Common U.S. Landfall Areas

Take a look at the most common U.S. landfall areas by tropical storms and hurricanes.  These areas of the United States are the most susceptible due to their geographic location along the East Coast from Maine to Texas.  

Florida 

On the Southeastern tip of the East Coast of the United States, the Sunshine State sticks out into the Atlantic Ocean, Caribbean Sea, and Gulf of Mexico like a sore thumb.  The Central and Southern parts of the state as well as the Florida Panhandle and Big Bend areas are the most vulnerable. 

The Northeastern part of Florida that includes Jacksonville may not be as susceptible since the coastline goes inward and doesn’t stick out like the rest of the state.  Memorable storms such as Andrew (1992), Helene (2024), Irma (2017), Matthew (2016), Michael (2018), Ian (2022), Milton (2024), the Great Miami Hurricane of 1926, and the Labor Day Hurricane of 1935 have impacted Florida.

Gulf Coast

Once a tropical storm or hurricane gets into the Gulf of Mexico, landfall anywhere from Florida’s West Coast to Texas is inevitable.  The Gulf Coast from Texas to Alabama is prone to many of the most intense hurricanes.  Most recently, Louisiana has been hard hit by tropical storms and hurricanes. 

Mississippi’s coast has been ravaged by two of the most powerful hurricanes on record in Camille (1969) and Katrina (2005).  Overdevelopment in places such as Houston make Texas vulnerable to not only a hurricane’s wind and surge, but also its heavy rainfall.

The Carolinas

After the East Coast of the United States turns inward toward Northeast Florida and Southern Georgia, the coast juts out again in the area of the Carolinas.  Most notably from the Cape Fear and Wilmington area to Cape Hatteras in North Carolina. 

This region of the Tar Heel State is quite susceptible to tropical storms and hurricanes moving north up the Eastern Seaboard.  While North Carolina’s Outer Banks may not stick out as much as it does further south in Florida, it does just enough to get impacts.  Hurricanes Hazel (1954) and Hugo (1989) have impacted the Carolinas.

Long Island and Southern New England

After Cape Hatteras, the shape of the East Coast of the United States turns inward again as it heads up into Virginia, Maryland, Delaware, and New Jersey.  While areas around the Chesapeake and Delaware Bay are vulnerable, they are protected by the presence of North Carolina’s Outer Banks. 

However, as the coastline heads up to New York City, it turns to the right again with Long Island, Coastal Connecticut, Rhode Island and Massachusetts.  Long Island and Southern New England are most vulnerable to tropical storms and hurricanes rapidly moving up the East Coast. 

Some examples include:  The Long Island Express of 1938, Hurricane Carol (1954), Hurricane Donna (1960), Hurricane Gloria (1985), and Hurricane Bob (1991).