Hurricane Nate facts for kids
Hurricane Nate was a powerful storm that formed in the Atlantic Ocean in 2017. It started on October 4, 2017. Nate caused a lot of damage and was the most expensive natural disaster ever for Costa Rica. It brought heavy rain and strong winds, leading to many deaths and destruction in Central America when it was still a tropical storm.
Nate's Journey
Nate became a hurricane as it moved through the Yucatán Channel. This channel is a narrow sea passage between Mexico and Cuba. The storm moved very quickly, heading north-northwest at 29 miles per hour. This made it the fastest-moving tropical cyclone ever recorded in the Gulf of Mexico.
After crossing the Gulf, Hurricane Nate hit the southeastern part of Louisiana and southern Mississippi. It was a Category 1 hurricane when it made landfall in the United States. Nate was the fourth hurricane to hit the United States or its territories that year. This was unusual, as it had been 12 years since so many hurricanes had struck in one season.
Impact and Damage
Hurricane Nate caused a lot of harm and sadly, many lives were lost. In total, 48 people died because of the storm.
- Nicaragua: 16 deaths
- Costa Rica: 14 deaths
- Panama: 7 deaths
- Guatemala: 5 deaths
- Honduras: 3 deaths
- United States: 2 deaths
- El Salvador: 1 death
The total damage from Hurricane Nate was about $787 million USD. This huge cost shows how powerful and destructive the storm was.
Name Retired
Because of the serious damage and the number of people who died, the name Nate was officially removed from the list of hurricane names on April 11, 2018. This is a common practice for very destructive storms. The name Nigel will be used instead for a future storm in 2023.
Images for kids
-
Infrared satellite loop of Nate making landfall in the Mississippi River Delta on October 8
-
Tropical Storm Nate over Nicaragua on October 5
-
Rainbow infrared satellite loop of Nate passing the Yucatán Channel on October 6
-
A washed out road in Jackson County, Mississippi.
See also
In Spanish: Huracán Nate para niños