States across the U.S. have been battered by extreme weather.
As Texas begins to rebound from Hurricane Harvey and as Hurricane Irma retreats from Florida, there can be little doubt to how our weather is causing costly property damage.
Certain forecasters believe Irma may produce more damage and insured losses than Harvey. Whatever the result may be, the insurance industry is certain to feel the effects.
The U.S. has a strong history dealing with extreme weather. Certain states have garnered reputations for events such as earthquakes or wildfires. But as Hurricanes Harvey and Irma have shown, extreme weather is moving into unprecedented territories and producing catastrophic results.
The estimated insured loss from the following hurricanes only account for property coverage and excludes flood damage covered by the National Flood Insurance Program.
Courtesy of the Insurance Information Institute, here are 10 costliest hurricanes to hit the U.S.:
After Hurricane Frances brought heavy rain and flood, a mud slide pours onto Interstate 40 in North Carolina. (Photo: Associated Press/Chuck Burton)
|10. Hurricane Frances
Date: Sept. 3-9, 2004.
Location(s): Florida, Georgia, North Caroline, New York, South Carolina.
Dollars when occurred (in millions): $4,595.
In 2015 dollars (in millions): $5,660.
Holly Beach in Louisiana is completely destroyed after Hurricane Rita hit the resort town. (Photo: Associated Press/Nati Harnik)
|9. Hurricane Rita
Date: Sept. 20-26, 2005.
Location(s): Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Louisiana, Mississippi, Tennessee, Texas.
Dollars when occurred (in millions): $5,627.
In 2015 dollars (in millions): $6,715.
Parts of buildings clutter the streets of Charleston, South Carolina, after Hurricane Hugo flew through the city. (Photo: Associated Press/Lou Krasky)
|8. Hurricane Hugo
|Date: Sept. 17,22, 1989.
Location(s): Georgia, North Carolina, Puerto Rico, South Caroline, U.S. Virgin Islands, Virginia.
Dollars when occurred (in millions): $4,195.
In 2015 dollars (in millions): $7,152.
Residents walk through Perdido Keys, Florida, to find homes destroyed following Hurricane Ivan. (Photo: Associated Press/Eric Gay)
|7. Hurricane Ivan
Date: Sept. 15-21, 2004.
Location(s): Alabama, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Louisiana, Maryland, Mississippi, North Carolina, New Jersey, New York, Ohio, Pennslyvania, Tennessee, Virginia, West Virginia.
Dollars when occurred (in millions): $4,195.
In 2015 dollars (in millions): $7,152.
Homes in Arcadia, Florida, are still abandoned or requiring repairs in 2008, pictured above, four years after Hurricane Charley arrived. (Photo: Associated Press/Chris O'Meara)
|6. Hurricane Charley
Date: Aug. 13-14, 2004.
Location(s): Florida, North Carolina, South Carolina.
Dollars when occurred (in millions): $7,475.
In 2015 dollars (in millions): $9,207.
A motorist drives past a ravaged street in Hialeah, Florida. (Photo: Associated Press/Alan Diaz)
|5. Hurricane Wilma
Date: Oct. 24, 2005.
Location(s): Florida.
Dollars when occurred (in millions): $10,300.
In 2015 dollars (in millions): $12,292.
A pile of debris is piled on the seawall road after Hurricane Ike hit the Texas coast in Galveston. (Photo: Associated Press/Matt Slocum)
|4. Hurricane Ike
Date: Sept. 12-14, 2008.
Location(s): Arkansas, Illinios, Indiana, Kentucky, Louisiana, Missouri, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Texas.
Dollars when occurred (in millions): $12,500.
In 2015 dollars (in millions): $13,826.
Beachfront homes in Staten Island are ravaged following Hurricane Sandy's arrival. (Photo: Associated Press/John Minchillo)
|3. Hurricane Sandy
Date: Oct. 28-31, 2012.
Location(s): Connecticut, Washington D.C., Delaware, Maine, Maryland, Maine, North Carolina, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Virginia, Vermont, West Virginia.
Dollars when occurred (in millions): $18,750.
In 2015 dollars (in millions): $19,563.
Related: Harvey: A Teaching Moment
Two decades after Hurricane Andrew's arrival, a park in Homestead, Florida, was never rebuilt. (Photo: Associated Press/J Pat Carter)
|2. Hurricane Andrew
Date: Aug. 24-26, 1992.
Location(s): Florida, Louisiana.
Dollars when occurred (in millions): $15,500.
In 2015 dollars (in millions): $24,111.
10 years later, attendees remember Hurricane Katrina's impact along the Mississippi Gulf Coast. (Photo: Associated Press/Rogelio V. Solis)
|1. Hurricane Katrina
Date: Aug. 25-30, 2005.
Location(s): Alabam, Florida, Georgia, Louisiana, Mississippi, Tennessee.
Dollars when occurred (in millions): $41,100.
In 2015 dollars (in millions): $49,047.
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Denny Jacob
Denny Jacob is an associate editor for NU PropertyCasualty360. Contact him at [email protected].
