With a new year comes the federal government's annual rankings of the most expensive in U.S. history.
The latest list was released Jan. 9, but even though 2023 was for tropical cyclones in the Atlantic basin, none of its 20 named storms cracked the Top 10 list. Indeed, only three made landfall in the United States, and only one of those did so at hurricane strength.
The bases its damage estimates on reports from federal and state government agencies, the insurance industry and other sources.
Of the 10 costliest storms in U.S. history, all but one have come in the past 20 years, further evidence of . The Top 10 storms hit Florida (5), Louisiana (3) and Texas (2), as well as Alabama, Georgia, Mississippi, Puerto Rico, New Jersey and South Carolina. Several of them — hurricanes Katrina and Andrew, for example — hit more than one state.
But it’s not just coastal states where damage mounts. Once a hurricane comes ashore and weakens, it is cut off from the warm seawater that fuels it but still carries immense amounts of moisture. As it moves hundreds of miles inland and tears apart, it continues to dump that moisture in the form of phenomenal rain that floods creeks and rivers, causing even more damage.
Ranked here, by estimated damage in 2023 dollars, are what the National Centers for Environmental Information consider to be the :
10. Ivan, 2004, $33.2 billion
 made landfall as a Category 3 hurricane just west of Gulf Shores, Alabama, on Sept. 16, 2004. It weakened as it moved inland, producing more than 100 tornadoes and heavy rain across much of the southeastern United States, before merging with a frontal system over the Delmarva Peninsula on Sept. 18.
Then an extratropical low-pressure remnant of Ivan drifted southward in the western Atlantic for several days, crossed southern Florida and re-entered the Gulf of Mexico on Sept. 21. It became a tropical storm, then weakened into a tropical depression before blowing into southwest Louisiana on Sept. 24.
Hurricane Ivan made landfall as a Category 3 hurricane just west of Gulf Shores, Alabama, on Sept. 16, 2004. It weakened as it moved inland, producing more than 100 tornadoes and heavy rain across much of the southeastern United States.
9. Ike, 2008, $42 billion
 came ashore at the north end of Galveston Island, Texas, on Sept. 13, 2008, as a Category 2 hurricane. It weakened as it moved inland across eastern Texas, Arkansas and the Mississippi River Valley but was still gusting with hurricane-force winds into the Ohio River Valley and on to Canada.
Hurricane Ike came ashore at the north end of Galveston Island, Texas, on Sept. 13, 2008, as a Category 2 hurricane. It weakened as it moved inland across eastern Texas, Arkansas and the Mississippi River Valley but was still gusting with hurricane-force winds into the Ohio River Valley and on to Canada.
8. Andrew, 1992, $58.9 billion
 blasted south Florida on Aug. 24, 1992, making landfall at Homestead as Category 5 hurricane. It moved west in the Gulf of Mexico, curved north and came ashore in Louisiana as a Category 3 hurricane near Morgan City.
Hurricane Andrew blasted south Florida on Aug. 24, 1992, making landfall at Homestead as Category 5 hurricane. It moved west in the Gulf of Mexico, curved north and came ashore in Louisiana as a Category 3 hurricane near Morgan City.
7. Irma, 2017, $62 billion
 was big, slow and long-lived. It made its first U.S. landfall at Cudjoe Key, Florida, as a Category 4 storm on Sept. 10, then tracked through Florida's Big Bend, southwest Georgia and southeast Alabama.
Hurricane Irma made its first U.S. landfall at Cudjoe Key, Florida, as a Category 4 storm on Sept. 10, then tracked through Florida's Big Bend, southwest Georgia and southeast Alabama.
6. Ida, 2021, $82.4 billion
roared into Louisiana near Port Fourchon on Aug. 29 with winds of 150 mph, a Category 4 storm, tying it for the strongest hurricane . Its wind and storm surge caused catastrophic damage along the coast and destroyed buildings well inland in southeast Louisiana and south Mississippi.
Hurricane Ida roared into Louisiana near Port Fourchon on Aug. 29, 2021, with winds of 150 mph, a Category 4 storm. Its wind and storm surge caused catastrophic damage along the coast and destroyed buildings well inland in southeast Louisiana and south Mississippi.
5. Sandy, 2012, $86.5 billion
At its strongest,  was a Category 3 hurricane in the Atlantic Ocean. But by the time its eye crossed inland at Brigantine, New Jersey, on Oct. 29, 2012, it had lost hurricane status.
Nonetheless, it wreaked havoc throughout the New York City area. Its effects extended as far west as Wisconsin, and it even caused blizzards in western North Carolina and West Virginia.
At its strongest, Hurricane Sandy was a Category 3 hurricane in the Atlantic Ocean. But by the time its eye crossed inland at Brigantine, New Jersey, on Oct. 29, 2012, it had lost hurricane status, yet it wreaked havoc throughout the New York City area.
4. Maria, 2017, $111.6 billion
In just 18 hours,  intensified from a Category 1 to a Category 5 hurricane before slipping to Category 4 on Sept. 20 and making landfall at Yabucoa, Puerto Rico.
3. Ian, 2022, $116.3 billion
powered up the Caribbean Sea into a Category 4 storm by the time it struck the Florida Gulf Coast, at Cayo Costa, on Sept. 28. It pushed a wall of water 12 to 18 feet high into parts of the coast, and dropped as much as 15 inches of rain in 12 hours in some places. It charged northeast across the the Florida peninsula, entered the Atlantic Ocean and, as a Category 1 hurricane, made a second landfall on Sept. 30 near Georgetown, South Carolina.Â
 hit the Florida Gulf Coast as a Category 4 storm on Sept. 28. It charged northeast across the the Florida pennisula, entered the Atlantic Ocean and, as a Category 1 hurricane, made a second landfall Sept. 30 near Georgetown, South Carolina.Â
2. Harvey, 2017, $155 billion
 was the first major hurricane to strike the middle Texas coast in 47 years. It came ashore Aug. 25 at San Jose Island as a Category 4 storm then hit the mainland towns of Rockport and Fulton.
The storm slowed then meandered over land near the coast for two days before moving offshore. As a tropical storm, it made another landfall in Louisiana at Cameron on Aug 30.
Harvey was the first major hurricane to strike the middle Texas coast in 47 years. It came ashore Aug. 25 at San Jose Island as a Category 4 storm then hit the mainland towns of Rockport and Fulton. It meandered over land near the coast for two days before moving offshore then, as a tropical storm, made another landfall in Louisiana at Cameron on Aug 30.
1. Katrina, 2005, $195 billion
By far the costliest hurricane in U.S. history,  made landfall Aug. 25, 2005, as a Category 1 storm near the Dade-Broward County line in Florida. It entered the Gulf of Mexico and strengthened to Category 5, then fell to Category 3 by the time it roared ashore Aug. 29 in Louisiana at . It made a third landfall near the Louisiana-Mississippi line before moving into the Tennessee River Valley.
Much of Katrina's destruction was due to the failure of federal levees in New Orleans.
By far the costliest hurricane in U.S. history, Hurricane Katrina made landfall Aug. 25, 2005, as a Category 1 storm near the Dade-Broward County line in Florida. It entered the Gulf of Mexico and strengthened to Category 5, then fell to Category 3 by the time it roared ashore Aug. 29 in Louisiana at . It made a third landfall near the Louisiana-Mississippi line. Much of Katrina's destruction was due to the failure to federal levees in New Orleans.
