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(#7) Lake Okeechobee Hurricane (1928)
Death Toll: Over 4,075
Category: 4
Areas Affected: Puerto Rico, the Virgin Islands, the Bahamas, the United States (Florida)
Before touching down in Florida, the Lake Okeechobee Hurricane devastated Puerto Rico, the Virgin Islands, and the Bahamas. It landed on Palm Beach Country shoreline in Florida and knocked down a dike holding back the waters from Lake Okeechobee. This caused devastating amounts of flooding, leading to widespread loss of life and damage.
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(#3) Galveston Hurricane (1900)
Death Toll: 6,000 to 12,000
Category: 4
Areas Affected: Gulf of Mexico, Cuba, United States (Texas)
On September 4, US Weather Bureau officials received a warning saying a large tropical storm had just passed Cuba and was headed west across the Gulf of Mexico. Officials underestimated the storm's power for several reasons. First, the Weather Bureau inaccurately predicted the storm would pass along Florida and then head to New England. The bureau director refused to accept information from Cuba for political reasons, which contributed to the misinformation and ultimately erroneous predictions regarding the hurricane's course. No one realized until it was too late to issue an adequate warning; the storm was headed to Galveston, Texas.
When the Galveston Hurricane of 1900 made landfall on September 8, it brought a 15-foot-tall storm surge that flooded the entire city. The Galveston Hurricane is the deadliest natural disaster to ever hit the US. While the death toll remains debated, estimates fall between 6,000 and 12,000 people. The storm went down in history as a lesson that political squabbles - such as the one with Cuba - should be set aside in the interest of public safety.
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(#1) The Great Hurricane (1780)
Death Toll: Over 20,000
Category: Undetermined
Areas Affected: The Caribbeans, Barbados
Due to the fact it took place before modern storm-tracking technology came about, not much is known about the Great Hurricane of 1780. Its exact category and origin point remain unknown, but it touched down in the Caribbean on October 1780. The hurricane likely struck Barbados on October 10 before making its way across the Caribbean, causing widespread destruction and property damage.
In addition to taking the lives of thousands of Caribbean residents, British and French ships navigating the coast of the Caribbean were lost in the storm.
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(#22) Hurricane Kenna (2002)
Death Toll: 4
Category: 5
Areas Affected: Mexico
Kenna was the third-most-intense Pacific hurricane to ever strike Mexico's West Coast. Hitting San Blas, Nayarit, on October 25th, 2002, was the third Category 5 hurricane of the hurricane season. With 140 mph winds, a 16-foot surge devastated the coastline. This led to over $101 million dollars in damages. The winds also devastated infrastructure, destroying 95% of buildings in San Blas.
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(#2) Hurricane Mitch (1998)
Death Toll: Over 19,325
Category: 5
Areas Affected: Honduras, Swan Islands, Belize, El Salvador, Guatemala, Nicaragua
Hurricane Mitch began as a tropical storm but developed into hurricane status by October 24, 1998. The storm struck down in both the Swan Islands and Honduras. The hurricane proceeded to move through Belize, El Salvador, Guatemala, and Nicaragua, causing over 19,000 deaths and an incredible amount of damage.
The bulk of the damage occurred in Nicaragua and Honduras, where heavy rainfall caused flash floods and landslides. Over 20% of Honduras' population ended up homeless due to heavy rains. Infrastructural damage was so severe, existing road maps in the country became essentially useless. In Nicaragua, over 23,900 homes were destroyed as well as hundreds of schools and bridges.
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(#11) Great Miami Hurricane (1926)
Death Toll: 372
Category: 4
Areas Affected: United States (Florida)
While it only touched down for 12 hours, the Great Miami Hurricane did lasting damage to the then-up-and-coming Florida city. In September 1926, the storm touched down on Miami. The hurricane caused massive flooding, with water from the Atlantic extending into mainland Miami and covering several blocks.
The Red Cross later reported a death toll of 372, with over 6,000 injuries. Damages totaled $105 million, which would be over $164 billion today.
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About This Tool
Hurricanes are tropical cyclones with a force of over 12 in the Atlantic Ocean and the Eastern Pacific Ocean. It is similar to a typhoon, except that they are generated at a different location. Some coastlines around the world are threatened in every hurricane season. In the summer of 2011, the east coast of the United States was affected by Hurricane Irene, which even triggered a large-scale evacuation of residents and New York City closed its transit routes for the first time in its history.
Hurricanes are generally accompanied by strong winds and heavy rains, which seriously threaten people's lives and property, cause great impacts on agriculture and the economy, etc., and are a natural disaster with greater impact and serious harm. The random tool lists the 22 most destructive and threatening hurricanes.
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