Hurricane Ike Path
Hurricane Ike’s path started as a tropical depression that formed on September 1, 2008, near the Cape Verde Islands off the coast of West Africa. It rapidly intensified on September 4 and then weakened slightly as it approached the Turks and Caicos Islands and southeastern Bahamas. After passing over Cuba, Hurricane Ike made landfall in Galveston, Texas, on September 13, 2008. The storm caused significant damage and flooding along the Texas coast, as well as in Louisiana and other areas along the Gulf Coast. After making landfall, hurricane weakened as it moved inland over Texas and eventually dissipated over the United States on September 14, 2008.
Category of Hurricane Ike
Hurricane Ike was a very powerful storm and reached Category 4 status on the Saffir-Simpson Hurricane Wind Scale, with maximum sustained winds of 145 miles per hour and a minimum central pressure of 935 millibars. However, the storm weakened slightly before making landfall in Galveston, Texas, as a Category 2 hurricane, with sustained winds of around 110 miles per hour.
Ike Damage
Hurricane Ike caused significant damage and destruction in the areas it affected. In the Caribbean, the storm caused widespread flooding and landslides in Haiti, the Dominican Republic, and Cuba, resulting in at least 195 deaths.
In the United States, Ike caused widespread power outages and significant damage to buildings and infrastructure along the Texas coast, particularly in the Galveston area. The storm surge caused by the hurricane also resulted in significant flooding in many areas, including parts of Louisiana and Mississippi.
Overall, Hurricane Ike was responsible for at least 195 deaths and caused an estimated $38 billion in damages, making it one of the costliest hurricanes in United States history. The storm caused significant economic impact, particularly in the energy industry, with many oil refineries and offshore drilling platforms shut down in the days and weeks following the storm.