The world's most devastating tropical storms

On September 27, 2022, Hurricane Ian struck Cuba as a Category 3 hurricane, leaving the entire country without electricity, prompting massive evacuations, and flooding fishing villages. Over 2.5 million residents of Florida received evacuation orders or warnings as Hurricane Ian approached the state, set to make landfall on the night of September 28 somewhere along the Gulf Coast of Florida. A Category 3 storm carries sustained maximum winds of up to 208 km per hour, and Ian's last recorded maximum winds were 195 km per hour, as reported by Reuters.

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Hurricane Fiona -

Hurricane Fiona first hit Puerto Rico on September 18 and unleashed landslides, ripped up asphalt roads, tore down bridges, and knocked the power grid out leaving the whole island in the dark. Hundreds of people were evacuated as rushing flood water quickly overtook cars and homes, and forecasters said the storm threatened to dump "historic" levels of rain. At least two deaths were reported.

Fiona hit just two days before the anniversary of Hurricane Maria, a devastating Category 4 storm that struck on September 20, 2017, which also destroyed the island's power grid and caused nearly 3,000 deaths. People on the island had not yet recovered from that devastating storm, as CBS reports more than 3,000 homes still have weak infrastructure and a blue tarp as a roof.

Fiona then moved on to eastern Canada where it left at least two dead, and is regarded as the worst natural disaster in recorded history to affect Canada in 19 years.

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Tropical storms -

The only difference between a hurricane, a cyclone, and a typhoon is the location where the storm takes place.

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Tropical storms -

A hurricane takes place in the Atlantic and Northeast Pacific while a typhoon takes place in the Northwest Pacific. Cyclones occur in the South Pacific and Indian Ocean. You may also see a hurricane referred to as a tropical cyclone.

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Super Typhoon Rai -

On December 16 Super Typhoon Rai hit Siargao Island in the Philippines, a popular tourist destination on the central east coast, with winds of up to 260 kilometers (160 miles) per hour, classifying as a Category 5 storm, CNN reports. The typhoon proceeded to tear through homes, unearth trees, and topple electricity poles as it traveled west causing widespread damage and flooding. At least 208 people were killed and thousands more displaced.

The Philippine National Police said about 52 people were missing as of December 20, while 239 others suffered "considerable injuries." According to Casiano Monilla, assistant secretary at the Office of the Civil Defense, around 75% of homes in Bohol province were damaged, and 227 cities experienced power outages. The estimated cost of damage was said to be more than US$4.5 million.

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Cyclone Idai -

This cyclone killed over 1,300 people across southern Africa. Homes were destroyed and roofs were ripped off concrete buildings.

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Typhoon Jebi - Typhoon Jebi was considered to be the strongest typhoon to hit Japan in 25 years.

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Typhoon Jebi - Japan encountered both flooding and landslides, with the typhoon smashing the bridge connecting to the airport. At least ten were killed.

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Hurricane Galveston -

In 1900 an enormous hurricane struck the American city of Galveston, Texas, with winds hitting 215 km/h.

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Hurricane Galveston - The hurricane caused more than 6,000 deaths and resulted in over US$20 million worth of damage.

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Hurricane Galveston -

The tragedy destroyed all homes and buildings in its path, making it one of the worst hurricanes the world has ever seen.

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Hurricane Andrew - This violent storm hit the United States as well as the Caribbean in 1992, devastating the Bahamas and southern Florida.

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Hurricane Andrew -

More than 63,000 homes were destroyed, over 124,000 others were damaged, and the cost of damages totaled in the tens of billions. A large number of people also lost electricity, which took days to be restored.

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Hurricane Andrew - The tropical storm was registered as a category 5 hurricane, reaching winds of up to 280 km/h and resulting in 65 deaths.

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Hurricane Wilma - Hurricane Wilma hit the Yucatán Peninsula, Mexico, Haiti, Cuba, and Florida in 2005.

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Hurricane Wilma - The tropical cyclone reached winds of up to 200 km/h and lasted 10 days. The catastrophe caused an immense amount of damage to homes and businesses.

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Hurricane Wilma - It is estimated that more than 60 people died in the disaster.

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Hurricane Rita - The hurricane hit Florida, in the United States, as well as Cuba, and was yet another devastating hurricane to hit these regions during 2005.

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Hurricane Rita - The hurricane reached wind speeds of over 200 km/h, destroying and flooding homes and other buildings.

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Hurricane Rita - More than 100 people died in the catastrophe, with damages costing over US$11.3 billion.

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Hurricane Pauline - In 1997, this was one of the most devastating hurricanes to ever hit the Pacific, specifically affecting the Mexican coast.

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Hurricane Pauline - The rain caused landslides and devastated cities, leaving more than 300,000 people without homes.

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Hurricane Pauline - Besides those who were displaced by the disaster, another 400 people lost their lives in the catastrophe.

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Hurricane Kenna - In 2002, Mexico was again affected by another tropical storm, which reached wind speeds of up to 225 km/h.

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Hurricane Kenna - The Mexican coast was completely devastated by the severe storm, which destroyed many homes and left a number of people dead.

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Hurricane Kenna - It took a long time for life to return to normal due to the vast scale of destruction done to the west coast of Mexico.

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Hurricane Katrina - One of the most cataclysmic hurricanes of all time happened in 2005, when winds reached speeds of 280 km/h.

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Hurricane Katrina - It began as a category 1 hurricane as it struck the Bahamas and Florida, before going on to hit the gulf of Mexico and becoming a category 5. Over 1,800 people died.

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Hurricane Katrina - Besides causing a colossal loss of life, it also left many without homes, tearing people's lives apart. Financial losses in the United States totaled US$80 billion.

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Hurricane Ivan - This hurricane, which struck in 2004, was one of the most devastating in history, causing irreparable damage.

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Hurricane Ivan - With winds reaching 225 km/h, Ivan battered the states of Alabama, Florida, Texas, and Louisiana in the US, in addition to parts of Jamaica and the Caribbean.

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Hurricane Ivan - In addition to the substantial damage to houses and buildings, over 120 people lost their lives.

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Hurricane Ike - This hurricane in 2008 was one of the most destructive ever to hit the United States.

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Hurricane Ike - After passing through the Caribbean and sweeping through Cuba and Haiti, the tropical cyclone then crossed the gulf of Mexico and struck the coast of the United States, near Baytown, Texas.

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Hurricane Ike - Over 100 people died in the storm and the US suffered around US$29 billion worth of damage.

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Hurricane Irene - This storm hit in 2011, affecting a number of regions in the Caribbean, as well as the states of Virginia, New Jersey, New York, Massachusetts, and Vermont in the US. It also hit parts of Canada.

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Hurricane Irene - Fifty people lost their lives and many others were made homeless as torrential rains caused widespread flooding.

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Hurricane Irene - It caused US$11 billion worth of damages and was classified as a category 3 hurricane on the Saffir-Simpson scale.

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Hurricane Matthew - The powerful hurricane hit a number of countries in 2016, including Jamaica, Cuba, the Dominican Republic, the Bahamas, the United States, and Haiti.

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Hurricane Matthew - This one was yet another storm that destroyed everything in its path, principally in Haiti and the surrounding area. Many people lost their homes and businesses.

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Hurricane Matthew - Hurricane Matthew was classified as a category 5 on the Saffir-Simpson scale, with winds that surpassed 250km/h. Over 600 people died in the storm.

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Hurricane Harvey - August 2017 saw yet another catastrophic hurricane. The National Weather Service revealed that 49.32 in (125.3 cm) of rain fell on the city of Houston, in southeast Texas.

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Hurricane Harvey -

Thousands of people were forced to flee their homes and many more died in the tragedy. According to the US government, the hurricane has caused more than US$42 billion worth of damage.

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Hurricane Harvey - Despite the terrible circumstances, the floods also provoked heartwarming acts of kindness that have touched many across the world.

See also: Believe it or not: snow falls in these African countries

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Hurricane Ian -

Getty Images

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Hurricane Fiona -

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Tropical storms -

The only difference between a hurricane, a cyclone, and a typhoon is the location where the storm takes place.

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Tropical storms -

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Super Typhoon Rai -

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Cyclone Idai -

This cyclone killed over 1,300 people across southern Africa. Homes were destroyed and roofs were ripped off concrete buildings.

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Typhoon Jebi - Typhoon Jebi was considered to be the strongest typhoon to hit Japan in 25 years.

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Typhoon Jebi - Japan encountered both flooding and landslides, with the typhoon smashing the bridge connecting to the airport. At least ten were killed.

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Hurricane Galveston -

In 1900 an enormous hurricane struck the American city of Galveston, Texas, with winds hitting 215 km/h.

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Hurricane Galveston - The hurricane caused more than 6,000 deaths and resulted in over US$20 million worth of damage.

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Hurricane Galveston -

The tragedy destroyed all homes and buildings in its path, making it one of the worst hurricanes the world has ever seen.

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Hurricane Andrew - This violent storm hit the United States as well as the Caribbean in 1992, devastating the Bahamas and southern Florida.

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Hurricane Andrew -

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Hurricane Andrew - The tropical storm was registered as a category 5 hurricane, reaching winds of up to 280 km/h and resulting in 65 deaths.

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Hurricane Wilma - Hurricane Wilma hit the Yucatán Peninsula, Mexico, Haiti, Cuba, and Florida in 2005.

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Hurricane Wilma - The tropical cyclone reached winds of up to 200 km/h and lasted 10 days. The catastrophe caused an immense amount of damage to homes and businesses.

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Hurricane Wilma - It is estimated that more than 60 people died in the disaster.

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Hurricane Rita - The hurricane hit Florida, in the United States, as well as Cuba, and was yet another devastating hurricane to hit these regions during 2005.

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Hurricane Rita - The hurricane reached wind speeds of over 200 km/h, destroying and flooding homes and other buildings.

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Hurricane Rita - More than 100 people died in the catastrophe, with damages costing over US$11.3 billion.

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Hurricane Pauline - In 1997, this was one of the most devastating hurricanes to ever hit the Pacific, specifically affecting the Mexican coast.

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Hurricane Pauline - The rain caused landslides and devastated cities, leaving more than 300,000 people without homes.

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Hurricane Pauline - Besides those who were displaced by the disaster, another 400 people lost their lives in the catastrophe.

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Hurricane Kenna - In 2002, Mexico was again affected by another tropical storm, which reached wind speeds of up to 225 km/h.

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Hurricane Kenna - The Mexican coast was completely devastated by the severe storm, which destroyed many homes and left a number of people dead.

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Hurricane Kenna - It took a long time for life to return to normal due to the vast scale of destruction done to the west coast of Mexico.

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Hurricane Katrina - One of the most cataclysmic hurricanes of all time happened in 2005, when winds reached speeds of 280 km/h.

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Hurricane Katrina - It began as a category 1 hurricane as it struck the Bahamas and Florida, before going on to hit the gulf of Mexico and becoming a category 5. Over 1,800 people died.

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Hurricane Katrina - Besides causing a colossal loss of life, it also left many without homes, tearing people's lives apart. Financial losses in the United States totaled US$80 billion.

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Hurricane Ivan - This hurricane, which struck in 2004, was one of the most devastating in history, causing irreparable damage.

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Hurricane Ivan - With winds reaching 225 km/h, Ivan battered the states of Alabama, Florida, Texas, and Louisiana in the US, in addition to parts of Jamaica and the Caribbean.

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Hurricane Ivan - In addition to the substantial damage to houses and buildings, over 120 people lost their lives.

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Hurricane Ike - This hurricane in 2008 was one of the most destructive ever to hit the United States.

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Hurricane Ike - Over 100 people died in the storm and the US suffered around US$29 billion worth of damage.

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Hurricane Irene - Fifty people lost their lives and many others were made homeless as torrential rains caused widespread flooding.

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Hurricane Irene - It caused US$11 billion worth of damages and was classified as a category 3 hurricane on the Saffir-Simpson scale.

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Hurricane Matthew - The powerful hurricane hit a number of countries in 2016, including Jamaica, Cuba, the Dominican Republic, the Bahamas, the United States, and Haiti.

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Hurricane Matthew - This one was yet another storm that destroyed everything in its path, principally in Haiti and the surrounding area. Many people lost their homes and businesses.

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Hurricane Matthew - Hurricane Matthew was classified as a category 5 on the Saffir-Simpson scale, with winds that surpassed 250km/h. Over 600 people died in the storm.

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Hurricane Harvey - August 2017 saw yet another catastrophic hurricane. The National Weather Service revealed that 49.32 in (125.3 cm) of rain fell on the city of Houston, in southeast Texas.

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Hurricane Harvey -

Thousands of people were forced to flee their homes and many more died in the tragedy. According to the US government, the hurricane has caused more than US$42 billion worth of damage.

Getty Images

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The world's most devastating tropical storms

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LIFESTYLE Hurricanes

With storms like these, you truly cannot be too careful. Discover the most lethal and destructive tropical storms in history in the following gallery.