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All hurricanes are dangerous, but some are more so than others. The way storm surge, wind, and other factors combine determines the hurricane's destructive power. To make comparisons easier-and to make the predicted hazards of approaching hurricanes clearer to emergency forces-National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's hurricane forecasters use a disaster-potential scale which assigns storm to five categories. Category 1 is a minimum hurricane; category 5 is the worst case. The criteria for each category are shown below.
This can be used to give an estimate of the potential property damage and flooding expected along the coast with hurricane.
Category Definition--Effects ONE winds 74-95 mph: No real damage to building structures. Damage primarily to unachored mobile homes, shrubbery, and trees. Also, some coastal road flooding and minor pier damage. TWO Winds 96-110 mph: Some roofing material, door, and window damage to buildings. Considerable damage to vegetation, mobile homes, and piers. Coastal and low-lying escape route flood 2-4 hours before arrival of center. Small aircraft in unprotected anchorages break moorings. THREE Winds 111-130 mph: Some structural damage to small residences and utility buildings with a minor amount of curtainwall failures. Mobile home are destroyed. Flooding near the coast destroys smaller structures with large structures damaged by floating debris. Terrain continuously lower than 5 feet ASL may be flooded inland 8 miles or more. FOUR Winds 131-155 mph: More extensive curtainwall failures with some complete roof structure failure on samll residences. Major erosion of beach areas. Major damage to lower floors of structures near the shore. Terrain continuously lower than 10 feet ASL may be flooded requiring massive evacuation of residential areas inland as far as 6 miles. FIVE Winds greater than 155 mph: Complete roof failure on many residences and industrial buildings. Some complete building failures with small utility buildings blown over or away. Major damage to lower floors of all structures located less than 15 feet ASL and within 500 yards of the shoreline. Massive evacuation of residential areas on low ground within 5 to 10 miles of the shoreline may be required.
DEADLIEST HURRICANES IN THE UNITED STATES 1900-1992
(25 or more deaths)
(25 or more deaths)
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) 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. CONNIE (NC) 1955 3 25 31. LA 1926 3 25 _______________ # 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.
ADDENDUM: LA 1893 - 2000 SC/GA 1893 - 1000-2000 GA/SC 1881 - 700 SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA 1939 - 45
COSTLIEST HURRICANES IN THE UNITED STATES 1900-1992
(More than $400,000,000 damage)
(Adjusted to 1990 dollars)*
HURRICANE YEAR CATEGORY DAMAGE (U.S.)
1. ANDREW 1992 4 About $25,000,000,000 2. HUGO (SC) 1989 4 7,155,120,000 3. BETSY (FL/LA) 1965 3 6,461,303,000 4. AGNES (NE U.S.) 1972 1 6,418,143,000 5. CAMILLE (MS/AL) 1969 5 5.242,380,000 6. DIANE (NE U.S.) 1955 1 4,199,645,000 7. NEW ENGLAND 1938 3# 3,593,853,000 8. FREDERIC (AL/MS) 1979 3 3,502,943,000 9, ALICIA (N TX) 1983 3 2,391,854,000 10. CAROL (NE U.S.) 1954 3# 2,370,215,000 11. CARLA (TX) 1961 4 1.926,731,000 12. DONNA (FL/Eastern U.S.) 1960 4 1,823,605,000 13. JUAN (LA) 1985 1 1,671,232,000 14. CELIA (S TX) 1970 3 1,560,440,000 15. BOB (NC and NE U.S.) 1991 2 1,500,000,000 16. HAZEL (SC/NC) 1954 4# 1,444,752,000 17. ELENA (MS/AL/NW FL) 1985 3 1,392,693,000 18. FL (Miami) 1926 4 1,315,397,000 19. N TX (Galveston) 1915 4 1,177,937,000 (1) 20. DORA (NE FL) 1964 2 1,157,596,000 21. ELOISE (NW FL) 1975 3 1,081,854,000 22. GLORIA (Eastern U.S.) 1985 3# 1,002,739,000 23. NE U.S. 1944 3# 925,055,000 24. BEULAH (S TX) 1967 3 844,304,000 25. N TX (Galveston) 1900 4 706,762,000 (2) 26. SE FL/LA/MS 1947 4 703,859,000 27. AUDREY (LA/N TX) 1957 4 696,091,000 28. CLAUDETTE (N TX) 1979 T.S.@ 609,207,000 29. CLEO (SE FL) 1964 2 595,004,000 30. SW FL/NE FL 1944 3 582,785,000 31. HILDA (LA) 1964 3 578,798,000 32. SE FL 1945 3 539,087,000 33. ALLISON (N TX) 1989 T.S.@ 511,080,000 34. DAVID (FL/Eastern U.S.) 1979 2 487,366,000 35. IONE (NC) 1955 3 444,353,000 36. ALLEN (S TX) 1980 3 410,908,000 ________________
* Adjusted to 1990 dollars on basis of U.S. Department of Commerce composit construction cost indexes. # Moving more than 30 miles an hour. 1 Considered too high in 1915 reference. 2 Using 1915 cost adjustment base - none available prior to 1915 @ Only of Tropical Storm intensity but included because of high damage. ADDENDUM: 13. INIKE (Kauai, HI) 1992 Unk. 1,800,000,000 33. NORMAN (CA) 1978 T.D. 524,000,000 36. OLIVIA (CA) 1982 T.D. 411,000,000
MOST INTENSE HURRICANES IN THE UNITED STATES 1900-1992
(At time of landfall)
HURRICANE YEAR CATEGORY MILLIBARS INCHES
1. FL (Keys) 1935 5 892 26.35 2. CAMILLE (LA/MS) 1969 5 909 26.84 3. ANDREW 1992 4 922 27.23 4. FL (Keys/S TX) 1919 4 927 27.37 5. FL (Lake Okeechobee) 1928 4 929 27.43 6. DONNA (FL/Eastern U.S.) 1960 4 930 27.46 7. TX (Galveston) 1900 4 931 29.49 8. LA (Grand Isle) 1909 4 931 27.49 9. LA (New Orleans) 1915 4 931 27.49 10. CARLA (TX) 1961 4 931 27.49 11. HUGO (SC) 1969 4 934 27.56 12. FL (Miami) 1926 4 935 27.61 13. HAZEL (SC/NC) 1954 4* 938 27.70 14. SE FL/LA/MS 1947 4 940 27.76 15. N TX 1932 4 941 27.79 16. GLORIA (Eastern U.S.) 1985 3*& 942 27.82 17. AUDREY (LA/N TX) 1957 4# 945 27.91 17. TX (Galveston) 1915 4# 945 27.91 17. CELIA (S TX) 1970 3 945 27.91 17. ALLEN (S TX) 1980 3@ 945 27.91 21. NEW ENGLAND 1938 3* 946 27.94 21. FREDERIC (AL/MS) 1979 3 946 27.94 23. NE U.S. 1944 3* 947 27.97 23. SC/NC 1906 3 947 27.97 25. BETSY (SE FL/SE LA) 1965 3 948 27.99 25. SE FL/NW FL 1929 3 948 27.99 25. SE FL 1933 3 948 27.99 25. S TX 1916 3 948 27.99 25. MS/AL 1916 3 948 27.99 30. DIANA (NC) 1984 3+ 949 28.02 30. S TX 1933 3 949 28.02 32. BEULAH (S TX) 1967 3 950 28.05 32. HILDA (Central LA) 1964 3 950 28.05 32. GRACIE (SC) 1959 3 950 28.05 32. TX (Central) 1942 3 950 28.05 36. SE FL 1945 3 951 28.08 37. FL (Tampa Bay) 1921 3 952 28.11 37. CARMEN (Central LA) 1974 3 952 28.11 39. EDNA (New England) 1954 3* 954 28.17 39. SE FL 1949 3 954 28.17 41. ELOISE (NW FL) 1975 3 955 28.20 41. KING (SE FL) 1950 3 955 28.20 41. CENTRAL LA 1926 3 955 28.20 41. SW LA 1918 3 955 28.20 41. SW FL 1910 3 955 28.20 46. NC 1933 3 957 28.26 46. FL (Keys) 1909 3 957 28.26 48. EASY (NW FL) 1950 3 958 28.29 48. N TX 1941 3 958 28.29 48. NW FL 1917 3 958 28.29 48. N TX 1909 3 958 28.29 48. MS/AL 1906 3 958 28.29 53. ELENA (MS/AL/NW FL) 1985 3 959 28.32 54. CAROL (NE U.S.) 1954 3* 960 28.35 54. IONE (NC) 1955 3 968 28.35 56. ALICIA (N TX) 1983 3 962 28.41 56. CONNIE (NC/VA) 1955 3 962 28.41 56. SW FL/NE FL 1944 3 962 28.41 56. CENTRAL LA 1934 3 962 28.41 60. SW FL/NE FL 1948 3 963 28.44 61. NW FL 1936 3 964 28.47 ____________________________________________________________________________________________
* Moving more than 30 miles an hour. & Winds and tides did not justify 4. # Classified 4 because of extreme tides. @ Reached Cat. 5 intensity three times along its path through the Caribbean and Gulf of Mexico. The lowest pressure reported was 899 mb (26.55 in.) at 1742 UTC 8/7/80 off the northeastern tip of the Yucatan Peninsula. + Cape Fear, North Carolina, area only; was a category 2 at final landfall. ADDENDUM: 32. INIKI (DAUAI, HI) 1992 UNK 950 27.91 41. DOT (CAUAI, HI) 1959 UNK 955 28.11 61. IWA (KAUAI, HI) 1982 UNK 964 28.47
DIRECT HITS BY HURRICANES U.S. GULF AND ATLANTIC COASTS 1900-1992
Category 5: 2 4: 15 3: 44 2: 35 1: 57 TOTAL 153 Major hurricanes (Categories 3,4,5) 61
This means that during the period 1900-1992, an average of two major hurricanes every 3 years made landfall somewhere along the United States gulf or Atlantic coast. (All categories combined average about five hurricanes every 3 years for the same period.)
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Last updated: February 26, 2007