Hurricane Tracks: 10 Recent Major Storms to Hit the U.S. It’s
been 20 years since Hurricane Andrew struck the coast of Florida
as a Category 5 storm and made history as America’s most
expensive natural disaster – a record that held until Hurricane
Katrina in 2005. Here’s a look at 10 recent major hurricanes
(storms of at least Category 3 intensity) to make landfall in
the U.S. Hurricane Irene from 2011 is also included here, as an
example of how a low-to-moderate strength hurricane can still do
serious damage long after it makes landfall. The graphics
(provided by NOAA) show the storm tracks and strength throughout
the life of each storm. Hurricanes feed off the heat contained
in tropical ocean waters, and these storms lose their intensity
when they move over cooler waters, cross over land, or encounter
unfavorable conditions in the atmosphere. Hurricanes are steered
by large-scale weather patterns, and the position of High
Pressure centers and cold fronts can pull these damaging storms
in many different dire