List of costliest Atlantic Hurricanes (Hitman)



This is a list of costliest Atlantic hurricanes. Hurricanes, as defined by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), are tropical cyclones—a warm-core, non-frontal synoptic-scale cyclone, originating over tropical or subtropical waters, with organized deep convection and a closed surface wind circulation about a well-defined center—in the Atlantic, Caribbean Sea, Gulf of Mexico, or eastern Pacific, in which the maximum 1-minute sustained surface wind exceeds 64 knots or greater. The list includes each of the most damaging hurricanes recorded, and it depicts the severity of the damage each system has caused. Typically, if a hurricane has caused significant damage to a particular location, its name is retired so that it will not be re-used as a name for any future hurricanes. The costliest tropical cyclone on record in the Atlantic is held jointly by hurricanes Katrina and Harvey, both of which resulted in $125 billion in property damage during the year they occurred.

A majority of the costliest Atlantic hurricanes in recorded history have peaked as major hurricanes. However, weaker tropical cyclones can still cause widespread damage. Both tropical storms Allison in 2001 and Lee in 2011 caused over a billion dollars in damage. Flooding typically accounts for about 60% of all of a storm's damages, and this is reflected in the list with Harvey and Florence, which produced catastrophic rainfall; and with Katrina, Ike, and Sandy which produced devastating storm surges. Wind damage encompasses a large portion of storm damage as well, evidenced by Andrew, Irma, Maria, and Michael. Due to their excessive damage, the names of tropical cyclones accruing at least $1 billion in damage are usually retired by the World Meteorological Organization, but this is not always the case. Hurricane Juan in 1985 was the first hurricane to cause at least a billion in damage and not be retired; its name was retired on a later usage in 2003 that did not cause over a billion in damage. Since Juan, eight tropical cyclones that caused at least a billion in damage were not retired, the most notable of which Hurricane Karl which incurred $3.9 billion in damage, and the most recent of which being Hurricane Isaac in 2012.

The first hurricane to cause at least $1 billion in damage was Hurricane Betsy in 1965, which caused much of its damage in southeastern Louisiana. Four years later, Hurricane Camille caused over $1 billion in damage as it ravaged Louisiana and Mississippi at landfall, and Virginia after moving inland. After the 1960s, each decade saw an increase in tropical cyclones causing at least a billion in damage over the last, due to increasing urban development and population. In the 1970s, four hurricanes caused at least a billion in damage; the costliest of which was Hurricane Agnes, which caused $2.1 billion in damage. The following decade featured seven hurricanes causing at least a billion in damage. In the 1990s, twelve tropical cyclones accrued at least a billion in damage, including Hurricane Andrew in 1992. The system greatly exceeded the damage figure of any preceding tropical cyclone, causing $27.3 billion in damage, mostly in South Florida. Nineteen tropical cyclones in the 2000s caused at least $1 billion in damage. The 2005 season had six billion-dollar hurricanes, the most of any season on record. Hurricanes Ivan in 2004 and Irma in 2017 caused at least $1 billion in damage in four separate countries. Thus far in the 2010s, twelve storms have caused at least $1 billion in damage, the most recent of which is Hurricane Michael, which accrued at least $8 billion in damage.

Overall costliest
This list ranks tropical cyclones within the Atlantic that have accrued at least US$1 billion in damage, based on their nominal USD damage totals. Because these numbers have not been adjusted for inflation, nor adjusted for changes in population and wealth in coastal counties, the costliness of recent hurricanes is artificially inflated compared to hurricanes of the past. This makes it hard to accurately compare the damage inflicted by hurricanes over time.

The list comprises of all actual costliest Atlantic hurricanes up to the 2018 hurricane season. All hurricanes that are from seasons 2018 onward are hypothetical. All hurricanes on this list caused at least $1 billion in damage.

* Indicates that the storm name was not retired after its usage