)
Ranked on Adjusted Damage
(1900-2013)
Ranked by Normalized Damage
(1900-2004)
RankYearDeaths RankYear$ Millions RankYear$ Millions RankYear$ Millions
119008,0001 12005120,000 12005120,000 11926104,908
21893~3,0002 2201273,550 2201262,564 2200445,000
319282,500 3200445,000 3200446,337 3199243,152
420052,067 4199226,500 4199235,993 4190037,541
51881700 5200823,370 5200821,198 5191533,344
61915550 6201115,800 6201113,720 6194433,1334
71935414 719897,670 7198910,991 7193823,464
81926408 819995,532 819658,921 8195422,844
91909406 920015,260 919728,858 9192819,457
101957400 1019984,344 1019697,202 10195517,204
111906298 1119854,000 1119796,769 11196516,557
121919287 1219953,723 1219556,757 12196015,918
121969256 1319963,600 1319856,642 13194715,196
141938256 1420033,600 1420016,314 14196914,298
151955218 1519793,045 1519386,148 15197213,978
161954193 1619722,100 1619985,990 16198913,436
171972122 1719832,000 1719995,907 17197911,264
181916107 1819911,500 1819545,293 1819459,958
19201286 1919651,445 1919954,499 1919039,730
20196575 2019691,421 2019964,252 2019619,340
21196065 2120021,220 2120034,008 2119649,193
22194464 221955985 2219833,523 2219498,707
23193363 231994973 2319643,268 2319858,567
24199962 241954756 2419152,6693 2419197,543
25200460 251964515 2519612,665 2520016,254
26198956 261975490 2619442,6144 2619996,222
27196654 271970454 2719602,537 2719065,739
28194753 281961414 2819262,250 2819985,484
29201152 291960396 2919702,171 2919835,289
30194051 301938306 3019912,064 3019165,077

Notes:
Adjusted - Adjusted to 2005 dollars based on U.S. Department of Commerce Implicit Price Deflator for Construction.
Normalized - Landsea normalization reflects inflation, changes in personal wealth and coastal county population to 2004 (Pielke and Landsea 1998.)
1 Could have been as high as 12,000.
2 Considered too high in 1915 reference.
3 Using 1915 cost adjustment - none available prior to 1915.
4 Could include offshore losses.

Last Revised June 1, 2016

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