Hurricane James

Hurricane Samuel was a destructive Category 5 hurricane that hit the East Coast of the United States in late July of the destructive 2015 Atlantic Hurricane Season. The Season was already showing signs of major activity before Samuel was born. When the hurricane hit, it brought with it death and destruction.

Hurricane Samuel started out as a tropical wave on the Cape Verde Islands on July 4, at around 1800 hours UST. The tropical wave produced a tropical depression at around 0045 hours UST on July 5, and in 12 hours, it intensified into a tropical storm. It was given a name: Samuel. At a rate of 10 mph (16 km/h), the storm crossed the Atlantic Ocean basin. By July 8, the storm was a category 2, with winds of up to 100 mph (160 km/h). The hurricane continued to grow, and by July 15, the hurricane was a high-end category 4, with winds reaching 155 mph (250 km/h) and a pressure of 930 millibars. On July 18, the hurricane was discovered to have reached category 5 strength, with winds of up to 160 mph (270 km/h).

When the National Weather Service realized the hurricane was going to hit the East Coast before curving, Northern Florida, most of Georgia, and much of South Carolina was forced into evacuation. But as the hurricane intensified, it was realized the hurricane was still a force to be reckoned with.

On July 19, the hurricane was measured to have winds exceeding 175 mph (280 km/h), with gust going beyond 200 mph (320 km/h). The pressure was measured at approximately 900 millibars, and the hurricane was measured to be 375 miles (640 km) across. Hurricane-force winds reached a distance of 125 miles (200 km/h), and tropical-storm-force winds extended to 375 miles (600 km). The hurricane's forward speed was discovered to have increased, from 10 miles (16 km) to 25 miles (40 km).

On July 19, at approximately 2345 hours EST, the hurricane hit Savannah, Georgia at peak strength. With winds of up to 175 mph (280 km) and a pressure of 900 millibars. The hurricane hit at high tide, which made the storm surge even higher. The hurricane destroyed many structures in the city, which lead to thousands of fatalities. To make matters worse, the storm surge, which exceeded 30 feet (9 meters), flooded over 10 miles inland, destroying thousands more structures and killing thousands more. By the time the hurricane left, it had left a path of destruction dozens of miles long and dozens of miles wide. Some witnesses said that the hurricane had left some areas looking like a tornado hit the region. The hurricane caused massive destruction as far inland as Augusta, Georgia, killing hundreds more.

By the time the hurricane left the U.S. as a minor extratropical cyclone, on July 21, the hurricane had left much of Georgia devastated. Damages exceeded $100 billion, with a death toll of 12,000. Of that number, 9,000 died in Savannah, some of them from the high winds. The region would later be affected by the weaker but still devastating Hurricane Clem, a category 4 hurricane that killed thousands more in Savannah.

It is expected to take years for the region to normal.