Hurricane Gilbert: Jamaica is decimated and Mexico is hit as well in what is estimated as $5 billion in damage

Winds travelling at 185mph are powerful enough to bend traffic lights like aluminum wire, uproot trees, and sweep houses away. When a tropical storm hits there is practically nowhere to run. Stronger storms become hurricanes, forming from pressure between hot air emitted from the warm ocean, and colder air from above, going on in a cycle faster and faster until it revolves around the eye of the storm.

On this day September 13th, in 1988 Hurricane Gilbert struck Jamaica and Mexico, causing an estimated as $5 billion worth in damages. Areas of Kingston, Jamaica were described as looking like Hiroshima after being struck with the atomic bomb.

Hurricane Gilbert was the most intense hurricane observed in the Atlantic basin until Hurricane Wilma surpassed it in 2005. Due to the widespread impact, extensive damage, and extreme loss of life, the name Gilbert was retired – never to be used again and replaced instead with Gordon.