Hurricanes have the ability to destroy lives, and this hurricane season we have seen this in action. Whether the damage is a result of wind or water, hurricanes are a force of nature to be reckoned with.
Florida, Texas, and Louisiana are the nation’s epicenter of hurricane action, due to their proximity to the Gulf of Mexico, where the conditions are just right for creating a big storm. But how are hurricanes formed? Warm evaporated sea water creates humid air which is then dragged aloft when converging winds collide and turn upwards. At higher altitudes, water vapor condenses into rain clouds, releasing heat that warms the surrounding air. As the air far above the sea rushes upward, even more warm moist air spirals in to replace it. This forms a twisting current in the atmosphere, creating the spiral shape we’re familiar with. This video gives a visual explanation.
Flooding during hurricanes is caused by storm surge. Storm surge is the abnormal rise in seawater level during a storm, measured as the height of the water above the normal predicted astronomical tide. The surge is caused primarily by a storm’s winds pushing water onshore.
Florida has historically been hit by the most hurricanes and has racked up plenty of storm damage over the years. Throughout history, there have been approximately 120 hurricanes making landfall in our state. The worst one was The Great Miami Hurricane, taking place in 1926. A category 4 hurricane with wind speeds of 150 mph and an 11-foot storm surge leveled buildings, roads, and homes. There were over 100 billion dollars in damage and a death toll of 373 people. While it wasn’t the most damaging or deadly storm, every hurricane creates a costly and dangerous situation.
Texas comes in second place when it comes to the total number of hurricanes, but it comes in first with the deadliest hurricane, the Galveston Hurricane of 1900. The estimated death toll was 8,000 people. The wind speed recorded was 140 mph and the storm surge was about 16 feet above sea level. 36,000 buildings were damaged and about 30 million dollars went into fixing the damage.. Throughout Texas history, there have been 64 hurricanes that have made landfall and done damage.
Louisiana takes third place in total number of hurricanes. The worst hurricane to hit Louisiana was Hurricane Katrina. Hurricane Katrina was devastating due to the almost 20-foot-high surge. The flooding caused about 80% of New Orleans to be flooded and resulted in an estimated death toll of 1,836 fatalities. This hurricane hit in late August 2005 and it took about 18 months and an estimated 125 billion dollars to begin to return to normal.
