- List of deadliest Atlantic hurricanes
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This is a list of the deadliest known Atlantic hurricanes that caused at least 1,000 direct deaths, the deadliest being the Great Hurricane of 1780, with over 27,500 deaths.
Contents
Deadliest hurricanes
Great Hurricane of 1780
Main article: Great Hurricane of 1780The Great Hurricane of 1780, also known as the Hurricane San Calixto II, is the deadliest Atlantic hurricane on record. Well over 25,000 people died when the storm passed through the Lesser Antilles in the Caribbean between October 10 and October 16. The hurricane struck Barbados with wind gusts possibly exceeding 200 mph (320 km/h), before moving past Martinique, Saint Lucia, and Sint Eustatius; thousands of deaths were reported on each island. Coming in the midst of the American Revolution, the storm caused heavy losses to British and French fleets contesting for control of the area. The hurricane later passed near Puerto Rico and over the eastern portion of the Dominican Republic, causing heavy damage near the coastlines, and ultimately turned to the northeast before being last observed on October 20 southeast of Cape Race, Newfoundland.
The death toll from the Great Hurricane alone exceeds that for any other entire decade of Atlantic hurricanes, and is substantially higher than that of the second-deadliest Atlantic storm, Mitch. The hurricane was part of the disastrous 1780 Atlantic hurricane season, with three exceptionally deadly storms occurring in the month of October.
Hurricane Mitch
Hurricane Mitch near peak intensity
Main article: Hurricane MitchHurricane Mitch formed from a tropical wave late in October 1998 in the central Caribbean Sea. As the storm drifted over warm water it quickly intensified to a Category 5 hurricane with 180 mph (290 km/h) winds on October 26, then stalled just off the north coast of Honduras. The hurricane slowly weakened as it inched southward toward shore and then inland before drifting westward over Central America. Extreme amounts of rainfall — accumulating to a maximum of nearly 36 inches in Choluteca, Honduras — caused flooding and landslides which killed 13,000–20,000 people, left over 3 million homeless, and caused catastrophic damage throughout Honduras and neighboring countries.[1]
Galveston Hurricane of 1900
Aftermath of the hurricane in Galveston, taken two days later; September 10, 1900Main article: Galveston Hurricane of 1900A tropical storm formed in late August 1900 in the central tropical Atlantic and moved across Cuba into the Gulf of Mexico. The hurricane rapidly intensified while crossing the Gulf, and made a direct strike on the booming city of Galveston, Texas on September 8 with winds of 145 miles per hour (233 km/h). Storm surge washed over the entire island, flattening nearly all buildings in the city and killing between 6,000 and 12,000 people.
Hurricane Fifi
Fifi's track across Central AmericaMain article: Hurricane FifiFifi formed in the Caribbean Sea in mid-September 1974 and moved westward, steadily strengthening to peak at 110 mph (175 km/h) winds. The hurricane paralleled the coast of Honduras, staying just offshore, before making landfall in southern Belize on September 19. Fifi dropped torrential rainfall across Central America, causing catastrophic damage and 8,000–10,000 deaths.
1930 Dominican Republic Hurricane
The hurricane's pathMain article: 1930 Dominican Republic HurricaneA tropical system formed in late August 1930 in the open Atlantic. It crossed the Lesser Antilles and strengthened as it moved toward Hispaniola. The hurricane made landfall in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic on September 3 as a Category 4 hurricane on the Saffir-Simpson Hurricane Scale. The storm leveled the city, and caused between 2,000 and 8,000 fatalities.
Hurricane Flora
Flora's track across the Caribbean islandsMain article: Hurricane FloraHurricane Flora formed in late September 1963 in the tropical Atlantic Ocean. It moved westward, and strengthened to a major hurricane upon moving through the Windward Islands. Flora continued intensifying and became a Category 4 hurricane on the Saffir-Simpson Hurricane Scale just before making landfall on southwestern Haiti on October 4. It drifted westward through Cuba, turned back to the east, and accelerated to the northeast. Flora dropped torrential rainfall along its path, and was responsible for 7,186–8,000 fatalities and billions of dollars in damage, mostly in Haiti and Cuba.
Storms that caused over one thousand deaths
Deathssource Name year 27,500+ Great Hurricane of 1780 1780 18,974 – 21,000 Hurricane Mitch 1998 8,000 – 12,000 “Galveston” Hurricane 1900 8,000 – 10,000 Hurricane Fifi 1974 2,000 – 8,000 “Dominican Republic” Hurricane 1930 7,186 – 8,000 Hurricane Flora 1963 6,000+ Pointe-à-Pitre Bay Hurricane 1776 4,000 – 4,163+ “Newfoundland” Hurricane 1775 4,075+ “Okeechobee” Hurricane 1928 3,433+ Hurricane “San Ciriaco” 1899 2,500 – 3,107 “Cuba” Hurricane 1932 3,037 Hurricane Jeanne 2004 3,000+ “Central Atlantic” Hurricane 1782 3,000+ “Martinique” Hurricane 1813 2,000 – 3,000 “Central America” Hurricane 1934 30 – 3,000 “Cuba” Hurricane 1791 1,500 – 2,500 “Barbados” Hurricane 1831 1,500 – 2,500 “Belize” Hurricane 1931 1,168 – 2,150 “Caribbean” Hurricane 1935 2,063+ Hurricane David 1979 2,000+ Florida Hurricane 1781 1,000 – 2,500 Sea Islands Hurricane 1893 2,000 Gulf of Mexico Hurricane 1780 1,800 – 2,000 1893 Chenier Caminanda Hurricane 1893 136 – 2,000 Hurricane San Marcos 1870 up to 2,000 Caribbean Hurricane 1666 1,836+ Hurricane Katrina 2005 1,662+ Hurricane Stan 2005 1,600 Martinique Hurricane 1767 1,500 Mexico Hurricane 1909 up to 1,500 Cuba and Florida Hurricane 1644 372 – 1,300+ Caribbean Hurricane 1824 1,300 Nicaragua Hurricane 1605 1,145 Hurricane Gordon 1994 42 – 1,090 Jamaica and Cuba Hurricane 1780 1,090 Straits of Florida Hurricane 1622 1,000+ Gulf of Mexico Hurricane 1590 1,000+ Barbados Hurricane 1694 1,000 – 2,500 Bahamas Hurricane 1715 43 – 1,000 Havana Hurricane 1768 1,000 Veracruz Hurricane 1601 600 – 1,200 Hurricane Hazel 1954 1,000 Hurricane Inez 1966 See also
References
Sources
- NOAA deadliest hurricanes
- Other sources are included in the hurricanes' articles
Categories:- Lists of tropical cyclones
- Lists by death toll
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