What is Tropical Storm or Hurricane?
The ingredients for a tropical storm or hurricane include a pre-existing weather disturbance, warm tropical oceans, moisture, and relatively light winds aloft. If the right conditions persist long enough, they can combine to produce the violent winds, incredible waves, torrential rains, and floods we associate with the hurricane phenomenon. Historical records show that an average of ten tropical storms develop over the Atlantic Ocean basin, Caribbean Sea, and Gulf of Mexico. Many of these remain over the ocean and never make an impact on the U.S. coastline. Six of these storms typically become hurricanes each year. In an average 3-year period, roughly five hurricanes strike the US coastline, killing approximately 50 to 100 people anywhere from Texas to Maine. Of these, two are typically “major” or “intense” hurricanes (a category 3 or higher storm on the Saffir-Simpson Hurricane Scale). What is a Hurricane? A hurricane is a type of tropical cyclone, which is a generic term for a low-pr
