Well, then, you would be (gasp) wrong again. Do you *ever* research *anything?*


Last year, the National Hurricane Center tried to rank the deadliest and most expensive storms in U.S. history. If we only look at pure economic damage adjusted for inflation, then Sandy is on pace to be the second or third costliest hurricane since 1900, topped only by Hurricane Katrina in 2005 and on par with 1992's Hurricane Andrew

Costliest hurricanes, in constant 2010 dollars

1. Katrina, 2005, $105.8 billion
2. Sandy, 2012 $50 billion (est.)
3. Andrew, 1992, $45.6 billion
4. Ike, 2008, $27.8 billion
5. Wilma, 2005, $20.6 billion
6. Ivan, 2004, $19.8 billion
7. Charley, 2004, $15.8 billion
8. Irene, 2011, $15.8 billion
9. Hugo, 1989, $9.7 billion
10. Rita, 2005, $11.8 billion

Notice something striking about this list. Even after adjusting for inflation, the costliest storms have all occurred in the past decade. So does that means the hurricanes themselves have been getting more powerful and destructive of late?

Not necessarily. After all, the U.S. population has also been growing, our cities have been swelling, and our living standards are rising. That means a similar-sized hurricane will do more economic damage in a given area today than it did back in 1917. That’s why the National Hurricane Center also offers a second ranking. Here are the costliest storms since 1900 if you adjust for inflation, population, and property values. This, in other words, is what those storms likely would have cost if they hit today:

Costliest hurricanes, adjusted for inflation, population, and housing

1. Southeast Florida, 1926, $164.8 billion
2. Katrina, 2005, $113.4 billion
3. Galveston, 1900, $104 billion
4. Galveston, 1915, $71.4 billion*
5. Andrew, 1992, $58.6 billion
6. Sandy, 2012, $50 billion (est.)
7. New England, 1938, $41.1 billion
8. Southwest Florida, 1944, $40.6 billion
9. Southeast Florida/Lake Okeechobee, 1928, $35.3 billion
10. Ike, 2008, $29.5 billion

Notice that Sandy ranks a bit lower on this list. What’s more, many of the 10 most destructive hurricanes came in the early part of the century. Still, even when we adjust for all of these different variables, eight of the 30 most destructive storms have occurred after the year 2000.



[link to www.washingtonpost.com]



1. Galveston, 1900

The most deadly U.S. hurricane by far hit Galveston, Texas in 1900, killing more than 6,000 (a quarter of the island’s population) and leveling nearly every structure on the island with a 15-foot storm surge and 120 mph winds. Adjusted for inflation, the Galveston storm caused upwards of $100 billion in damage. The most tragic tale from the storm concerned an orphanage run by the Sisters of Charity, where more than 90 children and 10 sisters perished. Some of the nuns were found dead after being washed far out into Galveston Bay; they were still clasping the bodies of the drowned children they had lashed to themselves for safety.

2. Miami, 1926

More damaging to property was the storm that hit Miami, Florida in September 1926. Nearly every building in downtown Miami was damaged or destroyed by winds or the 15-foot storm surge. Many of the 400 killed perished when they ventured out during the lull that came as the eye passed over Miami, only to be caught unprotected when the ferocity returned. Researchers figure that if the same storm hit Miami today the damage totals would top $160 billion.

3. Katrina, 2005

Giving that storm a run for its money is 2005′s Katrina. Surging waters from the Gulf of Mexico broke through the levies protecting New Orleans, killing some 2,000 people and causing an estimated $100 billion in direct damage. Add in the tens of billions more spent to reinforce the New Orleans levy system since then, and Katrina could qualify as the most damaging storm ever.

4. Andrew, 1992

In 1992 Hurricane Andrew decimated Florida like a nuclear bomb, its 140 mph winds and 17-foot storm surge demolishing more than 100,000 homes in Miami-Dade County and killing 26. It caused the equivalent of more than $55 billion in damage. In the Everglades, Andrew flattened 70,000 acres.

5. Long Island Express, 1938

The worst hurricane to hit the eastern seaboard in modern times was the September 1938 monster known as the Long Island Express. The storm roared up the east coast with a forward speed of 70 mph, winds gusting to 120 mph and a 10-foot storm surge that slammed into Long Island. Because the storm was moving north so quickly residents had little warning. A Long Island movie theater, with 21 still inside, was lifted off its foundation and tumbled two miles out to sea. All inside died. The storm killed 600 across New York and New England, knocked down 2 billion trees and caused about $40 billion in inflation-adjusted damage.

6. Ike, 2008

Hurricane Ike roared into Galveston, Texas in September 2008 with winds of 100 mph. It killed more than 100 in the U.S. and devastated the coastline from Corpus Christi all the way to the Florida panhandle. At one point Ike was more t han 600 miles in diameter. Galveston was decimated, with many buildings washed away and dozens killed. Electric power in Houston was out for more than two weeks in many places (like my house). Total damage is estimated at $30 billion.

7. Lake Okeechobee, 1928

The second-most deadly hurricane to hit the U.S. was the one that hit Lake Okeechobee, Florida in 1928. Residents thought it had passed and returned home to low-lying areas only to be inundated with a surge of wind-pushed water that covered some communities under 20 feet. Some 2,500 died, many of them farm workers. If the same storm hit today it would cause an estimated $35 billion in damage.

8. Camille, 1969
Sandy Claims Tall Ship - HMS Bounty Sinks in the Graveyard of the Atlantic gCaptain gCaptain Contributor
Ten Things To Do When Markets Are Unexpectedly Closed Francine McKenna Francine McKenna Contributor

Camille hit near the mouth of the Mississippi River in September 1969 with wind speeds thought to be in excess of 200 mph. Her exact ferocity will never be known because she destroyed all wind instruments. Camille flatted the Mississippi coast and caused extensive flooding in the Appalachian Mountains. More than 250 died. Damage was about $20 billion in inflation-adjusted dollars.

9. Donna, 1960

NOAA calls Hurricane Donna of 1960, “one of the all-time great hurricanes.” She smashed up through Florida, reemerged into the Atlantic, then went ashore again in North Carolina, then skirted the coast before making a third landfall in Rhode Island. It killed 50 in the U.S. and caused $28 billion in inflation-adjusted damage.

10. Ash Wednesday Storm, 1962

The Ash Wednesday Storm of 1962 wasn’t a hurricane, but it has come to be known as one of the most destructive storms ever to hit the U.S. It is also known as the “Five High Storm” because it lingered off of New Jersey lashing the coast throughout three days and five high tides. It killed 40 and caused billions in damage in six states. In New Jersey 45,000 homes were seriously damaged. The boardwalk at Rehoboth Beach was destroyed.

[link to www.forbes.com]

So, once again, a fifteen minute search finds IDW/AA coming up short. I ask again, do you ever research anything that you pontificate about?