Hurricanes have been wreaking havoc on the United States coastline even before their occurrences were recorded in history. They are considered the most powerful of any type of storm system recorded. A hurricane, a form of tropical cyclone, is a tightly wrapped low pressure system that rotates around a center of circulation (eye) in a counter-clockwise fashion. The ingredients for a hurricane include a pre-existing weather disturbance, warm tropical oceans, moisture, and relatively light winds aloft. If the right conditions persist long enough, they can combine to produce the violent winds, incredible waves, torrential rains, and floods we associate with this phenomenon.

     Hurricanes are classified according to their sustained winds (A 1-minute average wind measured at about 33 ft (10 meters) above the surface.). They usually start as a tropical depression. Tropical Depressions already have a defined surface circulation,and thunderstorms, but cannot have sustained winds in excess of 38 mph or 33 knots (1 knot = 1 nautical mile per hour or 1.15 statute miles per hour. Abbreviated as "kt"). Tropical Storms are stronger, with sustained winds 39-73 mph (34-63 kt), a well defined surface circulation, and storm thunder storms. A tropical storm that strengthens, resulting in sustained winds 73 mph (64 kt) or higher, can then be classified as a Hurricane.
Further hurricane classification is done using the Saffir-Simpson Hurricane Scale, a scale also based on a hurricane's maximum sustained winds. A Category 1 storm has the lowest wind speeds, while a Category 5 hurricane has the strongest.

     

      Besides being accompanied by extremely high winds and rain, tornadoes and storm surge are also entrenched within these destructive storms. Storm surge is simply water that is pushed toward the shore by the force of the winds swirling around the storm. This advancing surge combines with the normal tides to create the hurricane storm tide, which can increase the mean water level 15 feet or more.This rise in water level can cause severe flooding in coastal areas, particularly when the storm tide coincides with the normal high tides. Torrential rains can also contribute to flooding, especially inland from the coast where storm surge is not so much of a worry. "While storm surge is always a potential threat, more people have died from inland flooding in the last 30 years." Ironically, some of the weakest storms have a tendency to cause the most inland flooding- they tend to be slower moving, sometimes even stalling over an area for long periods of time as it drops large amounts of rain on an area.

     When the the winds from these storms reach 39 mph (34 kts), the cyclones are given names. Years ago, an international committee developed names for Atlantic cyclones (The History of Naming Hurricanes). In 1979 a six year rotating list of Atlantic storm names was adopted — alternating between male and female hurricane names. Storm names are used to facilitate geographic referencing, for warning services, for legal issues, and to reduce confusion when two or more tropical cyclones occur at the same time. Through a vote of the World Meteorological Organization Region IV Subcommittee, Atlantic cyclone names are retired usually when hurricanes result in substantial damage or death or for other special circumstances.

   
Hurricane Season is June 1 - November 30. Please be aware of these terms.

     If a HURRICANE WATCH is issued for your part of the coast, it is possible that you could experience hurricane conditions within 36 hours. This watch should trigger your family's disaster plan, and protective measures should be initiated, especially those actions that require extra time such as securing a boat, leaving a barrier island, etc.
     If a HURRICANE WARNING is issued for your part of the coast, sustained winds of at least 74 mph are expected within 24 hours or less. Once this warning has been issued, your family should be in the process of completing protective actions and deciding the safest location to be during the storm.