Few people will be happy with hot, dry, windless weather. But even less joyful are the strong gusts of wind that knock people off their feet and destroy everything around them. It is this kind of squally wind that is called a hurricane. Its speed can reach 300 meters per second. In this article we will talk about which of the most powerful hurricanes in the world caused significant damage to people and claimed human lives.
What is a hurricane
A hurricane is a strong wind whose speed is significantly higher than 30 meters per second. In the southern hemisphere of the planet, the wind blows clockwise, and in the northern hemisphere it blows in the opposite direction, that is, against it.
Typhoon, cyclone, storm and breeze are multiplied definitions of a hurricane. Hydrometeorological center specialists have multiplied the concepts of the word “hurricane” to simplify their work. Often hurricanes and cyclones are given names similar to women's names, but in the modern world this rule is changing slightly so that there is no obvious discrimination.
The largest hurricanes in the world have caused significant damage to humanity, causing a huge number of casualties and damage. This is the most powerful thing imaginable. Hurricanes have enormous energy.
Gusts of wind demolish buildings, destroy crops, disrupt power lines and water supply lines, damage highways, uproot trees, and cause accidents. This type of damage causes the world's most powerful hurricanes. 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 of hurricanes. There are only two groups of them: a vortex storm and a flow hurricane.
During a vortex storm, funnel-shaped gusts arise, which are caused by the activity of cyclones and spread over a large area. In winter, snow storms prevail, which are called blizzards or blizzards.
A flow hurricane does not travel as far as a vortex storm. He is conditioned and significantly inferior to his “brother”. There are jet and katabatic hurricanes. A jet storm is characterized by a horizontal flow, while a runoff storm is characterized by a vertical flow.
Hurricane Matthew
The Atlantic hurricane, called "Matthew", originated on the African shores on September 22, 2016. The cyclone gained strength as it moved toward Florida. On October 6, the hurricane weakened slightly, affecting a small part of the Bahamas and Miami. The next day, the storm wind reappeared with redoubled force, its gusts reaching 220 kilometers per hour. This mark indicated category 5 hurricane power on the Saffir-Simpson scale. It is worth noting that category 5 is the highest level.
It is impossible to overestimate the damage caused by Hurricane Matthew. At least 877 people became victims of the disaster, 350 thousand were left homeless and without means of survival. 3.5 thousand buildings were destroyed. Matthew, which struck Florida in 2016, is the world's most powerful hurricane this decade. Photos of the consequences prove this.
Citizens affected by the disaster were provided with temporary housing or a place in a shelter. Health workers say cholera outbreaks are possible in the near future as the water is contaminated.
Myanmar: Hurricane Nargis
The most powerful hurricanes in the world that have occurred over the past 10 years have caused irreparable losses from which people cannot recover to this day. Cyclone Nargis, which hit Myanmar in 2008, was just such a disaster.
People were not notified in time about the impending disaster, so they could not prepare. In addition, the country's government initially refused all assistance from other states.
But after some time, the entry of humanitarian goods was allowed, and people received the necessary help.
Myanmar is the poorest country, with an annual income per citizen of only $200. Hurricane Nargis dealt a crushing blow not only to the citizens of the country, but also to the state economy as a whole.
Cuba and Hurricane Sandi
Hurricane Sandy struck southeastern Cuba on October 25, 2012. The wind speed exceeded 183 meters per hour.
A large number of people were injured. In Jamaica, a man was killed by a boulder that fell from the sky. In Haiti, a flood swept away a woman who was never 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 hit this decade. Before hitting Cuba, the hurricane intensified to almost category two.
Looking at the photo of the cyclone, we can say with certainty 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 disaster in their lives.
Hurricane Ike
Tropical storm Ike hit the United States in 2008. The hurricane was not too strong, but very impressive in its scale. The origin of the cyclone occurred in the southeast of the American coast. Meteorologists were preparing for a hurricane of 5, the highest, on the Saffir-Simpson scale.
It was approaching the mark of 135 kilometers per hour. But gradually the wind died down and the elements weakened.
Texas, especially the small city of Galveston, was hit the hardest. An interesting fact is that this town has already felt the power of the strongest hurricane of the 20th century.
Texas authorities carried out a massive evacuation of people, but most citizens did not want to leave their homes. The authorities were prepared for the disaster to cause colossal damage and lead to floods, as often happens.
The most severe hurricanes in the world cause severe consequences, from which people do not recover immediately. The names of many of them will forever remain in the memory of the affected people.
It is important to know
Every country suffers from the effects of cyclones to varying degrees every year. Therefore, it is so important to know certain rules of behavior during a storm. Under no circumstances should you:
- climb a hill, bridge, power lines;
- be near poles, trees, flammable substances and toxic chemicals;
- hide from the wind behind billboards, signs, banners;
- being in a damaged building, as we 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;
- stay in the house during power outages;
- use electrical appliances;
- If there was a thunderstorm, you should not touch electrical appliances to avoid electrical discharge.
Did you know that the destructive power of a particular hurricane can lead to the fact that the name assigned to the cyclone will be crossed off the list of names that can have the most powerful hurricanes in the world. For example, Hurricane Katrina of 2005 fell under this rule, and meteorologists will never use this name again.
In the United States, they continue to clear the rubble after the rampage of Hurricane Michael, which is classified as category four and has already been called by some meteorologists the most powerful hurricane of the 21st century. Wind gusts were recorded to reach speeds of 200 km/h, and in many places the hurricane uprooted trees and tore off massive roofs. The disaster killed 33 people, most of whom died in Florida. There was also significant damage in other states on the southeastern coast of the United States, in particular North Carolina, Georgia and Virginia, which reported loss of life and significant damage to homes and infrastructure. The hurricane almost completely destroyed one of the American air bases in the state of Florida, the command of which compared the hurricane to a bombing, adding that the consequences of the violence of the elements were catastrophic for aircraft.
Was Michael really the worst hurricane?
You may recall that in recent years, Michael is not the first hurricane to hit the United States. Hurricanes brought no less catastrophic consequences:
– Irma (2017);
– Katrina (2005);
– Harvey (2017);
– Ike (2009) et al.
Exactly one year ago, the deadly Hurricane Irma, which was then also considered the most powerful hurricane, raged in the Atlantic and the Caribbean. When it approached the American coast, its power subsided, thanks to which significant casualties and destruction in the United States itself were avoided. However, the hurricane was classified as a category five hurricane, and this is what made it one of the worst hurricanes, because when it swept over the Atlantic and Caribbean islands, not a trace remained of some of them.
After Hurricane Irma, more than 90% of buildings and structures were destroyed on the once picturesque island of Barbuda. When they took aerial photographs over the island, it looked like an atomic bomb had just been dropped on it. A similar story happened on the island of Saint Martin, which is under French jurisdiction. The entire infrastructure and hundreds of houses in the city were destroyed, and 11 people were killed. The French government has allocated tens of millions of euros for its restoration, but this is far from enough to return the island to its previous state.
Hurricane Katrina and its consequences
The list of the worst hurricanes ever to hit the US coast 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, the wind speed 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 disaster struck the United States during the presidency of George W. Bush, who announced the complete evacuation of residents of coastal states recognized as natural disaster zones.
But this did not save America from the tragedy, because many never left, and the hurricane was truly deadly. It led to the complete flooding of the city of New Orleans, which at that time had about 150 thousand inhabitants. Since the activities of administrative and public services were almost completely stopped, social problems began in the city. The rescue operation, which was then carried out by the American authorities, is considered one of the worst examples in the history of the work of rescue services, and the rating of the American president himself 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 alone, 1,836 people died, hundreds more people went missing, and the total economic damage exceeded 90 billion.
Ike and Harvey are the most powerful hurricanes since Katrina
When it comes to the most economically devastating hurricanes, Hurricane Harvey hit southeast Texas in 2017 because it caused widespread flooding that inundated Houston in particular and killed more than 80 people. The state experienced explosions at two chemical plants and widespread power outages across Texas. As we reported, later these factories . The total damage from Harvey is estimated at $70 billion, which is one of the largest amounts of money spent on the recovery of the consequences of a tropical storm or hurricane.
Some US towns are still coping with the consequences of tropical hurricane Ike, which swept along the southeast coast in 2008. Its diameter exceeded 900 km, making Ike the record largest hurricane in the 21st century. It also became one of the most powerful hurricanes in the last 10 years, as it led to the flooding of the port town of Galveston in Texas, as well as destruction totaling $20 billion. In addition, the islands of Haiti and Cuba were significantly damaged, where almost 50 people died and significant material damage was caused. As practice shows, it is these island states that suffer the most during natural disasters.
Over the past 10 years, hurricanes have caused $350 billion in damage to the United States, 5 of the largest in this post.
Hurricane Katrina
Hurricane Katrina is the most destructive hurricane in US history. It was a Category 5 hurricane on the Saffir-Simpson Hurricane Scale, the sixth most powerful Atlantic Basin hurricane on record. Happened at the end of August 2005. The heaviest damage was caused to New Orleans in Louisiana, where about 80% of the city's area was under water. The disaster killed 1,836 residents and caused economic damage of $125 billion.
Hurricane Ike
Hurricane Ike was the fifth hurricane of the 2008 season to approach the southeast coast of the United States. On September 4, the hurricane was assigned a danger level of 4 on the five-point Saffir-Simpson scale. The diameter of the storm was more than 900 km. The epicenter of the storm was located approximately 1,150 km southeast of Wilmington (North Carolina), with wind speeds reaching 135 km/h. The cyclone moved in a northwest direction at a speed of 19.2 km/h. As of 2 p.m. on September 5, 2008, the hurricane weakened to category three. The wind speed reached 57 meters per second.
Damage: $30 billion
Hurricane Wilma
Hurricane Wilma is the most intense tropical cyclone ever recorded in the Atlantic Ocean. It was the 22nd tropical storm (including one subtropical cyclone), thirteenth hurricane, sixth most powerful hurricane, and fourth Category 5 hurricane of the record-breaking 2005 season.
Wilma made landfall several times, causing the greatest destruction in the Yucatan Peninsula, Cuba and Florida. The hurricane killed at least 62 people, and losses amounted to more than 29.1 billion US dollars (of which 20.6 billion in the United States, at 2005 prices), making this hurricane one of the 5 most “unprofitable” hurricanes in the Atlantic Ocean and the fourth in US history.
Hurricane Ivan
Hurricane Ivan is the 10th most powerful Atlantic tropical cyclone on record. It is the ninth named tropical storm and the fourth most powerful hurricane of the 2004 season. As a typical tropical cyclone of the Cape Verdean type, it formed in early September and reached category 5 on the Saffir-Simpson scale. As it passed through the United States, the hurricane caused 117 tornadoes.
Ivan caused catastrophic destruction in Grenada and significant destruction in Jamaica, the Cayman Islands, western Cuba and the Alabama coast. Damage from the hurricane in the United States alone reached 18 billion US dollars (2004).
Hurricane Charlie
In mid-August 2004, Hurricane Charlie hit Jamaica, the Cayman Islands, Cuba, and the US states of Florida, South Carolina, and North Carolina. Wind gusts reached up to 240 km/h, which corresponds to category 4 on the Saffir-Simpson hurricane scale. Charlie killed 27 people. The hurricane in Florida forced the evacuation of two million people, destroyed hundreds of homes and caused severe damage to the state's infrastructure. The total amount of damage was about 16.3 billion US dollars as of 2004 or 18.9 billion dollars as of 2010. It should be noted that the hurricane struck the coast of southwest Florida at maximum power, making it the most powerful hurricane to hit the United States.
The damage from Hurricane Sandy, which is currently raging, has not yet been calculated.
A hurricane is a tropical type of cyclone. It is distinguished by its relatively small size, but quite destructive power. The name “hurricane” itself comes from the English “hurricane”, which is used to name strong cyclones.
As a rule, they originate near North or South America. Its neighbors and close relatives come from the region of Asia and the Far East, and are usually weaker. They are called "typhoons".
It is worth noting that not every cyclone can be called a hurricane. Some pass with atmospheric phenomena characteristic of the area and then fade away. The cyclone itself is an atmospheric vortex of impressive size, which swirls clockwise in the southern hemisphere and counterclockwise in the northern. They are especially clearly visible from space. But the atmospheric phenomenon, when viewed from above, has a spiral shape with a hole in the middle, this is the so-called “eye of the storm.” At the center of the cyclone there is an area of low pressure. Cyclones owe their origin to the rotation of the planet, while simultaneously moving in its orbit, so this phenomenon is considered common.
The size of cyclones can be several thousand kilometers, while the eye varies from 2-3 kilometers to several tens. As a rule, the size of hurricanes is much smaller, but the speed of air movement in a spiral is much faster and reaches several hundred kilometers per hour. Maximum 300 kilometers per hour.
The area known as the "eye of the storm" (or eye of the typhoon) typically experiences calm weather with higher temperatures. Warm air descends and enters the first turns of the spiral, where there are colder masses. As a result, an area with high pressure differences is formed. This, in turn, contributes to the spinning of the hurricane’s air masses as a whole. Therefore, the center of the spiral, near the “eye,” has increased power, highest speed and, usually, thunderclouds that cause torrential downpours.
Tropical hurricanes originate over the warm waters of the oceans somewhere near the equator. As a result of the planet's rotation, they move west and shift north. This is the reason for the large number of hurricanes off the eastern coast of North America, as well as Mexico. These areas have recently suffered more than others from the consequences of severe hurricanes.
Hurricane strength is measured using the Saffir-Simpson scale, which has five categories. Today, only a few hurricanes of the fifth, highest category, are known.
Now every year there are about a dozen cyclones and several dozen cyclones throughout the planet. And here are the strongest of them.
The most powerful hurricane in the world
The Great Hurricane of 1780, or another name - San Calixto. This is a tropical cyclone of enormous power that raged in the fall of 1780 near the Caribbean archipelago. It became the deadliest of all known hurricanes. According to documents of that time, at least 22 thousand are known to have died. And since in the eighteenth century the statistics were very conditional, compared to today, we can safely say that the number of victims was much greater.
The Great Hurricane struck the Caribbean islands, from Newfoundland to Barbados, passed through Haiti and destroyed up to 95 percent of all buildings. And this does not count the thousands of lives lost. The tidal wave caused by the hurricane, like a powerful tsunami, passed through some islands, sometimes reaching 7-8 meters in height. She destroyed absolutely everything in her path. The hurricane was accompanied by severe disturbances at sea, so many ships were sunk both in port bays and at some distance from the coast. Including part of the French and English flotillas that took part in the American Civil War went under water. About a hundred ships in the water area ran aground.
Eyewitnesses said that the rain, under the influence of strong winds, tore the bark off the tree trunks, and this before knocking them down. According to scientists, the wind speed was then at least 350 kilometers per hour.
Mitch
The hurricane, which was named Mitch, passed through the Atlantic Basin with incredible power and strength. It originated in October 1998 in the southern Caribbean. Meteorologists assigned it the fifth category, the highest. This is due to the wind speed, gusts of which reached 320 kilometers per hour. The hurricane affected the territories of Nicaragua, Honduras and El Salvador.
Hurricane Mitch. Consequences
It completely devastated them and claimed the lives of 20 thousand people. Most people died from mudflows, strong winds and tidal waves that rose up to 6 meters in height. More than a million people were left homeless, and hundreds were in need of drinking water and medical supplies. This ultimately led to an increase in infectious diseases.
Katrina
The name Katrina is known to absolutely every American. Because this is the strongest and most destructive hurricane that has ever hit the American coast. Hurricane Katrina originated in August 2005 in the Bahamas. It quickly gained strength and began to develop towards the east coast of the United States. As soon as the bad weather reached American shores, the hurricane became a category five hurricane.
But it was already too late to take the necessary measures. The authorities were unable to cope with the consequences of the disaster. Therefore, at that time, President George W. Bush's approval rating dropped to 38 percent. According to official data alone, more than one and a half thousand people became victims of the hurricane. About half a million more were left homeless. Moreover, approximately 80 percent of the area of New Orleans is flooded.
Typhoon in Pakistan
On the night of November 13, 1970, a powerful typhoon hit the coastal areas of East Pakistan. Hurricane winds formed a huge wave up to 8 meters high. It swept across a number of islands and coastal areas. This typhoon was perhaps the largest disaster in the history of mankind. According to various estimates, the number of deaths ranged from 500 thousand to a million people.
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A hurricane is a tropical type of cyclone, which is characterized by its rather small size but great power of destruction. The main places of distribution of such natural phenomena are considered to be the north and south of America.
The strongest hurricane in history - Patricia, dates back to 2015. The bulk of its destructive impact fell on the outskirts of Mexico.
Hurricane transformations
In the morning of October 22, 2015, the hurricane, later named Patricia, was located several hundred kilometers from Mexico and was included in the second category of hurricanes, which do not pose any threat.
But after several 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 amounted to 72 m/s. In addition, the hurricane began to move towards the shores of Mexico.
By the evening of October 22, the cyclone was classified as a category five and it was then, according to the head of the National Water Resources Commission, Roberto Ramirez de la Parra, that it was recognized as the most powerful cyclone in the country and throughout 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 shores adjacent to the Pacific Ocean, the cyclone had a wind speed of 90.2 m/s and gusts of 111 m/s.
Mexican residents preparing for hurricane
After analyzing the speed of transformation of the hurricane, the Mexican authorities decided to immediately take action aimed at reducing the damage from the possible impact of the cyclone.
In 10 municipalities located near the shores of the Pacific Ocean, classes were canceled in all educational institutions, and an operation was launched aimed at removing residents and tourists from the potentially dangerous zone.
People were transported to the following states:
- Michoacan;
- Colima;
- Jalisco;
- Nayarit.
About 1,700 shelters were prepared in these territories, which could accommodate 258 thousand people.
In addition, in these same states, 130 hospitals and medical centers were fully prepared to rescue possible victims.
A special contribution to the preparatory procedures 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 thousand tourists from the world-famous resort city of Puerto Vallarta in almost 24 hours.
By government decrees, several hundred police representatives, as well as about a thousand military and rescue service representatives, were sent to areas of potential danger. Among the military there was even an engineering detachment equipped with specialized military equipment. About a hundred volunteers from the Red Cross expressed a desire to participate in the rescue mission.
The country's president and its residents 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 was from 160 to 300 people, while hundreds more were significantly injured.
Results of the disaster's impact
On the night of October 24, Hurricane Patricia reached the shores of the Pacific Ocean near Mexico; due to the impact of the disaster, 3.5 thousand residential buildings were destroyed at a distance of 9 kilometers from the coast. The property of approximately 10 thousand people was damaged.
There were no officially recorded deaths, for which we can only thank the Mexican authorities who reacted in a timely manner.
Despite the absence of deaths, Hurricane Patricia is rightfully considered the strongest in the history of the planet, but there are a number of other strong hurricanes that have claimed many lives in the history of mankind.
Top 5 most powerful hurricanes in history
A 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 in the form of a small tropical cyclone that formed in the western waters of Africa. But by August 15, the hurricane’s zone of influence had expanded significantly, and the wind speed reached 180 km/h.
Having passed the territory of Cuba, the wind speed dropped to 160 km/h and then meteorologists decided that upon reaching 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, the cyclone's strength increased again. The hurricane's strength was classified as category five. 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 impact on another 19 kilometers of land. Having reached the state of Virginia, the cyclone hit it with enormous precipitation - 790 mm/hour, which provoked the development of the most severe flood in the entire history of the state.
As a result of the cyclone's impact, 113 people drowned, 143 disappeared and 8,931 were injured in varying degrees of impact.
San Calixto
Another name for the Great Hurricane is a tropical cyclone that formed in the fall of 1780 near the Caribbean islands.
This cyclone was considered one of the deadliest in the entire existence of the planet, as it claimed the lives of more than 22 thousand people.
The disaster had a devastating impact on the entire area of the earth from Newfoundland to Barbados and affected Haiti, where about 95% of all buildings were destroyed. The tidal wave caused by the cyclone, reminiscent of a tsunami, passed through all the islands represented; in some areas the waves reached a mark of seven meters.
All ships, boats, and yachts remaining near the coast were subject to flooding. The waves even took with them some of the ships of historical significance, which were reminders of the country’s military activities.
According to scientists' calculations, the wind speed reached 350 km/h.
Mitch
The hurricane with this name occurred in October 1998. The formation of the hurricane began as a small tropical cyclone in the Atlantic basin and ended with transformation into a hurricane of the fifth (highest) category.
According to calculations obtained by meteorologists, the wind speed at that time was 320 km/h.
The destructive impact was had on the territories of Nicaragua, El Salvador and Honduras. 20 thousand inhabitants of these territories died. Most of the residents died due to the impact of mudflows, strong winds and waves, the height of which reached six meters.
About a million residents lost a roof over their heads and hundreds more required urgent medical attention.
Katrina
Another largest and deadliest hurricane in history. The cyclone occurred in 2005 near the eastern coast of the United States. As a result of its impact, 80% of New Orleans was flooded.
Residents of the city simply did not have enough time to prepare for the disaster, the formation of the hurricane occurred so quickly. As a result of its impact, 1,836 people died, and the fate of 705 is unknown to this day; about 500 thousand people lost their homes. The total damage amounted to $80 billion.
But despite all the grief that people experienced during this period, looters became more active, and the police simply could not cope with them.
Andrew
The occurrence of this hurricane occurred in 1992, and its destructive power affected areas such as the Bahamas, southern Florida, and southwestern 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 lives and destroyed houses. It is difficult to say how lucky the surviving people were, because, despite their lives being saved, they lost their home and all their accumulated property.
Taught by bitter experience, the countries of America now always have at hand a plan for evacuating residents of all areas, because it is impossible to predict when a seemingly harmless tropical cyclone will transform into a powerful hurricane that takes lives, and most importantly, how quickly it will reach people’s homes.
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