9. Jacksonville, FL

Total properties potentially affected by all categories of hurricane: 127,481

Total structural value: $18,372,979,757

Average value: $144,123

In the event of a Category 5 hurricane, five different areas could sustain property damage of more than $1 billion. The Ponte Vedra Beach area alone could sustain property damages of more than $2.8 billion.

8. Cape Coral, FL

Total properties potentially affected by all categories of hurricane: 172,513

Total structural value: $19,623,515,300

Average value: $113,751

The Cape Coral/Fort Myers metro region hosts the largest population between Miami and Tampa, with more than 172,513 properties at risk. A Category 1 hurricane could cause $9.4 billion in damage and affect 70,000 properties.

7. Houston

Total properties potentially affected by all categories of hurricane: 178,000

Total structural value: $19,784,418,775

Average value: $111,148

A Category 1 storm could cause area residents total property damage of more than $1.9 billion. Residential areas most at risk include League City, Galveston, portions of Houston and La Porte.

6. Boston

Total properties potentially affected by all categories of hurricane: 71,328

Total structural value: $23,279,728,965

Average value: $326,376

More than 71,000 properties in the Boston metro area are susceptible to a Category 4 storm making landfall in the city, with these homes valued at more than $23 billion. Even a Category 1 storm could generate surge that could affect more than 10,000 properties worth more than $2.9 billion.

5. Tampa, FL

Total properties potentially affected by all categories of hurricane: 283,603

Total structural value: $28,887,406,535

Average value: $101,859

A Category 5 hurricane would most likely affect multiple ZIP codes across a large portion of Tampa, along with part of Saint Petersburg. Other affected areas could include Palm Harbor, Port Richey and Tarpon Springs.

4. New Orleans

Total properties potentially affected by all categories of hurricane: 276,930

Total structural value: $38,690,939,229

Average value: $139,714

If levees are topped or fail altogether, as they did during Hurricane Katrina, the water would be trapped and cause significant additional damage. Even with a Category 1 storm, surge alone could inundate more than $26 billion worth of property and affect more than 195,000 homes.

3. Miami

Total properties potentially affected by all categories of hurricane: 229,413

Total structural value: $42,674,254,427

Average value: $186,015

The Miami to Palm Beach area is uniquely situated to be impacted from hurricanes traveling from three different directions. In a Category 5 hurricane, portions of Miami and Jupiter, along with West Palm Beach, would be susceptible to sustaining an estimated $9.1 billion in damage.

2. Virginia Beach, VA

Total properties potentially affected by all categories of hurricane: 290,522

Total structural value: $46,020,134,284

Average value: $158,405

The Hampton Roads CBSA, which includes Virginia Beach, Norfolk and Newport News, is the 36th largest in the country, with a total population of 1.6 million, according to the 2010 U.S. Census. Even a Category 1 storm could cause area resident total property damage of close to $10 billion, impacting more than 59,000 homes.

1. New York, NY

Total properties potentially affected by all categories of hurricane: 455,255

Total structural value: $168,070,185,834

Average value: $369,178

Even if the hurricane is only a Category 1 storm, it could still cause total property damage of $48 billion and affect more than 119,000 residential properties in the metro area. Based on the analysis, residential areas that could be most affected by a storm surge include Beach Haven, West Islip, Massapequa, Riverhead, and a portion of Brooklyn.