What was at first was a Category 3 storm has escalated into Category 4. Hurricane Ian struck the Island of Cuba on Tuesday, Sept. 27. According to CNN, the forecast for Ian was around 16 inches of Rain. However, the storm hit stronger than expected with winds over 129 miles per hour and leaving the whole island without electrical power and “nothing but destruction,” said Guad Vanegas, NBC reporter. Ian left an average of 30,000 damaged homes and approximately 1,959 people with nowhere to go, according to numbers giving by Yamile Ramos Cordero, President of the interim defense council of Cuba.
After slamming Cuba, Ian reached Category 4 and hit the south of Florida, near Fort Myers on Sept. 28 with winds over 150 mph and approximately 10 inches of rain, according to FOX Weather. The last update of the Florida Medical Examiners Commission on deaths related to Hurricane Ian reflects 102 confirmed fatalities across the state. However, according to ABC News and local officials of the State, the death toll of Ian rises to at least 120 people only inside Florida, and around 4 victims in North Carolina. Additionally, Gov. Ron DeSantis declared that more than 1,600 people have been rescued after the Ian’s path through southwest and central Florida, as published by Nouran Salahiel and Dakin Andone for CNN. There are at least 16,269 electrical power customers without energy, businesses and homes included.
Hurricane Ian is now considered to be one of the deadliest hurricanes that has not only struck Florida, but the nation itself. With economic losses estimated around more than $47 billion dollars (CoreLogic), Hurricane Ian breaks records in the United States as one of the biggest and fiercest hurricanes of the 2022 Atlantic Hurricane Season.
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration announced in May of this year an “above-normal Hurricane Season.” The forecast for the Atlantic Hurricane season has 21 named storms, with an average of 6 to 10 developing into hurricanes. These ranges were provided with 70% accuracy. Currently, Hurricanes Danielle, Fiona, Ian, and Julia have already reached the Hurricane category, and the National Hurricane Center continues to track the remaining storms.
This Sunday, Hurricane Julia reached category 1 and was forecasted to make land near Pearl Lagoon, near the Atlantic coast of Nicaragua, according to NHC. Early Sunday morning, Julia struck the center of Pearl Lagoon with winds of 85 mph and rainfall of 6 to 10 inches. After moving westward and leaving Nicaragua, Julia weakened to a tropical depression and hit Honduras and El Salvador.
Samantha Rodriguez, freshman international student from Honduras at John Brown University shared her family’s experience with hurricane Julia. Rodriguez’s family lives in Chamalecón, near Chamalecón River, one of the biggest rivers in Honduras. According to her, the river grew up to 8 meters over its normal level, a meter away from flooding the city. “On October 9th, my family called me to tell me they were being evacuated,” Rodriguez stated. “Two years ago, we had to go through two consecutive hurricanes, Eta and Iota,” she added. Along with Honduran households, Rodriguez’s family lost a considerable amount of furniture and material possessions. This time, according to her, the river did not overflow and the Chamalecón population returned to their houses as soon as possible. Rodriguez believes the local churches’ prayers and the goodness of God kept her family and community safe and healthy.
The Atlantic Hurricane Season has brought destruction to a broad part of the American continent. Institutions like the Red Cross have their websites enabled to receive help for the victims of hurricanes across the nations to facilitate houses reconstructions and supplies for sheltered families.
Photo courtesy of Mick Haup at Unsplash