Hurricane rank only lists the physical characteristics of the storm and the damage potential. While the deadliest storm to hit America (Galveston, TX, in 1900; 8,000 people died) was a Category 4, lesser-ranked hurricanes can be deadlier and cause more damage. A lot depends on the preparedness of the area, the amount of advanced warning, and the infrastructure as well as the speed of the storm. A slow moving Category 2 can pound and wear down structures, causing costlier devastation than a Category 3 that zips through the area.
The danger from a hurricane lies more in the storm itself; the storm-spawned side effects can be equally devastating. The movie Twister did a good job showing the kind of devastation hurricane’s cousin, the tornado, can pass out. Tornadoes are one of a variety of side effects of a tropical cyclone, which include storm surge, lightning storms, flying debris and flooding.
Hurricane Hazards
The impact of all of these hazards is far reaching. Lightning can cause power surges and outages, not to mention fires. Flying debris and felled trees and power poles can take out power for thousands of residents of a storm struck area. Falling trees and mighty winds can tear off roofs, leaving no protection from the elements.
Going without power has impacts that range from inconvenience to life threatening, such as in the case of medicine that needs to be refrigerated.
Other hazards are often not thought of until they occur, such as price gouging by unscrupulous merchants, seeking to take advantage of the desperate, and roofing repair scams from conmen who often drive into town seeking easy prey.
The picture painted by a hurricane’s onslaught and aftermath is a bleak one; the good news is that quite a lot of the hard times brought on by these storms can be lessened and even prevented by the proper amount and kinds of preparation.