Реферат: Hurricane Georges Essay Research Paper Hurricane GeorgesA

brought it bubbling to the surface.”

Bulldozing across Puerto Rico on September 21,

1998, Hurricane Georges served

up a powerful reminder of what nature can do: rivers

overflowed, trees were strewn like

matchsticks across highways, and 4 million people were left

without power.At least five

Puerto Ricans were killed – along with at least six others

who died as a result of the storm

elsewhere in the Caribbean. Damages reached $2 billion.

Although accustomed to

hurricanes every few years, Puerto Ricans were stunned by

the widespread impact of

Georges. Its 110 mph winds spared not an inch of the U.S.

territory as it swept westward

after hitting ground late September 21,1998.President

Clinton declared Puerto Rico a

disaster area. Georges raked the island, denuding

hillsides, toppling power lines, peeling

off roofs. Road signs on the Luis A. Ferre Expressway

simply disappeared, billboards

were flung aside and street debris ranged from porch

awnings to a Gulf gasoline station

sign.As the rains receded, rivers swelled, overflowing

their banks in the northern coastal

towns of Arecibo and Barceloneta. The tree-lined streets of

Barceloneta were under 4 feet

of water, and more than 200 homes lost their roofs. In the

capital of San Juan, where