allows you to find out how much is happening in the world and learn how to predict them in time. It is very important to develop effective ways protection from this element. A hurricane is one of the worst on the planet. He carries with him, material damage, often. The lists of victims of hurricanes around the world are huge.
What is a hurricane
A hurricane is a very strong wind. Usually such phenomena occur in the tropics. A hurricane is born in the ocean. It occurs above the surface of waters, the temperature of which is not lower than +26 degrees Celsius, with a heating depth of 50 m. Usually, the element is accompanied by a thunderstorm, heavy rain, and heavy wind.
The picture below gives an explanation of how a hurricane forms and lists the species on the Saffir-Simpson scale.
When warm water evaporates, the vapor rises above the surface of the ocean. On the certain height warm moist air from evaporation collides with cold masses in the atmosphere. This creates an area low pressure. It is called the epicenter of the hurricane. A funnel forms over the ocean. The width of the epicenter can be from 15 to 30 meters. Everything is calm inside it, and around it the winds rage and it rains. How exactly the epicenter is formed, meteorologists cannot yet explain exactly.
The elements can occur not only in the tropics, but also in other parts of the world. The causes of a non-tropical hurricane are similar - the collision of hot and cold air currents in the layers of the atmosphere.
Hurricane speedusually exceeds 120 km/h. In this case, the wave height reaches 1 meter or more. A catastrophic hurricane is considered to be more than 250 km / s and a wave height above 5.5 meters.
How long does a hurricane last? Its duration can reach 12 days.The elements that occur near the coast are the most dangerous. They are distinguished by breakneck speed and are able to demolish everything in their path, even entire cities. Meteorologists believe that the higher the temperature on earth, the more intense the elements. Each degree increases the chance of a hurricane by a few percent. Unfortunately, people have not yet learned how to prevent such an element.
Consequences of a natural phenomenon
They can be the worst. Communication and power lines are damaged, settlements remain without electricity. Trees are broken or uprooted from the ground. Wire breaks occur. Strong buildings are subject to various kinds of damage. Light structures can be completely demolished.
The wind lifts cars and other light objects and objects into the air, which leads to their destruction. As well as animals and people, which is fraught with injury or death. Due to the elements, and can occur. The element does damage various industries economy. Gas and water supply systems, boiler houses, sewers, heating mains, power lines are damaged. There are flooding of streets, intersections, underground passages. Roads are washed out, fallen trees form blockages on them. Stations and bridges are damaged.
Crops, livestock and birds are dying. Farms are damaged. Pastures and arable lands are subject to flooding. Of particular concern are such facilities as nuclear power plants, hydroelectric power plants, military depots, chemical plants and others, which can pose a great danger if they are damaged by the elements.The effects of the hurricane on cemeteriescan be quite serious. Fences and monuments can be knocked down or torn from the ground and blown away by the wind.
As a result of the hurricaneoften there are accompanying natural disasters:, showers, storms. The consequence of showers in the tropics can be infectious epidemics. Water stagnates in ravines and microbes spread in it - a warm climate contributes to this.
How to behave during a disaster
Almost all countries experience hurricanes. Every year they do a lot of damage large territories. What should be hurricane behavior? If there is an announcement on the radio or television that a hurricane is coming, you need to remove from the territory of the house all objects that can be picked up by a strong wind. Also close all doors and windows.
Glasses must be protected with shutters, shields and other things. If possible, stock up on food and drinking water. All appliances in the house must be turned off, as well as electricity. Ventilation and gas valves must be closed.
When staying in a house or other room, the best shelter during a hurricane is the basement. You should go down there and take supplies of food and water with you. If there is no basement, then corridors, rooms without windows will do. In extreme cases, you can use a wall niche or cabinet.
The best natural shelters during a hurricane are holes, any recesses, supports of reinforced concrete bridges. You can not hide behind billboards, under trees, near buildings. You should not stand next to pillars, climb a bridge or other hill. Leave the damaged building immediately.
World statistics
World hurricane statisticssays that over the past 200 years, this element has caused almost 2 million people. Losses reached hundreds of billions of dollars. The table shows the most destructive elements that took place in the USA:
| Name | Year | Hurricane damage (billion$) |
| Hurricane Andrew | 1992 | 26,5 |
| Ivan | 2004 | 18,8 |
| Hurricane Charlie | 2004 | 15,1 |
| Rita | 2005 | 12 |
| Hurricane Katrina | 2005 | 125 |
| wilma | 2005 | 20,6 |
| 2008 | 29,5 | |
| Irene | 2011 | 19 |
In 2013-2014, two powerful hurricanes hit America - Sandy andNor'easter. The latter was born from a powerful winter storm at sea.
The most destructive hurricane in the USA over the past 25 years - Katrina. As a result, 80% of New Orleans was flooded. The hurricane claimed the lives of almost 2 thousand residents of the city. He was awarded the fifth category. The wind speed was over 280 km/h. Katrina captured 4 states. Damage from the elements amounted to 125 billion dollars.
What are the statistics of hurricanes in Cuba ? The element hits this country several times every year. The hurricane season here is from late July to late November. The most destructive elements in the world over the past 10 years:
- Matthew(raged in October 2016 simultaneously in Cuba and in the Dominican Republic, the wind speed was 220 km / s, about a thousand people died, 350 thousand people lost their homes and were left without a livelihood).
- Nargis(engulfed Myanmar in 2008, dealt a devastating blow to the economy of one of the world's poorest countries).
- Ike(it hit the USA in 2008, the wind speed was 135 km / h, the state of Texas suffered, a mass evacuation of residents took place).
Data for Russia
Hurricane statistics in Russiareports that such elements do not happen here very often. Russian hurricanes cause much less damage than, for example, in the United States. Most often, such an element falls on northern regions: Khabarovsk region, Sakhalin, Kamchatka and Chukotka.
In 2016 and 2017 happened hurricanes in Orenburg region. Statisticsclaims that there were no deaths. Nine houses were damaged. Their roofs were torn off. There was also a broken wire.
In 2014, a hurricane in Bashkiria led to the destruction of more than a hundred. Two elderly men died. In June 2017, a hurricane passed through Tatarstan. He did a lot of damage to the Republic. Houses were damaged, trees and power lines uprooted. In 2015, a devastating hurricane passed in Chuvashia. Several settlements were de-energized. 18 houses and 1 school were damaged. In June 2017, a hurricane passed in the Crimea. More than 2 thousand people were left without electricity.
The figure shows data on the elements in Moscow over the past 20 years. Here you can clearly see the date of the incident, the damage caused by the elements to the capital, as well as data on the number of deaths from the hurricane in different years.
Former CIS countries
Not conducted in Ukraine. But here on June 23, 1997, a very strong element was recorded. On the same day, a hurricane passed in Belarus. The storm raged for several hours. The material damage was great. It was hot, more than +30 degrees and a cyclone came from the west. The result was a collision of warm and cold air masses. A hurricane in Ukraine knocked out power lines. In Belarus, a wave of poetry swept from Volyn to Borisov.
Belarus reports that for this country it is so strong elements are not typical. In both countries, the hurricane destroyed about 1,000 settlements. 10 thousand houses were damaged in Belarus. 70 hectares of crops were damaged. About a hundred people were affected by the hurricane. Of these, five died. Minsk and Brest regions suffered the most.
Hurricanes are not uncommon in Kazakhstan. This is due to the climate of the country. In May 2017, there was strong hurricane In Kazakhstan. Houses were destroyed, trees were uprooted. Three people died, there are wounded.
findings
Hurricane statistics show that such catastrophes are not uncommon in the world. The damage from the elements is great, people often die. Scientists have not yet learned how to calculate in advance the strength and exact path of hurricanes. AT best case only timely notification of the population about a possible disaster is possible. Governments of all countries should think about improving weather services and introducing new system warnings of an impending threat. This will allow timely evacuation of people, avoid a large number of victims and reduce the impact of the elements.
The diameter of one of them was more than 900 km, the damage from the other was $ 125 billion, and the third claimed the lives of half a million people and "contributed" to the creation of a new state
About the most destructive hurricanes - in the material of "My Planet".
"Bhola"
A disaster of unprecedented proportions has hit East Pakistan and West Bengal(a state in eastern India) November 12, 1970. Despite the fact that the hurricane reached only the third category on the Saffir-Simpson scale, it became one of the most destructive in the history of mankind.
Cyclone Bhola 1970 noaa, Wikimedia Commons
Cyclone Bhola formed over the Bay of Bengal on November 8, and then began to move north, picking up speed along the way. At its peak, it reached coastline East Pakistan. Some settlements were simply erased into powder. Hit storm tide claimed the lives of, according to various estimates, from 300,000 to 500,000 people.
infoleet.com
The hurricane was truly fateful, as it changed the map of states. Sharp criticism of the authorities for the slowness in the aftermath of the cyclone led to the fact that the elections held in December of that year, won the East Pakistani opposition. The long confrontation that followed this turned into a war. As a result, the state of Bangladesh was formed.
"Katrina"
One of the most famous in the world and the most destructive in the history of the United States. The formation of Katrina began in the Bahamas on August 23, 2005. Even before it reached the coast of the United States, it was assigned the fifth (final) level of danger on the Saffir-Simpson hurricane scale. True, 12 hours before hitting the United States, the hurricane still weakened to the fourth category. And still, the Katrina's wind speed reached 280 km / h. On August 27, the hurricane touched the coast of Florida, and then turned to the side Gulf of Mexico. The states of Louisiana, Alabama, Florida and Mississippi have been declared a zone natural disaster. A mass evacuation began.
Popsci.com
New Orleans and its surroundings left more than a million people (about 80% of the total population). Kilometer-long queues lined up in front of shops and gas stations. But not everyone was able to leave the city - about 150,000 citizens living below the poverty line did not have the opportunity to leave. Public transport stopped working, so those who did not have a car could only hide in an indoor stadium called the Superdome, as advised by the city authorities.
propertycasualty360.com
On August 29, 2005, the hurricane reached the states of Louisiana and Mississippi. The dams of New Orleans, 70% of which lies below sea level, were damaged. The flooding of the city began. The roof of the Superdome was badly damaged by the wind.
Katrina claimed the lives of 1,836 people (of which more than 720 in New Orleans), the economic damage amounted to $ 125 billion.
"Nina"
This is not even a typhoon, but a super typhoon that swept over China and Taiwan in early August 1975. A hurricane with winds up to 250 km/h caused severe floods, destroyed the largest Chinese province Henan's Banqiao Dam (which was designed to survive floods that occur no more than once every 1,000 years) and 62 other smaller dams wiped out almost 6 million buildings. During the entire time of the disaster, water leakage amounted to 15.7 billion m 3 . The flood caused a wave 3 to 7 m high and 10 km wide.
NOAA
"Nina" claimed the lives of 26,000 people (these are only those who drowned) and became one of the most destructive hurricanes in history. But these victims were not enough for her: more than 145,000 people died later - from starvation (crops and over 300,000 heads of livestock perished). Full number victims, according to various estimates, ranges from 171,000 to 230,000 people. Damage from the hurricane is estimated at $1.2 billion.
"San Calixto II"
Hurricane San Calixto II is considered the deadliest storm on record in the North Atlantic Basin. It raged from 9 to 20 October 1780 and was quite destructive. The wind speed at the time of the collapse on Barbados was probably in excess of 320 km/h. According to eyewitnesses, the wind was "so deafening that people did not hear their own voice", and from the trees, before they felled, he tore off the bark. Even the heavy guns were shifted by 30 m. What can we say about the people - only on the island of Barbados, the Great Hurricane claimed the lives of 4,500 people. 19 Dutch ships crashed off the island of Grenada, and in St. Lucia the fleet of British Admiral George Rodney was smashed to pieces. One of the ships of the squadron was lifted and literally thrown onto the building of the nearby city hospital. In total, the San Calixto killed 27,500 people.
"Ike"
This hurricane, which raged in early September 2008, was assigned a fourth category of danger. True, when "Hayk" reached the southern regions Texas, it weakened to the second category, the wind speed was "only" 135 km / h. Nevertheless, "Ike" was able to destroy the unlucky town of Galveston (in 1900, a hurricane also passed here, killing 6,000 people). The hurricane killed 195 people. However, it went down in history as the largest tropical cyclone in the Atlantic in the entire history of observations - the diameter of the storm, according to different information, ranged from 900 to 1450 km.
A hurricane is a tropical type of cyclone. It is distinguished by its relatively small size, but rather destructive force. 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. His neighbors and close relatives come from the region of Asia, and Far East, and usually weaker ones. 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 fade further. The cyclone itself is an atmospheric vortex of impressive size, which is twisted in southern hemisphere clockwise, and counterclockwise in north. They are especially clearly visible from space. And here 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". There is a zone of low pressure in the center of the cyclone. Cyclones owe their origin to the rotation of the planet, while simultaneously moving it in 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 the spiral is much faster and reaches several hundred kilometers per hour. Maximum 300 kilometers per hour.
In the area that is called the "eye of the storm" (or eye of the typhoon), usually calm weather with more high temperature. Warm air descends and enters the first turns of the spiral, where the colder mass is. As a result, a territory is formed with high differences in pressure. It, in turn, contributes to the unwinding of the air masses of the hurricane as a whole. Therefore, the center of the spiral, near the "eye", has increased power, highest speed and, usually, thunderclouds causing torrential downpours.
Tropical hurricanes originate over warm waters oceans around the equator. As a result of the rotation of the planet, they move west and shift north. This is what causes a large number of hurricanes eastern shores North America as well as Mexico. These areas are larger than others in recent times suffer from the effects of severe hurricanes.
Hurricane strength is measured on 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 on the entire planet. And here are the most powerful of them.
The strongest hurricane in the world
The great hurricane of 1780, or another name - San Calixto. This is a tropical cyclone of great power that raged in the autumn of 1780 near the Caribbean archipelago. It became the deadliest of all known hurricanes. According to the documents of that time, at least 22,000 dead are known. 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 higher.
The great hurricane touched the islands of the Caribbean, from Newfoundland to Barbados, passed through Haiti and destroyed up to 95 percent of all buildings. And that's not counting the thousands of lives lost. The tidal wave that the hurricane caused, as if powerful tsunami, passed through some islands, sometimes reaching 7-8 meters in height. She destroyed everything in her path. The hurricane was accompanied by strong unrest 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 fleets that took part in civil war USA. Approximately a hundred vessels in the water area ran aground.
Eyewitnesses said that the rain, under the influence strong wind, tore off the bark from the trunks of trees, and this before knocking them down. According to scientists, the wind speed then was 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 south caribbean. Meteorologists assigned him the fifth category, the highest. This is because of the wind speed, the gusts of which reached 320 kilometers per hour. The hurricane affected the territories of Nicaragua, Honduras and El Salvador.
Hurricane Mitch. Effects
He completely devastated them and claimed the lives of 20 thousand people. Most of the people died from mudflows, strong winds and tidal waves that towered up to 6 meters in height. More than a million people were left homeless, and hundreds needed drinking water and medical preparations. As a result, this led to an increase in infectious diseases.
Katrina
The name Katrina is known to absolutely every American. Because it is the strongest and most destructive hurricane ever to hit the coast of America. Hurricane Katrina was born in August 2005 in the Bahamas. He quickly gained strength and began to develop in the direction east coast USA. As soon as the bad weather reached the American coast, the hurricane received the fifth category in terms of strength.
But for acceptance necessary measures it was already too late. The authorities could not cope with the consequences of the disaster. So President George W. Bush's approval rating dropped to 38 percent at the time. Only according to official data, 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 New Orleans is flooded.
Typhoon in Pakistan
On the night of November 13, 1970, a powerful typhoon hit the coastal regions of East Pakistan. The hurricane formed huge wave up to 8 meters high. It swept through a number of islands and coastal areas. This typhoon has become almost the most major disaster throughout the history of mankind. According to various estimates, the death toll ranged from 500 thousand to a million people.
In the United States, debris continues to be cleared after the rampage of Hurricane Michael, which is classified as a fourth category and some meteorologists have already named the most powerful hurricane in the 21st century. Wind gusts of up to 200 km/h have been recorded, and in many places the hurricane simply uprooted trees and tore off massive roofs. 33 people became victims of the elements, most of of whom died in Florida. Also, significant damage was caused to other states of the southeast coast of the United States, in particular North Carolina, Georgia and Virginia, in which there are human sacrifice, significant damage to homes and infrastructure. The hurricane almost completely destroyed one of the American air bases in Florida, the command of which compared the swept hurricane with a bombardment, adding that the consequences of the violence of the elements turned out to be catastrophic for aircraft.
Was Michael really the strongest hurricane?
It can be remembered that last years Michael is far from the first hurricane to hit the United States. Not less than disastrous consequences brought by hurricanes
– Irma (2017);
– Katrina (2005);
– Harvey (2017);
– Ike (2009) and others.
Exactly one year ago, the deadly Hurricane Irma raged in the Atlantic and the Caribbean, which was then also considered the most powerful hurricane. When he approached American coast, its power subsided, thanks to which significant casualties and destruction in the United States itself were avoided. However, the hurricane was assigned to the fifth category and this is what made it one of the most terrible hurricanes, because when it swept over the Atlantic and the Caribbean islands, there was not a trace of some of them.
After Hurricane Irma on the once picturesque island of Barbuda, more than 90% of buildings and structures were destroyed. When an aerial photograph was taken over the island, it looked like they just dropped it atomic bomb. Similar story occurred on the island of Saint-Martin, which is under French jurisdiction. The entire infrastructure and hundreds of houses were destroyed in the city, and 11 people were killed. For its restoration, the French government has allocated tens of millions of euros, but this is far from enough to return the island to its former state.
Hurricane Katrina and its aftermath
The list of the worst hurricanes ever to hit the coast of the United States 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, wind speeds reached 280 km / h. This is one of the most big numbers in history, making Katrina one of the most destructive hurricanes in human history. The elements hit the United States during the presidency of George W. Bush, who announced a complete evacuation of residents of coastal states recognized as natural disaster areas.
But this did not save America from tragedy, because many did not leave, and the hurricane was really deadly. It led to the complete flooding of the city of New Orleans, which at that time had about 150 thousand inhabitants. Since the activity of administrative and communal services was almost completely stopped, the city began social problems. The rescue operation, which was then carried out by the American authorities, is considered one of the worst examples in work history rescue services, and the rating of the american president after Hurricane Katrina fell below 40%. This is because, as a result of the elements and the inept actions of the George W. Bush administration, only official counts 1,836 people died, hundreds more went missing, and the total economic damage exceeded $90 billion.
Ike and Harvey are the strongest hurricanes since Katrina
If we talk about the hurricanes, the consequences of which were the most devastating to the economy, then one cannot but recall Hurricane Harvey, which hit southeast Texas in 2017. This is because it caused widespread flooding that flooded Houston in particular and led to the death of more 80 people. Two explosions occurred in the state chemical plants and there were massive power outages across Texas. As we reported, later these plants . The total damage from Harvey is estimated at $70 billion, which is one of the largest sums spent from the budget to eliminate the consequences of a tropical storm or hurricane.
Tropical hurricane Ike, which swept along the southeast coast in 2008, has still not coped with the consequences of tropical hurricane Ike in some US towns. Its diameter exceeded 900 km, which made Ike the record-breaking hurricane in the 21st century. It also became one of the strongest hurricanes in the last 10 years, as it led to the flooding of the port town of Galveston in Texas, as well as to destruction for a total of $ 20 billion. In addition, the islands of Haiti and Cuba were significantly affected, where almost 50 people died and significant material damage was inflicted. As practice shows, it is these island states that suffer the most during the rampant elements.
Over the past 10 years, hurricanes have caused $ 350 billion in damage to the United States, the 5 largest of them 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 Wind Scale, the sixth strongest hurricane Atlantic Basin throughout the history of observations. It happened at the end of August 2005. The most severe damage was caused to New Orleans in Louisiana, where about 80% of the city's area was under water. As a result of the disaster, 1,836 people died, the economic damage amounted to $ 125 billion
Hurricane Ike
Hurricane Ike is the fifth hurricane of the 2008 season that was approaching the southeast coast of the United States. On September 4, the hurricane was rated 4 on the five-point Saffir-Simpson severity scale. The storm's diameter was over 900 km. The epicenter of the storm was located approximately 1150 km southeast of the city of Wilmington (North Carolina), wind speeds reached 135 km/h. The cyclone moved to northwest direction at a speed of 19.2 km / h. As of 2 p.m. September 5, 2008, the hurricane had weakened to a Category 3 hurricane. 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), the thirteenth hurricane, the sixth strongest hurricane, and the fourth Category 5 hurricane in the record-breaking 2005 season.
Wilma made landfall several times, causing the most destruction in the Yucatan Peninsula, Cuba, and the state of Florida. The hurricane killed at least 62 people and cost more than $29.1 billion (of which $20.6 billion in the US, at 2005 prices), making this hurricane one of the top 5 "loss-making" hurricanes Atlantic Ocean and fourth in US history.
Hurricane Ivan
Hurricane Ivan is the 10th strongest tropical cyclone in the Atlantic Ocean on record. It is the ninth named tropical storm and the fourth strongest hurricane of the 2004 season. As a typical tropical cyclone of the Cape Verdian type, it formed in early September and reached category 5 on the Saffir-Simpson scale. While passing 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 coast of Alabama. Damage from the hurricane in the US alone reached $18 billion (2004).
Hurricane Charlie
In mid-August 2004, Hurricane Charlie hit Jamaica, the Cayman Islands, Cuba, the US states of Florida, South Carolina, North Carolina. Wind gusts reached up to 240 km/h, which corresponds to category 4 on the Saffir-Simpson hurricane scale. Charlie's victims were 27 people. The Florida hurricane forced the evacuation of two million people, destroyed hundreds of homes and caused serious damage state infrastructure. total amount damage amounted to about 16.3 billion US dollars as of 2004, or 18.9 billion dollars - as of 2010. It should be noted that the hurricane hit the coast of southwestern Florida at maximum power, making it the strongest hurricane to hit the United States.
The damage from Hurricane Sandy, which is currently raging, has not yet been calculated.
