The Path of Destruction

Hurricanes Harvey and Irma Wreak Havoc on the Southeast

Hurricane+Irma+destruction+in+Miami

Alvaro Blanco/EPA

Hurricane Irma destruction in Miami

Haley Mickey, News Editor

Late on August 25, Hurricane Harvey made landfall on the Gulf Coast of Texas and assaulted Houston and its surrounding areas with intense wind, rain, and flooding for over a week.  Cedar Bayou, Texas experienced over 50 inches of rain, less than an inch away from breaking the U.S. record for the amount of rain dropped by a hurricane.  Harvey’s winds reached speeds of over 132 miles per hour, making it a Category 4 hurricane in some areas.  The storm destroyed the lives of millions of people and is estimated to cost the U.S. 190 million dollars, making it the most expensive storm in U.S. history.  

Only a few days later, Irma made landfall in the Florida Keys as a Category 4 hurricane, later moving into Georgia, Alabama, and Tennessee.  One Miami resident, Joe Kiener, described his experience waiting out the storm from a high-rise hotel to ABC News, “The windows started cracking, and these are massive-impact windows.  They were exposed to 12 hours of continuous heavy winds.  At one point in time, one of them started splintering and that’s when I lost my nerve and said, ‘I’m leaving’…It psychs you out – it’s just the endless hallowing and pounding of the wind.”  Nearly 6.5 million Floridians and some residents of South Carolina and Georgia were ordered to evacuate as Hurricane Irma drew near.

Florida Governor Rick Scott has stated that around 30 states have provided aid and resources to help the people affected by Irma.  AccuWeather President Joel Myers stated, “Some of the losses will be covered by insurance, some will not, so the losses will be felt in a variety of ways by millions of people.”  President Donald Trump also approved a plan authorizing federal funding to help the communities damaged by the hurricanes.  So while things may seem bleak now, it appears that help is on the way for the people affected by this tragedy.

Reported from:

https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/2017/08/30/charting-hurricane-harveys-jaw-dropping-size-and-destruction/617923001/

https://weather.com/storms/hurricane/news/tropical-storm-harvey-forecast-texas-louisiana-arkansas

http://abcnews.go.com/US/hurricanes-harvey-irma-cost-us-economy-290-billion/story?id=49761970