Hurricanes are very powerful tropical storms (also known as tropical cyclones). When a tropical storm’s maximum sustained winds reach 74 mph (119 km/h), it is called a hurricane.
Hurricane is actually the name of a tropical cyclone that occurs in the Atlantic Ocean and the northeastern Pacific Ocean. In the northwestern Pacific Ocean; in the south Pacific or the Indian Ocean, for example, hurricanes are usually known as typhoons.
Hurricanes get classified by their sustained wind speed. The Saffir–Simpson hurricane wind scale (SSHWS) is a 1 to 5 rating based on a hurricane’s sustained wind speed. This scale estimates potential property damage.
Hurricanes reaching Category 3 and higher are considered major hurricanes because of their potential for significant loss of life and damage. Category 1 and 2 storms are still dangerous, however, and require preventative measures.
Here are 20 amazing hurricane facts.
Hurricane Facts
1. Hurricane winds can reach speeds of up to 320 km/h (200 mph)
This is strong enough to rip up grown trees from the ground and destroy buildings.
2. They cause extremely heavy rain
A hurricane can unleash more than 9 trillion liters (2.4 trillion gallons) of rain a day.
3. Hurricanes develop over warm water and use it as an energy source
That’s why they lose strength as they move over land. Coastal regions are particularly vulnerable to the impact of a hurricane, compared to inland regions.
Related: What creates the wind?
4. The weather in the eye of a hurricane is usually calm
At the center of a mature hurricane, air sinks rather than rises. For a sufficiently strong storm, air may sink over a layer deep enough to suppress cloud formation, thereby creating a clear “eye”.
Weather in the eye is normally calm and free of clouds, although the sea may be extremely violent.
The diameter of the eye can be anywhere from 3.2 km (2 miles) to over 320 km (200 miles) but they are usually around 30-65 km (19-40 miles).
5. The most violent winds and heaviest rains take place in the eyewall
“Eyewall” is the cloudy outer edge of the eye of a hurricane. The wind speeds are the greatest, air rises most rapidly, clouds reach their highest altitude, and precipitation is the heaviest in the eyewall. The heaviest wind damage occurs where the eyewall passes over land.
6. A large hurricane can release the energy of an atomic bomb every 2 seconds
A fully developed hurricane can release heat energy at a rate of 5 to 20×1013 watts and converts less than 10% of the heat into the mechanical energy of the wind. The heat release is equivalent to a 10-megaton nuclear bomb exploding every 20 minutes.
Tee “Little Boy”, the atomic bomb dropped on the Japanese city of Hiroshima on 6 August 1945 during World War II exploded with an energy of approximately 15 kilotons of TNT.
So, a large hurricane can release the energy of a “Little Boy” every 2 seconds.
Related: Saffir-Simpson Hurricane Wind Scale Explained (Video)
7. Hurricanes rotate counter-clockwise in the Northern Hemisphere, and clockwise in the Southern Hemisphere
The Coriolis effect (or Coriolis force) causes the cyclonic rotation to be in a counterclockwise direction in the northern hemisphere, and clockwise in the southern hemisphere.
8. Hurricanes can produce tornadoes
Hurricanes can produce tornadoes (a rapidly spinning tube of air that touches both the ground and a cloud above). Despite lasting only a few minutes and traveling a few miles before exhausting itself, a tornado can be very destructive.
9. The “storm surge” is the worst effect from landfalling hurricanes
The storm surge is the increase in sea level due to the hurricane. High winds drive the sea toward the shore, causing water levels to rise and creating large crashing waves. Storm surges can reach 6 meters (20 feet) high and extend to over 150 kilometers (93 miles).
10. “Typhoon Tip” was the largest hurricane ever recorded
It occurred in 1979 in the northwest Pacific. With a diameter of around 2,220 km (1380 miles), Typhoon Tip was the biggest hurricane and also the most intense tropical storm ever recorded.
If it had been over the U.S., it would have stretched from Dallas to New York City.
Typhoon Tip generated peak wind speeds of 300 km/h (186 mph).
It was also the most intense tropical cyclone on record, with a pressure of 870 mbar (25.69 inHg), 6 mbar (0.18 inHg)
11. Hurricanes cannot form near the Equator
Because the Coriolis effect initiates and maintains their rotation, tropical cyclones rarely form or move within 5 degrees of the equator, where the effect is weakest.
12. Eyewall replacement circle
Not all hurricane eyewalls look the same, and the size and shape of a particular hurricane’s eyewall often change during the hurricane’s lifetime. In what may be considered a “typical” hurricane, a single eyewall surrounds a nearly circular eye that is mostly cloud-free.
However, eyewalls of strong, long-lived hurricanes sometimes contract over time, during which the maximum wind speed in the hurricane typically increases. Then, a new eyewall may begin to form outside of the original contracting eyewall, often from one of the innermost spiral bands.
When a hurricane has more than one eyewall at once, it is said to have concentric eyewalls. After the outer eyewall forms, the inner (original) eyewall may decay, during which the maximum wind speed in the hurricane typically decreases.
Eventually, the outer eyewall may become the only one left. The new outer eyewall may then begin to contract, leading to another period of hurricane strengthening. This cycle, which may repeat multiple times, is called an eyewall replacement cycle.
Eyewall replacement cycles can have very serious consequences, especially when they occur just before landfall. At great cost to life and property, Hurricane Andrew (1992) unexpectedly strengthened to a Category 5 hurricane while making landfall in southeastern Florida immediately following an eyewall replacement cycle.
In addition to large and rapid intensity swings, eyewall replacement cycles usually cause hurricanes to grow larger. This occurred as Hurricane Katrina (2005) moved through the Gulf of Mexico, resulting in a much larger and more dangerous storm threatening New Orleans.
13. Hurricane names
Hurricanes are given names by the World Meteorological Organization (WMO) so that they can be distinguished.
Each year, tropical storms are named in alphabetical order according to a list produced by the WMO (you can see the full list here). That name stays with the storm if it develops into a hurricane. The names can only be repeated after six years.
14. Until 1978, all hurricane names were female
In 1953, the National Hurricane Center of the United States began giving official names to storms and they were all female. This practice came to an end in 1978 when men’s and women’s names were included in the Eastern North Pacific storm lists.
15. Hurricane names can be “retired”
Hurricane names can be “retired” if a hurricane has been really big and destructive. Retired names include Wilma, Katrina, Andrew, Mitch, and Sandy. See the full list on Wikipedia.
16. Hurricanes are deadly
Over the last 200 years, hurricanes have led to the death of around 2 million people worldwide.
17. 1970 Bhola cyclone was the deadliest hurricane in history
1970 Bhola cyclone was a devastating tropical cyclone that struck East Pakistan (now Bangladesh) and India’s West Bengal on November 3, 1970. Between 150,000 and 300,000 people lost their lives (some sources give greater numbers as high as 500,000).
It has officially been declared the world’s all-time deadliest weather event by the World Meteorological Organization.
18. The Great Hurricane of 1780 is the deadliest Atlantic hurricane on record
The Great Hurricane of 1780, also known as Huracán San Calixto, the Great Hurricane of the Antilles, and the 1780 Disaster, is the deadliest Atlantic hurricane on record. Between 20,000 and 22,000 people died throughout the Lesser Antilles when the storm passed through them from October 10-16.
It struck Barbados with winds possibly exceeding 320 km/h (200 mph), before moving past Martinique, Saint Lucia, and Sint Eustatius; causing thousands of deaths on the islands.
Coming in the midst of the American Revolution, the storm caused heavy losses to British and French fleets contesting for control of the area
The hurricane later passed near Puerto Rico and over the eastern portion of Hispaniola. There, it caused heavy damage near the coastlines. It ultimately turned to the northeast and was last observed on October 20 southeast of Atlantic Canada.
19. 1900 Galveston hurricane was the deadliest natural disaster to hit the United States
The Great Galveston Hurricane was a Category 4 storm, with winds of up to 145 mph (233 km/h), which made landfall on September 8, 1900, in Galveston, Texas, in the United States, leaving about 6,000 to 12,000 dead. It was the deadliest hurricane and also the deadliest natural disaster in United States history.
20. Jupiter’s Great Red Spot is the largest storm in Solar System
Jupiter has a giant hurricane that has been going on for over 350 years: the Great Red Spot.
A century ago, it reached a size of 40,000 km (25,000 miles), about two times the diameter of Earth. Now it’s shrinking: measuring 16,350 km (10,160 mi) in width as of April 3, 2017, it is 1.3 times the diameter of Earth.
In 2019, the Great Red Spot began “flaking” at its edge, with fragments of the storm breaking off and then dissipating.
Sources
- What is a hurricane? on the National Ocean Service website
- Tropical cyclone on Wikipedia
- How Hurricanes Form? on UCAR Center for Science Education website
- Saffir-Simpson Hurricane Wind Scale on the National Hurricane Center and Central Pacific Hurricane Center website
- Why don’t we try to destroy tropical cyclones by nuking them? on the National Oceanographic & Meteorological Laboratory Hurricane Research Division website
- Great Red Spot on Wikipedia
- Hurricane Facts on Weather.gov
- Facts about Hurricanes on dosomething.org
- Ten Facts about Hurricanes on National Geographic kids
- Hurricanes: Science and Society on hurricanescience.org
- “Hurricane Guide: What You Need to Know” on the Ward Law Group, PL website
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M. Özgür Nevres
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FAQs
What are 3 facts about hurricanes? ›
A typical hurricane can dump 6 inches to a foot of rain across a region. The most violent winds and heaviest rains take place in the eye wall, the ring of clouds and thunderstorms closely surrounding the eye. Every second, a large hurricane releases the energy of 10 atomic bombs. Hurricanes can also produce tornadoes.
What are the 3 biggest hurricanes in history? ›| Rank | Name/Area | Deaths |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | Great Galveston Hurricane (TX) | 8,000 |
| 2. | Lake Okeechobee (FL) | 2,500 |
| 3. | Katrina (LA/MS/FL/GA/AL) | 1,200 |
| 4. | Cheniere Caminanda (LA) | 1,100-1,400 |
| Rank | Name/Areas of Largest Loss | Dates |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | Great Hurricane (Martinique, Barbados, St. Eustatius) | 10-16 Oct. 1780 |
| 2. | Great Galveston Hurricane | 8 Sept. 1900 |
| 3. | Mitch (Honduras, Nicaragua) | 22 Oct. - 5 Nov. 1998 |
| 4. | Fifi (Honduras) | 14-19 Sept. 1974 |
Hurricane San Roque of 1508 First recorded record of a tropical cyclone in Puerto Rico. Reported by Juan Ponce de León.
How long can hurricanes live? ›Hurricanes can often live for a long period of time -- as much as two to three weeks. They may initiate as a cluster of thunderstorms over the tropical ocean waters.
Can a hurricane have two eyes? ›Merging Hurricanes
Another way a hurricane can have “two eyes” is if two separate storms merge into one, known as the Fujiwara Effect - when two nearby tropical cyclones rotate around each other and become one.
Typical hurricanes are about 300 miles wide although they can vary considerably in size. The eye at a hurricane's center is a relatively calm, clear area approximately 20-40 miles across. The eyewall surrounding the eye is composed of dense clouds that contain the highest winds in the storm.
Has there ever been a hurricane with 2 eyes? ›Yes, and they can be formed in two different ways. The far less common two-eyed hurricanes occur when two storms literally collide in what's known as the Fujiwhara Effect. Hurricanes caught in the Fujiwhara Effect may not actually collide, but they will begin rotating around a common center.
What is the number 1 worst hurricane? ›With maximum sustained winds over 175 miles per hour, Hurricane Maria blasted Puerto Rico to claim more than 3,000 lives and generate nearly $100 billion in property damage. It remains the deadliest Atlantic hurricane in recorded history.
Is there a cat 6 hurricane? ›According to Robert Simpson, there are no reasons for a Category 6 on the Saffir–Simpson Scale because it is designed to measure the potential damage of a hurricane to human-made structures.
What is the weakest hurricane? ›
The Saffir-Simpson scale categorizes hurricanes on a scale from 1 to 5. Category 1 hurricanes are the weakest, and 5's the most intense. Hurricanes strong enough to be considered intense start at category 3 or with sustained winds exceeding 96 knots (111 mph).
How tall is a hurricane? ›When the wind speeds reach 74 mph, the storm is officially a hurricane. The storm is at least 50,000 feet high and around 125 miles across. The eye is around 5 to 30 miles wide.
What was the fastest hurricane? ›Hurricane Camille of 1969 had the highest wind speed at landfall, at an estimated 190 miles per hour when it struck the Mississippi coast. This wind speed at landfall is the highest ever recorded worldwide.
What was the strongest hurricane? ›Currently, Hurricane Wilma is the strongest Atlantic hurricane ever recorded, after reaching an intensity of 882 mbar (hPa; 26.05 inHg) in October 2005; at the time, this also made Wilma the strongest tropical cyclone worldwide outside of the West Pacific, where seven tropical cyclones have been recorded to intensify ...
Was Katrina a Cat 4? ›By the following afternoon Katrina had become one of the most powerful Atlantic storms on record, with winds in excess of 170 miles (275 km) per hour. On the morning of August 29, the storm made landfall as a category 4 hurricane at Plaquemines Parish, Louisiana, approximately 45 miles (70 km) southeast of New Orleans.
How old are hurricanes? ›They show that coastal hurricane activity has varied at timescales of centuries to millennia. Hurricane activity was generally low along the Gulf coast between 5,000 and 3,800 years ago and during the most recent millennium.
Are hurricanes scary? ›Hurricanes are definitely a terrifying natural disaster, but they can also be amazing. Scientists have discovered so much information about hurricanes. They are so interesting to learn about.
Why do hurricanes hit at night? ›It's at night when the upper and middle part of the atmosphere cools (because the sun is not there to heat it up) and that releases energy in the storms, which turns into winds and moisture. With the increased winds and moisture, storms become stronger, likely pushing them further along their paths toward land.
How fast can a hurricane move? ›It typically moves forward at speeds of 10-15 m.p.h., but can travel as fast as 40 m.p.h. The term 'hurricane' is usually restricted to the Atlantic and north-east Pacific region. In the north-west Pacific they are known as 'typhoons' and elsewhere simply as 'cyclones'.
Do hurricanes cool the Earth? ›Hurricanes cool the ocean by acting like "heat engines" that transfer heat from the ocean surface to the atmosphere through evaporation. Cooling is also caused by upwelling of cold water from below due to the suction effect of the low-pressure center of the storm.
What is Tornado eye? ›
There is no “eye” to a tornado like there is in a hurricane. This is a fiction largely caused by the movie Twister. Tornadoes are complex and can have multiple small structures called “sub vortices” rotating inside the larger parent circulation.
Is it possible to stop a hurricane? ›"The short answer is 'no,'" said Hugh Willoughby, a professor and hurricane researcher at Florida International University's department of earth and environment. "As far as I know, there's no serious scientist doing this at all. It's very unpromising."
What is the safest part of a hurricane? ›Go to a safe area, such as an interior room, closet or downstairs bathroom. Never go outside the protection of your home or shelter before there is confirmation that the storm has passed the area. The eye of the storm could create a temporary and deceptive lull, with high winds still approaching.
How do hurricanes talk? ›How To Pronounce Hurricane - Pronunciation Academy - YouTube
Do all hurricanes have an eye? ›Though only tropical cyclones have structures officially termed "eyes", there are other weather systems that can exhibit eye-like features.
Why do hurricanes have eyes? ›In a tropical storm, convection causes bands of vapor-filled air to start rotating around a common center. Suddenly, a band of air at a certain radial distance starts rotating more strongly than the others; this becomes the "eyewall" — the region of strongest winds that surrounds the eye in a hurricane.
How are hurricanes named? ›For Atlantic hurricanes, there is a list of male and female names which are used on a six-year rotation. The only time that there is a change is if a storm is so deadly or costly that the future use of its name on a different storm would be inappropriate.
What's inside the eye of a hurricane? ›“Because air in the eye is slowly sinking, it creates an updraft in the eyewall.” He added, “The eye is the region of the lowest pressure at the surface and the warmest temperatures at the top.” Inside the eye of the storm is calm weather, and sometimes the sun can be seen.
Where do the hurricanes start? ›Hurricanes begin to form near the tropics, in the Caribbean or in the waters around the Cape Verdean islands of West Africa. Relatively warm surface water evaporates rapidly and then condenses in the atmosphere to form clouds. Moist air rises to saturation and a weather system known as a tropical depression forms.
How many hurricanes Named 2022? ›(NEXSTAR) – We're in for a busy storm season, according to the latest forecast by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. In fact, meteorologists predict up to 20 named storms between now and the end of November.
Was Katrina a Cat 5? ›
After moving west across south Florida and into the very warm waters of the Gulf of Mexico, Katrina intensified rapidly and attained Category 5 status (with peak sustained winds of 175mph) for a period of time as it moved northwest on August 28th.
What happens if 2 hurricanes collide? ›If one hurricane dominates the other in intensity and size, the two storms will still "dance," however, the weaker storm will generally orbit the stronger storm. The larger cyclone can also weaken the smaller cyclone to the point of dissipation (“complete straining out”).
Can a hurricane go 200 mph? ›MELBOURNE, Fla. (AP) — The Category 6 hurricane's howling winds accelerate to a startling 200 mph in Miami, mercilessly pummeling a two-story wood-frame house until the roof tears off and the rattling windows explode.
Which is the dirty side of a hurricane? ›Generally, it's the northeast side of the storm or more simply put the "right side" of the storm, but it also depends on which direction the storm is moving. If it's traveling in a northern direction, the dirty side will be more on the direct right-hand or eastern side.
Does Africa get hurricanes? ›The majority of the storms affect West Africa and Cape Verde islands during the months of August and September which are the active months of a typical Atlantic hurricane season.
What is the largest hurricane ever? ›...
Typhoon Tip.
| Violent typhoon (JMA scale) | |
|---|---|
| Highest winds | 10-minute sustained: 260 km/h (160 mph) 1-minute sustained: 305 km/h (190 mph) |
Hurricane Wilma, 2005, 175 mph, eye diameter of two miles. Holds the record for smallest eye in recorded history.
Which hurricane had the largest eye? ›| Characteristic | Record | Date |
|---|---|---|
| Smallest tropical cyclone (radius of winds from center) | Gale winds 17.5 m/s (40 mph; 35 kn; 65 km/h) extending 18.5 km (11.5 mi) from center | October 7, 2008 |
| Largest eye | 370 km (230 mi) | August 20, 1960 August 17, 1997 |
| Smallest eye | 3.7 km (2.3 mi) | October 19, 2005 |
Hurricanes differ from thunderstorms in that they often occus much closer to the ground. For this reason, planes are sometimes able to fly over hurricanes rather than being redirected around them. While it is possible for planes to fly through the eye of a hurricane, this is only ever done for scientific research.
Can a helicopter fly in a hurricane? ›As far as hurricanes are concerned, it is always best for helicopters to stay away from them. Bad weather flight is possible in a lot of harsh weather conditions, but hurricanes are different. Because the winds get up to 75 miles per hour and higher, it is simply unsafe to fly in hurricane weather.
Can a plane fly above a hurricane? ›
Can they fly over them? Can a plane fly over a hurricane? Yes, it is possible to overfly a hurricane while staying away from the storm. Pilots check carefully for reports or forecast of turbulence when coordinating with flight dispatchers for selecting the route.
What is a Cat 1 hurricane? ›In a Category 1 hurricane, winds range from 74 to 95 mph. Falling debris could strike people, livestock and pets, and older mobile homes could be destroyed. Protected glass windows will generally make it through the hurricane without major damage.
Has a Cat 5 hurricane hit the US? ›Hurricane Ida was close to becoming just the fifth hurricane to hit the US as a Category 5 storm. Hurricane Ida made landfall in Louisiana Sunday, battering the region with winds so rough that it was tied for the fifth-strongest hurricane to ever strike the US.
What is a cat 4 hurricane? ›Category 4 is the second-highest hurricane classification category on the Saffir–Simpson Hurricane Scale, and storms that are of this intensity maintain maximum sustained winds of 113–136 knots (130–156 mph, 209–251 km/h).
Which ocean has the worst storms? ›The Pacific Ocean generates the greatest number of tropical storms and cyclones. The most powerful storms, sometimes called super typhoons, occur in the western Pacific. The Indian Ocean is second in the total number of storms, and the Atlantic Ocean ranks third.
What cat was Hurricane Katrina? ›Hurricane Katrina was the largest and 3rd strongest hurricane ever recorded to make landfall in the US. In New Orleans, the levees were designed for Category 3, but Katrina peaked at a Category 5 hurricane, with winds up to 175 mph.
When was the last Cat 5 hurricane? ›2018: Hurricane Michael
Michael struck the Florida Panhandle on Oct. 10, 2018, with sustained winds of 160 mph and stayed at hurricane strength as it moved into Georgia. It initially was ruled a category 4, but was upgraded to a category 5 six months later after a detailed post-storm analysis.
| Category | Sustained Winds |
|---|---|
| 1 | 74-95 mph 64-82 kt 119-153 km/h |
| 2 | 96-110 mph 83-95 kt 154-177 km/h |
| 3 (major) | 111-129 mph 96-112 kt 178-208 km/h |
| 4 (major) | 130-156 mph 113-136 kt 209-251 km/h |
Typical hurricanes are about 300 miles wide although they can vary considerably in size. The eye at a hurricane's center is a relatively calm, clear area approximately 20-40 miles across. The eyewall surrounding the eye is composed of dense clouds that contain the highest winds in the storm.
How are hurricanes named? ›For Atlantic hurricanes, there is a list of male and female names which are used on a six-year rotation. The only time that there is a change is if a storm is so deadly or costly that the future use of its name on a different storm would be inappropriate.
Is there a cat 6 hurricane? ›
According to Robert Simpson, there are no reasons for a Category 6 on the Saffir–Simpson Scale because it is designed to measure the potential damage of a hurricane to human-made structures.
How tall is a hurricane? ›When the wind speeds reach 74 mph, the storm is officially a hurricane. The storm is at least 50,000 feet high and around 125 miles across. The eye is around 5 to 30 miles wide.
Why do hurricanes hit at night? ›It's at night when the upper and middle part of the atmosphere cools (because the sun is not there to heat it up) and that releases energy in the storms, which turns into winds and moisture. With the increased winds and moisture, storms become stronger, likely pushing them further along their paths toward land.
Can a hurricane have 2 eyes? ›Merging Hurricanes
Another way a hurricane can have “two eyes” is if two separate storms merge into one, known as the Fujiwara Effect - when two nearby tropical cyclones rotate around each other and become one.
How To Pronounce Hurricane - Pronunciation Academy - YouTube
Do all hurricanes have an eye? ›Though only tropical cyclones have structures officially termed "eyes", there are other weather systems that can exhibit eye-like features.