Hurricane coast metros: one storm per city, straight from the NHC reports

The seven metros at a glance

Metro by metro

Houston: Harvey

Harvey's center passed well south of the Houston metro, but NHC's Harvey report records 36 to 48 inches of rain in the Houston metro area, and 9 of the 19 official river gauges in Harris County reached all-time high flood stages. NOAA's Storm Events Database lists the Harris County flash flood that began August 26, 2017 with 36 direct deaths and a $10 billion property damage estimate.

New Orleans: Ida

According to NHC's Ida report, the eye reached the Louisiana coast at Port Fourchon at 1655 UTC on August 29, 2021, with a landfall intensity of 130 knots, then crossed southeastern Louisiana between Houma and New Orleans. A gauge at Lakefront Airport, outside the area's Hurricane and Storm Damage Risk Reduction System, recorded 8.5 feet above mean higher high water before it failed.

Tampa: Milton

NHC's Milton report puts the October 2024 landfall on Siesta Key at 100 knots, category 3, and says hurricane conditions reached from Clearwater Beach and Tampa south to near Venice. Its rain caused record-high crests on the Hillsborough River.

Fort Myers: Ian

Ian came ashore on the barrier island of Cayo Costa at 1905 UTC on September 28, 2022, at 130 knots, per NHC's Ian report. The report measures 10 to 15 feet of inundation above ground on Fort Myers Beach and 5 to 8 feet up the Caloosahatchee River in Fort Myers, and calls Ian the costliest hurricane in Florida's history.

Charleston: Matthew

Matthew ran nearly parallel to the South Carolina coast before making landfall around 1500 UTC on October 8, 2016, just south of McClellanville in the Cape Romain Wildlife Sanctuary, as NHC's Matthew report describes. Between hurricanes, NOAA's Storm Events Database records 201 thunderstorm wind events in Charleston County from 2016 through 2025.

Wilmington: Florence

NHC's Florence report places landfall near Wrightsville Beach around 1115 UTC on September 14, 2018, as an 80-knot hurricane. Its slow motion trained rainbands from Wilmington to Elizabethtown, leaving a narrow swath of totals above 30 inches.

Mobile: Sally

Sally made landfall at Gulf Shores around 0945 UTC on September 16, 2020, with 95-knot winds, and its slow eyewall caused widespread damage to trees, power lines and buildings across Mobile and Baldwin Counties, per NHC's Sally report. Mobile County also logs 39 tornado events from 2016 through 2025 in NOAA's Storm Events Database.

After a hurricane, the near-me list changes

Distance is one of the factors Google uses to rank local results, so the businesses nearest you rise to the top, and after a landfall the nearest one on the map is not always a local one. The FTC's storm-scam guidance warns that unlicensed contractors and scammers often appear in recovery zones and advises skepticism toward anyone promising immediate clean-up or repairs.

Before you sign, work through the National Roofing Directory's storm damage roof repair guide and its page on documenting roof damage for a claim, then check the company against your state's rules on the directory's roofing licensing page.

Frequently asked questions

Why does this page use NHC reports instead of storm counts?

NHC's Tropical Cyclone Reports are the center's detailed post-storm accounts of where and how strongly a hurricane came ashore. NCEI's FAQ also notes that damage listed under tropical cyclone events covers wind only; surge, flooding and tornadoes appear as separate event types, and it points to the NHC reports for a complete assessment.

Which storm on this page had the strongest landfall winds?

Ida and Ian, both at 130 knots. NHC's Ida report says that intensity ties Ida with Hurricane Laura of 2020 and the Last Island Hurricane of 1856 as the strongest on record to make landfall in Louisiana west of the Mouth of the Mississippi River.

How do I find a roofer in one of these cities?

Use the National Roofing Directory's Florida roofer page and Louisiana roofer page for nearby towns.