Galveston hurricane of 1900 People searching through the wreckage of the 1900 hurricane in Galveston, Texas. (more) Deadliest Hurricanes in the U.S. Ask the Chatbot a Question More Actions Share Share Share to social media Facebook X URL https://www.britannica.com/science/Deadliest-Hurricanes-in-the-US Feedback Corrections? Updates? Omissions? Let us know if you have suggestions to improve this article (requires login). Feedback Type Select a type (Required) Factual Correction Spelling/Grammar Correction Link Correction Additional Information Other Your Feedback Submit Feedback Thank you for your feedback Our editors will review what you’ve submitted and determine whether to revise the article.

　　External Websites Ask the Chatbot a Question Written by The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica Encyclopaedia Britannica's editors oversee subject areas in which they have extensive knowledge, whether from years of experience gained by working on that content or via study for an advanced degree.... The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica Last Updated: Aug 19, 2025 • Article History Table of Contents Table of Contents Ask the Chatbot { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@type": "FAQPage", "mainEntity": [ { "@type" : "Question", "name" : " What is the deadliest hurricane in U.S. history? ", "acceptedAnswer" : { "@type" : "Answer", "text" : "The deadliest hurricaneu2014as well as the deadliest natural disasteru2014in U.S. history is the Galveston hurricane of 1900. The category 4 hurricane struck the Texas city on September 8 and killed more than 8,000 people. (At the time, Galvestonu2019s total population was approximately 40,000.)" } } , { "@type" : "Question", "name" : " When is hurricane season? ", "acceptedAnswer" : { "@type" : "Answer", "text" : "The hurricane season for the Atlantic Ocean is June 1 through November 30. However, hurricanes can strike months outside this window. According to the U.S. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, the earliest known Atlantic hurricane occurred on March 6u20139, 1908. The category 2 hurricane struck the Leeward Islands. The islands were also the target of a hurricane that was the latest to form. Hurricane Alice developed on December 31, 1954, and continued until January 5, 1955. It is the only known Atlantic hurricane to span two calendar years." } } ] } Top Questions What is the deadliest hurricane in U.S. history? The deadliest hurricane—as well as the deadliest natural disaster—in U.S. history is the Galveston hurricane of 1900. The category 4 hurricane struck the Texas city on September 8 and killed more than 8,000 people. (At the time, Galveston’s total population was approximately 40,000.)

　　When is hurricane season? The hurricane season for the Atlantic Ocean is June 1 through November 30. However, hurricanes can strike months outside this window. According to the U.S. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, the earliest known Atlantic hurricane occurred on March 6–9, 1908. The category 2 hurricane struck the Leeward Islands. The islands were also the target of a hurricane that was the latest to form. Hurricane Alice developed on December 31, 1954, and continued until January 5, 1955. It is the only known Atlantic hurricane to span two calendar years.

　　Hurricanes are the deadliest weather-related disasters in the United States. Since 1930 approximately 10,000 people have died as a direct result of these storms—though some experts have suggested that hurricanes have indirectly contributed to the deaths of millions. The Galveston hurricane of 1900 is the deadliest on record, killing more than 8,000 people. Next on the list is Hurricane Maria, which struck the U.S. territory of Puerto Rico in 2017. While there is some uncertainty about Maria’s death toll, the official count is 2,975. Below is a table of other deadly hurricanes in U.S. history. ...(100 of 95 words)

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