Poll: Which of the $15 billion hurricanes was the worst?

[quandary]

So, since we're doing some polls in the offseason, I want to make a poll about 3 storms: Ivan, Charley and Wilma.

Ivan caused 14.2 billion dollars in damage in the United States. Charley caused 15 billion and Wilma's current total stacks at 14.4 billion. However, these numbers have huge margins of error, so it is safe to say that all three storms produced the same amount of damage in the United States. Now, the question is... which of them was the worst? However, do not consider just the impact on the United States and consider all facets of the impact.

Charley impacted Cuba and Jamaica before hitting the United States. It hit Cuba as a major (reanalyzed to 115 mph) and caused some damages there. It also had tremendous shock power... it was the herald to the two seasons of doom and gloom and was one of the few storms that strengthened rapidly before landfall. It is also the strongest (by windspeed) storm to hit the United States since Andrew in 1992.

Ivan left a trail of destruction from Grenada to Jamaica to the Caymans to Cuba. It caused numerous deaths and had a significant impact on a wide area (unlike Charley). It also maintained itself remarkably well up until a few hours before landfall; there is that amazing picture of Ivan about 10 hours before landfall, having a large clear eye. However, it then quickly died in the six hours before landfall, saving the coast from wind but not waves.

Wilma devastated the Cancun and Cozumel area beyond any other storm in recent memory. It then went on to hit the United States as a Cat 3, regaining Cat 3 status again and again to most people's surprise.

[StormScanWx]

I voted Ivan.

[Matt-hurricanewatcher]

Katrina all the way if it was on that list...But Wilma messed up the Yuctan...Charley destroyed things for the first time since Andrew. Ivan leveled some houses on a island. In then destroyed a area of the Gulf coast.

I say
1# Charley
2# Wilma
3# Ivan

[Buck]

Just going by US damage, no where else... I'd say Ivan. Charley's swath of damage was small compared to the other two and Ivan devastated more areas it seems than Wilma, although damage was severe with both storms.

[quandary]

Well, the idea is to go by total impact. The numerical damages in the United States came out to be 15, 14.4 and 14.2 billion for Charley, Wilma and Ivan. The errors in these estimates are huge, 10-25%, so they are essentially the same. Of course, we can consider the area of impact and also the social impact (poorer people are impacted more than wealthier people by a loss of the same dollar amount).

[docjoe]

I think one thing that makes a difference is where the storm went once it left the immediate coast line. All 3 storms crossed a coastline with significant development. Charley and Wilma also struck urban areas of reasonable size and high end development as well as urban infrastructure. Once Ivan left the coastline it went throught the rural panhandle and rural south alabama...areas devoid of significant urban and high end development. If the panhandle and LA had development like central and south florida most likely the total cost of damage would have been markedly higher.

docjoe