It will come as little consolation to the millions whose homes and businesses are currently being devastated by wind and flood but Irma is by no means the worst recorded storm to hit the U.S.
In recent years both Andrew (1992) and Katrina (2005) ranked higher; and the worst remains the 1935 Labor Day storm where wind speed on landfall was 160 kts – 45 kts faster than Irma.
The rankings were compiled by hurricane expert Philip Klotzbach of the Department of Atmospheric Science at Colorado State University. (h/t Watts Up With That?)
Table of all hurricanes with landfall pressures <= 940 mb at time of U.S. landfall. #Irma was 929 mb and #Harvey was 938 mb. pic.twitter.com/suhreEDMr3
— Philip Klotzbach (@philklotzbach) September 10, 2017
This hasn’t, of course, prevented the usual suspects from trying to make political mileage out of this natural weather event.
As a massive hurricane bears down on us, please remember that one American political party literally does not believe in science.
— Michael Ian Black (@michaelianblack) September 9, 2017
But for those who prefer science to propaganda, here is the truth about major hurricanes in the U.S.: the frequency in the last 150 years has declined, NOT increased.
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