The 2024 Atlantic hurricane season is in full swing, with meteorologists predicting an active and potentially hazardous season.

In a forecast from April, experts at Colorado State University’s Tropical Meteorology Project noted, “We expect a well-above-average likelihood of major hurricanes making landfall along the U.S. coastline and throughout the Caribbean.”

This prediction follows a series of destructive storms in recent years, including Hurricane Ida in 2021 and Hurricane Ian in 2022.

Late September saw Hurricane Helene batter Florida’s Gulf Coast, leading to widespread flooding across the Southeast, with particularly deadly consequences in North Carolina’s mountain regions. The death toll has reached at least 238 across six states.

On October 9, Hurricane Milton made landfall as a Category 3 storm near Siesta Key, Florida, at around 8:30 p.m. Eastern Time, as reported by the National Hurricane Center.

Below is a list of the top 10 deadliest hurricanes in U.S. history, as recorded by the National Weather Service:

10. Last Island Hurricane (1856)

The Last Island hurricane claimed 400 lives after striking the Louisiana coast in August 1856. According to NOAA, the storm submerged the island’s highest points under five feet of water, destroying the resort hotel and nearby gambling venues. The storm also devastated the island’s landscape, stripping it of vegetation and splitting it in two.

9. Labor Day Hurricane (1935)

In September 1935, the Great Labor Day hurricane became the most intense storm to make landfall in the U.S., killing 408 people and causing around $6 million in damage. Most of the victims were World War I veterans working in the Florida Keys, according to the NHC.

8. Hurricane Audrey (1957)

Audrey made landfall in June 1957, striking Louisiana and Texas with devastating force. The storm’s 8- to 12-foot storm surges led to the deaths of 416 people, while causing $150 million in damage in the U.S.

7. Georgia/South Carolina Hurricane (1881)
In August 1881, an unexpected Category 2 hurricane struck the Georgia coast at high tide, killing over 700 people. This storm occurred decades before the National Hurricane Center began naming storms in the 1950s.

6. Sea Islands Hurricane (1893)

The Sea Islands hurricane hit Savannah, Georgia, in August 1893, bringing 121 mph winds and a 16-foot storm surge. According to the New Georgia Encyclopedia, 2,000 people perished, and 30,000 were left homeless. It was one of three deadly hurricanes in the 1893 Atlantic season.

5. Chenière Caminada Hurricane (1893)
This hurricane devastated the fishing community of Chenière Caminada in Louisiana in October 1893, killing around 2,000 people, with most fatalities occurring onshore. Known as the Great October Storm, it also destroyed numerous vessels and wiped out large areas of farmland.

4. Hurricane Katrina (2005)
In August 2005, Hurricane Katrina ravaged the Gulf Coast, with an estimated 1,200 deaths, including roughly 1,000 in Louisiana. New Orleans was particularly hard-hit, with extensive flooding caused by levee failures, and much of the city was submerged. Mississippi, Alabama, and Florida also saw significant damage.

3. 1928 Okeechobee Hurricane
The Okeechobee hurricane swept through Puerto Rico and Florida in 1928, claiming at least 2,500 lives. The storm caused a lake surge at Lake Okeechobee that killed 1,836 people, with additional fatalities reported in Puerto Rico and the Bahamas.

2. Hurricane Maria (2017)

Hurricane Maria made landfall in Puerto Rico in September 2017 as a Category 4 storm. Initial reports listed 64 fatalities, but a subsequent 2018 study revised the death toll to 2,975, based on excess mortality estimates. Maria’s impact left Puerto Rico devastated for months.

1. Great Galveston Hurricane (1900)

The deadliest hurricane in U.S. history struck Galveston, Texas, in September 1900, claiming between 8,000 and 12,000 lives. The storm left over 10,000 people homeless and caused $30 million in property damage, according to the NHC.