The following list details some of the worst hurricanes to hit the United States recently, according to data provided by the National Hurricane Center.The center warned Sunday that the dangerous category five Hurricane Katrina is bearing down on the Gulf Coast city of New Orleans. Authorities in the city of some 1.4 million have ordered a mandatory evacuation of residents.
- 1999 Hurricane Floyd: The category two storm which ravaged North Carolina and the US northeast killed 56 people and caused damage of six billion dollars.
- 1992 Hurricane Andrew: The category four storm struck the southern states of Florida and Louisiana killing 26 people and causing damage of 30.4 billion dollars.
- 1972 Hurricane Agnes: The category one storm which hit the US northeast killed 122 people and caused damage totalling 7.5 billion dollars.
- 1969 Hurricane Camille: The category five storm -- ranked as powerful as Hurricane Katrina -- struck Mississippi, Louisiana and Virginia causing 256 deaths and six billion dollars in damage.
- 1965 Hurricane Betsy: The category three storm churned across Florida and Louisiana killing 75 people and causing damage of 7.4 billion dollars.
