The Worst Natural Disaster in U.S. History

Pulling bodies from the debris

The worst natural disaster ever to occur in the United States in terms of loss of life hit Galveston Island in Texas on September 8, 1900. It was a tropical storm that gained enough strength over the Gulf of Mexico to become a Category 4 hurricane by the time it made landfall in Texas. The city of Galveston, Texas, which lies on the eastern end of Galveston Island, was the hardest hit by this devastating storm and it was hit hard indeed.

On September 3^rd and 4^th of 1900, a tropical storm first approached and then moved over the island nation of Cuba. By September 6^th, the storm was moving northwest of Key West, Florida. The storm then moved out over the Gulf of Mexico in a northeasterly direction, and it was assumed that it would continue this way. However, as the storm gained strength, it took a westerly path. This new direction put Galveston, which had a population of 37,000 at the time, directly in the way of the storm.

It was unclear to meteorologists whether the storm would hit Galveston. The weather on the island was not entirely congruent with what would be expected if a hurricane were approaching. Nevertheless, meteorologist Isaac M. Cline, the man in charge of the Galveston Weather Station at the time, felt that a warning should be issued in spite of the lack of telltale signs, and he ordered it. He noticed some ominous weather conditions, such as a particularly high tide on the evening of the 7^th. He chose to keep an eye on such things and report them to the mainland as they occurred.

By the early morning of September 8^th, the tidewater reached the lower portions of Galveston. There were also abnormally high and frequent swells. It began to rain lightly around 9:00 a.m. and was raining heavily by 12:00 p.m. It was windy the entire day, but winds didn’t reach hurricane speeds in Galveston until around 5:00 p.m. The winds were last recorded at the weather station at about 6:00 p.m. at around 100 miles an hour. It is estimated that they reached speeds of 130-140 mph before the storm passed.

That evening a huge storm surge bombarded the city and flooded the streets. All the residents could do was try to get to higher ground before they were swept away or battered with debris. Unfortunately, the highest point in the city at the time was only roughly 8-7 feet above sea level. The storm surge reached a height of 15.7 feet. A lot of people lost their lives in the struggle to get above the seawater that had invaded their city.

The aftermath of the Great Storm of 1900 was horrifying by all accounts. Debris and dead bodies were strewn about as survivors picked their way through the streets. They themselves were battered and bruised and likely trying to find missing loved ones. Estimates for lives lost range from 6,000 to 12,000, but the general consensus is that between 6,000 and 8,000 people died that day. More than 3,500 homes were destroyed and there was around 20 million dollars worth of damage done. That would be roughly 700 million dollars today.

There were so many dead bodies that plans had to be hatched for their disposal immediately. One such plan involved removing the dead by barge and dumping them into the gulf. This was done and to the horror of those working to dispose of them, many of the bodies were brought back to the island on currents. This left residents with no other option than to burn or bury the bodies right where they lie.

It must have been hard for the residents of Galveston in the aftermath of the storm, but something needed to be done so that another similar tragedy could be avoided in the future. The people banded together and not only rebuilt their city, but raised it and its infrastructure up to eight feet in some places. On top of that, a sea wall was built to protect the city from storm surges, but it only protects parts of the city, leaving the rest of the island vulnerable. The wall still stands today.

Sources

Cline, Isaac M., Special Reports of the Galveston Hurricane of September 8, 1900, retrieved 10/28/09, history.noaa.gov/stories_tales/cline2.html

The Great Galveston Hurricane of 1900, retrieved 10/28/09, celebrating200years.noaa.gov/magazine/galv_hurricane/welcome.html#intro

Hurricane History, Galveston 1900, retrieved 10/28/09, nhc.noaa.gov/HAW2/english/history.shtml#galveston

1974's Super Tornado Outbreak

The Xenia Tornado

The 1974 Tornado Outbreak, or the Super Tornado Outbreak, was a widespread outbreak of tornadoes in the United States and Canada. According to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), it was the worst outbreak of tornadoes in United States history. The damage, number of tornadoes and the length of all the tornadoes paths of destruction combined give it this distinction. Surprisingly, the 1925 Tri-State Tornado was more than twice as deadly, though nowhere near as widespread.

The forecast on April 2, 1974 called for severe thunderstorms–a problem, but not indicative of what was to come. On April 3, the outbreak began. The worst of it took place between 2 and 10 pm, but the storms continued until April 4. One hundred forty-eight tornadoes occurred in 13 states and Canada during this short period.

South Carolina, North Carolina, Virginia, West Virginia, Tennessee, New York, Illinois, Ohio, Alabama, Georgia, Mississippi, Michigan and Kentucky were affected.  Six of the tornadoes were a five on the Fujita scale. More than 20 were rated four and more than 30 were rated three. Ohio, Indiana, Kentucky and Alabama were hit with the F5s.

The 1974 Tornado Outbreak carved more than 2,500 miles of destruction. One hundred eighteen tornadoes had destruction paths that measured a mile or more. Three hundred thirty people died and more than 5,000 were injured.

The year before the outbreak was also a very active year for tornadoes. There were roughly 1,100 in all. Nonetheless, no outbreak took place that year that can compare to 1974 and none have since. Though, judging by the April tornadoes of 2011, it is not out of the question. It is quite possible that a similar or worse outbreak will occur in the United States, which is the country most susceptible to tornadoes on Earth.

Interesting Facts About Tornadoes

F5 in Manitoba by
Justin1569

Tornadoes are dangerous, violent and unpredictable storms. Even the weakest of them can harm people and cause property damage. Scientists measure them on the Fujita Scale. Those in the middle of the Fujita Scale–F3s–are as strong as or even stronger than Category 5 hurricanes in terms of wind speed. They have been portrayed in fiction as magical cyclones that can whisk you away to far off lands and as interesting funnels that harmlessly move things about. The reality is far more frightening, though no less interesting.

Tornadoes are Most Common in the United States

While not constricted to the United States, tornadoes most often occur in the spring and fall months in the U.S. An average of 800 to 1,000 reported tornadoes occur in the United States annually. They cause an average of 70 to 80 deaths in the country and more than 1,000 injuries–much more some years. Property damage from tornadoes can be in the billions in a single year.

Tornadoes Can Move and Spin Very Fast

Tornadoes are columns of air that appear during thunderstorms, however small. The columns spin or rotate at varying speeds from 400 miles per hour to more than 300 miles per hour. Tornadoes can travel at speeds up to 70 miles per hour, making them very difficult to outrun, even in a vehicle. They are also quite unpredictable, which lends to the danger they present.

The Paths of Tornadoes Can be Terrifyingly Wide and Long

The width of a tornado can be as much as a mile and wipe out whole neighborhoods as it goes along. Once it touches down, a tornado can cut a path 50 miles long before dissipating. Tornadoes like these are the exception rather than the rule, but it is best to stay out of the way of any tornado.

Not All Tornadoes Form Noticeable Funnels

It is a mistake to be on the lookout for noticeable funnels during thunderstorms, despite them being a tornado's most noteworthy characteristic. Tornadoes are, by nature, invisible. Only when a tornado sucks in moisture, dirt or debris does it become visible. Even then, rain or dark clouds may hinder a person's view of the tornado.

Tornadoes Can Last More than the Usual Few Minutes and They Can Happen at Any Time

Tornadoes are more common in spring and summer, as mentioned above. However, they can happen at any time of year. Furthermore, they are more common in the afternoon, but that does not mean they cannot happen at night or in the morning. Once they get started, they can last anywhere from a brief moment to an hour.

It is Impossible to Give Significant Warning for a Tornado

Unlike other weather events, it is not possible to give more than a few minutes of warning for a tornado. Tornadoes are much like tsunamis in that the situation must be read properly in order for people to predict the outcome. Weather experts can put out tornado watches hours in advance when they see a storm that may produce tornadoes. However, they cannot give a tornado advisory more than an average 13 minutes in advance at this time. That is why it is essential to listen carefully to the weather when there is a tornado watch.

When it comes to tornadoes, preparing for the unexpected is the only safeguard. Even homes that are built to withstand tornadoes can be leveled in a strong one. It is important to know where to take shelter in the event of a tornado and to pay attention when there are thunderstorms, especially if you are east of the Rockies in the United States.

Sources

Tornadoes, retrieved 6/5/11, environment.nationalgeographic.com/environment/natural-disasters/tornado-profile

The Everlasting Lightning Storm on the Catatumbo River

Over the mouth of the Catatumbo River in Zulia, Venezuela, where it pours into Lake Maracaibo, one of the most spectacular natural weather phenomena occurs nightly for roughly one-third of the year. This phenomenon is a barrage of lightning storms that crackle across the sky. It is known locally as Ralampago del Catatumbo. The lightning is accompanied by storm clouds and rain. There is a rumor that the lightning is silent. However, those who have gotten close to it can attest that it sounds like any other lightning storm. It is just visible from so far off, it is possible to see it and not hear it.

The Catatumbo Lightning typically begins at night or in the evening. The lightning tends to strike in the clouds. However, like all lightning, it is unpredictable. It can flash at average rates of up to five times per minute and can continue for up to ten hours. Even happening once a year, this lightning would be quite a show. The lightning is so bright that sailors can see it for miles, thus it is nicknamed "the Lighthouse of Maracaibo."

As far as history can tell us, the Catatumbo Lightning is not a new phenomenon. The first known mention of it was in 1597, though it could have been happening for much longer. The story goes that when Sir Francis Drake attempted to launch a surprise attack in the area, he was unsuccessful because the Catatumbo Lightning lit up the night sky, revealing his invading force to the locals.

There are several hypotheses to explain the Catatumbo Lightning. They include uranium in local bedrock; trapped wind, heat and moisture and the way the aforementioned things circulate in the area; methane and oil deposits are even culprits. Some speculate that it could be any combination of these things as well. In reality, we simply do not know. We do know that the lake is on the edge of the Atlantic, there are flat swamps in the area and the mountains do a good job of trapping the elements near the opening of the Catatumbo River. The trapping of moisture and heat seems to make sense, given that the Catatumbo Lightning slows down or stops during droughts. This shows us that, at the very least, moisture plays some role in creating these massive storms.

Seeing the Catatumbo Lightning is an adventure for outsiders. There is no resort at the edge of the lake from which you can view the lightning while sipping a cocktail. We are talking about the kind of place where you need mosquito netting, a poncho and probably a boat. You may find yourself in a village where toilets do not flush into pipes or where houses are on stilts. This is only for the truly adventurous. If that does not sound appealing, there are plenty of videos of the Ralampago del Catatumbo.

Sources

The Catatumbo Everlasting Lightning Storm, retrieved 7/27/11, stormchaser.ca/lightning/catatumbo/Catatumbo.html

The 1925 Tri-State Tornado

Aftermath in Griffin, Indiana

The 1925 Tri-State Tornado was the single most deadly tornado in United States history. This massive cyclone ripped through parts of southeastern Missouri, southern Illinois and southwestern Indiana. Today, most experts believe that the Tri-State Tornado was a five on the Fujita Scale, with winds between 261 and 318 miles per hour. It traveled a total of 219 miles, giving it the longest recorded tornado track in the entire world.

The Tri-State Tornado started off in the Ozark Mountains near Ellington, Missouri at 1:01 p.m. on March 18, 1925. At the time, weather forecasters were not allowed to mention tornados in their warnings, and really forecasting a tornado was impossible. Even in recent years, tornados are unpredictable. However, today we are at least allowed to hear speculations of a forming tornado and decide if we want to take shelter. In 1925, this wasn’t an option. So, as the tornado was forming in the Ozarks and getting ready to race across three states at average speeds of between 56 and 73 miles per hour, people were complacently going about their day.

Fourteen minutes after the Tri-State Tornado formed, it was in Annapolis, Missouri. It destroyed 90% of the town and killed several citizens. It then moved across the farmlands of southeastern Missouri and across the Mississippi River. It did the most damage in Illinois. It hit town after town, destroying homes, businesses and vehicles, uprooting trees and killing citizens. The tornado killed 243 people in Murphysboro alone. It is estimated that the tornado averaged 3/4 of a mile wide, but was up to a mile wide at times.

After wreaking havoc in Illinois, the Tri-State Tornado moved into Indiana. It broke up twelve minutes after destroying a quarter of the town of Princeton, Indiana. In its wake were utterly devastated towns. Schools were destroyed with children still inside them. Houses filled with their occupants were moved across the land. Rescue workers dug through rubble to search for survivors for days in some places. There were fires, power outages and shattered families.

The Tri-State Tornado claimed an astounding 695 lives. More than two thousand people were injured by the storm and roughly fifteen thousand homes were destroyed. Since the time of the Tri-State Tornado, the ban on using the word tornado in weather forecasting has been lifted. Awareness of these dangerous storms has increased exponentially. Therefore, people are able to prepare for them. Nonetheless, it is very difficult and, at times, impossible to predict a tornado. Another tornado of this magnitude in the area could still be disastrous.

Hurricane Safety Tips

ISS Photo of Cyclone Katarina

An average of five or six hurricanes occur every year in the Atlantic and just one of these storms can leave a path of destruction through several states. States on the Atlantic coast are the most susceptible to hurricane damage. Therefore, if you live on the Atlantic coast, even in the northern states, it is important to be prepared for hurricanes.

Keep a First-Aid Kit 

Whether you plan to stay at home or to evacuate, you should keep a first-aid kit with you. (Pack it in the trunk of your car ahead of time, if you know you plan to leave in the event of a hurricane.) Even the smallest wounds should be cared for in an emergency to prevent infection. The last thing you want is a small scrape turning into a medical emergency when medical aid may not be easy to obtain.

The bare essentials for a first aid kit:

• Bandages of all sizes
• Medical tape
• Scissors
• Tweezers
• Antibacterial ointment
• Antiseptic
• Gauze
• Hand sanitizer
• Ace bandage
• Over the counter pain reliever/fever reducer 

 

Keep a Hurricane Kit

A hurricane safety kit should include items that will keep you warm, protected from the sun, fed, watered and clothed for a minimum of three days. If you are evacuating in the event of a hurricane, you may want to keep this kit packed up and ready to be placed in your car at a moment's notice. If you plan to stay home, keep the kit in waterproof containers in your home. You never know if you will be forced out of your home by damage during a hurricane. You want to have those essentials ready and dry.

A hurricane kit should include, at minimum:

• A change of socks and underwear for each person
• Sunblock
• Flashlights, small battery-operated radio and extra batteries (packed in watertight plastic)
• A necklace whistle (for drawing the attention of rescue workers)
• At least one blanket per person (Pillows are a luxury. Only pack them if you have the room or you can carry them.)
• One towel per person packed in watertight plastic
• Waterproof strike anywhere matches
• Baby wipes (helps keep you sanitary when shower facilities are scarce)
• Enough water for at least three days (one gallon per day, per person)

Food:

Meal replacement bars, trail mix, peanut butter and crackers, canned meat, beef jerky, canned vegetables, canned fruit and anything else that keeps for long without refrigeration. Be sure to bring plastic eating utensils, plates and cups.

Be Ready When a Hurricane Warning is Issued

You want to have your kits ready long before a warning is issued. This way, you miss the rush to the grocery stores. In addition, you want to make sure your gas tank is full in case you have to leave. If you have a shelter, hotel or other safe place out of the area in mind, leave as soon as possible so you beat the evacuation traffic. You cannot do this if you are not prepared before the warning. Make sure to gather all of the family's essential medications when a hurricane is expected as well. You can bring them with you to the shelter.

If You're Staying Home, Make Sure Your Home is Safe

It is possible to be injured inside your home during a hurricane, even if your home is sturdy. There are a few things you can do to make sure you are as safe as possible inside your house during a hurricane, if you decide to stay. Of course, in the event of a strong hurricane, your best choice is to evacuate.

Board up your windows and doors. This is to prevent breaking windows and doors from flying through your house and hurting you. Make sure all of the things you need and you are in areas of the house that are as far from trees as possible. Shut off the gas lines in your house in case something breaks.

It is important to remember that no matter how much you prepare, a strong enough hurricane can render your preparation useless. Therefore, your safest option is to evacuate while evacuation is still possible. Even if you do evacuate, do not forget your kit.

Honduran Rain of Fish

Honduras is a small country in Central America, south of Mexico. The country is largely Roman Catholic, thus a place where people still believe in miracles. Whether miraculous or not, there is something going on in the Departmento de Yoro in Honduras. Something known as the Lluvia de Peces has been happening annually there for more than 100 years. In English, the Lluvia de Peces means "Rain of Fish."

Lluvia de Peces, or Rain of Fish, typically happens in the spring or early summer. Dark storm clouds roll into the area and the sky opens up. It downpours heavily for as long as three hours. Whether that rain actually includes fish is unclear. What is nearly certain is that after the rain there are thousands of fish flopping around on the ground. It seems too strange to be true, but locals, researchers and even a National Geographic team have reportedly confirmed it. Still, it may be one of those things you have to see to believe.

Local legend says that the Honduran Rain of Fish is a miraculous answer to the prayers of Father Jose Subirana. In the mid to late 1800s, the area was suffering greatly from poverty. Father Subirana, who was a visiting missionary, prayed that the people get ample food to end their hunger. God answered his prayers by making it rain fish in the Departmento do Yoro. Thus began the Rain of Fish, or so the story goes.

National Geographic supposedly sent a team to Honduras to investigate the Rain of Fish in the 1970s. They confirmed that the event was taking place and attempted to explain it. The team found that the fish were not from local waterways, but they were freshwater, not saltwater, fish. This meant they had to have come from rivers, lakes, ponds or streams. Another interesting find was that they were all the same blind species of fish. That led them to believe that the fish were coming up from underground, rather than raining down from the sky.

Note: The writer of this article was unable to find the National Geographic issue that this information was published in, though there are several reliable claims to its existence. Unfortunately, without it, it is impossible to say if the researchers actually looked to see if the fish were coming from the sky or not. If you know the month and year this information was in National Geographic, please leave a comment for us.

The underground theory makes sense enough, but it is interesting that no one has found the source of the flopping fish during or after these storms. If there is an underground river and the fish are finding their way to the surface, there must be an egress point. Another popular theory is that wind spouts created by the storms are carrying the fish from the ocean. The problems with this theory are many, even without the evidence reportedly collected by National Geographic: The ocean is nearly 200 miles away from the location of the Rain of Fish. The waterspouts would have to start over a school of fish once a year, sometimes more, for more than a hundred years. The wind would have to carry the fish all the way from the ocean to the same area once a year, sometimes more, for more than a hundred years. That is like a tornado forming over a flock of birds every year, during the same months and then carrying the birds to the exact same area every time.

There have been other reports of animal rains around the world for some time. However, the Rain of Fish is the only known animal rain that takes place yearly, or on any schedule. In fact, it is the only known animal rain that is not a single event, but a series of them. This could be further evidence of the fishes' underground origins or it could mean that miracles really do happen in Honduras.

Sources

Milles, Carlie, America and Geography, retrieved 6/29/11, eagle.ceu.edu/article/america-and-geography

5 Facts About Hurricanes

Hurricane Katrina

Hurricanes are among the most feared storms that occur on Earth. They are destructive, powerful and deadly. What hurricane facts science does possess do very little to protect us from their awesome power as evidenced by the aftermath of such hurricanes as 2005's Hurricane Katrina.

1. A hurricane by any other name is still a hurricane

Hurricanes have several names, though the storm is the same. Depending on where you are in the world, people may call a hurricane a hurricane, severe-tropical cyclone, severe cyclonic storm, tropical cyclone or typhoon. All of these names signify storms with winds of 74 miles per hour or greater.

2. Being in the eye of a hurricane is not as nice as it seems

One of the most interesting facts science knows about hurricanes is that the very center of these powerful storms can be as calm as a clear day. The eye of a hurricane can measure anywhere between 5 and 120 miles across. Inside of this eye, there are often weak winds, though there are sometimes strong winds within the eye. There is significantly less rain if there is any rain at all. Seems nice, right? Well, lurking right outside of the eye is the eyewall, which is the strongest part of a hurricane. If you find yourself in the eye, you have already seen the worst of the storm, are about to see the worst of it or both.

3. The NOAA has actually tried to weaken hurricanes

As science fiction as it seems, the NOAA, with the help of the U.S. government, actually took what they know about hurricanes and tried to use it to create hurricane-altering technology. The project was called PROJECT STORMFURY. The method they concocted involved dumping silver iodide into hurricanes in what they called "seeding clouds." For all intents and purposes, PROJECT STORMFURY was a failure. Since then, the NOAA has reverted to learning more about hurricanes instead of trying to change them.

4. Hurricanes can come in packs

In both August of 1893 and September of 1998, there were four hurricanes in the Atlantic at one time. That is the most ever in recorded history. In 1893, the hurricanes remained unnamed, but we know one was responsible for the deaths of at least 1,000 people in the United States. As for the 1998 pack of hurricanes, they were Karl, Ivan, Georges and Jeanne. Georges killed roughly 400 people when it made landfall in Haiti.

5. Hurricanes are monstrously strong

One of the hardest things to learn about hurricanes is their maximum wind speed potential. That is because the winds can be so strong that they destroy measuring devices. Wind speeds in a hurricane get up to more than 160 mph. How much more is not certain.

The winds of hurricanes are enough of a destructive force to kill. However, one of the most terrifying hurricane facts has nothing to do with wind. It has to do with rain. A powerful hurricane can dump more than 2.4 trillion gallons of rain in one day.

Since these storms have been studied, we have come to know quite a bit about hurricanes, though there are surely many more hurricane facts we do not know. Whether or not any new hurricane information will prevent human deaths is another matter, but that tends to be the aim of much hurricane research.

Sources

Landsea, Charles, What was the largest number of hurricanes in the Atlantic Ocean at the same time?, retrieved 3/1/11, aoml.noaa.gov/hrd/tcfaq/E18.html

Hurricane, retrieved 3/1/11, environment.nationalgeographic.com/environment/natural-disasters/hurricane-profile

Facts about the Eye of a Hurricane, retrieved 3/1/11, gohsep.la.gov/factsheets/FactsAboutHurricaneEye.htm

Landsea, Chris, What is a hurricane, typhoon or tropical cyclone?, retrieved 3/1/11, aoml.noaa.gov/hrd/tcfaq/A1.html

Landsea, Chris, Has there ever been an attempt or experiment to reduce the strength of a hurricane?, retrieved 3/1/11, aoml.noaa.gov/hrd/tcfaq/C4.html