Hurricanes in ’04, ’05 dominate costliest list

? The horrific 2004 and 2005 storm seasons produced seven of the nine costliest hurricanes to strike the U.S. coastline since 1900 and a staggering $167 billion in total damage, a report released Wednesday said.

The report, prepared by the National Hurricane Center in Miami, revises the lists of costliest as well as deadliest hurricanes.

For instance, when data from 2004 and 2005 are included, hurricanes such as Agnes, which hit Florida in 1972, Betsy, which hit Florida in 1965 and Camille, which hit Mississippi and Louisiana in 1969, dropped out of the 10 costliest.

The report notes that Katrina was by far the costliest system to hit the United States, causing $84.64 billion in damage in New Orleans and on the Gulf Cost. Hurricane Andrew, which struck Miami-Dade County in 1992, was second with $48.05 billion and Wilma was third with $21.52 billion. The figures reflect 2006 dollars.