Why does rain accompany hurricanes

An existing low pressure weather disturbance needs to move over warm ocean waters. Hurricanes thrive on warm water and will typically only form when water is above 80 degrees Fahrenheit.

The combination of warm air and warm water allows a hurricane to develop. Other favorable ingredients for a tropical cyclone are humid air and low vertical wind shear, which is the change in wind velocity with height. This scale is used to measure how strong a hurricane is. Below are the categories used to classify a storm based on its sustained wind speeds. Hurricanes are some of the most dangerous and destructive natural forces on the planet.

It is important to understand them in order to better prepare for their impacts when one is threatening. After two active hurricane seasons in and with historical storm damage, this season's predictions have a lot of people wondering what will happen this year.

Full article. Hurricanes can be strong, destructive forces with devastating impact. The best chance of keeping you and your customers safe during a storm is knowing what you're up against and taking the necessary measures to protect what matters most.

Hurricane Hazards Weather. Weather Hazards. Safety Campaigns. Back to Hurricane Preparedness While hurricanes pose the greatest threat to life and property, tropical storms and depression also can be devastating. Disclaimer Information Quality Help Glossary. Storm Surges and Coastal Communities Tropical cyclones, and the storm surges they generate , are a serious hazard for coastal areas in tropical and subtropical regions of the world.

Developing in the late summer months July-August in the Northern Hemisphere, January-February in the Southern Hemisphere , when the waters are warmest, tropical cyclones hit regions as far apart as the Gulf Coast of the United States, northwestern Australia and Bangladesh.

When a cyclone hits land, the accompany ing storm surge will most often flood the surrounding coastal area.

Flooding is responsible for most deaths and economic damage associated with tropical cyclone landfalls. When a hurricane hit Galveston, Texas, in , the storm surge was responsible for approximately 6, deaths. In East Pakistan now Bangladesh , the Bhola cyclone killed as many as , people in The storm surge from the Bhola cyclone was estimated to be 10 meters 33 feet high. Improvements in forecast ing cyclones and issuing early warnings to the public have become indispensable as both coastal populations and the occurrence of extreme storms continue to rise.

However, even sophisticated meteorology and storm warnings do not always protect against devastating storm surges. The flooding killed more than 1, people in New Orleans alone, and caused millions of dollars in damage. Homes, businesses, schools, and hospitals were destroyed. Still, improvements in forecasting greatly benefit regions like the Chesapeake Bay , in the U. The Chesapeake Bay suffered severe damage from Hurricane Isabel in Now, meteorologists and emergency managers monitor the storms forming in the southeast more closely.

The simulation showed the hurricane could produce storm surges as high as 5 or 6 meters 18 or 20 feet along the Chesapeake shoreline. The new maps show how far inland flooding could stretch under certain conditions. With this new forecasting data, emergency planners and citizens will be better prepared for storm surges. Government agencies can arrange for residents to evacuate. Others may not have a place to go and require emergency shelter. Many residents, such as those in hospitals and prisons, are especially at risk.

Advance warning of a strong storm surge also allows homes and businesses to prepare for damage. Business owners can relocate expensive machinery or tools to safe areas, and homeowners can board up windows to protect against strong floods or move furniture and other valuables to a second story. Wetlands Coastal residents can reduce the damage done by a storm surge by protecting local wetland s.

Wetlands, such as swamps, estuaries, and mud flat s, act as sponges for tropical cyclones. As the cyclone makes landfall, the marsh y land and plants absorb the water and the energy of the storm surge.

Silt and swamp vegetation prevent the most intense part of the storm surge from hitting homes and businesses. Estuaries are such an important part of our natural environment that the U. This program seeks to improve the quality of estuaries to protect important wildlife habitats, public water supplies, and coastal regions affected by severe storms.

The development of coastal wetlands for housing, industry, or agriculture reduces the natural barrier that wetlands provide. Communities can protect themselves against storm surges by maintaining healthy coastal wetland ecosystem s. Different Names, Same Storm Hurricanes and typhoons are the same as cycloneswhich name is used depends on what part of the world the storm is in. They are called typhoons in the Northwest Pacific Ocean. The Saffir-Simpson Scale Just before the hurricane season, scientists removed storm surge from the Saffir-Simpson Hurricane Wind Scale, a five-category system that describes the strength of the storms.

The problem, scientists said, is that the size of a storm surge doesn't always match up with the strength of a hurricane. It was the first change to the scale in about a decade. Atlantic and Eastern Pacific hurricanes are classified into five categories according to the Saffir-Simpson Hurricane Wind Scale , which estimates potential property damage according to the hurricane's sustained wind speed. The strong winds of a tropical cyclone can cause dangerous waves that pose a significant hazard to mariners and coastal residents and visitors.

When the waves break along the coast, they can produce deadly rip currents - even at large distances from the storm. Rip currents are channeled currents of water flowing away from shore, usually extending past the line of breaking waves, that can pull even the strongest swimmers away from shore.

In , despite the fact that Hurricane Bertha was more than a 1, miles offshore, the storm resulted in rip currents that killed three people along the New Jersey coast and required 1, lifeguard rescues in Ocean City, Maryland, over a 1 week period.

In , all six deaths in the United States directly attributable to tropical cyclones occurred as the result of drowning from large waves or strong rip currents. Hurricanes and tropical storms can also produce tornadoes. These tornadoes most often occur in thunderstorms embedded in rain bands well away from the center of the hurricane; however, they can also occur near the eyewall.