Hurricanes Facts
There are many natural disasters that affect the world every year and hurricanes are an example of a destructive natural disaster. It seems important to know some facts about hurricanes with the recent devastation in Texas causes by Hurricane Harvey. To understand hurricanes, it is important to know what they are and how often they occur. Hurricanes are destructive natural disasters that put human lives in danger and cause property damage. It is important to understand what people are going through during a hurricane and in the aftermath.
What are Hurricanes?
Hurricanes are destructive natural disasters that occur several times a year and involve the weather. According to NASA, “hurricanes are large, swirling storms. They produce winds of 119 kilometers per hour (74 mph) or higher”. They form over oceans when the water is warm (NASA). Hurricanes cause flooding with the heavy amounts of rain and the storm surge when they strike land, which is a wall of water (NASA).
The aspects of hurricanes that cause the most damage would be the flooding and the high winds. Hurricanes can range in intensity causing different levels of damage and there are five categories of hurricanes. The winds are between 119-153 km/hr for a category 1, 154-177 km/hr for a category 2, 178-208 km/hr for a category 3, 209-251 km/hr for a category 4, and 252km/hr-plus for a category 5. Category 1 hurricanes are the weakest but still causes damage and category 5 hurricanes are devastating if they reach land.
The Frequency of Hurricanes
There are hurricanes every year with some making landfall on the U.S. but many do not make landfall. According to NOAA there are 6.3 hurricanes per year, 2.4 major hurricanes per year, 1.7 hurricanes that hit the U.S., and 0.6 major hurricanes that hit the U.S. This shows that the prevalence of hurricanes hitting the U.S. is low but one or two per year can still cause a lot of damage. The number can fluctuate each year with number of hurricanes hitting the U.S. being above the average or below the average.
The average amount of hurricanes that hit the U.S. was 4.4 from 1900-1950, was 5.6 from 1951-2000, and 7.2 from 2001-2016 (NOAA). It would seem the prevalence of hurricanes making landfall on the U.S. is increasing, which means it is important to be prepared for more hurricanes.
Damage Caused by Hurricanes
Hurricanes are powerful storms that put human lives in danger and can cause damage to property. According to the NOAA, hurricanes have caused $564.3 billion in damage (CPI-adjusted) in the U.S. since 1980 with $431.4 billion coming in the last 15 years. That is a little more than half a trillion dollars in 37 years, which shows how destructive hurricanes can be. It also shows how much more destructive hurricanes are becoming with $431.4 billion out of $564.3 billion coming in the last 15 years.
Hurricanes can be deadly causing 3,114 human deaths in the U.S. since 1980 with 2,655 deaths in the last 15 years (NOAA).
Hurricane Katrina was the deadliest hurricane since 1980 with 1,833 deaths so without Katrina there would only be 1,281 deaths (NOAA). This would mean even without Hurricane Katrina, most of the deaths have come in the last 15 years with 822 out of 1,281 deaths. There is an increase in the amount of deaths and damage caused by hurricanes because of the increased frequency of hurricanes. This means the U.S. should be prepared for more destructive and deadly hurricanes.
Current and Future Hurricanes
There have been many hurricanes in the past but there will be many more with the increased frequency of hurricanes. Hurricane Harvey is a recent category 4 hurricane that hit Texas on August 25, 2017 and the areas affected are still dealing with the aftermath. According to Dottle, King, and Koeze (2017), some are estimating Hurricane Harvey will cost $70 billion while some are estimating it will cost $190 billion. It will be tied for second with Hurricane Sandy for most destructive hurricanes if it reaches the $70 billion estimate.
It would be the most destructive hurricane on record pulling ahead on Hurricane Katrina if it reaches the $190 billion estimate. It will be in the second most destructive hurricane even if is in the middle of both estimates at $130 billion. The total number of deaths caused by Hurricane Harvey has reached 70 as of September 6, 2017 (time.com, 2017). Hurricane Irma is a category 4 hurricane that will impact South Florida first and then most of the state after (Dolce, 2017). This could mean there may be many more powerful hurricanes in the future with the recent Hurricane Harvey and the upcoming Hurricane Irma.
Conclusion
Hurricanes are dangerous storms that threaten people and property in areas that are near the coast. There have been many hurricanes in the past but the frequency of hurricanes has increased in recent years. This has led to an increase in deaths and the cost of damage caused by hurricanes. Hurricane Harvey is a recent example of this and Hurricane Irma could be another example if it hits the U.S. This means the states affected by hurricanes and the entire U.S. must be more prepared for future hurricanes. This could involve improving the infrastructure in coastal regions affected by hurricanes or increasing funds for disaster relief.
References
Dottle, R., King, R., Koeze, E. (2017, Sep. 2). Hurricane Harvey’s Impact and How It Compares to Other Storms. Retrieved from https://fivethirtyeight.com/features/hurricane-harveys-impact-and-how-it-compares-to-other-storms/
Lauer, C. (2017, Sep. 4). Death Toll from Harvey Rises to at Least 60. Retrieved from
https://www.nasa.gov/audience/forstudents/k-4/stories/nasa-knows/what-are-hurricanes-k4.html
https://www.ncdc.noaa.gov/billions/events/US/1980-2017
http://www.aoml.noaa.gov/hrd/tcfaq/E11.html
Santos, M., Stelloh, T, Siemaszko, C. (2017, Sep. 5). Hurricane Irma Strengthens to Category 5, Has Puerto Rico In Its Sights. Retrieved from https://www.nbcnews.com/news/weather/hurricane-irma-strengthens-category-4-storm-en-route-florida-n798621