5 worst hurricanes to hit the US
I’ve always aspired to a meteorologist. Once I hit middle school, those dreams came crashing down when I realized I couldn’t add or subtract. This is crucial to calculating distances, measurements, and that sort of thing — beneficial to meteorologists. As such, over the next few days I’m going to have some “Worsts” weather disasters in history. I love bad weather, as a matter of fact, I love hurricanes, tornadoes, and earthquakes. It makes for great TV.
5. Hurricane Hugo
Hit South Carolina in 1989, caused 7 billion dollars in damage and completely erased islands.
4. Hurricane Rita
The most powerful tropical cyclone to ever be in the Gulf of Mexico. At it’s peak, Rita had winds of 180 miles per hour, the speed of Nascar race cars. Imagine walls of wind, 180 miles per hour, hitting your house consistently for 10-20 minutes. If it came onshore with those winds, a nuclear bomb would’ve caused less damage.
3. Hurricane Wilma
Caused 20 billion dollars in damage and killed 62 people. It was the fourth Cat5 hurricane in the 2005 season, breaking all kinds of records.
2. Hurricane Andrew
Held the old record, but the 2004 and 2005 seasons toppled Andrew’s decade long reign of champion. Caused over 27 billion dollars in damage.
1. Hurricane Katrina
Costliest natural disaster in history. The problem was made a lot worse when Fox, CNN, ABC, etc came in the day before the hurricane to tape all their shows, while the government waited like a week. Private industry, baby. As Kanye West said, “George Bush doesn’t care about black people.”
Katrina was not the government problem it was New Orleans racist mayors problem. Kanye West saying George bush hates black people….didnt your mother just die? karma retard, karma
Why do people answer with idioctic retorts. They were not prepared for Hurricane Katrina. I simply do not believe it was a conspiracy to get rid of African American people or be racist as the above comment declares. That would be the eqivalent of God creating it and thundering it down to do this crazy thing. I really wish people would elect to be part of the solutiion instead of the problem.
Equality! I say! Sounds like hurricanes are in search of African-Americans just like aliens and tornados search for trailer parks which are full of Caucasians.
Think about it.
Well here is what I think. I don’t think it was the government’s fault. I might blame the FEDERAL GOVERNMENT, FEMA. They did took a long time to response to the needy. But here goes my question. If you knew something as big and as powerful as Katrina was coming your way, why did you stay behind? Knowing that New Orleans is below sea level? Well I also don’t like the fact that everything was concentrating around New Orlanes when Mobil, AL was hit the worst and with the full brunt of the storm. There were a lot of loss in the Alabama area. Well anyways ways I don’t blame Bush (even tho I DON’T LIKE HIM). Also another thing that I did not like was when you saw ppl stealing TV, radios, speakers, etc. Where in the fuck are you going to plug that at? Also my best friends father went down to New Orleans to help and he got nothing but shit from ppl living there. Don’t act like and asshole when ppl are there to help you. I mean don’t get me wrong there where things that were done wrong but also the ppl didn’t make it any better. This should be a lesson learn that no matter how much we think ahead into building new things we can’t against the power of mother nature.
Thank you,
have a good day,
Omar
Well, here we go again, its been 3 years and the black community is still bitchen. Katrina was nuture wrath, as was wilma,andrew, and the rest. This another prime example of the black people wanting the goverment to BAIL THEM OUT because there to weak to help themselves. I worked in new orlanes, trying to help, and was rewarded shouts of hate and racisiam, All I could think of was, what a perfect opportuinty for the blacks to ban together and show the world a strength and commitment to cause bigger than themselve. Alas you have failed, yourselves, your brothers, the city, and most all your children.
Well, the author starts off by saying that he likes storms that kill people and damage property.
Nice.
Then he calls President Bush a racist.
Nice.
Maybe he ought to get caught in a deadly hurricane since he likes them so much. And he ought to get firsthand knowledge of what real racism is all about.
Ahh yes Bush created Katrina to kill blacks. Fema didn’t do a bad job the problem was the people that received the aid were used to all kinds of free shit and riding the government. Its like the CEO of a business going from his private jet to coach. They did the best they could. Hell Bush went and walked around after the storm even though every person down there hates him. I guess he just wanted to see all the destruction he caused huh. Can someone start WET im tired of seeing BET all the time. Its only racist if your white right.
mmk i’ll agree since hurricanes dont affect me up in PA lol
Please define your criteria (loss of life, property loss, wind speed, storm surge, lowest pressure, etc.,) and then do more research on your stated criteria.
I suggest you start by reading a free report that’s posted on the NHC website, re: “Deadliest, Costliest, Most Intense Hurricanes.”
For example:
In 1969, at landfall in Bay St. Louis, MS, Hurricane Camille had sustained winds of 180 - 190-mph and gusts of as much as 210 - 220 mph, 909 MB pressure, and a tidal surge of 25 feet. In the town in which I lived, the weather station was blown away, but before it was, it measured 215 mph. There was not much left of that town, and it was 40 miles inland. Camille has been called a “surgical” hurricane, since its force was very concentrated, and it cut like a laser or a knife through everything in its path.
Regarding your statements about racial inequities during Katrina:
The LA Times (a liberal-leaning newspaper) reported that, “Katrina Killed Across Class Lines. It’s not just the Lower 9th Ward or New Orleans East, which everybody has heard about. It’s across the board, including some well-to-do neighborhoods. The state official in charge of identifying Katrina’s victims, Dr. Louis Cataldie, said he was not surprised by the findings. “We went into $1-million and $2-million homes trying to retrieve people,” he said.”
“New Orleans was the site of most of Katrina’s fatalities; the state reported that 76% of storm deaths statewide occurred in the city. Of the 380 bodies from New Orleans that have been formally identified, a moderately disproportionate number are white. New Orleans’ population was 28% white, yet 33% of the identified victims in the city are white and 67% black.”
“The affected population is more multiracial, multiethnic and multicultural than one might discern from national media reports,” said Richard Campanella, a Tulane University geographer who has studied which parts of the city were hit the worst by flooding. His research showed that predominantly white districts in the city were almost as likely to flood as predominantly black ones.”
Also, please see:
http://www.physorg.com/news139161322.html
8/28/2008: “New Katrina death tally: Half of victims 75 and up.” Excerpts:
The study …will appear in the October print edition of the journal Disaster Medicine and Public Health Preparedness”
The previously reported death toll for all Katrina victims has been put at 1,698. That includes bodies collected in Louisiana, Mississippi and Alabama, and Louisiana residents who died in other states in the month after Katrina.
Among the findings:
- 40 percent of victims drowned.
- Just under half of all victims were 75 or older; the average age was 69.
- Only 2 percent were younger than 18.
- 51 percent were black; 42 percent were white.
Insult God (GWB) and he will take your mother.
Racism is wrong, Brush didn’t say that.
He was disappointed in the hurricane and so many people suffered. Way to go on judging.
WOW! ure alll fukin Retards!
black is wack
Omar,
I agree with some of what you said, but I think you need to learn how to read a map. Mobile, Al did not get the full brunt of Katrina. Bay St. Louis, Ms got the full brunt of Katrina. Yes, some of Alabama did get hit pretty hard, but all a person has to do is look at the loss of life, and damage estimates. I was in Bay St. Louis less than a week after katrina and it litterally looked like a nuclear weapon had gone off. Nothing was standing. It was a horrible site and those people down there got less help than anyone. Really pitifull. As far as New Orleans goes, Katrina herself didn’t do a lot of damage to the city. They were just to the west of the storm and if the levee’s had not broken, then they would have gotten minimal damage at worst. I hate to even discuss this anymore seeing as I lived through the damn thing, but even after three years people still don’t get it right.
Also, there is a mistake in the listing above. Hurricane Rita was not the most powerful hurricane to ever be in the gulf of mexico. Hurricane Wilma was the most powerful. She set an all time low barometric pressure at one time, beating hurricane Gilbert I believe of 1988
Bush didnt purposely fail because it was blacks in N.O… he failed because he is an idiot and a horrible prez.
All those people in N.O. are idiots for staying in a fish bowl when they know the water is coming. Its just natrual selection that 90% of them happen to be black. It only makes sense that someone who stayed in N.O. would first think about what they can loot even though they are surrounded by 10ft of water without food, electricity, shelter, ect ect. You sure as hell didnt see any of them looting for floaties or possibly a raft.
I live an hour from N.O. and used to visit often so I can tell you from experience that its a piece of cancer on americias face, kind of like McCain. I also worked for MEMA after Katrina monitoring FEMA and know that those people worked their asses off to help people.
Its just a shame that people abuse that help causing people who really needed it to end up sleeping in their yards 2 months after the storm. (black and white alike)
Botton line… its nature.. get the fuck outta the way or get pwned. Build back, leave, go help others.. something. Bitching and pointing the finger doesnt help and never will.
Reading all the above comments makes me wonder how bad elementary education in the US must be. There are so many spelling and grammar mistakes that even a foreigner, like myself, feels shocked. English is not my mother tongue, I don’t even live in the US, but I did my best during my school years to learn English as a second language properly. What were you guys doing at school back then ?
You know one thing is for sure I am so tired of turning on the tv to get updates for the hurricanes and all the retards on there want to talk about Katrina. What the hell is up with that. You can be listening and they will say yes this hurrcane is bad now I want to take you back to Katrina and its damage. No offense but I am so sick and tired of hearing about Katrina and the damage. It was not the hurricane that did the damage. It was the damn levees. If they would have been maintained regularly then I think Katrina would have been nothing. We could be having an earthquake in LA and god knows that all the news channels would tie it to Katrina in some way. Get over Katrina. I feel bad for the loss of life and families and friends but damn move on. They talk about Katrina more than the 911 attack. Next we are going to hear that Osama bin Laden was that reason it hit New Orleans. Talk about the other places getting damaged Mobile took more damage than NO. I point is I am tired of hearing about three year old news lets move on to the present day. You cant heal a wound when the news constantly opens it back up every day.
Well i think every one is right about that guy calling bush a racist but i also LOVE deadly hurricanes not that i want people to dye but i’v always wanted to be in a hurricanei live up in the north and tonight were gonna get 40mile an hour winds so and by the way NO none of these are even close to be the strongest to hit the us there were so mnny more than these 5… im not quite sure wat there names are but they were a hole hell of alot worse
Well i think that the dumbass’s in new orleans were just too stupid to watch the weather channel and OBVISLY a seirle hurricane oh and when that thing they called a “hurricane” gustav the stupid mayor made every one evacuate when there was no real threat at all like i said if he wathed the weather channel they’d say nope u don’t have to evauate IT KILLED NO ONE
Oh and by the way hurricanes are a natural disatser you cant say like oh global warming is all of its fault
+ um lol WILMA WAS NOT THE 4TH CATAGORY 5 HURRICANE IN 2005!! IT BARLEY MADE IT TO A CATAGORY 3! HUGO WAS WAY FAR FROM THE “WORST HURRICANE”
I can’t believe people are still trying to find blame for things like this, you would think after seeing the destructive forces from hurricanes in the past, that people would, when prompted by Govt officials of Dept. of Public Safety officers would LEAVE when TOLD to EVACUATE! How hard is it?….pretty hard I’m sure, but what’s HARDER packing up a few or as much of your belongings as possible, and going someplace SAFE?…or BURYING your loved ones? And by personal belongings I’m not talking about your 56″ plasma screen TV, I mean your passport, your S.S. card, maybe whatever cash you have stashed in your house or at the bank and high-tailing it out of town! Thin I’m cold hearted for saying this?…go to Google and type in “Waveland” Mississippi and take a look at what a hurricane in capable of!!! So WHAT if the forecasters are wrong and nothing happens?…all it means is that you’ve gotten a little “vacation” for a few days!…as opposed to?…I just read an article about some people who DIDN’T leave their homes when Hurricane Ike was headed for Texas, they’re now complaining about not having food or water!! Did not the govt officials and public safety officers TELL you to EVACUATE?…granted not everyone has the ability or the wherewithal to leave (that’s who the shelters are REALLY for!…not the one’s who decide to “ride it out at home”….WHAT home!!??…your house has blown away….you’re now staying at some shelter complaining about not having food or water, when you were given ENOUGH time to GET AWAY!!) It’s sad to see that people are stubborn, and ignorant when it comes to their own safety, and 9 times out of 10 it’s all because they don’t want to leave their boat, or their new “family room” with the pool table in it, or the new jacuzzi & sauna they just had installed….enough already!!!! I USED to live in a part of the world that was close to…not IN “Hurricane Alley”….I’ve since moved to a more out-of-the way place…where hurricanes are less likely to hit, and you know what?..every now & then we get a warning to evacuate the area “JUST IN CASE”…and you know what I do?…I head to CANADA where my uncle lives, where I can be SAFE!!!….because I don’t want to be SORRY!!!!
Not to nitpick either MMT but the most powerful hurricane to ever hit the Gulf Coast wasn’t Rita, it was Hurricane Camille, (1969) which although it didn’t cost more money-wise than Rita it was responsible for over 250 deaths, whereas Rita was only responsible for several….just thought I’d enlighten you..as for the whole “Media Circus” concerning Katrina & Louisiana…I still stand by my claim, it’s not like this storm snuck up out of nowhere and just happened….there were warnings, and unfortunately, most of the people decided to act too late,….if someone told you that they’re monitoring the “killer bees” from “nowhere land” and that they’re headed your way, and that you should prepare yourself for their arrival…”JUST IN CASE”….would you ignore them?…..if so then I guess when your sitting in the hospital getting treated for killer bee stings it wouldn’t be the government’s fault, or your congressman’s I’m thinking it would be YOUR fault…..or maybe I’m just cold hearted & mean?….I don’t mean to come off that way, but I’m of the mind that NO ONE’S going to protect YOU & your LOVED ONES better than YOU!!!
This is not helpful at all!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
These were only hurricanes in the least few years. There have been other more deadly hurricanes.
If yall was down there in katrina and the government didnt care enough to send help right away you would be mad to.If you were seperated from your family you would be mad to.So shut your confederate mouths.yall make me sich.down in texas the government was down there getting people out.know why.more whte people.more important people .bullshit. the people down there was poor and they couldnt get out.the rich people were on higher ground and were not as affected by hurricane katrina as the poor people were.so when whte people come down and look at them like they are garbage.i hope they spit in your face.vote for obama.