The Great Tri-State Tornado

On March 18 1925, the U.S. was hit with its worst tornado. The Great Tri-State tornado started out from the Ozarks in southeastern Missouri, headed eastward through southern Illinois, and then lifted in southwestern Indiana after a duration of three and a half hours. The tornado was rated as a F5 on the Fujita scale. It traveled at an average speed of 62mph which is approximately double the speed of an average tornado. The wind speeds of the funnel were 261 to 318 mph. Strong frame houses were swept away by the tornado. Automobiles looked like missiles flying through the air which were thrown in excess of 109 yards.

In total, there were 652 deaths and over 2000 people injured. The number of deaths was double the number of the second worst tornado in U.S. history.The tornado traveled the distance of 219 miles which is the longest recorded in history. It destroyed 15,000 homes and damaged more than 164 square miles. Due to the tornado about $16.5 million in damage was caused. Today it would be about almost $2 billion in damage as a result of today’s prices.

The tornado was the worst because it had longest path in history and destroyed 50% more than an average tornado. In that era, there were no warning systems within towns. There were also ineffective communications with other towns because phone and telegraph services were immediately cut off by the tornado. People didn’t even realize a tornado was in its way until it was right in front of them.

http://www.suite101.com/content/worst-tornado-in-us-history-a37716

Katrina

Hurricane Katrina is one of deadliest storms to hit the U.S Coast. It ripped through the Gulf Coast in 2005 and became the largest hurricane to hit the United States. Major damage was done to Louisiana, Mississippi, and Alabama. Due to the hurricane, 1836 lives were lost and more than $89.6 billion in damage was caused. The oil and forest industries suffered a major blow with interruption in oil supply and loss to the forest industry amounting to $5 billion. Katrina is the costliest hurricane of U.S. history.

Due to a tropical wave and the remains of a Tropical Depression 10, Katrina formed over the Bahamas on August 23, 2005. It then upgraded to a tropical storm on the 24^th, from where it moved to Florida as category 1. After weakening over land, it gained intensity as it moved to the Gulf of Mexico. On the 28^th it grew from a category 3 to a category 5 hurricane with winds up to 160 mph which caused severe damage along the Gulf Coast. The pressure measurement recorded Katrina as the fourth most intense hurricane.  On the early hours of August 29^th the storm weakened and was classified as a category 4 storm. Moving slowly at 12 mph with wind blowing at 155 mph, Katrina caused far greater damage than a fast moving storm would have done.

The main reason for the great loss of life and property in New Orleans was the failure of its levee system due to the system design flaws and lack of maintenance. Nearly every levee in New Orleans was broken or ruptured which caused the flooding of 80% of the city.

http://www.buzzle.com/articles/hurricane-katrina-facts-and-information.html

Earthquake Triggers Tsunami

     On March 28, 1964, an earthquake of a magnitude of 9.2 hit Prince William Sound, Alaska. It is the largest earthquake to hit the United States. The earthquake and a following tsunami took 128 lives and caused about $311 million in damage. The tsunami took 113 lives and the earthquake took 15. Effects were severe in many towns such as Anchorage, Chitina, Glennallen, Homer, Hope, Kasilof, Kenai, Kodiak, Moose Pass, and others. Anchorage held the most severe damage to property. About 30 blocks of homes and commercial buildings were damaged or destroyed in the downtown area. Many schools and stores were damaged beyond repair. Duration of the shock was about 3 minutes.

     Landslides in Anchorage caused heavy damage too. The largest landslide occurred at Turnagain Heights. An area of about 130 acres was demolished by displacements that broke the ground into many deranged blocks that were collapsed and tilted at all angles. This slide destroyed about 75 private houses. Water mains and gas, sewer, telephone, and electrical systems were disrupted throughout the area. Due to the earthquake vertical displacement took place which caused a tsunami. There was no time for warning and within minutes huge tsunami waves destroyed local towns and fishing villages. The tsunami destroyed many towns along the Gulf of Alaska. It left serious damage at Alberni, Canada, along the West Coast of the United States, and in Hawaii. The maximum wave height recorded was 67 meters at Valdez Inlet.


     In my opinion, I believe the earthquake didn’t cause as much damage compared to others even though it triggered a tsunami. I would think that with the magnitude of 9.2, the earthquake would have caused much more damage and the cost would be much greater to repair.

 

http://earthquake.usgs.gov/earthquakes/states/events/1964_03_28.php

Hurricane Andrew

     Hurricane Andrew is part of a group of hurricanes that have been the most destructive in the United States. On August 14, 1992, it started as a tropical wave that moved from the west coast to Africa. Three days later, August 17, it became a tropical storm now known as Hurricane Andrew. As it moved west-northwestward, the development of Andrew was slow. By August 21, it was between Bermuda and Puerto Rico turning west into a better atmosphere. It rapidly started strengthening reaching hurricane strength of Category 4 on the 23. When Andrew passed through the Bahamas it weakened but shortly after regained its Category 4 strength. A day later, it burst straight towards Florida and continued west toward the Gulf of Mexico where it then made a northern turn. This movement led Andrew to Louisiana as a Category 3 hurricane and then it made a northeastward turn to the Mid-Atlantic states where it diminished.


     Andrew is the third most intense hurricane that has hit the United States in record. From the reports of the barometer they have established that Andrew’s central pressure was 27.23 inches. An automated station at Fowey Rocks reported 142 mph sustained winds with gusts to 169 mph. Andrew produced a 17 ft. near the landfall point Florida and tides of 8 ft in the Louisiana coast. It also created a tornado in southern Louisiana.

     Due to the hurricane’s disaster, 23 life’s were lost and $26.5 billion in damage which $1 billion was accounted to Louisiana and the rest to Florida. The damage in the Bahamas was estimated to be $250 million.

     I was amazed by how much damage the hurricane caused. $26.5 billion is a lot of money lost. I would have expected a higher death rate but thankfully it wasn’t.