Since 1851, 309 storms have made landfall in the continental U.S. with hurricane-strength winds, according to data analyzed by the Get the Facts Data Team. That’s slightly more than 17 hurricanes a decade, excluding the two for which there isn't complete data (the 1850s and 2020s). Most hurricanes have made landfall as a Category 1 or 2 hurricane, but a third of these storms made landfall as a Category 3 or higher.Though they might reach hurricane strength while moving across the Atlantic Ocean, hurricanes can weaken to a tropical storm or depression by the time they make landfall in the states. Those storms are not included in these charts or the overall number of hurricanes, which only looks at hurricanes that were Category 1 or higher when they hit the U.S. The charts do not include any data from the 2025 hurricane season. With 15 hurricanes making landfall from 2020 to 2024, this decade already outnumbers the previous. It ranges, though. In the 2010s and 1960s, the U.S. only experienced 13 hurricanes, but in the 1880s — the decade when the U.S. was hit the most — there were 25 hurricanes.A look at the strongest stormsIt’s rare for a hurricane to make landfall as a Category 5 hurricane, so much so that there have only been four over the time period tracked. Starting in 1935 with the Labor Day Hurricane, there’s been one Category 5 to make landfall every 30 years or so. The remaining storms — Hurricane Camille in 1969, Hurricane Andrew in 1992 and Hurricane Michael in 2018 — have generally followed this pattern.See their storm paths in the interactive maps below.PHNjcmlwdCB0eXBlPSJ0ZXh0L2phdmFzY3JpcHQiPiFmdW5jdGlvbigpeyJ1c2Ugc3RyaWN0Ijt3aW5kb3cuYWRkRXZlbnRMaXN0ZW5lcigibWVzc2FnZSIsKGZ1bmN0aW9uKGUpe2lmKHZvaWQgMCE9PWUuZGF0YVsiZGF0YXdyYXBwZXItaGVpZ2h0Il0pe3ZhciB0PWRvY3VtZW50LnF1ZXJ5U2VsZWN0b3JBbGwoImlmcmFtZSIpO2Zvcih2YXIgYSBpbiBlLmRhdGFbImRhdGF3cmFwcGVyLWhlaWdodCJdKWZvcih2YXIgcj0wO3I8dC5sZW5ndGg7cisrKXtpZih0W3JdLmNvbnRlbnRXaW5kb3c9PT1lLnNvdXJjZSl0W3JdLnN0eWxlLmhlaWdodD1lLmRhdGFbImRhdGF3cmFwcGVyLWhlaWdodCJdW2FdKyJweCJ9fX0pKX0oKTs8L3NjcmlwdD4=
NEW YORK — Since 1851, 309 storms have made landfall in the continental U.S. with hurricane-strength winds, according to data analyzed by the Get the Facts Data Team.
That’s slightly more than 17 hurricanes a decade, excluding the two for which there isn't complete data (the 1850s and 2020s). Most hurricanes have made landfall as a Category 1 or 2 hurricane, but a third of these storms made landfall as a Category 3 or higher.
Though they might reach hurricane strength while moving across the Atlantic Ocean, hurricanes can weaken to a tropical storm or depression by the time they make landfall in the states.
Those storms are not included in these charts or the overall number of hurricanes, which only looks at hurricanes that were Category 1 or higher when they hit the U.S. The charts do not include any data from the 2025 hurricane season.
With 15 hurricanes making landfall from 2020 to 2024, this decade already outnumbers the previous.
It ranges, though. In the 2010s and 1960s, the U.S. only experienced 13 hurricanes, but in the 1880s — the decade when the U.S. was hit the most — there were 25 hurricanes.
A look at the strongest storms
It’s rare for a hurricane to make landfall as a Category 5 hurricane, so much so that there have only been four over the time period tracked.
Starting in 1935 with the Labor Day Hurricane, there’s been one Category 5 to make landfall every 30 years or so. The remaining storms — Hurricane Camille in 1969, Hurricane Andrew in 1992 and Hurricane Michael in 2018 — have generally followed this pattern.
See their storm paths in the interactive maps below.
