Gulf Coast No Stranger To Big Hurricanes

As Tropical Storm Gustav is projected to hit on Louisiana's Gulf Coast unpleasant memories of Hurricanes Katrina and Rita, which caused major damage in Louisiana three weeks apart in 2005, are being brought back.

The Gulf of Mexico has been a target in the past for major hurricanes.

In 2004, Hurricane Ivan made landfall just west of Gulf Shores, Ala., as a category 3 on Sept. 16. As it moved inland, Ivan produced more than 100 tornadoes and heavy rains across much of the southeastern United States.

In 2005, prior to Hurricanes Katrina and Rita, Hurricane Dennis hit on the Gulf Coast over the western Florida Panhandle near Navarre Beach on July 10.

Three deaths in the United States were blamed on Dennis, as heavy rainfall also occurred over much of Florida and the southeastern United States. The most rain was 12.8 inches near Camden, Alabama. Ten tornadoes were reported in association with Dennis in the United States.

Hurricane Opal, in 1995, was a Category 3 hurricane when it made landfall near Pensacola Beach, Fla. A combination of storm surge and breaking waves inundated portions of the western Florida Panhandle coast and was responsible for the bulk of the $3 billion in damage attributed to Opal in the United States.

Opal was responsible for nine deaths in the United States, including eight from falling trees and one from a tornado. Opal was responsible for 50 deaths in Mexico and Guatemala due to flooding caused by heavy rains

South Florida has frequently been a landing spot for major hurricanes as well, but the most destructive hurricane to hit the United States did significant damage to both South Florida and the Gulf Coast of Louisiana.

Hurricane Andrew hit Florida as a Category 4 storm, reaching the Gulf of Mexico and turning north, hitting the Louisiana coast as a Category 3 storm.

Andrew produced a 17-foot storm surge near the landfall point in Florida, while storm tides of at least 8 feet inundated portions of the Louisiana coast. Andrew also produced a killer tornado in southeastern Louisiana.

Andrew was responsible for 23 deaths in the U.S. and caused $26.5 billion in damage in -- all but $1 billion of which occurred in Florida. The vast majority of the damage in Florida was due to the winds.

In 2005, Hurricane Wilma was blamed for five deaths in Florida after making landfall as a Category 3 storm near Cape Romano. The storm moved quick as the eye crossed the Florida Peninsula in less than five hours, moving into the Atlantic just north of Palm Beach as a Category 2 hurricane.

Central Florida hasn't been hit as often or as hard, but it was hit twice in a two-week period in August 2004.

The National Hurricane Center considered Hurricane Charley, which made landfall in 2004 in Florida, to be relatively small. However, it did hit as a Category 4 storm.

Charley made landfall on the southwest coast of Florida, just north of Captiva Island.

The hurricane then crossed central Florida, passing near Kissimmee and Orlando. Charley was still of hurricane intensity around when its center cleared the northeast coast of Florida near Daytona Beach.

Charley's maximum winds and storm surge was located about six miles from the center, the NHC said. However, the hurricane's violent winds devastated Punta Gorda and neighboring Port Charlotte. Charley also produced 16 tornadoes in Florida, North Carolina and Virginia. The total damage was estimated to be near $15 billion, making Charley the second costliest hurricane in U.S. history at the time.

Two weeks later, Hurricane Frances made landfall near Stuart, Fla., as a Category 2 storm.

Frances produced a storm surge of nearly 6 feet at its Florida east coast landfall and caused widespread heavy rains and associated freshwater flooding over much of the eastern United States, with a maximum reported rainfall of 18.07 inches at Linville Falls, N.C.

Frances was also associated with an outbreak of over 100 tornadoes throughout the southeastern and mid-Atlantic states. Seven United States deaths were blamed on the storm and U.S. damage was estimated to be near $8.9 billion, over 90 percent of which occurred in Florida.