Systematic Atlantic best-track data curated by NOAA (HURDAT2) start in 1851, with earlier information from ship logs and colonial accounts. Global “best track” archives are unified in IBTrACS (NOAA), which merges agency datasets and extends to the 19th century, with reliable global coverage after the satellite era began in the late 1960s.
These are the same meteorological phenomenon—regional names differ by basin: “Hurricane” (Atlantic & Eastern North Pacific), “Typhoon” (Western North Pacific), and “(Tropical) Cyclone” (Indian Ocean & South Pacific). The World Meteorological Organization (WMO) uses “tropical cyclone” generically.
The SSHWS classifies storms by 1-minute sustained wind at 10 m height:
| Category | 1-min sustained wind |
|---|---|
| Cat 1 | 74–95 mph (64–82 kt) |
| Cat 2 | 96–110 mph (83–95 kt) |
| Cat 3 | 111–129 mph (96–112 kt) |
| Cat 4 | 130–156 mph (113–136 kt) |
| Cat 5 | ≥ 157 mph (≥ 137 kt) |
Source: NOAA/NHC.
The U.S. (NHC/JTWC) reports 1-minute sustained winds, often in knots for operational marine use. Many WMO members (e.g., JMA) use 10-minute sustained winds. A common (approximate) conversion from 1-min to 10-min is ×0.88, but agency methods differ; always compare within the same averaging period.
Impacts: The SSHWS rates wind only. Most deaths and damage often come from storm surge and freshwater flooding.
Notes: Fatality and damage figures—especially before the satellite era—can vary by source; ranges are shown where appropriate. USD values are typically at-year estimates; U.S. costs use NOAA CPI-adjusted NCEI figures where available.
| Storm (Country) | Year | Peak wind (mph, 1-min if available) | Fatalities | Primary cause | Landfall date(s) | Estimated loss (USD) | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bhola cyclone (Bangladesh/then-East Pakistan) | 1970 | ~115 | 300,000–500,000 | Storm surge & flooding | Nov 12–13 | — | Deadliest tropical cyclone on record. |
| Backerganj cyclone (Bangladesh) | 1876 | — | ~200,000 | Storm surge | Oct 31 | — | Historic 19th-century event in Bay of Bengal. |
| Bangladesh cyclone | 1991 | ~160 | ~138,000 | Storm surge | Apr 29–30 | ~$1.7B | Chittagong area hardest hit. |
| Cyclone Nargis (Myanmar) | 2008 | ~115 | ~138,000 | Storm surge & flooding | May 2–3 | ~$10–13B | Irrawaddy Delta devastation. |
| Odisha super cyclone (India) | 1999 | ~160 | ~10,000 | Storm surge & wind | Oct 29–31 | ~$4.4B | Category 5 at peak. |
| Storm (Country) | Year | Peak wind | Fatalities | Primary cause | Landfall date(s) | Estimated loss | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Swatow typhoon (China) | 1922 | — | ~50,000+ | Storm surge | Aug 2 | — | Historic catastrophic surge near Shantou. |
| Haiphong typhoon (Vietnam) | 1881 | — | ~>20,000 (uncertain) | Storm surge | Oct 8 | — | High but uncertain 19th-century toll. |
| Typhoon Nina (China) | 1975 | ~115 | ~26,000+ (dam-failure floods) | Flooding | Aug 3–8 | — | Banqiao/Shimantan dam disasters. |
| Typhoon Vera (Japan) | 1959 | ~160 | ~5,000+ | Storm surge & flooding | Sep 26 | ~$2.6B (1959 USD) | “Isewan” typhoon. |
| Typhoon Haiyan (Philippines) | 2013 | ~195 (1-min) | ~7,300 | Storm surge & wind | Nov 8 | ~$11–15B | One of the strongest landfalls on record. |
| Typhoon Hagibis (Japan) | 2019 | ~160 | ~100 | Flooding | Oct 12 | ~$8–10B | Widespread river flooding in Honshu. |
| Storm (Country/Region) | Year | Peak wind | Fatalities | Primary cause | Landfall date(s) | Estimated loss | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Great Hurricane (Lesser Antilles) | 1780 | — | ~22,000–27,500 | Wind & surge | Oct 10–16 | — | Deadliest known Atlantic hurricane. |
| Great Galveston (U.S.) | 1900 | ~145 | ~8,000–12,000 | Storm surge | Sep 8 | — | Deadliest U.S. natural disaster. |
| Okeechobee (Florida) | 1928 | ~160 | ~2,500–3,000 | Lake surge | Sep 17–18 | — | Levee overtop around Lake Okeechobee. |
| Mitch (C.America) | 1998 | ~180 | ~11,000–19,000 | Floods & landslides | Oct 29–Nov 1 | ~$6B | Devastated Honduras & Nicaragua. |
| Katrina (U.S.) | 2005 | ~175 | ~1,833 | Storm surge & levee failures | Aug 29 | ~$201B (NOAA, CPI-adj.) | Costliest U.S. hurricane. |
| Harvey (U.S.) | 2017 | ~130 | ~100+ | Extreme rainfall | Aug 25–30 | ~$159–160B | Historic Houston floods. |
| Maria (Caribbean) | 2017 | ~175 | ~3,000 (PR est.) | Wind & infrastructure loss | Sep 18–20 | ~$115B (NOAA) | Severe Puerto Rico impacts. |
| Ian (U.S.) | 2022 | ~155 | ~150+ | Storm surge & wind | Sep 28–30 | ~$120B (NOAA) | Florida west coast landfall. |
| Storm | Year | Peak wind | Fatalities | Primary cause | Landfall date(s) | Estimated loss | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cyclone Idai (Mozambique/Zimbabwe/Malawi) | 2019 | ~125 | ~1,300 | Flooding & surge | Mar 14–15 | ~$3.3B | One of Africa’s worst weather disasters. |
| Cyclone Freddy (multiple) | 2023 | ~165 | ~1,400+ | Flooding | Feb–Mar | ~$1.53B | Record-long-lived; repeated landfalls. |
| Cyclone Gafilo (Madagascar) | 2004 | ~160 | ~363 | Wind & flooding | Mar 7 | ~$250M+ | Very intense, widespread damage. |
| Cyclone Chido (Mayotte/Mozambique) | 2024 | ~155 | ~173+ | Wind & some flooding | Dec 15 | ~$3.9B | Very intense, widespread damage. |
| Storm | Year | Peak wind | Fatalities | Primary cause | Landfall date(s) | Estimated loss | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cyclone Mahina (Australia) | 1899 | — | ~300–900 (est.) | Storm surge | Mar 4–5 | — | Historic surge event; uncertain toll. |
| Cyclone Tracy (Australia) | 1974 | ~135 | 71 | Wind | Dec 24–25 | ~$800M (1974 USD) | Destroyed much of Darwin. |
| Cyclone Yasi (Australia) | 2011 | ~155 | 1 | Wind & surge | Feb 3 | ~A$3.5B | Severe economic losses in QLD. |
| Cyclone Evan (Samoa) | 2012 | ~115 | 1 | Wind & surge | Dec 13 | ~US$204M | Severe building losses in Samoa. |
| Cyclone Pam (Vanuatu) | 2015 | ~165 | ~15–20 | Wind & surge | Mar 13–14 | ~$600M+ | Devastated Vanuatu. |
| Storm | Year | Peak wind | Fatalities | Primary cause | Landfall date(s) | Estimated loss | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1959 Mexico hurricane (Colima/Jalisco) | 1959 | ~160 | ~1,500–1,800 | Surge & wind | Oct 27–29 | — | Deadliest known E. Pac. landfall. |
| Hurricane Pauline (Mexico) | 1997 | ~115 | ~200–300 | Flooding & landslides | Oct 9–10 | ~$7.5B (est.) | Guerrero/Oaxaca impacts. |
| Hurricane Otis (Acapulco) | 2023 | ~165 | ~50+ | Wind | Oct 25 | ~$16–20B | Explosive RI into Cat 5 at landfall. |
| Storm | Year | Peak wind | Fatalities | Primary cause | Landfall | Estimated loss | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hurricane Catarina (Brazil) | 2004 | ~100 | ~3 | Wind | Mar 28 | ~$350M | Rare South Atlantic hurricane. |
Tip: For the United States, NOAA’s NCEI “Billion-Dollar Disasters” and costliest-hurricane reports are the standard for inflation-adjusted losses.
Data vary by source (EM-DAT, national agencies, reanalyses). Historical figures are often ranges and may be revised.
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Data Source: NOAA