Most expensive October weather disasters of the last 40 years
Mario Tama // Getty Images
Most expensive October weather disasters of the last 40 years
A resident stands among damage from Hurricane Sandy in Atlantic City, New Jersey.
On Oct. 15, 1954, Hurricane Hazel made landfall on the border of North and South Carolina. Its path through the Caribbean Sea and Haiti had already cost hundreds of lives, and as it transformed from a Category 4 hurricane to a tropical storm along the Carolina coastline, it wrought an 18-foot storm surge and demolished seaside buildings and roads.
To date, Hazel is the strongest hurricane to hit the North Carolina coast. Its damage in the Carolinas was estimated to cost $163 million, equivalent to $1.8 billion in today’s dollars. It caused another $1.6 billion in damage throughout other parts of the U.S.
What was once a standout event has become more common as climate change has accelerated the number of powerful hurricanes. Beyond tropical cyclones, the U.S. is seeing more frequent billion-dollar climate-related disasters. During the 2010s, there were 131 events that caused at least $1 billion in damage, compared to only 33 in the 1980s, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.
In total, the U.S. has experienced 371 billion-dollar disasters since 1980, 18 of which began in October. April and June have been the start for the most costly severe weather events, with 55 and 54 respectively. October may not be the most intense time of the year, but the end of hurricane season and fall tornado surges in the South are frequent causes of weather disasters during the month.
Stacker used data collected by the NOAA to break down the costliest weather disasters since 1980 that began in the month of October. All cost data is listed in current dollars, and location data is included for storms based on states listed in the written report of each event.
Read on to see the most expensive events, when they happened, their costs, and the number of deaths they caused.
DON EMMERT/AFP via Getty Images
#18. Northeastern Winter Storm (October 2011)
Two men walk down a road in southern Vermont during October snowstorm.
– Disaster type: Winter Storm
– Total cost (inflation-adjusted): $1.2 billion
– Total deaths: 1
– Begin date: Oct. 29, 2011
– End date: Oct. 30, 2011
– States most affected: Connecticut, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New York, New Jersey, and Pennsylvania
John Tlumacki/The Boston Globe via Getty Images
#17. New England Flooding (October 1996)
Person on the steps of the submerged Kenmore Square MBTA station.
– Disaster type: Flooding
– Total cost (inflation-adjusted): $1.3 billion
– Total deaths: 1
– Begin date: Oct. 19, 1996
– End date: Oct. 22, 1996
– States most affected: Maine and Massachusetts
Suzanne Tucker // Shutterstock
#16. Central Severe Weather (October 2006)
Tree fallen across a road.
– Disaster type: Severe Storm
– Total cost (inflation-adjusted): $1.3 billion
– Total deaths: 1
– Begin date: Oct. 2, 2006
– End date: Oct. 5, 2006
– States most affected: Ohio, Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, Minnesota, and Wisconsin
Robert King/Newsmakers // Getty Images
#15. South Florida Flooding (October 2000)
Streets covered by more than a foot of water in a Miami neighborhood.
– Disaster type: Flooding
– Total cost (inflation-adjusted): $1.6 billion
– Total deaths: 3
– Begin date: Oct. 3, 2000
– End date: Oct. 4, 2000
– States most affected: Florida
Smiley N. Pool/Houston Chronicle via Getty Images
#14. Texas Flooding (October 1998)
Residents view flooding devastation in Cuero.
– Disaster type: Flooding
– Total cost (inflation-adjusted): $1.8 billion
– Total deaths: 31
– Begin date: Oct. 16, 1998
– End date: Oct. 24, 1998
– States most affected: Texas
Steve Campbell/Houston Chronicle via Getty Images
#13. Texas Flooding (October 1994)
Family rescued from flooding by air-boat in Houston.
– Disaster type: Flooding
– Total cost (inflation-adjusted): $2.0 billion
– Total deaths: 19
– Begin date: Oct. 16, 1994
– End date: Oct. 25, 1994
– States most affected: Texas
Ronald Martinez // Getty Images
#12. Texas Tornadoes and Central Severe Weather (October 2019)
Tornado damage to vehicles and building in the Preston Royal shopping area.
– Disaster type: Severe Storm
– Total cost (inflation-adjusted): $2.0 billion
– Total deaths: 2
– Begin date: Oct. 20, 2019
– End date: Oct. 20, 2019
– States most affected: Texas, Oklahoma, Missouri, Arkansas, Louisiana, and Tennessee
Sean Rayford // Getty Images
#11. South Carolina and East Coast Flooding (October 2015)
Residents canoe along a residential street in Columbia, South Carolina.
– Disaster type: Flooding
– Total cost (inflation-adjusted): $2.6 billion
– Total deaths: 25
– Begin date: Oct. 1, 2015
– End date: Oct. 5, 2015
– States most affected: South Carolina
Mario Tama // Getty Images
#10. Hurricane Delta (October 2020)
Flood waters from Hurricane Delta surrounding structures destroyed by Hurricane Laura in Creole, Louisiana.
– Disaster type: Tropical Cyclone
– Total cost (inflation-adjusted): $3.4 billion
– Total deaths: 5
– Begin date: Oct. 9, 2020
– End date: Oct. 11, 2020
– States most affected: Louisiana, eastern Texas, Mississippi, and Georgia
tuaindeed // Shutterstock
#9. Hurricane Juan (October 1985)
Palm tree during hurricane.
– Disaster type: Tropical Cyclone
– Total cost (inflation-adjusted): $4.2 billion
– Total deaths: 63
– Begin date: Oct. 27, 1985
– End date: Oct. 31, 1985
– States most affected: Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama, and Florida
Sandy Huffaker // Getty Images
#8. Hurricane Zeta (October 2020)
Property damage after Hurricane Zeta in Chalmette, Louisiana.
– Disaster type: Tropical Cyclone
– Total cost (inflation-adjusted): $5.1 billion
– Total deaths: 6
– Begin date: Oct. 28, 2020
– End date: Oct. 29, 2020
– States most affected: Louisiana, Alabama, Mississippi, Georgia, North Carolina, and South Carolina
Canva
#7. Arizona Severe Weather (October 2010)
Stormy skies with tornado funnel.
– Disaster type: Severe Storm
– Total cost (inflation-adjusted): $5.3 billion
– Total deaths: 0
– Begin date: Oct. 5, 2010
– End date: Oct. 6, 2010
– States most affected: Arizona
Steve Ringman/San Francisco Chronicle via Getty Images
#6. Oakland Firestorm (October 1991)
A firefighter with the Tuolumne County Fire Department fights hot spots in a destroyed house.
– Disaster type: Wildfire
– Total cost (inflation-adjusted): $7.3 billion
– Total deaths: 25
– Begin date: Oct. 1, 1991
– End date: Oct. 31, 1991
– States most affected: California
DOUG COLLIER/AFP via Getty Images
#5. Hurricane Opal (October 1995)
Two people walk around a yacht on Highway 98 in Ft. Walton Beach.
– Disaster type: Tropical Cyclone
– Total cost (inflation-adjusted): $9.3 billion
– Total deaths: 27
– Begin date: Oct. 4, 1995
– End date: Oct. 6, 1995
– States most affected: Florida, Alabama, Georgia, Tennessee, North Carolina, and South Carolina
Joe Raedle // Getty Images
#4. Hurricane Matthew (October 2016)
People survey damage in Flagler Beach.
– Disaster type: Tropical Cyclone
– Total cost (inflation-adjusted): $12.6 billion
– Total deaths: 49
– Begin date: Oct. 8, 2016
– End date: Oct. 12, 2016
– States most affected: North Carolina, South Carolina, Florida, and Georgia
Josh Ritchie // Getty Images
#3. Hurricane Wilma (October 2005)
A couple walks in flood waters along South Street in Key West.
– Disaster type: Tropical Cyclone
– Total cost (inflation-adjusted): $29.1 billion
– Total deaths: 35
– Begin date: Oct. 24, 2005
– End date: Oct. 24, 2005
– States most affected: Florida
Joe Raedle // Getty Images
#2. Hurricane Michael (October 2018)
Damage to State Road 98 in Mexico Beach, Florida.
– Disaster type: Tropical Cyclone
– Total cost (inflation-adjusted): $30.2 billion
– Total deaths: 49
– Begin date: Oct. 10, 2018
– End date: Oct. 11, 2018
– States most affected: Florida
Mario Tama // Getty Images
#1. Hurricane Sandy (October 2012)
Waves break in front of a destroyed amusement park wrecked by Hurricane Sandy in Seaside Heights, New Jersey.
– Disaster type: Tropical Cyclone
– Total cost (inflation-adjusted): $85.9 billion
– Total deaths: 159
– Begin date: Oct. 30, 2012
– End date: Oct. 31, 2012
– States most affected: Maryland, Delaware, New Jersey, New York, Connecticut, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, North Carolina, Virginia, West Virginia, Ohio, Pennsylvania, and New Hampshire
Data reporting by Emma Rubin. Story editing by Ashleigh Graf. Copy editing by Tim Bruns.
