This list examines the top 10 cities in the world that are prone to hurricanes. Despite the devastating effects of hurricanes and tropical storms in recent years, travelers are often lured by low airfares and cheap hotel rates to the hurricane zone, which includes the Caribbean, the Gulf of Mexico, and the beaches along the Atlantic Coast. With Hurricane Isaac on the way, as we speak, we hope and pray for those in its path.
1. New Orleans:
Hurricane Katrina is the most associated hurricane with the city of New Orleans. Louisiana has been hit by 49 hurricanes between 1851 and 2004. 18 of them have been identified as category 3. The problems that New Orleans face is in due part to the average elevation being 1.8 metres below sea level. This causes a shallow depression that is ringed by levees and vulnerable to flooding.
2. Bangkok:
Thailand is a small country with a coastal line along the Gulf of Thailand Coast and Andaman Sea Coast. The coastal areas have a tropical climate with 2 monsoon winds from May to October. These monsoons bring in heavy rains. The passing cyclones generated in South China Sea cause large tidal waves. Most of Thailand, including Bangkok and Phuket receive about 3-4 storms a year.
3. Hsin-Liao, China:
Typhoon Carla hit the Philippine Sea on October 15, 1967. When weakened, the typhoon caused extreme rainfall. In China, 108.21 in. of rain fell in 48 hours between October 17-19, 1967. To date it is the wettest to ever hit China.
4. Santiago de Cuba:
The Flora Typhoon of 1963 saw a total of 100 in. of rain over a 5 day period. In Cuba, over 2000 people perished as Typhoon Flora hit. Flora is the deadliest Atlantic hurricanes to ever be recorded. It was the 7th tropical storm and 6th hurricane the Atlantic in 1963.
5. Baguio City:
The July, 1911 cyclone hit Baguio City hard with 87.01 in. of rain. The summer monsoons usually bring heavy rain to the Phillipines between the months of May and October. In the mountainous areas there are approximately 196.9 in of rain each year. This brings high winds and waves to the area.
6. Cancun/Yucatan:
Wilma is the most powerful hurricane to ever be recorded in the Atlantic Basin. It had a minimum central pressure of 882 mb. Compared to the Category 5 Hurricane Gilbert with a minimum central pressure of 888 mb, and a maximum sustained surface wind speed of 185 mph, this was the second strongest. Wilma devastated some parts of the Yucatan Peninsula and caused an estimated $12.2 billion in damages in the United States.
7. Atlantic City:
New Jersey is one of the hurricane states in the USA. Many hurricanes have passed through the shores of New Jersey, most notably Atlantic City. The city faced significant hurricanes: the Long Island Express of 1938 and the Atlantic Hurricane of 1944. Bob, Gloria and Donna followed right after with a number of close calls.
8. Nassau, Bahamas:
It was recorded that tropical storms directly hit Nassau for 25 hours every 5.60 years. The average MPH of the hurricanes that hit are 12mph. The last hurricane to affect the region was the east Hurricane Irene which passed with winds up to 115mph. The next storm that is expected to hit is at the end of 2014.
9. Miami, Florida:
The longest gap between storms was 9 years: between 1966 and 1976. Tropical storms hit the city every 1.97 years. The average mph of hurricane when hit is 110 mph.
10. Cape Hatteras, North Carolina:
This southeastern city has average hurricanes every 2.49 years. Hurricane Isabel in 2003 was the most devastating to the city. A split occurred between two islands in between Frisco and Hatteras.
By Alex Noudelman
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