Hurricanes are some of the largest and most powerful storms on earth. They can cause severe wind damage, torrential rainfall and dangerous storm surges that threaten coastal areas. They can also disrupt inland water and power infrastructure, and kill or injure people. Annually, hurricanes cause billions of dollars in losses.
Hurricane formation begins when sunlight heats the ocean’s surface, evaporating moisture into the air. This raises the temperature of surrounding air, creating a low-pressure area that draws in air from the atmosphere to fill the space. The earth’s rotation deflects the winds around this center, forming the eye of the storm. The warm, moist air gathers strength and forms a tropical depression or storm. If its wind speeds reach 74 mph, it becomes a hurricane. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) tracks and predicts these massive storm systems, which are also known as typhoons in the eastern Pacific or, if they have lower wind speeds, tropical storms.
NOAA researchers are studying the impact of climate change on hurricanes and other weather-related events. They use advanced computer modeling to learn when and where a storm may form, how fast it will strengthen and how bad it will be. They can also predict where it might move and what conditions might accompany it as it crosses land or the open ocean.
If a hurricane is headed your way, stay tuned to TV or the radio for critical information from your local NOAA weather service. Protect your home, and evacuate if officials tell you to. Keep your pets in mind, too, and don’t let them out in a hurricane. Stay away from windows, and don’t go outside, even if the weather gets calm for a while; it could get worse again quickly.