Trends in the ratio of damage to deaths caused by United States landfalling hurricanes

Based on National Hurricane Center records of tropical cyclone-related damage (in constant US dollars) and deaths, yearly ratios of damage to the number of deaths for landfalling tropical cyclones were determined for the period 1900 through 1996. An examination of the trends of these ratios suggests the importance of aerial reconniassance in monitoring tropical cyclones that affect the United States.