Milton is barreling toward Florida's west coast as a potentially catastrophic Category 5 hurricane, the highest on the Saffir-Simpson scale. This comes just a week after Helene wreaked havoc across several southern U.S. states, claiming over 200 lives, making it one of the deadliest cyclones of the 21st century in the country.
The hurricanes with the highest death tolls in the U.S. this century are led by Hurricane Maria in 2017, followed by Katrina in 2005, and now Helene, which has recently claimed the third spot.
Maria (2017): A Tragic Legacy
In 2017, Hurricane Maria not only topped the list of the most lethal storms in the past 24 years but also became the third costliest in U.S. history. It devastated Puerto Rico, killing 2,975 individuals, while also causing 3 deaths in the Virgin Islands and 4 on the U.S. mainland. As a Category 4 hurricane, Maria struck Puerto Rico on September 20, 2017, leaving a path of destruction that included widespread flooding and a near-total loss of electricity, impacting its 3.4 million residents.
Katrina (2005): A Historic Catastrophe
August 2005 saw Hurricane Katrina slam into the Gulf Coast, making landfall at Keating Beach, Florida as a Category 1 hurricane before intensifying to a Category 3 in Louisiana and Mississippi. It caused catastrophic flooding and resulted in 1,392 deaths, primarily in New Orleans, Louisiana. The hurricane inflicted $75 billion in damages, marking it as one of the deadliest and costliest natural disasters in U.S. history.
Helene (2024): A Recent Tragedy
Helene made landfall on September 26, 2024, in Florida's Big Bend area as a Category 4 hurricane, leaving a trail of devastation spanning six southeastern states. With over 200 fatalities, including nearly 100 in North Carolina, Helene's impact has been profound, and the death toll is expected to rise in the coming days.
Ian (2022): A Trail of Destruction
Ian struck Florida's west coast as a Category 4 hurricane in late September 2022, causing 156 deaths across Florida, North Carolina, and Virginia. It left a wake of destruction, particularly in Fort Myers, where over 19,000 structures were damaged. Ian's devastation extended to western Cuba, where it left thousands homeless and three dead.
Sandy (2012): The Superstorm
In late October 2012, Superstorm Sandy hit the northeastern U.S., claiming at least 147 lives. It made landfall in New York and New Jersey, triggering catastrophic storm surges and widespread damage.
Harvey (2017): Record Rainfall and Devastation
Hurricane Harvey, a Category 4 storm, struck Texas's central coast on August 25, 2017. It unleashed historic rainfall in Houston, resulting in 103 deaths and extensive damage in Texas and Louisiana.
According to NOAA data, other deadly hurricanes in U.S. history include the 1928 San Felipe-Okeechobee hurricane, which killed 1,836 people in Florida, and the 1957 Hurricane Audrey, responsible for over 400 deaths due to storm surges in Texas and Louisiana. The 1935 Labor Day Hurricane claimed 408 lives in the Florida Keys.
Furthermore, the most lethal hurricane of all time in the United States was the 1900 Galveston hurricane, or "The Great Storm of 1900," which left an official death toll of at least 8,000. This catastrophic event remains the deadliest natural disaster in U.S. history, obliterating more than 2,500 homes in Galveston and causing $30 million in property damage.