Featured Image Credit: EarthObservatory
Hurricanes are the real deal of natural disasters. Their paths are totally out of our control and their winds can wipe away a coastline in no time. These tropical cyclones typically form in the eastern Pacific Ocean, Caribbean Sea, southern Atlantic Ocean and Gulf of Mexico and move in-land causing flash floods, mudslides and irreparable damage to communities and habitats.
While hurricanes can be crazy scary, they can also be crazy interesting, so in “honor” of Hurricane Matthew we’ve rounded up some facts to put in your pocket for a rainy day.
1.) Winds must be at least 74 mph to be classified as a hurricane, anything less than 74 mph is considered a tropical storm and less than 39 mph is considered a tropical depression.
2.) The Saffir-Simpson Hurricane Scale ranks hurricanes into 5 categories. Category 1 must have wind speeds ranging between 74-95 mph, while a category 5 must have wind speeds of at least 155 mph.
3.) Hurricanes form over tropical waters with warm moisture, and they spin in a counter clockwise motion.
4.) Hurricane season is from June to November.
5.) Typhoons are hurricanes that form in the Pacific Ocean and in the Indian Ocean they are known as tropical cyclones.
6.) Every hurricane gets its own name (ex: Floyd, Hugo). Depending on the level of destruction the name can be retired, removed and replaced on the list (ex: Katrina).
7.) In the 1900s, an Australian weather forecaster named C. Wragge was the first person to name a hurricane.
8.) A huge hurricane can release energy equivalent to 10 atomic bombs per second.
9.) The eye of a hurricane, which is the center, can be as huge as 20 miles. The weather in the eye is usually (weirdly) calm with low winds.
10.) Roughly 90% of the deaths in the event of a hurricane are due to flash flooding.
11.) Florida gets hit by 40% of America’s hurricanes.
12.) The planet Jupiter has had a hurricane bigger than the Earth on its surface for 300 years.
13.) The National Hurricane Center was the first organization to give ‘female’ names to the hurricanes in 1953.
14.) Hurricane Katrina caused over $100 billion in damages.
15.) John was the longest lasting hurricane at 31 days. It formed in the Pacific Ocean and eventually got categorized as a typhoon.
*If you find yourself in a high-risk area, make sure you’re prepared! Get ready and educate yourself on local evacuation routes and procedures. While hurricanes might “look cool,” being unsafe is NOT.