Most of us weren't alive when the strongest hurricane ever touched down on U.S. soil. Here's how the top 10 worst hurricanes stack up.
The strongest hurricanes in U.S. history
So far, the 21st century has seen its fair share of devastating hurricanes, with names like Katrina, Sandy, Maria, Harvey and, most recently, Helene and Milton in 2024 and Erin in 2025. Given how much death and destruction these storms caused, it seems likely that one of them was the strongest hurricane ever to hit the United States. But based on U.S. weather records—which date back to 1880—that’s not the case. In fact, some of the strongest storms occurred before hurricanes were even named.
So which storm ranks as the worst in American history? We dove into historical records and rounded up the top 10 strongest hurricanes ever to hit the United States.
How we determined the strongest hurricanes ever to hit the U.S.
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) has no official metric to designate which hurricanes are the strongest. “Storm strength and the devastation are linked, but they’re not a perfect correlation,” says John Cangialosi, a senior hurricane specialist at NOAA’s National Hurricane Center. Media reports on the “strongest hurricanes ever” typically refer to one of two things: the storm’s central pressure or its wind speed at landfall.
Our rankings are based on wind speed at landfall. This is also the metric NOAA uses to place storms into the numerical categories we hear about in weather reports—officially known as the Saffir-Simpson Hurricane Wind Scale—ranging from Category 1 (lower wind speeds) to Category 5 (the highest wind speeds). Only four Category 5 hurricanes have hit the United States since 1880.
But remember: “It’s not like the category definitely tells you what the damage is going to be,” Cangialosi says. “It’s more complicated than that.”
What makes for the strongest hurricane ever?
It depends. “Statistically [and] historically, wind speed isn’t the biggest problem with hurricanes,” Cangialosi says. “The biggest problem is water hazards—specifically, storm surge.”
For example, when Hurricane Katrina made landfall in southeast Louisiana in 2005, it was a Category 3 storm. But as Cangialosi points out, “it hit a major metropolitan area, caused levees to break and caused a horrific storm surge,” resulting in extensive damage and loss of life—which is the part that sticks with us. Similarly, Hurricane Sandy was a Category 1 storm when it made landfall in New Jersey in 2012.
We spoke with Cangialosi and Matt Sitkowski, PhD, a meteorologist and the science editor-in-chief for The Weather Channel, to get more information. Here are the top 10 strongest hurricanes ever to hit the United States.
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Labor Day Hurricane of 1935
Category 5
At 185 mph at landfall, the Labor Day Hurricane of 1935 had the highest hurricane wind speed and is the strongest hurricane ever to hit the United States. It was also the first recorded Category 5 storm in the country’s history. As its name suggests, it hit on Labor Day in 1935, which fell on Sept. 2 that year.
The most powerful hurricane in history struck as it made its way across the Florida Keys, between Key West and Miami. After that, the storm began traveling north, parallel to Florida’s west coast, then made landfall again near Cedar Key, Florida—this time as a Category 2 hurricane—before turning into a tropical storm in Georgia and the Carolinas.
The storm’s strong winds and heavy rainfall caused an estimated $6 million in damage (or about $130 million when adjusted for inflation), including the destruction of homes, commercial buildings, crops, docks and fishing craft. The Labor Day Hurricane of 1935 claimed at least 485 lives. A little more than half of the deceased (around 260 people) were World War I veterans working on a federal relief project.
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Hurricane Camille
Category 5
When Hurricane Camille made landfall the evening of Aug. 17, 1969, along the Mississippi Gulf Coast near Waveland, Mississippi, it had a wind speed of 175 mph—or at least that’s what post-storm reanalysis data indicates. The precise wind speed isn’t known because “the hurricane destroyed all the wind-recording instruments in the landfall area,” according to the National Weather Service (NWS).
The storm’s path of destruction began with high winds in Mississippi, weakened into a tropical depression as it passed through Tennessee and finally caused massive flooding in Virginia. By the end of the storm, Hurricane Camille had destroyed 5,662 homes, 1,082 mobile homes, 775 farm buildings and 679 small business buildings, which amounted to an estimated $1.42 billion in damage. The hurricane also was responsible for 256 deaths and 8,931 injuries.
Was Hurricane Camille the worst hurricane ever? There’s no official way to determine that, but with so many deaths and such extensive damage, it’s certainly a contender.
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Hurricane Andrew
Category 5
On Aug. 14, 1992, meteorologists kept an eye on a storm emerging from a tropical wave off Africa’s west coast. Over the course of a week, it gradually progressed from a tropical depression into a tropical storm. But when it transitioned from a tropical storm to a Category 5 hurricane in about 24 hours, meteorologists knew it was one to watch.
Hurricane Andrew hit the Bahamas first before making landfall on Elliott Key (near Homestead, Florida) on the morning of Aug. 24 with a wind speed of 165 mph. The powerful storm moved into the Gulf of Mexico, then headed north, hitting central Louisiana as a Category 3 hurricane on Aug. 26. At the time, Hurricane Andrew was the costliest hurricane ever to hit the United States, causing a total of $27.3 billion in damage in Florida and Louisiana. In the United States alone, the storm and its resulting hazards caused 65 deaths.
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Hurricane Michael
Category 5
When Hurricane Michael made landfall with a wind speed of 160 mph on Oct. 10, 2018, near Mexico Beach and Tyndall Air Force Base, Florida, it became the first Category 5 storm to hit the United States since Hurricane Andrew and the fourth on record. It’s also the strongest hurricane ever to hit the Florida Panhandle. The state’s coastline saw powerful winds and storm surge, while inland areas dealt with a combination of wind and torrential rain.
Hurricane Michael moved into Georgia at Category 3 strength before dissipating to a tropical storm as it made its way through the state and into the Carolinas, leaving behind a trail of destruction resulting in an estimated $25 billion in damage. The storm and its aftermath (which included electrocutions from downed power lines and vehicle accidents on wet roads) claimed 59 lives in the United States.
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Hurricane Ian
Category 4
The remaining spots on our list of the strongest hurricanes ever to hit the United States are a six-way tie for fifth place. Hurricane Ian and the storms that follow all had a wind speed of 150 mph when they made landfall. They’re listed in reverse chronological order, beginning with the most recent.
After barreling through the Caribbean, Hurricane Ian made landfall on Sept. 28, 2022, near Cayo Costa in southwestern Florida. With a wind speed of 150 mph, the Category 4 storm was just 7 mph shy of a Category 5 classification. Along with powerful winds and rainfall, a massive storm surge caused flooding of 12 to 18 feet above ground level on the west coast of Florida.
Ian was downgraded to a tropical storm on Sept. 29, and at that point, the intense rainfall was the biggest problem, producing 1-in-1,000-year amounts in some areas—including nearly 17 inches of rain within a 24-hour period in Lake Wales in central Florida. Having crossed over to the other side of the state, Hurricane Ian regained strength in the Atlantic Ocean. It made landfall in Georgetown, South Carolina, as a Category 1 storm on Sept. 30, prompting destructive storm-surge flooding.
According to the Miami Herald, Hurricane Ian is the most expensive storm in Florida history, with damages reaching $109 billion. The death toll stands at 156 people.
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Hurricane Ida
Category 4
Just before noon on Aug. 29, 2021, Hurricane Ida struck the southeastern Louisiana coast near Port Fourchon, with a wind speed of 150 mph. Roughly two hours later, the Category 4 storm made landfall again—this time, just southwest of Galliano—and though it continued to move inland, it took another 14 hours before weakening to a tropical storm. By the afternoon of Aug. 30, it had become a tropical depression.
The wind and peak storm surge of nine to 14 feet above normally dry ground caused extensive damage in Louisiana. But it didn’t end there. As the remnants of Hurricane Ida made their way through or near much of the eastern United States—including Mississippi, Tennessee, West Virginia, Virginia, Maryland, Pennsylvania, New Jersey and New York—they caused tornado outbreaks and devastating flooding, and an estimated $75 billion in damage. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the hurricane was responsible for 91 deaths across nine states.
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Hurricane Laura
Category 4
When Hurricane Laura slammed Louisiana’s southwestern coast on Aug. 27, 2020, those in the path of the Category 4 storm were faced with the reality of dealing with a hurricane in the midst of a global pandemic. The storm made landfall in Cameron, Louisiana, with 150 mph winds, making it the strongest hurricane ever to hit the southwest part of the state (at least since records began).
Hurricane Laura’s intense winds damaged or completely knocked down homes, other buildings, trees, power lines and electrical poles. A storm surge of 12 to 18 feet above ground level resulted in extensive flooding throughout Louisiana and Arkansas. In total, Hurricane Laura resulted in at least $19 billion in damage and 77 deaths.
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Hurricane Charley
Category 4
Originating as a tropical wave, a tropical depression developed southeast of Barbados in August 2004. The storm picked up wind speed as it traveled northwest, officially becoming a hurricane as it passed over Jamaica, then curving as it continued its path heading northeast. Hurricane Charley first made landfall in western Cuba as a Category 2 storm. Though this initially weakened the storm, an unseasonably strong extended area of low pressure caused it to accelerate and develop into a Category 4 hurricane just before making landfall on the southwest coast of Florida, north of Captiva Island.
The powerful winds—and the 16 related tornadoes that hit areas in Florida, North Carolina and Virginia—caused most of the estimated $15 billion in damage. The storm surge didn’t exceed seven feet, and the areas with the most rainfall received fewer than eight inches of precipitation. In total, Hurricane Charley was directly responsible for 10 deaths in the United States, as well as four in Cuba and one in Jamaica.
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1932 Freeport Hurricane
Category 4
The 1932 Freeport Hurricane started off as a tropical cyclone, but thanks to its relatively small diameter, it was able to gain strength quickly. By the time it made landfall between Galveston and Freeport, Texas, on Aug. 14, it had transformed into a Category 4 hurricane with 150 mph winds. Powerful gusts of wind demolished entire residential areas, leaving approximately 600 families without homes.
When the storm moved inland, rain became the biggest problem, including 12 inches of rain falling in parts of Oklahoma. The 1932 Freeport Hurricane caused an estimated $7.5 million in damage; that figure includes the massive loss of crops in the region. In total, the hurricane left 40 people dead and 200 injured.
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1919 Florida Keys Hurricane
Category 4
Sixteen years before the strongest hurricane ever, the 1919 Florida Keys Hurricane hit the archipelago with 150 mph winds. From there, it moved into the Gulf of Mexico, where it maintained its Category 4 status before making landfall again between Baffin Bay and Corpus Christi, Texas. It continued through Texas, finally ending in El Paso.
What the NWS describes as “a dome of water” struck downtown Corpus Christi, resulting in a 16-foot-high storm surge. After the storm had passed and the water receded, piles of debris—some reaching a height of 16 feet and including a massive stockpile of lumber and 1,400 bales of cotton—lined the city’s streets. Additionally, oil tanks at Port Aransas were breached during the storm, causing them to spill into Nueces Bay.
The 1919 Florida Keys Hurricane caused an estimated $20 million in damage, which would be the equivalent of nearly $300 million today. The loss of life resulting from the hurricane remains unknown. Many Corpus Christi residents were swept into Nueces Bay during the storm, and even if their bodies were recovered, they were covered in heavy crude oil from the spill, making them impossible to identify. Although 284 bodies were identified, countless others weren’t—or never washed ashore. It’s estimated that a total of between 600 and 1,000 perished, which would make the 1919 Florida Keys Hurricane one of the strongest and deadliest hurricanes ever to hit the United States.
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FAQs
What was the strongest hurricane ever?
With maximum sustained winds of 215 mph, Hurricane Patricia is the strongest hurricane ever on record worldwide. Patricia made landfall as a Category 4 hurricane with winds of 150 mph near Playa Cuixmala in southwest Mexico on Oct. 23, 2015. Hurricane Patricia didn’t reach the United States, though it did cause rain and flooding.
The storm left two people dead, and damaged or destroyed more than 10,000 homes and about 100,000 acres of farmland, causing an estimated $325 million in damage.
Was there ever a category 6 hurricane?
No, there has never officially been a Category 6 hurricane, says Sitkowski. This is largely due to the fact that there’s no upper limit for Category 5 wind speed on the Saffir-Simpson Hurricane Wind Scale. Category 5 hurricanes have wind speeds of 157 mph or higher. Some meteorologists have suggested adding a Category 6 classification to the scale, but that hasn’t happened yet.
“A recent study examined what a potential new Category 6 would look like,” Sitkowski says. “We have had a couple of storms on the planet that would have hit that theoretical [Category] 6, but officially, it’s just a [Category] 5 and it has no ceiling.”
Is a 300 mph hurricane possible?
No, a 300 mph hurricane isn’t possible, says Sitkowski. “The strongest hurricanes are closer to 200 mph,” he explains. “You can get 300 mph winds with tornadoes, but this is just too high for a hurricane.”
So far, the strongest hurricane on record is Hurricane Patricia, which had 215 mph maximum sustained winds.
What’s the largest hurricane ever recorded?
Hurricane Sandy, which caused so much destruction to New Jersey, New York and other parts of the Eastern Seaboard, is the largest hurricane by diameter, according to the NWS. The wind field stretched 1,000 miles.
About the experts
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Why trust us
At Reader’s Digest, we’re committed to producing high-quality content by writers with expertise and experience in their field in consultation with relevant, qualified experts. We rely on reputable primary sources, including government and professional organizations and academic institutions as well as our writers’ personal experiences where appropriate. For this piece on the strongest hurricane ever, Elizabeth Yuko, PhD, tapped her experience as a professor and longtime journalist who often covers history and knowledge for Reader’s Digest. We verify all facts and data, back them with credible sourcing and revisit them over time to ensure they remain accurate and up to date. Read more about our team, our contributors and our editorial policies.
Sources:
- John Cangialosi, senior hurricane specialist at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s National Hurricane Center; interviewed, 2022
- Matt Sitkowski, PhD, science editor-in-chief for The Weather Channel; interviewed, 2022
- National Weather Service: “The Hurricane of 1919”
- National Weather Service: “Superstorm Sandy by the Numbers 10 Years Later”
- National Hurricane Center: “Hurricane Patricia”
- Miami Herald: “Hurricane Ian hit Cat 5 in Gulf, was Florida’s most expensive storm. Official final numbers”
- Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report: “Deaths Related to Hurricane Ida Reported by Media — Nine States, August 29–September 9, 2021”
- National Hurricane Center
- The Weather Channel: “Three Years Ago, Hurricane Patricia Became the Record Strongest Hurricane in the Western Hemisphere With 215 MPH Winds”
- National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
- PNAS: “The growing inadequacy of an open-ended Saffir–Simpson hurricane wind scale in a warming world”
