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Where Will Sandy Rank Among These Worst U.S. Storms Of All Time?

This article is more than 10 years old.

With tropical storm force winds 1,000 miles across, Sandy is a giant, with some saying this might be the biggest storm ever to hit the eastern seaboard and one of the biggest ever to land on the U.S. Really?

Although the winds aren't that strong relative to other recent monsters like Katrina in 2005 or Andrew in 1992, indeed according to NOAA's Hurricane Research Division, Sandy has a higher destructive power than any hurricane since 1969 -- because of her massive size and the potential for flooding.

Last year's Irene flooded small parts of the New York City subway system on its way to flooding New England. This time around, meterologist Jeff Masters puts the chances of disastrous subway flooding at 50% -- a disaster that could bring tens of billions in damages.

So just how bad will Sandy need to be to rate among the worst of all time? Well she's got some serious competition. In recorded world history, she won't even register. The most deadly tropical storms haven't been hurricanes at all, but rather typhoons, which have hit Asia. In November 1970, Bhola struck what is now Bangladesh. The equivalent of a category 3 storm, its tidal surge swept low lying villages clean and is thought to have killed more than 300,000. In 1975 Nina hit China and destroyed the Bangiao dam. Flooding from the dam break destroyed other dams downstream. All told more than 100,000 died.

As for the worst ever U.S. storms, here's a run down based on data from NOAA, the National Weather Service, ICAT and others. This list, however, is an agglomeration of the most deadly, most damaging and most dramatic. It's by no means scientific, though it draws from expert research by historians and meteorologists. Dollar figures are big, round, inflation-adjusted estimates.

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

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

The worst effects of the 1962 storm were felt in the same place that Sandy is now coming ashore. In fact, on Sunday an advisory from the National Weather Service stated that Sandy could be worse.

"If you are reluctant to evacuate, and you know someone who rode out the '62 storm on the Barrier Islands, ask them if they could do it again," the bulletin said. "If you are reluctant, think about your loved ones, think about the emergency responders who will be unable to reach you when you make the panicked phone call to be rescued, think about the rescue/recovery teams who will rescue you if you are injured or recover your remains if you do not survive."

It's too late for coastal residents to run from Sandy now. Those riding out the storm now will have the cold comfort of knowing that they've had a front-row seat on meterological history. Let's hope that as bad as it may get tonight, it's not as bad as the last time a hurricane passed directly over New York City, in September 1821. According to an account from the New York Post, the storm was "throwing down chimnies, unroofing buildings, and prostrating trees in various directions. When the gale was at its height it presented a most awful spectacle. The falling of slate from the roofs of buildings, and broken glass from windows made it unsafe, for anyone to venture into the streets."

Maybe in 300 years Sandy will be right up there in the books with the Great Colonial Hurricane of 1635 or the Great Gale of 1815.

How would you tweak this list of top 10 storms? Should I have included the 1915 Galveston storm? How about Wilma, Opal and Ivan? Leave your thoughts, and first-hand accounts of Sandy's destruction below.