In this article, we discuss major hurricane statistics, including death tolls, material damages, how they form, and their impact on insurance coverage.
Over the course of human history, hundreds of tropical storms have affected countries throughout the world, leading to billions of dollars’ worth of damages, alongside tens of thousands of deaths, as pointed out by hurricane statistics.
Hurricanes represent tropical storms that occur in the western Atlantic and generally entail wind speeds of over 74 miles per hour. Depending on where they occur, hurricanes are referred to by different names, such as cyclones or typhoons. Generally, this natural event is accompanied by lightning, rain, and thunder. While hurricanes are quite harmless when taking place on the ocean, they can lead to considerable material damages and loss of life when they hit heavily populated coastlines. From a meteorological standpoint, small and major hurricanes are storm systems that rotate rapidly and are characterized by a center with low pressure, a spiral arrangement of the storm, and low circulation from an atmospheric standpoint.
The purpose of this article is to shed some more light on the particularities of these storms by analyzing crucial stats and delving a bit deeper into the hows and whys.
To learn more about hurricanes and their prevalence in the US, just keep on reading.
Top 5 Hurricane Statistics (Editor’s Choice)
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Number of Hurricanes by Year in the US
1. 2020 was a record-breaking hurricane season that produced 30 named storms.
According to National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, the tremendously active US hurricane season came to an end with a record-breaking 12 landfalling and 30 named storms (top winds of 39 mph or greater), of which 13 transformed into hurricanes (top winds of 74 mph or greater), including 6 major hurricanes (top winds of 111 mph or greater).
This is the most storms on record, exceeding 2005, and the second-highest number of hurricanes in the US.
2. 2020 and 2005 are the only recorded years that storms were named with letters of the Greek alphabet after the maintained rotating list of 21 names was exhausted.
WMO maintains a rotating name list (alphabetical order) for tropical cyclones. Both male and female names are rotated, and the lists are utilized every 6 years. If a hurricane is exorbitantly deadly or devastating, its given name will be retired and a new one will be chosen in its place.
The 2020 hurricane statistic shows that the season was so active that it exhausted the regular list of storm names. In its place, the Greek alphabets (Alpha, Beta, Gamma, Delta, Epsilon, Zeta, Eta, Theta, etc.) were used. Something like this happened only once before in 2005.
3. In the US, hurricane season is generally considered between June and November, although such storms can occur in other months as well
According to the Insurance Information Institute and research published by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, hurricanes are most likely to occur during the month of September. However, this does not mean that the worst possible storms are going to happen during this month in particular, according to hurricane statistics.
Source: III
4. To be considered a hurricane, a storm must be characterized by low pressure and rotation with the incidence of organized thunderstorms
In the US, according to the Saffir-Simpson wind scale for hurricanes, such a storm must have a wind speed of at least 74 miles per hour to be categorized as a class I hurricane. These particularities are applicable for international typhoons and cyclones, but also for US hurricanes.
Source: III
5. During the 2020 hurricane season, a total of 18 named storms occurred — however, only 13 of these storms fulfilled the hurricane conditions
The meteorological analysis shows that only 6 (out of 13 hurricanes) were classed as large hurricanes (category 3 and beyond).
Source: III
6. According to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, an average of 17.7 hurricanes occur per decade
This hurricane statistic is based on the meteorological analysis carried out between 1851 and 2004 and shows that approximately 17.7 hurricanes occur per decade in the US. The same report also indicates that 273 hurricanes have occurred during the said time-frame.
Source: NOAA
7. Analysis reveals an average of 6 large hurricanes occurring every decade
When describing big tropical storms, most reports refer to category 3 hurricanes and beyond. The same report indicates that 92 hurricanes have occurred during this timeframe.
Source: NOAA
8. According to data from the US Search and Rescue Task Force, approximately 6 hurricanes form over the sea each year in the US
It is also worth noting that many of these storms never hit US soil. In fact, approximately 5 hurricanes strike the US every 3 years. Therefore, we are dealing with roughly 1–2 — if we look at hurricanes by year stats — that actually hit the US coastline.
Source: USSARTF
9. Monroe County, Florida, stands for the area that is most likely to be hit by a hurricane in the US
Between 1960 and 2008, estimates show that a total of 15 hurricanes occurred in the Gulf of Mexico, affecting Monroe County in the process.
Source: III
10. Other coastal counties that are often hit by hurricanes include Lafourche Parish (Louisiana), Carteret (North Carolina), Dare (North Carolina), Hyde (North Carolina), and Jefferson Parish (Louisiana), according to the history of hurricanes
Meteorological research has shown that roughly 12–14 hurricanes have affected these areas between 1960 and 2008. As a result, it looks like Florida, Louisiana, and North Carolina are most likely to be affected by these severe storms. What’s more, there was a significant change in the number of people residing in these areas as many decided to move to safer regions.
Source: III
Recent US Hurricane History Overview
Over the last few years, the US has been hit by a series of hurricanes that have caused significant material damage, alongside the heavy loss of life and numerous personal injuries. In this section, we will explore all the recent hurricanes in the US. The main aspects that we will be considering include material damages, death tolls, and other interesting facts concerning these wind hazards.
Hurricane Laura
11. The catastrophic hurricane Laura is a powerful storm that happened in a record-setting season.
The catastrophic hurricane Laura (Category 4), with maximum winds of 150 mph, erupted storm surges that reached 30 miles inland in Southeast Texas and Southwest Louisiana and was reported to be unsurvivable in numerous areas.
Along with widespread Californian wildfires, a historic heatwave, and a lethal derecho in the Midwest, the 2020’s record-breaking hurricane season is one of the several extreme weather events provoked by climate change.
12. Before the storm transformed into Hurricane Laura, it wreaked havoc in Puerto Rico, the Dominican Republic, and Haiti.
The storm Laura transformed into one of the most historic hurricanes, but before that its wreaked havoc in Puerto Rico, the Dominican Republic, and Haiti in August 2020, leaving unfathomable destruction behind.
More than one million people experienced power outages. To make it worse, storm-triggered flooding and landslides left numerous towns covered in debris and isolated. By the end of August, the storm reached the Cuban shore and transitioned into the catastrophic Hurricane Laura.
13. Hurricane Laura disrupted millions of lives.
The death toll in the United States rose to sixteen, with more than 50% of people killed by carbon monoxide poison. At the very least, twenty million people came in Hurricane Laura’s path, and over half a million people were evacuated from their homes as it approached.
Hurricane Wilma Statistics
14. Hurricane Wilma has apparently provoked material damages worth $29 billion in Florida
Hurricane Wilma affected the public infrastructure, caused flooding, but also damaged crops such as citrus and sugar cane. Reports also indicate that this hurricane caused $7.5 billion in damages in Mexico, prior to spreading to the coast of Florida. Hence, we can conclude that from a long-term perspective, the Florida hurricane damage ranks among the highest in the country.
Source: Hurricane Science
15. A total of 23 fatalities were recorded as a result of Hurricane Wilma
6 of these deaths took place in Florida, whereas around 11 fatalities were recorded in Haiti, due to a series of mudslides.
Source: Hurricane Science
16. Roughly 6 million people in Florida had to live without electricity for 8 to 15 days, according to statistics
Consequently, the quality of life decreased dramatically after this hurricane. The economy, in particular, was affected; a lack of electricity entails that most industries can no longer operate as designed.
Source: Hurricane Science
Hurricane Harvey Statistics
17. Meteorological reports indicate that 70% of the Harris County was covered in at least a foot and a half of water, following Hurricane Harvey
This represents one of the biggest floods to ever affect the US, especially when you consider the 1,800 square miles of the county in question. Similarly, reports indicate that the Houston rose by roughly 2 centimeters, due to the extra water. As such, this goes down as one of the major hurricanes in the US.
Source: NOAA
18. According to the National Hurricane Center, it seems that Harvey caused approximately $125 billion in damages
Based on this, hurricane Harvey takes second place in terms of the most expensive hurricanes to ever hit US soil. The severe storm damaged not only houses and businesses but also the power grid, leading to a complete stop of gas and oil production in the affected region. This is especially scary considering that Harvey is one of the most recent hurricanes.
Source: NOAA
19. Reports indicate that 13 million people were affected by this tropical storm, whereas at least 88 fatalities were recorded
Most of these fatalities were recorded in Louisiana, Texas, Mississippi, and Kentucky. Additionally, over 738,000 people requested assistance from the Federal Emergency Management Agency.
What’s more, numerous people found it difficult to purchase food and water, whereas others required medical assistance in the aftermath of the hurricane, making this event one of the worst in the hurricane season.
Source: NOAA
20. Hurricane Harvey destroyed and damaged over 204,000 homes, whereas 39,000 people were forced to abandon their houses due to flooding
Flooding was one of the main causes of damage inflicted to 204,000 homes during the said hurricane. Significant debris was also reported — some estimates point towards 200 million cubic yards. Therefore, the clean-up process required considerable funding.
Source: NOAA
Hurricane Irma Stats
21. According to meteorologists, Hurricane Irma represents the most powerful storm to ever occur on the Atlantic Ocean
With wind speeds of over 185 mph and raging for over 37 hours, it is no wonder that Irma was considered one of the worst hurricanes to ever occur on the Atlantic Ocean. As a result, we simply must include this tropical storm in our list of hurricanes by year.
Source: The Balance
22. 129 people were killed because of Hurricane Irma, according to official reports
On the other hand, hundreds of people were injured, leading to overcrowding in local hospitals. Additionally, estimates show that 6.5 million people have been ordered to evacuate by the local authorities. Still, not all of these individuals were evacuated — hence why the casualty rates, as well as the number of severely injured people, were so high, according to hurricane Irma statistics.
Source: The Balance
23. Hurricane Irma led to costs of up to $50 billion
Do keep in mind that this rate has been adjusted for inflation. An interesting study points out that had it struck Miami, the total damage would have been over $300 billion. Similarly, the number of deaths would have likely been in the thousands, according to analysts.
Source: The Balance
Hurricane Katrina Statistics
24. Katrina represents the third-strongest hurricane in terms of wind speeds to affect US soil
As a category 5 hurricane, meteorologists indicated that wind speeds as high as 175 miles per hour were recorded. An interesting trivia — Katrina was originally believed to be a category 3 hurricane.
Source: Do Something
25. An estimated 1,836 fatalities were recorded as a result of Hurricane Katrina, according to hurricane death toll statistics
What’s more, thousands of injuries were also reported; it is believed that over 50% of the victims were senior citizens. In addition, some 705 people are still missing and are presumed dead, despite their bodies never being found.
Source: Do Something
26. Over 15 million people have been directly affected by this hurricane in an area of around 90,000 square miles
Thankfully, hurricanes in 2018 and the most recent years have been less severe when compared to Katrina. As such, it comes as no great surprise that Katrina led to over $81 billion in property damages. As we will see later on, Katrina has led to damages totaling over $150 billion, making it the most expensive hurricane to ever affect the US to date.
Source: Do Something
Hurricane Florence Statistics
27. Reports indicate that Hurricane Florence had 51 fatalities in total
Likewise, hundreds of injuries were also reported. Surprisingly, many of these deaths were caused by flooding.
Source: World Vision
28. Hurricane Florence is generally referred to as the wettest tropical storm to hit North Carolina
With over 3 feet of rainfall in some areas, this description definitely makes sense, which wasn’t the case with some other past hurricanes. An interesting report also shows that a significant portion of the flooding was caused by dams in North Carolina not functioning properly.
Source: World Vision
29. It is believed that over 20,000 people have been affected by this hurricane, many of whom required assistance from the government and NGOs
This happened despite the fact that a state of emergency was signaled in several regions, including South Carolina, Washington (D.C.), Georgia, and Virginia.
Source: World Vision
Hurricane Maria Statistics
30. Seven months after the hurricane, 62,000 people still lacked electricity due to the massive impact Hurricane Maria had on the power grid
However, it’s worth pointing out that during this time-frame 96% of Puerto Rico residents had their electricity restored.
Source: World Vision
31. 64 was the death toll of Hurricane Maria as reports indicate
An interesting study by Harvard reveals that this hurricane was indirectly responsible for some 4,600 fatalities. This study is based on the aftermath of the storm, and other hurricane statistics by year.
Source: World Vision
32. According to Puerto Rican authorities, Hurricane Maria led to $96 billion in damages
This huge sum makes sense given the fact that most, if not all of the island’s inhabitants, have been affected by the tropical storm. As such, a huge rescue and rebuilding operation was required in an effort to ensure that Puerto Rico remains a habitable island.
Source: World Vision
Hurricane Matthew Statistics
33. Reports indicate that this storm reached speeds as high as 145 mph
This makes it a category 4 hurricane, so it is not as severe as some of the other storms mentioned thus far. Despite this, it still had a significant impact. In fact, it was referred to as the biggest humanitarian emergency in Haiti, following the 2010 earthquake, due to material damages and the hurricane death toll.
Source: World Vision
34. UN estimates show that over 2.1 million people were directly affected by this hurricane and its aftermath
Additionally, over 1.4 million people requested humanitarian assistance, as they were left without food, water, or shelter.
Source: World Vision
35. It is estimated that this hurricane caused 546 deaths and over $1.9 billion in material damages
Based on this, it is the worst hurricane to ever hit Haiti, as well as one of the most severe hurricanes in terms of the overall death toll worldwide.
Source: World Vision
Hurricane Dorian Statistics
36. Hurricane Dorian had wind speeds of up to 185 miles per hour, thus making it a category 5 storm
Reports indicate that it is the first storm to hit the Grand Bahama island and also the worst hurricane to ever affect the Abaco island.
Source: USA Today
37. Over 70 people have been officially reported as dead in the aftermath of Hurricane Dorian
Luckily, the average number of hurricanes per year that are of this magnitude is very low. Unfortunately, estimates indicate that 282 people were reported as missing and never found, despite significant search efforts.
Source: USA Today
38. From a monetary perspective, the total damage caused by the hurricane exceeded $3.4 billion
Insurance companies also had to cover numerous reimbursements. In fact, reports indicate that insured losses were well over $1 billion.
Source: USA Today
Hurricane Michael Statistics
39. The total damage of Hurricane Michael is over $25 billion
This makes sense given the fact that this hurricane drastically affected businesses, homes, alongside the public infrastructure. An interesting fact worth keeping in mind is that when it occurred, not many people expected Michael to transform into a category 5 hurricane. This is the main reason as to why the overall Hurricane Michael damage cost also came as a surprise.
Source: Team Complete
40. The highest reported wind speed for this hurricane was 160 miles per hour
This wind speed was sustained for at least a minute, prior to a rapid decrease in intensity. Overall, the 160 mph threshold means that Michael was indeed a category 5 storm.
Source: Team Complete
41. Official reports indicate that a total of 31 direct fatalities were the result of Hurricane Michael
Unfortunately, it is believed that 43 additional deaths are also indirectly associated with this storm, which took place in 2018.
Source: Team Complete
Worst Major Hurricanes in the Last 10 Years — By Property Damage
42. Here is a list highlighting the most expensive hurricanes in terms of property damages occurring in the US in the past decade:
| Hurricane Name | Total Property Damage |
| Hurricane Harvey (2017) | $125 billion, in the Texas and Louisiana areas |
| Hurricane Sandy (2012) | $70.2 billion, in the mid-Atlantic and northeastern US |
| Hurricane Irma (2017) | $50 billion, in the Florida region |
| Hurricane Irene (2011) | $14.98 billion, in the mid-Atlantic and northeastern US |
| Hurricane Matthew (2016) | $10.3 billion, in the southeastern US |
This list contains only hurricanes that occurred in the last 10 years. From an all-time perspective, Hurricane Katrina (2005) led to property damage worth $160 billion; the costliest hurricane by far.
Source: USA Today
Worst Hurricanes by Death Toll
43. Here is a list highlighting the 5 worst US-based hurricanes in terms of the death toll:
| Hurricane | Death toll |
| The Great Galveston Hurricane in Texas (1900) | This was a category 4 hurricane with a death toll of approximately 8,000 people; thousands of people were injured as well. |
| The Lake Okeechobee Hurricane in Florida (1928) | This category 4 storm had a death toll of approximately 2,500, making it the most severe last hurricane in Florida. |
| The Katrina Hurricane in LA/FL/AL/GA/MS (2005) | A category 5 hurricane responsible for over 1,200 deaths and thousands of injuries. |
| The Cheniere Caminada Hurricane (1893) | This category 4 hurricane reportedly caused between 1100–2000 deaths. |
| The Sea Islands Hurricane (1893) | This particular storm is responsible for some 1000–2000 deaths. |
In the case of hurricanes that occurred more than a century ago, the death toll numbers are just rough approximations seeing how record keeping was not as advanced as it is today — hence why you should always take them with a grain of salt.
Source: Wunder Ground
Hurricane Statistics and the Insurance Industry
Hurricanes are invasive, deadly, and unprecedented natural phenomena capable of wreaking havoc in the billions (of dollars). Luckily, such storms can be predicted thanks to meteorological equipment, making it significantly easier to save lives. On the other hand, once such a storm does form, there are no known ways of stopping it or even limiting the amount of material damage caused by various hurricanes per year.
Therefore, it is vital to have the proper insurance coverage against hurricanes if you happen to be living in an area where such storms are common. When signing an insurance policy, make sure that it also covers the main side-effects, such as flooding, or sewer back-up. Lacking home insurance coverage in the unfortunate case of a hurricane will likely lead to huge costs and debts.
