THE DEADLIEST, COSTLIEST, AND MOST INTENSE UNITED

STATES TROPICAL CYCLONES FROM 1851 TO 2010 (AND

OTHER FREQUENTLY REQUESTED HURRICANE FACTS)

http://www.nhc.noaa.gov/pdf/nws-nhc-6.pdf

August 2011 update

CHANGES AND NEW INFORMATION

· Katrina’s damage cost estimate is now over $100 billion (direct damage cost, not effect on economy, etc.).

· Katrina’s death toll estimate has been adjusted down to 1200. Details: “A revision was made to Hurricane Katrina of 2005 to remove confirmed indirect deaths from the original total of 1500 based on recent research (Brunkard et al. 2008, Jonkman et al. 2009). The latest NHC estimate is that Katrina was directly responsible for about 1200 deaths and it remains the third deadliest hurricane to strike the United States.”

· Ike is now the 2^nd costliest U.S. hurricane (~$29.5B).

· Due to a different way of handling flooding from rainfall, Allison’s (2001) estimated damage total has risen significantly, from $5B to $9B.  Thus, after having been bumped out of the Top 10 by Ike, it has jumped over Hugo and Jeanne to get back to #9. 

· With that, and with Jeanne’s figure adjusted upward, Hugo has dropped out of the Top 10. 

· 14 of the 30 costliest U.S. tropical cyclones have occurred in the last 10 hurricane seasons.

· 14 of the 15 deadliest hurricanes were Category 3 or stronger.

· Large death tolls have primarily been a result of 10’ or higher storm surge associated with hurricanes.

· Only 7 of deadliest hurricanes have occurred in the past 25 years while more than two-thirds of the costliest hurricanes occurred during that same period.