As of 2026-10-12, Great Hurricane of 1780 tops the list with 22,000 deaths.
- #1 Great Hurricane of 1780 — 22,000 deaths
Atlantic hurricane in 1780
The Great Hurricane of 1780 was the deadliest tropical cyclone in the Western Hemisphere. An estimated 22,000 people died throughout the Lesser Antilles when the storm passed through the islands from October 10 to October 16. Specifics on the hurricane's track and strength are unknown, as the official Atlantic hurricane database only goes back to 1851. Read more on Wikipedia.
Wikidata - #2 Hurricane Mitch — 19,325 deaths
Category 5 Atlantic hurricane in 1998
Hurricane Mitch was an extremely powerful, deadly and catastrophic tropical cyclone in 1998 that caused 11,374 fatalities in Central America, becoming the second-deadliest Atlantic hurricane on record. It was the deadliest hurricane in Central American history, surpassing Hurricane Fifi, which killed slightly fewer people in the same area in 1974. Mitch was the deadliest Atlantic hurricane in the satellite era, and the second-deadliest on record in the Atlantic, only behind the Great Hurricane... Read more on Wikipedia.
Wikidata - #3 Hurricane Maria — 4,645 deaths
Category 5 Atlantic hurricane in 2017
Hurricane Maria was an extremely powerful and catastrophic tropical cyclone that affected the northeastern Caribbean in September 2017, particularly in the U.S. territory of Puerto Rico, which accounted for 2,975 of the 3,059 deaths. It is the deadliest and costliest hurricane to strike the archipelago and island of Puerto Rico, and is the deadliest hurricane to strike the country of Dominica and the territory of the U.S. Virgin Islands. The most intense tropical cyclone worldwide in 2017,... Read more on Wikipedia.
Wikidata - #4 1931 Belize hurricane — 2,500 deaths
Category 4 Atlantic hurricane in 1931
The 1931 British Honduras hurricane was the deadliest hurricane in the history of British Honduras, killing an estimated 2,500 people. The hurricane was first detected as a tropical wave off the west coast of Africa on 29 August. Moving westward, the disturbance remained relatively weak until 6 September, when it was first classified as a tropical cyclone just west of the Windward Islands. The depression gradually intensified, reaching tropical storm intensity within the first six hours... Read more on Wikipedia.
Wikidata - #5 Hurricane Katrina — 1,833 deaths
Category 5 Atlantic hurricane in 2005
Hurricane Katrina was an extraordinarily powerful and catastrophic tropical cyclone that affected the Southeastern United States in late August 2005, particularly in and around the city of New Orleans. Katrina became the United States' costliest tropical cyclone, with an estimated $125 billion in damages. The hurricane killed 1,392 people, making it the deadliest American hurricane since the 1928 Okeechobee hurricane and is the only mainland U.S. hurricane to have killed over a thousand... Read more on Wikipedia.
Wikidata - #6 Hurricane Stan — 1,668 deaths
Category 1 Atlantic hurricane in 2005
Hurricane Stan was the deadliest tropical cyclone of the 2005 Atlantic hurricane season. A relatively weak system that affected areas of Central America and Mexico in early October 2005, Stan was the eighteenth named storm and eleventh hurricane of the 2005 season, having formed from a tropical wave on October 1 after it had moved into the western Caribbean. The depression slowly intensified, and reached tropical storm intensity the following day, before subsequently making its first landfall... Read more on Wikipedia.
Wikidata - #7 Hurricane Gordon — 1,152 deaths
Category 1 Atlantic hurricane in 1994
Hurricane Gordon was an erratic, long-lived, and catastrophic late-season hurricane in 1994. The twelfth and final tropical cyclone of the 1994 Atlantic hurricane season, Gordon formed as a tropical depression in the southwestern Caribbean on November 8. Without strengthening, the depression made landfall on Nicaragua. Later on November 10, the system began to strengthen as it tracked further from land, and it quickly strengthened into Tropical Storm Gordon, the seventh named storm that... Read more on Wikipedia.
Wikidata - #8 Hurricane Georges — 827 deaths
Category 4 Atlantic hurricane in 1998
Hurricane Georges was a powerful and long-lived tropical cyclone which caused severe destruction as it traversed the Caribbean and Gulf of Mexico in September 1998, making seven landfalls along its path. Georges was the seventh tropical storm, fourth hurricane, and second major hurricane of the 1998 Atlantic hurricane season. It became one of the most destructive storms of the season, the costliest Atlantic hurricane since Hurricane Andrew in 1992 and remained the costliest until Hurricane... Read more on Wikipedia.
Wikidata - #9 Hurricane Matthew — 603 deaths
Category 5 Atlantic hurricane in 2016
Hurricane Matthew was a powerful and devastating tropical cyclone which caused catastrophic damage and a humanitarian crisis in Haiti, as well as widespread devastation across Cuba, the Bahamas, and the southeastern United States. The deadliest Atlantic hurricane since Hurricane Stan in 2005, and the first Category 5 Atlantic hurricane since Felix in 2007, Matthew was the thirteenth named storm, fifth hurricane and second major hurricane of the 2016 Atlantic hurricane season. It caused... Read more on Wikipedia.
Wikidata - #10 Hurricane Otis — 350 deaths
Category 5 Pacific hurricane in 2023
Hurricane Otis was a compact but very powerful tropical cyclone that made a devastating landfall near the Mexican city of Acapulco as a Category 5 hurricane in October 2023. Otis was the first Pacific hurricane on record to make landfall at Category 5 intensity and became the strongest Pacific hurricane to make landfall, surpassing Hurricane Patricia of 2015. The resulting damage made Otis the costliest tropical cyclone to strike Mexico on record, surpassing Hurricane Wilma of 2005. The... Read more on Wikipedia.
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