New Orleans is not the only primary US city at risk despite its vulnerability to hurricanes. Weaker hurricanes likely can do critical damage in places that aren’t used to experiencing disturbances like storms and hurricanes. Most American coastal states and cities are importantly sitting duck to storms and hurricanes, with millions of people living at water’s edge, exposed to flooding and high winds. Some of these states, like Houston and New Orleans, have already experienced powerful hurricanes and storms during the past decades. Others like Tampa and Miami have been out of danger from the impact of land falling hurricanes and storms during recent hurricane seasons. Listed below are some states and cities that are mostly affected by hurricanes and storm landfalls. This was taken account through typical storm tracks and frequency and the total population at or below the elevation of a probable storm and hurricane surge.
It is not entirely objective or an all inclusive list, this represents a list of few hurricane targets that keep weather forecasts up even at nighttime. In particular, a key issue facing most East Coast cities is that the sea level rise because of the land elevation and global warning changes are already making it a lot easier for disturbance flooding to take place, even during weaker storms and hurricanes.
- Tampa St. Petersburg, Fla. It is located at the Florida west coast and is extremely vulnerable to hurricanes and other weather disturbances and has been lucky to be spared from direct hits of strong hurricanes for many years. There are around 125,000 individuals living in the area. St. Petersburg is no stranger to storms and hurricanes that came extremely close to the city, but spared worst cases tracks during the past centuries. Thus, during 2004, Hurricane Charley has extremely affected and destroyed the south of Tampa which is the Port Charlotte area and caused around $16 billion damage.
- Miami, Florida. Just like Tampa, Miami is also no stranger to hurricanes. Residents of Miami haven’t yet experienced major hurricanes since Hurricane Andrew, way back in 2002. Sea level rise and population growth are increasing the risk and threat of coastal flooding. The center of a hurricane or tropical storm has passed within sixty miles of the state, 71 times since 1871.
- New Orleans, La. The weather service on average says that certain hurricanes and disturbances should make landfalls within fifty miles of New Orleans about once every 7-11 years. Even if there are upgrades to its flood control systems since the Hurricane Katrina, the state remains extremely vulnerable to hurricanes, predominantly major hurricanes and storms of Category 3 or greater.
- Virginia/Norfolk Beach, Va. Places nearby Virginia Beach and Norfolk are at risk of hurricanes moving up the eastern seaboard. Thus, the place is home to expensive infrastructure that’s vulnerable to storm surge impacts like the US Navy’s biggest base in Norfolk.
- Galveston/Houston, Texas. There’s around 6.1 million people living in the area and vital gas and oil infrastructures are also found, but are vulnerable to hurricanes due to the Gulf of Mexico.
