What are tropical storms and hurricanes?
Tropical storms are storms that have winds between 39 and 73 miles per hour. Hurricanes are more severe and more dangerous forms of tropical storms. They have winds of 74 miles per hour or more. These storms form over oceans and seas, like the Atlantic Ocean, the Caribbean Sea, the Gulf of Mexico, and the Pacific Ocean. Hurricane Katrina, perhaps one of the costliest and deadliest hurricanes in our history, struck the Louisiana, Mississippi and Alabama coastal areas in August 2005. Levees separating Lake Pontchartrain from New Orleans were breached by the surge, ultimately flooding roughly 80% of the city of New Orleans and 1600 perished. Learn more about tropical storms and hurricanes. What can you expect to happen? The hurricane season runs from about June 1 to November 30, but the strongest storms come from mid-August to mid-October. Scientists can now predict tropical storms and hurricanes, so it’s important to stay tuned to your local news to find out if one is coming your way. Yo
