Hurricane Iris of 2001 was the most destructive tropical cyclone in
Belize since Hurricane Hattie in 1961. Iris was the second-strongest
storm of the 2001 Atlantic hurricane season, behind Hurricane Michelle.
While passing south of the Dominican Republic, Iris dropped heavy
rainfall that caused landslides, killing eight people. Later, the
hurricane passed south of Jamaica, where it destroyed two houses. On
reaching the western Caribbean Sea, it rapidly intensified to
Category 4 on the Saffir–Simpson scale. A small hurricane with an eye
of only 7 miles (11 km) in diameter, it reached peak winds of 145 mph
(230 km/h) before making landfall in Belize. The storm killed
24 people there, including 20 who died when a scuba diving boat
capsized near Big Creek. It also killed eight people and damaged about
2,500 homes in neighboring Guatemala, and later dropped heavy rainfall
in southern Mexico, where two people died. Destruction in Belize totaled
US$250 million. Because Iris was compact, the damage was confined to
72% of the houses in the Toledo district and 50% of the houses in the
Stann Creek district.
Read more: <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hurricane_Iris>
_______________________________
Today's selected anniversaries:
1895:
The first US Open golf tournament was held on a nine-hole
course at the Newport Country Club in Newport, Rhode Island.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/U.S._Open_(golf)>
1917:
First World War: The British devastated the German defence in
the Battle of Broodseinde, which prompted a crisis among the German
commanders and caused a severe loss of morale in the German Fourth Army.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Broodseinde>
1941:
Willie Gillis, one of Norman Rockwell's trademark characters,
debuted on the cover of the Saturday Evening Post.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Willie_Gillis>
1976:
British Rail's InterCity 125 service, the world's fastest
diesel-powered train, began operations on the Western Region.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/InterCity_125>
2003:
A suicide bomber killed 21 people and injured more than 50
others inside the Maxim restaurant in Haifa, Israel.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Maxim_restaurant_suicide_bombing>
_____________________________
Wiktionary's word of the day:
Sputnik moment:
The moment when a country or a society realizes that it needs to catch
up with apparent technological and scientific developments made by some
other country or countries by increasing its investment into education,
innovative research and development, etc.
<https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/Sputnik_moment>
___________________________
Wikiquote quote of the day:
Unjust attacks on public men do them more good than unmerited
praise. They are hurt less by undeserved censure than by undeserved
commendation. Abuse helps; often praise hurts.
--Rutherford B. Hayes
<https://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/Rutherford_B._Hayes>