9. The Grand Isle Hurricane of 1909
Unlike many Atlantic hurricanes, which form off the coast of Africa and gather strength as they make their journey westward across the ocean, the Grand Isle hurricane formed in the Caribbean, south of what it now Haiti, and first caused considerable damage in Cuba before traveling across the Gulf of Mexico, both gaining strength and accelerating iis forward motion as it moved towards the United States. On September 21, the storm was eight days old when it made landfall on Grand Isle. The storm surge generated by the storm covered up to six miles inland along the Louisiana coast, while sustained winds of over 120 mph leveled trees, crops, and power and communication lines.
Although the storm was short-lived, breaking up quickly the day following landfall, it wreaked severe damage in Louisiana, mostly due to the storm surge. Mississippi also suffered heavy damage to property and infrastructure, especially in Natchez and Biloxi. Pensacola, Florida, was also heavily damaged along it waterfront, both from the rising water levels and winds which reached 60 mph. Across the Gulf Coast and up the Mississippi River crop losses exceeded 35%, a serious economic blow to the region. Official estimates were that 379 people were killed in the storm, though the actual death toll was believed by many to have been considerably higher than the official account.