10 Worst Hurricanes in United States History
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VIVA – Hurricane is one the natural disasters that are dangerous for people. In Indonesia, the hurricane is known as Typhoons. Hurricanes can cause severe damage and loss of life.
A hurricane is an air disturbance that occurs in the atmosphere. Hurricanes are characterized by strong winds, lightning, and heavy rain. A hurricane occurs when the center of the area of ??minimum pressure expands and is surrounded by an air of maximum pressure. The combination of these two opposing forces can give rise to winds and storm clouds.
Every year in the United States, it is estimated that several major hurricanes will cause major damage. Here's a list of the worst hurricanes according to United States history based on wind, damage, and human casualties.
1. Hurricane of Galveston (1900)
Hurricane Galveston in 1900 was the deadliest hurricane in United States history. An estimated 8,000 people died, widely caused by storm surges exceeding 12 feet along the coastline.
Out of a population of 38,000, 10,000 were homeless. But the hurricane of 1900 did not affect human life but impacted Galveston's economy. When many investors withdrew from development projects in favor of Houston.
Then, three engineers devised a plan to change the coastline of the Gulf of Mexico around Galveston Island by raising it 17 feet more than 10 miles to prevent another catastrophic flood.
2. Hurricane of Miami (1926)
The Great Hurricane of 1926 affected most of south Florida, but especially the Miami area. With the lack of modern technology, storm reporting relies on ship traffic, which has several drawbacks.
The storm formed on September 11. However, no ships have passed by until September 15, which is currently set into the forecast category 4.
High death tolls and destroyed buildings were reported after storm surges broke embankments on Lake Okeechobee, causing hundreds of people to drown. Overall, $100 million worth of damage was recorded, making it one of the most expensive hurricanes to occur in the US.
3. Hurricane of New England (1938)
The New England hurricane of 1938 is also known as the Long Island Express. Another hurricane with an odd course, this storm mainly stays at sea, traveling up the east coast, making landfall as a category 3.
One of the reasons this storm has earned its nickname is how fast it moved when it hit New Haven, Connecticut, at 47 mph.
Long Island suffered most of the damage, with areas experiencing life-changing storm surges of more than 12 feet across Connecticut and Boston. In all, 57,000 homes and 682 lives were lost.
4. Hurricane of Hazel (1954)
The deadliest hurricane of the 1954 season, Hurricane Hazel made landfall near the Carolina border as a category 4. Before hitting the US, 469 people died in Haiti. When the system landed in Calabash, North Carolina, another 95 lives were lost. However, when Hurricane Hazel became extratropical, the impact was most significant in Ontario, Canada.
5. Hurricane of Donna
Hurricane Donna, otherwise known as Hurricane Lorenzo in Puerto Rico, has such an unusual course that it is the only hurricane to directly hit the mid-Atlantic, Florida, and New England.
Hurricane Donna re-entered the Atlantic Ocean as a category 1 wreaking havoc on the east coast, but not before strengthening to category 2. It would eventually make landfall on Long Island, New York. Hurricane Donna caused $980 million in damage, with the Florida Keys farm taking a major hit. With citrus crops, tangerines, oranges, and avocados are gone.
6. Hurricane of Andrew (1992)
Hurricane Andrew in 1992 was the most destructive hurricane to hit the Bahamas, Florida, and Louisiana in 25 years.
The sheer number of tornadoes it generates and gusts of up to 174 mph make Hurricane Andrew very expensive. Hurricane Andrew made landfall in the vicinity of Homestead, Miami, which has a densely populated surrounding area.
Despite this, 126,000 houses were razed to the ground, leaving 180,000 people homeless and 65 lives lost. The storm caused $27.3 billion in damage.
7. Hurricane of Katrina
Hurricane of Katrina in New Orleans caused 1883 lives to be lost as a direct or indirect result. This hurricane was caused by floods and storm surges.
For those living in the lower parishes, the only way to escape storm surges and flooding is to seek shelter on their roofs. At the same time, violent thunderstorms, heavy rain, and gusts of wind continued to surround them until they were lucky enough to be rescued.
Hurricane Katrina did $125 billion in damage and was one of the most expensive hurricanes in US history.
8. Hurricane of Sandy
Hurricane of Sandy, better known as Superstorm Sandy, resulted from an unusual path in jet streams and moisture above sea level, which affected much of the eastern coast.
24 states were affected at one point or another and stretched from the Caribbean to Canada. Even a decade later, Sandy is still the largest hurricane in diameter, measuring 1,150 miles wide. Hurricane Sandy killed 233 people.
9. Hurricane of Harvey
Hurricane Harvey near Port Aransas became one of the most powerful hurricanes in the world, killing 107 people.
The slow motion or stoppage of Hurricane Harvey was devastating, causing tremendous flooding in Texas and Louisiana. So much so, Texas alone saw 60 inches of rain, displacing many from their homes.
10. Hurricane of Maria (2017)
Hurricane of Maria in 2017 became the first hurricane to hit the island of Puerto Rico in more than 80 years. The storm also created the worst power outage in US history when the entire power grid was cut. With 175 mph winds, it's easy to see why.
Unfortunately, more than 3,000 people lost their lives, and the damage was estimated at $91 billion. Thus, making Hurricane Maria the third most expensive hurricane in US history.