Destructive Hurricanes, 8-10

The remaining three hurricanes saw winds of more than 120 miles per hour and caused extraordinary damage, especially Hurricane Katrina, which left a deep emotional scar in U.S. history as well.

8. Hurricane Andrew: August 1992

The third category 5 storm to hit U.S. shores and the first severe hurricane to hit southern Florida in 27 years, Hurricane Andrew brought along 145 mile per hour winds (with gusts up to 170 miles per hour) and a 17-foot storm surge. The day after Andrew ravaged southern Florida, it moved across to Louisiana, weakening to category 3 status but still packing 120 mile per hour winds.

Andrew left 44 dead and caused $26.5 billion in damage, mostly in Florida. Around 250,000 people were left homeless, more than 700,000 insurance claims were filed, and even the coral reefs off the Florida coast sustained damage as far down as 75 feet.

9. Hurricane Ivan: September 2004

Ivan was the fourth major hurricane of the busy 2004 season. At one time a category 5 storm, by the time Ivan struck at Gulf Shores, Alabama, it had weakened to category 3 status with wind speeds reaching 130 miles per hour. But Ivan was the storm that wouldn't die!

After devastating much of the Florida panhandle, Ivan dumped water across the southeastern United States, then drifted over the Atlantic Ocean. Once back over the water, Ivan built enough energy to loop around to the south, move across the Florida peninsula, and pick up steam over the Gulf of Mexico -- again! Here, the remnants of the storm intensified and made landfall as a tropical storm along the coast of Louisiana. When Ivan finally dissipated over Texas, the storm had left 121 people dead and had caused more than $19 billion in damages.

10. Hurricane Katrina: August 2005

The year 2005 was another busy year for hurricanes, and Katrina, the fifth hurricane of the season, was one that will go down in history. Katrina made landfall near Buras-Triumph, Louisiana, with winds reaching 125 miles per hour before devastating the entire Gulf Coast of Mississippi. But all eyes were on New Orleans, situated below sea level and surrounded by rivers and lakes. So when Katrina made landfall slightly to the east, people in "The Big Easy" breathed a sigh of relief since it appeared that Mississippi had borne the major brunt of the storm.

But that changed a few hours later when the massive rainfall and storm surge caused Lake Ponchartrain to flood. When the city's levee system was breached in several places, 80 percent of New Orleans was left under water. The rest of the nation watched via television as residents stayed on rooftops in the scorching heat for days awaiting rescue. The U.S. government was severely criticized for its delayed reaction in sending aid. Katrina's wrath took more than 1,800 lives and hundreds are still missing. With more than $81 billion in damages, Katrina was the most expensive natural disaster in U.S. history.

Helen Davies, Marjorie Dorfman, Mary Fons, Deborah Hawkins, Martin Hintz, Linnea Lundgren, David Priess, Julia Clark Robinson, Paul Seaburn, Heidi Stevens, and Steve Theunissen