Hurricanes, with their high winds, high seas, and flooding can be one of nature’s most destructive elements.  They are powered by warm oceans and moved by trade winds.  The high winds around their core generate violent seas and when hurricanes move ashore, they sweep the ocean inward, create tornadoes, produces torrential rain downpours, cause floods, and destructive wind velocities.  Hurricanes begin as tropical storms over the warm moist waters of the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans near the Equator.  As the moisture evaporates, it rises until enormous amounts of heated moist air are twisted high in the atmosphere.  The winds begin to circle counterclockwise north of the Equator or clockwise south of the Equator. 

The relatively peaceful center of the hurricane is called the eye and around this center, winds move at speeds between 74 and 200 miles per hour.  As long as the hurricane remains over water of 79 degrees Fahrenheit or warmer, it continues to pull moisture from the surface and grow in size and force.  When a hurricane crosses land or cooler water, it loses it source of power, and its winds gradually slow until they are no longer of hurricane force, or of less than 74 miles per hour. 

Hurricanes over the Atlantic often begin near Africa, drift west on the Trade Winds, and go north as they meet prevailing winds that are coming eastward across North America.  Hurricanes over the Eastern Pacific start in the warm waters off of the Central American and Mexican coasts.  Eastern and Central Pacific storms are called hurricanes.  Storms that are to the west of the International Date Line are called typhoons.  Due to the destructive force of hurricanes during the late summer and early autumn, scientist constantly monitor them with satellites to keep track of tropical storms, which might develop into hurricanes. 

Over the past several years, a warning system has provided adequate time for people on the barrier islands and the immediate coastline to move inland when hurricanes have threatened.  However, it is becoming more difficult to evacuate people from the barrier islands and other coastal areas because roads have not kept pace with the rapid population growth. 80 to 90 percent of the population is also living in hurricane prone areas and have never experienced the core of a major hurricane. 

A hurricane is a type of tropical cyclone and is classified as a tropical depression, tropical storm, or a hurricane.  A tropical depression is an organized system of clouds and thunderstorms with a defined circulation and maximum sustained winds of 38 miles per hour or less.  A tropical storm is an organized system of strong thunderstorms with a defined circulation and maximum sustained winds of 39 to 73 miles per hour.  A hurricane is an intense tropical weather system with a well-defined circulation and maximum sustained winds of 74 miles per hour or higher.  In the western Pacific, hurricanes are called typhoons and similar storms in the Indian Ocean are called cyclones. 

Hurricanes are considered to be products of the tropical ocean and atmosphere.  Powered by heat from the sea, they are steered by the easterly winds and the temperate westerly as well as by their own energy.  Winds around their core grow with very velocity, generating violent seas. The ocean is swept inward while spawning tornadoes and producing torrential rain and floods.  On average, ten tropical storms develop over the Atlantic Ocean, Caribbean Sea, or Gulf of Mexico each year.  Many of these tropical storms remain over the ocean however; about five hurricanes strike the United States coastline every three years.  Of these five, two will be major hurricanes.  Major hurricanes are listed as Category 3 or greater on the Saffir-Simpson Hurricane scale. 

 

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