LibGuides: Hurricane Awareness and Preparedness: Hurricanes-What Are They?

Hurricane Song

Fun video to learn more about hurricanes.

Hurricane Destruction

Hurricanes batter coastlines and send deadly debris flying through the air.

Anatomy of a Hurricane

Describes how and where hurricanes are formed, their structure, and how they cause damage.

Hurricane Names

Atlantic Names

2009	2010	2011	2012	2013	2014
Ana Bill Claudette Danny Erika Fred Grace Henri Ida Joaquin Kate Larry Mindy Nicholas Odette Peter Rose Sam Teresa Victor Wanda	Alex Bonnie Colin Danielle Earl Fiona Gaston Hermine Igor Julia Karl Lisa Matthew Nicole Otto Paula Richard Shary Tomas Virginie Walter	Arlene Bret Cindy Don Emily Franklin Gert Harvey Irene Jose Katia Lee Maria Nate Ophelia Philippe Rina Sean Tammy Vince Whitney	Alberto Beryl Chris Debby Ernesto Florence Gordon Helene Isaac Joyce Kirk Leslie Michael Nadine Oscar Patty Rafael Sandy Tony Valerie William	Andrea Barry Chantal Dorian Erin Fernand Gabrielle Humberto Ingrid Jerry Karen Lorenzo Melissa Nestor Olga Pablo Rebekah Sebastien Tanya Van Wendy	Arthur Bertha Cristobal Dolly Edouard Fay Gonzalo Hanna Isaias Josephine Kyle Laura Marco Nana Omar Paulette Rene Sally Teddy Vicky Wilfred

National Hurricane Center

Hurricane Names - Retired

Names for tropical storms and hurricanes usually repeat every six years. However, if there is an unusually large or damaging hurricane, the name is retired for at least 10 years by the World Meteorological Organization’s hurricane committee. A list of hurricane names that have been retired are:

1954	1955	1957	1960	1961
Carol Hazel	Connie Diane Ione Janet	Audrey	Donna	Carla Hattie

1963	1964	1965	1966	1967
Flora	Cleo Dora Hilda	Betsy	Inez	Beulah

1968	1969	1970	1972	1974
Edna	Camille	Celia	Agnes	Carmen Fifi

1975	1977	1979	1980	1983
Eloise	Anita	David Frederic	Allen	Alicia

1985	1988	1989	1990	1991
Elena Gloria	Gilbert Joan	Hugo	Diana Klaus	Bob

1992	1995	1996	1998	1999
Andrew	Luis Marilyn Opal Roxanne	Cesar Fran Hortense	Georges Mitch	Floyd Lenny

2000	2001	2002	2003	2004
Keith	Allison Iris Michelle	Isidore Lili	Fabian Isabel Juan	Charley Frances Ivan Jeanne

2005	2007	2008
Dennis Katrina Rita Stan Wilma	Dean Felix Noel	Gustav Ike Paloma

Definition

"Hurricane is the regional term given to those mature tropical cyclones that originate over the North Atlantic and eastern North Pacific Oceans. Like its meteorological cousins, the eastern North Pacific typhoon and the Indian Ocean cyclone, the hurricane is a highly organized storm system in which a warm core of low barometric pressure is surrounded by winds that rotate in a counterclockwise directrion in the Northern Hemisphere. Characterized by sustained surface winds in excess of 74 MPH." (p. 243)

Longshore, David. Encyclopedia of Hurricanes, Typhoons, and Cyclones. New edition. New York, Facts on File, 2008.

Life Cycle of Hurricanes

Before a tropical disturbance develops into a hurricane it advances through three stages:

1. Tropical depression: wind speeds of less than 38 mph

2. Tropical storm: wind speeds of 39 to 73 mph

3. Hurricane: wind speeds greater than 74 mph

Watches and Warnings

TROPICAL STORM WATCH
A tropical storm watch is issued when tropical storm conditions, including winds from 39 to 73 miles per hour (mph), pose a possible threat to a specified coastal area within 36 hours.
TROPICAL STORM WARNING
A tropical storm warning is issued when tropical storm conditions, including winds from 39 to 73 mph, are expected in a specified coastal area within 24 hours or less.

HURRICANE WATCH
A hurricane watch is issued for a specified coastal area for which a hurricane or a hurricane-related hazard is a possible threat within 36 hours.
HURRICANE WARNING
A hurricane warning is issued when a hurricane with sustained winds of 74 mph or higher is expected in a specified coastal area in 24 hours or less. A hurricane warning can remain in effect when dangerously high water or a combination of dangerously high water and exceptionally high waves continues, even though the winds may have subsided below hurricane intensity.

http://www.nhc.noaa.gov/HAW2/english/forecast/warnings.shtml (06.17.09)

Hurricane Categories

Saffir/Simpson Hurricane Scale

Category	Winds & Effects	Surge
1	74-95 mph (64-82 kt)	4-5 ft
	No real damage to building structures. Damage primarily to unanchored mobile homes, shrubbery, and trees. Also, some coastal flooding and minor pier damage.
2	96-110 mph (83-95 kt)	6-8 ft
	Some roofing material, door, and window damage. Considerable damage to vegetation, mobile homes, etc. Flooding damages piers and small craft in unprotected moorings may break their moorings.
3	111-130 mph (96-113 kt)	9-12 ft
	Some structural damage to small residences and utility buildings, with a minor amount of curtainwall failures. Mobile homes are destroyed. Flooding near the coast destroys smaller structures with larger structures damaged by floating debris. Terrain may be flooded well inland.
4	131-155 mph (114-135 kt)	13-18 ft
	More extensive curtainwall failures with some complete roof structure failure on small residences. Major erosion of beach areas. Terrain may be flooded well inland.
5	155 mph+ (135+ kt)	18 ft +
	Complete roof failure on many residences and industrial buildings. Some complete building failures with small utility buildings blown over or away. Flooding causes major damage to lower floors of all structures near the shoreline. Massive evacuation of residential areas may be required.

http://www.ohsep.louisiana.gov/hurricanerelated/HURRICANECATEGORIES.htm (06-18-2009)