[Redbob]

These are not “record-shattering hurricanes” _ (a) our records of actual hurricane strength don’t go back very far at all, and (b) judging solely by the damage inflicted, numerous hurricanes have been more destructive.

Case in point: the Galveston hurricane of 1900, where 10,000 people died. That’s right: 10,000.

There was also a very severe hurricane that hit Miami in iirc the 1930s.

[Ben Ficklin]

The reason all those people died in the 1900 Galveston hurricane is they didn't know it was coming. You should read up on the history of meteorology and the invention of radar.

Even in modern times with good forecasting & better construction codes, Galveston is a bad place to be. Shirley you heard about Hurricane Ike in 2008?

[palmer]

The worst hurricane in Miami itself was 1926. Also the most expensive hurricane of all time (adjusted for insured value growth and inflation). The worst hurricane to hit Puerto Rico was 1928 and it was estimated to have 200 mph winds as opposed to Maria estimated 150 or so. The highest measured sustained winds were 160 in 1928. For Maria the highest measured winds were 105 (with a lot more measurement locations).

But there's a reason so many fewer people die now: economic progress. Without economic progress there would be no Galveston sea wall, no weather forecasts, no highways, no cars, no communication systems. The 1900 hurricane was bad but a similar hurricane today would kill far less, and probably less than the normal local road death toll.