America's worst hurricanes

Galveston and neighbors along the Texas coast saw a direct hit by Hurricane Ike on Sept. 13, 2008. This view was at Crystal Beach, on the Bolivar Peninsula, on Sept. 18.

A single home is left standing among the debris of lost homes in Gilchrist, Texas, on Sept. 14, 2008, a day after Ike made landfall.

Key West, Fla., saw storm surge flooding when Hurricane Wilma made landfall in southwest Florida on Oct. 24, 2005. Wilma roared across the Florida peninsula, pounding Miami, Fort Lauderdale and West Palm Beach. Wilma claimed 5 lives in Florida, 4 in Mexico and 14 in the Caribbean.

Two men sit inside a destroyed mobile home in Fort Lauderdale, Fla. on Oct. 25, 2005, after Hurricane Wilma slammed across the state in about seven hours. Wilma caused $21.5 billion in property losses in the U.S.

Tens of thousands fled the Houston, Texas, area on Sept. 22, 2005, as Hurricane Rita neared landfall.

Residents of Lafite, La., on Sept. 24, 2005, had to deal with waist high flooding as well as a trailer fire after Hurricane Rita passed through the area. Rita caused $11.8 billion in property damages in Louisiana, Texas and Florida.

Survivors of 2005's Hurricane Katrina in New Orleans included this trio: Jennifer Cooper, 33, Otis Brown, 67, and Alber Jean, 50, far left. They fought their way up a highway off-ramp after escaping roof-level flood waters with a larger group aboard a motorboat.

Hundreds of New Orleans residents were rescued by helicopter and other means in the aftermath of Katrina, which made landfall on Aug. 29, 2005. Some 1,500 people lost their lives due to Katrina, which was the most expensive storm to hit the U.S.: $85 billion in property damage in Louisiana, Mississippi and Florida.

Evelyn Turner cries alongside the body of her common-law husband, Xavier Bowie, after he died in New Orleans on Aug. 30, 2005. Bowie and Turner had decided to ride out Katrina when they could not find a way to leave the city. Bowie, who had lung cancer, died when he ran out of bottled oxygen.

The storm surge from Hurricane Ivan cut off this bridge north of Pensacola, Fla., on Sept. 16, 2004.

The owner of this house on Cape San Blas, Fla., kneels to pray after Hurricane Ivan destroyed the property and hundreds more across the coast. U.S. property losses reached $15.5 billion. Ivan also claimed 25 lives in Florida and Alabama.

The streets of Titusville and other southeast Florida cities were littered with debris after Hurricane Frances made landfall on Sept. 4, 2004. High winds and rain over several days combined to makeFrances a costly storm, with damages estimated at nearly $10 billion.

This mobile home park in Ft. Pierce, Fla., was swamped by storm surge water on Sept. 5, 2004, a day after Hurricane Frances first hit the coast.

Pounding waves and storm surge from Frances left stretches of coastal roads in ruins, including this one in Jensen Beach, Fla.

Volunteer Buddy Shipp sits in the destroyed Peace River Church of Christ in Punta Gorda, Fla., on August 22, 2004. The church's roof was blown off by Hurricane Charley but church members vowed to rebuild. Property damage from Charley reached $16.3 billion.

The roof of a garage is blown onto sheriff's cruisers in Punta Gorda, Fla., on Aug. 13, 2004.

Tens of thousands were made homeless by Hurricane Andrew, including Janny Vancedarfield of Florida City, Fla., seen here on Sept. 1, 1992, in front of debris that was once his house. Andrew was the second most expensive storm in U.S. history with property damage of $48 billion.

A tornado spawned by Hurricane Andrew destroyed this home on Aug. 26, 1992.

Shrimp boats lie wrecked on the beach in McClellanville, S.C., on Sept. 26, 1989, after Hurricane Hugo hit. The storm caused $13.5 billion in property damage.

This bridge on Sullivan's Island, S.C., was knocked out by Hurricane Hugo. The main span of a swing bridge was wrenched off its foundation during Hurricane Hugo's 135 mph winds.

Senior citizens are rescued in Wilkes Barre, Pa., on June 23, 1972, after Hurricane Agnes made the Susquehanna River overflow its banks. Property damage from the storm was estimated at $12.4 billion.

Floodwaters triggered by rain from Agnes submerge homes in Pottstown, Pa., on June 23, 1972. Agnes was blamed for 122 deaths.

Residents of Harrisburg, Pa., flee floodwaters from Agnes on June 23, 1972.

A boy takes a break after returning to the remains of his home in Buras, La., on Aug. 22, 1969, four days after Hurricane Camille hit the Gulf Coast and caused nearly $10 billion in property damage.

An 85-foot boat slumps in a Biloxi, Miss., yard after Camille's storm surge carried it more than 100 yards from its moorage.

U.S. Highway 90 at Biloxi, Miss., went under several feet of water as powerful Hurricane Betsy slammed into the coast on Sept. 10, 1965. Betsy was responsible for 75 deaths and $11.9 billion in property damages.

Crowds gather graveside for unidentified seaman killed during Hurricane Audrey, which made landfall on June 27, 1957, near the Texas-Louisiana border. The storm was the seventh deadliest in the U.S., claiming at least 416 lives.

Louisiana residents clean up wreckage in the aftermath of Audrey, which ripped through the southwest part of the state as well as eastern Texas.

A large part of of Galveston, Texas, was reduced to rubble after being hit by a hurricane on Sept. 8, 1900. Between 8,000 and 12,000 people were killed and 10,000 left homeless from the storm, the worst natural disaster in U.S. history.