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Deadliest U.S. Hurricanes

National Hurricane Center Publication: The Deadliest Atlantic Tropical Cyclones, 1492 - Present

The 30 Deadliest Tropical Cyclones for the U.S. Mainland
Rank: Name: Year: Category: Deaths:
1. Great Galveston Hurricane (TX) 1900 4 8000
2. FL (Lake Okeechobee) 1928 4 2500
3. Katrina (LA/MS/FL/GA/AL) 2005 3 1833
4. Cheniere Caminanda (LA) 1893 4 1100-1400
5. Sea Islands (SC/GA) 1893 3 1000-2000
6. GA/SC 1881 2 700
7. Great Labor Day Hurricane (FL Keys) 1935 5 408
7. Last Island (LA) 1856 4 400
9. Audrey (SW LA/N TX) 1957 4 390
10. LA (Grand Isle) 1909 4 350
11. Miami Hurricane (FL/MS/AL/Pensacola) 1926 4 372
12. FL (Keys)/S. TX 1919 4 287#
13.. LA (New Orleans) 1915 4 275
13. TX (Galveston) 1915 4 275
15. Camille (MS/LA) 1969 5 256
15.. New England 1938 3* 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 2 164
21. Indianola (TX) 1886 4 150
22. MS/AL/Pensacola 1906 3 134
23. FL, GA, SC 1896 3 130
24. Agnes (NE U.S.) 1972 1 122
25. Hazel (SC/NC) 1954 4* 95
26. Ike 2008 2 82 (11 missing)
27. Betsy (SE FL/SE LA) 1965 3 75
28. NE U.S. 1944 3* 64@
29. Carol (NE U.S.) 1954 3* 60
30. Floyd (NC) 1999 4 56
31. NC 1883 2 53
32. SE FL/LA/MS 1947 4 51
33. GA/SC/NC 1940 2 50
34. Donna (FL/Eastern U.S.) 1960 4 50
ADDENDUM (Not U.S. Mainland Atlantic Coast):
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
35. Southern California 1939 TS& 45
36. Eloise (Puerto Rico) 1975 TS& 44
# - 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.

This is taken from The Deadliest, Costliest, and Most Intense United States Tropical Cyclones From 1851 to 2004, updated in August, 2005.

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