This is a
list of the deadliest known Atlantic hurricanes that caused at least 1,000 direct deaths, the deadliest being the
Great Hurricane of 1780The Great Hurricane of 1780, also known as the Hurricane San Calixto II, is the deadliest Atlantic hurricane on record. Over 27,500 people died when the storm passed through the Lesser Antilles in the Caribbean between October 10 and October 16...
, with over 27,500 deaths.
The Great Hurricane of 1780, also known as the
Hurricane San Calixto II, is the deadliest
Atlantic hurricaneNorth Atlantic tropical cyclones usually form in summer or fall. Tropical cyclones can be broken down by intensity. Tropical storms have one-minute maximum sustained winds of at least 39 mph , while hurricanes have one-minute maximum sustained exceeding 74 mph...
on record. Well over 25,000 people died when the storm passed through the
Lesser AntillesThe Lesser Antilles, also known as the Caribbees, are part of the Antilles, which together with the Bahamas, the Turks and Caicos Islands, and Greater Antilles form the West Indies...
in the
CaribbeanThe Caribbean is a region consisting of the Caribbean Sea, its islands , and the surrounding coasts...
between October 10 and October 16.
This is a
list of the deadliest known Atlantic hurricanes that caused at least 1,000 direct deaths, the deadliest being the
Great Hurricane of 1780The Great Hurricane of 1780, also known as the Hurricane San Calixto II, is the deadliest Atlantic hurricane on record. Over 27,500 people died when the storm passed through the Lesser Antilles in the Caribbean between October 10 and October 16...
, with over 27,500 deaths.
Great Hurricane of 1780
The Great Hurricane of 1780, also known as the
Hurricane San Calixto II, is the deadliest
Atlantic hurricaneNorth Atlantic tropical cyclones usually form in summer or fall. Tropical cyclones can be broken down by intensity. Tropical storms have one-minute maximum sustained winds of at least 39 mph , while hurricanes have one-minute maximum sustained exceeding 74 mph...
on record. Well over 25,000 people died when the storm passed through the
Lesser AntillesThe Lesser Antilles, also known as the Caribbees, are part of the Antilles, which together with the Bahamas, the Turks and Caicos Islands, and Greater Antilles form the West Indies...
in the
CaribbeanThe Caribbean is a region consisting of the Caribbean Sea, its islands , and the surrounding coasts...
between October 10 and October 16. The hurricane struck
BarbadosBarbados , situated just east of the Caribbean Sea, is an independent West Indian Continental Island-nation in the western Atlantic Ocean. For over three centuries Barbados was a colony and protectorate of the United Kingdom; and still currently maintains Queen Elizabeth II as head of state...
with wind gusts possibly exceeding 200 mph (320 km/h), before moving past
MartiniqueMartinique is an island in the eastern Caribbean Sea, with a land area of . It is an overseas department of France. To the northwest lies Dominica, to the south St Lucia, and to the southeast Barbados. As with the other overseas departments, Martinique is also one of the twenty-six regions of...
,
Saint LuciaSaint Lucia is an island nation in the eastern Caribbean Sea on the boundary with the Atlantic Ocean. Part of the Lesser Antilles, it is located north/northeast of the islands of Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, northwest of Barbados and south of Martinique. Its size is 620 km² with an...
, and
Sint EustatiusSint Eustatius , also known as Statia, or Saint Eustace , is one of the islands which make up the Netherlands Antilles; it is in the northern, Leeward Islands portion of the West Indies, southeast of the Virgin Islands. It forms part of the inner arc of the Leeward Island chain, lying immediately...
; thousands of deaths were reported on each island. Coming in the midst of the
American RevolutionThe American Revolution is the political upheaval during the last half of the 18th century in which thirteen of Britain's colonies in North America at first rejected the governance of the Parliament of Great Britain, and later the British monarchy itself, to become the sovereign United States of...
, the storm caused heavy losses to
BritishThe Kingdom of Great Britain, also known as the United Kingdom of Great Britain, was a sovereign state in northwest Europe, in existence from 1707 to 1801...
and
FrenchFrance , officially the French Republic , is a country located in Western Europe, with several overseas islands and territories located on other continents. Metropolitan France extends from the Mediterranean Sea to the English Channel and the North Sea, and from the Rhine to the Atlantic Ocean...
fleets contesting for control of the area. The hurricane later passed near
Puerto RicoPuerto Rico , officially the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico , is a self-governing unincorporated territory of the United States located in the northeastern Caribbean, east of the Dominican Republic and west of the Virgin Islands...
and over the eastern portion of the
Dominican RepublicThe Dominican Republic is a nation on the island of Hispaniola, part of the Greater Antilles archipelago in the Caribbean region. The western third of the island is occupied by the nation of Haiti, making Hispaniola one of two Caribbean islands that are occupied by two countries...
, causing heavy damage near the coastlines, and ultimately turned to the northeast before being last observed on October 20 southeast of
Cape RaceCape Race is a point of land located at the southeastern tip of the Avalon Peninsula on the island of Newfoundland, Canada. Its name is thought to come from the original Portuguese name for this cape, "Raso", or "bare"...
, Newfoundland.
The death toll from the Great Hurricane alone exceeds that for any other entire decade of Atlantic hurricanes, and is substantially higher than that of the second-deadliest Atlantic storm, Mitch. The hurricane was part of the disastrous 1780 Atlantic hurricane season, with three exceptionally deadly storms occurring in the month of October.
Hurricane Mitch
Hurricane Mitch formed from a tropical wave late in October 1998 in the central
Caribbean SeaThe Caribbean Sea is a sea of the Atlantic Ocean situated in the tropics of the Western hemisphere, bounded to the south and west by the American landmass, with the North Atlantic Ocean proper to the northeast and the Gulf of Mexico to the northwest...
. As the storm drifted over warm water it quickly intensified to a Category 5 hurricane with 180 mph (290 km/h) winds on October 26, then stalled just off the north coast of
HondurasHonduras is a republic in Central America. It was formerly known as Spanish Honduras to differentiate it from British Honduras...
. The hurricane slowly weakened as it inched southward toward shore and then inland before drifting westward over
Central AmericaManagua
Guatemala City
San Salvador
San Pedro Sula
Panama City
San José, Costa Rica
Santa Ana, El Salvador
León
San Miguel|-|}...
. Extreme amounts of rainfall — accumulating to a maximum of nearly 36 inches in
CholutecaCholuteca is a municipality and the capital city of the Honduran department of the same name. Situated in southern Honduras between El Salvador and Nicaragua, the city is generally considered the regional center of southern Honduras and is a major transit point on the Pan-American Highway...
, Honduras — caused flooding and landslides which killed 11,000–18,000 people, left over 3 million homeless, and caused catastrophic damage throughout Honduras and neighboring countries.
Galveston Hurricane of 1900
A tropical storm formed in late August 1900 in the central tropical Atlantic and moved across
CubaThe Republic of Cuba is an island country in the Caribbean. It consists of the island of Cuba, the Isla de la Juventud, and several archipelagos. Havana is the largest city in Cuba and the country's capital. Santiago de Cuba is the second largest city. Cuba is home to over 11 million people and is...
into the
Gulf of MexicoThe Gulf of Mexico is the ninth largest body of water in the world. Considered a smaller part of the Atlantic Ocean, it is an ocean basin largely surrounded by the North American continent and the island of Cuba. It is bounded on the northeast, north and northwest by the Gulf Coast of the United...
. The hurricane rapidly intensified while crossing the Gulf, and made a direct strike on the booming city of
Galveston, TexasGalveston is a coastal city located on Galveston Island in the U.S. state of Texas. As of the 2005 U.S. Census estimate, the city had a total population of 57,466 within an area of...
on September 8 with 135 mph (215 km/h) winds. Storm surge washed over the entire island, flattening nearly all buildings in the city and killing 6,000–12,000.
Hurricane Fifi
Fifi formed in the
Caribbean SeaThe Caribbean Sea is a sea of the Atlantic Ocean situated in the tropics of the Western hemisphere, bounded to the south and west by the American landmass, with the North Atlantic Ocean proper to the northeast and the Gulf of Mexico to the northwest...
in mid-September 1974 and moved westward, steadily strengthening to peak at 110 mph (175 km/h) winds. The hurricane paralleled the coast of
HondurasHonduras is a republic in Central America. It was formerly known as Spanish Honduras to differentiate it from British Honduras...
, staying just offshore, before making landfall in southern
BelizeBelize , is a country in Central America. Belize has a diverse society, composed of many cultures and speaking many languages. Although Kriol and Spanish are spoken among the population, Belize is the only country in Central America where English is the official language...
on September 19. Fifi dropped torrential rainfall across
Central AmericaManagua
Guatemala City
San Salvador
San Pedro Sula
Panama City
San José, Costa Rica
Santa Ana, El Salvador
León
San Miguel|-|}...
, causing catastrophic damage and 8,000–10,000 deaths.
1930 Dominican Republic Hurricane
A tropical system formed in late August 1930 in the open Atlantic. It crossed the
Lesser AntillesThe Lesser Antilles, also known as the Caribbees, are part of the Antilles, which together with the Bahamas, the Turks and Caicos Islands, and Greater Antilles form the West Indies...
and strengthened as it moved toward
HispaniolaHispaniola is a major island in the Caribbean, comprising Haiti and the Dominican Republic. It is located between the islands of Cuba to the west, and Puerto Rico to the east, directly within the hurricane belt...
. The hurricane made landfall in
Santo DomingoSanto Domingo, is the capital and largest city in the Dominican Republic. Its metropolitan population was 2,084,852 in 2003, estimated at 2,253,437 in 2006. The city is located on the Caribbean Sea, at the mouth of the Ozama River...
,
Dominican RepublicThe Dominican Republic is a nation on the island of Hispaniola, part of the Greater Antilles archipelago in the Caribbean region. The western third of the island is occupied by the nation of Haiti, making Hispaniola one of two Caribbean islands that are occupied by two countries...
on September 3 as a Category 4 hurricane on the
Saffir-Simpson Hurricane ScaleThe Saffir–Simpson Hurricane Scale is a classification used for most Western Hemisphere tropical cyclones that exceed the intensities of tropical depressions and tropical storms. The scale divides hurricanes into five categories distinguished by the intensities of their sustained winds...
. The storm leveled the city, and caused between 2,000 and 8,000 fatalities.
Hurricane Flora
Hurricane Flora formed in late September 1963 in the tropical Atlantic Ocean. It moved westward, and strengthened to a major hurricane upon moving through the
Windward IslandsThe Windward Islands are the southern islands of the Lesser Antilles.-Name and geography:The Windward Islands are called such because they were more windward to sailing ships arriving in the New World than the Leeward Islands, given that the prevailing trade winds in the West Indies blow east to west...
. Flora continued intensifying and became a Category 4 hurricane on the
Saffir-Simpson Hurricane ScaleThe Saffir–Simpson Hurricane Scale is a classification used for most Western Hemisphere tropical cyclones that exceed the intensities of tropical depressions and tropical storms. The scale divides hurricanes into five categories distinguished by the intensities of their sustained winds...
just before making landfall on southwestern
HaitiHaiti , officially the Republic of Haiti , is a Creole- and French-speaking Caribbean country. Along with the Dominican Republic, it occupies the island of Hispaniola, in the Greater Antillean archipelago...
on October 4. It drifted westward through
CubaThe Republic of Cuba is an island country in the Caribbean. It consists of the island of Cuba, the Isla de la Juventud, and several archipelagos. Havana is the largest city in Cuba and the country's capital. Santiago de Cuba is the second largest city. Cuba is home to over 11 million people and is...
, turned back to the east, and accelerated to the northeast. Flora dropped torrential rainfall along its path, and was responsible for 7,186–8,000 fatalities and billions of dollars in damage, mostly in Haiti and Cuba.
Storms causing over one thousand deaths
| Deathssource |
Name |
Season |
| 27,500+ |
Great Hurricane of 1780 The Great Hurricane of 1780, also known as the Hurricane San Calixto II, is the deadliest Atlantic hurricane on record. Over 27,500 people died when the storm passed through the Lesser Antilles in the Caribbean between October 10 and October 16...
|
1780 The 1780 Atlantic hurricane season ran through the summer and fall in 1780. The 1780 season was extraordinarily destructive, and was the deadliest Atlantic hurricane season in recorded history with over 25,000 deaths...
|
| 11,374 – 18,000 |
Hurricane MitchHurricane Mitch was the most powerful hurricane of the 1998 Atlantic hurricane season, with maximum sustained winds of 180 mph . The storm was the thirteenth tropical storm, ninth hurricane, and third major hurricane of the season...
|
1998The 1998 Atlantic hurricane season officially began on June 1, 1998, and lasted until November 30, 1998. These dates conventionally delimit the period of each year when most tropical cyclones form in the Atlantic basin; however, the season extended through December 1 as Hurricane Nicole remained...
|
| 8,000 – 12,000 |
“Galveston” HurricaneThe Hurricane of 1900 made landfall on the city of Galveston, Texas, on September 8, 1900.It had estimated winds of at landfall, making it a Category 4 storm on the Saffir-Simpson Hurricane Scale....
|
1900The 1900 Atlantic hurricane season ran through the summer and early fall months of 1900. The season was below average, with seven tropical storms, of which three became hurricanes, two of them major.-Hurricane One:...
|
| 8,000 – 10,000 |
Hurricane FifiHurricane Fifi was a catastrophic storm during the 1974 Atlantic hurricane season that made landfall in Belize. Fifi was one of the costliest hurricanes in history, causing $3.7 billion in damages. It was also one of the deadliest Atlantic hurricanes, killing as many as 10,000 people...
|
1974The 1974 Atlantic hurricane season officially began on June 1, 1974, and lasted until November 30, 1974. These dates conventionally delimit the period of each year when most tropical cyclones form in the Atlantic basin...
|
| 2,000 – 8,000 |
“Dominican Republic” HurricaneThe 1930 Dominican Republic Hurricane, also known as Hurricane San Zenon is the fifth deadliest Atlantic hurricane on record. The second of two known tropical cyclones in the 1930 Atlantic hurricane season, the hurricane was first observed on August 25 near the Cape Verde islands...
|
1930The 1930 Atlantic hurricane season ran through the summer and the first half of fall in 1930. The season was one of the least active seasons on record, with only two tropical cyclones known to have formed during the season...
|
| 7,186 – 8,000 |
Hurricane FloraHurricane Flora is among the deadliest Atlantic hurricanes in recorded history, with a death total of over 7,000. The seventh tropical storm and sixth hurricane of the 1963 Atlantic hurricane season, Flora developed from a disturbance in the Intertropical Convergence Zone on September 26 while...
|
1963The 1963 Atlantic hurricane season officially began on June 15, 1963, and lasted until November 15, 1963. These dates then conventionally delimited the period when most tropical cyclones form in the Atlantic basin. The season was fairly average, with seven hurricanes and nine total storms...
|
| 6,000+ |
Pointe-à-Pitre Bay Hurricane |
1776 |
| 4,000 – 4,163+ |
“Newfoundland” Hurricane The Newfoundland Hurricane of 1775, also known as the Independence Hurricane, was a hurricane that hit the Colony of Newfoundland in September of 1775. It is believed to have killed at least 4,000 people, making it one of the deadliest Atlantic hurricanes of all time.-North Carolina and Virginia:On...
|
1775 |
| 4,075+ |
“Okeechobee” HurricaneThe Okeechobee hurricane, or Hurricane San Felipe Segundo, was a deadly hurricane that struck the Leeward Islands, Puerto Rico, the Bahamas, and Florida in September of the 1928 Atlantic hurricane season...
|
1928 The 1928 Atlantic hurricane season ran through the summer and the first half of fall in 1928. The season was not active, but eventful. Six tropical cyclones formed during the season. Four of those became hurricanes. Only one became a major hurricane....
|
| 3,433+ |
Hurricane “San Ciriaco”1899 Hurricane San Ciriaco, also known as the 1899 Puerto Rico Hurricane, was the longest-lived Atlantic hurricane and the tenth deadliest tropical cyclone in the basin. It was an intense and long-lived Atlantic Cape Verde-type hurricane which crossed Puerto Rico over the two day period August 8 to...
|
1899The 1899 Atlantic hurricane season ran through the summer and the first half of fall in 1899. The season was average, with 9 tropical storms, of which 5 became hurricanes and only two became major hurricanes....
|
| 2,500 – 3,107 |
“Cuba” Hurricane The 1932 Cuba hurricane was a powerful and deadly late-season hurricane during the 1932 Atlantic hurricane season. It was the tenth tropical storm, fifth hurricane and fourth major hurricane of the 1932 season...
|
1932 The 1932 Atlantic hurricane season ran through the summer and the first half of fall in 1932. The 1932 season was an active one. An early tropical storm formed in May and hit Hispaniola, causing minimal damage. A Category 4 struck Galveston, Texas and the Galveston Seawall proved its worth. A...
|
| 3,037 |
Hurricane JeanneHurricane Jeanne was the tenth named storm, the seventh hurricane, and the fifth major hurricane of the 2004 Atlantic hurricane season. It was also the third hurricane and fourth named storm of the season to landfall in Florida. Jeanne formed as a tropical depression east-southeast of Guadeloupe...
|
2004The 2004 Atlantic hurricane season officially began on June 1, 2004, and lasted until November 30, 2004. These dates conventionally delimit the period of each year when most tropical cyclones form in the Atlantic basin...
|
| 3,000+ |
“Central Atlantic” Hurricane |
1782 |
| 3,000+ |
“Martinique” Hurricane |
1813 |
| 2,000 – 3,000 |
“Central America” Hurricane The 1934 Central America Hurricane is among the deadliest hurricanes on record. Although a weak hurricane, it killed 1,000-3,000 people, mainly from landslides in Central America, and spawned eight tornadoes when it made landfall in Louisiana....
|
1934The 1934 Atlantic hurricane season ran through the summer and the first half of fall in 1934. The 1934 season was fairly quiet. However, it was a continuation of deadly seasons that had been going on since 1928....
|
| 30 – 3,000 |
“Cuba” Hurricane |
1791 |
| 1,500 – 2,500 |
“Barbados” Hurricane The Great Barbados hurricane was an intense Category 4 hurricane that left cataclysmic damage across the Caribbean and Louisiana in 1831.A possible Cape Verde hurricane, the storm slammed into Barbados, leveling the capital of Bridgetown on August 10...
|
1831 |
| 1,500 – 2,500 |
“Belize” HurricaneThe 1931 Belize hurricane was a devastating Category 3 hurricane that hit Belize City on September 10, 1931, killing an estimated 2,500 people. Although not nearly as strong as Hurricane Hattie of 1961, it remains the deadliest hurricane, and natural disaster, in Belize's history...
|
1931The 1931 Atlantic hurricane season ran through the summer and the first half of fall in 1931. The 1931 season was below average in terms of tropical cyclone formation. Nine tropical cyclones formed during the year, but only two reached hurricane status, and one reached major hurricane status...
|
| 1,168 – 2,150 |
“Caribbean” Hurricane |
1935The 1935 Atlantic hurricane season ran through the summer and the first half of fall in 1935. The 1935 season featured below average activity, but it was extremely eventful. A Category 1 hurricane in the Caribbean killed an estimated 2,150 people in the Greater Antilles and Central America. A...
|
| 2,063+ |
Hurricane DavidHurricane David was the fourth named tropical cyclone, second hurricane, and first major hurricane of the 1979 Atlantic hurricane season. A Category 5 hurricane on the Saffir-Simpson Hurricane Scale, David was among the deadliest hurricanes in the latter half of the 20th century, killing over...
|
1979The 1979 Atlantic hurricane season officially began on June 1, 1979, and lasted until November 30, 1979. These dates conventionally delimit the period of each year when most tropical cyclones form in the Atlantic basin....
|
| 2,000+ |
Florida Hurricane |
1781 |
| 1,000 – 2,500 |
Sea Islands Hurricane |
1893 The 1893 Atlantic hurricane season ran through the summer and the first half of fall in 1893. The 1893 season was fairly active, with 12 tropical storms forming, 10 of which became hurricanes. Of those, 5 became major hurricanes...
|
| 2,000 |
Gulf of Mexico Hurricane |
1780 The 1780 Atlantic hurricane season ran through the summer and fall in 1780. The 1780 season was extraordinarily destructive, and was the deadliest Atlantic hurricane season in recorded history with over 25,000 deaths...
|
| 1,800 – 2,000 |
1893 Chenier Caminanda Hurricane The Chenière Caminada Hurricane, also known as the Great October Storm, was a powerful hurricane that devastated the island of Chenière Caminada, Louisiana in early October 1893...
|
1893 The 1893 Atlantic hurricane season ran through the summer and the first half of fall in 1893. The 1893 season was fairly active, with 12 tropical storms forming, 10 of which became hurricanes. Of those, 5 became major hurricanes...
|
| 136 – 2,000 |
Hurricane San Marcos |
1870 |
| up to 2,000 |
Caribbean Hurricane |
1666 |
| 1,836+ |
Hurricane KatrinaHurricane Katrina of the 2005 Atlantic hurricane season was the costliest hurricane, as well as one of the five deadliest, in the history of the United States...
|
2005 The 2005 Atlantic hurricane season was the most active Atlantic hurricane season in recorded history, repeatedly shattering previous records. The impact of the season was widespread and ruinous with at least 2,280 deaths and record damages of over $128 billion USD...
|
| 1,662+ |
Hurricane StanHurricane Stan was the eighteenth named tropical storm and eleventh hurricane of the 2005 Atlantic hurricane season. It was also the sixth of seven tropical cyclones to make landfall in Mexico. Stan was a relatively weak storm that only briefly reached hurricane status...
|
2005 The 2005 Atlantic hurricane season was the most active Atlantic hurricane season in recorded history, repeatedly shattering previous records. The impact of the season was widespread and ruinous with at least 2,280 deaths and record damages of over $128 billion USD...
|
| 1,600 |
Martinique Hurricane |
1767 |
| 1,500 |
Mexico Hurricane |
1909The 1909 Atlantic hurricane season ran through the summer and the first half of fall in 1909. The season was average in activity but destructive. Eleven storms formed, of which six became hurricanes. Four of those hurricanes became major hurricanes with winds of greater than 111 miles per...
|
| up to 1,500 |
Cuba and Florida Hurricane |
1644 |
| 372 – 1,300+ |
Caribbean Hurricane |
1824 |
| 1,300 |
Nicaragua Hurricane |
1605 |
| 1,145 |
Hurricane GordonForming in the western Caribbean sea during the first week of November, Hurricane Gordon became the twelfth tropical depression, the seventh named tropical storm, and the third hurricane of the 1994 Atlantic hurricane season...
|
1994The 1994 Atlantic hurricane seasonofficially began June 1, 1994, and officially ended November 30, 1994. These dates conventionally delimit the period of each year when most tropical cyclones form in the Atlantic basin....
|
| 42 – 1,090 |
Jamaica and Cuba Hurricane |
1780 The 1780 Atlantic hurricane season ran through the summer and fall in 1780. The 1780 season was extraordinarily destructive, and was the deadliest Atlantic hurricane season in recorded history with over 25,000 deaths...
|
| 1,090 |
Straits of Florida Hurricane |
1622 |
| 1,000+ |
Gulf of Mexico Hurricane |
1590 |
| 1,000+ |
Barbados Hurricane |
1694 |
| 1,000 – 2,500 |
Bahamas Hurricane |
1715 |
| 43 – 1,000 |
Havana Hurricane |
1768 |
| 1,000 |
Veracruz Hurricane |
1601 |
| 600 – 1,200 |
Hurricane HazelHurricane Hazel was the deadliest and most costly hurricane of the 1954 Atlantic hurricane season and one of the deadliest and costliest storms of the 20th century. The hurricane killed as many as 1,000 people in Haiti before striking the United States, where it killed 95 people, near the...
|
1954The 1954 Atlantic hurricane season officially began on June 15, 1954, and lasted until November 15, 1954. These dates conventionally delimit the period of each year when most tropical cyclones form in the Atlantic basin, although in actuality the season continued to the end of 1954 and into 1955...
|
| 1,000 |
Hurricane InezHurricane Inez was a deadly and powerful Cape Verde-type hurricane that carved an erratic path through the Lesser Antilles, Hispaniola, Cuba, the Bahamas, Florida, and Mexico in 1966. Forming unusually far east for late in the season, Inez is among the deadliest hurricanes on record, with an...
|
1966The 1966 Atlantic hurricane season officially began on June 1, 1966, and lasted until November 30, 1966. These dates conventionally delimit the period of each year when most tropical cyclones form in the Atlantic basin. The 1966 season was relatively active with eleven tropical storms, two more...
|
Sources