Deadly Hurricanes Hit the U.S.

First, Hurricane Harvey bulldozed into parts of Texas and Louisiana. Within a few weeks, Hurricane Irma tore into the Carribean, Florida and later Georgia.

Communities of affected areas faced damage from the strong winds, flooding from heavy rains, and rivers overflowing with floodwaters. Hurricanes are formed over warm ocean waters near the equator. As warm air begins to rise, it causes a low pressure area beneath it and high pressure areas surrounding it push into the area of low pressure. As the airs continue to rise, clouds form and help create a swirling storm of wind, clouds, and evaporating water. The storm surge, or the steady rise in water caused by powerful hurricane winds as it gets closer to shore, is a big part of a hurricane’s danger as it is referred to as the most deadly part of a hurricane. As winds push water towards the shore in waves, the water begins to accumulate, which gradually causes flooding. The water pushed inland takes a while to finally drain out. As this water is still inland, it destroys buildings, powerlines, trees and other structures consumed in flooding, adding dangerous debris to the already fatal waters. Strong winds of a hurricane can cause terrible damage. Structures can be knocked down and destroyed by powerful winds; they can even make giant construction cranes sway back and forth! Harvey's powerful winds reached up to about 130 mph and Irma’s to about 120 mph, and these winds paired with flooding create incredible damage.

The death toll is continuing to rise: a total of 42 deaths in Florida, according to the Miami Herald, was reported. Carbon monoxide poisoning, caused by fumes from generators, killed 11 people. Other deaths were caused by drowning and heart attacks. Hurricane Harvey has accounted for 82 deaths. Nicole Chavez from CNN states, “At least 13 toxic waste sites in Texas were flooded and damaged by Hurricane Harvey, according to the Environmental Protection Agency.” Explosions and fires broke out as a chemical plant near Houston had flooded. About 4,500 drinking water systems have been affected by Harvey of them; only 1,514 are now operational.

Dole Rice states in USA Today: “Hurricane Harvey could be the costliest natural disaster in U.S. history with a potential price tag of $190 billion, according to a preliminary estimate from private weather firm AccuWeather.” Combined with the costs of damage due to Hurricane Irma, it could total to several hundred billion dollars. Many different organizations are helping with the aftermath of these hurricanes. Donations have helped give people access to clothes, food and other necessities. These communities are starting their process of rebuilding just as two other hurricanes, this time Hurricanes Jose and Maria, pose a new threat to the US and other countries.

Works Cited

Horowitz, J. (2017, September 11). The U.S. has been hit by two giant hurricanes. Here's the financial toll. Retrieved September 20, 2017, from http://money.cnn.com/2017/09/10/news/economy/hurricane-irma-harvey-economic-damage/index.html

Simon, M. (2017, September 05). Path of destruction: What Hurricane Harvey left in its wake. Retrieved September 21, 2017, from https://www.google.com/amp/s/amp.cnn.com/cnn/2017/09/04/us/hurricane-harvey-from-corpus-christi-to-houston/index.html#ampshare=http://www.cnn.com/2017/09/04/us/hurricane-harvey-from-corpus-christi-to-houston/index.html

Rice, D. (n.d.). Harvey to be costliest natural disaster in U.S. history, estimated cost of $190 billion. Retrieved September 21, 2017, from https://www.google.com/amp/amp.usatoday.com/story/615708001/#ampshare=https://www.usatoday.com/story/weather/2017/08/30/harvey-costliest-natural-disaster-u-s-history-estimated-cost-160-billion/615708001/

Chavez, N. (2017, September 04). Texas begins road to recovery after Harvey. Retrieved September 21, 2017, from http://www.cnn.com/2017/09/03/us/houston-texas-flood-aftermath/index.html

Hurricane Irma Recap. (2017, September 20). Retrieved September 21, 2017, from https://www.google.com/amp/s/weather.com/amp/storms/hurricane/news/hurricane-tropical-storm-irma-recap-2017.html#ampshare=https://weather.com/storms/hurricane/news/hurricane-tropical-storm-irma-recap-2017

Klas, M. E. (2017, September 19). Some were poisoned. Others drowned. How 42 people in Florida died from Hurricane Irma. Retrieved September 21, 2017, from https://www.google.com/amp/amp.miamiherald.com/news/weather/hurricane/article174097351.html#ampshare=http://www.miamiherald.com/news/weather/hurricane/article174097351.html

Historic Hurricane Harvey's Recap. (2017, September 16). Retrieved September 21, 2017, from https://www.google.com/amp/s/weather.com/amp/storms/hurricane/news/tropical-storm-harvey-forecast-texas-louisiana-arkansas.html#ampshare=https://weather.com/storms/hurricane/news/tropical-storm-harvey-forecast-texas-louisiana-arkansas

How do hurricanes form? (2016, October 6). Retrieved September 21, 2017, from https://spaceplace.nasa.gov/hurricanes/en/

Andone, D. (2017, September 10). Why storm surge is a huge hurricane threat. Retrieved September 21, 2017, from http://www.cnn.com/2017/09/09/us/hurricane-irma-storm-surge-explained/index.html

https://www.google.com/amp/s/amp.businessinsider.com/harvey-damage-aerial-survey-photos-map-2017-9

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