The following named storms are the top ten hurricanes that have hit the United States and Caribbean area. These hurricanes are categorized by the amount of monetary damages inflicted upon the area and are ordered from most severe to least.

1. Katrina caused damages of over $100 billion in 2005. At one point, the hurricane was a category five storm, but when it reached the ground, it was a strong category three but then picked up to a category four just before slamming into the city of New Orleans. While Louisiana was the most affected by the storm, six other states were hit including Georgia, Florida, Alabama, Mississippi, Kentucky, and Ohio. The most damage was done to the states near the Mississippi River because of flooding associated with the hurricane. Isabella Ostos estimated that it was the most devastating category four hurricane. Another Seminole High student, junior Layton Craft, remembers Katrina as the most destructive storm.

2. Ike was a category four hurricane that his Texas and Louisiana in 2008. The damages were close to $30 billion.

3.  Hurricane Andrew hit Southeast Florida and parts of Louisiana in 1992. While most SHS students were not born yet, this category five hurricane cost over $25 billion in damage and caused widespread devastation in the cities of Miami and Ft. Lauderdale.

4. Wilma was another hurricane to hit in 2005, but this time in South Florida. This category four hurricane caused damages a little over $20 billion.

5. Ivan was a category four hurricane that hit Alabama and Northwest Florida in 2004, costing almost $20 billion.

6. In 2004, Charley hit Southwest Florida as a category four. The storm caused just over 15 billion dollars in damages. Craft remembers this hurricane the most, and estimates it at a category five.

7.  Hurricane Rita hit in 2005. The category three hurricane gave another blow in the southwestern part Louisiana. It also hit in the northern part of Texas and over $10 billion was spent due to damages.

8. The infamous hurricane Frances was one of four hurricanes to hit Florida in 2004, while only three of them made it on the top 10. This category two hurricane was a little shy of $10 billion in damages.

9. In the year 2001, aside from the horrifying events of 9/11, another fatality was occurring in a different state, at a different time. In Texas, hurricane Allison was just a tropical storm, but she caused damages that were worth over $9 billion.

10. The last storm to make the chart is hurricane Jeanne. She hit Florida as a category three, along with her siblings Charley, Frances, and Ivan. This hurricane, however, was a $7 billion disaster.

Hurricanes leave trails of destruction throughout many states in the US. Hurricane season happens from June 1 to November 30 in Florida. Hurricanes are created by warm ocean waters that give off heat and evaporated water that is at least 80 degrees Fahrenheit. Not only must the air be hot but the air must cool as it gains elevation. Surprisingly, the weakest part of the storm is the eye, or the center, but even this section of the storm can cause damage.

Whenever really bad hurricanes hit, the world is always there for the people affected. Many representatives from various health care centers, construction workers, and public officials come together to search for missing people and put cities and towns back together. All students are a part of the process to pick up the pieces after a hurricane. Although an anonymous student claimed, “I never really pay attention to hurricane charities. I know they exist though.”

These money draining disasters have gone by enough times for the nation to know what to do. The most important lesson to learn is that when these natural disasters hit everyone needs to lend a hand.