1970’s Natural Disasters By: Austin Klingaman, Cole Johnson, Lucas “Cookie” Cook

Hurricane Celia Hurricane Celia did not produce torrential rains and massive flooding over thousands of square miles that so often accompany storms of this magnitude. The heaviest storm rainfall was in the immediate Corpus Christi area, where 6.50 inches fell at Aransas Pass, while 6.30 inches and 6.31 inches fell at the Corpus Christi airport, and at Robstown, respectively. General rains of 3 to 4 inches of less accompanied the hurricane along its path across south Texas. Rains of 4 inches or more were reported in the Eagle Pass area; the official total at Eagle Pass was 4.70 inches. the towns of Pearsall and Jourdanton, only 30 to 40 miles north fo the hurricane center, received no rain at all. Several other towns 40 to 50 miles north of the storm center also remained dry.

Peru Earthquake The earthquake, which lasted for about 45 seconds, occurred at 15:23:31 local time. The epicenter of this quake was located 35 km off Peru coast in the Pacific Ocean. The quake having a magnitude of 7.9 to 8.0 on the Richter scale

Hurricane Agnes The most destructive, widespread flooding to occur in the eastern United States occurred in June 1972 as a result of Hurricane Agnes. Unlike some other flood producing hurricanes in the northeast, Agnes was not a particularly strong hurricane

Hurricane Anita Anita was the most intense storm of the season, reaching Category 5 on the Saffir- Simpson Scale. Anita moved through the Gulf Of Mexico in an unusual southwest direction, slamming into Mexico, south of the Texas border. Anita killed 10 people. The amount of damage was never recorded. The name Anita was retired following this storm.

Bangladesh, Cyclone In 1970, a cyclone and related floods killed about 500,000 people. With winds of up to 230 km/h, the cyclone crashed into the heavily populated coastal area of the Bay of Bengal, where several river deltas normally provide fertile land. The terrible winds produced massive waves, which wiped out many entire villages. Millions of people were left homeless in this country that is one of the most densely populated and one of the poorest in the world.

Oil Spill July 19, The Atlantic Empress spilled 287,000 metric tones of oil in the Caribbean – the largest oil spill on record.

Hurricane Ginger As it moved northwestward towards North Carolina, it gradually re-strengthened. On the 29th it reached its second peak, this time of 100 M.P.H. winds, but steadily weakened prior to landfall. On September 30, Ginger hit Morehead City, North Carolina as a minimal hurricane. It brought heavy rains to North Carolina, causing $10,000,000 in damage, but no deaths. As it moved inland, it continued to lose strength, and on October 3, while located near Williamsburg, Virginia, Ginger lost her tropical characteristics. The extratropical low moved off the coast, finally dissipating on October 3 rd.

Hurricane Bob Bob formed as a depression in the southwest Gulf of Mexico on July 9th and began moving northeast in advance of a low pressure trough approaching from the west. An Air Force reconnaissance plane reported a developing tropical storm centered about 400 miles south of the Louisiana coast on the morning of July 10th with winds of 60 mph and lowest pressure of 998 Bob was upgraded to a hurricane early in the evening on the 10th as an afternoon reconnaissance flight reported hurricane force winds and a pressure of 988. Bob turned more to the north and accelerated to a forward speed of 17 mph as it crossed the Louisiana coast near Grand Isle, Louisiana, about day break on July 11th.The maximum sustained wind of 75 mph and minimum central pressure of 986 bob occurred near landfall. The remnants of Bob gave 3-5 inches of rain in southern Indiana, causing significant flooding. Bob turned southeast and moved across northeast North Carolina on the 15th as a tropical depression before moving back out to sea.

Hurricane David From August 28 to September 7, 1979, David caused over $1.2 billion in damages including nearly $500 million in the United States.

Blizzard in New England The 1977 in New England caused an estimated $300,000,000 in damage - mostly in Buffalo, New York. President Carter declared nine New England counties Federal Disaster Areas which allowed the counties to receive federal relief aid. This was the first time such a declaration was made due to snow. It may have fiscally saved the city.

Hurricane Carmen Hurricane Carmen formed a few hundred miles east of the Lesser Antilles. It strengthened considerably becoming a tropical storm passing just south of Hispaniola and Jamaica as a category one hurricane. The storm strengthened quickly making landfall in the Yucatan Peninsula as a category two hurricane on September 2, down from a category four just 150 miles east of the coast. Just as quickly as the storm strengthened it weakened back to a Tropical Storm. Carmen once again fed off of the 85 degree September waters of the Gulf of Mexico and strengthened right back to category four just before making landfall in Morgan City, Louisiana on September 8 as a category one hurricane. It deteriorated further dissipating over East Texas on September 10.Carmen claimed only four lives. Only one person was killed in the United States. United States damage is estimated at $150 million. The name Carmen was retired following this storm.

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