Deadly 2017 Atlantic Hurricane Season Comes To An End
BALTIMORE (WJZ) -- Not only was the 2017 hurricane season the most expensive on record, it also left hundreds dead.
It was a nightmare of a season that brought 17 named storms, 10 of them hurricanes. And for the first time ever, three reached Category 4 status: Harvey, Irma and Maria.
The reported death toll from 2017's Atlantic storms now stands at 438 people, although the actual number could be higher.
And according to research scientists Chuck Watson and Mark Johnson, the storms that came ashore this past season cost more than $200 billion.
That includes at least $32 billion in damages from Maria, $60 billion from Irma and $114 billion from Harvey.
The Mayor of Houston says federal dollars are in high demand, "in order to not only put us back to where we were prior to Harvey, but to put us, help to put us in a better place so that we're more resilient," says Mayor Sylvester Turner.
The 2018 season is just six months away, after all. It officially begins June 1. However, tropical storms have been known to form in the Atlantic as early as January.
"They say it's a 500 year flood bu you never know," says Houston resident Emilio Gutierrez.
And the fear is not knowing whether next year will be even worse.
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