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Sep 20, 2018

All About Hurricanes

Hurricanes are what scientists call "strongtropical cyclones." They're a large, rotating(/article/5207-the-science-of-skateboarding)system of clouds, wind and thunderstormactivity that wreaks havoc wherever it goes.Get the goods on one of the most damagingand deadliest natural disasters (/quiz/4883-quiz-test-your-natural-disaster-knowledge) ofthe world.

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What is a Hurricane?A hurricane, tropical cyclone, or typhoon is asevere tropical storm that forms in theAtlantic Ocean, Caribbean Sea, Gulf of Mexico(/article/515-travel-exploring-mexico) orPacific Ocean. When large areas of the ocean(/article/5316-overview-of-oceans) becomeheated, the air pressure over that area drops,causing thunderstorms (/article/435-weather-when-lightning-strikes), incrediblewaves (/article/2410-get-involved-with-surfing) and violent winds that start at 74 mph.Hurricanes rotate in a counter-clockwisedirection around an "eye." When they comeonto land, the torrential rains, winds andwaves can damage buildings, trees and cars.In the US, the o!cial Atlantic hurricane seasonis from June 1 to November 30, and thePacific hurricane season runs from May 15 toNovember 30. However, hurricanes canhappen at any time of the year.

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Deadliest Hurricane of All Time?

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Hurricane Andrew.

Hurricane Isadore.

The Great GalvestonHurricane.

Category One - 74-95 mph winds.Category Two - 96-110 mph winds.Category Three - 111-130 mph winds.Category Four - 131-155 mph winds.Category Five - Winds greater than 155 mph.

This is what a Hurricane looks like from above

Hurricane ClassificationBased on their wind speeds (/article/1317-wind-energy) and damage potential,hurricanes are ranked according to the Sa!r-Simpson Hurricane Scale. It starts at one(lowest winds) and goes up to five (highestwinds).

Hurricane Classification Chart

The Naming ProcessA tropical storm is given a name once itswinds reach 40 mph. In keeping with theEnglish practice (/article/3942-guy-fawkes-day) of referring to inanimate objects (like cars

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The hurricane of 1812.

and boats) as female, hurricanes were namedafter girls. The first storm of the year wasassigned a name beginning with the letter "A,"the second with a "B" and so on. However,guys' names (/article/1622-celebs-real-names) were introduced in 1979 and now, thenames are alternated. Some hurricanesnames are Andrew, Fran and Hugo.

Hurricane KatrinaOn August 24, 2005, a Category Onehurricane formed in the Atlantic Ocean and hitMiami, FL, causing major flooding, loss ofpower (/article/1477-geothermal-energy) tomore than one million residents, and 11deaths. This hurricane, named Katrina, laterbecame a Category 5, with winds of 175 mph,and hit Lousiana, Mississippi, Alabama,Georgia, Tennessee, Kentucky and may evenreach parts of Canada. Nearly 2,000 peopledied as cities were flooded (/article/824-

Hurricane Watch - A hurricane is possiblewithin 36 hours. You should stay tuned to theradio (/entertainment/music) or television(/entertainment/tv) for more information.Hurricane Warning - A hurricane with windsof 74 mph is expected within 24 hours. Youmay have to prepare to evacuate your home.

Tornadoes (/article/577-all-about-tornadoes)Tsunamis (/article/1723-tsunamis)Earthquakes (/article/503-the-shake-up-on-earthquakes)Quiz! Test Your Natural Disaster Knowledge(/quiz/4883-quiz-test-your-natural-disaster-knowledge)More Weather Facts! (/brain-candy/the-lab)

when-it-rains-it-pours), buildings weredestroyed and hundreds of thousands ofresidents were forced to flee their homes.Hurricane Katrina was one of the four fiercestUS storms ever seen.

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