Hurricane Recovery Statistics: Weathering the Costs

Blog > Hurricane Recovery Statistics: Weathering the Costs

If you’re running a business along the Gulf or Atlantic coast, you should be familiar with hurricane recovery statistics. These numbers will show you the costs inflicted by these powerful storms.

Published: December 6, 2023

Last Modified:
July 10, 2025

Author: Jacob Lee

Hurricanes can cost businesses money, and it can take them a considerable amount of time to recover. Smaller enterprises in particular can be devastated when this type of storm makes landfall. Understanding the financial costs they can inflict, their intensity, and frequency can help you better prepare.

Key takeaways of our hurricane recovery statistics include:

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Association predicts an increase in hurricanes on an average of 1% to 10%.
Hurricanes have caused a total of 1.3 trillion in damages.
Atlantic and Gulf Coast states are most at risk of hurricanes, with Florida experiencing the most.

We’re going to give you hurricane recovery statistics and other data to show the devastating impact these storms can inflict.

Amount of Hurricanes In the Past Five Years

There have been a considerable amount of hurricanes in the past few years, many of which have made landfall in the United States. We’ve provided a graphic showing the Atlantic hurricane season between 2020 and 2024.

Number of Hurricanes That Hit the U.S. and Its Territories (2020-2024)

Year	Number of Hurricanes
2020	14
2021	7
2022	9
2023	7
2024	11

NOAA Hurricane Seasons

The amount of hurricanes that have occurred over the past five years has roughly floated around the same number, with there being an uptick in 2020 and 2024.

Statistics on Hurricane Frequency and Severity

Hurricanes have increased in occurrence and intensity in the past few years. Unfortunately, NOAA predicts the frequency and power of these storms will continue to rise in the years to come.

Rainfall within 100km (62.13 miles) of a hurricane will increase by 14%
Intensity (maximum winds) for hurricanes occurring in the Atlantic are projected to grow 3%
The number of intense hurricanes (Category 4 and 5) are projected to increase in the Atlantic by 10%

An increase in rainfall can mean an increase in flash flooding for areas affected by hurricanes. Since maximum winds will rise, damage to buildings and infrastructure will be more severe.

Businesses operating in coastal regions should expect higher levels of damage to their properties and severe disruptions to their supply chain when a hurricane lands.

Statistics on the Financial Impact of Hurricanes

Hurricanes can cause immense amounts of damage to businesses and residential property, as well as job loss. This primarily applies to homeowners in the southeastern part of the United States.

Hurricanes have resulted in a total of $1.5 trillion in damages since 1980
Each hurricane causes an average of $26 billion per event
Hurricanes in 2024 inflicted a combined $182.7 billion in damages on the commercial and residential sectors
Hurricane winds account for over 40% of losses in the residential sector
Losses from hurricane wind and rain-ingress is will be 49 - 76% higher by 2060, and 71 to 102% higher in 2100
Hurricane Sandy negatively impacted 60,000 to 100,000 small businesses, which is 5 percent of all small businesses in New York City
Businesses in Texas that were impacted by hurricane Harvey had $10 billion in outstanding payables, which is the money owed to vendors
Insurance losses in Florida following hurricane Ian topped $12.6 billion
Hurricane Helene resulted in a 53% insurance denial rate, and hurricane Milton resulted in a 39% insurance denial in Florida
10 months after hurricane Katrina, 95,000 people had lost their jobs in New Orleans.
In 2024, insured losses caused by hurricanes were $112.7 billion

These statistics show the catastrophic financial impact that hurricanes have on U.S. citizens from all walks of life. One way business owners can prepare for the economic effects of hurricanes is by searching for alternate suppliers when disaster strikes.

Hurricane Recovery Statistics On Expenses

Recovery and reconstruction following a hurricane can be a complex process. Depending on the severity of the storm and the extent of the damage, it can take months or even years for infrastructure to be repaired.

Predicting the expenses of these efforts for future hurricanes is difficult. However, we can look at the recovery and reconstruction costs following the five most severe hurricanes in the past 20 years to get an idea of what they could be in years to come.

We’ve included data on the costliest U.S. hurricanes and the states or territories where the storms made landfall.

Costliest U.S. Hurricanes (2005-2024)

Hurricane	Damages	State
Katrina	$196.3 Billion	Louisiana
Harvey	$156.3 Billion	Texas
Ian	$116.3 Billion	Florida
Maria	$112.5 Billion	Puerto Rico
Sandy	$86.5 Billion	New Jersey

Provided by NOAA

Recovery and reconstruction expenses following these devastating storms were extremely high.

$120 billion in federal funds were spent on hurricane Katrina recovery efforts
$54 billion in federal funds has been spent on hurricane Harvey recovery efforts
$8.7 billion in federal support has been spent on hurricane Ian recovery efforts
$19 billion in federal support has been spent on hurricane Sandy recovery efforts

When hurricanes Maria and Irma struck in 2017, it led to severe damages in Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands. As of 2022, the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) provided $32.2 billion and $304.8 million on two recovery and reconstruction grants for both affected by these storms.

Read our article on hurricane cargo insurance to protect your business from the dangers posed by these powerful weather events.

What Regions of the U.S. Are Most Susceptible To Hurricane Damage?

Certain parts of the U.S. are more likely to experience the devastating effects of hurricanes than others. This makes businesses in these regions more prone to the dangers and financial repercussions that occur when these storms make landfall. In the U.S., states along the Gulf and Atlantic Coasts are at the highest risk of experiencing hurricanes.

We’ve created data of the top 10 states in these regions that have received the most hurricanes from 1851 to 2024.

Top 10 Hurricanes To Hit the U.S. (1851-2024)

State	Number of Hurricanes
Florida	120
Texas	64
Louisiana	63
North Carolina	58
South Carolina	32
Alabama	23
Georgia	21
New York	15
Mississippi	14
Virginia	13

Provided by NOAA Hurricane Records & Ranks

Because of the risk posed by hurricanes, many properties in these states have windstorm insurance. This policy is used to protect against wind damage from storms like tornadoes, hurricanes, and gales.

Numerous properties located in these five states have flood insurance as well. For example, all insurance companies in Florida offer deductible options of $500, 2 percent, 5 percent, or 10 percent.

Neither windstorm nor flood insurance are required by law in these five states. That said, many banks and lenders will require property owners to obtain this level of protection, especially for those residing in coastal areas.

Secure Your Future with Emergency Management Logistics

As we've explored throughout this article, the statistics surrounding hurricanes reveal not only their obvious challenges, but also the critical need for expert support and planning. At Emergency Management Logistics, we understand the complexities of post-hurricane recovery and are committed to providing comprehensive solutions tailored to each unique situation.

Our services include:

Healthcare Crisis Management: Expert handling of medical and healthcare needs during emergencies.
Disaster Relief Coordination: Efficient mobilization of resources and support for affected communities.
Consulting Services: Strategic advice and planning to mitigate the impact of future disasters.

At Emergency Management Logistics, we're not just a service provider; we're your partner in ensuring safety and resilience in the face of natural disasters. Call us today at (855) 420-9447 or contact us through the site to get the help of a trusted emergency logistics provider.