In recent years, the United States has experienced a series of devastating hurricanes that have caused significant loss of life and property damage. Hurricane Beryl, which occurred in 2024, rapidly intensified into a Category 5 storm due to exceptionally warm ocean temperatures. Despite weakening to a Category 4 before making landfall in Texas, Hurricane Beryl was responsible for at least 36 deaths and caused an estimated $28 billion to $32 billion in damages.
In 2023, Hurricane Idalia hit Florida with 125-mph winds, leaving 12 people dead and causing extensive damage across Florida, Georgia, and the Carolinas. The Category 4 hurricane was the largest to hit Florida’s Big Bend region in over a century, resulting in damages exceeding $3.6 billion, according to the National Hurricane Center. Hurricane Ian, which occurred in 2022, reached Category 5 status briefly before weakening to a Category 4 as it made landfall in southwest Florida, causing over $112 billion in damage and more than 150 deaths.
Hurricane Ida struck Louisiana in 2021 as a Category 4 storm with winds reaching 150 mph, causing widespread power outages and significant damage along the Louisiana coast. The storm resulted in at least 91 deaths across nine states and an estimated $36 billion in damages. Hurricane Zeta, which hit southeastern Louisiana in 2020, left millions without power and caused $4.4 billion in damage, with five direct fatalities reported. Hurricane Delta, also occurring in 2020, made landfall in Louisiana as a Category 2 storm, causing $2.9 billion in damages and six deaths in the U.S. and Mexico.
In 2020, Hurricane Laura made landfall in southwest Louisiana as a Category 4 storm, causing 47 direct deaths across the United States and Hispaniola and resulting in approximately $19 billion in damage. The storm brought wind speeds of 150 mph and a storm surge as high as 15 feet in some areas. These hurricanes have highlighted the increasing frequency and intensity of extreme weather events, underscoring the need for robust disaster preparedness and resilience measures in vulnerable regions.
