The Deadliest, costliest, and most intense United States tropical cyclones from 1851 to 2006 (and other frequently requested hurricane facts)

This technical memorandum lists the deadliest tropical cyclones in the United States during 1851-2006 and the costliest tropical cyclones in the United States during 1900-2006. The compilation ranks damage, as expressed by monetary losses, in three ways: 1) contemporary estimates; 2) contemporary estimates adjusted by inflation to 2006 dollars; and 3) contemporary estimates adjusted for inflation and the growth of population and personal wealth (Pielke et al. 2007) to 2006 dollars. In addition, the most intense (i.e., major1) hurricanes to make landfall in the United States during the 156-year period are listed. Some additional statistics on United States hurricanes of this and previous centuries, and tropical cyclones in general, are also presented. Updated 15 April 2007 for return period information