Top 10 Most HORRIFYING Hurricanes to Ever Hit the U.S.
Hurricane Rita
- Year: 2005
- Damage: $18.5 billion
- Intensity: Category 5
- Places affected: Cuba, Texas, Louisiana
According to experts, Hurricane Rita was the most intense tropical cyclone observed in the Gulf of Mexico and the 4th most intense Atlantic hurricane ever recorded. Also, Rita was the 5th major hurricane of the 2005 season and its average wind speed was 180 mph (285 km/h) earning the Category 5 status at the same time.
The storm surge of Hurricane Rita inundated a lot of communities in Louisiana. Moreover, the disaster continued in various parts of Louisiana and Southeast Texas where Rita made landfall and caused terrible catastrophes due to flooding and wind. According to the Disaster Center, about 4,500 single family dwellings were destroyed in Southeast Texas and approximately 40,000 single family houses suffered minor damage.
In other words, Hurricane Rita caused $18.5 billion in damages and 120 deaths in four U.S. states. It seems that there was only 7 direct death caused by this hurricane, meaning that they were produced by the effects of wind, flooding, tornadoes and storm surge, while others were caused by hurricane-related accidents.
Hurricane Charley
- Year: 2004
- Damage: $16.9 billion
- Intensity: Category 4
- Places affected: Jamaica, Cayman Islands, Cuba, Florida, The Carolinas
Hurricane Charley was one of the strongest hurricanes to ever hit the United States. Experts say that it was the second major hurricane of the 2004 season. With its peak intensity reaching 150 mph (240 km/h), Hurricane Charley was on its way to cause nearly $16 billion in damages and more than 15 direct deaths and 25 indirect deaths.
It made landfall in Southwest Florida at maximum strength and moved slowly to Cuba and other American regions mentioned above. Unfortunately, Charley severely affected the state of Florida and caused about 9 direct deaths, 20 indirect fatalities and a lot of other injuries, namely that property damage was $5.4 billion and agricultural damage was estimated at $285 million.