Most Costly Storms in USA

[quandary]

This looks like a list of most costly storms in the US for 2004-2005, but it is not. Scary that the list of worst storms is now predominantly from two of the most recent years.

Top 5 -- The Elites

1. Katrina (80+ billion)
2. Andrew (42 billion)
3. Charley (15 billion)
4. Wilma (14.4 billion)
5. Ivan (14.2 billion)

Top 10

6. Rita (9.4 billion)
7. Frances (9.0 billion)
8. Hugo (7.0 billion)
9. Jeanne (6.9 billion)
10. Allison (5 billion)

When we remarked last year that 4 of the top 10 were from 2004, it was astounding. Now, 7 of the top 10 are from 2004-2005. 6 of the top 7 are from 2004-2005. Ouch.

[wxmann_91]

Crazy, though not a surprise since NOAA and Dr. Gray have been warning us about the possibility of mega-destruction along our coastlines from strong hurricanes for the past decade. Chances are in 50 years Andrew won't be in the top 5 anymore.

[NetZero06]

Why is Andrew adjusted for inflation yet Hugo is not?

[Sean in New Orleans]

I still, at times, find it amazing and unreal how much damage and destruction Katrina truly caused. When the final tallies are in Katrina will do it..it will just top the $100 Billion mark. And we're doing cartwheels down here because President Bush announced $3.1 Billion for New Orleans levees yesterday...now, isn't that just pure SAD!!!!

[quandary]

Hmm... before I pulled the Andrew number out of my head and had to look up the Hugo number. Without inflation, Andrew stands at 26 billion or so. I wonder what Hugo adjusted for inflation is. How far up does it go?

[AussieMark]

with 2004 inflation, population and wealth normalization

Andrew is $43.152 Billion
Hugo is $13.228 Billion

Allison is $6.254 Billion

[senorpepr]

Here is the official list from the NHC of the 30 most costliest storms to strike the US, adjusted for inflation to the year 2004. Added are the five costliest US strikes in 2005.

Code: Select all

1  Katrina (FL, LA, MS, AL)    2005  80,000,000,000
2  Andrew (SE FL, SE LA)       1992  43,672,000,000
3  Charley (SW FL)             2004  15,000,000,000
4  Wilma (FL)                  2005  14,400,000,000
5  Ivan (AL/NW FL)             2004  14,200,000,000
6  Hugo (SC)                   1989  12,250,000,000
7  Agnes (FL, NE U.S.)         1972  11,290,000,000
8  Betsy (SE FL, SE LA)        1965  10,799,500,000
9  Rita (FL, LA, TX)           2005   9,400,000,000
10 Frances (FL)                2004   8,900,000,000
11 Camille (MS, SE LA, VA)     1969   8,889,000,000
12 Diane (NE U.S.)             1955   6,997,700,000
13 Jeanne (FL)                 2004   6,900,000,000
14 Frederic (AL, MS)           1979   6,291,000,000
15 NEW ENGLAND                 1938   5,971,000,000
16 Allison (N TX)              2001   5,829,000,000
17 Floyd (Mid-Atl & NE U.S.)   1999   5,764,000,000
18 NE U.S.                     1944   5,386,000,000
19 Fran (NC)                   1996   4,525,000,000
20 Alicia (N TX)               1983   4,384,000,000
21 Opal (NW FL, AL)            1995   4,324,000,000
22 Carol (NE U.S.)             1954   3,949,000,000
23 Isabel (Mid-Atlantic)       2003   3,643,000,000
24 Juan (LA)                   1985   3,105,000,000
25 Donna (FL/Eastern U.S.)     1960   3,040,000,000
26 Celia (S TX)                1970   2,761,000,000
27 Bob (NC, NE U.S.)           1991   2,593,000,000
28 Elena (MS, AL, NW FL)       1985   2,588,000,000
29 Carla (N & Central TX)      1961   2,366,000,000
30 FL (Miami, Pensacola)/MS/AL 1926   2,058,000,000
31 Eloise (NW FL)              1975   2,008,000,000
32 N TX (Galveston)            1915   1,990,000,000
33 Dora (NE FL)                1964   1,964,000,000
34 Dennis (FL, AL)             2005   1,840,000,000
35 Ophelia (SE U.S.)           2005   1,600,000,000

[Matt-hurricanewatcher]

Wow the last two years have been Amazing.

Wow Camille being placed next to Katrina? Camille totaled 11 Camille (MS, SE LA, VA) 1969 8,889,000,000! Katrina over 80 billion. 10 times the price tag!

[wxmann_91]

Wow the last two years have been Amazing.

Wow Camille being placed next to Katrina? Camille totaled 11 Camille (MS, SE LA, VA) 1969 8,889,000,000! Katrina over 80 billion. 10 times the price tag!

a) Camille didn't drown New Orleans.
b) During Camille's time there were fewer people and fewer structures to damage.

[Derek Ortt]

one caution though about Camielle

it did wipe out large parts of the Appalachians

about half of the dead came from West Virginia

[Hurricanehink]

Hey, Iniki should be in there from 1992. It caused $3.5 billion in damage (2005 USD), even if it only hit Hawaii. Hawaii is part of the U.S. and the list is costliest U.S. strikes.

[x-y-no]

Level of coastal development has a lot to do with the bias to recent years. If the 1926 Miami storm (which ranks #30 on the official list) had struck the same place this year, it would easily be #1 - even over Katrina.

[quandary]

Level of coastal development has a lot to do with the bias to recent years. If the 1926 Miami storm (which ranks #30 on the official list) had struck the same place this year, it would easily be #1 - even over Katrina.

No. The 1926 storm would've been a toss-up when compared to Katrina. Katrina had a significantly larger economic impact versus the 1926 storm and the estimates for both range from 80-100 billion.

However, the fact that Katrina equals or exceeds all the storms of the last 100 years, even considering build-up and inflation makes her all the more astounding and unique.

[quandary]

Also, I've never understood the fascination with the damage potential of the 1926 storm. It was back then, the damage was significant but not extreme. So it hit Miami and would've caused huge devastation today, but it didn't hit today. I'm sure sometime in the last 500 years or 1000 years before hurricanes were recorded, there was a storm that would've caused 500 billion dollars in damage if it hit today, but it didn't, so what exactly is the big deal?

[MGC]

Some posters tend to cheer for their hurricane in their region. I guess it is a territorial thing common in the male of the species. Like no cat-5 is capable of hitting the NGOM coast only S FLA type post I've read here.......MGC

[Derek Ortt]

a cat 5 can only make landfall in an area of high heat content. That is why most cat 5's in the west hemisphere hit the Caribbean (heat content about 100KJ/kg) NGOM has about 10, compared to about 60 for Sfla (on EC only... Charley hit as a near 5 due to QG enhancements, same as Wilma's intensification) (water depth is what makes the difference)

[MGC]

What was the loop currents heat content off the mouth of the Mississippi this summer or in 1969? The water is rather deep off the mouth of the Mississippi. I think it is entirely possible for a Cat-5 to ride the loop current and then hit south Louisiana as a 5.....MGC

[NC George]

UMMMMMM, wasn't Camille a Cat 5 at landfall, and didn't it hit the NGOM? That means (IMHO) that a Cat 5 can hit the NGOM - because it did!

[Derek Ortt]

I think SE Louisiana at the mouth, may be likely, if its a large storm, moving at 310, and movign at 15KT or faster (an Andrew-like storm, moving at a slightly more northerly angle)

Georges, we dont know if Camielle was a 5 for sure. The method to determine the 5 in 1969 was not all that good

[joe_koehle]

here we go again with the camille was or wasn't a 5 discussion....