75 Percent of U.S. Deaths From Hurricanes, Tropical Storms are from Water
Storm surge and rainfall flooding combined for 75 percent of all deaths in the U.S. from hurricanes, tropical storms or tropical depressions from 1963 to 2012.
To contrast, says the National Hurricane Center, deaths from a tropical cyclone's winds or embedded tornadoes accounted for only 10 to 15 percent of fatalities in the U.S. in that time.