This list shows the most destructive hurricanes to hit the Caribbean area in recent years. The death tolls are based primarily on Associated Press reporting, but include some figures compiled by the U.S. Hurricane Center:

. Hurricane Gilbert, 1988: Caused 300 deaths in the Caribbean and Mexico. Storm hit the Dominican Republic, Haiti, Jamaica, Cuba, Cayman Islands and Mexico before striking Texas.

. Hurricane Joan, 1988: Caused 137 deaths in the Caribbean and Central America. Storm hit Colombia, Costa Rica, Nicaragua, Panama and Venezuela.

. Hurricane Hugo, 1989: Caused 56 deaths in the Caribbean and 29 in the United States. Storm hit Guadeloupe, Montserrat, the U.S. Virgin Islands and Puerto Rico before striking South Carolina.

. Hurricane Andrew, 1992: Caused four deaths in the Caribbean and 51 in the United States. Storm hit the Bahamas then Florida and Louisiana.

. Hurricane Gert, 1993: Caused 76 deaths, affected Mexico, Honduras, Costa Rica and Nicaragua.

. Hurricane Gordon, 1994: Caused 1,137 deaths in the Caribbean and eight in the United States. Storm hit Nicaragua, Cuba and Haiti before striking Florida.

. Hurricane Opal, 1995: Caused at least 50 deaths in Guatemala and Mexico and 20 deaths in the United States. Storm hit Central America before striking Florida, Alabama, Georgia and North Carolina.

. Hurricane Cesar, 1996: Caused 51 deaths in Caribbean and Central America. Storm hit Costa Rica, Curacao, Aruba, San Andres and Nicaragua.

. Hurricane Georges, 1998: Caused 602 deaths in the Caribbean and four in the United States. Storm hit the Dominican Republic, Haiti, Cuba, Puerto Rico, Antigua, Guadeloupe, St. Kitts and Nevis, Anguilla and British and U.S. Virgin Islands before striking Alabama, Mississippi, Louisiana and Florida.

. Hurricane Mitch, 1998: One of the Caribbean’s deadliest storms ever caused at least 9,000 deaths in Central America. Storm hit Honduras, Nicaragua, El Salvador, Guatemala, Mexico, Panama, Jamaica and Costa Rica.

. Hurricane Floyd, 1999: Caused one death in Caribbean and 56 in United States. Storm hit Bahamas before striking Florida, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Virginia, Delaware, New York, Connecticut and Vermont.