Hurricanes

HurricanesA large, rotating tropical weather system with wind speeds of at least 119 km/h.

Hurricanes are the most powerful storms on Earth

In the western North Pacific and Philippines, these systems are called "typhoons" while in the Indian and South Pacific Ocean, they

are called "cyclones".

The name "hurricane" is given to systems that develop over the Atlantic or the eastern Pacific Oceans.

Conditions / RegionsConditions:

• Warm air and water

• Thunderstorms move out to sea or form over seas

*Most of our hurricanes begin as thunderstorms over central Africa

Regions:

• Between 50 & 200 North & South Latitudes

• Over warm tropical oceans

In the Northern Hemisphere, the season runs from June 1st to

November 30th

The Southern Hemisphere generally experiences hurricane activity from

January to March

This photo is a composite of three days' views (Aug. 23, 24 and 25, 1992) of

Hurricane Andrew as it slowly moved across south Florida from east to west.

It can take anywhere from hours to days for a tropical disturbance to develop into a hurricane.

1. Tropical depression: wind speeds of less than 38 mph

2. Tropical storm: wind speeds of 39 to 73 mph 3. Hurricane: wind speeds greater than 74 mph

Between 80 and 100 tropical storms develop each year around the world. Many of them die out before they can grow too strong, but around half of them eventually achieve hurricane status.

Formation• Thunderstorms move over warm tropical waters

• Winds traveling from two different directions collide

• Rotation over an area of low pressure

• Counter-clockwise movement

http://www.cbsnews.com/htdocs/natural_disasters/hurricanes/framesource_flash.html

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/science/nature/4588149.stm

How Do Hurricanes Get Their Names?

The first use of a proper name for a tropical cyclone was by an Australian forecaster early in the 20th century. He gave tropical cyclone names "after political figures whom he disliked.

During World War II, US Army Air Corp and Navy meteorologists named Pacific storms after their girlfriends or wives.

From 1950 to 1952, tropical cyclones, including hurricanes in the North Atlantic Ocean, were identified by the standard radio names: Able; Baker; Charlie;... etc., but in 1953 the US Weather Bureau switched back to women's names.

Then, in a politically correct move in 1979, the WMO and the US National Weather Service (NWS) added men's names.

Today names for these storms are approved by a committee of the World Meteorological Organization. There are six lists of hurricane names. The names are reused every six years unless a storm creates enough havoc to have its name retired

2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015AlexBonnieColinDanielleEarlFionaGastonHermineIgorJuliaKarlLisaMatthewNicoleOttoPaulaRichardSharyTomasVirginieWalter

ArleneBretCindyDonEmilyFranklinGertHarveyIreneJoseKatiaLeeMariaNateOpheliaPhilippeRinaSeanTammyVinceWhitney

AlbertoBerylChrisDebbyErnestoFlorenceGordonHeleneIsaacJoyceKirkLeslieMichaelNadineOscarPattyRafaelSandyTonyValerieWilliam

AndreaBarryChantalDorianErinFernandGabrielleHumbertoIngridJerryKarenLorenzoMelissaNestorOlgaPabloRebekahSebastienTanyaVanWendy

ArthurBerthaCristobalDollyEdouardFayGonzaloHannaIsaiasJosephineKyleLauraMarcoNanaOmarPauletteReneSallyTeddyVickyWilfred

AnaBillClaudetteDannyErikaFredGraceHenriIdaJoaquinKateLarryMindyNicholasOdettePeterRoseSamTeresaVictorWanda

http://www.npr.org/news/specials/hurricane/ap/

Katrina was one of the most devastating hurricanes in the history of the United States. Katrina is responsible for approximately 1200 reported deaths, including about 1000 in Louisiana and 200 in Mississippi.

It produced catastrophic damage - estimated at $75 billion in the New Orleans area and along the Mississippi coast - and is the costliest U. S. hurricane on record.

http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2005/08/0830_050830_hurricane_katrina_video.html

http://video.nationalgeographic.com/video/environment/environment-natural-disasters/hurricanes/katrina-formation/

http://video.nationalgeographic.com/video/environment/environment-natural-disasters/hurricanes/katrina/

The worst hurricane or tropical cyclone in history struck what is now the country of Bangladesh on November 17, 1970.

It killed more than 500,000 people.

The worst true “hurricane” (defined as a tropical cyclone originating in the Atlantic Ocean) was the Great Hurricane of 1780, which killed more than 20,000 people living in the Caribbean islands. 

Galveston, TX Hurricane - September 18, 1900Estimated death toll: about 8,000

The deadliest natural disaster in U.S. history was the hurricane that ripped into the rich, port city of Galveston, Texas, on September 18, 1900. The category 4 storm devastated the island city, killing 1 in 6 residents and destroying most of the buildings in its path.

Aftermath:1)Storm Surge.

Approximately 90% of all hurricane deaths can be attributed to the storm surge, the dome of water created by the low pressure center of a hurricane.

This storm surge quickly floods low-lying coastal areas with anywhere from 3 feet (one meter) for a category one storm to over 19 feet (6 meters) of storm surge for a category five storm.

Hundreds of thousands of deaths in countries such as Bangladesh have been caused by the storm surge of cyclones.

2) Wind Damage.

The strong, at least 74 mph or 119 km/hr, winds of a hurricane can cause widespread destruction far inland of coastal areas, destroying homes, buildings, and infrastructure.

3) Freshwater Flooding

Hurricanes are huge tropical storms and dump many inches of rain over a widespread area in a short period of time.

This water can engorge rivers and streams, causing hurricane-induced flooding. Unfortunately, polls find that about half of Americans living in coastal areas are unprepared for a hurricane disaster.

Anyone living along the Atlantic Coast, the Gulf Coast and the Caribbean should be prepared for hurricanes during hurricane season.