These are some of the most famous — and most powerful — hurricanes in history. Each one taught people something new about how to stay safe!
🇺🇸 The Great Galveston Hurricane, USA (1900)
The deadliest natural disaster in US history! In September 1900, a Category 4 hurricane slammed into Galveston, Texas, pushing a wall of water 4.5 metres high over the island city. Afterwards, the city did something amazing: they raised the whole city up by several metres and built a giant sea wall to protect it.
🌀 Hurricane Katrina, USA (2005)
Katrina grew into a huge Category 5 storm over the Gulf of Mexico before hitting New Orleans as a Category 3. When the city's flood walls broke, water filled 80% of the city. Thousands of people were rescued from rooftops by helicopter and boat. The disaster changed how America prepares for storms.
🌏 Typhoon Haiyan, Philippines (2013)
One of the most powerful storms ever to hit land! Haiyan had winds of 315 kilometres per hour when it smashed into the Philippines. It pushed a storm surge — a huge dome of sea water — over coastal towns. Ships the size of buildings were left sitting in the middle of streets.
Hurricane Isabel in 2003, seen from space. A hurricane can be more than 800 kilometres wide — big enough to cover several countries at once! See source ↓
📚 Picture Sources
- Photo 1 — Hurricane Isabel from the International Space Station, 2003 (NASA photo, public domain). From Wikimedia Commons: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Hurricane_Isabel_from_ISS.jpg
