Hurricane Maxwell

On September 17, 2027, Hurricane Maxwell reshaped life in the United States, and helped to create the conditions for the future Unified America Project (UAP) to form. Maxwell was the first major storm of what would be recognized as a “new normal” climate dynamic. It made landfall in West Palm Beach, Florida, with 278 mph winds - above the upper limit of a Category 5 on the Saffir-Simpson Scale. The exact landfall point meant very little. On that first night, Maxwell tore apart the entire landmass from the east coast of Florida to New Orleans. Tens of millions of people were displaced, almost a million were killed. Then, it turned northeast, killing at least a thousand people each in Georgia and South Carolina, respectively. The storm moved out to sea, but when it came to rest over the Atlantic, it regained strength to become a Category 4 again, turned inland, and went on to destroy vulnerable areas along the northern Virginia coast. Flood waters in Washington D.C. reached 15 feet, and it rained for ten days along most of the coast as the tail was left behind. Only those people who had been able to evacuate to a safe distance or tried to outrun the storm had survived. Almost the entire state of Florida, and areas around Mobile and New Orleans remained unlivable, no structures were ever rebuilt, and no one could ever return. Maxwell was a wake up call for the governments of the world to the true dangers of superstorms. Post-Maxwell, the United States started developing and experimenting with different kinds of geo-domes. Protocities were tested in the New Mexico and Nevada deserts, and the first approved geo-dome went into construction over Manhattan in 2031. As extreme weather events and intense heat and cold frightened the public, the dome plans expanded. Larger settlements and industrial areas were domed, and almost the entire population moved inside. Maxwell’s devastation also played a huge role in the Texas Revolutionary War. Most political analysts and scholars would have predicted that when Texas and parts of the West broke away from the federal government, the Deep South would join (or at least follow). However, these states were not ready to withstand a superstorm even close to the size and strength of Maxwell, and were less prepared to rebuild than other areas of the country. Even late into the 2050’s, most Southern states were so depleted in terms of both population and economy, they were completely dependent on the federal government for the absolute basics. When the UAP was born and the Omega took power, the Deep South had no choice but to remain on the side of the Federalists.

Type

Natural