List of tropical cyclones

This is a list of notable tropical cyclones, subdivided by basin and reason for notability. Most categories only list storms whose names have been retired (a decision made in the spring after a hurricane season), so the Category 4 and 5 storms of the 2005 Atlantic hurricane season are not in the chronological list. As of August 28, 2005, it appears Dennis, Emily and Katrina are likely to be retired, but no official decisions will be made until after the season as more storms could easily join that list later in the season. It does not include tropical storms which may have caused destructive inland flooding, but whose names are not retired. There are rare exceptions, like Tropical Storm Allison, which caused so much flood damage that its name was retired.

Hurricane names are retired due to the notoriety of the storm to which they are attached. See naming of tropical cyclones.

North Atlantic basin

Retired names

• 1950s
  • Carol, 1954 - caused over $1 billion in damage in New England.
  • Edna, 1954 - killed 20 people in New England and caused $40 million in damage.
  • Hazel, 1954 - killed 1,000 in Haiti, caused heavy damage and killed nearly 200 in the US and Canada from the Carolinas to New York and Ontario.
  • Connie, 1955 - caused extensive flooding in New England.
  • Diane, 1955 - struck the same area five days after Connie, and the two storms killed over 400.
  • Ione, 1955 - third storm to strike the same area, causing further damage to North Carolina.
  • Janet†, 1955 - struck Grenada and Belize, killing over 500.
  • Audrey, 1957 - killed 390 in Texas and Louisiana.
  • Gracie, 1959 - killed 22 in South Carolina, Virginia and Georgia.
• 1960s
  • Donna, 1960 - impacted every U.S. state on the east coast, killing 148 and causing $1 billion damage.
  • Carla, 1961 - large hurricane that caused damage in Texas as far inland as Dallas.
  • Hattie, 1961 - hit British Honduras, destroying Belize City and killing 400.
  • Flora, 1963 - killed over 7,000 people in Haiti and Cuba.
  • Cleo, 1964 - killed over 150 in Guadeloupe and Hispaniola, then struck Miami, Florida.
  • Dora, 1964 - only hurricane on record to strike Jacksonville, Florida.
  • Hilda, 1964 - damaged New Orleans, Louisiana, killed 38.
  • Betsy, 1965 - caused $1.42 billion ($8 billion in 2000 dollars) damage and killed 76 in Louisiana.
  • Inez, 1966 - killed 1,000 in Jamaica, Haiti, Cuba and Mexico.
  • Beulah, 1967 - dropped almost 30 inches of rain on Beeville, Texas.
  • Camille†, 1969 - one of the strongest storms ever recorded, killed 256 along the U.S. Gulf coast.
• 1970s
  • Celia, 1970 - killed 20 people after hitting Corpus Christi, Texas.
  • Agnes, 1972 - caused flooding that killed 122 in the United States and $3.1 billion damage.
  • Carmen, 1974 - caused $150 million damage in the United States.
  • Fifi, 1974 - killed 8,000 in Honduras.
  • Eloise, 1975 - killed 76 from Hispaniola to Florida and northwards.
  • Anita, 1977 - struck Mexico near the Texas border, killing 10.
  • David, 1979 - killed over 2,000 people, mostly in the Dominican Republic and Dominica.
  • Frederic, 1979 - caused from $1 to $3 billion damage on the U.S. Gulf coast.
• 1980s
  • Allen, 1980 - spawned a tornado that alone caused $100 million damage.
  • Alicia, 1983 - struck Galveston, Texas then Houston, killing 22 and causing $2 billion damage.
  • Elena, 1985 - caused $1.25 billion damage in Florida and Mississippi.
  • Gloria, 1985 - hit New York's Long Island, among other areas, causing $900 million damage.
  • Gilbert†, 1988 - strongest hurricane ever recorded in the Western Hemisphere, killed 318 and caused $5 billion damage.
  • Joan, 1988 - killed 148 in Nicaragua and 68 in other nations; so powerful that it stayed intact all the way across Central America and reemerged into the Pacific.
  • Hugo, 1989 - caused $10 billion damage and killed 76, mostly in the Carolinas, Puerto Rico, Guadeloupe, Montserrat, and the U.S. Virgin Islands.
• 1990s
  • Diana, 1990 - killed 96 in Mexico.
  • Klaus, 1990 - a weak storm that burst a dam in Georgia, killing 4.
  • Bob, 1991 - struck New England and the Canadian Maritimes, killing 18.
  • Andrew†, 1992 - costliest American natural disaster as of August 28, 2005 at $26.5 billion and over 23 deaths.
  • Luis, 1995 - caused much damage to St. Martin, Antigua, Barbuda, and the British Virgin Islands.
  • Marilyn, 1995 - caused much damage to St. Thomas.
  • Opal, 1995 - killed 59 in Guatemala, Mexico and the United States, causing $3 billion damage.
  • Roxanne, 1995 - hit same area of Mexico as Opal, killing 14 and causing $1.5 billion damage.
  • Cesar, 1996 - flooded Central America.
  • Fran, 1996 - killed 26 and caused $3.2 billion damage after striking Cape Fear, North Carolina.
  • Hortense, 1996 - killed 21 from floods.
  • Georges, 1998 - killed 533 in Hispaniola, caused $5.9 billion damage in the United States.
  • Mitch, 1998 - killed about 11,000 in Honduras and neighboring countries, more than any storm in over 200 years.
  • Floyd, 1999 - flooded eastern North Carolina and New Jersey, killing 77 in multiple states and causing $6 billion damage.
  • Lenny, 1999 - killed 17 in the Lesser Antilles.
• 2000s
  • Keith, 2000 - killed 70 in Central America.
  • Allison‡, 2001 - flooded Texas and caused $5 billion damage and 41 deaths.
  • Iris, 2001 - devastated Belize.
  • Michelle, 2001 - killed 17 in Honduras, Belize, Cuba and Jamaica.
  • Isidore, 2002 - killed 7 and caused $330 million damage over Yucatan and the United States.
  • Lili, 2002 - killed 13, mostly in St. Vincent and Jamaica, and caused $860 million damage to the United States.
  • Fabian, 2003 - did serious damage to Bermuda, killing 8
  • Isabel, 2003 - a large storm affecting much of the Northeast and Mid-Atlantic States, killing 51.
  • Juan, 2003 - first strong hurricane to hit Halifax, Nova Scotia in over 100 years.
  • Charley, 2004 - devastated many parts of Florida with $14 billion damage
  • Frances, 2004 - struck the Bahamas and central Florida causing $9 billion in damage and flooded the Appalachians
  • Ivan, 2004 - monster storm that flattened Grenada and also devastated the Cayman Islands, Jamaica and the eastern United States
  • Jeanne, 2004 - killed over 3,000 in Haiti and hit central Florida in the some of the same areas as Frances, causing $6 billion in damage.

Unnamed but historically significant

• The Great Colonial Hurricane of 1635. First recorded hurricane to hit New England
• The Great Hurricane of 1780. Deadliest Atlantic hurricane on record, over 20,000 killed
• The Great September Gale of 1815
• Galveston Hurricane of 1900. Deadliest natural disaster in US history as of August 28, 2005
• The Great Miami Hurricane of 1926. Florida's economy didn't even begin to recover until the 1950s.
• The 1928 Okeechobee Hurricane. Second deadliest hurricane in US history.
• The Great August Gale of 1934. A surprise hurricane which struck Canada.
• Labor Day Hurricane of 1935†. Struck the Florida Keys, strongest storm to ever hit the United States.
• The Great New England Hurricane of 1938. Killed 600.
• 1943 Surprise Hurricane. First intentional flight into a hurricane
• Halloween Nor'easter of 1991. Also known as the Perfect Storm, officially designated "Hurricane #8", formed from the remnants of Hurricane Grace

Longest-lived Atlantic tropical cyclones

Storms which have lived longer than twenty days:

1. Hurricane San Ciriaco (also known as the Puerto Rico Hurricane) in August 1899 lasted 31 days.
2. Hurricane Ginger in September 1971 lasted 27.25 days.
3. Hurricane Inga in September 1969 lasted 24.75 days.
4. Hurricane Kyle in October 2002 and Hurricane Ivan in September 2004 each lasted 22 days.
5. Hurricane Carrie in September 1957 and Storm 9 in September 1893 each lasted 20.75 days.
6. Hurricane Alberto in August 2000 lasted 20.50 days
7. Hurricane Inez in September 1966 lasted 20.25 days.

Source: NOAA [1], [2] NHC [3]

Canadian hurricanes

• Hurricane Juan, 2003
• The Perfect Storm, 1991
• Hurricane Hazel, 1954 (made landfall in the United States but continued northward)
• Great August Gale, 1934
• Great Nova Scotia Cyclone, 1873
• Saxby Gale, 1869

Off-season storms

• Groundhog Day Storm, 1952 - formed on February 2 and hit south Florida.
• Hurricane Alice, 1954 - formed in late December and continued until early January.
• Tropical Storm Ana, 2003 - First North Atlantic tropical system ever recorded to develop in April.
• Tropical Storm Odette, 2003 - First tropical system to develop in December in the Caribbean Sea in recorded history.
• Tropical Storm Peter, 2003 - First time two tropical systems develop in December in 115 years.

Deadliest Atlantic Hurricanes

Since 1851, not accounting for Hurricane Katrina

1. Hurricane Mitch, 1998: 9,086–18,277 Deaths
2. Galveston Hurricane, 1900: 8,000–12,000 Deaths
3. Hurricane Fifi, 1974: 8,000–10,000 Deaths
4. Dominican Republic Hurricane, 1930: 2,000–8,000 Deaths
5. Hurricane Flora, 1963: 7,200 Deaths
6. Hurricane San Ciriaco (Puerto Rico Hurricane), 1899: 3,433 Deaths
7. Lake Okeechobee Hurricane, 1928: 3,411 Deaths
8. Cuba Hurricane, 1932: 2,500–3,107 Deaths
9. Hurricane Jeanne, 2004: 3,037 Deaths
10. Yucatan Hurricane, 1934: 2,000–3,000 Deaths
11. Belize Hurricane, 1931: 1,500–2,500 Deaths
12. Caribbean Hurricane, 1935: 2,150 Deaths
13. Hurricane David, 1979: 2,060 Deaths
14. Straits of Florida Hurricane, 1870: 2,000 Deaths
15. 'Chenier Caminada' Hurricane, 1893: 2,000 Deaths
16. Sea Islands Hurricane, 1893: 1,000–2,000 Deaths
17. Mexico Hurricane, 1909: 1,500 Deaths
18. Hurricane Gordon, 1994: 1,145 Deaths
19. Hurricane Hazel, 1954: 600–1,200 Deaths
20. Hurricane Inez, 1966: 1,000 Deaths

Costliest U.S. Hurricanes

Older hurricanes are adjusted for 2003 inflation and wealth normalization. Also, please note Hurricane Katrina will very likely be near the top of this list. It is not known where yet, since the bills have obviously not been paid. Please refrain from adding it to this ranking.

1. Great Miami Hurricane, 1926: US$98,051,000,000
2. Hurricane Andrew, 1992: US$44,878,000,000
3. Galveston Hurricane, 1900: US$36,096,000,000
4. Galveston Island Hurricane, 1915: US$30,585,000,000
5. Great New England Hurricane, 1938: US$22,549,000,000
6. Sanibel Island Hurricane, 1944: US$22,070,000,000
7. Lake Okeechobee Hurricane, 1928: US$18,708,000,000
8. Hurricane Ivan, 2004: US$18,000,000,000 (2004 dollars)
9. Hurricane Betsy, 1965: US$16,863,000,000
10. Hurricane Donna, 1960: US$16,339,000,000
11. Hurricane Charley, 2004: US$15,000,000,000 (2004 dollars)
12. Hurricane Camille, 1969: US$14,870,000,000
13. Hurricane Agnes, 1972: US$14,515,000,000
14. Hurricane Diane, 1955: US$13,875,000,000
15. Hurricane Hugo, 1989: US$12,718,000,000
16. Hurricane Carol, 1954: US$12,291,000,000
17. Fort Lauderdale Hurricane, 1947: US$11,266,000,000
18. Hurricane Carla, 1961: US$9,587,000,000
19. Hurricane Hazel, 1954: US$9,545,000,000
20. Hurricane Frances, 2004: US$9,000,000,000 (2004 dollars)
21. Great Atlantic Hurricane, 1944- US$8,763,000,000
22. Everglades Hurricane, 1945: US$8,561,000,000
23. Hurricane Frederic, 1979: US$8,534,000,000
24. Palm Beach Hurricane, 1949: US$7,918,000,000
25. Florida Keys Hurricane, 1919: US$7,253,000,000
26. Hurricane Jeanne, 2004: US$7,000,000,000 (2004 dollars)
27. Hurricane Alicia, 1983: US$5,501,000,000
28. Tropical Storm Allison, 2001: US$5,408,000,000
29. Hurricane Floyd, 1999: US$5,264,000,000

(from [4], with estimates for hurricanes since 2003)

Lesser known but significant hurricanes

• The Last Island Hurricane of 1856: 400 people dead. The island and the resort on it never resurfaced.
• The Indianola Hurricane of 1886: destroyed Indianola, Texas.
• The New York Hurricane of 1893: a Category 1 going straight down Broadway.
• The Sea Islands Hurricane of 1893: killed 2,000 people on the Georgia and South Carolina coasts.
• The Chenier Caminada Hurricane of 1893: killed 2,000 people in Louisiana.
• The Hurricane San Ciriaco of 1899: traversed the Atlantic for 31 days.
• The March Hurricane of 1908: reached Category 2 strength in March.
• The Dominican Republic Hurricane of 1930: killed 8,000 people
• The Miami Hurricane of 1947: stormed through Miami just weakened from a Category 5.
• Hurricane Alice of 1954–55, formed after Christmas and continued into January.

Most tornadoes produced by hurricanes

1. Hurricane Frances, 2004: 123
2. Hurricane Ivan, 2004: 117
3. Hurricane Beulah, 1967: 115
4. Hurricane Allen, 1980: 29
5. Hurricane Gilbert, 1988: 29
6. Hurricane Alicia, 1983: 23
7. Hurricane Celia, 1970: 8
8. Hurricane Carla, 1961: 8

Most Active Atlantic Hurricane Seasons on record

1. 1933 season, 21 systems (11–5–5)
2. 1995 season, 19 systems (8–6–5)
3. 1969 season, 18 systems (5–7–5) and 1 subtropical storm
4. 1936 season, 16 systems (9–6–1)
5. 2003 season, 16 systems (9–4–3)
6. 2004 season, 15 systems (7–2–5) and 1 subtropical storm
7. 2001 season, 15 systems (6–5–4)
8. 2000 season, 15 systems (6–5–3) and 1 subtropical storm
9. 1998 season, 14 systems (4–7–3)
10. 1990 season, 14 systems (6–7–1)
11. 2005 season, 13 systems* (9–1–3)
12. 1996 season, 13 systems (4–3–6)
13. 2002 season, 12 systems (8–2–2)

Note: the 2005 season is currently not finished until Nov. 30

Pre–1900

1. 1887 season, 19 systems (8–9–2)
2. 1886 season, 12 systems (2–6–4)
3. 1893 season, 12 systems (2–5–5)

Number notation: (Tropical Storm, Hurricane, Major Hurricane)

Least Active Atlantic Hurricane Seasons on record

Note again that nearly all on this list antedate the satellite age's start in the 1960s, so these seasons could have been much busier without anyone noticing.

1. 1914 Season - 1 system (1-0-0)
2. 1925 Season - 2 systems (1-1-0)
3. 1930 Season - 2 systems (0-1-1)
4. 1917 Season - 3 systems (1-0-2)
5. 1919 Season - 3 systems (2-0-1)
6. 1929 Season - 3 systems (0-2-1)
7. 1911 Season - 4 systems (1-3-0)
8. 1913 Season - 4 systems (1-3-0)
9. 1920 Season - 4 systems (0-4-0)
10. 1922 Season - 4 systems (2-1-1)
11. 1983 Season - 4 systems (1-2-1)

Number notation: (Tropical Storm, Hurricane, Major Hurricane)

• Note: For accuracy reasons, this list does not include seasons prior to 1900. To our knowledge, no season from 1851-1899 had fewer than two storms.

Category 5s

Becoming a Category 5 (sustained windspeeds greater than 155 mph) is achieved on a regular basis in the Western Pacific but is rare in the Atlantic and Eastern Pacific. Since 1851, only 26 Atlantic hurricanes are known to have reached Category 5 and only nine made landfall while at this intensity.

• The Lake Okeechobee Hurricane* - 1928
• The Bahamas Hurricane - 1932
• The Labor Day Hurricane* - 1935
• The Great New England Hurricane - 1938
• The Fort Lauderdale Hurricane - 1947
• Hurricane Dog - 1950
• Hurricane Easy - 1951
• Hurricane Janet* - 1955
• Hurricane Cleo - 1958
• Hurricane Donna - 1960
• Hurricane Ethel - 1960
• Hurricane Carla - 1961
• Hurricane Hattie - 1961
• Hurricane Beulah - 1967
• Hurricane Camille* - 1969
• Hurricane Edith* - 1971
• Hurricane Anita* - 1977
• Hurricane David* - 1979
• Hurricane Allen - 1980
• Hurricane Gilbert* - 1988
• Hurricane Hugo - 1989
• Hurricane Andrew** - 1992
• Hurricane Mitch - 1998
• Hurricane Isabel - 2003
• Hurricane Ivan - 2004
• Hurricane Katrina - 2005

• *Made landfall as a Category 5
• **Originally classified as a Category 4 landfall, but later upgraded to Category 5 after a 2002 review of damage and windspeed data

See also the List of Category 5 Atlantic Hurricanes.

South Atlantic basin

Tropical cyclones rarely form in the South Atlantic Basin.

• The Angola Cyclone, 1991 - a tropical storm formed off Angola in April.
• The January Storm, 2004 - a cyclone of depression and possibly storm strength formed in January.
• Cyclone Catarina, 2004 - first positively observed hurricane in the South Atlantic Ocean.

Eastern Pacific basin

Retired names

• Fico, 1978
• Knut‡, 1987
• Iva, 1988
• Fefa, 1991
• Ismael, 1995
• Pauline, 1997
• Adolph, 2001 - Retired due to political sensitivities.
• Israel, 2001 - Retired due to political sensitivities, was never used. It replaced Ismael on the 2001 list, but was changed to Ivo mid-season before the name was reached).
• Kenna, 2002

Longest-lived Eastern Pacific storm

• John, 1994

Central Pacific basin

Retired names

• Iwa, 1982, Hawaii
• Iniki, 1992, Hawaii

Western Pacific basin

Named

• Leo, Maggie, Sam, York and Cam 1999, Hong Kong - Five storms to directly strike the vicinity of Hong Kong within one typhoon season
• Paka, 1997, Guam
• Pamela, 1976, Guam
• Tip, 1979, Japan
• Rose, 1971, Hong Kong
• Wanda, 1962, Hong Kong - Often cited by Hong Kong residents as an example of a deadly storm. Although it ranked only as category 2 on the Saffir-Simpson scale, the deficient warning system of the time led to many deaths in the villages of the New Territories unaware of the storm surge.
• Nancy, 1961, Japan
• Vera, 1959, Japan

Unnamed

• The Great Hong Kong Typhoon, 1937
• The Typhoon of 1944, 17-18 December, three US destroyers lost

Northern Indian Ocean

This region has had some of the world's deadliest cyclones, but there is a dearth of organized information about them.

• 1737 Calcutta cyclone, caused death and destruction around Calcutta, India
• 1864 Calcutta cyclone, killed around 60,000 people in Calcutta, India
• 1970 Bhola cyclone, killed between 100,000 to 500,000 people in East Pakistan (now Bangladesh)
• 1991 Bangladesh cyclone, killed 138,000 people in the Chittagong region of Bangladesh
• Tropical Cyclone 05B (1999), killed around 10,000 people in the Orissa state of India [5]

South Pacific Ocean

• Cyclone Bola - 1988 - extensive damage and 3 deaths in New Zealand
• Cyclone Zoe - 2002 - Reached an incredible intensity in open ocean.
• Cyclone Erica -2003 - Devastated the South Pacific islands as a Category 5.
• Cyclone Ivy - 2004 - Ripped through the entire length of Vanuatu and edged New Zealand.

South Indian Ocean

• Cyclone Leon-Eline - 2000 - Drenched Madagascar and blew away Mozambique.
• Cyclone Gafilo - 2004 - Made landfall on Madagascar as a Category 5.

Australian tropical cyclones

See History - Australia's worst cyclone disasters (from Queensland Government State Disaster Management Group).

• Cyclone Mahina, 1899 - over 300 people died.
• Tropical Cyclone Ada, 1970 - 14 people died and costed approximately 390 million AUD.
• Cyclone Tracy, 1974 - 65 people died
• Tropical Cyclone Justin, 1997 - 7 people died and damage came to approximately 190 million AUD.
• Cyclone Ingrid, 2005

Most intense storms on record

1. Typhoon Tip - 870 mb, Western Pacific, 1979
2. Typhoon Zeb - 872 mb, Western Pacific, 1998
3. Typhoon Gay - 872 mb, Western Pacific, 1992
4. Typhoon Keith - 872 mb, Western Pacific, 1997
5. Typhoon Joan - 872 mb, Western Pacific, 1997
6. Typhoon Ivan - 872 mb, Western Pacific, 1997
7. Typhoon Forrest - 876 mb, Western Pacific, 1983
8. Typhoon Faxai - 879 mb, Western Pacific, 2001
9. Typhoon Chaba - 879 mb, Western Pacific, 2004
10. Typhoon Yuri - 885 mb, Western Pacific, 1991
11. Typhoon Maemi - 885 mb, Western Pacific, 2003
12. Typhoon Dianmu - 885 mb, Western Pacific, 2004
13. Hurricane Gilbert - 888 mb, Atlantic, 1988
14. Typhoon Nancy - 888 mb, Western Pacific, 1961
15. Labor Day Hurricane - 892 mb, Atlantic, 1935
16. Typhoon Fengshen - 892 mb, Western Pacific, 2002
17. Typhoon Lupit - 892 mb, Western Pacific, 2003
18. Hurricane Allen - 899 mb, Atlantic, 1980
19. Hurricane Linda - 900 mb, Eastern Pacific, 1997
20. Hurricane Katrina - 902 mb, Atlantic Ocean, 2005
21. Hurricane Camille - 905 mb, Atlantic Ocean, 1969
22. Hurricane Mitch - 905 mb, Atlantic Ocean, 1998
23. Hurricane Ivan - 910 mb, Atlantic Ocean, 2004
24. Hurricane Kenna - 913 mb, Eastern Pacific, 2002
25. Hurricane Janet - 914 mb, Atlantic Ocean, 1955
26. Hurricane Ava - 915 mb, Eastern Pacific, 1973

• [6]

Note: Several Western Pacific storms that have achieved pressure readings of between 895 and 915mb are not included because they are so common in that part of the world or so unknown. Also pressure readings from the Indian Ocean are not available.

Size extremes

 

The relative sizes of Typhoon Tip, Tropical Cyclone Tracy, and the United States.

• Typhoon Tip is the largest tropical cyclone on record at 1350 miles (2170 km) wide, October (1979)
• Cyclone Tracy is the smallest tropical cyclone on record at 30 miles (48 km) wide, December (1974)

Highest Storm Surge

• Bathurst Bay Hurricane-42 feet, South Pacific, 1899
• Hurricane Katrina-31 feet,Alantic Ocean, 2005
• Hurricane Camille-24 Feet,Alantic Ocean, 1969

Notes

• †: a very severe hurricane (category 5 at landfall on the Saffir-Simpson Hurricane Scale)
• ‡: a tropical storm, not a hurricane

See also

• List of Atlantic hurricane seasons