When does hurricane season start?
Hurricane season starts June 1st and usually goes through November 30th
What is a tropical depression?
A tropical depression is an organized area of low pressure and cyclonic (counter-clockwise) circulation with sustained winds of 38 mph or less.
A tropical storm?
A tropical storm is a cyclonic circulation with sustained winds of 39 mph to 73 mph.
What is a hurricane?
A hurricane is a cyclonic circulation with sustained winds of 74 mph or greater.
Hurricane watch?
A hurricane watch means potential danger within 36 hours. This watch should trigger your family's disaster plan and protective measures should be initiated.
Hurricane warning?
A hurricane warning means the storm has a great likelihood of directly affecting your area in 24 hours or less. Heed calls to evacuate if necessary. Leave low-lying areas and mobile homes for more substantial shelter.
How are hurricanes named?
From 1950 to 1952, tropical cyclones of the North Atlantic Ocean were identified by the phonetic alphabet (Able-Baker-Charlie, etc.), but in 1953 the U.S. Weather Bureau switched to women's names. Naming rights now go by the World Meteorological Organization which uses different sets of names depending on the part of the world the storm is in. Only women's names were used until 1979 when it was decided that they should alternate a list that included men's names too. There are 6 different name lists that alternate each year. If a hurricane does significant damage, its name is retired and replaced with another.
How are hurricanes located?
"Hurricane hunters" work for the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). Each mission lasts about 10 hours with the crews passing 4 to 6 times through the storm. The planes carry radar, sophisticated computers, and weather instruments that determine characteristics such as temperature, air pressure, wind speed, and wind direction inside the hurricane. The crews also release instruments that measure temperature, air pressure, and wind at different levels as the devices drop through the hurricane toward the ocean. By the end of the mission, the NOAA can warn everyone in the hurricane's path.
What is a storm surge?
A storm surge is a large dome of water up to 100 miles wide that piles up, unable to escape anywhere but on land as the storm carries it toward land. The dome of water sweeps across the coastline near where a hurricane makes landfall. It is the most devastating element of a hurricane.
How are hurricanes categorized?
Category 1 – Wind speed of 74-95 mph
Category 2 – Wind speed of 96-110 mph
Category 3 – Wind speed of 111-131 mph
Category 4 – Wind speed of 131-155 mph
Category 5 – Wind speed greater than 155 mph
What is a tornado?
A tornado is a violently rotating column of air, in contact with the ground from a cloud and often (but not always) visible as a funnel cloud.
A tornado watch?
A tornado watch means that weather conditions are favorable for possible tornados.
A tornado warning?
A tornado warning means that a tornado has been sighted and you should take shelter immediately; stay away from doors and windows; go to the basement or interior room on lowest level of building; if in a mobile home, evacuate immediately.