And it can move quickly in the event of a wave, dragging people to death, throwing ships and vehicles, and spraying structures. Six inches of fast-moving water is enough to knock down an adult, according to the NHC. Storm surges become even more dangerous at high tide. The strong winds of a tropical cyclone can cause dangerous waves that pose a significant hazard to boaters and coastal residents and visitors.
When waves break along the coast, they can produce deadly upcurrents, even at great distances from the storm. In a Category 2 hurricane, wind speeds can range from 96 to 110 miles per hour. Like a category 1 storm, these storms can damage roofs and cladding and uproot trees. They can also cause energy losses and almost total flooding.
Hurricanes in the Atlantic and Eastern Pacific fall into five categories according to the Saffir-Simpson hurricane wind scale, which estimates potential property damage based on the hurricane's sustained wind speed. While the National Hurricane Center has a system for predicting storm surges, hurricanes are known for their rapidly evolving conditions, which can create waves that cause varying degrees of destruction. The typical hurricane season in the Atlantic is from June 1 to November 30, and the peak season is from August to November. Hurricanes are classified according to wind speed, but the most deadly and destructive threat posed by most hurricanes is the storm surge they can produce.
For example, if the currents in the direction of a hurricane were moving at 30 miles per hour and the hurricane's sustained winds were 80 to 100 miles per hour, the combination generates a wind speed of 130 to 150 miles per hour at 3 o'clock on the watch face. So how does a hurricane get its severity level? We broke down the meaning of hurricanes and their categories, and took a look at the history of hurricanes. Ian Oliver, from FOX Weather, shows why the storm surge is greater to the right of a hurricane using previous data on Hurricane Ian. According to NOAA, hurricanes fall on a scale of 1 to 5 categories called the Saffir-Simpson hurricane wind scale.
Phil Klotzbach, a hurricane researcher at Colorado State University who monitors and analyzes hurricane trends around the world, draws similar conclusions about how climate change is increasing the strength of hurricanes.
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