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What were the most devastating hurricanes in the last decade?

From Puerto Rico to Florida to the entire Caribbean region, these storms not only destroyed infrastructure, but also redefined the conversation about climate change and disaster preparedness.

Satellite image of Hurricane Erin (Archive).

Satellite image of Hurricane Erin (Archive).GOES/NOAA.

Diane Hernández
Published by
Diane Hernández

Over the past ten years, the Caribbean and the U.S. have faced a series of historic hurricanes that have left behind thousands of victims, millions in damage and profound lessons on climate vulnerability.

From Puerto Rico to Florida, sweeping across the region, these storms not only destroyed infrastructure, but also redefined the conversation about climate change and disaster preparedness.

Below is a list of the most devastating hurricanes between 2015 and 2025:

Hurricane Maria (2017)

Hurricane Maria caused enormous devastation in the Caribbean, especially in Puerto Rico and the island of Dominica. Also in the Virgin Islands.

  • Category 5
  • There were around 3,000 deaths in total, with Puerto Rico as the epicenter of the tragedy
  • The estimated losses are around $91.6 billion in damages.
  • It was a hurricane that, in addition to the wind, caused a collapse in critical infrastructure (electrical grid, communications) and left long-term after-effects.

Maria was one of the deadliest and costliest hurricanes in Caribbean history.

Hurricane Harvey (2017)

Part of that trio of storms that marked 2017 as one of the most catastrophic in the United States. Harvey made landfall in Texas as a Category 4 hurricane, causing extreme rainfall and historic flooding in the Houston and surrounding area.

  • Category 4
  • It estimated $125 billion in damages, making it among the costliest hurricanes for the U.S.
  • More than 100 people lost their lives.
  • Its impact was especially pronounced due to a combination of high intensity, heavily populated areas and prolonged rainfall.

Harvey was parked over southeast Texas for several days, dumping historic rainfall - more than 1,500 mm in some areas - that caused catastrophic flooding in Houston.

For these reasons, Harvey exemplifies how recent hurricanes have not only been strong, but have had increasing damage when combined with greater coastal development, increased vulnerability, and perhaps changes in weather patterns.

Hurricane Irma (2017)

Also in 2017, Irma was another major hurricane that affected multiple Caribbean islands, Cuba and later the Florida peninsula.

  • Category 5
  • Estimated damages range from $64 to $90 billion.
  • On the island of Barbuda, for example, about 95% of structures were damaged.
  • In the U.S., it generated a massive evacuation (more than six million people) and left severe infrastructure damage, especially in Florida.
  • Hurricane Irma left an estimated 130 deaths in total. At least 80 deaths were reported in Florida.

Irma highlighted the extent of damage that can be caused by a very strong hurricane (category 4/5) when it impacts areas with high population density and large coastal assets.

Hurricane Michael (2018)

Although slightly less costly than others on the list, Michael deserves mention for its intensity and historical timing of impact.

  • Category 5. Michael made landfall on the Florida Panhandle on October 10, 2018, as a major hurricane - the first of that degree to affect that region.
  • Hurricane Michael caused at least 57 deaths in the United States. Most of the casualties were reported in Florida.
  • The damage was estimated at approximately $25 billion.
  • The images of the destruction in areas such as Mexico Beach are shocking, showing neighborhoods almost entirely flattened.

Michael highlights how even hurricanes that don't reach the extremes of the larger ones can have a "spearhead" impact in areas that are not used to that level of damage.

Hurricane Dorian (2019)

Hurricane Dorian primarily affected the Bahamas, where Abaco and Grand Bahama Islands suffered catastrophic flooding and near-total destruction as the storm remained virtually stationary for more than 24 hours. It also indirectly impacted the east coast of the United States, including Florida and the Carolinas.

  • Category 5
  • Damage estimated at about $5.1 billion.
  • The hurricane left an estimated toll of at least 250 people dead, although the exact figure is difficult to pinpoint due to the scale of the devastation.
  • Dorian was one of the most powerful storms ever recorded in the Atlantic, with sustained winds of 295 km/h.

In the U.S., a direct hit on Florida was feared, but the storm veered north leaving heavy damage in the Carolinas.

Hurricane Ian (2022)

More recently, Ian represents the costliest hurricane to impact Florida to date.

  • Category 4
  • Losses are estimated at approximately $112 billion, making it the costliest hurricane in Florida.
  • 161 confirmed deaths, mainly in Florida.
  • It had a strong storm surge and caused severe destruction in areas such as Fort Myers, Sanibel, and Pine Island.

This hurricane had several dangerous trends: high intensity, high coastal vulnerability, large affected population, and flooding and storm surge effects, which exceeded 10 feet in some coastal areas.

It was the costliest hurricane in Florida's history and one of the most intense hurricanes ever recorded in the Gulf of Mexico.

Hurricane Fiona (2022)

Hurricane Fiona had a significant impact on the Caribbean and beyond, causing severe flooding and power outages in Puerto Rico and the Dominican Republic. Fiona subsequently continued into the North Atlantic, affecting Bermuda and parts of the Canadian Atlantic.

  • Category 4
  • Approximately 30 people died in Puerto Rico and the Dominican Republic.
  • Economic losses were estimated at around $3 billion in Puerto Rico; additional damage in the Dominican Republic, Bermuda and Canada, totaling several tens of millions more.
  • Although less powerful than Maria, Fiona caused severe flooding and power outages in Puerto Rico, highlighting the fragility of its electrical grid.

The weather phenomenon impacted Canada with unusual force, becoming one of the worst storm systems in its history.

The Katrina phenomenon in 2005

Hurricane Katrina (2005) was one of the most devastating natural disasters in U.S. history, leaving a profound mark in both human and economic terms. Making landfall along the Gulf Coast, especially in Louisiana, Mississippi and Alabama, Katrina caused the levees protecting New Orleans to collapse, submerging much of the city underwater.

  • Category 5 (reaching its maximum intensity)
  • More than 1,800 people lost their lives (approximately 1,833 according to official figures).
  • Economic damages exceeded 186 billion dollars.
  • The storm not only unleashed destructive winds and storm surge, but also exposed deep social, urban and emergency preparedness vulnerabilities, becoming a turning point in disaster management in the United States.

Why was Hurricane Katrina the most devastating hurricane?

Although it occurred two decades ago, no other hurricane has surpassed Katrina's level of total destruction. The disaster came not only from winds or rain, but from the collapse of the levee system that protected New Orleans.
80% of the city was underwater, and hundreds of thousands of people were displaced.

"Katrina was not just a natural disaster; it was a social and political disaster," congressional analysts said in their 2006 report.

Although more recent hurricanes such as Harvey (2017), Maria (2017) or Ian (2022) have caused close damage in economic value, none match the humanitarian and social magnitude of Katrina.

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