Hurricane Season 2026: The Most Destructive Storms in Recent History

By Sam Stebbins  •  June 2, 2026
Hurricane as seen from space
Photo by NASA on Unsplash

On Monday, June 1, the 2026 hurricane season officially began in the United States. Lasting each year from the beginning of June through the end of November, hurricane season is a six month period when tropical cyclones are most likely to form in the North Atlantic. At sea, tropical cyclones pose little risk to the American public. But when these storms make landfall in the United States, the consequences are often catastrophic. 

Tropical cyclones, or hurricanes, are the most destructive natural disasters in the United States. According to Climate Central, a non-profit research and advocacy group, the U.S. has been hit by 67 hurricanes resulting in at least $1 billion in damage since 1980. Cumulatively, these storms have left an estimated $1.6 trillion of destruction in their wake – more than half of the total damage caused by all billion-plus-dollar disasters in the last 45 years, including floods, tornadoes, and wildfires. 

This year, researchers at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration are expecting a less-active hurricane season than normal, forecasting between three to six hurricanes in the Atlantic Basin, slightly lower than the annual average of seven. These predictions are underpinned by the El Nino phenomenon, which is expected to weaken trade winds and reduce the likelihood of tropical cyclone formations this year. While encouraging, the 2026 hurricane forecast is not set in stone, and NOAA scientists still acknowledge a 45% chance of a near- or above-normal season for hurricane activity. 

Notably, 2025 was the first time in a decade that hurricane season came and went without a single major storm making landfall in the United States. Despite a promising forecast, whether or not 2026 will mark a continuation of last year’s good fortune remains an open question. 

For part one of our three part series on the 2026 hurricane season, Climate Crisis 247 identified the most destructive hurricanes in recent U.S. history. We reviewed data for each of the 67 hurricanes to have caused at least $1 billion in damage, adjusted for inflation, between 1980 and 2024 using data from NOAA. The 10 storms on this list are ranked by the total, inflation-adjusted damage they caused. Only storms that resulted in at least $40 billion in damage were considered. All supplemental data is also from NOAA.

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Photo by Hans on Pixabay

10. Hurricane Ike

  • Damage caused by hurricane: $43.2 billion
  • Deaths attributed to hurricane: 112
  • Hurricane start and end date: September 12, 2008 – September 14, 2008
  • Impacted states and territories include: Texas, Louisiana, Arkansas
  • Hurricane strength at landfall location: Category 2; Galveston Island, Texas

9. Hurricane Andrew

  • Damage caused by hurricane: $60.5 billion
  • Deaths attributed to hurricane: 61
  • Hurricane start and end date: August 23, 1992 – August 27, 1992
  • Impacted states and territories include: Florida, Louisiana
  • Hurricane strength at landfall location: Category 5; Elliott Key, Florida

8. Hurricane Irma

  • Damage caused by hurricane: $64.0 billion
  • Deaths attributed to hurricane: 97
  • Hurricane start and end date: September 6, 2017 – September 12, 2017
  • Impacted states and territories include: Florida
  • Hurricane strength at landfall location: Category 4; Cudjoe Key, Florida

7. Hurricane Helene

  • Damage caused by hurricane: $78.7 billion
  • Deaths attributed to hurricane: 219
  • Hurricane start and end date: September 24, 2024 – September 29, 2024
  • Impacted states and territories include: Florida, Georgia, North Carolina, Tennessee, Virginia
  • Hurricane strength at landfall location: Category 4; near Perry, Florida

6. Hurricane Ida

  • Damage caused by hurricane: $84.6 billion
  • Deaths attributed to hurricane: 96
  • Hurricane start and end date: August 29, 2021 – September 1, 2021
  • Impacted states and territories include: Louisiana
  • Hurricane strength at landfall location: Category 4; near Port Fourchon, Louisiana

5. Hurricane Sandy

  • Damage caused by hurricane: $88.5 billion
  • Deaths attributed to hurricane: 159
  • Hurricane start and end date: October 30, 2012 – October 31, 2012
  • Impacted states and territories include: Connecticut, Delaware, Massachusetts, Maryland, New Jersey, New York, Rhode Island
  • Hurricane strength at landfall location: Post-tropical cyclone; Brigantine, New Jersey

4. Hurricane Maria

  • Damage caused by hurricane: $115.2 billion
  • Deaths attributed to hurricane: 2981
  • Hurricane start and end date: September 19, 2017 – September 21, 2017
  • Impacted states and territories include: Puerto Rico
  • Hurricane strength at landfall location: Category 4; Southeast Puerto Rico

3. Hurricane Ian

  • Damage caused by hurricane: $119.6 billion
  • Deaths attributed to hurricane: 152
  • Hurricane start and end date: September 28, 2022 – September 30, 2022
  • Impacted states and territories include: Florida
  • Hurricane strength at landfall location: Category 4; near Cayo Costa, Florida 

2. Hurricane Harvey

  • Damage caused by hurricane: $160.0 billion
  • Deaths attributed to hurricane: 89
  • Hurricane start and end date: August 25, 2017 – August 31, 2017
  • Impacted states and territories include: Texas
  • Hurricane strength at landfall location: Category 4; near Rockport, Texas

1. Hurricane Katrina

  • Damage caused by hurricane: $201.3 billion
  • Deaths attributed to hurricane: 1,833
  • Hurricane start and end date: August 25, 2005 – August 30, 2005
  • Impacted states and territories include: Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama, Florida
  • Hurricane strength at landfall location: Category 3; Buras-Triumph, Louisiana


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