Born off the coast of Africa in September 1999, Hurricane Floyd reached a wind speed of 155 mph as it neared the United States. Two million people were evacuated from their homes along the eastern coast of the USA. The hurricane hit the Bahamas first, then Florida, Georgia, North Carolina and then moved up the east coast to New York. Floyd was responsible for 57 deaths, mostly in North Carolina from drowning following massive floods. Total insurance claims for hurricane damage were one and a half billion US dollars.