PHOTO GALLERY: The worst 25 hurricanes over the last 25 years

Why do some hurricane names become retired

Hurricane Specialist Bryan Norcross has got you covered to answer your questions as the FOX Weather Q&A is LIVE.

Hurricane seasons during the last 25 years have been extremely active, with many holding records for the number of cyclones produced and the damage they have done.

Since the year 2000, 49 names of tropical cyclones have been retired due to their amount of destruction and loss of human lives.

These retired names include Katrina (2005), Maria (2017) and Ian (2022).

The cumulative financial impact of these hurricane seasons is staggering, with more than $1.3 trillion in cumulative damage.

Here’s a breakdown of the worst hurricanes of the past quarter-century to strike the U.S.

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1. Katrina (2005) Damage: $201.3B

Hurricane Katrina caused severe destruction along the Gulf coast from central Florida to Texas.

(Universal History Archive/Universal Images Group / Getty Images)

Hurricane Katrina was both the costliest and deadliest disaster in U.S. modern history. The hurricane made landfall along the Louisiana coastline as a Category 3 cyclone, which triggered flooding of 80% of New Orleans. At least 1,392 fatalities were tied to the event, with some estimates being much higher than the revised death toll. The French Quarter was largely spared by the catastrophic flooding.

2. Harvey (2017) Damage: $160.0B

Hurricane Harvey satellite image from 2017.

(NOAA)

Harvey struck Texas as a Category 4 hurricane, but its record-breaking rainfall is what produced much of the damage. The cyclone stalled over southeastern Texas, dumping over 50 inches of rain in some areas. Historic flooding inundated homes and businesses around Houston and surrounding regions. The disaster led to more than 100 deaths and holds the record for being the wettest system to impact the U.S.

3. Ian (2022) Damage: $119.6B

Hurricane Ian makes landfall

(NOAA / NOAA)

Hurricane Ian made landfall in southwestern Florida, causing extensive damage around Fort Myers and Sanibel Island. The powerful Category 4 hurricane produced a storm surge of up to 12 feet, which caught some residents off-guard. The hurricane triggered nearly 3 million power outages that stretched across the Peninsula. Ian was considered to be the deadliest hurricane to strike the Sunshine State since the 1935 Labor Day Hurricane, with more than 150 fatalities.

4. Maria (2017) Damage: $115.2B

Hurricane Maria in 2018 satellite image.

(NOAA)

Maria was the strongest hurricane to make landfall in Puerto Rico in nearly 100 years. Maximum sustained winds were just 2 miles per hour shy of Category 5 strength. An estimated 3,000 people were killed, making the cyclone the deadliest tropical weather event since the 1900 Galveston hurricane. The combination of destructive winds and heavy rainfall caused the entire island to lose power, with some residents without electricity for nearly a year.

5. Sandy (2012) Damage: $88.5B

Hurricane Sandy satellite (2012)

(NOAA)

While not a bonified hurricane at landfall, Superstorm Sandy’s large size and strength caused significant damage from the mid-Atlantic to the Northeast. The post-tropical cyclone produced a storm surge of 5-10 feet, which flooded coastal homes and infrastructure. According to NOAA, Sandy led to the direct deaths of 147 people, with dozens of others killed during the runoff and aftermath.

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6. Ida (2021) Damage: $84.6B

Hurricane Ida satellite image from 2021.

(NOAA)

Ida struck Louisiana as a powerful Category 4 storm with sustained winds of 150 mph, south of New Orleans, around Port Fourchon. The hurricane caused extensive power outages across the Gulf Coast with between 1-2 million customers left in the dark. The hurricane’s remnants caused extensive flooding and a tornado outbreak, which reached New England. Nearly 100 deaths were reported across nine states.

7. Helene (2024) Damage: $78.7B

Hurricane Helene Satellite Image Sept. 26, 2024.

(FOX Weather)

Helene was the strongest hurricane on record to strike Florida’s Big Bend, with winds estimated to be around 140 mph at landfall. Following landfall, the hurricane's remnants caused damage across six other southern states. More than a foot of rainfall along the Appalachians triggered flash flooding, which led to most of the destruction and deaths. Over 200 fatalities were tied to the disaster, making it the deadliest hurricane since Maria in 2017.

8. Irma (2017) Damage: $64.0B

Hurricane Irma satellite image 2017.

(NOAA)

The long-track Cabo Verde hurricane triggered the largest evacuation in U.S. history, with some 7 million residents placed under orders. While the hurricane holds several records for its strength and the length for maintaining its Category 5 designation, its impact on Cuba and landfall location on the Southwest Florida coast blunted some of its force for bigger cities. More than 130 fatalities were linked to the hurricane from the Caribbean to the Southeast. Irma generated an Accumulated Cyclone Energy value (ACE) of 64.9 – second only to Hurricane Ivan in 2004.

9. Ike (2008) Damage: $43.2B

Hurricane Ike satellite composite 2008.

(NOAA)

Hurricane Ike cut a path of destruction through the northern Caribbean before impacting the Texas coastline. The once-Category 4 hurricane made landfall south of the Houston-Galveston metro as a weakening Category 2 cyclone. Its large surge and wind field led to the deaths of around 200 across several nations and severely interrupted oil production in the Gulf of Mexico.

10. Milton (2024) Damage: $34.3B

This satellite image shows Hurricane Milton on approach to Florida on the morning of Wednesday, Oct. 9, 2024.

(NOAA)

Hurricane Milton struck the west coast of Florida as a Category 3, causing widespread flooding about two weeks after Hurricane Helene. The cyclone reached Category 5 status while over the Gulf of Mexico, making it the fourth-most intense Atlantic hurricane on record, before weakening through landfall. More than 3 dozen deaths were tied to the hurricane, including some from a significant tornado outbreak south of the Interstate 4 corridor.

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11. Ivan (2004) Damage: $34B

Hurricane Ivan satellite image from 2004.

(NASA)

Hurricane Ivan devastated parts of the Caribbean before making landfall in southern Alabama as a powerful Category 3 with maximum sustained winds around 130 mph. The hurricane originally developed off the coast of Africa, making it a long-track Cabo Verde cyclone. Ivan was tracked for more than 450 hours, making it the tenth-longest-lasting cyclone on record in the Atlantic basin. The hurricane also spawned at least 117 tornadoes, which is a record amount produced by a cyclone.

12. Michael (2018) Damage: $31.2B

Hurricane Michael satellite animation from 2018.

(NOAA)

Michael roared ashore the Florida Panhandle as a Category 5 hurricane, with maximum sustained winds around 160 mph. Because of its narrow complexity, only limited areas that found themselves in the eye wall were leveled. Not only was Michael late-in-the-season, but it was also the first Category 5 hurricane to make landfall in the U.S. since Hurricane Andrew in 1992.

13. Florence (2018) Damage: $30.0B

Hurricane Florence satellite image 2018.

(NOAA)

Despite weakening to a Category 1 hurricane by landfall, Florence produced catastrophic flooding throughout the Carolinas. The hurricane set rainfall records in both North Carolina and South Carolina, where 20-40 inches of precipitation was reported. In addition to widespread agricultural losses, the hurricane was connected to at least 54 deaths. Most fatalities were caused by inland and coastal flooding.

14. Wilma (2005) Damage: $30.0B

Hurricane Wilma of 2005 holds the record for being the strongest hurricane on record in the Atlantic basin.

(NOAA / NOAA)

Hurricane Wilma holds the record for having the lowest barometric pressure of any tropical cyclone in the Atlantic basin. While over the Caribbean Sea, the central pressure dropped to 882 millibars or 26 inches of mercury. After lashing Mexico’s Yucatán Peninsula, the major hurricane hit South Florida with more than 20 deaths reported around the Peninsula. At the time, Wilma’s eye was one of the smallest on record at less than 3 miles wide.

15. Rita (2005) Damage: $29.4B

Hurricane Rita satellite image from 2005.

(NOAA)

Hurricane Rita impacted the Texas-Louisiana border region just 3 weeks after Katrina made landfall along the Louisiana-Mississippi coastline. The major hurricane knocked out power to over a million customers and caused a strain on energy infrastructure. Due to the expansive nature of the hurricane, millions from the Houston-Galveston metro through western parishes of Louisiana were put under evacuation notices. Sustained hurricane-force winds extended outwards nearly 100 miles and tropical storm-force winds reached at least 200 miles from the center. Nearly 85% of Rita’s more than 100 reported fatalities occurred during the preparation and evacuation stage.

16. Laura (2020) Damage: $28.1B

Hurricane Laura satellite image from 2020.

(NOAA)

Laura slammed into southwestern Louisiana as a strong Category 4 hurricane, making it the strongest hurricane to strike the region since records began. A storm surge that is believed to have reached 16 feet destroyed communities south of Lake Charles. More than 70 deaths were tied to the hurricane, which continued through the Ohio Valley.

17. Charley (2004) Damage: $26.7B

Hurricane Charley satellite image from 2004.

(NOAA)

Hurricane Charley rapidly intensified to Category 4 status before slamming into Southwest Florida near Punta Gorda. Its compact size limited the scope of the damage across the Sunshine State but also made the cyclone difficult to forecast. A path down the center of the Peninsula and over the Interstate 4 corridor caused significant damage around Orlando and cut power to millions. Charley was the first of four significant hurricanes to impact Florida during the 2004 season.

18. Irene (2011) Damage: $18.8B

Hurricane Irene satellite image from 2011.

(NOAA)

Hurricane Irene made landfall in North Carolina before sweeping up the eastern seaboard, causing flooding and wind damage. Heavy rainfall caused historic flooding in parts of Vermont, New York and New Jersey. The cyclone made its first U.S. landfall as a Category 1 hurricane before weakening and impacting inland and coastal communities further north. Nearly 60 people were killed from impacts related to the storm.

19. Frances (2004) Damage: $16.3B

Hurricane Frances satellite image 2004.

(NOAA)

Hurricane Frances was a Category 2 cyclone when it made landfall on Florida’s east coast and moved slowly across the state. The hurricane was responsible for producing widespread wind damage and triggered dozens of tornadoes. Over 6 million people reported interruptions in their electricity during the hurricane as it moved over the Southeast. Frances occurred just after Hurricane Charley and before Hurricane Jeanne, which impacted the same region of the state during 2004.

20. Matthew (2016) Damage: $13.1B

Hurricane Matthew satellite image from 2016.

(NASA)

Matthew devastated parts of the Caribbean and the Bahamas before skirting much of the Southeast coastline. The major hurricane reached the lowest latitude ever recorded in the Atlantic basin by a Category 5 hurricane. As it skirted the U.S. coast, it produced a significant storm surge for communities such as St. Augustine, Florida and Savannah, Georgia. The hurricane eventually made landfall near McClellanville, South Carolina, as a Category 1.

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21. Jeanne (2004) Damage: $12.4B

Hurricane Jeanne satellite animation from 2004.

(NOAA)

Hurricane Jeanne struck Florida just a few weeks after Hurricane Frances, with landfall in nearly the exact same location. The effect of a trio of hurricanes worsened the damage to agriculture and infrastructure, especially in the southern half of the peninsula. Jeanne was officially a Category 3 hurricane at landfall with maximum sustained winds of around 120 mph. Before striking Florida, the hurricane made a unique loop in the Atlantic and spent days impacting the island of Hispaniola, where more than 3,000 were killed.

22. Isabel (2003) Damage: $9.3B

Hurricane Isabel satellite image from 2023.

(NOAA)

The Category 2 hurricane made landfall in North Carolina’s Outer Banks before tracking far inland. Due to the hurricane’s track, it impacted many regions, including the mid-Atlantic, Appalachians, Ohio Valley and Northeast. A combination of inland flooding and wind damage led to the deaths of 51 people, which caused Isabel to be the most destructive hurricane of the 2003 season. 

23. Sally (2020) Damage: $8.8B

Hurricane Sally satellite imagery from 2020.

(NOAA)

Hurricane Sally’s slow forward progress caused days of torrential rainfall along the Gulf Coast. Many communities in the Florida Panhandle and Southern Alabama received between 20 and 40 inches of rainfall, which inundated low-lying areas. The Gulf Coast hurricane was the costliest cyclone of the 2020 season but only led to the deaths of nine individuals.

24. Gustav (2008) Damage: $8.6B

Gustav satellite imagery from 2008.

(ESA / FOX Weather)

Gustav made landfall as a Category 2 hurricane just three years after Katrina in Louisiana. Many parishes were considered to be better equipped and more prepared to handle a hurricane in the aftermath of Katrina. Over 150 deaths were reported in connection to the cyclone, with those mostly occurring across the Caribbean, when the hurricane was significantly stronger. The hurricane peaked in intensity along the Cuban coastline as a powerful Category 4 cyclone with maximum sustained winds of 150 mph.

25. Beryl (2024) Damage: $7.2B

Hurricane Beryl broken records

(FOX Weather)

Beryl impacted the Texas coastline in 2024 as a Category 1 hurricane but set many records due to strength early in its lifecycle. Hurricane Beryl was the earliest Category 5 hurricane on record and also the strongest hurricane during the first month of the hurricane season. More than 60 direct and indirect deaths were tied to the hurricane, which impacted the Lesser Antilles, Jamaica, Cayman Island, Belize, Mexico and the U.S.

What if historic hurricanes made landfall today?

FOX Weather Hurricane Specialist Bryan Norcross explains what would happen if some of the monster hurricanes of the past happened today with modern developments and population increases.