Citation

Rappaport EN. Bull. Am. Meterol. Soc. 2000; 81(9): 2065-2073.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2000, American Meteorological Society, Publisher Allen Press)

DOI

10.1175/1520-0477(2000)081<2065:LOLITU>2.3.CO;2

PMID

unavailable

Abstract

A database was established for the period 1970-99 to assess the threat to life in the contiguous United States and adjacent coastal waters from Atlantic tropical cyclones. Freshwater floods caused more than one-half of the 600 U.S. drowning deaths directly associated with tropical cyclones or their remnants during that 30-year period. More than three-quarters of the victims under age 13 died in rain-induced floods. Most fatalities occurred in inland counties. Storm surge losses were significantly (but perhaps only temporarily) less than in previous periods of comparable length. This paper presents a statistical summary of the casualties, explores reasons for the losses, and reviews efforts to mitigate the threats.

Language: en