United States history - Top 5 strongest landfalling hurricanes

Many hurricanes have made landfall in the U.S., but every system is different. Here are the top 5 strongest hurricanes to make landfall in U.S. history based on the sustained winds at landfall.

Hitting September 2, 1935, almost 100 years ago, this historical major hurricane is still the most intense on record. The lowest pressure was down to 892 millibars (mb), and sustained winds were whipping at 185 mph at landfall near Long Key, Fla. Twenty feet of storm surge were recorded, which destroyed the railway along the Keys and brought down buildings. It caused $100 million in damages (1935 dollars) and more than 400 fatalities.

With sustained winds at 175 mph and a pressure of 900 mb, Major Hurricane Camille made landfall in Waveland, Miss., on August 17, 1962, as a Category 5 hurricane. Peak storm surge reached 24 feet - more than two stories high - along the Mississippi Coast.

Forecasters were preparing for a turn toward Florida, but Camille stayed on its path to the central Gulf Coast. Large ships became beached, and total destruction was reported in Harrison County, Miss.

As a small but mighty hurricane, Major Hurricane Andrew made landfall with 165 mph sustained winds in South Florida near Homestead, south of Miami, on August 24, 1992.

With its pressure down to 922 mb and winds gusting as high as 174 mph, Andrew caused extensive damage, but with almost 1.2 million people evacuating the impact area, it had a lower fatality count (65) compared to what could have been. However, the evacuation caused Florida's biggest traffic jam along I-95.

Major Hurricane Michael made landfall with winds of 160 mph on Mexico Beach, Fla., after 26 years without a U.S. landfalling Category 5 hurricane. It was also the first Category 5 hurricane to make landfall in this area of the Florida Panhandle on record.

Michael caused more than $18 billion (2018 dollars) in damages in Florida alone, and 4 percent of the Florida population was without power. Mexico Beach and its surrounding areas of the Panhandle are less developed, with plentiful pine forests making up much of the landscape. The Florida Forest Service classified 12 percent of the damaged forest region as 'catastrophic.'

With sustained winds of 150 mph, Major Hurricane Ian slammed into Southwest Florida, making landfall near Cayo Costa, Fla., on September 28, 2022. The hurricane tore through the Sanibel Causeway, the highway connecting Sanibel and Captiva islands to mainland Florida, took the lives of 149 people in Florida alone and dropped more than 30 inches of rain in Ponce Inlet, Fla.

Ian cost Florida more than $109 billion in damages with total damages for the U.S. coming to $112 billion, the third costliest hurricane on record for the U.S.