Major Hurricanes That Have Struck the Gulf of Mexico

The Gulf of Mexico’s warm waters fuel powerful tropical cyclones. Several historic hurricanes have devastated the Gulf Coast:

Hurricane Katrina (2005)

Category 3 at Louisiana landfall. Catastrophic flooding in New Orleans; one of the costliest U.S. disasters.

Hurricane Rita (2005)

Category 5 at peak; Category 3 at Texas landfall. Extensive damage but less flooding than Katrina.

Hurricane Wilma (2005)

Record-low pressure in the Atlantic; Category 5. Struck South Florida after crossing the Gulf.

Hurricane Ike (2008)

Category 2 at Texas landfall. Massive storm surge, widespread power outages, and infrastructure damage.

Hurricane Harvey (2017)

Category 4 at Texas landfall. Stalled over Houston, dropping record rainfall and causing catastrophic flooding.

Hurricane Michael (2018)

Category 5 at Florida Panhandle landfall. Devastating winds and surge; strongest to hit the Panhandle on record.

The Gulf Coast remains highly vulnerable due to warm waters, low-lying terrain, and dense coastal development.