Most expensive October weather disasters of the last 40 years

Emma Rubin
Two men walk down a road in southern Vermont during October snowstorm.
DON EMMERT/AFP via Getty Images

- Disaster type: Winter Storm
- Total cost (inflation-adjusted): $1.2 billion
- Total deaths: 1
- Begin date: Oct. 29, 2011
- End date: Oct. 30, 2011
- States most affected: Connecticut, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New York, New Jersey, and Pennsylvania

#18. Northeastern Winter Storm (October 2011)
Person on the steps of the submerged Kenmore Square MBTA station.
John Tlumacki/The Boston Globe via Getty Images

- Disaster type: Flooding
- Total cost (inflation-adjusted): $1.3 billion
- Total deaths: 1
- Begin date: Oct. 19, 1996
- End date: Oct. 22, 1996
- States most affected: Maine and Massachusetts

#17. New England Flooding (October 1996)
Tree fallen across a road.
Suzanne Tucker // Shutterstock

- Disaster type: Severe Storm
- Total cost (inflation-adjusted): $1.3 billion
- Total deaths: 1
- Begin date: Oct. 2, 2006
- End date: Oct. 5, 2006
- States most affected: Ohio, Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, Minnesota, and Wisconsin

#16. Central Severe Weather (October 2006)
Streets covered by more than a foot of water in a Miami neighborhood.
Robert King/Newsmakers // Getty Images

- Disaster type: Flooding
- Total cost (inflation-adjusted): $1.6 billion
- Total deaths: 3
- Begin date: Oct. 3, 2000
- End date: Oct. 4, 2000
- States most affected: Florida

#15. South Florida Flooding (October 2000)
Residents view flooding devastation in Cuero.
Smiley N. Pool/Houston Chronicle via Getty Images

- Disaster type: Flooding
- Total cost (inflation-adjusted): $1.8 billion
- Total deaths: 31
- Begin date: Oct. 16, 1998
- End date: Oct. 24, 1998
- States most affected: Texas

#14. Texas Flooding (October 1998)
Family rescued from flooding by air-boat in Houston.
Steve Campbell/Houston Chronicle via Getty Images

- Disaster type: Flooding
- Total cost (inflation-adjusted): $2.0 billion
- Total deaths: 19
- Begin date: Oct. 16, 1994
- End date: Oct. 25, 1994
- States most affected: Texas

#13. Texas Flooding (October 1994)
Tornado damage to vehicles and building in the Preston Royal shopping area.
Ronald Martinez // Getty Images

- Disaster type: Severe Storm
- Total cost (inflation-adjusted): $2.0 billion
- Total deaths: 2
- Begin date: Oct. 20, 2019
- End date: Oct. 20, 2019
- States most affected: Texas, Oklahoma, Missouri, Arkansas, Louisiana, and Tennessee

#12. Texas Tornadoes and Central Severe Weather (October 2019)
Residents canoe along a residential street in Columbia, South Carolina.
Sean Rayford // Getty Images

- Disaster type: Flooding
- Total cost (inflation-adjusted): $2.6 billion
- Total deaths: 25
- Begin date: Oct. 1, 2015
- End date: Oct. 5, 2015
- States most affected: South Carolina

#11. South Carolina and East Coast Flooding (October 2015)
Flood waters from Hurricane Delta surrounding structures destroyed by Hurricane Laura in Creole, Louisiana.
Mario Tama // Getty Images

- Disaster type: Tropical Cyclone
- Total cost (inflation-adjusted): $3.4 billion
- Total deaths: 5
- Begin date: Oct. 9, 2020
- End date: Oct. 11, 2020
- States most affected: Louisiana, eastern Texas, Mississippi, and Georgia

#10. Hurricane Delta (October 2020)
Palm tree during hurricane.
tuaindeed // Shutterstock

- Disaster type: Tropical Cyclone
- Total cost (inflation-adjusted): $4.2 billion
- Total deaths: 63
- Begin date: Oct. 27, 1985
- End date: Oct. 31, 1985
- States most affected: Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama, and Florida

#9. Hurricane Juan (October 1985)
Property damage after Hurricane Zeta in Chalmette, Louisiana.
Sandy Huffaker // Getty Images

- Disaster type: Tropical Cyclone
- Total cost (inflation-adjusted): $5.1 billion
- Total deaths: 6
- Begin date: Oct. 28, 2020
- End date: Oct. 29, 2020
- States most affected: Louisiana, Alabama, Mississippi, Georgia, North Carolina, and South Carolina

#8. Hurricane Zeta (October 2020)
Stormy skies with tornado funnel.
Canva

- Disaster type: Severe Storm
- Total cost (inflation-adjusted): $5.3 billion
- Total deaths: 0
- Begin date: Oct. 5, 2010
- End date: Oct. 6, 2010
- States most affected: Arizona

#7. Arizona Severe Weather (October 2010)
A firefighter with the Tuolumne County Fire Department fights hot spots in a destroyed house.
Steve Ringman/San Francisco Chronicle via Getty Images

- Disaster type: Wildfire
- Total cost (inflation-adjusted): $7.3 billion
- Total deaths: 25
- Begin date: Oct. 1, 1991
- End date: Oct. 31, 1991
- States most affected: California

#6. Oakland Firestorm (October 1991)
Two people walk around a yacht on Highway 98 in Ft. Walton Beach.
DOUG COLLIER/AFP via Getty Images

- Disaster type: Tropical Cyclone
- Total cost (inflation-adjusted): $9.3 billion
- Total deaths: 27
- Begin date: Oct. 4, 1995
- End date: Oct. 6, 1995
- States most affected: Florida, Alabama, Georgia, Tennessee, North Carolina, and South Carolina

#5. Hurricane Opal (October 1995)
People survey damage in Flagler Beach.
Joe Raedle // Getty Images

- Disaster type: Tropical Cyclone
- Total cost (inflation-adjusted): $12.6 billion
- Total deaths: 49
- Begin date: Oct. 8, 2016
- End date: Oct. 12, 2016
- States most affected: North Carolina, South Carolina, Florida, and Georgia

#4. Hurricane Matthew (October 2016)
A couple walks in flood waters along South Street in Key West.
Josh Ritchie // Getty Images

- Disaster type: Tropical Cyclone
- Total cost (inflation-adjusted): $29.1 billion
- Total deaths: 35
- Begin date: Oct. 24, 2005
- End date: Oct. 24, 2005
- States most affected: Florida

#3. Hurricane Wilma (October 2005)
Damage to State Road 98 in Mexico Beach, Florida.
Joe Raedle // Getty Images

- Disaster type: Tropical Cyclone
- Total cost (inflation-adjusted): $30.2 billion
- Total deaths: 49
- Begin date: Oct. 10, 2018
- End date: Oct. 11, 2018
- States most affected: Florida

#2. Hurricane Michael (October 2018)
Waves break in front of a destroyed amusement park wrecked by Hurricane Sandy in Seaside Heights, New Jersey.
Mario Tama // Getty Images

- Disaster type: Tropical Cyclone
- Total cost (inflation-adjusted): $85.9 billion
- Total deaths: 159
- Begin date: Oct. 30, 2012
- End date: Oct. 31, 2012
- States most affected: Maryland, Delaware, New Jersey, New York, Connecticut, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, North Carolina, Virginia, West Virginia, Ohio, Pennsylvania, and New Hampshire

Data reporting by Emma Rubin. Story editing by Ashleigh Graf. Copy editing by Tim Bruns.

#1. Hurricane Sandy (October 2012)
A resident stands among damage from Hurricane Sandy in Atlantic City, New Jersey.
Mario Tama // Getty Images