7 deadliest hurricanes of all time

On Friday, The National Hurricane Centre said Hurricane Patricia currently lashing western Mexico strengthened into one of the most powerful storms in history, forcing resort hotels to evacuate tourists and residents to stockpile supplies.

Patricia became a tropical storm in the Pacific on Thursday, strengthened rapidly as it closed in on the coast. Meteorological authorities compared it to Typhoon Haiyan, which killed over 6,300 people in the Philippines in 2013. Destructive weather fronts have hit both the Pacific and Gulf coasts of Mexico over the years. While initial reports confirmed that damage has been less than expected, President Enrique Pena Nieto urged Mexicans to take precautions, warning that the storm could still cause catastrophic damage and posed a serious risk.

This October 23, 2015, 06:00 UTC Eumetsat satellite image shows category 5 Hurricane Patricia, off the Pacific coast of Mexico. Image credit: AFP

Here's a list of the seven deadliest hurricanes of all time:

Hurricane Andrew: In August 1992, a category 5 hurricane Andrew struck the United States causing major damage in South Florida, Bahamas and Louisiana.  In Miami (Florida) alone, over 25,000 houses were destroyed and another 100,000 were severely damaged. 65 people lost their lives. In Louisiana, 152,000 people were left without electricity, due to its hurricane-force winds. In the Bahamas, the hurricane caused high tides, force winds and tornado, that caused damaged to transport, agriculture and fishing sectors. Andrew caused extensive damage to oil platforms in the Gulf of Mexico, before moving ashore. It led to $500 million in losses for oil companies while 11 insurance companies went bankrupt, leaving 930,000 policy holders in South Florida without coverage. The hurricane destroyed 63,000 homes and damaged over 101,000 others were damaged. Almost 175,000 people were left homeless.

Hurricane Ike: In 2008, Hurricane Ike became the third costliest Atlantic hurricane, even though it was at only a Category 2 level. Ike's intensity and abnormally large size caused severe damage to property and infrastructure. From US coastal and inland areas to Cuba, the Bahamas, Turks and Caicos, the damaged amounted to a total of at least $37.5 billion. The subsequent search and rescue operation is one of the largest carried out in US history. Nearly 2000 people from in Texas and Louisiana were rescued due to intensive flooding. The storm killed at least 195 people.

Hurricane Mitch: In 1998, Mitch was the third major hurricane of the year. Mitch struck Central America, reportedly killing 11,000 and leaving almost as many missing. The hurricane left almost 2.7 million people, with 1.5 million in Honduras alone. The total damage caused amounted to approximately $5 billion.

Hurricane Katrina: The deadliest hurricane in 2005 to rock the United States was Katrina. It is considered one of the five deadliest hurricanes in US history. The major areas affected by the hurricane include the Gulf coast from Florida to Texas, New Orleans, Louisiana, and coastal areas such as Mississippi beachfront towns. At least 1,245 people died in the hurricane. The total property damage was estimated at $108 billion. 

Hurricane Sandy: Sandy was a post-tropical cyclone that hit the Caribbean and the US East Coast in 2012. The Category 2 storm was responsible for the death of close to 285 people. It caused damage of over $70 billion. As it approached New York City, which received the worst of the hurricane, climate experts called it "Superstorm Sandy".

The Great Galveston Hurricane: The Hurricane of 1900, also known as the Great Galveston Hurricane, hit Galveston in Texas on September 8, 1900. The death toll caused by the hurricane was between 6000 to 12000 people. Official reports estimate the death toll was close to 8000. The total estimated property damage caused by the Category 4 storm is estimated at $104.3 billion (2010 USD).

The Labour Day Hurricane: In 1935, the storm today known as the Labour Day Hurricane devastated the Florida Keys and destroyed the town of Islamorada. It also hit parts of Georgia and North and South Carolina. The hurricane triggered storm surges of 18-20 feet that swept over low-lying islands. It killed 423 people.