The Mighty Hurricane

August 19, 2021
Martin Lisius, StormStock Founder

A hurricane is a tropical cyclone with sustained winds of 74 mph or more. It’s called a “cyclone” because it is a storm that rotates counterclockwise (cyclonic rotation in the Northern Hemisphere, clockwise in the Southern). A rating system called the Saffir-Simpson Scale rates hurricanes based on intensity from Category 1 to Category 5.

People often ask me what the difference is between a hurricane and a typhoon. A typhoon and hurricane are the same thing meteorologically. They have different names based on where they occur. A hurricane is an Atlantic basin or eastern Pacific storm. Typhoons are in the western Pacific. And, storms that occur in the Indian Ocean are called “cyclones.”

Folks also ask me what the difference is between a tornado and hurricane. Both are cyclones (in the Northern Hemisphere), and both produce a lot of wind and destruction. But, after that, they are very different. A tornado is tiny compared to a hurricane. The largest tornado ever recorded was 2.6 miles wide which our team intercepted near El Reno, Oklahoma in 2013. Hurricanes, on the other hand, can be hundreds of miles across. Significant tornadoes need lots of atmospheric wind shear. Hurricanes require a calm atmosphere. They create their own wind shear. Many tornadoes form over land. Hurricanes weaken over land, but thrive over warm ocean water. That is why they are most prevalent during summer and early autumn when seas are warmest.

A hurricane causes destruction in three ways. By wind, storm surge and flooding from rain. Most storms bring all three conditions at some level. And, some are especially intense in one category. For example, Hurricane Michael (2018) was especially “windy” when it made landfall in northwest Florida with winds to 162 mph (Category 5). Hurricane Katrina (2005) is known as the “queen of surge” because she produced record-setting and extremely devastating storm surge of more than 30 feet deep on the US Gulf Coast. Storm surge is the sea coming inland and leveling everything in its path, like a giant bulldozer. Hurricane Harvey is the “king of flooding,” producing record breaking rainfall (60.58 inches) over southeast Texas in 2017. It destroyed over 1 million cars and trucks, more than any event ever. Both Harvey and Katrina are considered the costliest disasters in US history at about $125 billion each.

As our planet continues to warm, there will be an increase in hurricane activity. Either more hurricanes, or greater intensity, or both. The fact is, hurricanes love warm water. They require the energy it provides to run their engine. Climate change creates extremes. Higher highs and lower lows. Think of it as less “mild” than what humans have been used. We will have to either stop or slow the change, or adapt to it. If you live in an area under the threat of hurricanes, you can protect yourself and your family by following the preparation and safety guidelines I published in “The Ultimate Severe Weather Safety Guide” or those offered by the National Weather Service.

License Martin’s hurricane footage through StormStock, a collection of weather imagery he founded in 1993. Dramatic and beautiful content shot on 4K, 8K, 16K and 35mm film that will add spice to your next award-winning TV program, commercial, feature film or doc.