Highlights
Hurricanes are nature's most powerful storms, bred out of heat, moisture and intense low pressure. Serving as a heat-release valve in the Earth's atmosphere, hurricanes can be as expansive as 600 miles in diameter, build to a height of more than 50,000 feet into the sky and pack sustained winds of up to 185 mph. In the Northern Hemisphere, they always swirl counterclockwise. To give the public a reading on their power and potential for destruction, hurricanes are classified into five categories under the Saffir-Simpson Scale. The scale is based on maximum sustained winds: Category 1: 74 to 95 mph; Category 2: 96-110 mph; Category 3: 111-130 mph; Category 4: 131-155 mph; Category 5: More than...
Hurricanes are nature's most powerful storms, bred out of heat, moisture and intense low pressure. Serving as a heat-release valve in the Earth's atmosphere, hurricanes can be as expansive as 600 miles in diameter, build to a height of more than 50,000 feet into the sky and pack sustained winds of up to 185 mph. In the Northern Hemisphere, they always swirl counterclockwise. To give the public a reading on their power and potential for destruction, hurricanes are classified into five categories under the Saffir-Simpson Scale. The scale is based on maximum sustained winds: Category 1: 74 to 95 mph; Category 2: 96-110 mph; Category 3: 111-130 mph; Category 4: 131-155 mph; Category 5: More than 155 mph.
When a hurricane is a Category 3, 4 or 5 it is considered a major - or intense - hurricane. Since 1925, hurricanes have caused almost $5 billion in damage per year on average in the United States. Major hurricanes account for more than 80 percent of the damage and strike the United States every 1.3 years on average.
Storm surge, a steady rise of sea waters above tide levels, is the most deadly aspect of hurricanes, as it can result in severe flooding and battering waves. Inland flooding also has proven to be a prolific killer. Yet, many people die in the aftermath of storms from downed electrical wires, water-covered ditches or falling objects such as trees.
Some of the most deadly U.S. hurricanes include:
-- The Galveston Hurricane of 1900 hit Galveston, Texas on Sept. 8, 1900 as a Category 4 system with an estimated death toll between 8,000 and 12,000;
-- The Great Florida Hurricane of 1928 hit near West Palm Beach, Fla., on Sept. 16, 1928 as a Category 4 with an estimated death toll of about 2,500, most of those around Lake Okeechobee;
-- And Hurricane Katrina hit southeast Louisiana on Aug. 29, 2005 as a Category 3 and was estimated to kill more than 1,800 in New Orleans and along the Gulf Coast.
Florida is the most hurricane vulnerable state in the nation. Since 1900, 67 hurricanes have struck the state, 29 of them major. Texas is closest behind with 40 hurricanes, 17 major.
Scientists say hurricane activity rises and falls based on a natural cycle of warm waters ebbing and flowing into the tropical regions where hurricanes frequently are spawned. These cycles, or eras, can last 20 to 30 years. However, in recent years, a growing number of scientists say global warming has increased the number of major hurricanes each year, as well as increased their intensity.
The storm seasons spanning 1995-2005 comprised the most active 10 consecutive hurricane years on record. Hurricanes are born out of low-pressure areas called tropical waves. In the Atlantic basin, these waves are frequently created by the heat of the North African desert. The waves feed off warm ocean waters. Thunderstorms develop and a low-pressure center forms.
When the thunderstorm activity forms a closed circulation around a low-pressure center, the system is deemed to be a tropical depression. When the sustained winds reach 39 mph, the system becomes a tropical storm. When those winds reach 74 mph, it becomes a hurricane.
The strongest winds of a hurricane are usually found near the eye wall, or the circle of clouds around the center. The eye can be 10 to 30 miles in diameter. Generally, the stronger the hurricane, the smaller the eye.
While hurricanes most commonly form between June and November, the most powerful hurricanes are spawned near the Cape Verde Islands between mid August and the end of September. Officially, the hurricane season begins June 1 and ends November 30.
When a hurricane is a Category 3, 4 or 5 it is considered a major - or intense - hurricane. Since 1925, hurricanes have caused almost $5 billion in damage per year on average in the United States. Major hurricanes account for more than 80 percent of the damage and strike the United States every 1.3 years on average.
Storm surge, a steady rise of sea waters above tide levels, is the most deadly aspect of hurricanes, as it can result in severe flooding and battering waves. Inland flooding also has proven to be a prolific killer. Yet, many people die in the aftermath of storms from downed electrical wires, water-covered ditches or falling objects such as trees.
Some of the most deadly U.S. hurricanes include:
-- The Galveston Hurricane of 1900 hit Galveston, Texas on Sept. 8, 1900 as a Category 4 system with an estimated death toll between 8,000 and 12,000;
-- The Great Florida Hurricane of 1928 hit near West Palm Beach, Fla., on Sept. 16, 1928 as a Category 4 with an estimated death toll of about 2,500, most of those around Lake Okeechobee;
-- And Hurricane Katrina hit southeast Louisiana on Aug. 29, 2005 as a Category 3 and was estimated to kill more than 1,800 in New Orleans and along the Gulf Coast.
Florida is the most hurricane vulnerable state in the nation. Since 1900, 67 hurricanes have struck the state, 29 of them major. Texas is closest behind with 40 hurricanes, 17 major.
Scientists say hurricane activity rises and falls based on a natural cycle of warm waters ebbing and flowing into the tropical regions where hurricanes frequently are spawned. These cycles, or eras, can last 20 to 30 years. However, in recent years, a growing number of scientists say global warming has increased the number of major hurricanes each year, as well as increased their intensity.
The storm seasons spanning 1995-2005 comprised the most active 10 consecutive hurricane years on record. Hurricanes are born out of low-pressure areas called tropical waves. In the Atlantic basin, these waves are frequently created by the heat of the North African desert. The waves feed off warm ocean waters. Thunderstorms develop and a low-pressure center forms.
When the thunderstorm activity forms a closed circulation around a low-pressure center, the system is deemed to be a tropical depression. When the sustained winds reach 39 mph, the system becomes a tropical storm. When those winds reach 74 mph, it becomes a hurricane.
The strongest winds of a hurricane are usually found near the eye wall, or the circle of clouds around the center. The eye can be 10 to 30 miles in diameter. Generally, the stronger the hurricane, the smaller the eye.
While hurricanes most commonly form between June and November, the most powerful hurricanes are spawned near the Cape Verde Islands between mid August and the end of September. Officially, the hurricane season begins June 1 and ends November 30.
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'When you find a pet, there's hope to go on'
For Valerie Schomburg, animals are more than a job. She has worked with the Newport Beach Police Department's animal control unit for 10 years, but often uses vacation days to help animals who have been separated from their families because of natural...Tags: Disasters and Accidents, Human Interest, Natural Disasters, Joplin, Missouri Tornado (2011), Iowa
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Academic, Athletic Award Winners
This corrects Gabrielle Herbosa's information. COSTA MESA HIGH SCHOOL Recipients of the 32nd annual Les Miller Outstanding Student Awards ANGELINE HONG School Activities/Clubs: Virtual Enterprise-Business Plan Team, Academic Decathlon, varsity tennis,...Tags: International Relations, Stanford University, Volleyball, American Revolutionary War (1775-1783), Festive Events
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All-Stars capture state crown
The National Junior Basketball Newport-Mesa All-Star team went undefeated in the California national tournament after going undefeated in Orange County sectional play. While in Hanford (near Fresno), the third-grade team swept the tournament with a 5-...Tags: Multi-Sport Events, Disasters and Accidents, Mountains, Natural Disasters, Water Polo
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Lobdell: Newport-Mesa's edition of 'Jeopardy!'
It's time for the inaugural year-end version of "Newport-Mesa Jeopardy!" And here's your host, Alex Trebek! Alex: Let's get right to it. The categories are: All's Fair, Schooled, Newport Traditions, Politics As Usual, What's in a Name? and Headaches....Tags: Disasters and Accidents, Mountains, Illegal Immigrants, Natural Disasters, Elections
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Mailbag: Send complaints to chief, not officers
I feel you should re-think the part of your editorial concerning the confrontation of public safety workers ("Editorial: A matter of public record," Oct. 17). Everyone has the right to question the activities of these workers, but it should be done in the...Tags: Disasters and Accidents, Employees, Natural Disasters, Hurricane Preparedness, Justice System
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Discover Catalina just offshore
"26 Miles (Santa Catalina)," sung by the Four Preps in 1958, helped make Santa Catalina Island a national household name. Many recreational boaters and passengers on the Catalina Flyer will travel the 26 nautical miles from Newport Harbor to Avalon. But...Tags: Natural Disasters, Santa Ana, Disasters, Meteorological Disasters, Catalina
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Subtropical storm Beryl picks up speed
Subtropical storm Beryl began moving faster toward an expected landfall Sunday night on the southeastern Atlantic coast, the National Hurricane Center said Sunday. Tropical storm warnings are in effect for the Georgia coastline, parts of South...Tags: Disasters and Accidents, Volusia County, Natural Disasters, National Hurricane Center, Tropical Storms
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Hurricane glass thwarts would-be burglary in Delray Beach
David Rosenbaum is glad he installed the hurricane glass throughout his home. If not for the strength of the glass in the French doors at the back of his house, two men may have been able to break in and steal some of his possessions on May 17. The...
Tags: Disasters and Accidents, Natural Disasters, Real Estate Buyers, Vehicles, Meteorological Disasters
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Could another Hurricane Andrew surprise us?
If Hurricane Andrew were to threaten South Florida today, residents would get at least 36 hours advance warning — about 16 more than in 1992, thanks to improved tracking and projecting of a storm's forward motion. But officials at the National...
Tags: Disasters and Accidents, Natural Disasters, Miami-Dade County, Palm Beach County, Tropical Storms
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Subtropical storm Beryl forms; northeast Florida under tropical storm warning
Sun SentinelThe National Hurricane Center in Miami has issued a tropical storm warning for residents living in Volusia County. Subtropical Storm Beryl, the second named storm of the 2012 Atlantic hurricane season, is moving west-southwest toward the southeastern...Tags: Disasters and Accidents, Miami (Miami-Dade, Florida), Volusia County, Natural Disasters, National Hurricane Center
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Subtropical storm Beryl may reach land by Memorial Day
Subtropical storm Beryl is about to rain on the Southeast's Memorial Day parade. A tropical storm warning was in effect along the coasts of Georgia, Florida and South Carolina on Saturday, the National Weather Service announced, as the second named storm...
Tags: Disasters and Accidents, Human Interest, Holidays, Natural Disasters, Memorial Day
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2012 hurricane guide, from A (Andrew) to Z (Zantac)
The 2012 hurricane season officially begins this week, even though Alberto jumped the starting gun by turning into a tropical storm last week. Florida hasn't gotten hit by a major storm since 2005. Here now, as a public service, my A-to-Z guide to the...Tags: Disasters and Accidents, New York City, Natural Disasters, Springs, Tropical Storms
Jun 14, 2011
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May 12, 2011
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Mar 30, 2011
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Dec 27, 2010
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Oct 25, 2010
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Jun 29, 2010
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May 27, 2012
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May 27, 2012
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May 26, 2012
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May 26, 2012
|Story| South Florida Sun-Sentinel
May 26, 2012
|Story| Los Angeles Times
May 26, 2012
|Column| South Florida Sun-Sentinel
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