In this great big world of ours we have many different forms of natural hazards. They are either very weak or powerful, non deadly to very deadly, and/or minimal damage to very, very costly. There is one form of natural disaster that can have all of the extreme effects when it occurs, and this is called a hurricane.
Hurricanes are one of the most powerful forces in our world that's caused by Mother Nature. Hurricanes form in three different regions of the oceans. These areas are the North Atlantic Ocean, the Pacific Ocean east of the dateline, or the South Pacific Ocean east of 160E. Hurricanes typically form during a certain time and this is called hurricane season. Hurricane season starts on May 15 in the Pacific Ocean and June 1 in the Atlantic while both end on the same day, November 30 (NOAA).
Hurricanes form when a tropical storm's wind speeds reach 74mph. Hurricanes rotate counterclockwise around what is known as the eye. An eye can have a size up to many miles primarily depending on the size of the hurricane itself. To get to this point, hurricanes need warm tropical oceans, moisture, and light winds above them (NOAA). The effects that a hurricane can have are tremendous. They produce very strong winds, tall powerful waves, and very heavy rains which can, and will, lead to flooding.
There has been an increase in hurricanes over time. We are getting more in numbers, as well as greater in intensity of their strength. Hurricanes are ranked into 5 different categories according to the Saffir-Simpson Hurricane scale (van der Vink et al. 20). A Category 1 Hurricane is when the wind speeds are between 74-95mph. This first category is when a tropical storm first turns into a hurricane. This type can produce waves from 4-5 feet. A Category 2 Hurricane causes similar damage as a Category 1, but winds are from 96-110 mph. This also creates higher waves ranging from 6-8 feet.
Category 3 and 4 Hurricanes produce more moderate to severe damage. A Category 3 has wind speeds ranging from 111-130 mph and producing waves from 9-12 feet. Most people can not stand in the winds of a Category 3 without getting knocked down or blown away. These people are usually being supported and anchored down in case of an accident. Otherwise, people can only tolerate lower wind speeds from a low Category 2 or lower without an aid of any kind. A Category 4 has wind speeds from 131-155 mph and waves ranging from 13-18 feet (NOAA).
A Category 5 Hurricane is the most severe. These have wind speeds greater than 155 mph. These hurricanes can also produce waves that are greater than 18 feet. Three of the strongest hurricanes that most people know off of the top off their head are Hurricane Hugo, Hurricane Andrew, and Hurricane Katrina. All three of these made a huge impact on the United States. The hurricane that everyone knows is Hurricane Katrina. The strongest hurricane ever recorded was Hurricane Gilbert in 1988. The most costly hurricane is Hurricane Andrew in 1992 over Miami, Florida. This hurricane cost 26.5 billion dollars in damages (NOAA).
Last year, in 2005, there were a record number of hurricanes that have ever been recorded from the Atlantic Ocean. According to a web page, there were 27 named storms that formed in the Atlantic Ocean. Of these 27 tropical storms, there were 22 hurricanes, which 6 of these hit the United States somewhere on the coast. Of these that reached hurricane status, 7 of them went on to be major hurricanes (The Weather Channel).
Since there were so many hurricanes last year, there was a naming problem. This happens when all the assigned names for that year are used up while tropical storms/hurricanes are continuing to develop. This record number of hurricanes caused the naming system to run out. There are 21 names that are generated for hurricanes each year. Since last year in 2005 there were more than 21 hurricanes, the names ran out and the 22nd tropical storm/hurricane was then converted in to the Greek alphabet from that point on until the end of the season.
With this powerful punch that hurricanes have, it is surprising that they do not kill more people. Hurricanes cause more damage than deaths, which to almost everyone this is a good thing. However, a hurricane can be very deadly. One hurricane that was very deadly was Hurricane Katrina. Noble states, “Their memories will be filed as either before Katrina and Rita or after” (37). This hurricane will probably produce post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) in certain individuals. Hurricane Katrina hit New Orleans with a big blow.
