Marine Tropical Storm in the United States

How dangerous are Marine Tropical Storm events in the U.S.?

Per event, this hazard is far more dangerous than its frequency suggests. It ranks #34 by how often it is recorded among the 44 hazard types with at least 100 events, but #11 by fatalities per event, at 49.4 deaths per 1,000 recorded events. Recorded damage averages $0 per event. A reader scanning total counts would underestimate the risk of encountering one.

The NOAA file shows a substantial human toll without entering PlainHazard's highest band: 29 fatalities and 0 injuries across 587 events. The high band covers hazard types with 20-99 cumulative fatalities in this 2015-2025 record. It compares catalog totals only; exposure and consequences vary widely from one event and location to another.

Geographic exposure skews toward a small cluster of frequently-hit states. The three states and marine areas absorbing the largest share of events are GULF OF MEXICO (341 events, 29 fatalities), ATLANTIC NORTH (125 events, 0 fatalities), ATLANTIC SOUTH (121 events, 0 fatalities), a mix of underlying hazard climatology and how many people live in the exposed corridor.

This is a more frequency-heavy than loss-heavy record. The hazard ranks #34 by event count but #49 for combined property and crop damage, a gap of 15 places. Its listed losses represent 0% of the catalog total. The human-toll rank is #29, or 0.3% of recorded fatalities, so neither event count nor damage rank substitutes for the other.

Annual totals swing noticeably from year to year. The peak year on record was 2020, logging 153 events and $0 in property damage in a single calendar year. The most recent year in the dataset is 2025 with 18 events recorded. Across the full 10-year window, annual event counts reflect seasonal climate cycles and, for some years, longer climate-driven shifts in frequency.

NOAA entries are reports filed by local National Weather Service offices. Counts therefore reflect both observed weather and reporting practice; they do not measure unreported events, household exposure, or the probability of a future event at one address.