Hurricane Ike facts for kids
| Category 4 major hurricane (SSHWS/NWS) | |
Hurricane Ike near peak intensity on September 4
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| Formed | September 1, 2008 |
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| Dissipated | September 14, 2008 |
| Highest winds | 1-minute sustained: 145 mph (230 km/h) |
| Lowest pressure | 935 mbar (hPa); 27.61 inHg |
| Damage | $38 billion (2008 USD) |
| Areas affected | Turks and Caicos, Bahamas, Haiti, Dominican Republic, Cuba, Florida Keys, Mississippi, Louisiana, Texas, Mississippi Valley, Ohio Valley, Great Lakes region, eastern Canada |
| Part of the 2008 Atlantic hurricane season | |
Hurricane Ike was a very powerful and damaging tropical cyclone. It hit the United States in 2008. Ike caused about $38 billion in damage. This made it one of the most expensive hurricanes in U.S. history. It was the sixth-costliest Atlantic hurricane ever.
Ike was the ninth named storm of the 2008 Atlantic hurricane season. It was also the fifth hurricane and third major hurricane that year. Hurricane Ike caused up to 195 deaths. Most of these deaths happened in Haiti and the U.S. Haiti was already recovering from other storms. These included Tropical Storm Fay, Hurricane Gustav, and Hurricane Hanna.
How Hurricane Ike Formed
The storm that became Hurricane Ike began near Africa. It started as a weather disturbance on August 28. The storm quickly grew stronger. It moved towards the west-northwest across the ocean.
On September 1, the storm officially formed. It became Tropical Depression Nine. This happened while it was over the central Atlantic Ocean. Later that same day, Tropical Depression Nine got stronger. It was then named Tropical Storm Ike.
After the Storm: Ike's Legacy
| Rank | Hurricane | Season | Damage | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Katrina | 2005 | $108 billion | ||
| 2 | Sandy | 2012 | $71.4 billion | ||
| 3 | Ike | 2008 | $29.5 billion | ||
| 4 | Andrew | 1992 | $26.5 billion | ||
| 5 | Wilma | 2005 | $21 billion | ||
| 6 | Ivan | 2004 | $18.8 billion | ||
| 7 | Irene | 2011 | $15.6 billion | ||
| 8 | Charley | 2004 | $15.1 billion | ||
| 9 | Rita | 2005 | $12 billion | ||
| 10 | Frances | 2004 | $9.51 billion | ||
| Source: National Hurricane Center | |||||
Hurricane names are sometimes "retired." This happens if a storm causes a lot of damage. In spring 2009, the name "Ike" was retired. This was because of the severe damage it caused. The damage was especially bad in Texas.
When a name is retired, a new name takes its place. The name "Isaias" replaced "Ike." This new name was used for the 2014 season.
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Tropical cyclones of the 2008 Atlantic hurricane season |
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Images for kids
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Meteorological prediction of Ike's path on September 3, 2008
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Hurricane Ike approaching Cuba as a Category 4 hurricane
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A Florida Army National Guardsman uses a Single Mobile User Case Set to send a situation report on ongoing preparations for Hurricane Ike in Key West, Florida.
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A US-Air Force Staff Sergeant receives a hug from a resident after Hurricane Ike, September 13, 2008.
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Numerous hurricane-damaged houses, buildings, and structures were still to be found in early January 2009 on Grand Turk.
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The remains of a school in Port-au-Prince, Haiti on September 15, 2008
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Radar animation of Ike at landfall
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A Coast Guard helicopter flying over New Iberia, Louisiana
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Damage from Ike in Gilchrist, which was largely destroyed by the hurricane
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Flood waters begin to rise in a neighbourhood of Bayou Vista, Texas.
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Flooding in Galveston, Texas
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Windows were broken throughout the JPMorgan Chase Tower.
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Ike's storm total rainfall across the United States
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Accumulations in Canada
See also
In Spanish: Huracán Ike para niños
