It is an unusual coincidence that all the members of the Castillo family are named after famous hurricanes. Learn more about these hurricanes below.
Other Famous Hurricanes:
In 1969, Hurricane Camille unleashed its devastating fury on the United States, killing 256 people and causing an estimated $5 billion in property damage. This storm was one of only a few Category 5 hurricanes to hit the U.S. since 1900.
Camille generated a huge storm surge, raising the water level 24 feet above normal in Mississippi. When it made landfall, this hurricane blasted coastal areas with sustained winds of 170 mph and gusts over 200 mph. After Camille moved inland, its heavy rains caused extensive flooding in West Virginia and Virginia. Floods killed half of the people who perished in this storm.
On 11 September 1961, Hurricane Carla smashed across the central Texas coast. Carla, a Category 4 hurricane with sustained winds of 145 miles per hour, was one of the most powerful and devastating hurricanes in United States history. The storm killed 46 people and caused nearly $2 billion in damage.
Four years later after Carla, Hurricane Betsy killed 75 people and caused $6.5 billion in damage. Betsy was one of the most unpredictable hurricanes in United States history. Just as it appeared to be curving out into the open Atlantic Ocean, it suddenly changed directions, taking aim directly for South Florida. Betsy crossed southeast Florida into the Gulf of Mexico and then hit Louisiana.
On 16 September 1999, Hurricane Floyd made landfall on the North Carolina coast, kicking off a series of deadly floods from the Carolinas all the way to New England. Even though Floyd was only a Category 2 hurricane, it killed more people (56) than the Category 4 powerhouse Andrew did in 1992.
When Floyd collided with a cold front in the eastern United States, it caused intense rains—as much as 15-20 inches in some places—that led to the deadly floods. Damage estimates ranged from $4.5 billion to $6 billion. 56 people were killed by Hurricane Floyd, 50 of whom drowned in inland floods. Half of these were in cars or trucks crossing flooded areas or low spots where flood waters rose rapidly.
In September 1989, an ominous and powerful hurricane grew to Category 5 strength before raking across the Caribbean islands of Guadeloupe, Monserrat, and Puerto Rico. Hugo killed 41 people in the Caribbean before taking aim at South Carolina. When Hugo struck South Carolina, its Category 4 winds and storm surge caused major destruction in coastal communities.
Hugo killed 12 people and injured another 400 people in South Carolina as it tore across the state. But these numbers would have been much higher if 216,000 people had not been evacuated from coastal areas before Hugo’s arrival. Hugo caused an estimated $7 billion in damage.
While not a part of the Castillo family's story, this 1900 Texas hurricane is interesting because it is one of the largest disasters ever (in terms of lives lost) in the United States. This hurricane had 120 mile-per-hour winds and generated a 20-foot deep storm surge that swept over the entire island. About 3,500 homes were demolished as it killed between 6,000 and 8,000 people. Many people drowned in the storm surge waters, while many others were killed by flying debris during the night as they clung to the floating wreckage of smashed houses.
In August, 1992, a hurricane named Andrew made landfall in both South Florida and Louisiana.
Although Andrew was a relatively small hurricane, it packed a powerful punch, with sustained winds of 145 miles per hour and gusts over 175 miles per hour. This Category 4 hurricane caused over $30 billion in damage, as it annihilated several Florida communities. More than 60,000 homes were destroyed and 200,000 people were left homeless. In addition, 53 lives were lost.
With winds up to 184 mph, Gilbert was one of the strongest hurricanes ever observed in the Atlantic, Caribbean, and Gulf of Mexico. This hurricane had an unusually low barometric pressure for an Atlantic hurricane—888 mb. Gilbert first ran across the length of Jamaica, devastating the island as it continued to the Yucatan peninsula. The eye wall weakened shortly before landfall, and the winds decreased to category 3 levels, sparing the area the effects of a category 5 storm. It then made landfall again in Northern Mexico where it caused serious flooding in the Monterrey region.