What was the WORST hurricane to ever hit the U.S

[Patrick99]

There's a rogue's list. Though Andrew might have been a little stronger, I think you have to go with:

1935, 1928, 1926 and 1900.

Neither Andrew nor Camille killed, drowned, and maimed the way these did. In most ways, though, the casualties of 1935, 1928, and 1900 were victims of the times.

The 1926 storm....if that hit today, I suspect Miami Beach and all those multi-million dollar condos would be utterly flattened/blown out.

At any rate, it's hard to vote against a 200 mph hurricane, but I'll go with 1926.

[SouthernWx]

Bingo. Same reason I voted for it. Also think about this; with the rampant real estate speculation on BOTH coasts of Florida, what would happen if a Cat 4 or Cat 5 storm (bigger than Andrew) hit either coast? That's right, it would wipe out billions of "investment" dollars and probably kill thousands.

The people down here just are not ready for a major hurricane in the Tampa-St. Pete or Miami to West Palm Beach corridors.

I agree....the economic impact of a very large and intense hurricane (similar in size & intensity as Carla and Hugo @ landfall) making a direct hit into Miami/Ft Lauderdale or Tampa/ St Pete would IMO be catastrophic.

PW

[Patrick99]

[/quote]

Bingo. Same reason I voted for it. Also think about this; with the rampant real estate speculation on BOTH coasts of Florida, what would happen if a Cat 4 or Cat 5 storm (bigger than Andrew) hit either coast? That's right, it would wipe out billions of "investment" dollars and probably kill thousands.
quote]

Well, there was Charley and Andrew......but from all accounts, those 1926 and 1928 storms were Floyd-ian or Gilbert-ian in size. Didn't the 1926 storm basically rake the entire east coast of Florida, all the way up to the Georgia border?

[Dean4Storms]

I'm sorry, even though the Galveston storm caused so many deaths it was due more to the date in time that it occured and not so much the storms fury.

I try and look at it in todays terms. If Camille even struck today it would be unimaginable, especially if she struck a very populated Metro area.

Which storm in Galveston today would you rather have facing you, the 1900 or 1935 storm or Camille with winds over 200mph?

[johngaltfla]

If I remember my hurricane history correctly, the hurricane force winds extended almost to Jacksonville with this storm and cause severe damage from Miami up to the Jupiter/Melbourne area. I'm too lazy to dig my book on Florida Hurricane History right now as I can't wait to hear Radio NHCWX tonight...what a discussion that ought to be!

[Sanibel]

You wouldn't think it, but it is probably Agnes or Betsy. The flooding they caused up the east coast caused widespread destruction.

If my theory is wrong I guess Okeechobee.

[timNms]

I voted for Camille. The main reason I chose Camille was because she struck during an era in which there was at least some technology available that forewarned people of her approach.
Another reason for my Camille vote was the incredible flooding she caused well inland.

During the era of the Galveston Hurricane and the Labor Day Hurricane, people had little, if no warning that a storm was approaching. While the death toll from both was great, imagine what would have happened in Mississippi had there been no warning of Camille's approach! As it stands now, they only had about 12 hours to evacuate. But that, in my opinion, saved numerous lives.

Each storm on the list is memorable. Frederic, although landfall was near the Alabama/Mississippi line, was a force to recon with even where I live. I remember driving to Jones County Junior College in Ellisville, MS after Frederic and seeing numerous, huge pecan trees uprooted from the storm.
Elena was a strange one! The storm could not make up her mind where she wanted to make landfall. The gave people from the panhandle to the mississippi coast a big headache.
Betsy has got to be the weirdest track I've seen! From what my mom says, she wasn't anything to play around with either.

[Shoshana]

As I read it, the question wasn't

Which storm in history if it occurred today at "x" location would cause the most destruction?

It asks What was the WORST hurricane to ever hit the U.S

Pretty straightforward question.

'shana

[timNms]

As I read it, the question wasn't

Which storm in history if it occurred today at "x" location would cause the most destruction?

It asks What was the WORST hurricane to ever hit the U.S

Pretty straightforward question.

'shana

Imagine that! I read the same thing you did

[KeyLargoDave]

I voted Galveston. When I think "worst," it just has to mean the greatest loss of life. That puts Mitch in a category of it's own (although not in the U.S., but lives lost are lives lost). Lake Okeechobee hurricane was pretty bad too, estimated 2000 dead, but could have been higher.

[Matt-hurricanewatcher]

Where is Dennis?

[Jim Cantore]

When I think "worst," it just has to mean the greatest loss of life

to be considered worst I'd think catastrophic damage and loss of life would have to be conbined

[Sanibel]

They say thousands more could have died during the Okeechobee storm, but they were minority crop pickers who weren't counted on records back in those days.

If you saw the 'Storm Stories' episode on this storm it sent a wall of surge into a vast area of flat Florida that carried away houses in the tide well inland (like 50 miles inland).

[Jim Cantore]

that storm was like one of a kind and it doesn't get the credit it deserves being overshadowed by galveston and labor day

[AussieMark]

the 1926 Miami Hurricane as in 1926 it killed the Florida boom period.

100's and 100's of miles were left devastated by this Hurricane.

Imagine it hitting today. The damage bill would be comparable to some earthquake damage bills.

we are talking at least $100 Billion which is how much Kobe quake of 1995 cost

[CentralFlGal]

I'm stuck between Camille and San Felipe/Okeechobee... Can't decide which was worse.

[facemane]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Great_Miami_Hurricane

The 1926 Miami Hurricane gets my vote. If it were to take the same track
today,it's estimated nearly 100 billion dollars in damages would occur.

[BayouVenteux]

I voted for the Great Miami hurricane of 1926....because it's impact on Americans went far beyond deaths and damage in south Florida and the Florida panhandle & Alabama.....it affected every single American in one way or another.

The 1926 hurricane was the "final nail in the coffin" for the Florida economic boom turned bust; the ramifications of which were contributing factors that led three years later to the "Black Friday" collapse on Wall Street...leading to the Great Depression (which created the desperate conditions ripe for Hitler's rise to power...which lit the fuse for World War II

All in all, the Great Miami hurricane may have contributed to more deaths, heartache, fear, and despair for people on earth than any other Atlantic hurricane in history....

PW

Excellent historical perspective (as always!) Perry, and one that IMHO, justifies the '26 storm as "the worst" in U.S. history hands down. While other storms may have been more powerful in the physical sense, i.e. the '35 Keys storm, and Camille, "The Great Miami Hurricane" produced ripple effects, that as you pointed out, had repercussions extending far beyond the direct storm-related damage and casualties.

[GalvestonDuck]

It was a tough choice, but I chose the 1926 Miami hurricane, which, had it hit today, would be the most expensive hurricane ever. The Galveston hurricane, had it hit today, wouldn't have killed 9000 people. Of course, Andrew, Labor Day 1935, Long Island Express, and Camille are close.

If the Galveston hurricane hit today...and had NOT hit in 1900...this island most likely would still be a major port city and financial center, like it was back then -- "The Wall Street of the South." Thus, the damage (cost-wise) *could* have been astronomical. However, the 1900 Storm did hit, so there's no way we'll ever known what this island really could have been like today.

As far as deaths go, yeah...no doubt we'll haul it out before a storm hits. But that's only because of lessons learned from the past.

Edit -- proof that it pays to read all posts before replying. Thanks, Susan...you said it well.

[KeyLargoDave]

Sanibel, good points about Okeechobee. And that surge was from a <i>lake</i>, had nothing to do with the coast. Of course, it's the biggest lake after the great lakes, and it sloshed like a giant saucer over a low-lying area. That's the storm that gives New Orleans officials nightmares about Lake Ponchartrain, if they ever get the left side of a major hurricane; the right side would be worse for Slidel.