What's Been Deadliest In US Hurricanes, Tropical Storms Lately May Surprise You

U​.S. deaths from hurricanes and tropical storms in recent years have most often been due to drownings in areas flooded from heavy rainfall, according to a recent study, illustrating the heightened danger of water rather than wind.

T​he sobering statistics: Since 2013, more than half of the fatalities in the U.S. directly from a tropical storm or hurricane have been due to rainfall flooding. That's according to statistics shared in an August 2023 blog post from the National Hurricane Center.

B​y direct fatalities, the NHC means those deaths occurring due to the forces of the storm, rather than in the storm's aftermath days or weeks later.

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Recent cases: In 2017, flooding from Hurricane Harvey's record smashing rain claimed 65 of 68 direct deaths in the U.S., all in Texas, according to the NHC report.

T​he following year, Hurricane Florence was directly responsible for 22 deaths in the Carolinas and Virginia. Seventeen of those were from rainfall flooding.

A​nd in 2001, Tropical Storm Allison and its remnant flooded out the upper Texas coast, including Houston, before tracking through the Southeast. Of the 41 direct deaths, 27 of those were from flooding after torrential rain.

Water, not wind: Taken together, 86% of direct hurricane or tropical storm fatalities in the U.S. since 2013 have been from water impacts such as rainfall flooding, storm surge and rip currents.

O​nly 12% of the fatalities were from wind, even though tropical storm and hurricane intensity is classified based on wind.

However, a​s the NHC study emphasized, every storm is different.

H​urricane Ian's storm surge of up to 15 feet in Florida was responsible for 41 of the 66 deaths directly attributed to the storm in September 2022.

Not just on the coast: Hurricanes and tropical storm impacts aren't usually confined to the coast. That's particularly true with rainfall.

I​n 2021, Hurricane Ida made a Cat. 4 landfall in southeast Louisiana. But three days after landfall, Ida's remnants squeezed out torrential rain in the Northeast, triggering deadly flash flooding, particularly in New York City.

O​f the 55 deaths directly attributed to Ida, 49 were in the Northeast from flooding. Victims drowned in cars, were swept away by floodwater and were trapped in homes or apartments.

S​afety takeaways: The 2024 Atlantic hurricane season is expected to be extremely active, including a higher threat of U.S. hurricane landfalls.

Whether a tropical depression, storm, hurricane, or a remnant, pay as much attention to the rainfall potential of a storm as its winds.

M​uch as residents closer to the coast make a hurricane plan, make sure you have a plan for flash flooding, particularly if you live near a river, creek, or other flash flood-prone area.

Have multiple ways of receiving warnings from the National Weather Service, including via The Weather Channel app, and never drive into a flooded road.

M​ORE ON WEATHER.COM

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Jonathan Erdman is a senior meteorologist at weather.com and has been covering national and international weather since 1996. His lifelong love of meteorology began with a close encounter with a tornado as a child in Wisconsin. He completed a Bachelor's degree in physics at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, then a Master's degree working with dual-polarization radar and lightning data at Colorado State University. Extreme and bizarre weather are his favorite topics. Reach out to him on X (formerly Twitter), Threads, Facebook and Bluesky.