by Susan Klatz Beal

Created on: August 05, 2010

Modern technology and advances in the prediction and forecasting of hurricanes, including the track and potential intensity have helped weather experts and local television and radio meteorologists warm people about potential hurricanes that may be headed their way. These advance warning systems and knowledge about the type of structural strength that is needed to keep people safe during hurricanes has greatly contributed to a reduction in the loss of life because of hurricanes.

There was a time, however, when there was no technology that could warn people or any way to track the path of hurricanes or forecast the number of potentially severe hurricanes that may actually make landfall. Because of that, there have been a number of incredibly deadly hurricanes that have struck the United States.

Here is a look at the eleven deadliest of the hurricanes to make landfall anywhere in the United States.

1.) The Great Galveston Hurricane of 1900 -

This unnamed hurricane struck the Texas barrier island of Galveston on September 8, 1900. It is the deadliest recorded hurricane in American History. The storm first appeared as a tropical storm near Cuba, somewhere around September 3.

 It then traveled through the Gulf of Mexico and ultimately made landfall on Galveston island on September 8, 1900. Estimates of the death toll have varied from 6,000 to 12,000, although 8,000 is the number most often given for the total who died from that storm. Enormous storm surges of between 8 to 15 feet flooded the entire island.

A tribute to those who died in that storm was built and the bronze sculpture was placed by the sea where the storm made landfall. A sea wall was later built to act as a barrier to protect people from storm surge. That didn't seem to help much when hurricane Ike hit the island on September 13, 2008, flooding the island and pretty much rendering it uninhabitable for quite some time.

2.) San Felipe - Okeechobee Hurricane - Florida, September 16-17, 1928 -

This hurricane has earned the distinction of being the 4th strongest hurricane to make landfall on the U.S. mainland. the torrential rain cased a lake surge of the inland lake Okeechobee. The flood waters rose 9 feet, causing nearby towns to flood as well. The death toll in Florida was 1,836, however, an additional 312 people died in Puerto Rico.

3.)Hurricane Katrina - Louisiana and Mississippi - August 25 - 29, 2005 -

Hurricane Katrina made landfall in Mississippi as a category 4 storm, causing immense flooding

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