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Remember the hurricanes that did the most damage to the United States

With the arrival of Hurricane Ian in Florida this Wednesday (28), the storm considered extremely dangerous is reminiscent of the history of hurricanes that have hit the United States, including those that caused the most deaths and most damage.

Major hurricanes in recent US history

hurricane michael

Date: October 7th to 11th, 2018

This Category 5 hurricane made landfall in Florida near Mexico Beach and Tyndall Air Force Base.

When it made landfall, the hurricane was classified as Category 4, but further analysis revealed that winds reached 257 km/h, so the National Hurricane Center (NHC) updated the category. It is rare for Category 5 cyclones to directly hit the United States.

Michael caused around $25 billion in damage.

The cyclone devastated Mexico Beach. Of the city’s 1,692 buildings, 809 were destroyed and a total of 1,584 were damaged. All buildings on the Air Force base were also damaged.

The cycle directly caused at least 16 deaths in Florida, Virginia, North Carolina and Georgia.

Hurricane Maria

Date: September 16th to 30th, 2017

Maria hit the Dominican Republic as a Category 5 hurricane and hit Puerto Rico as a Category 4 hurricane.

It caused $90 billion in damage.

The official death toll after the cyclone passed was 64 in Puerto Rico. However, findings from CNN and other media outlets indicated that there may have been more than 1,000 hurricane-related deaths on the island.

For its part, the government of Puerto Rico increased the death toll from 64 to 2,975 after researchers at George Washington University published a report on deaths in 2018.

Earlier, an academic report published in the New England Journal of Medicine estimated that 4,645 people died during the cyclone and its aftermath.

The paper’s authors called the official number of 64 a “substantial understatement.” However, the death toll cited in the article was a midpoint estimate based on a limited survey of 3,299 households. The research indicated that the number of people who died from the storm could range from 793 to 8,498.

In the Dominican Republic, 31 people died as a direct result of the cyclone. Deaths have also been reported in St. Thomas, in the Dominican Republic and Haiti. Three people drowned due to rip currents off the coast of New Jersey and a fourth drowning death was reported in Florida.

Massive damage to the aging electrical grid resulted in widespread power outages that lasted for months.

Hurricane Irma

Date: August 30th to September 12th, 2017

This cyclone made seven landfalls, four as a Category 5 hurricane on several islands in the northern Caribbean. It hit the Florida Keys as a Category 4 and hit Southwest Florida as a Category 3 cyclone.

It caused $50 billion in damage.

More than six million Florida residents were forced to evacuate before the hurricane, which directly caused at least 47 deaths in the Caribbean islands and the southeastern United States.

hurricane harvey

Date: August 17th to September 1st, 2017

It first made landfall as a Category 4 hurricane near Rockport, Texas, and made landfall in the state for four days, causing devastating flooding. Its remnant later made landfall in southwestern Louisiana.

It set the record for the most precipitation from a tropical cyclone in the continental United States, with nearly 50 inches of rain recorded in areas of Texas. An estimated 27 billion gallons of rain fell in Texas and Louisiana in six days.

It caused $125 billion in damage.

At least 68 deaths directly related to the cyclone have been reported in Texas, the highest death toll from a hurricane in the state since 1919.

Flooding caused by Hurricane Sandy, USA

Hurricane Sandy

Date: October 22 to 29, 2012.

Category 3 cyclone that hit Cuba as a Category 2 and hit New Jersey as a post-tropical cyclone.

His path included Haiti, Jamaica, Cuba and the coasts of New Jersey and New York.

Sandy caused $65 billion in damage.

They directly caused at least 147 deaths, including 72 in the United States, 54 in Haiti, 11 in Cuba, three in the Dominican Republic, two in the Bahamas, one in Canada, one in Jamaica, one in Puerto Rico and two deaths at sea.

hurricane isaac

Date: August 21 to September 1, 2012

Category 1 cyclone. Its path included Haiti, Cuba, southern Mississippi and southeastern Louisiana.

It caused damages estimated at $2,350 million.

The direct death toll from Isaac’s impact is estimated at 34 in the United States, Haiti and the Dominican Republic.

Hurricane Irene

Date: August 20 to 29, 2011.

Category 3 cyclone that hit the east coast of North Carolina as a Category 1 cyclone.

This caused damage estimated at $15.8 billion.

48 deaths are linked to the impact of Irene: five in the Dominican Republic, three in Haiti and 40 in the United States.

hurricane Tomas

Dates: October 29 to November 7, 2010.

Category 2 cyclone that hit Saint Lucia as Category 1.

Affected areas include Saint Lucia, Barbados, Saint Vincent, the Grenadines, Curaçao and Haiti.

This caused about $336 million in damages.

A total of 44 people died from its impact in the Lesser and Greater Antilles.

Hurricane Ike

Dates: 1st to 14th of September 2008.

A Category 4 hurricane that hit the Turks and Caicos Islands with this force and then hit Galveston Island, Texas, as a Category 2.

His background included the Turks and Caicos Islands, Cuba, Texas, Louisiana and Arkansas.

Ike caused $30 billion in damage.

The direct death toll was 103 in Hispaniola, Cuba and the US Gulf Coast.

Hurricane Wilma

Dates: October 15th to 25th, 2005

A Category 5 hurricane that hit Cozumel, Mexico as a Category 4. It later made landfall near Cape Romano, Florida as a Category 3.

It caused $19 billion in damage.

The death toll directly attributed to Wilma was 23: five in the United States, 12 in Haiti, four in Mexico, one in Jamaica and one in the Bahamas.

Hurricane Rita

Date: September 20th to 24th, 2005

Category 5 hurricane that made landfall near the Louisiana-Texas border as Category 3.

Rita caused $18.5 billion in damages.

In total, 7 deaths are attributed to the hurricane’s impacts.

Hurricane Katrina passing through the US

Katrina hurricane

Date: 25th to 29th of August 2005.

Category 5 cyclone that hit Florida as Category 1. Also hit Buras, Louisiana as Category 3.

His path included Florida, Alabama, Mississippi and Louisiana.

It caused $125 billion in damage.

An estimated 1,200 people died directly from the cyclone’s impact on the United States, in addition to hundreds of other deaths indirectly caused by the hurricane.

Hurricane Ivan

Date: 2nd to 24th of September 2004.

Category 5 hurricane that hit Grenada as Category 3.

Affected areas include the Gulf Coast in the United States, Cuba, Dominican Republic, Venezuela and Caribbean islands.

It caused $25 billion in damage.

The number of deaths directly attributed to Ivan was 92: 25 in the United States, 39 in Grenada, 17 in Jamaica, four in the Dominican Republic, three in Venezuela, two in the Cayman Islands, one in Tobago and one in Barbados.

French hurricane

Date: August 25th to September 8th, 2004

Category 3 cyclone that hit the Bahamas at this intensity and Florida as a Category 2 storm.

Affected areas include Florida and the Caribbean islands.

Damage is estimated at $9 billion.

The death toll attributed directly to Frances was seven: six in the United States and one in the Bahamas.

Hurricane Charley

Date: August 9th to 14th, 2004.

Category 4 hurricane that hit Cuba as Category 3 and hit Florida as Category 4.

His career included the Grand Cayman Islands, Cuba, Florida and South Carolina.

It caused losses of US$ 15.1 billion.

The number of deaths directly attributed to Charley in the United States was 10.

Hurricane Andrew

Date: August 16 to 28, 1992.

It was originally believed to be Category 4, but in 2005 it was reclassified as Category 5.

His path included the northwestern Bahamas, Florida and Louisiana.

It caused losses between US$ 25 and 27 billion.

Andrew’s death toll was 26. Of that total, 23 deaths occurred in the United States and three in the Bahamas.

Hurricane Hugo

Date: September 10th to 22nd, 1989

Category 5 cyclone that made landfall in the Leeward Islands and later in South Carolina as Category 4.

His path included the islands of the Caribbean (Puerto Rico), South Carolina and North Carolina.

This caused between $8 billion and $10 billion in damage.

The death toll directly attributed to Hugo was 49. Of those deaths, 26 occurred in the continental United States, Puerto Rico and the US Virgin Islands.

Direct hurricanes hit the continental United States between 1851 and 2020

  • Category 5: 3
  • Category 4: 25
  • Category 3: 64
  • Category 2: 83
  • Category 1: 123
  • Total: 298

Major hurricanes between 1851 and 2020 (category 3, 4, and 5): 92

Source: CNN Brasil

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