From June to November, the Atlantic Ocean produces some of the most powerful and disastrous hurricanes in the world. These hurricanes emerge from the Atlantic Ocean and bring heavy rains combined with strong winds to the United States’ eastern coast. While most of them don’t make landfall, there are some that manage to reach the eastern seaboard of the country. As a result, they bring massive damage on every village, town, or city on its path.



Here are some of the most disastrous hurricanes in history.

Hurricane Maria – 2017

Most Disastrous Hurricanes In History

Just after the Category 5 Hurricane Irma brought devastation to the Dominican Republic and Puerto Rico in the fall of 2017, another Category 4 hurricane named “Maria” struck these two island nations again. The two tropical cyclones are the worst natural disasters and the most disastrous hurricanes to have brought devastation on both islands.



With sustained winds that reaches up to 175 mph, Hurricane Maria caused $90 billion in damage. This is the third most expensive tropical cyclone in US history. The hurricane also claimed 3,057 lives. As of 2018, Puerto Rico is still recovering from the damage brought by Hurricane Maria.

Hurricane Katrina – 2005

Hurricane Katrina is the most expensive tropical cyclone in US history. This catastrophic hurricane brought massive devastation and destruction, particularly, in Florida and Louisiana.



The storm surge produced by Katrina is responsible for most of the damages at that time. With storm surges of up to 28 feet, the flood walls and levees of New Orleans are destroyed. The storm surge damaged 80% of the of the city.

1900 Galveston Hurricane

Most Disastrous Hurricanes In History

The Hurricane Galveston from 1900 is by far the deadliest hurricane in US history. The city on the eastern coast of Texas, was hit by a storm surge with waves that are up to 12 feet high. As a result, the city was inundated and almost all of the inhabitants from the island were dead.



With a total population of around 38,0000 at the time of the hurricane, 10,000 people were homeless after the disaster. More than 3,000 homes were destroyed and a total of 8,000 were reportedly killed by the hurricane.

Hurricane Harvey – 2017

Most Disastrous Hurricanes In History

The Hurricane Harvey of 2017 brought massive destruction and devastation on southern Texas. The Category 4 hurricane caused massive flooding that reached the metropolitan Houston.



With up to forty inches of rainfall for over four days, the city of Houston is in heavy flood. As a result, over 30,000 residents were homeless. All in all, the Hurricane Harvey caused more than $125 billion in damage which ties it with Katrina from 2005, as the most costliest tropical cyclones in US history.

1926 Miami Hurricane

Most Disastrous Hurricanes In History

The hurricane that struck the city Miami back in 1926 was rather unfortunate. When the eye pass the city, most of the residents think that the storm is over and so, they left their shelters. What they do not know is that the hurricane has developed a 10-foot storm surge that struck the city and its residents by surprise.



The number of casualties was not so severe. But the amount of damage is definitely right up there with Katrina (2005) and Harvey (2017) if you factor in inflation.

Hurricane Andrew – 1992

Most Disastrous Hurricanes In History

Even the Hurricane Andrew was small in size, it does pack a lot of power when it made landfall. The super strong wind speeds of the hurricanes damaged more than 127,000 homes in Florida. All in all, Hurricane Andrew caused $26.5 billion in damage, making it the most expensive natural disaster in US history at the time.

Final Thoughts

Hurricanes are one of the most damaging natural disasters and the worst part about them is that they can happen all-year round every year. Disastrous hurricanes, like the ones mentioned above are unstoppable. Even the US (the most powerful and technologically advanced country on Earth) is not capable of stopping them. Instead, they do their best to inform the public about hurricane preparedness so the damage and casualties these natural disasters bring can be minimize.























