The biggest hurricane would be chosen based on its size and radius, its category and strength, and the number of deaths and damage it caused.
Millions of people have been told to leave their homes as Hurricane Milton, which is now a Category 4, heads toward the Gulf Coast. The National Hurricane Center in Miami says Milton will hit land as “a dangerous major hurricane,” less than two weeks after Helene hit the southern United States. Milton has been rated between 4 and 5 hurricanes.
Some of the worst storms to ever hit the U.S. are shown below, along with their names and locations.
What was the biggest hurricane that ever hit the United States?
Many people say that Hurricane Katrina, which hit the United States in 2005 as a Category 3 storm, did the most damage to a large area. The storm hit many states, but it was mostly in Louisiana, Mississippi, and Alabama that it did the most damage. In New Orleans, it caused terrible floods. In 2024, the damage was thought to be around $125 billion, making it one of the most expensive natural events in U.S. history.
NEW ORLEANS – AUGUST 31: Two guys paddle in high water in the Ninth Ward in New Orleans, Louisiana, Aug. 31, 2005, after Hurricane Katrina destroyed the area. Damage is widespread throughout the city, and in some places the water is about 12 feet high. The storm is thought to have killed hundreds of people and left thousands without homes in Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama, and Florida. (Getty Images photo by Mario Tama)
Which hurricane killed the most people in U.S. history?
NOAA and other officials say that the 1900 Galveston hurricane in Texas killed more people than any other natural disaster in U.S. history. At least 8,000 people died in the storm, and by today’s measures, it would have cost hundreds of millions of dollars to fix the damage. The “Great Galveston Hurricane” happened before the Saffir-Simpson Hurricane Scale was made, but it is thought to have been a Category 4 storm.
Another recent storm that killed a lot of people was storm Maria in 2017, which killed over 3,000 people, and Hurricane Katrina in 2005, which killed over 1,300 people.
What makes a hurricane happen?
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) says that hurricanes usually start as tropical waves that mix with warm ocean water. It’s possible that these storms are also caused by thunderstorms. When warm ocean air rises, it makes a low-pressure area below it. This causes air to rise and cool, which makes clouds and showers.
In the Atlantic area, hurricane season lasts from June 1 to November 30 every year. This is when most hurricanes happen.
Timelapse flying by Hurricane Milton about 2 hours ago.
1/6400 sec exposure, 14mm, ISO 500, 0.5 sec interval, 30fps pic.twitter.com/p5wBlC95mx
— Matthew Dominick (@dominickmatthew) October 8, 2024
What Kinds of Things Are Hurricanes?
From one to five, the Saffir-Simpson storm Wind Scale rates how strong a storm is. Category 1 storms have winds that range from 74 to 95 mph, which are very dangerous and can damage even strong homes. The storm gets stronger and more damaging as the groups go up.
The difference between a cat 1, 2, 3, 4 and 5 hurricane
pic.twitter.com/MlCPMDL4nY— Science girl (@gunsnrosesgirl3) October 8, 2024
Herbert Saffir, an engineer, and Robert Simpson, a scientist who was in charge of the U.S. National Hurricane Center at the time, came up with the scale in 1971.
