Figure 1.12

Deadliest Hurricanes in the U. S. from 1900 to 1996

Hurricane

Year

Category

Deaths

1

TX (Galveston)

1900

4

6000+

2

FL (Lake Okeechobee)

1928

4

1836

3

FL (Keys)/S TX

1919

4

600#

4

NEW ENGLAND

1938

3*

600

5

FL (Keys)

1935

5

408

6

AUDREY (SW LA/N TX)

1957

4

390

7

NE U.S.

1944

3*

390@

8

LA (Grand Isle)

1909

4

350

9

LA (New Orleans)

1915

4

275

10

TX (Galveston)

1915

4

275

11

CAMILLE (MS/LA)

1969

5

256

12

FL (Miami)/MS/AL/Pensacola

1926

4

243

13

DIANE (NE U.S.)

1955

1

184

14

SE FL

1906

2

164

15

MS/AL/Pensacola

1906

3

134

16

AGNES (NE U.S.)

1972

1

122

17

HAZEL (SC/NC)

1954

4*

95

18

BETSY (SE FL/SE LA)

1965

3

75

19

CAROL (NE U.S.)

1954

3*

60

20

SE FL/LA/MS

1947

4

51

21

DONNA (FL/Eastern U.S.)

1960

4

50

22

GA/SC/NC

1940

2

50

23

CARLA (TX)

1961

4

46

24

TX (Velasco)

1909

3

41

25

TX (Freeport)

1932

4

40

26

S TX

1933

3

40

27

HILDA (LA)

1964

3

38

28

SW LA

1918

3

34

29

SW FL

1910

3

30

30

ALBERTO (NW FL/GA/AL)

1994

TS&

30

ADDENDUM (Pre-1900 or not Atlantic/Gulf Coast)

2

LA

1893

Unk

2000

2-3

SC/GA

1893

Unk

1000-2000

3

GA/SC

1881

Unk

700

9

San Felipe (Puerto Rico)

1928

4

312

13

U.S. Virgin Islands, Puerto Rico

1932

2

225

17

DONNA (St. Thomas, VI)

1960

4

107

24

Southern California

1939

TS&

45

24

ELOISE (Puerto Rico)

1975

TS&

44

+: May actually been as high as 10,000 to 12,000.

#: Over 500 of these lost on ships at sea; 600-900 estimated deaths.

*: Moving more than 30 miles an hour.

@: Some 344 of these lost on ships at sea.

&: Only of Tropical Storm intensity.

Unk: Intensity not sufficiently known to establish category.

Taken from The Deadliest, Costliest, and Most Intense United States Hurricanes of this Century (and other frequently requested hurricane facts) [NOAA Technical Memorandum NWS TPC-1] updated in February, 1997. Last updated April 7, 1997.

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