What is a Hurricane?

A hurricane is a severe tropical storm that develops in the southern Atlantic Ocean, Caribbean Sea, Gulf of Mexico, and in the eastern Pacific Ocean. Hurricanes pick up heat and energy through contact with warm ocean waters. Evaporating seawater gives a hurricane even more strength.

Hurricanes rotate in a counter-clockwise direction around the center or "eye." Hurricanes have winds at least 74 miles per hour. When they hit land, the heavy rain, strong winds and huge waves damage buildings, trees and cars. In coastal areas, the heavy waves are called the storm surge. Storm surges are unpredictable and the most important reason why you MUST avoid the ocean during a hurricane warning or during such a storm.

 

Why Can't Hurricanes be Stopped?

It is commonly asked why we cannot stop hurricanes from developing or to interrupt their formation.  One might think that it can’t be that difficult. At this point, however, researchers have found no solution. During the 1960s, the federal government, along with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) tried various interventions to subside hurricanes.  The program was scrapped as hurricanes are complex and the associated systems too large. The main focus of NOAA researchers now is attempting to better understand how hurricanes develop and form and shift.

1955 saw Congress fund the National Hurricane Research Project to do research into these devastating storm systems. In 1960, researchers acquired two DC6 airplanes to use exclusively for hurricane research. Regular sorties of the "Hurricane Hunter" planes along with enhanced technology assist meteorologists (scientists who study weather) to learn more about hurricanes. With time, forecasts and projections of storm tracks has improved.