50 Amazing and Interesting Facts about Hurricane | Amazing Facts 4U
- The word “hurricane” comes from Hurricane, a name for the god of evil on some islands in the Caribbean.
- The terms “hurricane,” “typhoon,” and “cyclone” are different names for the same type of storm, a tropical cyclone. Tropical cyclones that occur in the Atlantic Ocean or the eastern Pacific Ocean are called hurricanes; in the western Pacific Ocean they are called typhoons and in the Indian Ocean and the Bay of Bengal, tropical cyclones are called cyclones.
- Hurricanes form over warm ocean waters near the equator. The warm, moist air above the ocean surface rises, causing air from surrounding areas to be ‘sucked’ in. This ‘new’ air then becomes warm and moist, and rises, too, beginning a continuous cycle that forms clouds. The clouds then rotate with the spin of the Earth. If there is enough warm water to feed the storm, a hurricane forms!
- Most hurricanes occur harmlessly out at sea. However, when they move towards the land they can be very dangerous.
- Water must be a certain depth for hurricanes to form, at least 200 feet (60 m). Additionally, the water must be warm, over 80º F (27 º C). A hurricane’s strength depends on how warm the water is the warmer the water, the stronger the hurricane becomes.
- Hurricanes spin around a low-pressure center called the “eye.” Sinking air makes this 20 to 30-mile-wide area calm and free of clouds. A thick ring of clouds called the “eyewall” surrounds the eye and is the strongest part of the hurricane.
- Though the eye is the calmest part of the storm, over the ocean, it can be the most dangerous area. While waves in the eye wall travel in the same direction, waves in the eye converge from all directions, which often creates strongest waves.
- The strong spiraling winds of a hurricane can reach speeds of up to 320kmph strong enough to rip up entire trees and destroy buildings!
- Hurricanes are classified into 5 categories, based on their wind speeds and potential to cause damage.
- In the Atlantic, hurricane season starts June 1, while in the Pacific it starts May 15. Both end on November 30. This is the time when the seas are at their warmest and most humid.
- A tropical storm is classified as a hurricane when sustained winds reach 74 miles per hour, though hurricane winds are often faster. When a tropical cyclone’s sustained wind speed is between 39-74 mph, it is classified as a tropical storm. When its winds are less than 38 mph, a tropical cyclone is called a tropical depression.
- In A.D. 1281, a hurricane killed 100,000 Mongols who were attacking Japan.
- Christopher Columbus wrote the first known report of a hurricane in 1495.
- A single hurricane is strong enough to stir up millions of miles of air and can dump more than 9 trillion liters of rain a day.
- Every second, a large hurricane releases the energy of 10 atomic bombs. Hurricanes produce enough energy in one day to run the lights of Las Vegas for many years.
- Hurricane-generated waves frequently toss tons of fish onto beaches. The eyes of many of the fish have popped out because of sudden changes in pressure.
- In the southern hemisphere, hurricanes rotate in a clockwise direction, and in the northern hemisphere they rotate in an anti-clockwise direction. This is due to what’s called the Coriolis Force, produced by the Earth’s rotation.
- The Southern Hemisphere typically experiences about half the number of hurricanes as the Northern Hemisphere each year.
- Ninety percent of all hurricane deaths result from heavy sea waves, which can reach over 20 feet high and extend nearly 100 miles.
- Hurricanes have killed approximately 1.9 million people worldwide over the past 200 years.
- Most of the deadliest hurricanes have occurred in southeastern Asia and India due to flooding on low-lying, densely populated areas.
- The deadliest hurricane on record is the 1970 Bhola Cyclone in Bangladesh, which killed between 150,000-300,000 people.
- In 1900, a hurricane in Galveston, Texas, killed more than 8,000 people, making it the deadliest weather emergency in U.S. history. Hurricanes kill more people than any other type of storm.
- Five of the 10 costliest hurricanes in the U.S. have occurred since 1990.
- 40% of the hurricanes that occur in the United States hit Florida.
- The costliest hurricane worldwide is widely believed to be Hurricane Katrina, with overall damage estimates at over $100 billion.
- A hurricane makes “landfall” when its center, not its edge, crosses the coastline.
- With 210 mile-per-hour winds at landfall, Hurricane Camille (1969) was the strongest hurricane to strike land.
- Typhoon Tip (1979), which did not strike land, is considered to be the largest, with tropical storm-force winds 1,350 miles in diameter. It was nearly half the size of the United States! Luckily it didn’t strike land.
- A hurricane can reach 40,000 to 50,000 feet up into the sky.
- Most hurricanes typically last approximately 10 days.
- Hurricane Andrew (1992) ripped an 80-foot steel beam weighing several tons off a building and flung it more than a block away.
- The largest hurricane can be the size of 600 miles (966 kilometers) wide.
- Hurricanes are never formed at the equator because they need the strong Coriolis force, which is very weak at the equator.
- Hurricanes and Tornados are different. Hurricanes last several days while tornadoes last only minutes or rarely, hours.
- Hurricanes are on average about 2,000 times bigger across than tornadoes.
- Although hurricanes can cause terrible damage, they are an important part of Earth’s weather system. Like giant fans, they take hot air from the tropics and move it toward the poles to balance temperatures and moisture around the Earth. Without hurricanes and other storms, vast areas of the planet would be too hot for animal and human life.
- Tornadoes have more intense winds than hurricanes. The fastest recorded hurricane wind speed is approximately 200 mph. Tornado winds can be up to 300 mph.
- Hurricanes are often accompanied with tornadoes. Hurricane Andrew (1992) had 62 tornadoes, and Hurricane Beulah (1967) created 141 tornadoes. Tornadoes can occur days after a hurricane’s landfall.
- Assigning hurricanes human names is a fairly recent practice. Hurricane names are chosen from a list selected by the World Meteorological Organization (WMO) which has 6 separate lists for Atlantic hurricanes, with one list used each year. Each list is repeated every 7th year. However, officials retire names of hurricanes that have caused a great deal of damage or death.
- In 1953, the National Weather Service adopted the Navy’s practice of naming Atlantic hurricanes after women. Previously, hurricanes were named either according to their longitude and latitude or were identified by the phonetic alphabet. In 1979, meteorologists added men’s names to alternate with women’s names. The first three male names ever used for hurricanes (Bob, David, and Frederick) all are now retired.
- The first hurricane of the year is given a name beginning with the letter “A”.
- The first time anyone flew into a hurricane happened in 1943 in the middle of World War II. Since then pilots have flown into typhoons and hurricanes but so far only 4 planes have been lost. However, no trace of these planes or their crew has ever been found.
- Each year, approximately 10 tropical storms form over the Atlantic Ocean, Caribbean Sea, and Gulf of Mexico. Out of these, six become hurricanes.
- Approximately five hurricanes strike the U.S. coastline during an average three-year period. Of these, two are major hurricanes over 110 mph.
- A hurricane warning is issued when a hurricane is expected to arrive within 24 hours. A hurricane watch is issued when the storm is 24-36 hours away.
- Approximately 85 hurricanes, typhoons, and tropical cyclones occur worldwide each year.
- No hurricane is on record as ever hitting the United State West Pacific Coast. However, hurricanes have hit the West Coast of Mexico.
- Hurricane/Typhoon John lasted 31 days in 1994, which is longer than any other hurricane in history. It was both a hurricane and a typhoon because it passed through both eastern and western parts of the Pacific Ocean.
- A hurricane on Jupiter has been raging for over 300 years and is bigger than the Earth. It can be seen as a red spot on the planet.
If you desire further simple wisdom to help center your thoughts, go and subscribe to our blog: www.wisdomlovequotes.com
