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A Brief History of Hurricanes That Hit Texas

dnyuz.com 2024/10/5
A Brief History of Hurricanes That Hit Texas

The tense scenes in the hours ahead of Beryl’s arrival are uncomfortably familiar to generations of weather-tested residents of the Texas coast.

Beryl, a tropical storm that was approaching the Texas shore early Sunday, may soon become the latest in a long line of hurricanes to hit the state.

Here are some notables ones. The death toll associated with each hurricane can vary widely in some cases, depending on the reporting authority and the criteria used to determine whether a death was caused by the storm.

Hurricane Harvey (2017)

Hurricane Harvey made a late-night landfall on the Texas coast near Rockport on Aug. 25, 2017, as a Category 4 hurricane. It was strongest storm to hit Texas since Hurricane Carla struck as a Category 4 in 1961.

Harvey unleashed dozens of tornadoes and brought severe flooding to Harris County and surrounding communities, swelling rivers to record levels and turning vast stretches of roads and buildings into a muddy sea, according to the National Weather Service.

At least 68 people died in Texas, according to the Weather Service.

Hurricane Ike (2008)

Ike reached its peak intensity as a Category 4 hurricane over the Caribbean before weakening to a Category 2 hurricane on Sept. 13, 2008, as it made landfall in the upper coast of Texas.

The storm was characterized by the significant storm surge it produced, roughly between 15 and 20 feet high along the Galveston shores, according to the Weather Service.

The deaths of least 28 people are attributed to Ike, according to the Weather Service. Other agencies, such as the Texas General Land Office, place the death toll at 74.

Hurricane Rita (2005)

Rita arrived on the shores of Texas and Louisiana as a Category 3 hurricane on Sept. 24, 2005. The storm’s intensity peaked at Category 5 as it moved over the Gulf of Mexico.

Striking less than a month after Hurricane Katrina, it prompted mass evacuations and killed at least seven people, according to the Weather Service. Other counts put the number of dead at more than 100.

Galveston Hurricane (1900)

A Category 4 storm landed on the Texas shore south of Galveston on Sept. 8, 1900, swallowing Galveston Island, according to the Weather Service.

The storm was the deadliest weather-related disaster in the history of the United States at the time, claiming at least 6,000 lives and as many as 12,000 by some estimates.

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