| I know Irene is "only" a category 1, but it's also a category 1 heading through DC, Baltimore, Philadelphia, New York, and Boston. That's 11 million people in just those cities. I've heard estimates as high as 40-50 million people in the path of this hurricane. How many storms affect that many people? Plus people seem to think higher category equals more expensive damage, but the category is only a measure of wind speed, and this storm is generating large flood conditions. Floods in places unprepared to handle floods. If you've ever had a flooded basement you know how expensive that can be to fix. So basically the death toll will be small (maybe in the teens), but the clean-up bill is going to be huge. |
Deadliest Atlantic Hurricanes 
Oceania Populous Cities 
Final Episode (2000s)
