Most Intense1 Hurricanes in the United States2

Updated June 26, 2019 | Infoplease Staff

(U.S. Mainland)

Rank Hurricane Year Category3
1. Florida Keys 1935 5
2. Camille (Miss./La./Va.) 1969 5
3. Katrina (La./Miss.)4 2005 3
4. Andrew (Fla./La.) 1992 5
5. Indianola, Tex. 1886 4
6. Florida Keys/Tex. 1919 4
7. Lake Okeechobee, Fla. 1928 4
8. Donna (Fla./Eastern U.S.) 1960 4
9. New Orleans, La. 1915 4
9. Carla (Tex.) 1961 4
11. Last Island, La. 1856 4
11. Hugo (S.C.) 1989 4
1. Intensity and category are for time of landfall; hurricanes may have been stronger at other times.
2. 1851–2013.
3. Saffir-Simpson Hurricane scale: Cat. 1 = weak; Cat. 5 = devastating.
4. While a hurricane's category is determined by maximum sustained wind speed, its intensity is determined by barometric central pressure. As Katrina illustrates, the two do not have a direct one-to-one relationship.
Sources: National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA).

Billion Dollar U.S. Weather Disasters, 1980–2013 Weather Costliest Hurricanes in the United States (U.S. Mainland)
Weather
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