These Are Florida's Deadliest, Most Expensive Hurricanes

FLORIDA — While a hurricane is never anything to sneeze at, there's a greater likelihood of surviving a hurricane today than 100 years ago due to the advent of radars, satellites and other advanced technology to detect hurricanes earlier and more stringent building codes, allowing homes to withstand hurricane-force winds.

On the other hand, due to the consumer price index and inflation, the same hurricane that resulted in millions of dollars in damage 100 years ago would cost billions of dollars today.

The first recorded tropical cyclone to affect the area now known as Florida occurred in 1523, when two ships and their crews were lost along the western coastline.

A total 159 hurricanes are known to have affected the state prior to 1900, causing 6,504 deaths. Additionally, at least 109 boats or ships were either driven ashore, wrecked or damaged due to the storms.

Since 1851 when forecasters began keeping track, 39 hurricanes have struck Florida.

Three have been Category 5 hurricanes including the so-called Labor Day hurricane on Sept. 3, 1935, Hurricane Andrew on Aug. 24, 1992 and Hurricane Michael on Oct. 10, 2018. There have been 13 Category 4 hurricanes and 22 Category 3 hurricanes.

Twenty of the hurricanes struck Florida in September, six in August, 10 in October (including three on Oct. 18), one in June and one in July.

In 1953, the United States adopted the use of women's names for hurricanes and tropical storms. Men's names were added to Eastern Pacific storms in 1978 and to Atlantic Basin and Gulf of Mexico storms in 1979.

Today the United Nations World Meteorological Association is responsible for choosing and retiring names for hurricanes.

The list of names has already been established by an international committee of the United Nations World Meteorological Organization.

For Atlantic hurricanes, there is actually one list for each six years. In other words, one list is repeated every seventh year. The only time that there is a change is if a storm is so deadly or costly that the future use of its name on a different storm would be insensitive.

If that occurs, at an annual meeting of the committee, the offending name is stricken from the list and another name is selected to replace it.

In the Atlantic and in the Southern hemisphere (Indian Ocean and South Pacific), tropical cyclones receive names in alphabetical order, and women's and men's names are alternated. Nations in the Northern Indian Ocean began using a new system for naming tropical cyclones in 2000; the names are listed alphabetically by country and are gender neutral.

Hurricane names are proposed by the National Meteorological and Hydrological Services of WMO members of a specific region, and approved by the respective tropical cyclone regional bodies at their annual or biennual sessions.

As an explanation for why certain names are chosen, WMO said the committee chooses names that are short, distinctive given names, or so the WMO says.

Here's how hurricanes have impacted Florida over the years.

Atlantic-Gulf Hurricane 1919

This fearsome cyclone was first detected near the Lesser Antilles on Sept. 2 and entered the Straits of Florida on Sept. 9 as a Category 4 hurricane with the eye passing just south of Key West and the Dry Tortugas.

It didn't remain in Florida long, however. On Sept. 10, it headed west-northwestward and landed in Corpus Christi, Texas, as a Category 3 hurricane on Sept. 14, inundating the city with 12-foot storm surge.

Ranked as the third most intense storm to hit the United States, an estimated 600 to 900 people were killed including more than 500 who were lost on 10 ships in the hurricane's path. Damage was estimated at $22 million.

Great Miami Hurricane 1926

The "Great Miami" Hurricane was first spotted as a tropical wave 1,000 miles east of the Lesser Antilles on Sept. 11.

Little in the way of meteorological information on the approaching hurricane was available to the weather bureau in Miami. As a result, hurricane warnings were not issued until midnight on Sept. 18, which gave the booming population of South Florida little notice of the impending disaster.

The Category 4 hurricane's eye moved directly over Miami Beach and downtown Miami during the morning hours, producing the highest sustained winds ever recorded in the United States at the time. A storm surge of nearly 15 feet was reported in Coconut Grove.

Many deaths occurred when residents ventured outdoors when the eye passed overhead, thinking the storm had passed. They were suddenly trapped and exposed to the eastern half of the hurricane.

Every building in the downtown district of Miami was damaged or destroyed. The town of Moore Haven on the south side of Lake Okeechobee was completely flooded by storm surge from the hurricane. Hundreds of people in Moore Haven alone were killed by this surge, which left behind floodwaters in the town for weeks afterward.

The hurricane continued across the Gulf of Mexico and approached Pensacola on Sept. 20 where it stalled for 24 hours, bringing heavy rains, hurricane-force winds and storm surge. Nearly every pier, warehouse, and vessel on Pensacola Bay was destroyed.

The great hurricane of 1926 ended the economic boom in South Florida. In today's dollars, it wreaked $90 billion in damage, killed 373 people and injured 6,381 more.

San Felipe-Okeechobee Hurricane 1928

This classic Cape Verde hurricane was first detected over the tropical Atlantic on Sept. 10 and made landfall in Florida on Sept. 17 as a Category 4 hurricane before heading north out of Florida on Sept. 16.

No reliable wind readings were taken when the hurricane struck Florida but San Juan, Puerto Rico, reported sustained winds of 144 mph.

This hurricane caused extensive death and destruction along its path from the Leeward Islands to Florida. The worst tragedy occurred at Lake Okeechobee where the hurricane caused a lake surge of 6 to 9 feet that inundated the surrounding area. Most of the 1,836 people who died in Florida were caught in that surge. Damage to Florida was estimated at $25 million.

Florida Keys Labor Day Hurricane 1935

This system was first detected east of the central Bahamas on Aug. 29. By the time it reached the Florida Keys, it was a Category 5 hurricane. By the time the storm made its way to Cedar Key on the Nature Coast, it'd been downgraded to a Category 2.

Once again, no wind speeds were recorded in Florida but the storm killed 408 people in the Florida Keys and caused $6 million in damage.

Hurricane Donna 1960

One of the all-time great hurricanes, Donna was first detected as a tropical wave moving off the African coast on Aug. 29. It became a tropical storm over the tropical Atlantic the next day and a hurricane on Sept. 1.

By Sept. 9, Donna struck the Florida Keys as a Category 4 hurricane before heading on to North Carolina and New England.

Donna is the only hurricane of record to produce hurricane-force winds in Florida, the Mid-Atlantic states, and New England.

Sombrero Key, Florida, reported 128 mph sustained winds with gusts up to 150 mph, caused storm surge of up to 13 feet in the Florida Keys and 11 foot surges along the southwest coast of Florida, along with 6 to 12 inches of rain.

Donna's landfall pressure of 27.46 inches makes it the fifth strongest hurricane of record to hit the United States. It was responsible for 50 deaths in the United States and caused $387 million in damage.

Hurricane Agnes 1972

The large disturbance that became Agnes was first detected over the Yucatan Peninsula of Mexico on June 14.

A continued northward motion brought Agnes to the Florida Panhandle coast on June 19 as a Category 1 hurricane. Agnes turned northeastward after landfall and weakened to a depression over Georgia.

Agnes was barely a hurricane at landfall in Florida, and the effects of winds and storm surges were relatively minor. The major impact was over the northeastern United States, where Agnes combined with the non-tropical low pressure system to produce widespread rains of 6 to 19 inches, causing severe flooding from Virginia northward to New York, and the western portions of the Carolinas.

Agnes killed 122 deaths in the United States. Nine of these were in Florida, mainly from severe thunderstorms. The storm was responsible for $2.1 billion in damage in the United States.

Hurricane Andrew 1992

One of the most destructive United States hurricanes of record started modestly as a tropical wave that emerged from the west coast of Africa on Aug. 14. The wave spawned a tropical depression on Aug. 16, which became Tropical Storm Andrew the next day.

After briefly weakening over the Bahamas, Andrew became a Category 4 hurricane as it blasted its way across south Florida on Aug. 24.

Reports from private barometers establish Andrew's central pressure at landfall in Homestead at 27.23 inches, which makes it the third most intense hurricane of record to hit the United States.

Andrew's peak winds in south Florida were not measured due to the destruction of the measuring instruments. An automated station at Fowey Rocks reported 142 mph sustained winds with gusts to 169 mph, and higher winds may have occurred after the station was damaged and stopped reporting.

The National Hurricane Center had a peak gust of 164 mph while a 177 mph gust was measured at a private home.

Andrew produced a 17-foot storm surge near the landfall point in Florida.

Andrew is responsible for 23 deaths in the United States and 25.5 billion in damage in Florida alone. The majority of the damage in Florida was due to the winds.

Tropical Storm Alberto 1994

Alberto was first detected as a tropical wave that moved off the African coast on June 18.

It made landfall as a tropical depression in the western Florida Panhandle on July 4 and moved on to Georgia.

Western Florida bore the brunt of Alberto's wrath with 10 to 27.6 inches of rain, resulting in severe flooding throughout the Panhandle.

The floods were responsible for 30 deaths and $500 million in damage.

Hurricane Opal 1995

Opal was first detected as a tropical wave moving off the African coast on Sept. 11 and developed into a tropical depression near the east coast of the Yucatan Peninsula on Sept. 27. Opal then drifted into the Gulf of Mexico, becoming a Category 4 hurricane and then diminishing to a Category 3 hurricane when it made landfall near Pensacola Beach on Oct. 4.

Hurlbert Field, Florida, reported sustained winds of 84 mph with a peak gust of 144 mph. However, the biggest impact from Opal was from storm surge. A combination of storm surge and breaking waves inundated portions of the western Florida Panhandle coast to a depth of 10 to 20 feet. The surge was responsible for the bulk of the $3 billion in damage attributed to Opal.

Opal was responsible for 9 deaths in the United States, including eight people killed by falling trees and one from a tornado.

Hurricane Mitch 1998

This powerful hurricane began developing over the southwestern Caribbean Sea on Oct. 22. It drifted westward and became a tropical storm later that day, then turned northward and became a hurricane by Oct. 24.

At one point, Mitch became a Category 5 hurricane but was downgraded as a tropical storm by the time it crossed south Florida on Nov. 5.

Mitch killed two people in the Florida Keys when a fishing boat capsized, and caused $40 million in damage in Florida.

Hurricane Charley 2004

Charley developed into a tropical depression on Aug. 9 about 115 miles south-southeast of Barbados.

Charley then came under the influence of an unseasonably strong mid-tropospheric trough in the eastern Gulf of Mexico. It intensified as it headed toward the southwest coast of Florida and made a beeline toward Tampa Bay.

Then Charley unexpectedly turn toward the south, striking south Florida just north of Captiva Island as a Category 4 hurricane with 150 mph winds.

An hour later, Charley's eye passed over Punta Gorda and crossed central Florida, passing near Kissimmee and Orlando. Charley was still a hurricane when its center cleared the northeast coast of Florida near Daytona Beach.

Although ferocious, Charley was a small hurricane when it made landfall in Florida with winds extending only 6 or 7 miles from the center. However, its violent winds devastated Punta Gorda and neighboring Port Charlotte. Charley also produced 16 tornadoes in Florida, North Carolina and Virginia. The total U. S. damage is estimated to be near $15 billion, making Charley the second costliest hurricane in U.S. history. Charley was directly responsible for 10 deaths in the United States.

Hurricane Frances 2004

Frances developed from a tropical wave, becoming a tropical depression on Aug. 25. It strengthened to a Category 4 hurricane and then lost intensity, making landfall near Stuart as a 105 mph Category 2 hurricane.

Frances gradually weakened as it moved slowly across the Florida Peninsula, and became a tropical storm just before emerging into the northeastern Gulf of Mexico early on Sept. 6.

Frances made a final landfall in the Florida Big Bend region that afternoon as a tropical storm.

Frances produced a storm surge of nearly 6 feet at its Florida east coast landfall, and caused widespread heavy rains and freshwater flooding.

Frances was also associated with an outbreak of over 100 tornadoes throughout the southeastern and mid-Atlantic states. It killed seven people in the United States and caused an estimated $8.9 billion in damage, more than 90 percent of which was in Florida.

Hurricane Jeanne 2004

Jeanne formed from a tropical wave, becoming a tropical depression on Sept. 13 near the Leeward Islands, and strengthening to a tropical storm the next day.

By Sept. 23 , high pressure over the northeastern United States and western Atlantic caused Jeanne to turn westward. Jeanne strengthened and became a major hurricane on Sept. 25 and, early on Sept. 26, the center of Jeanne's 60-mile-wide eye crossed the Florida coast near Stuart, nearly the same spot that Frances had come ashore three weeks earlier. Maximum winds at the time of landfall were estimated to be near 120 m.p.h.

Jeanne weakened as it moved across central Florida, becoming a tropical storm during the afternoon of the Sept. 26 near Tampa, and then weakening to a depression a day later over central Georgia.

Three deaths occurred in Florida, and damage was estimated to be near $6.9 billion.

Hurricane Dennis 2005

Dennis formed from a tropical wave that moved westward across the coast of Africa on June 29.

It made its way into the Gulf of Mexico where it strengthened into a Category 4 hurricane with winds of 145 mph on July 10 and then weakened to Category 3 strength before making landfall over the western Florida Panhandle near Navarre Beach late that day.

Dennis also caused hurricane conditions in the western Florida Panhandle. An instrumented tower run by the Florida Coastal Monitoring Program at Navarre measured average winds of 99 mph and a gust up to 121 mph on July 10.

Heavy rainfall also occurred over much of Florida and extended well inland over portions of the southeastern United States. Ten tornadoes were reported in association with Dennis in the United States.

Dennis caused three deaths in the United States. Considerable storm surge-related damage also occurred near St. Marks, Florida, well to the east of the landfall location. The damage associated with Dennis in the United States is estimated at $2.23 billion.

Hurricane Wilma 2005

The massive and powerful Wilma formed from a broad area of disturbed weather that stretched across much of the Caribbean Sea during the second week of October.

Wilma moved slowly and weakened over northeastern Yucatan, emerging over the Gulf of Mexico early on Oct. 23 as a Category 2 hurricane. Later that day it accelerated northeastward toward southern Florida. The hurricane strengthened over the Gulf waters, and its center made landfall near Cape Romano as a Category 3 hurricane.

The eye crossed the Florida Peninsula in less than five hours, moving into the Atlantic just north of Palm Beach as a Category 2 hurricane.

In Florida, a South Florida Water Management District station in Lake Okeechobee reported 15-minute average winds of 92 mph with a gust to 112 mph while a nearby SFWMD station in Belle Glade reported a gust to 117 mph. Ten tornadoes occurred in Florida due to Wilma.

Five deaths have been directly attributed to Wilma in Florida. The hurricane caused widespread damage estimated at $16.8 billion in southern Florida.

Alphabetical List of Retired Atlantic Names

• Agnes 1972
• Alicia 1983
• Allen 1980
• Allison 2001
• Andrew 1992
• Anita 1977
• Audrey 1957
• Betsy 1965
• Beulah 1967
• Bob 1991
• Camille 1969
• Carla 1961
• Carmen 1974
• Carol 1954
• Celia 1970
• Cesar 1996
• Charley 2004
• Cleo 1964
• Connie 1955
• David 1979
• Dean 2007
• Dennis 2005
• Diana 1990
• Diane 1955
• Donna 1960
• Dora 1964
• Dorian 2019
• Edna 1954
• Elena 1985
• Eloise 1975
• Erika 2015
• Eta 2020
• Fabian 2003
• Felix 2007
• Fifi 1974
• Flora 1963
• Florence 2018
• Floyd 1999
• Fran 1996
• Frances 2004
• Frederic 1979
• Georges 1998
• Gilbert 1988
• Gloria 1985
• Greta 1978
• Gustav 2008
• Harvey 2017
• Hattie 1961
• Hazel 1954
• Hilda 1964
• Hortense 1996
• Hugo 1989
• Ida 2021
• Igor 2010
• Ike 2008
• Inez 1966
• Ingrid 2013
• Ione 1955
• Iota 2020
• Irene 2011
• Iris 2001
• Irma 2017
• Isabel 2003
• Isidore 2002
• Ivan 2004
• Janet 1955
• Jeanne 2004
• Joan 1988
• Joaquin 2015
• Juan 2003
• Katrina 2005
• Keith 2000
• Klaus 1990
• Laura 2020
• Lenny 1999
• Lili 2002
• Luis 1995
• Maria 2017
• Marilyn 1995
• Matthew 2016
• Michael 2018
• Michelle 2001
• Mitch 1998
• Nate 2017
• Noel2007
• Opal 1995
• Otto 2016
• Paloma 2008
• Rita 2005
• Roxanne 1995
• Sandy 2012
• Stan 2005
• Tomas 2010
• Wilma 2005