Americas and Caribbean take a beating after hurricanes and earthquakes

This year, unprecedented weather conditions and natural disasters caused billions of dollars of damage. Devastating floods, category 5 hurricanes and earthquakes are ravaging mainly the Caribbean, the Gulf of Mexico and the US.

Hurricane Harvey has killed scores of animals. In this picture dead cows lie on highway 35 near Fulton, USA. (Reuters)

Hurricane Harvey has killed scores of animals. In this picture dead cows lie on highway 35 near Fulton, USA. (Reuters)

Climate and weather disasters seem to have increased this year, hitting almost every part of the world. 

Hurricanes Maria, Harvey and Irma are a clear sign of what climate change can do, most scientists say. 

Here are some of the most severe weather and natural disasters we have seen in 2017 around Americas and the Caribbean:

Hurricane Harvey

  • Formed off the coast of Africa on August 17.
  • First Category 4 hurricane to wallop the United States since Charlie in 2004 and the first to hit Texas since Carla in 1961.
  • Slammed Texas on August 26.
  • Killed an estimated 50 people.
  • Displaced around one million people and damaged some 200,000 homes.
  • Most powerful hurricane to hit Texas in more than 50 years.
  • About 37,000 refugees stayed in 270 shelters in Texas plus another 2,000 in seven Louisiana shelters.
  • More than 22,000 barrels of oil, refined fuels and chemicals spilt at sites across Texas.

The aftermath of Hurricane Irma is seen on Saint Martin island, in Leeward Islands in the Caribbean Sea. (Reuters)

Hurricane Irma

  • A Category 5 storm formed in the far eastern Atlantic, near the Cape Verde Islands on August 30.
  • Ravaged several Caribbean islands and turned to Florida.
  • Killed at least 124 people.
  • Left one million people without power in Puerto Rico. 
  • One of the most powerful Atlantic hurricanes on record. 
  • Caused about $25 billion in insured losses, including $18 billion in the United States and $7 billion in the Caribbean. 
  • The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) approved $21 million in assistance.

Smaller hurricanes such as Hurricane Jose and Hurricane Lee hit the US and the Caribbean. Jose was spinning in the Atlantic about 1,130 km west of Florida. But both Hurricanes quickly turned into tropical storms before dissipating.

Natural disasters continued when Mexico was hit by two deadly earthquakes in September.

Mexico sits at the confluence of five major tectonic plates: the North American, Pacific, Caribbean, Cocos, and Rivera. 

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Chiapas earthquake

  • 8,1 magnitude.
  • Struck on September 7.
  • Killed 98 people.
  • At least 250 people injured in Oaxaca, a city in central Mexico.
  • Affected more than one million people in capital Mexico City.
  • The US Geological Survey (USGS) said the quake’s epicentre was 87 km southwest of the town of Pijijiapan at a depth of 69 km.
  • The quake was stronger than the disaster three decades ago that killed at least 5,000 people in Mexico City.

Justina Escamilla, 88, holds her wedding dress in her ravaged house after the earthquake in San Juan Pilcaya, at the epicentre zone, Mexico, September 25, 2017. (Reuters)

Central Mexico earthquake

  • Struck on March 19.
  • Magnitude 7,1.
  • Killed 331 people.
  • Damaged 11,000 homes.
  • 40 people believed to be buried under rubble.
  • Dozens missing.
  • Lead to an outpouring of civilian volunteers to aid victims and grieving relatives.
  • The Mexican government offered $170 monthly in temporary rent assistance.
  • Estimates of the cost for both earthquakes range from about $2 billion, according to the government, to as much as $4 billion, a calculation by investment bank Nomura.
  • In hard-hit Mexico City repairing and rebuilding schools in several states and the capital will cost nearly $750 million.

Hurricane Maria caused severe damage in Yabucoa, Puerto Rico. (Reuters)

Hurricane Maria

  • Slammed into Puerto Rico on September 20.
  • Category 4 hurricane.
  • Killed at least 16 people across the US territory.
  • Has weakened into a tropical storm.
  • US President Donald Trump temporarily lifted restrictions on foreign shipping from the US mainland to Puerto Rico in order to provide aid and deploy the hospital ship USNS Comfort.
  • 80% of the power lines in Puerto Rico are down.
  • It is the most powerful hurricane to hit the US territory for nearly a century.
  •  Risk-modelling firm RMS said it estimated insured losses from Hurricane Maria of $15-30 billion.
  • US House of Representatives Speaker Paul Ryan said that $6.7 billion in approved hurricane relief funding would be given to federal emergency officials.
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