Photos: The worst hurricanes in American history

Galveston Hurricane, 1900: With a population of 40,000, the booming port of Galveston was the largest city in Texas when this Category 4 storm hit. The Great Galveston Hurricane would go down as the deadliest natural disaster in U.S. history, killing approximately 8,000 people and destroying 3,600 buildings.

Florida Keys Hurricane, 1919: Also known as the 'Atlantic Gulf Hurricane,' this storm sank 10 ships in the Florida Straits, drowning 500, before causing massive damage to Corpus Christi, Texas. There, the official death toll would be 287, but an estimated 600 people may have died in the 12-foot storm surge that flooded the city.

Great Miami Hurricane, 1926: The eye of this Category 4 hurricane passed directly over downtown Miami, at the time the fastest-growing city in the U.S., destroying many building and tourist attractions. Total damage was estimated at $105 million (1926 U.S. dollar value). The official death toll was 373, but it is believed up to 800 people may have perished amid the flooding and debris. The hurricane effectively ended south Florida's economic boom.

Florida Keys Labor Day Hurricane, 1935: One of the most intense storms to ever make landfall in the U.S., this hurricane caused at least 408 deaths in the Florida Keys, most of them World War One veterans working on a railroad connecting the Keys to mainland Florida. With winds of 185 mph, it was the most intense hurricane in U.S. history until Gilbert in 1988.

Hurricane Diane, 1955: Hurricane Diane's path brought heavy rains and extensive flooding from North Carolina to New York, but the worst damage was in Connecticut, where storm surge effectively cut the state in two. Diane killed at least 184 people and the name was forever retired from the list of rotating storm names.

Hurricane Audrey, 1957: Flooding an area of 1.6 million acres, Audrey is believed to have killed over 400 people in Louisiana, making it the sixth deadliest hurricane in U.S. history.

Homes are scattered around flood waters in Hatteras, N.C., Sept. 19, 2003, after flooding from Hurricane Isabel.

Hurricane Katrina, 2005: Katrina was one of the most devastating hurricanes in U.S. history, producing catastrophic damage and massive loss of life. After overwhelming the levees of Lake Pontchartrain, the storm surge flooded 80 percent of New Orleans. Overall, at least 1,245 people died in the hurricane and subsequent floods in the U.S., making it the deadliest hurricane since 1928. Displacing over one million people, Katrina would be the costliest storm in U.S. history, matched only by Harvey in 2017.

Homes remain surrounded by floodwaters in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina, Sept. 11, 2005, in New Orleans.

Superstorm Sandy, 2012: Forming into the largest Atlantic hurricane ever, with hurricane-force winds spanning 900 miles, Sandy affected 24 states across the entirety of the eastern seaboard. A total of 160 people were killed in the U.S., mostly in New York and New Jersey. The East River overflowed, flooding Lower Manhattan and several subway tunnels. Over 100,000 homes were damaged or destroyed across Long Island, Brooklyn, Staten Island and Queens. Over 2 million were left without power. Sandy was the strongest hurricane to strike New York since at least the year 1700

Fire destroys homes along the beach on Galveston Island, Texas, as Hurricane Ike approaches, Sept. 12, 2008.

Hurricane Maria, 2017: Maria would result in the worst natural disaster in the history of Puerto Rico, causing an estimated $90 billion in damage to the already economically struggling U.S. territory. Months after the storm, a research team led by Harvard University estimated the death toll at 4,645, not the 64 pegged by the island's government. The researchers estimate one-third perished because of delayed or interrupted medical care.

Hurricane Ian, 2022: Hurricane Ian was the deadliest storm to hit Florida since the 1935 Labor Day hurricane, killing 150 residents in the state. A Category 5 hurricane, Ian is the costliest storm to ever hit Florida, and the third-costliest hurricane in US history, behind Katrina and Harvey.