Every year, the fortune tellers and soothsayers make vast claims of how the Earth will soon be punished with deadly, violent storms that will kill millions. Well, we don't want to piss off the prognosticators, but their predictions of natural disasters aren't so impressive; every year, storms and their ilk claim the lives of hundreds of thousands of people. But every once in a while, Mother Nature (just like Gilbert Gottfried) attacks with unusually harsh force. Here, we look at the ten biggest storms on record to hit the U.S. with Gilbert Gottfried-esque proportions.

Keep in mind that earlier storms often produced more damage (including injuries and deaths) than later storms because of the advancement of technology, which gave people more warning when storms were a-brewin'. So as the U.S. prepares itself for the hurricane season, it seems appropriate that we take a look back at some of the worst storms in U.S. history.

1. STORMS 10 - 8

10. Agnes

Date: 1972
Deaths: 129

Hurricane Agnes smacked the Florida panhandle on June 19, 1972, and eventually hit every state from Florida to New York. It was a minimal force hurricane, but it carried extremely high floodwaters, causing 210,000 people to leave their homes in fear for their lives. Receiving a particularly nasty blow was Pennsylvania, where Agnes' floodwaters drowned dozens and washed away thousands of homes. Hurricane Agnes eventually caused $3.1 billion in damages, and killed 120 people.


9. March 1962 "Ash Wednesday" Storm

Date: 1962
Deaths: 30

This "stalled" storm stayed put on the Eastern seaboard for three days instead of following its normal course out to sea. Those were three tough days of continuous rain and high wind. The water levels in some places rose two feet in a matter of minutes, and then still higher, eventually up to 5 feet high. The rising water and 76 mph winds eventually killed 30 people, injured over 1250, and caused $200 million in damages.


8. November 1950 "Appalachian Storm"

Date: 1950
Deaths: 160

It started just before Thanksgiving 1950 as a seemingly "normal" winter storm. The snowfall began on November 25th and lasted until the 27th, dumping more snow in some areas than had ever been seen before. West Virginia and Cleveland both received over 2 feet of snow in three days. This unfortunate combination of record cold, record snowfall, and violent winds eventually claimed 160 lives.

2. STORMS 7 - 5

7. 1925 "Tri-State" Tornado

Date: 1925
Deaths: 695

It started as a thunderstorm in Missouri that began developing behind a cold front that moved down from Canada. The storm moved faster than the cold air mass, and finally overtook it, creating a funnel effect of wind movement with which we are all fearfully aware. Part of the problem was that it came on so suddenly, so that people were still rushing to basements and shelters even as the broken glass was raining down on their heads from the first gusts. The tornado tore across southern Illinois and into Indiana before it finally dissipated . . . 3 and a half hours later.

The F5 intensity storm was responsible for 695 deaths, 2027 injuries and a loss of property totaling $17 million dollars. That figure adjusted for inflation would total $159 million.


6. Hurricane Camille

Date: 1969
Deaths: 256

This time there was lots of warning. The newscasters on every television and radio station were pleading with residents to flee the area, but many stayed. To some it was a game, having lived on the Gulf Coast for years and having seen countless hurricanes. But this storm was to be like no other seen before. On August 23rd, 1969, Camille gusted winds over 200 mph and provided surges of water which submerged two story houses, eventually evacuating more than 150,000 residents. When it was all over, 256 people were dead and damages totaled $1.4 billion.


5. "Great New England" Hurricane

Date: 1938
Deaths: 700

It was almost unthinkable that a hurricane could have a landfall in the New England area, and weather forecasters of the time had plenty of warning that this storm was coming. But the weathermen remained convinced that the storm would veer off into sea and could never hit, say, Long Island. But hit it did, with a vengeance. Late season beach goers were caught totally by surprise that a category 3 hurricane was bearing down on them. At the last minute, when 100 mph winds blew the water and sand right in their faces, they got the message.

The human toll was 700 dead and another 700 injured. The economic toll was $306 million, which comes to $3.4 billion in today's dollars.

3. STORMS 4 - 2

4. 1900 Galveston Hurricane

Date: 1900
Deaths: 8,000+

Even before the days of CNN and weather forecasters, there were ways of warning people of approaching storms, such as storm flags. But on this small island off the coast of Texas, the coming storm was seen as a welcome break from the intense heat, and most residents ignored the warning to evacuate, and instead hurried down to the shore to see the waves. The first wave was the only one they saw, as the hurricane barreled ashore suddenly, triggering a huge surge of water that instantly swept the crowds away. The category 4 hurricane was fueled by 145 mph winds and killed over 8,000 people.


3. 1993 Superstorm

Date: 1993
Deaths: 270

The so-called "superstorm" of March 1993 threw everything it had at the eastern third of the USA, from blizzards to tornadoes. From Alabama to New England, there were hurricane winds, record cold and over 40 inches of snow on each of seven states from a single weather system. All of the interstate highways and even secondary roads were shut down or inaccessible, and for the first time ever, every major airport on the east coast was forced to close. Millions of people were without power for over a week, and the storm ended up killing 270 people and causing damages totaling $3 billion.


2. 1974 Tornado Superoutbreak

Date: 1974
Deaths: 315

Imagine, if you can, 148 tornadoes in a row powering through the Mississippi Valley along a 2500-mile stretch, one after the other. There are winds of over 260 mph at all times, tractor trailers are being flipped 150 feet in the air and landing upside down miles away, and as soon as one tornado has passed, another follows right behind it. This was the situation that followed the breakout of this storm system in Morris, Illinois. Add to that the fact that six of the 148 twisters were of F5 intensity and among the strongest ever recorded on the planet, and you can understand this powerful force of nature that killed 315 people and injured over 5000 others.

4. THE BIGGEST STORM OF THE 20TH CENTURY

1. 1935 Labor Day Hurricane

Date: 1935
Deaths: 423

This top storm on our list has been called "the most powerful hurricane ever to strike the U.S. coastline." It was a category 5 hurricane featuring wind speeds over 200 mph and the lowest barometric pressure ever recorded. It developed in the Bahamas and didn't even look threatening until it burst onto the Florida coast.

At the time of the storm, there were hundreds of unemployed veterans living in tents and shacks while they waited for work to begin on the highway. The high winds and sudden storm surge took them completely by surprise, washing away all the small shelters, their belongings, and many of the men. A train sent to rescue the workers was itself swept away by a 17-foot high surge of water, and almost all the men aboard were killed. There were 423 deaths, and $6 million in damages, which is over $71 million when adjusted for inflation.