10 Most Powerful Hurricanes Reveal Disturbing Trend
This year’s hurricane season is expected to be “near or above normal.” Forecasters predict a 35 percent chance of an above-normal season, a 40 percent chance of a near-normal season, and a 25 percent chance of a below-normal season for the upcoming hurricane season, which extends from June 1 to November 30.
Some of the worst storms in recent decades have hit during “slower hurricane seasons.”
The top 10, based on estimated central pressure at the time of landfall, show that four of the most powerful hurricanes have occurred since 2005:
1. The Labor Day Storm of 1935; affecting Andros Island in the Florida Keys
2. Hurricane Camille, 1969; affecting Cuba and the southern US
3. Hurricane Gilbert, 1988; affecting the Caribbean, Central America, and the US
4. Hurricane Dean, 2007; affecting Jamaica and eastern Mexico
5. Hurricane Janet, 1955; affecting the Caribbean and Mexico
6. Hurricane Irma, 2017; affecting the Caribbean and Florida
7. Hurricane Katrina, 2005; affecting Louisiana, Mississippi, and Alabama
8. Hurricane Maria, 2017: affecting Puerto Rico and northeastern Caribbean islands
9. Hurricane Andrew, 1992; affecting Bermuda, Puerto Rico, Florida and Louisiana
10. The Great Indianola Hurricane of 1886; affecting southeastern Texas
Click for the full list or see history’s deadliest natural disasters.