Hurricane Katrina left debris on beaches in Mississippi in its wake. | Wiki Commons Images
The 2005 storm system that caused massive flooding in New Orleans, killing more than 1,800 people, remains the costliest U.S. hurricane in terms of insurance losses, according to an Insurance Industry Institute (III) analysis.
Losses as a result of Katrina were estimated at the time at $41.1 billion, or $52.8 billion in 2019 dollars, the analysis states.
The three next most costly hurricanes all occurred in 2017, according to the III. These are Maria, which devastated Puerto Rico; Irma, which affected Florida, Georgia, Alabama and neighboring states; and Harvey, which caused damage from Alabama and North Carolina through Texas.
Damage costs for each of these three hurricanes ranged from $18 billion to more than $31 billion, according to the analysis.
Losses from Irma are still being calculated, the III reports, since business-interruption claims and other insurance cases remain open.
Atlantic hurricanes typically occur from June through November and are assigned categories from 1 to 5, based on maximum wind speeds and intensity.
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Top 10 Costliest Hurricanes in U.S. History
| Rank | Date | Location | Hurricane | Estimated Insurance Loss When Hurricane Occurred (in Millions) | Estimated Insurance Loss in 2019 Dollars (in Millions) |
| 1 | Aug. 25-30, 2005 | AL, FL, GA, LA, MS, TN | Katrina | $41,100 | $52,828 |
| 2 | Sept. 19-22, 2017 | PR, USVI | Maria | $25,000-$30,000 | $26,100-$31,300 |
| 3 | Sept. 6-12, 2017 | AL, FL, GA, NC, PR, SC | Irma | $25,000-$30,000 | $26,100-$31,300 |
| 4 | Aug. 25-Sept. 1, 2017 | AL, LA, MS, NC, TN, TX | Harvey | $18,000-$20,000 | $18,800-$20,800 |
| 5 | Oct. 28-31, 2012 | CT, DC, DE, MA, MD, ME, NC, NH,
NJ, NY, OH, PA, RI, VA, VT, WV | Sandy | $18,750 | $21,065 |
| 6 | Aug. 24-26, 1992 | FL, LA | Andrew | $15,500 | $25,867 |
| 7 | Sept. 12-14, 2008 | AR, IL, IN, KY, LA, MO, OH, PA, TX | Ike | $12,500 | $20,861 |
| 8 | Oct. 10-12, 2018 | AL, FL, GA, MD, NC, SC, VA | Michael | $9,000-$12,000 | $9,200-$12,200 |
| 9 | Oct. 24, 2005 | FL | Wilma | $10,300 | $13,239 |
| 10 | Aug. 13-14, 2004 | FL, NC, SC | Charley | $7,475 | $9,906 |
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