8. The New Orleans Hurricane of 1915
The New Orleans hurricane which made its landfall near Grand Isle on September 29, 1915, came ashore as either a low end category 4 storm or a very strong category 3. Two days before the storm made landfall the Weather Bureau issued warnings for the entire east coast from Maine to Florida. The following day it extended the warnings to the Gulf Coast. As the storm approached many residents of the area heeded the warnings and evacuated, reporting a rapid rise in water levels as a result of the storm surge, which reached as high as twenty feet in some areas. Lake Pontchartrain overtopped, but did not breach its levees, though much of New Orleans was still flooded as a result.
It was reported in the aftermath the most of the damage to the city of New Orleans was caused by the high winds, with virtually every structure in the city which remained standing displaying extensive damage to roofs and other areas. Nearby Leeville was left with only one house surviving the storm. Power, phone, and telegraph service were all disrupted by downed lines, hampering the efforts of rescuers, and damage to the railyards prevented the timely arrival of supplies. In all, 279 dead around the region were accounted for, with many of the victims never being found. Some estimate the actual death toll to be much higher.