That’s how they blow

When September rolls around, the hurricanes appear. And while few hurricanes leave the land or people unscathed, there are several hurricanes that have caused so much damage in the past that we will likely never forget them.

The Galveston Hurricane

Year: 1900

Death toll: 6,000-12,000

Financial impact: An estimated $30 million at the time (about $700 million adjusted for inflation)

At that time, 38,000 people lived in Galveston, Texas. By the end of this Category 4 hurricane with winds of 145 miles per hour, 10,000 of them had lost their homes in the deadliest natural disaster in U.S. history.

Hurricane Maria

Year: 2017

Death toll: 2,982

Financial impact: An estimated $91.6 billion

This is newsworthy enough to remember: The Category 4 hurricane struck Puerto Rico, causing widespread damage to infrastructure and months of power outages.

San Felipe-Okeechobee hurricane

Year: 1928

Death toll: 2,500-3,000

Financial impact: At the time, an estimated $100 million (about $1.47 billion when adjusted for inflation)

This Category 4 hurricane made landfall in Palm Beach, Florida, but the worst damage occurred at Lake Okeechobee, where winds of 162 miles per hour caused storm surges of up to 9 feet.

Hurricane Katrina

Year: 2005

Death toll: 1,833

Financial impact: An estimated $161 billion

Here’s another hurricane we won’t soon forget. The city of New Orleans was ill-prepared for winds of more than 150 mph and levees failed, leading to widespread flooding. In addition, the hurricane caused 33 tornadoes.

The Great New England Hurricane

Year: 1938

Death toll: 682

Financial impact: At the time, an estimated $306 million (about $4.7 billion when adjusted for inflation)

Dubbed the Long Island Express, this hurricane caused devastating damage along the entire New England coast, from New York to Connecticut to Rhode Island. It began as a Category 5 hurricane when it formed near the coast of Africa, but was downgraded to Category 3 upon landfall.

Hurricane Audrey

Year: 1957

Death toll: 416

Financial impact: $150 million (1957 dollars), which is equivalent to about $1.5 billion today

With winds of 156 miles per hour, this hurricane caused storm surges of 8 to 12 feet in Louisiana. It continued its rampage into the Great Lakes region.

Hurricane Camille

Year: 1969

Death toll: 259

Financial impact: $1.4 billion (1969 dollars), which is equivalent to about $10 billion today.

With winds of up to 175 miles per hour, this Category 5 hurricane devastated parts of Tennessee, Kentucky, West Virginia and Virginia. It was the second strongest hurricane in U.S. history, with pressure reaching nearly 27 inches.

Hurricane Sandy

Year: 2012

Death toll: 233

Financial impact: An estimated $65 billion

Sandy was born in the Caribbean and made landfall near Atlantic City, New Jersey, with winds of up to 110 miles per hour. It caused damage in 24 states. New York City was flooded and suffered power outages.

Hurricane Ike

Year: 2008

Death toll: 195

Financial impact: ~$38 billion

This Category 4 storm caused significant damage to infrastructure and agriculture in Cuba, Texas, and throughout the Gulf Coast, as well as extensive power outages. Seventy-four of the 195 deaths occurred in Haiti, which was still reeling from the effects of three earlier storms this year.

Hurricane Irma

Year: 2017

Death toll: ~134

Financial impact: $77.2 billion

At that time, Hurricane Irma was the strongest hurricane in history to hit the open Atlantic. People called it “Irmageddon” because it caused so much destruction in the Caribbean and Florida.

Hurricane Harvey

Year: 2017

Death toll: 107

Financial impact: An estimated $125 billion

This Category 4 hurricane flooded Houston and surrounding areas, some of which received more than 60 inches of rain. It is tied with Hurricane Katrina as the costliest hurricane in US history.

Hurricane Hazel

Year: 1954

Death toll: 95 (in the US)

Financial impact: $382 million (1954), which is equivalent to about $3.8 billion today

This Category 4 storm killed at least 469 people in Haiti before making landfall between North and South Carolina. It also destroyed a significant portion of Haiti’s coffee and cocoa crops.

Hurricane Andrew

Year: 1992

Death toll: ~65

Financial impact: $27.3 billion (1992), which is equivalent to about $55 billion today.

This Category 5 hurricane hit the Bahamas, Florida, and Louisiana and remains the most destructive hurricane to hit Florida. It is one of the few hurricanes to make landfall as a Category 5 hurricane.

Hurricane Michael

Year: 2018

Death toll: 59

Financial impact: ~$25 billion

Hurricane Michael hit the Florida Panhandle as a Category 5, making it one of the strongest hurricanes ever to make landfall in the United States. It was an expensive hurricane, causing extensive damage to Tyndall Air Force Base as well as U.S. warplanes that cost $6 billion to replace.

Hurricane Florence

Year: 2018

Death toll: 53

Financial impact: ~$24 billion

When this hurricane first left the Cape Verde Islands it may have been moving slowly, but by the time it reached the Carolinas it was already raging. It caused significant flooding in the Carolinas and also spawned tornadoes that caused their own damage.

These hurricanes have left a profound impact on the United States, both in terms of loss of life and economic devastation, and illustrate the powerful and destructive force of nature.

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This article was originally published on Cheapism

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