Fatalities in the United States from Atlantic Tropical Cyclones

The article describes the findings obtained by extending the record of hurricanes that occurred in the US between 1963 and 2012. During that period, about 650-700 Atlantic tropical cyclones occurred, comprising 578 hurricanes and tropical and subtropical storms and around 100 tropical depressions. These additional cases add confidence to findings and conclusions. For context, while operational breakthroughs occur intermittently, several critical components of today's operational tropical cyclone forecast and warning program started or had their origins in innovations that took place near the beginning of the extended study period, making that period to some degree representative of the current era. Katrina took around 1,100 lives. It stands apart not just for the enormity of the losses, but for the ways in which most of the deaths occurred. Research published by Brunkard and colleagues in 2008 found that 84% of the deaths in Louisiana occurred in Orleans and neighboring St. Bernard Parishes.