The north Atlantic hurricane season begins June 1 and lasts through November. The U.S. Census Bureau produces timely local data that are critical to emergency planning, preparedness and recovery efforts. This edition of Facts for Features spotlights the number of people living in areas that could be most affected by these acts of nature.

In Harm’s Way

34.9 million
Estimated July 1, 2006, population most threatened by Atlantic hurricanes: the coastal portion of the states stretching from North Carolina to Texas. Twelve percent of the nation’s population lived in these areas. (Source: Special tabulation)

10.2 million
The 1950 coastal population of the states stretching from North Carolina to Texas. Seven percent of the nation’s population resided in these areas. (Source: Special tabulation)

24.8 million
Number of people added to the Atlantic and Gulf coastal areas from North Carolina to Texas between 1950 and 2006. Florida alone was responsible for the bulk of this increase (almost 15 million). (Source: Special tabulation)

244%
Percentage growth of the coastal population of the states stretching from North Carolina to Texas between 1950 and 2006. (Source: Special tabulation)

180,155
Collective land area, in square miles, of the coastal areas from North Carolina to Texas. (Source: Special tabulation)

3 of 20
The number of the 20 most populous metro areas in 2006 that were within Atlantic or Gulf coastal areas from North Carolina to Texas. These areas are Houston-Baytown-Sugar Land, Texas (sixth); Miami-Fort Lauderdale-Miami Beach, Fla. (seventh), and Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater, Fla. (19th). <http://www.census.gov/Press-Release/www/releases/archives/population/009865.html>

Andrea
The name given to the first Atlantic storm of 2007. The next Atlantic/Gulf of Mexico/Caribbean storm will be named Barry. <http://www.noaa.gov>

About 50 to 100
Number of people killed by hurricanes striking the U.S. coastline in an average three-year period.
<http://www.noaa.gov>

Florida

17.6 million
Estimated 2006 coastal population of Florida, accounting for half of the coastal population of the states stretching from North Carolina to Texas. Among the Sunshine State’s coastal population, 10.5 million lived along the Atlantic and 7.1 million along the Gulf. (Source: Special tabulation)

1.7%
Percentage growth of Florida’s coastal population between 2005 and 2006. (Source: Special tabulation)

352 people per square mile
The 2006 population density of Florida’s coastal areas. The Sunshine State leads the entire area between North Carolina and Texas in coastal population density. (Source: Special tabulation)

Hurricanes Past

38,000
Population of Galveston, Texas, at the time of the city’s “Great Storm” on Sept. 8, 1900, that killed more than 8,000 people. At that time, Galveston, Dallas and Houston had similar populations. <http://www.census.gov/population/www/techpap.html>

57,466
Galveston’s population in 2005 — nowhere near that of Dallas (1,213,825) and Houston (2,016,582).
<http://www.census.gov/Press-Release/www/releases/archives/population/007001.html>

331,917
Population of Charleston County, S.C., in 2006. The county was devastated by Hurricane Hugo in 1989, when its population was 295,000, but has rebounded nicely since.
<http://www.census.gov/Press-Release/www/releases/archives/population/009756.html>

452,170
Estimated population of New Orleans on July 1, 2005 — about two months before Hurricane Katrina struck.
<http://www.census.gov/Press-Release/www/releases/archives/population/009756.html>

223,388
Estimated population of New Orleans on July 1, 2006 — less than one year after Hurricane Katrina struck. The city’s population was down 50.6 percent from a year earlier.
<http://www.census.gov/Press-Release/www/releases/archives/population/009756.html>

1950
The year the Weather Bureau officially began naming hurricanes. <http://www.aoml.noaa.gov/hrd/tcfaq/J6.html>

Note: Coastal counties include those with at least 15 percent of their total land area within the nation’s coastal watershed.

“Special Editions” of the U.S. Census Bureau’s Facts for Features are issued to provide background information for lesser-known observances, anniversaries of historic events and other timely topics in the news.