Hurricanes are dangerous tropical cyclones that develop in areas where ocean temperatures remain warm. They manifest when storm systems that reach wind speeds above 74 mph generate heavy rainfall and produce storm surges, which produce extensive destruction.
Hurricanes inflict damage on homes, infrastructure, and buildings, leading to injuries and loss of life. Here are the top ten places in the US most vulnerable to hurricanes. This information will help you develop strategies for evacuation and include emergency kits and backup power systems to minimize both property destruction and life-threatening dangers during a hurricane.
Where Are Hurricanes Most Common in the US?
So, where are hurricanes most common in the US? To answer your query, several US states located on both the Gulf of Mexico and the Atlantic Coast face the most serious hurricane threats. The following compilation includes detailed information beginning from 1970 about the frequently hurricane-prone US states. This is because weather tracking systems became highly precise during the early 1970s when satellite technology advanced.
The records that started at that point established a more reliable system compared to earlier methods. Moving on, we present the ten U.S. states most frequently hit by hurricanes. The following table shows the top 10 states affected by hurricanes from 1970 to 2023 (source: NOAA), ranked by landfall frequency.
Top 10 States by Hurricane Landfall Frequency and Most Notable Hurricanes (From 1970-2023)
| Rank | State | Landfall Count | Most Notable Hurricane | Year | Category |
| 1 | Florida | 27 | Michael | 2018 | 5 |
| 2 | Louisiana | 22 | Ida | 2021 | 4 |
| 3 | North Carolina | 20 | Fran | 1996 | 3 |
| 4 | Texas | 17 | Harvey | 2017 | 4 |
| 5 | Alabama | 8 | Elena | 1985 | 3 |
| 6 | South Carolina | 8 | Hugo | 1989 | 4 |
| 7 | New York | 5 | Gloria | 1985 | 3 |
| 8 | Mississippi | 5 | Katrina | 2005 | 3 |
| 9 | Georgia | 5 | Idalia | 2023 | 3 |
| 10 | Connecticut | 3 | Gloria | 1985 | 3 |
1. Florida
Florida has been hit by 27 hurricanes, and the state alone accounts for 40 percent of all mainland storms that befall the US. In 2018, Northwest Florida suffered serious damage from Hurricane Michael, a Category 5 storm that erased 3 million acres of forest land. The state faces the direct brunt of hurricanes, as these storms do not face resistance from any piece of land on which to impinge their full strength.
2. Louisiana
Louisiana has been struck head-on by 22 hurricanes, including Hurricane Ida, a Category 4 hurricane that made landfall in 2021, causing $75 billion in damages, including $18 billion in insured losses in the state. Severe storms regularly menace the coastal regions of Louisiana. This situation results from both low ground elevation and wetland locations, which make Louisiana highly prone to flooding events. In addition, its levees demonstrate weak performance in major weather events.
3. North Carolina
North Carolina has had a total of 20 hurricanes directly approach its coast. In 1996, Hurricane Fran, a Category 3 hurricane, resulted in $5 billion in damages in the US. Out of which, North Carolina sustained $48.5 million alone, making it the costliest storm in US history at the time. The Outer Banks part of North Carolina gets many storm influxes since it lies within the Atlantic Ocean storm path. During hurricanes, these barrier islands are subjected to destructive wind forces, flood damage, and coastal land degradation.
4. Texas
Texas has faced 17 direct hurricane hits, with Hurricane Harvey in 2017, a Category 4 hurricane, being the wettest storm to strike Texas in US history. It caused major flooding. Texas’s Gulf Coast length exposes it to extremely menacing storms developing within warm water areas. Moreover, the coastal areas of Texas undergo severe flooding, together with storm influxes, due to their low elevation.
5. Alabama
Alabama ran into 8 direct hurricanes, with Hurricane Elena in 1985, a Category 3 storm, resulting in the destruction of more than half of the oyster crop. The Gulf Coast location of this state has no defensive natural features, making it susceptible to storms that have strong gales and flooding.
6. South Carolina
South Carolina has experienced 8 direct hurricanes. Including them is Hurricane Hugo, a Category 4 storm in 1989 that produced 20-foot tides in Bulls Bay, the highest recorded along the US East Coast. Areas across the low coasts, along with barrier islands in the state, are frequently at risk of both floods and storm surges, which particularly threaten the Charleston metropolitan area.
7. New York
Five hurricanes have made direct landfall in New York, including Category 3 storm Hurricane Gloria, which destroyed 48 homes in 1985. The combination of storm surges and flooding throughout Long Island makes New York particularly vulnerable to East Coast hurricanes.
8. Mississippi
Mississippi has suffered 5 direct hurricanes, but Hurricane Katrina in 2005, a Category 3 storm, caused unparalleled devastation in the state. It caused $125 billion in damages, with Mississippi alone facing losses in the billions. During storm surges, the low-lying coastal areas of the state remain particularly vulnerable.
9. Georgia
Georgia has seen 5 direct hurricanes but fewer impact events compared to its bordering coastal states. One of them is Idalia, a Category 3 hurricane in 2023 that changed to Category 1 when it made an inland impact on the state. It erased corn and pecan crops in the Lowndes, Brooks, and Clinch counties. Georgia is strategically placed such that it is vulnerable to hurricanes despite the brevity of its coast. This strategic placement results in heavy rainfall and flooding that mostly impacts the agricultural fields of the state.
10. Connecticut
3 hurricanes have struck Connecticut till now. One of them was Hurricane Gloria in 1985, which was a Category 3 hurricane that changed to Category 2 when it impacted the state. It caused $60 million in damages in the state alone. Connecticut is located on the northeastern U.S. coast near the Atlantic Ocean, making it prone to hurricanes, especially in coastal areas like those along Long Island Sound. Rivers like the Connecticut River can also worsen flooding during these storms, even inland.
Source: hazards.fema.gov
Now that we've covered the states most vulnerable to hurricanes, let’s explore ways to prepare, including assembling an emergency kit.
How to Prepare for Hurricanes
Being prepared before possible hurricanes becomes crucial for persons living in any of the US states we’ve mentioned above. Extreme threats develop through these storms, which endanger human lives and home possessions. Your first step should be assembling an emergency kit when preparing for hurricane season.
1. Build Emergency Kits
The preparation of an emergency kit stands as the most effective step to safeguard your family from hurricane dangers. Here’s what to include in it:
Food Supply:
Each person in your family requires nine meals during emergencies. Therefore, prepare three days' worth of emergency food supply, starting with minimum basic food essentials per family member. Your hurricane preparedness requires you to store long-lasting food items that need little preparation and maintain simplicity for storage.
The best type of hurricane food storage consists of canned soups, fruits, vegetables, and meats because these items remain edible when directly consumed from their cans. Energy and nutrients also come from dried fruits along with nuts, while granola bars and energy bars work well as fast snacks.
You can also enjoy peanut butter both independently and with crackers to get protein benefits. Not to mention, instant oatmeal, together with cereals, serves as a breakfast option since its preparation only needs hot water.
Your survival plan should also include storage of MREs, which are ready-to-use, non-cooking meals. In addition, regular expiration date checking will sustain food freshness, and waterproof containers will be utilized to store supplies under dry and cool conditions. After packing food, make sure to include water for your family.
Water Supply:
A person requires one gallon of water daily; therefore, your water supply needs to provide at least one gallon each day for every family member. The total water requirement for three days consists of 12 gallons that should be stored for a family made up of four members. Sealed bottled water serves as the best water selection because it has no contact with contaminated floodwater.
Storing clean tap water in food-safe storage containers can work if you cannot access bottled water. However, the sanitization of your storage containers is essential before water placement. In case your water becomes unsafe to drink, you should know how to purify it. Boiling water for at least one minute kills most germs.
But when boiling the water is not possible, a solution made from one-eighth teaspoon of bleach per gallon will disinfect water when stirred and left for thirty minutes. A storm preparedness kit also needs fundamental medical supplies that protect users from injuries and fulfill their medical requirements.
Medical Supplies:
First-aid kits need bandages, together with gauze pads and adhesive tape for the treatment of traumatic injuries. Saving from infections will also be possible with antiseptic wipes that work with hydrogen peroxide or alcohol for effective wound cleaning. So, include them as well in the emergency preparation kit.
Also, the medical supply should contain either ibuprofen or acetaminophen to manage light discomfort. You should have enough prescription medications and all necessary instructions for dosages for your family members.
Personal care products should not be forgotten when preparing emergency supplies, since they should include hand sanitizer along with soap and feminine hygiene items. The emergency kit must also contain all specialized medical items, including inhalers and EpiPens, together with devices used for specific health conditions. You should also stock up on emergency lighting.
Emergency Equipment:
Include flashlights with spare batteries in the kit for communication needs during hurricane outages. Headlamps also prove to be excellent lights for use while your hands remain free. A weather and emergency alert radio should also be included in the kit. It must either be battery-powered or hand-cranked.
But radios using hand cranks are more useful because they lack dependence on power sources. Also, make sure your emergency kit has a multi-tool included among its contents, which you can use, e.g., for can-opening tasks and small emergency repairs. Include pet food as well in your hurricane preparation kit.
Pet Supplies:
Your pets require adequate food supplies along with water for their survival for three days. The emergency supplies need to contain a leash and carrier combined with medications and vaccination documents that serve purposes during evacuation, as well as veterinarian appointments.
2. Be Prepared and Informed with Evacuation Plans
Every citizen of the hurricane-prone US states needs awareness about upcoming storm conditions and complete preparation through planned evacuations. Being properly informed about weather developments in your area, evacuation areas, and what preparations to make before leaving your home will help you make safe decisions.
Know Your Zone:
Local emergency management offices supply information about your evacuation zone status. The office also provides information about potential hazards within your location. You can refer to various online tools for this information.
Besides, you can find out your evacuation zone location by using the website search tools found on multiple state and county authority sites. Public emergency agencies like FEMA maintain maps and critical information that are available to the public through their website. Before evacuating, you should also determine in advance which location will serve as your refuge.
Evacuation Plans:
To evacuate, you have numerous options, including friends’ or relatives’ houses, shelters, or hotels outside flood zones. In case of an emergency, identify a method your family can use to communicate and select an out-of-state person to deliver information if normal phone systems are down.
Don’t forget about your pets. Research all shelters or emergency places that accept pet animals and share the information with your family members. Your evacuation plans require all family members to understand them so they can be quickly implemented when needed. Monitor the local weather conditions at all times as well.
Stay Updated:
References from local media outlets alongside weather applications and NOAA Weather Radio will provide live hurricane updates for your area. The specified sources will deliver significant storm-related information and secure safety measures to you. Local emergency services also provide a notification system.
When you sign up for them, emergency services will automatically deliver critical alerts directly to your electronic devices, which might include evacuation instructions and essential safety recommendations. Once you receive an alert, secure home backup power for long outages during the hurricane.
3. Secure a Backup Power Source
Lengthy power outages are persistent during hurricanes, so every household requires emergency backup power systems. Thus, to secure a backup power supply, you should weigh both generators and battery-powered devices:
Generators:
Portable generators offer a good answer to keeping important home appliances up and running during hurricane power outages. Gasoline-, propane-, or diesel-powered generators offer several storage, availability, and emissions-related advantages and disadvantages, depending on their particular source type.
The generator should operate outside in an area with a good flow of air. But it must remain distant from windows and doors because its exhaust contains the silent, harmful gas called carbon monoxide. Only connect necessary appliances to the generator, which should never exceed its capacity.
If you want a clean and quiet power option, solar generators are most suitable. The lack of dangerous emissions makes them perfectly suitable for interior usage. Solar generators achieve their power by drawing energy from batteries, so users don’t need to store fuel for operation.
They also maintain portability, which makes them a suitable option for housing in smaller apartment settings. Other than generators, it’s also crucial to keep portable battery-powered devices during the hurricane outage.
Battery-Powered Devices:
The utility failure scenario demands critical alerts, which users can access exclusively through devices equipped with batteries. Getting battery-powered flashlights and headlamps becomes crucial to combat blackouts since they provide illumination when the lights are out.
Extended-duration operations of LED lights with minimal power usage also make them an exceptional emergency lighting solution. In addition to this, stock up with sufficient fuel reserves during pre-hurricane season so your supplies extend into the duration of the storm and its post-storm period.
Fuel Supply:
Gasoline, alongside other crucial fuels, must be included in your generator backup inventory. The fuel requires safe storage according to local rules using approved containers in an area with low temperatures and shade away from sunlight and children’s reach.
Also, fully understand the fire hazard of fuel products by taking measures that stop fuel from leaking or causing accidents. What’s more, the decision to choose a portable power station removes the requirement to store fuel because it operates through battery power.
Portable Power Stations: A Lifeline During Hurricanes
Portable power stations make the best backup power choices since they provide fuel-free solutions and operate without noise or producing pollution. They can provide backup power for crucial devices, including phones, medical instruments, and lighting systems, as well as radio equipment. The AC500 + 2*B300K system from BLUETTI provides powerful backup features that households need when outages last for extended periods of time.
The unit serves as a home backup system that fits medium-sized residences with its 12,288 Wh capacity and 5,000W output. It permits the operation of electrical devices and medical equipment in a big household during prolonged power cuts. The system maintains the capability to charge emergency lights, radios, laptops, and phones at the same time.
Furthermore, you can expand the AC500 system by adding more B300K batteries for more capacity and longer runs, and control its voltage via the BLUETTI mobile app. The BLUETTI Elite 200 V2 serves as another home backup system that provides portable convenience with its 2,073.6 Wh capacity and 2,600W output. With its dual usage for medium and small buildings, this system maintains the operations of critical devices.
It can juice up small devices like mobiles, tablets, lighting systems, and radio equipment through emergency scenarios such as hurricanes. You can also check your battery performance in real time through its AI-BMS (Battery Management System). The Elite 200 V2 also boasts a quick charging speed, which takes it from zero to eighty percent in just 1.1 hours.
The BLUETTI AC500 and Elite 200 V2 both possess security features to guard against short circuits and overheating. They also provide multiple power ports that enable simultaneous charging for AC/DC equipment. Both can also be recharged via solar, wall outlets, or car chargers.
Final Words
Coastal areas mentioned in the list of “Top ten places that hurricanes happen in the US” face the greatest risk from these dangerous storms. However, safe preparation during powerful storms requires assembling disaster kits, developing evacuation strategies, and maintaining knowledge of specific evacuation zones.
Getting dependable backup power systems also needs to become part of homeowners' preparedness to handle the enduring and repeated power outages hurricanes cause. Portable power stations function as a safe, quiet, and clean emergency power source, which allows their use in both indoor and outdoor environments.
The BLUETTI AC500 + 2*B300K creates an outstanding system choice to serve as backup power for homes. It can run large and crucial appliances for medium-sized residences during hurricane emergencies. While small-to medium-sized residences can charge their small appliances through another portable BLUETTI Elite 200 V2 home backup system. Both systems come equipped with security features, a mobile app for monitoring voltage and battery performance, multiple charging capabilities, and output power outlets.
