The 2017 hurricane season was one unlike any other we’ve seen in recent history. Three major hurricanes (Category 4+) wreaked havoc across the Caribbean islands and the United States. The total damage is estimated to cost upwards of $250 billion.
Hurricane Harvey
The first of these hurricanes was Hurricane Harvey. Although there has been a tremendous amount of money and food donations, Hurricane Harvey was highly destructive. Everything from flooded homes to broken down cars could be witnessed. When Hurricane Harvey made landfall in Texas, August 25th, as a Category 4 hurricane, it became the country’s first major (Category 3 or higher) hurricane since Hurricane Wilma hit Florida in October 2005, and the first major hurricane to strike southern Texas since Celia in 1970. It is said that total damage costs might eventually cost $125-180 billion which would make it the costliest natural disaster in U.S. history – overtaking hurricane Katrina.
Hurricane Irma
The second of these hurricanes was Hurricane Irma. The Hurricane quickly intensified to a Category 5 as it approached the Caribbean islands. It caused massive damage to these islands due to their very poor infrastructure. An example of this was the islands of Antigua and Barbuda where according to witnesses, 95% of its buildings were destroyed or partially damaged.
When Irma made landfall in Cuba, waves up to 23 feet high and a storm surge left the island drowning in several feet of water. When hurricane warnings started in Florida, it caused over 5 million people to evacuate the state as they started to compare the storm with the infamous Hurricane Andrew. Hurricane Irma devastated Florida, making landfall as a Category 4 hurricane yet eventually it gradually weakened to a tropical storm as it reached the north of Florida.
Hurricane Maria
Hurricane Maria was a hurricane that reached Category 5 level at the peak. It was the first Category 5 hurricane in recorded history to
directly hit the island of Dominica. It impacted Puerto Rico causing damage upwards of $90 billion. And the hurricane season still hasn’t ended! The U.S is, as of the time that this article was written, expecting Hurricane Nate to make landfall. It might be only a Category 1 storm so far, but it has so far caused 36 deaths and is expected to cause more.
Star Support
Many famous stars tried their hardest to help the people suffering from the hurricane: Beyonce, Sandra Bullock, Leonardo Dicaprio, Taylor Swift, Miley Cyrus, Demi Lovato, Selena Gomez, The Kardashian- Jenner family, Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson, D.J Khaled, Nicki Minaj, Drake and Jake Paul are only a mere few of the celebrities donating. This is not to mention the thousands of everyday people that were volunteering and helping.
With Hurricane Ophelia approaching the UK, we sincerely hope that this destructive hurricane season will end soon! Our hearts go out to all those directly affected.
