Extreme weather events can arrive quickly and aggressively, causing massive destruction and large numbers of deaths.
Certain states, such as Florida, are more likely to be hit by hurricanes than others, and Texas is more likely to be hit by tornadoes than Ohio. But deadly storms are hitting other parts of the country, causing historic damage to homes, cities, and American life.
These 10 storms are widely considered the deadliest in U.S. history.
Hurricanes like the one that hit Miami in 1926 devastated cities. (RB Holt/MPI/Getty Images)
How strong will a hurricane be? Here’s a breakdown of the categories and Saphir Simpson’s wind scale:
- galveston hurricane
- labor day hurricane
- okeechobee hurricane
- hurricane katrina
- Cheniere Caminada Hurricane
- hurricane andrew
- hurricane sandy
- great miami hurricane
- sea island hurricane
- hurricane harvey
1. Galveston Hurricane
On September 8, 1900, the deadliest hurricane in U.S. history struck Galveston, Texas.
The Category 4 hurricane produced storm surge 8 to 15 feet high and wind speeds up to 140 miles per hour.
The Galveston Hurricane, also known as the Great Storm of 1900, killed 8,000 people and left more than 10,000 homeless, according to the National Hurricane Center (NHC).
After the storm passed, reconstruction efforts included raising the height of city buildings and constructing sea walls along the coast.
Hurricane Galveston was the deadliest hurricane in U.S. history. (History/Universal Images Group, via Getty Images)
2. Labor Day Hurricane
A brutal Labor Day hurricane left its mark on the Florida Keys.
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This storm hit the Florida Keys in September 1935. At the time, the area was filled with World War I veterans.
According to the Library of Congress, the hurricane claimed the lives of at least 485 people, 260 of whom were World War I veterans.
Officials say this is the first time in recorded history that a Category 5 storm has hit the United States.
3. Okeechobee Hurricane
This hurricane affected the southern United States and Puerto Rico. Most of the destruction occurred in September 1928 in the area around Lake Okeechobee, Florida.
The lake experienced a storm surge of about 10 feet, according to the National Weather Service.
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The official death toll from the hurricane was 1,836, with most of the victims in Florida, officials said.
4. Hurricane Katrina
Hurricane Katrina left behind a lot of damage, mainly due to flooding.
This storm occurred in August 2005 and affected much of the Gulf Coast, especially New Orleans. The storm left 80% of the city underwater, according to the George W. Bush Library.
Sources said the storm caused a reported death toll of 1,833 people and $161 billion in damages.
Hurricane Katrina caused massive flooding in New Orleans. (Mark Wilson/Getty Images)
5. Cheniere Caminada Hurricane
The small fishing community of Jefferson Parish, Louisiana, suffered death and destruction from the October 1893 hurricane.
The Category 4 hurricane killed a total of about 2,000 people, mainly due to storm surge.
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About half of Cheniere Caminada’s residents died in the storm.
6. Hurricane Andrew
The South Florida hurricane caused $26 billion in damage, according to the National Weather Service.
It struck the state in August 1992 and was classified as a Category 5 hurricane.
Winds of up to 165 mph were recorded during the storm, which caused most of the damage, sources said.
7. Hurricane Sandy
In October 2012, Hurricane Sandy hit the East Coast, causing damage in many states including New York, Connecticut, and New Jersey.
According to National Geographic, more than 600,000 homes were damaged by Hurricane Sandy. The storm left 8.2 million homes without power, the U.S. Energy Information Administration reported.
Several states on the East Coast were affected by Hurricane Sandy. (Darren McColester/Getty Images)
8. Miami Hurricane
The Miami Hurricane was a Category 4 storm that killed 372 people, according to the National Weather Service. Sources said more than 6,000 people were injured as a result of the storm.
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The storm hit downtown Miami and Miami Beach in September 1926, causing $105 million in damage.
9. Sea Island Hurricane
The Sea Island Hurricane was a deadly storm that struck Georgia in August 1893.
This particular storm produced winds of 190 miles per hour and a storm surge of 16 feet, according to the New Georgia Encyclopedia.
Sources say the storm killed 2,000 people and left 30,000 homeless.
10. Hurricane Harvey
In August 2017, Hurricane Harvey made landfall in Texas.
The storm left 338,000 people in the dark, according to the North American Electric Reliability Corporation.
Hurricane Harvey had a major impact on Texas. (Steve Gonzalez/Houston Chronicle via Getty Images)
The Category 4 hurricane had winds exceeding 160 miles per hour and a storm surge of 12 feet, according to Fox Weather.
