Few people will be pleased with the hot, dry windless weather. But even less joy is delivered by strong gusts of wind, knocking people off their feet, destroying everything around. It is this squally wind that is called a hurricane. Its speed can reach 300 meters per second. In this article, we will talk about which are the most powerful hurricanes in the world that caused significant damage to people and claimed human lives.

What is a hurricane

A hurricane is a strong wind, the speed of which is much higher than 32.6 meters per second. On the southern hemisphere planet the wind blows clockwise, and on the North - in reverse direction, that is, against.

Typhoon, cyclone, storm and breeze are multiple definitions of a hurricane. Specialists of hydrometeorological centers have multiplied the concepts of the word "hurricane" to simplify the work. Often hurricanes and cyclones get names similar to female names, but in modern world this rule is slightly modified so that there is no noticeable discrimination.

The largest hurricanes in the world have caused impressive damage to humanity, resulting in a huge number of victims and damage. This is the most powerful imaginable. Hurricanes have tremendous energy.

Gusts of wind demolish buildings, destroy crops, disrupt power lines and water pipes, damage highways, uproot trees, and cause accidents. Such damage causes the most powerful hurricanes in the world. The list and statistics of the most powerful natural disasters of our time are updated with new cyclones every year.

Hurricane classification

There is no standard classification for hurricanes. There are only two groups of them: a whirlwind storm and a streaming hurricane.

During a vortex storm, funnel-shaped gusts arise, which are caused by the activity of cyclones and spread over a large area. In winter, snow storms, which are called blizzards or blizzards, prevail.

A streaming hurricane does not travel as far as an eddy storm. It is conditioned and significantly inferior to its "brother". There are jet and katabatic hurricanes. A jet storm is characterized by a horizontal flow, while a drain storm is characterized by a vertical one.

Hurricane Matthew

The Atlantic hurricane, dubbed "Matthew", was born on the African coast on September 22, 2016. The cyclone was gaining strength as it moved towards Florida. On October 6, the hurricane weakened slightly, affecting a small part of the Bahamas and Miami. The next day, the storm wind arose again with a vengeance, its gusts reached 220 kilometers per hour. This mark indicated a category 5 hurricane on the Saffir-Simpson scale. It is worth noting that category 5 is the highest mark.

It is impossible to overestimate the damage caused by Hurricane Matthew. At least 877 people were victims of the disaster, 350 thousand were left without shelter and means of survival. 3.5 thousand buildings were destroyed. Matthew, which hit Florida in 2016, is the most powerful hurricane in the world over the current decade. Photos of the consequences prove this.

Citizens affected by the disaster were provided with temporary housing or a place in a shelter. Health officials say cholera outbreaks are possible in the near future, as the water is contaminated.

Myanmar: Hurricane Nargis

The most powerful hurricanes in the world that occurred in the last 10 years caused irreparable losses from which people cannot recover to this day. The terrifying Cyclone Nargis, which hit Myanmar in 2008, was such a disaster.

People were not notified in time about the impending disaster, so they could not prepare. In addition, the government of the country initially refused all assistance from other states.

But after a certain amount of time, the entry of humanitarian cargo was nevertheless allowed, and people received the necessary assistance.

Myanmar is the poorest state in which the annual income per citizen is only $200. Hurricane Nargis dealt a devastating blow not only to the citizens of the country, but also to state economy generally.

Cuba and Hurricane Sandi

Hurricane Sandy hit southeastern Cuba on October 25, 2012. The wind speed exceeded 183 meters per hour. A large number of people suffered. In Jamaica, a man died from a boulder that fell "from the sky". In Haiti, a woman was carried away by a stream of water, who was subsequently not found. As a result of the disaster, about 200 people died and more than 130,000 buildings were destroyed.

Sandi is the 18th tropical storm to pass this decade. Before hitting Cuba, the hurricane intensified to almost a second category.

Looking at the photo of the cyclone, we can say with accuracy that "Sandy" and the rest of the most powerful hurricanes in the world over the past 10 years have become for people the only terrifying element in their lives.

Hurricane Ike

Tropical storm Ike hit the United States in 2008. The hurricane was not too strong, but quite impressive in its scale. The origin of the cyclone occurred in the southeast of the American coast. Meteorologists were preparing for a 5, the highest hurricane on the Saffir-Simpson scale.

Approaching the mark of 135 kilometers per hour. But gradually the wind subsided, and the elements weakened.

AT most Texas suffered, especially the small town of Galveston. An interesting fact is that this town has already felt the power of the strongest hurricane of the 20th century.

The Texas authorities carried out a mass evacuation of people, but most citizens did not want to leave their homes. The authorities were prepared for the fact that the elements would cause enormous damage and lead to floods, as often happens.

Severe consequences, from which people recover immediately, entail the most powerful hurricanes in the world. The names of many of them will forever remain in the memory of the affected people.

It's important to know

Every country is affected by cyclones to some extent every year. Therefore, it is so important to know certain rules of behavior during a storm. In no case should you:

• climb a hill, bridge, power lines;
• be near poles, trees, flammable substances and pesticides;
• hide from the wind behind billboards, signs, banners;
• be in a damaged building, as you know, the most powerful hurricanes in the world easily destroy buildings;
• use electrical appliances.

After the wind subsides, it is dangerous:

• approach broken wires;
• touch swinging signs, banners, billboards;
• to be in the house in case of violations in the power transmission;
• use electrical appliances;
• if a thunderstorm was observed, then you should not touch electrical appliances in order to avoid an electric discharge.

Did you know that the destructive power of a particular hurricane can cause the name assigned to the cyclone to be crossed off the list of names that can have the most powerful hurricanes in the world. Hurricane Katrin of 2005 fell under this rule, for example, and meteorologists will never use this name again.

A tornado, or as it is also called a tornado, occurs in thunderclouds in the form of an atmospheric vortex propagating downward and often reaches the surface of land or water. The color of the tornado can be different and depends on where it was formed.

Tornadoes can occur at any time of the year, but most often they appear from mid-spring to mid-summer. The largest number of past tornadoes was recorded in North America, most of which were in the central states of the United States.

Up to 450 kilometers per hour

The record strongest tornado, which was listed in the Guinness Book of Records, occurred in one of the cities of Texas called Wichita Falls. The date this devastating weather event occurred was April 2, 1958. The tornado that passed that day developed a fairly powerful wind speed, sometimes reaching up to 450 kilometers per hour. Typically, such tornadoes are classified as destructive.

Another of the most powerful tornadoes in the history of mankind is the tornado that hit the United States on March 18, 1925. The speed of the past tornado was up to 117 kilometers per hour. In three and a half hours, he managed to make his record path, which is 352 kilometers through three states such as Indiana, Missouri and Illinois.

Tornado record holder

The number of people who died that day reached 350 people, and about 2,000 people were injured. The damage caused by this natural disaster was estimated at forty million dollars.

The record holder for the duration of its existence is the Mattoon tornado, which appeared in May 1917 in the United States of America. The duration of this tornado was seven hours and twenty minutes in time, during which time he managed to travel 500 kilometers. After the last Mattoon tornado, 110 people died.

The origin of two tornadoes at once was noted in May 1879 in an American town called Irving located in Kansas. A strong bridge made of steel and having a length of 75 meters was raised by them above the ground and turned into a twisted lump. Also, during a tornado, a wooden church was lifted into the air along with all the parishioners who were in it at that moment. A strong tornado moved her 4 meters to the side. The parishioners were not harmed.

300 tornado victims

A tornado that took place in Mississippi in the city of Natchez on May 7 in 1840 claimed the lives of more than three hundred people, as well as 109 people were injured. Shortly before the appearance of the tornado, a heavy downpour, accompanied by large hail, hit the city. After the rampage of the past tornado, some of the debris from the destroyed houses was even within a radius of fifty kilometers from the city. The tornado also swept along the Mississippi River itself, sinking more than sixty boats.

In the history of all past tornadoes, a tornado is also known, the appearance of which occurred in May 1896 in the city of St. Louis, Missouri. 255 people became victims of the elements, and a thousand or more residents of this city were injured. For twenty minutes, the tornado raged through the streets of the city. He also collapsed on the Eads Bridge connecting St. Louis with the neighboring city of Illinois. The bridge did not suffer much damage from the tornado, although it swayed from the impact of the elements in different directions like a blade of grass.

Tornadoes appearing in nature can be diverse in appearance. So, for example, the most common type are whip-like tornadoes, which are a smooth thin funnel, the length of which is much greater than its radius.

What is a tornado?

A tornado or tornado is an atmospheric vortex that occurs in a rain or thundercloud. It looks like a cloudy funnel, which often descends to the very ground.

Tornadoes spread from high speed and are capable of causing great damage. For most of them, the wind speed does not exceed 170 km per hour, however, some whirlwinds can move at speeds up to 500 km per hour.

Tornadoes occur on all continents of the planet, but most often, especially in the United States.

Tornado in Daulatpur and Saturia

The deadliest tornado in history is considered to be the one that hit Bangladesh on April 26, 1989. This is one of the countries where, along with the United States and Canada, tornadoes occur quite often.

A tornado with a radius of more than 1.5 km traveled 80 km and affected the Manikganj district, which is located in the center of the country in the Dhaka region. The cities of Daulatpur and Saturia were hit the hardest. The tornado claimed the lives of 1.3 thousand people, 12 thousand were injured.

The tornado was so destructive that it easily lifted into the air and destroyed the homes of local residents in poor areas of Bangladesh. Some cities were completely destroyed. As many as 80,000 people were left homeless.

Tornadoes in Pakistan

A terrible tornado in 1969 walked through the territory of eastern Pakistan, which is now the territory of Bangladesh. The city of Dhaka was seriously damaged by it. More than 660 people died, about 4 thousand were injured.

On the same day, another tornado broke out in the Comilla district of Chittagong, Bangladesh. More than 220 people died. The tornado swept through a densely populated area, so there were so many victims.

Tri-State tornado

In the country of the tornado of the United States, the most terrible consequences were produced by the Tri-State on March 18, 1925. It traveled from southeast Missouri through south Illinois to southwest Indiana.

About 700 people died and 2,000 were injured. 15 thousand houses were destroyed, many were left without shelter and food. Cases of looting and theft of the property of the dead were recorded. Some settlements destroyed by this tornado have never been recovered.

Tornado in Mirzapur

Another incredible tornado hit Bangladesh on May 15, 1996. It went from the city of Madarganj in the north of the country to the city of Mirzapur in its central part.

About 700 people became victims of this tornado, many people were lifted into the air by a whirlwind to a height of more than a kilometer. 30 thousand houses were destroyed.

Tornado in Dhaka

The top five most destructive tornadoes include another deadly tornado that swept across Bangladesh on April 17, 1973. It affected the cities of Manikganj and Singair in central Bangladesh, as well as the city of Nawabganj in the west of the country.

The tornado tragically killed about 700 people. The villages that were on his way - this is 100 km - were completely destroyed. Almost all the houses in them were lifted into the air and carried away by the tornado.

On August 17, 1969, one of the most powerful hurricanes in history, called Camille, swept through the Mississippi River region in the United States. As a result of rampant elements, 248 people died. We will talk about the most destructive and terrible hurricanes in the history of mankind.

Camilla

The main impact of this hurricane fell on the United States. Camille began as a tropical cyclone that formed on 5 August 1969 off the west coast of Africa. On August 14 and 15, the zone of action of the eddies expanded, and the wind speed increased to 180 km/h. After passing Cuba, the hurricane weakened a little: its speed decreased to 160 km / h. Meteorologists hoped that as the hurricane moved toward the southern United States, it might weaken further. But they were wrong. As soon as Camilla crossed the Gulf of Mexico, the hurricane gained strength again. He was awarded the 5th category. Before the hurricane hit the state of Mississippi, on August 17, the meteorological service made an attempt to measure its speed, but was unsuccessful. By the night of the same day, "Camilla" reached the city of St. Louis Bay in Mississippi. The "eye of the storm" of the hurricane was 19 km. After reaching Virginia, the hurricane hit the state with heavy rain. Unexpected rainfall - 790 mm / hour - caused the most severe flooding in the history of the state. The true power of the hurricane is still a mystery. During its passage through the states of Alabama and Mississippi, not a single meteorological instrument survived. The wind speed could exceed 340 km/h. 256 residents of the states of Alabama, Mississippi, Louisiana and Virginia are missing, of which 113 drowned during a flood in Virginia. More than 8931 people were injured. For the state of Virginia, the flood was the most terrible disaster provoked by "Camilla". Heavy downpours caused mud landslides, roads were blocked by fallen trees, washed away by streams of water, turning them into canals. More than 120 bridges, thousands of houses were destroyed by water. Property damage from Hurricane Camille was estimated at $6 billion.

San Calixto.

This hurricane is also called the Great Hurricane. 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 thousand dead are known, and maybe more. The great hurricane touched the islands of the Caribbean, from Newfoundland to Barbados, passed through Haiti and destroyed up to 95% of all buildings. The tidal wave that the hurricane caused, like a powerful tsunami, passed through some of the islands, sometimes reaching 7-8 meters in height. She destroyed everything in her path. 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 strong winds tore the bark off the tree trunks before knocking them down. According to scientists, the wind speed then was at least 350 kilometers per hour.

Mitch.

A hurricane named Mitch passed through the Atlantic basin in October 1998. Meteorologists assigned him the fifth category, the highest. Wind gusts then reached 320 kilometers per hour. The hurricane affected the territories of Nicaragua, Honduras and El Salvador. 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 medicines. It even led to an increase in infectious diseases.

Katrina.

Hurricane Katrina was the most destructive hurricane in US history and one of the 5 deadliest ever recorded. Over 80% of New Orleans was flooded with water. The hurricane hit the East Coast of the United States in 2005. Despite the meteorological reports, people simply did not have time to prepare for the disaster. The damage amounted to 80 billion dollars, the hurricane claimed 1836 lives, 705 are still missing. About half a million more were left homeless. Moreover, approximately 80% of the area of ​​New Orleans was flooded. In addition, looters took advantage of the natural disaster, before whom the police were powerless. It is noteworthy that at this time the rating of President George W. Bush fell to 38%.

Andrew.

Hurricane Andrew in 1992 brought destruction and death to the northwestern Bahamas, southern Florida, and southwestern Louisiana. 26 people died directly from the impact of the hurricane, and 39 people from its consequences. Officially, Andrew caused $26.5 billion in damage, although some sources state that the actual damage was at least $34 billion.

Bloch Cyclone.

In 1970, Cyclone Bhola hit East Pakistan (today Bangladesh) and West Bengal of India. The peak of the cyclone occurred on November 12, 1970. 300 - 500 thousand people died during the impact of the cyclone, although the exact number of deaths from the rampant elements is unknown. This cyclone was relatively small in terms of strength and wind speed; it was assigned the 3rd category of a hurricane. The destructive force of this storm was a huge amount of rainfall. Most of the islands in the Ganges Delta were flooded. Villages and crops were literally washed off the face of the earth.

Kenna.

On October 25, 2002, a Category 5 hurricane hit the city of Nayarit. The force of the wind exceeded 250 kilometers per hour, lifting waves of ocean water to a height of up to 4 meters. The village of San Blas was badly damaged, where 75% of all buildings were damaged, trees were uprooted in the streets. Access roads, power lines and pipelines were destroyed. The ships that decided to wait out the hurricane in the port of San Blas did not survive either. Almost all of them washed ashore. surprisingly, it didn't human casualties. And all because meteorologists calculated Kenna's trajectory in advance. Most of the 12,000-strong population of San Blas was evacuated in advance.

Galveston.

A hurricane hit the Texas city of Galveston on September 8, 1900. The wind speed was 200-215 kilometers per hour, the hurricane was assigned category 4. He destroyed over 3600 houses. It was this hurricane that became the deadliest natural disaster in the United States, it claimed 6,000 human lives. The total damage exceeded $20 million at the rate of 1900.

Iniki.

This is the most powerful hurricane in Hawaii in the history of mankind. At peak intensity, winds reached 235 km/h and the hurricane was assigned a Category 4 on the Saffir-Simpson scale. September 11, 1992 was the peak of the hurricane. Six people died, but the destruction was catastrophic for a small island. Damage totaled over $1.8 billion.

Typhoon Nina.

In China, typhoons are not uncommon, but Typhoon Nina in 1975 proved to be the most destructive. Then the force of the wind broke through the Bankiao dam, causing water to rush into the settlements. Other dams in China have also collapsed. The number of victims is estimated from 100 to 230 thousand.

More than 700 hurricanes of various strengths sweep across the United States every year. The state of Kansas is recognized as the leader in the number of these destructive phenomena with its 1200 cyclones per year. By the way, if in North and South America destructive tropical cyclones that cause tornadoes or tornadoes are called hurricanes, then in Asia they are also called typhoons. Today we present Top 10 most destructive hurricanes in history, which killed hundreds of people from different parts of the world.

In Russia, such cataclysms occur much less frequently, and tornadoes are formed, as a rule, in coastal waters and rarely come ashore.

10. Typhoon Bhola (Pakistan, 1970)

A powerful typhoon hit the coast of East Pakistan, causing the formation of a wave 8 meters high. According to various estimates, the death toll from the hurricane ranged from 300 to 800 thousand people, more than 10 million people in Pakistan, Bangladesh and India were left homeless.

9. Hurricane Polin (Mexico, 1997)

Hurricane-force winds and heavy rains caused landslides and floods in various parts of Mexico. About 400 people are considered dead, and 300,000 Mexicans were left without housing and livelihoods. The damage done to Pauline is estimated at $7.5 billion.

8. Hurricane Nargis (Myanmar, 2008)

The hurricane caused catastrophic flooding, which, according to the UN, killed 138,000 people. 2.4 million people in Myanmar are considered affected. The damage caused by Nargiz is estimated at $4 billion.

7. Hurricane Sandy (USA, 2012)

The most destructive hurricane of the past year hit the east coast of the United States. The hurricane killed 113 people. The states of New York and New Jersey suffered the most damage.

6. Typhoon Nina (China, 1975)

The destructive power of Hurricane Nina allowed the Bankiao Dam to burst, causing catastrophic flooding and destruction of other dams. The number of victims of the hurricane is from 100 to 230 thousand people.

5. Hurricane Charlie (USA, Cuba, Jamaica, 2004)

Gusts of wind during the rampant of this element reached 240 km / h. The hurricane was rated a Category 4 on the Saffir-Simpson scale out of five. In the US, 2 million people were evacuated. Damage from Charlie amounted to $16.3 billion.

4. Hurricane Ivan (USA, Cuba, Cayman Islands, 2004)

The hurricane was assigned the highest category five on the Saffir-Simpson scale. The element is to blame for large-scale destruction in Cuba, the United States, Jamaica and Grenada. The damage caused by Ivan is estimated at $18 billion.

3. Hurricane Wilma (USA, Cuba, 2005)

This hurricane is the most powerful cyclone in the Atlantic on record. The cyclone originated in the ocean and made landfall several times. 62 people are considered dead from Wilma, the damage is estimated at $ 29 billion.

2. Hurricane Ike (USA, 2008)

The diameter of the giant eddy was more than 900 km. The wind speed during the hurricane reached 135 km/h. The cyclone "walked" across the United States for 14 hours, bringing with it destruction for a total of $ 30 billion.

1. Hurricane Katrina (USA, 2005)

Katrina is by far the most destructive hurricane of the last decade. One of them says that they are almost never accompanied by thunderstorms and lightning, Katrina was an exception to this rule. On the Saffir-Simpson scale, the cyclone received the fifth category. Hurricane-induced flooding covered 80% of New Orleans under water. 1836 people were killed, and the damage amounted to $125 billion.