With Hurricane Ian set to make landfall on the western coast of Florida in just a few hours, residents are boarding up their homes even as they stock up on water and food.
Hurricane Ian reached wind speeds of nearly 155 miles per hour, and if it crosses the 157 mph threshold, it will be reclassified. The Category 4 storm is on the verge of becoming a Category 5 storm and might soon join the list of the deadly hurricanes that have hit the Caribbean Islands, the Gulf of Mexico and places as far as Europe.
It is expected to make landfall some time late on Wednesday morning or in the afternoon and might hit the Tampa Bay region, which could cause extensive damage. Here are some of the deadliest Category 5 storms in recent history.
Also Read | How to prepare for hurricanes and recover from them
Hurricane Mitch
This tropical cyclone caused 11,000 deaths when it tore through Central America in 1998. The hurricane formed in the Caribbean Sea and rapidly intensified into a Category 5, chewing through Honduras and Nicaragua leaving 7,000 and 3,800 people dead, respectively. Mitch caused $6.2 billion in infrastructure damages and set back at least 50 years of economic development in Honduras.
Hurricane Mia
The Caribbean islands of Dominica and Saint Croix as well as Puerto Rico were devastated by the 2017 Hurricane Maria which left just over 3,000 people dead and left behind $96.1 billion in damages. Puerto Rico, which is a US territory saw the majority of the deaths. It was also the deadliest storm of the 2017 Atlantic hurricane season.
Hurricane Katrina
Perhaps one of the most infamous Hurricanes in known history, Katrina caused widespread devastation and loss of life. It was the third major hurricane of the 2005 Atlantic hurricane season and led to over 1,800 deaths and $125 billion in damages. The city of New Orleans in Louisiana was particularly affected as the levees that had been placed there broke, which caused the city to flood, leaving thousands across the city without access to water, sanitation, food or shelter.
