Forces of Nature , Hurricane Facts , The Costs & More

Hurricanes have the ability to cause a great deal of destruction, which can take billions and billions of dollars to correct. In this article, you will learn about some of the most costly hurricanes to hit the United States; what to do when a hurricane is threatening your community; as well as some of the worst death tolls in the United States.

The Grand Isle Hurricane that struck Louisiana in September of 1909 took the lives of at least 350 people. It passed through Baton Rouge and New Orleans , reaching the status of a category 4 storm that eventually caused $6 million of damage. Its storm surge rose to 15 feet and attacked a great deal of southern Louisiana.

In 1915, New Orleans, Louisiana suffered a hurricane in September that killed 275 people in a category 4 storm. The banks of Lake Pontchartrain overflowed, killing those in its path.

One of the most costly hurricanes in the US was called Hurricane Andrew, which attacked Southeast Florida and Louisiana in August of 1992. It also tore through the northwestern part of Bahamas. The category 5 hurricane reached the shore on August 24th (close to Homestead, Florida), which took the lives of 15 residents. As many as 250,000 people lost their homes and had nowhere to go. The cost to patch up the damage of the hurricane was $26.5 billion, including more than 700,000 insurance claims.  

When taking a look at the Saffir-Simpson Scale, you will find that hurricanes are listed by the kind of damage they are capable of creating in regards to their current winds and anticipated storm surge. A Category 1 hurricane is listed as bringing about minimal damage; Category 2 (moderate damage); Category 3 (major damage); Category 4 (extensive damage); and Category 5 (catastrophic).

Did you know that 36% of all hurricanes in the United States strike Florida?

Florida and Texas receive the most Category 4 or higher hurricanes , around 76%.

Gale-force winds associated with hurricanes can travel as much as 300 miles out from the eye.

A hurricane can create a great deal of damage to your home and threaten your life. However, there are plenty of tips that can help you protect your residence. One of the most cost-effective measures people can embrace when it comes to protecting the home from wind damage is to cover the windows, skylights, and sliding glass doors. The wind of a hurricane can unrelentlessly attack a roof , tossing shingles into the air. You can apply quick-setting asphalt cement that will fuse your roof shingles together so that they don’t flap in the wind. This can help prevent shingles from becoming stripped off of the roof.  

While some people look at hurricanes as a complete negative aspect of weather, there are actually a few positive considerations to note. A hurricane can preserve the heat balance associated with the earth, which is maintained by the transfer of heat that comes from the tropics to the poles. Sometimes, the torrential rains that come with hurricanes can aid regions affected by drought.