Environmental Effects Of Hurricanes

“Millions of lives were changed in a day by a cruel and wasteful storm” (George W. Bush). George W. Bush said this quote after the devastation of Hurricane Katrina on the Gulf Coast. Hurricanes are deadly natural disasters that affect people every year. They have a very complex way of forming, and each storm is distinguished by its characteristics. After hurricanes, people and the environment are deeply harmed. From Katrina to Matthew, there are many notable hurricanes that have hit the United States mainland. The idea of hurricanes is very frightening and an interesting part of nature.

Hurricanes have a distinct way of occurring; however, they all form the same way. Also hurricanes are categorized in different categories due to certain

Although hurricanes have many environmental benefits, they can also hurt natural habitats. After Hurricane Katrina, many coastal wetlands were devastated by the storm. A prime example would be the Chandeleur Islands. This island chain is located off the coast of Louisiana. The Chandeleurs housed a tremendous amount of birds and wildlife. Also it provided a nursery for marine life. As Katrina roared over the island, it completely leveled the island. Due to the devastation, all inhabitants of the island fled. This event shows how a natural disaster can completely alter an ecosystem (Di Silvestro). The common effects from hurricanes on humans range from death to destruction of homes. However, hurricanes have a psychological toll on humans. Many victims of hurricanes may not start with serious symptoms. Most symptoms in the beginning consist of anxiety, sadness, and difficulty sleeping. Although, over time a human’s condition will deteriorate. For example, PTSD rose 15% after Hurricane Katrina and suicidal thoughts increased from 2.8% to 6.8% (Scutti). The destruction of a hurricane has psychological effects and can completely change the world around a

In recent years, Hurricane Katrina and Matthew have been very catastrophic. Katrina is considered to be the most destructive hurricane of all time. This hurricane deeply affected the city of New Orleans and the Gulf Coast. Katrina formed from remnants of a previous storm that hit the Bahamas in 2005. As conditions became favorable, it started barrelling toward the Gulf Coast. It made landfall at Buras-Triumph, Louisiana as a category 3 hurricane. The winds of Katrina were 200 kilometers per hour and its storm surge reached 8 meters above sea level. This damaging storm killed 2,000 people and caused 108 billion dollars in damage. After Katrina, many conclusions regarding hurricane intensity were evaluated. The storm surge of Katrina emphasized the ineffectiveness of the hurricane category system to adequately convey hazards and suggested that floods cause more damage than winds (Sumner). Although Hurricane Matthew was nothing like Katrina, the storm still caused many deaths and millions of dollars in damage. Hurricane Matthew formed from a tropical wave in the Lesser Antilles in 2016 and cut through the southeastern region of the United States. Matthew rapidly intensified and reached a category 5 hurricane status. The rapid intensification is considered to be the third fastest of all time in the Atlantic Basin. The main catastrophic qualities