Hurricanes are evaluated in a number of ways. Storms are assigned a
category based on winds, storm surge and barometric pressure, using
the Saffir-Simpson scale.
Category 1 storms have winds of 74-95 miles per hour, making them the
weakest of hurricanes. Even these storms can generate a storm surge of
4 or 5 feet above normal high tide.
Category 2 storms have winds of up to 110 miles per hour,
and can push a storm surge of 6 to 8 feet.
Category 3 storm winds can reach 130 miles per hour. This is the cutoff
for "major" hurricanes, with commensurate storm surge potential of 9 to 12 feet.
Category 4 winds can be as high as 155 miles per hour, and such a storm
brings a 13 to 18 foot storm surge.
Category 5 storms, with winds greater than 155 miles per hour, are very
rare. These monsters can have storm surges of over 20 feet. Only 1 such
hurricane has hit the U.S. this century - Camille in 1969.
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There are many hazards associated with hurricanes. Steps that should be
taken to minimize risk:
Evacuate quickly when the order is given - traffic delays are more likely
if you wait; many escape routes could become impassable with little warning
as the surge comes ashore; driving in hurricane rain and wind is all but impossible.
Board up windows and secure loose articles - flying glass is deadly;
objects such as lumber, bicycles, etc. will become airborne if left exposed and
can inflict severe damage.
Keep communications lines free - especially after the storm has hit;
emergency workers are hampered by over demanded phone lines.
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With the advent of increased meteorological surveillance,
such as satellites, along with higher-speed computers,
forecasting of hurricanes and their movement has become
much more accurate. As a result, despite great increases
in the population coastal communities this century, greater
warning of a hurricane's approach has led to fewer fatalities.
The amount of damage has grown, though, due to increased build-up along coastlines.
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Hurricanes and Typhoons have wrought death and destruction for decades. Some of
the worst offenders:
August-September 1900 Galveston, Texas: 8,000 dead, the deadliest in U.S. history.
September 1928 South Florida: 1,836 dead.
September 1906 Hong Kong: 10,000 dead.
October 1942 Bengal, India (now Bangladesh): 40,000 dead.
October 1952 Philippines: 10,300 dead.
September 1959 Central Japan: 4,466 dead.
August 1969 Hurricane Camille, Southeast U.S.: 256 dead.
November 1970 Bangladesh: 300,000 dead.
April 1991 Bangladesh: 70,000 dead.
August 1992 Hurricane Andrew, Florida., Louisiana.: 24 dead, $25 billion in damage.
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Winds of at least 74 mph.
Has an "eye" of nearly calm winds.
Form over warm water (usually more than 80 degrees F)
Strongest winds are just outside the eye wall.
In the North Atlantic, hurricanes are most common from August-October.
20-30 Typhoons per year usually form in the western Pacific.
An average of 9 tropical storms & 5 hurricanes per year are named in the Atlantic basin.
Hurricanes have been routinely given female names since 1954.
Male names were first used in 1979.
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