What is a Hurricane?
Hurricanes are storms of extraordinary violence characterized by spiraling, rain-bearing winds of at least 75 miles per hour. Their considerable size, often extending from 300 to 500 miles in width, and their great intensity make hurricanes the most destructive of all storms.
The Power of a Hurricane
The Raging winds and heavy rains brought by hurricanes can cause massive property damage, and in particularly sever storms, loss of life. If a hurricane reaches land, the force of the wind can knock down small building. Hurricane winds of more than 100 Miles an hour are common. Such winds have torn loose sections of roofs, big signs, and branches of trees. After one hurricane in Puerto Rico, a plank of wood 1 inch thick was found driven through the trunk of a palm tree.
In 1900 a hurricane and storm surge killed as many as 6,000 people in the vicinity of Galveston, Texas. Hurricane Fifi in 1974 killed nearly 8,000 people and destroyed over $1,000,000,000 worth of property in Honduras.
During a hurricane, higher than usual tides can occur. They too often flood the coast. Most damage is done when water brought by waves and tides combines with the bulge of water carried along by the hurricane's eye. At such times the entire sea seems to be flowing out of its basin.
Hurricane Warnings
The path of a hurricane can be forecast to some extent, but the storm itself cannot be stopped. The forces in a hurricane are so great that there is no way for human beings to break it up or to weaken it. But meteorologists can predict when a storm is likely to become a hurricane. They can keep track of its motion, and many hours before it is expected to strike, can warn ships and people in its path of the potential danger.