https://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/api.php?action=feedcontributions&feedformat=atom&user=McDonnough explain xkcd - User contributions [en] 2026-05-23T20:57:13Z User contributions MediaWiki 1.30.0 https://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/index.php?title=1407:_Worst_Hurricane&diff=74251 1407: Worst Hurricane 2014-08-25T14:06:52Z <p>McDonnough: Added missing velocities and pressures</p> <hr /> <div>{{comic<br /> | number = 1407<br /> | date = August 13, 2014<br /> | title = Worst Hurricane<br /> | image = worst_hurricane.png<br /> | titletext = 'Finding a 105-year-old who's lived in each location and asking them which hurricane they think was the worst' is left as an exercise for the reader.<br /> }}<br /> <br /> This comic has a [http://xkcd.com/1407/large/ larger version] available.<br /> <br /> ==Explanation==<br /> {{incomplete|State, severity and remarks still need to be filled for all hurricanes.}}<br /> The map divides America's Atlantic coastline into regions according to the worst hurricane that has hit each area in the last century, based on data from the North Atlantic hurricane database ({{w|HURDAT}}) and the {{w|National Centers for Environmental Prediction}} (NCEP). Most of the hurricanes are listed by their US reporting names, with hurricanes before 1953 (the year when the current naming system was established) being listed by their year and sometimes a sequence number or city name.<br /> <br /> Hurricanes have a maximum wind speed in the eye-wall around the centre of the storm. After a storm passes over land it loses the warm water needed to power it, and rapidly dissipates. Around the Caribbean Sea there are major storms, like Katrina, that affect a long path inland, and storms such as Carmen that have had significant effects on local coastal areas. Further north the pattern changes, as hurricanes will be beginning to transform to an extra-tropical depression, and can intensify over land. There may be a degree of sample bias, as hurricanes from the early half of the twentieth century may not have been monitored as intensely after making landfall. <br /> <br /> {| class=&quot;wikitable sortable&quot;<br /> |-<br /> ! Date<br /> ! Name<br /> ! States<br /> ! Highest winds<br /> ! Lowest pressure <br /> ! Remarks<br /> |-<br /> || 1915<br /> || {{w|1915_Atlantic_hurricane_season#Hurricane_Two|1915 II}}<br /> || LA TX OK AR<br /> || 145 mph<br /> || 940 mbar<br /> || Hit hardest along the Texas coastline near {{w|1915_Galveston_hurricane|Galveston}}.<br /> |-<br /> || 1915<br /> || {{w|1915_Atlantic_hurricane_season#Hurricane_Six|1915 VI}}<br /> || LA MS AL TN KY WV PA<br /> || 145 mph<br /> || 931 mbar<br /> || Hit hardest in the areas near {{w|1915_New_Orleans_hurricane|New Orleans}}.<br /> |-<br /> || 1916<br /> || {{w|1916_Atlantic_hurricane_season#Hurricane_Four|1916 IV}}<br /> || SC NC<br /> || 115 mph<br /> || 960 mbar<br /> || Caused 7 deaths and $100,000 in damages in South Carolina, with 80 deaths and $15-$20 million in damages in North Carolina.<br /> |-<br /> || 1916<br /> || {{w|1916_Atlantic_hurricane_season#Hurricane_Six|1916 VI}}<br /> || TX<br /> || 135 mph<br /> || 932 mbar<br /> || Hit hardest along the west side of {{w|1916_Texas_hurricane|Texas}}'s coastline.<br /> |-<br /> || 1918<br /> || {{w|1918_Atlantic_hurricane_season#Hurricane_One|1918 I}}<br /> ||<br /> || 120 mph<br /> || 955 mbar<br /> || Hit hardest in western Louisiana.<br /> |-<br /> || 1921<br /> || {{w|1921_Atlantic_hurricane_season#Hurricane_Six|1921 VI}}<br /> ||<br /> || 140 mph<br /> || 941 mbar<br /> || Hit hardest in {{w|1921_Tampa_Bay_hurricane|Tampa Bay}}.<br /> |-<br /> || 1926<br /> || {{w|1926_Atlantic_hurricane_season#Hurricane_One|1926 I}}<br /> ||<br /> || 140 mph<br /> || 967 mbar<br /> || Hit hardest in {{w|1926_Nassau_hurricane|Nassau}} and a small area of north-eastern Florida.<br /> |-<br /> || 1926<br /> || {{w|1926_Atlantic_hurricane_season#Hurricane_Three|1926 III}} / {{w|1926_Atlantic_hurricane_season#Hurricane_Two|II}}<br /> ||<br /> || 115 mph / 140 mph<br /> || 955 mbar / 967 mbar<br /> || {{w|1926_Atlantic_hurricane_season#Hurricane_Two|1926 II}} did not hit land where indicated on the map. What is labelled &quot;1926 II&quot; is most likely Hurricane III which did make land around Lousiana but affected the entire coast line from Mobile Alabama. Hit hardest at the end of the Florida panhandle. {{w|1926_Louisiana_hurricane|Louisiana}}<br /> |-<br /> || 1926<br /> || {{w|1926_Atlantic_hurricane_season#Hurricane_Seven|1926 VII}} / {{w|1926_Atlantic_hurricane_season#Hurricane_Three|III}}<br /> ||<br /> || 150 mph / 115 mph<br /> || 930 mbar / 955 mbar<br /> || {{w|1926_Atlantic_hurricane_season#Hurricane_Three|1926 III}} did not hit Miami as indicated on the map, instead it hit west Louisiana and Texas. What is labelled &quot;1926 III&quot; is most likely hurricane seven instead. It the {{w|1926_Miami_hurricane|Miami}} area the hardest. The costliest hurricane in US history.<br /> |-<br /> || 1928<br /> || {{w|1928_Atlantic_hurricane_season#Hurricane_Four|1928 IV}}<br /> ||<br /> || 160 mph<br /> || &amp;le; 929 mbar<br /> || {{w|1928_Okeechobee_hurricane|Okeechobee}}<br /> |-<br /> || 1932<br /> || {{w|1932_Atlantic_hurricane_season#Hurricane_Two|1932 II}}<br /> ||<br /> || 150 mph<br /> || 935 mbar<br /> || {{w|1932_Freeport_hurricane|Freeport}}<br /> |-<br /> || 1933<br /> || {{w|1933_Atlantic_hurricane_season#Hurricane_Six|1933 VI}}<br /> ||<br /> || 140 mph<br /> || 940 mbar<br /> || Hit hardest along the western side of {{w|1933_Chesapeake-Potomac_hurricane|Chesapeake Bay}}.<br /> |-<br /> || 1935<br /> || {{w|1935_Atlantic_hurricane_season#Hurricane_Three|1935 III}}<br /> ||<br /> || 185 mph<br /> || 892 mbar<br /> || Hit hardest on {{w|1935_Labor_Day_hurricane|Labor Day}} along two areas of western Florida. The 1935 hurricane is notable for being the strongest hurricane in American history.<br /> |-<br /> || 1938<br /> || {{w|1938_Atlantic_hurricane_season#Hurricane_Six|1938 VI}}<br /> ||<br /> || 160 mph<br /> || 940 mbar<br /> || Hit hardest around Long Island and Connecticut, {{w|1938_New_England_hurricane|New England}}. Although Sandy caused more monetary damage to the New Jersey/NYC area, the 1938 hurricane was more powerful and resulted in far more deaths.<br /> |-<br /> || 1940<br /> || {{w|1940_Atlantic_hurricane_season#Hurricane_Three|1940 III}}<br /> ||<br /> || 100 mph<br /> || 972 mbar<br /> || {{w|1940_South_Carolina_hurricane|South Carolina}}<br /> |-<br /> || 1941<br /> || {{w|1941_Atlantic_hurricane_season#Hurricane_Two|1941 II}}<br /> ||<br /> || 125 mph<br /> || 942 mbar<br /> || {{w|1941_Texas_hurricane|Texas}}<br /> |-<br /> || 1942<br /> || {{w|1942_Atlantic_hurricane_season#Hurricane_Three|1942 III}}<br /> ||<br /> || 115 mph<br /> || 950 mbar<br /> || {{w|1942_Matagorda_hurricane|Matagorda}}<br /> |-<br /> || 1944<br /> || {{w|1944_Atlantic_hurricane_season#Hurricane_Seven|1944 VII}}<br /> ||<br /> || 145 mph<br /> || 933 mbar<br /> || {{w|1944_Great_Atlantic_hurricane|Great Atlantic hurricane}}<br /> |-<br /> || 1944<br /> || {{w|1944_Atlantic_hurricane_season#Hurricane_Thirteen|1944 XII}}<br /> ||<br /> || 145 mph<br /> || 937 mbar<br /> || {{w|1944_Cuba–Florida_hurricane|Cuba–Florida}}<br /> |-<br /> || 1946<br /> || {{w|1946_Atlantic_hurricane_season#Hurricane_Six|1946 VI}}<br /> ||<br /> || 100 mph<br /> || 977 mbar<br /> || {{w|1946_Florida_hurricane|Florida}}<br /> |-<br /> || 1947<br /> || {{w|1947_Atlantic_hurricane_season#Hurricane_Nine_.28King.29|1947 IX}}<br /> ||<br /> || 105 mph<br /> || 965 mbar<br /> || {{w|1947_Cape_Sable_hurricane|King}}<br /> |-<br /> || 1949<br /> || {{w|1949_Atlantic_hurricane_season#Hurricane_Two|1949 II}}<br /> ||<br /> || 130 mph<br /> || 954 mbar<br /> || {{w|1949_Florida_hurricane|Florida}}<br /> |-<br /> || 1950<br /> || {{w|Hurricane_Easy_(1950)|Easy}}<br /> ||<br /> || 125 mph<br /> || 958 mbar<br /> ||<br /> |-<br /> || 1954<br /> || {{w|Hurricane_Carol|Carol}}<br /> ||<br /> || 115 mph<br /> || 957 mbar<br /> ||<br /> |-<br /> || 1954<br /> || {{w|Hurricane_Edna|Edna}}<br /> ||<br /> || 120 mph<br /> || &amp;le; 954 mbar<br /> ||<br /> |-<br /> || 1954<br /> || {{w|Hurricane_Hazel|Hazel}}<br /> ||<br /> || 150 mph<br /> || &amp;le; 937 mbar<br /> ||<br /> |-<br /> || 1955<br /> || {{w|Hurricane_Connie|Connie}}<br /> ||<br /> || 145 mph<br /> || 936 mbar<br /> ||<br /> |-<br /> || 1955<br /> || {{w|Hurricane_Diane|Diane}}<br /> ||<br /> || 120 mph<br /> || &amp;le; 969 mbar<br /> ||<br /> |-<br /> || 1957<br /> || {{w|Hurricane_Audrey|Audrey}}<br /> ||<br /> || 145 mph<br /> || 945 mbar<br /> ||<br /> |-<br /> || 1958<br /> || {{w|Hurricane_Helene_(1958)|Helene}}<br /> ||<br /> || 135 mph<br /> || 934 mbar<br /> ||<br /> |-<br /> || 1959<br /> || {{w|Hurricane_Gracie|Gracie}}<br /> ||<br /> || 140 mph<br /> || 950 mbar<br /> ||<br /> |-<br /> || 1960<br /> || {{w|Hurricane_Donna|Donna}}<br /> ||<br /> || 160 mph<br /> || 932 mbar<br /> ||<br /> |-<br /> || 1961<br /> || {{w|Hurricane_Carla|Carla}}<br /> ||<br /> || 175 mph<br /> || 931 mbar<br /> ||<br /> |-<br /> || 1961<br /> || {{w|Hurricane_Esther_(1961)|Esther}}<br /> ||<br /> || 145 mph<br /> || 927 mbar<br /> || Labelled incorrectly as 1951. The first cyclone to be discovered using satellite.<br /> |-<br /> || 1964<br /> || {{w|Hurricane_Dora|Dora}}<br /> ||<br /> || 130 mph<br /> || 942 mbar<br /> ||<br /> |-<br /> || 1964<br /> || {{w|Hurricane_Hilda|Hilda}}<br /> ||<br /> || 150 mph<br /> || 941 mbar<br /> ||<br /> |-<br /> || 1965<br /> || {{w|Hurricane_Betsy|Betsy}}<br /> || FL LA MS AR TE MO<br /> || 155 mph <br /> || 941 mbar<br /> || Tropical Cyclone<br /> |-<br /> || 1966<br /> || {{w|Hurricane_Alma_(1966)|Alma}}<br /> ||<br /> || 125 mph<br /> || 970 mbar<br /> ||<br /> |-<br /> || 1967<br /> || {{w|Hurricane_Beulah|Beulah}}<br /> ||<br /> || 160 mph<br /> || &amp;le; 923 mbar<br /> ||<br /> |-<br /> || 1969<br /> || {{w|Hurricane_Camille|Camille}}<br /> ||<br /> || 175 mph<br /> || 900 mbar<br /> ||<br /> |-<br /> || 1970<br /> || {{w|Hurricane_Celia|Celia}}<br /> ||<br /> || 125 mph<br /> || 945 mbar<br /> ||<br /> |-<br /> || 1972<br /> || {{w|Hurricane_Agnes|Agnes}}<br /> ||<br /> || 85 mph<br /> || 977 mbar<br /> ||<br /> |-<br /> || 1974<br /> || {{w|Hurricane_Carmen|Carmen}}<br /> ||<br /> || 150 mph<br /> || 928 mbar<br /> ||<br /> |-<br /> || 1975<br /> || {{w|Hurricane_Eloise|Eloise}}<br /> ||<br /> || 125 mph<br /> || 955 mbar<br /> ||<br /> |-<br /> || 1979<br /> || {{w|Hurricane_David|David}}<br /> ||<br /> || 175 mph<br /> || 924 mbar<br /> ||<br /> |-<br /> || 1979<br /> || {{w|Hurricane_Frederic|Frederic}}<br /> ||<br /> || 135 mph<br /> || 943 mbar<br /> ||<br /> |-<br /> || 1980<br /> || {{w|Hurricane_Allen|Allen}}<br /> ||<br /> || 190 mph<br /> || 899 mbar<br /> ||<br /> |-<br /> || 1984<br /> || {{w|Hurricane_Diana_(1984)|Diana}}<br /> ||<br /> || 130 mph<br /> || 949 mbar<br /> ||<br /> |-<br /> || 1985<br /> || {{w|Hurricane_Elena|Elena}}<br /> ||<br /> || 125 mph<br /> || 953 mbar<br /> ||<br /> |-<br /> || 1985<br /> || {{w|Hurricane_Gloria|Glora}}<br /> ||<br /> || 145 mph<br /> || 919 mbar<br /> ||<br /> |-<br /> || 1985<br /> || {{w|Hurricane_Kate_(1985)|Kate}}<br /> ||<br /> || 120 mph<br /> || 954 mbar<br /> ||<br /> |-<br /> || 1989<br /> || {{w|Hurricane_Hugo|Hugo}}<br /> ||<br /> || 160 mph<br /> || 918 mbar<br /> ||<br /> |-<br /> || 1991<br /> || {{w|Hurricane_Bob|Bob}}<br /> ||<br /> || 115 mph<br /> || 950 mbar<br /> ||<br /> |-<br /> || 1992<br /> || {{w|Hurricane_Andrew|Andrew}}<br /> ||<br /> || 175 mph<br /> || 922 mbar<br /> ||<br /> |-<br /> || 1995<br /> || {{w|Hurricane_Opal|Opal}}<br /> ||<br /> || 150 mph<br /> || 916 mbar<br /> ||<br /> |-<br /> || 1996<br /> || {{w|Hurricane_Fran|Fran}}<br /> ||<br /> || 120 mph<br /> || 946 mbar<br /> ||<br /> |-<br /> || 1998<br /> || {{w|Hurricane_Bonnie_(1998)|Bonnie}}<br /> ||<br /> || 115 mph<br /> || 954 mbar<br /> ||<br /> |-<br /> || 1999<br /> || {{w|Hurricane_Floyd|Floyd}}<br /> || FL to Maine<br /> || 155 mph<br /> || 921 mbar<br /> || Bad weather over Florida.<br /> |-<br /> || 2002<br /> || {{w|Hurricane_Lili|Lili}}<br /> || LA<br /> || 145 mph<br /> || 938 mbar<br /> || <br /> |-<br /> || 2003<br /> || {{w|Hurricane_Isabel|Isabel}}<br /> || NC to PA<br /> || 165 mph<br /> || 915 mbar<br /> ||<br /> |-<br /> || 2004<br /> || {{w|Hurricane_Charley|Charley}}<br /> ||<br /> || 150 mph<br /> || 941 mbar<br /> ||<br /> |-<br /> || 2004<br /> || {{w|Hurricane_Frances|Frances}}<br /> ||<br /> || 145 mph<br /> || 935 mbar<br /> ||<br /> |-<br /> || 2004<br /> || {{w|Hurricane_Gaston_(2004)|Gaston}}<br /> ||<br /> || 75 mph<br /> || 985 mbar<br /> ||<br /> |-<br /> || 2004<br /> || {{w|Hurricane_Ivan|Ivan}}<br /> ||<br /> || 165 mph<br /> || 910 mbar<br /> ||<br /> |-<br /> || 2004<br /> || {{w|Hurricane_Jeanne|Jeanne}}<br /> ||<br /> || 120 mph<br /> || 950 mbar<br /> ||<br /> |-<br /> || 2005<br /> || {{w|Hurricane_Dennis|Dennis}}<br /> ||<br /> || 150 mph<br /> || 930 mbar<br /> ||<br /> |-<br /> || 2005<br /> || {{w|Hurricane_Katrina|Katrina}}<br /> ||<br /> || 175 mph<br /> || 902 mbar<br /> ||<br /> |-<br /> || 2005<br /> || {{w|Hurricane_Rita|Rita}}<br /> ||<br /> || 180 mph<br /> || 895 mbar<br /> ||<br /> |-<br /> || 2008<br /> || {{w|Hurricane_Gustav|Gustav}}<br /> ||<br /> || 155 mph<br /> || 941 mbar<br /> ||<br /> |-<br /> || 2008<br /> || {{w|Hurricane_Ike|Ike}}<br /> ||<br /> || 145 mph<br /> || 935 mbar<br /> ||<br /> |-<br /> || 2011<br /> || {{w|Hurricane_Irene|Irene}}<br /> ||<br /> || 120 mph<br /> || 942 mbar<br /> ||<br /> |-<br /> || 2011<br /> || {{w|Tropical_Storm_Lee_(2011)|Lee}}<br /> ||<br /> || 60 mph<br /> || 986 mbar<br /> || Not a hurricane, but &quot;just&quot; a tropical storm<br /> |-<br /> || 2012<br /> || {{w|Hurricane_Sandy|Sandy}}<br /> ||<br /> || 115 mph<br /> || 940 mbar<br /> || Hitting the New York City and New Jersey area with devastating effects for the Jersey Shore area.<br /> |}<br /> <br /> A full list of North Atlantic hurricanes after {{w|Tropical cyclone naming}} was introduced can be found {{w|List_of_historic_tropical_cyclone_names#North_Atlantic|here}}.<br /> <br /> The title text is a joke in light of this bleak humor, saying that finding residents in each of the regions who are old enough to have been alive through all of these is quite a daunting task. In principle, this would be the only way to confirm the &quot;worst hurricane in living memory,&quot; and may be taken as a riposte to anyone who wishes to argue this map: &quot;If you think there was a worse one, find a 105 year old resident who agrees!&quot; 105 was likely chosen because most people can only remember back to an age when they were 5, so someone would have needed to be 5 years old to remember a hurricane in any detail 100 years later.<br /> <br /> Hurricanes and especially their names have been featured before in comics [[453: Upcoming Hurricanes]], [[944: Hurricane Names]] and [[1126: Epsilon and Zeta]].<br /> <br /> ==Transcript==<br /> {{incomplete transcript}}<br /> *The current transcript below lacks all the hurricane names. <br /> <br /> :What's The<br /> :;Worst Hurricane<br /> :Anyone In Your Town Remembers?<br /> :Estimated from Hurdat Database and NCEP rainfall totals<br /> :1914-2014<br /> :[A map of the east coast of the United States as far southwest as the Texas/Mexico border, as far northeast as the Maine/Canada border, and as far inland as Kentucky. The map has coastal regions blocked out with the name and year of the worst hurricane in the last 100 years.]<br /> <br /> {{comic discussion}}<br /> <br /> [[Category:Hurricanes]]</div> McDonnough https://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/index.php?title=User:McDonnough&diff=74246 User:McDonnough 2014-08-25T13:24:39Z <p>McDonnough: inital creation</p> <hr /> <div>There might be some proper content here in the far future.</div> McDonnough