The world today often suffers from natural disasters such as floods, draughts, typhoons, hurricanes, earthquakes and tsunamis, causing severe damage and billion dollar losses to the storm-stricken areas. Unfortunately, and more often than not, the disasters also claim many human victims.

Every year, many countries, especially those in the tropical spheres of the globe, experience typhoons or hurricanes, raging through at different speeds. High-tech equipment may nowadays help forecast the disaster, but nothing can control the ferocious power of nature.

The following is a list of the 10 strongest typhoons and hurricanes ever to strike our planet in recording human history.

 Hurricane Andrew（颶風(fēng)安德魯）

Formed on Aug. 16, 1992, and dissipated on the 28th, Hurricane Andrew hit the southern part of Florida, southwestern part of Louisiana and the northwestern part of the Bahamas, with peak winds of 175 mph (280 km/h). It was one of the costliest hurricanes on the planet, with 26 direct fatalities, 39 indirect ones and damages worth US$26.5 billion (1992 USD).