When was the last time there was a hurricane. The strongest hurricanes in the world

allows you to find out how much is happening in the world and learn how to predict them in time. It is very important to develop effective ways protection from this element. A hurricane is one of the worst on the planet. He carries with him, material damage, often. The lists of victims of hurricanes around the world are huge.

What is a hurricane

The hurricane is very strong wind. Usually such phenomena occur in the tropics. A hurricane is born in the ocean. It occurs above the surface of waters, the temperature of which is not lower than +26 degrees Celsius, with a heating depth of 50 m. Usually, the element is accompanied by a thunderstorm, heavy rain, heavy wind.

The picture below gives an explanation of how a hurricane forms and lists the species on the Saffir-Simpson scale.


When warm water evaporates, the vapor rises above the surface of the ocean. At a certain height, warm, moist air from evaporation collides with cold masses in the atmosphere. This creates an area low pressure. It is called the epicenter of the hurricane. A funnel forms over the ocean. The width of the epicenter can be from 15 to 30 meters. Everything is calm inside it, and around it the winds rage and it rains. How exactly the epicenter is formed, meteorologists cannot yet explain exactly.

The elements can occur not only in the tropics, but also in other parts of the world. The causes of a non-tropical hurricane are similar - the collision of hot and cold air currents in the layers of the atmosphere.

Hurricane speedusually exceeds 120 km/h. In this case, the wave height reaches 1 meter or more. A catastrophic hurricane is considered to be more than 250 km / s and a wave height above 5.5 meters.

How long does a hurricane last? Its duration can reach 12 days.The elements that occur near the coast are the most dangerous. They are distinguished by breakneck speed and are able to demolish everything in their path, even entire cities. Meteorologists believe that the higher the temperature on earth, the more intense the elements. Each degree increases the chance of a hurricane by a few percent. Unfortunately, people have not yet learned how to prevent such an element.

Consequences of a natural phenomenon


They can be the worst. Communication and power lines are damaged, settlements are left without electricity. Trees are broken or uprooted from the ground. Wire breaks occur. Strong buildings are subject to various kinds of damage. Light structures can be completely demolished.

The wind lifts cars and other light objects and objects into the air, which leads to their destruction. As well as animals and people, which is fraught with injury or death. Due to the elements, and can occur. The element causes damage to various sectors of the economy. Gas and water supply systems, boiler houses, sewers, heating mains, power lines are damaged. There are flooding of streets, intersections, underground passages. Roads are washed out, fallen trees form blockages on them. Stations and bridges are damaged.

Crops, livestock and birds are dying. Farms are damaged. Pastures and arable lands are subject to flooding. Of particular concern are such facilities as nuclear power plants, hydroelectric power plants, military depots, chemical plants and others, which can pose a great danger if they are damaged by the elements.The effects of the hurricane on cemeteriescan be quite serious. Fences and monuments can be knocked down or torn from the ground and blown away by the wind.

As a result of the hurricaneoften there are accompanying natural disasters:, showers, storms. The consequence of showers in the tropics can be infectious epidemics. Water stagnates in ravines and microbes spread in it - warm climate contributes to this.

How to behave during a disaster

Almost all countries experience hurricanes. Every year they do a lot of damage large territories. What should be hurricane behavior? If there is an announcement on the radio or television that a hurricane is coming, you need to remove from the territory of the house all objects that can be picked up by a strong wind. Also close all doors and windows.

Glasses must be protected with shutters, shields and other things. If possible, stock up on food and drinking water. All appliances in the house must be turned off, as well as electricity. Ventilation and gas valves must be closed.

When you are in a house or other room, the most the best cover basement during a hurricane. You should go down there and take supplies of food and water with you. If there is no basement, then corridors, rooms without windows will do. In extreme cases, you can use a wall niche or cabinet.

The best natural shelters during a hurricane are holes, any recesses, supports of reinforced concrete bridges. You can not hide behind billboards, under trees, near buildings. You should not stand next to pillars, climb a bridge or other hill. Leave the damaged building immediately.

World statistics

World hurricane statisticssays that over the past 200 years, this element has caused almost 2 million people. Losses reached hundreds of billions of dollars. The table shows the most destructive elements that took place in the USA:

Name Year Hurricane damage (billion$)
Hurricane Andrew 1992 26,5
Ivan 2004 18,8
Hurricane Charlie 2004 15,1
Rita 2005 12
Hurricane Katrina 2005 125
wilma 2005 20,6
2008 29,5
Irene 2011 19

In 2013-2014, two powerful hurricanes hit America - Sandy andNor'easter. The latter was born from a powerful winter storm at sea.

The most destructive hurricane in the USA over the past 25 years - Katrina. As a result, 80% of New Orleans was flooded. The hurricane claimed the lives of almost 2 thousand residents of the city. He was awarded the fifth category. The wind speed was over 280 km/h. Katrina captured 4 states. Damage from the elements amounted to 125 billion dollars.

What are the statistics of hurricanes in Cuba ? The element hits this country several times every year. The hurricane season here is from late July to late November. The most destructive elements in the world over the past 10 years:

  1. Matthew(raged in October 2016 simultaneously in Cuba and in the Dominican Republic, the wind speed was 220 km / s, about a thousand people died, 350 thousand people lost their homes and were left without a livelihood).
  2. Nargis(engulfed Myanmar in 2008, dealt a devastating blow to the economy of one of the world's poorest countries).
  3. Ike(it hit the USA in 2008, the wind speed was 135 km / h, the state of Texas suffered, a mass evacuation of residents took place).

Data for Russia

Hurricane statistics in Russiareports that such elements do not happen here very often. Russian hurricanes cause much less damage than, for example, in the United States. Most often, such an element falls on the northern regions: Khabarovsk region, Sakhalin, Kamchatka and Chukotka.

In 2016 and 2017 happened hurricanes in the Orenburg region. Statisticsclaims that there were no deaths. Nine houses were damaged. Their roofs were torn off. There was also a broken wire.

In 2014, a hurricane in Bashkiria led to the destruction of more than a hundred. Two elderly men died. In June 2017, a hurricane passed through Tatarstan. He did a lot of damage to the Republic. Houses were damaged, trees and power lines uprooted. In 2015, a devastating hurricane passed in Chuvashia. Several were de-energized settlements. 18 houses and 1 school were damaged. In June 2017, a hurricane passed in the Crimea. More than 2 thousand people were left without electricity.

The figure shows data on the elements in Moscow over the past 20 years. Here you can clearly see the date of the incident, the damage caused by the elements to the capital, as well as data on the number of deaths from the hurricane in different years.


Former CIS countries

Not conducted in Ukraine. But here on June 23, 1997, a very strong element was recorded. On the same day, a hurricane passed in Belarus. The storm raged for several hours. The material damage was great. It was hot, more than +30 degrees and a cyclone came from the west. The result was a collision of warm and cold air masses. A hurricane in Ukraine knocked out power lines. In Belarus, a wave of poetry swept from Volyn to Borisov.

Belarus reports that such strong elements are not typical for this country. In both countries, the hurricane destroyed about 1,000 settlements. 10 thousand houses were damaged in Belarus. 70 hectares of crops were damaged. About a hundred people were affected by the hurricane. Of these, five died. Minsk and Brest regions suffered the most.

Hurricanes are not uncommon in Kazakhstan. This is due to the climate of the country. In May 2017, there was a strong hurricane in Kazakhstan. Houses were destroyed, trees were uprooted. Three people died, there are wounded.

conclusions

Hurricane statistics show that such catastrophes are not uncommon in the world. The damage from the elements is great, people often die. Scientists have not yet learned how to calculate in advance the strength and exact path of hurricanes. IN best case only timely notification of the population about a possible disaster is possible. Governments of all countries should think about improving weather services and introducing new system warnings of an impending threat. This will allow timely evacuation of people, avoid a large number of victims and reduce the impact of the elements.

Subscribe to site

Guys, we put our soul into the site. Thanks for that
for discovering this beauty. Thanks for the inspiration and goosebumps.
Join us at Facebook And In contact with

A hurricane is a tropical type of cyclone, which is characterized by a rather small size, but a large force of destruction. The main places of distribution of such natural phenomena are the north and south of America.

The strongest hurricane in history Patricia, dated 2015. The main share of its destructive impact fell on the outskirts of Mexico.

Hurricane Transforms

IN morning time, October 22, 2015, a hurricane, later named Patricia, was several hundred kilometers from Mexico and was included in the second category of hurricanes that do not pose any threat.

But after a few hours, the situation changed dramatically, the cyclone entered the fourth category, and the wind force in the zone of its influence increased to 60 m/s, gusts were 72 m/s. In addition, the hurricane began to move towards the coast of Mexico.

By the evening of October 22, the cyclone was classified as a fifth category, and it was then, according to the head of the National Commission water resources- Roberto Ramirez de la Parra, was recognized as the most powerful cyclone in the country and around the world.

Heading towards Mexico, the cyclone continued to increase its speed and transformed into an extremely strong storm. According to numerous calculations, having reached the coast of Mexico from the coast adjacent to the Pacific Ocean, the cyclone had a wind speed of 90.2 m/s, and its gusts were 111 m/s.

Preparing the people of Mexico for a hurricane

After analyzing the speed of transformation of the hurricane, the Mexican authorities decided to immediately take action to reduce damage from the possible effects of the cyclone.


In 10 municipalities located near the coast Pacific Ocean, classes were canceled in all educational institutions, and an operation was launched aimed at removing from potentially danger zone residents and tourists.

People have been transported to the following states:

  • Michoacán;
  • Colima;
  • Jalisco;
  • Nayarit.

About 1,700 shelters were prepared in these territories, which could accommodate 258,000 people.

In addition, in these same states, 130 hospitals and medical centers were fully prepared to rescue possible victims.

A special contribution to the preparations for the cyclone was made by the heads of the state of Jalisco, who, with the help of the federal authorities, were able to withdraw 28,000 tourists from the world-famous resort city of Puerto Vallarta in almost 24 hours.


By government decrees, several hundred police officers, as well as about a thousand military and rescue service representatives, were sent to the territory of potential danger. Among the military there was even an engineering detachment equipped with a specialized military equipment. About a hundred volunteers from the Red Cross expressed their desire to participate in the rescue mission.

The president of the country and its inhabitants had no idea what to expect, because literally in 2013, two much smaller cyclones, Manuel and Ingrid, were approaching Mexico overnight, but the damage to the country was simply enormous. There was no exact number of deaths, but according to certain reports, it is from 160 to 300 people, while hundreds more were significantly affected.

The results of the impact of the elements

On the night of October 24, Hurricane Patricia reached the shores of the Pacific Ocean near Mexico, due to the effects of the elements, 3.5 thousand residential buildings were destroyed at a distance of 9 kilometers from the coast. Approximately 10,000 people's property was damaged.


There were no officially recorded deaths, for which it remains to thank the Mexican authorities who reacted in time.

Despite the absence of deaths, Hurricane Patricia is rightfully considered the most powerful hurricane in the history of the planet, but there are still a number of strong hurricanes that have claimed many lives in the entire history of mankind.

Top 5 most powerful hurricanes in history

The hurricane is a natural phenomenon, for which it is very difficult to prepare, in the case of Patricia everything ended well, but not at all times the reaction of the authorities and people was lightning fast, an example of this is the following Top 5 most powerful hurricanes

Camilla

The hurricane began its transformation on August 5, 1969 as a small tropical cyclone that formed in western African waters. But by August 15, the zone of influence of the hurricane had expanded to a large extent, and the wind speed reached 180 km/h.


Passing by the territory of Cuba, the wind speed dropped to a mark of 160 km / h, and then meteorologists decided that when it reached the southern part of the United States of America, the wind speed would decrease even more, without causing any harm to houses and people. This became a fatal mistake.

After crossing the Gulf of Mexico region, the strength of the cyclone increased again. The strength of the hurricane was classified as a fifth category. Even before the cyclone reached the state of Mississippi, scientists attempted to determine the wind speed, but it turned out to be a failure.

Having reached the United States of America, the cyclone had a devastating effect on another 19 kilometers of land. Having reached the state of Virginia, the cyclone hit it with huge precipitation - 790 mm / h, which provoked the development of the most powerful flood in the history of the state.


As a result of the impact of the cyclone, 113 people drowned, 143 disappeared and 8931 received injuries of varying degrees of impact.

San Calixto

Another name for the Great Hurricane is a tropical cyclone that formed in the fall of 1780 near Caribbean Islands.


This cyclone was ranked among the deadliest in the entire existence of the planet, as it claimed the lives of more than 22 thousand people.

The elements had a detrimental effect on the entire area of ​​\u200b\u200bthe earth from Newfoundland to Barbados and touched Haiti, where about 95% of all buildings were destroyed. The tidal wave caused by the cyclone, resembling a tsunami, passed through all the presented islands, in some areas the waves reached the mark of seven meters.

All ships, boats, yachts that remained near the coast were subject to flooding. The waves took with them even part of the ships historical significance, which reminded of the combat activities of the country.

According to the calculations of scientists, the wind speed reached 350 km/h.

Mitch

The action of a hurricane with that name fell on October 1998. The formation of the hurricane began as a small tropical cyclone in the Atlantic Basin and ended with the transformation into a fifth (highest) category hurricane.


According to the calculations obtained by meteorologists, the wind speed for that period was 320 km / h.

The devastating impact was made on the territory of Nicaragua, El Salvador and Honduras. 20 thousand inhabitants of these territories died. The main part of the inhabitants died due to the impact of mudflows, strong winds and waves, the height of which reached six meters.


About a million people lost their roof over their heads and hundreds more required urgent medical care.

Katrina

Another largest and deadliest hurricane in history. The cyclone originated in 2005 off the eastern coast of the United States. As a result of its impact, 80% of New Orleans was flooded.


The inhabitants of the city simply did not have enough time to prepare for the disaster, the hurricane was forming so quickly. As a result of its impact, 1836 people died, and nothing is known about the fate of 705 people to this day, about 500 thousand people lost their homes. The total damage amounted to 80 billion dollars.

But despite all the grief that people experienced during this period, looters also became more active, with which the police simply could not cope.

Andrew

The occurrence of this hurricane fell on 1992, and its destructive force had an impact on such territories as the Bahamas, south Florida, southwest Louisiana.

In this case, there was much less death and destruction, but people will never be able to forget this phenomenon. According to official reports, 26 people died during the hurricane, and another 39 people died from its consequences.

The damage caused by hurricanes to the country amounted to 26.5 billion dollars.

Each of these hurricanes is terrible in its own way, because they all claimed the lives of people and destroyed houses. It is difficult to say how lucky the surviving people are, because, despite the saved life, they lost their home and all the accumulated property.


Taught by bitter experience, the countries of America now always have an evacuation plan for residents of all regions at hand, because it is impossible to predict when a seemingly harmless tropical cyclone will transform into a strong hurricane that claims the lives of people, and most importantly, how quickly it will reach people's places of residence.

Video

Few people will be pleased with the hot, dry windless weather. But also less joy deliver strong gusts of wind, knocking people off their feet, destroying everything around. It is this squally wind that is called a hurricane. Its speed can reach 300 meters per second. In this article, we will talk about what are the most strong hurricanes in the world caused significant damage to people and claimed human lives.

What is a hurricane

A hurricane is a strong wind, the speed of which is much higher than 30 meters per second. On the southern hemisphere planet the wind blows clockwise, and on the North - in reverse direction, that is, against.

Typhoon, cyclone, storm and breeze are multiple definitions of a hurricane. Specialists of hydrometeorological centers have multiplied the concept of the word "hurricane" to simplify the work. Hurricanes and cyclones often get names similar to female names, but in modern world this rule is slightly modified so that there is no noticeable discrimination.

The largest hurricanes in the world have caused impressive damage to humanity, resulting in a huge number of victims and damage. This is the most powerful imaginable. Hurricanes have tremendous energy.

Gusts of wind demolish buildings, destroy crops, disrupt power lines and water pipes, damage highways, uproot trees, and cause accidents. Such damage causes the most powerful hurricanes in the world. The list and statistics of the most powerful natural disasters of our time are updated with new cyclones every year.

Hurricane classification

There is no standard classification for hurricanes. There are only two groups of them: a whirlwind storm and a streaming hurricane.

During a vortex storm, funnel-shaped gusts arise, which are caused by the activity of cyclones and extend to large area. IN winter period snow storms, which are called snowstorms or blizzards, prevail.

A streaming hurricane does not travel as far as an eddy storm. It is conditioned and significantly inferior to its "brother". There are jet and katabatic hurricanes. A jet storm is characterized by a horizontal flow, while a drain storm is characterized by a vertical one.

Hurricane Matthew

The Atlantic hurricane, dubbed "Matthew", was born on the African coast on September 22, 2016. The cyclone was gaining strength as it moved towards Florida. On October 6, the hurricane weakened slightly, affecting a small part Bahamas and Miami. The next day, the storm wind arose again with a vengeance, its gusts reached 220 kilometers per hour. This mark indicated a category 5 hurricane on the Saffir-Simpson scale. It is worth noting that category 5 is the highest mark.

It is impossible to overestimate the damage caused by Hurricane Matthew. At least 877 people were victims of the disaster, 350 thousand were left without shelter and means of survival. 3.5 thousand buildings were destroyed. Matthew, which hit Florida in 2016, is the most powerful hurricane in the world over the current decade. Photos of the consequences prove this.

Citizens affected by the disaster were provided with temporary housing or a place in a shelter. Health officials say cholera outbreaks are possible in the near future, as the water is contaminated.

Myanmar: Hurricane Nargis

The strongest hurricanes in the world in the last 10 years have resulted in irreparable losses from which people cannot recover to this day. The terrifying Cyclone Nargis, which hit Myanmar in 2008, was such a disaster.

People were not notified in time about the impending disaster, so they could not prepare. In addition, the government of the country initially refused all assistance from other states.

But after a certain amount of time, the entry of humanitarian cargo was nevertheless allowed, and people received the necessary assistance.

Myanmar is the poorest state in which the annual income per citizen is only $200. Hurricane Nargis dealt a devastating blow not only to the citizens of the country, but also to state economy generally.

Cuba and Hurricane Sandi

Hurricane Sandy hit southeastern Cuba on October 25, 2012. The wind speed exceeded 183 meters per hour.
suffered a large number of of people. In Jamaica, a man died from a boulder that fell "from the sky". In Haiti, a woman was carried away by a stream of water, who was subsequently not found. As a result of the disaster, about 200 people died and more than 130,000 buildings were destroyed.

Sandi is the 18th tropical storm to pass this decade. Before hitting Cuba, the hurricane intensified to almost a second category.

Looking at the photo of the cyclone, we can say with accuracy that "Sandy" and the rest of the most powerful hurricanes in the world over the past 10 years have become for people the only terrifying element in their lives.

Hurricane Ike

Tropical storm Ike hit the United States in 2008. The hurricane was not too strong, but quite impressive in its scale. The origin of the cyclone occurred in the southeast of the American coast. Meteorologists were preparing for a 5, the highest hurricane on the Saffir-Simpson scale.

Approaching the mark of 135 kilometers per hour. But gradually the wind subsided, and the elements weakened.

Texas suffered the most, especially the small city of Galveston. An interesting fact is that this town has already felt the power of the strongest hurricane of the 20th century.

The Texas authorities carried out a mass evacuation of people, but most citizens did not want to leave their homes. The authorities were prepared for the fact that the elements would cause enormous damage and lead to floods, as often happens.

Severe consequences, from which people recover immediately, entail the most powerful hurricanes in the world. The names of many of them will forever remain in the memory of the affected people.

It's important to know

Every country is affected by cyclones to some extent every year. Therefore, it is so important to know certain rules of behavior during a storm. In no case should you:

  • climb a hill, bridge, power lines;
  • be near poles, trees, flammable substances and pesticides;
  • hide from the wind behind billboards, signs, banners;
  • be in a damaged building, as you know, the most powerful hurricanes in the world easily destroy buildings;
  • use electrical appliances.

After the wind subsides, it is dangerous:

  • approach broken wires;
  • touch swinging signs, banners, billboards;
  • to be in the house in case of violations in the power transmission;
  • use electrical appliances;
  • if a thunderstorm was observed, then you should not touch electrical appliances in order to avoid an electric discharge.

Did you know that the destructive power of a particular hurricane can cause the name assigned to the cyclone to be crossed off the list of names that can have the most powerful hurricanes in the world. Under this rule hit, for example, Hurricane Katrin in 2005, and meteorologists will never use this name again.

Hurricane Mitch

The most devastating hurricane of the 20th century ... It was this sad status that Hurricane Mitch received, which swept through the countries of Central America in the fall of 1998 and claimed the lives of more than 11 thousand people (more victims were recorded only during the Great Hurricane of 1780). Approximately the same number of people went missing. The hurricane, which raged for several days, wiped out many settlements, roads, destroyed crops, livestock, food supplies, and famine and shortages came after the disaster. drinking water and medicines, such viral diseases as malaria, cholera, and tropical fever began to spread. About 2.7 million people were left homeless. The hurricane that caused so much trouble began on October 10 off the coast of Africa. On October 26, air gusts of 285 km / h were recorded. As a result, he was awarded the highest category on the Saffir-Simpson scale. The hurricane dissipated only on November 5 off the coast of Great Britain. Hurricane Mitch affected several countries - Guatemala, Honduras, El Salvador, Panama, Nicaragua, Costa Rica, Jamaica, Mexico and the United States.

Hurricane Katrina

Katrina is the name given to the hurricane that swept over the states adjacent to the Gulf of Mexico. The two states most affected were Louisiana with 1,577 deaths and Mississippi with 238 deaths. Also, the dead were in the states of Georgia, Alabama, Ohio, Kentucky and Florida, which, in total, amounted to 21 people. New Orleans, in Louisiana, took the brunt - about 80% of the city's area was flooded. The trouble lay in the fact that most of the city is below sea level. In addition, on the one hand there was the Gulf of Mexico, from where the Katrina came, on the other, the channel of the big river North America Mississippi and large lake Pontchartrain is the 11th largest in the country. Immediately after the hurricane, crime increased in the city, mostly looters. The death toll, according to various sources, is up to 1600 people. Before the hurricane, there were 484,000 people in the city; a year later, in July, almost 50% of the population did not live in the city. On the this moment part of the citizens returned to the city, and now the population of the city is 343 thousand people. The consequences of the hurricane were overcome only in May 2006 - all sections of the city were dried up and a significant part of the buildings was restored.

Great Hurricane of 1780

The deadliest hurricane in the history of observing the North Atlantic basin, its victims from October 10 to October 16, 1780, were more than 27.5 thousand people in the Lesser Antilles of the Caribbean. Unfortunately, at that time there was no video filming, so we present you the material collected from other tragedies of similar scale. A great hurricane raged near Barbados for 2 days, causing winds that, according to eyewitnesses, were "so deafening that people did not hear their voice." The wind stripped the bark off the trees before they were all knocked down. This phenomenon has not been observed in any of the strongest modern tropical cyclones, therefore, according to meteorologist Dr. José Millas, if we assume that only wind and rain did this, then the wind speed should have exceeded 320 km / h. 19 Dutch ships crashed off the island of Grenada. On Saint Lucia big waves and a storm surge in the port of Castries destroyed British Admiral George Rodney's fleet, with one of the ships causing damage to the city's hospital by being thrown onto it. Forty ships of the French Navy, which took part in the American War of Independence, were capsized by a hurricane off the coast of Martinique, causing 4,000 soldiers to drown. A great hurricane caused a 7.5 m high storm surge that washed away all the houses in the city of St. Pierre; the number of victims on this island amounted to 9 thousand people.

In the United States, debris continues to be cleared after the rampage of Hurricane Michael, which is classified as a fourth category and some meteorologists have already named the most powerful hurricane in the 21st century. Wind gusts have been recorded reaching speeds of 200 km/h, and in many places the hurricane simply uprooted trees and tore off massive roofs. The victims of the disaster were 33 people, most of whom died in Florida. Also, significant damage was caused to other states of the southeastern coast of the United States, in particular North Carolina, Georgia and Virginia, in which human casualties, significant damage to homes and infrastructure are noted. The hurricane almost completely destroyed one of the American air bases in Florida, the command of which compared the swept hurricane with a bombardment, adding that the consequences of the violence of the elements turned out to be catastrophic for aircraft.

Was Michael really the strongest hurricane?

It can be remembered that last years Michael is far from the first hurricane to hit the United States. Not less than disastrous consequences brought by hurricanes

– Irma (2017);

– Katrina (2005);

– Harvey (2017);

– Ike (2009) and others.

Exactly one year ago, the deadly Hurricane Irma raged in the Atlantic and the Caribbean, which was then also considered the most powerful hurricane. When it approached the American coast, its power decreased, thanks to which significant casualties and destruction in the United States itself were avoided. However, the hurricane was classified as a Category 5 hurricane, and this is what made it one of the most terrible hurricanes, because when it swept over the Atlantic and the Caribbean islands, there was not a trace left of some of them.

After Hurricane Irma on the once picturesque island of Barbuda, more than 90% of buildings and structures were destroyed. When an aerial photograph was taken over the island, it looked like they just dropped it atomic bomb. Similar story occurred on the island of Saint-Martin, which is under French jurisdiction. The entire infrastructure and hundreds of houses were destroyed in the city, and 11 people were killed. To restore it, the French government has allocated tens of millions of euros, but this is far from enough to return the island to its former state.

Hurricane Katrina and its aftermath

The list of the worst hurricanes ever to hit the coast of the United States will forever include Hurricane Katrina, which covered the southeast coast in 2005. This hurricane belonged to the fifth category and at the moment when it approached the coast, wind speeds reached 280 km / h. This is one of the largest numbers in history, which placed Katrina among the most destructive hurricanes in human history. The elements hit the United States during the presidency of George W. Bush, who announced a complete evacuation of residents of coastal states recognized as natural disaster areas.

But this did not save America from tragedy, because many did not leave, and the hurricane was really deadly. It led to the complete flooding of the city of New Orleans, which at that time had about 150 thousand inhabitants. Since the activity of administrative and communal services was almost completely stopped, the city began social problems. The rescue operation, which was then carried out by the American authorities, is considered one of the worst examples in the history of the rescue services, and the rating of the american president after Hurricane Katrina fell below 40%. This is because as a result of the disaster and the inept actions of the George W. Bush administration, according to official estimates, 1,836 people died, hundreds more people went missing, and the total economic damage exceeded 90 billion.

Ike and Harvey are the strongest hurricanes since Katrina

If we talk about the hurricanes, the consequences of which were the most devastating to the economy, then one cannot but recall Hurricane Harvey, which hit southeast Texas in 2017. This is because it caused widespread flooding that flooded Houston in particular and led to the death of more 80 people. There have been explosions at two chemical plants in the state, and massive power outages across Texas. As we reported, later these plants . The total damage from Harvey is estimated at $70 billion, which is one of the largest sums spent from the budget to eliminate the consequences. tropical storm or a hurricane.

Some US towns still have not coped with the consequences tropical hurricane Ike, which swept along the southeast coast in 2008. Its diameter exceeded 900 km, which made Ike the record-breaking hurricane in the 21st century. It also became one of the strongest hurricanes in the last 10 years, as it led to the flooding of the port town of Galveston in Texas, as well as to the destruction of a total of $ 20 billion. In addition, the islands of Haiti and Cuba were significantly affected, where almost 50 people died and significant material damage was inflicted. As practice shows, it is these island states that suffer the most during the rampant elements.