Hurricane of the previous decade

[gatorcane]

Derek,I made the poll so the members now can vote.Voted.

I thought the option for members to create a poll was taken away a couple of years ago. Do you plan on changing it back so that members can create polls?

As for the poll my vote is Katrina. Second would be Wilma. I chose Katrina because of the incredible amount of damage it did to a major city in this country, more damage than Wilma. But Wilma does set some records as far as the hurricane with the lowest pressure ever recorded and system with one of the most rapid intensifications.

[SETXWXLADY]

I had heard that SW Louisiana fared about the same from Rita and Ike. Both storms leveled that area (not surprising given the very low lying nature of that part of the coast).

As for the upper Texas coast... I lumped the area of Galveston to the border together as the same area.

Now... had Rita moved about 20 miles farther west... it likely gets included as then I am certain Port Arthur and Beaumont would have went under water from the tidal surge... and winds would have been 10-20 mph higher

That's the problem. Extreme SE TX (Beaumont, Port Arthur, Orange, etc.) was devastated by Rita. The Houston area had very minimal effects.

I also think that overall, SW LA fared worse in Rita than in Ike, but I'll let someone from that area confirm that, one way or the other.

I think a lot of people don't realize that we're not Houston. And Rita is certainly a big bad storm. For this area she was worse than Ike. As for storm of the decade I guess it's how you look at it. They all ummmm...stink! Katrina got more press that's for sure. And she was awful. No doubt but so were the rest on the list. Even Lil ol' Rita. The Rodney Dangerfield of Hurricanes. She gets no respect.

[gatorcane]

SouthernGale, I do think you have an argument for Rita. According to Weather Underground it is the 5th costliest hurricane to hit the U.S in the 2000s and is 7th all-time.

Another one that I would think would be on here is Frances. I'm guessing the last-minute "weakening" to a Cat. 2 combined with the fact the strongest winds missed the metro areas of Southern FL got her off this list. But it was quite symbolic when she crept slowly across the state at a snail's pace right across the Central peninsula area. She covered the entire state as if there was a bullseye on Florida that year (which we later found out was true).

[Derek Ortt]

Frances was another one that ended up being cut, that would have likely been a strong contender any other decade. The fact that Jeanne and Wilma eclipsed its damage in the Bahamas didn't help its case either

[Ptarmigan]

Costliest American Hurricanes From 2000-2009
1.) Katrina-2005
2.) Wilma-2005
3.) Ike-2008
4.) Charley-2004
5.) Ivan-2004
6.) Rita-2005
7.) Frances-2004
8.) Jeanne-2004
9.) Allison-2001
10.) Gustav-2008

http://www.wunderground.com/hurricane/damage.asp

[srainhoutx]

What folks forget is the effects of Katrina in S FL and the Keys. Factor in the cost amount at that time in Real Estate Value and you see why Katrina was #1 and Wilma was #2 IMHO.

[KWT]

Yeah Katrina's first landfall I think took a lot of people by surprise, most weren't expecting it to have as much venom as it did, in truth though it was just starting the process of RI before it came onshore, something which it soon picked back up on in the gulf.

[Derek Ortt]

Katrina's first landfall was more of a nuisance than a disaster

That came from most everyone IGNORING a hurricane warning, thinking Katrina was only a tropical storm. The Keys received a high end TS from Katrina

Now... had Katrina had 12 more hours over the water before striking Miami, it then would have had a trail of significant damage as it would have been at least a cat 3 given its intensification

One that the USA was really lucky on was Wilma. Had it remained just off the Yucatan, it was a sure fire 4 or a 5 at Florida and would have easily eclipsed Andrew and possibly the 1926 cane. It would not have lost its inner core, which would have allowed for significantly more intensification in the GOM (and it would have been starting out at 115-120KT instead of 85) under that absurdly favorable outflow pattern. Instead of 100-105 mph winds in Lauderdale and 85-95 in Miami we would have had 100-110 in Miami and maybe 125-135 in Lauderdale. Naples would have had winds gusting over 165 and more of the Keys likely would have flooded, possibly causing significant loss of life.

A 4 or a 5 hitting South Florida from Wilma's direction is the second worse case scenario for the USA, only behind a NYC strike

[Ivanhater]

As bad as Jeanne was. 2000 deaths in the United States in this time and age is absolutely incredible. The damage totals were unmatched, more than tripled andrew.

slight correction, it less than doubled Andrew, Have to account for normalization. Katrina is the 3rd most destructive hurricane in US history, behind Miami/Pensacola and Galveston

When was this hurricane that struck Pensacola? I'm assuming it was the 1926 one that struck Miami then hit Pensacola. Infamous storm here in Pensacola. I did not know it was in the top 3 of the costliest though

[somethingfunny]

One that the USA was really lucky on was Wilma. Had it remained just off the Yucatan, it was a sure fire 4 or a 5 at Florida and would have easily eclipsed Andrew and possibly the 1926 cane. It would not have lost its inner core, which would have allowed for significantly more intensification in the GOM (and it would have been starting out at 115-120KT instead of 85) under that absurdly favorable outflow pattern. Instead of 100-105 mph winds in Lauderdale and 85-95 in Miami we would have had 100-110 in Miami and maybe 125-135 in Lauderdale. Naples would have had winds gusting over 165 and more of the Keys likely would have flooded, possibly causing significant loss of life.

A 4 or a 5 hitting South Florida from Wilma's direction is the second worse case scenario for the USA, only behind a NYC strike

In other words, Charley with a 60 mile wide eye.

[Derek Ortt]

As bad as Jeanne was. 2000 deaths in the United States in this time and age is absolutely incredible. The damage totals were unmatched, more than tripled andrew.

slight correction, it less than doubled Andrew, Have to account for normalization. Katrina is the 3rd most destructive hurricane in US history, behind Miami/Pensacola and Galveston

When was this hurricane that struck Pensacola? I'm assuming it was the 1926 one that struck Miami then hit Pensacola. Infamous storm here in Pensacola. I did not know it was in the top 3 of the costliest though

Yep, Ivan

the one to hit Miami in 1926 then hit Pensacola as a cat 3. That one is by far the costliest in US history once normalization is included. About 50-55 billion more than Galveston

[Derek Ortt]

Charley with a large eye about 60 miles south

[gatorcane]

Frances was another one that ended up being cut, that would have likely been a strong contender any other decade. The fact that Jeanne and Wilma eclipsed its damage in the Bahamas didn't help its case either

Ok thanks for the explanation.

[HurrikaneBryce]

I'd have to vote for Isabel; only because it affected me directly.

[Extremeweatherguy]

I voted for Katrina. In terms of the overall impact to people, politics, media, and property I think it more than deserves the top spot.

[sunny]

I voted for Katrina. In terms of the overall impact to people, politics, media, and property I think it more than deserves the top spot.

Katrina - the storm that keeps on giving

[Blown Away]

Katrina's first landfall was more of a nuisance than a disaster

That came from most everyone IGNORING a hurricane warning, thinking Katrina was only a tropical storm. The Keys received a high end TS from Katrina

Now... had Katrina had 12 more hours over the water before striking Miami, it then would have had a trail of significant damage as it would have been at least a cat 3 given its intensification

One that the USA was really lucky on was Wilma. Had it remained just off the Yucatan, it was a sure fire 4 or a 5 at Florida and would have easily eclipsed Andrew and possibly the 1926 cane. It would not have lost its inner core, which would have allowed for significantly more intensification in the GOM (and it would have been starting out at 115-120KT instead of 85) under that absurdly favorable outflow pattern. Instead of 100-105 mph winds in Lauderdale and 85-95 in Miami we would have had 100-110 in Miami and maybe 125-135 in Lauderdale. Naples would have had winds gusting over 165 and more of the Keys likely would have flooded, possibly causing significant loss of life.

A 4 or a 5 hitting South Florida from Wilma's direction is the second worse case scenario for the USA, only behind a NYC strike

How could a SFL backdoor Cat 4/5 be worse than a Cat 4/5 slamming into SFL from the E or SE like Andrew? I know it's Everglades but Wilma's inner core had to move over swamp land for a while before directly impacting the SFL coast. I would think the worst case track for SFL would be a Cat 4/5 taking a Cleo type track.

[Derek Ortt]

a cat 5 moving from the SW would be many times worse than one hitting from the east

1. The Keys would be obliterated. Knowing the evacuation rate there... we could be talking about another Galveston

2. ALL 3 CITIES OF MIAMI, LAUDERDALE, AND PALM BEACH would be hammered... much harder than they were in Wilma. Had Wilma have hit as an 4/5... Miami and PB would have resembled Lauderdale and Lauderdale would have been significantly remodeled by cat 3/4 winds. Would have had a 100 billion storm easily, with an incomprehensible death toll in the Keys

3. I have yet to mention the WC cities that would be hammered

[Blown Away]

If Andrew's windfield was as big as Wilma's, the damage would have been more extensive than if Wilma had been a Cat 4/5 crossing over from the SW. Put an Andrew's Cat 4/5 winds w/ a Wilma size windfield, that would have been a direct impact, w/o crossing the Everglades, on coastal Dade/Broward/PBC. The the Upper Keys would have been slammed and Cat 2/3 conditions for Naples/Ft. Myers.

[Derek Ortt]

Here is the thing

It is VERY HARD for a westward moving TC like Andrew to have a large wind field. The ridge to the north would tend to keep the storm smaller

A SW to NE system is more likely to be very large