| Which
hurricanes were the deadliest?
Many
of the deadliest hurricanes occurred before the development of
today's predicting and tracking technology. Despite these advancements,
researchers believe powerful hurricanes still have the potential
to kill many people if preparedness guidelines are not followed.
The
following list includes the most deadly storms to affect areas
of the United States between 1900 and 2000.
Most of these hurricanes occurred before it became tradition
to name the storms. In
those cases the storm is listed according to the area it impacted
most severely.
Source: NOAA, National Hurricane Center
Which hurricanes did the most damage
to property?
 Hurricane
Andrew, which devastated South Florida and part of southeastern
Louisiana in 1992, was by far the most damaging storm on record.
Assessments indicate that Andrew caused over $26 billion
in property damage (1992 assessment not adjusted for inflation).
The
following are the ten most devastating hurricanes, in terms of
property damage (measured in U.S. dollars), to affect the United
States between 1900 and 2000.
NOTE:
These estimates are adjusted for inflation.
Source
NOAA, National Hurricane Center
Which hurricanes were the most
powerful?
In
1965, engineer Herbert Saffir and Bob Simpson, then director of
the National Hurricane Center, developed the Saffir-Simpson scale
to rank hurricanes. In using the system, scientists take all aspects
of a particular storm into account and then assign the storm a
number (between 1 and 5), which is a general indicator of its
destructive power.
The
following are the ten most intense hurricanes to affect areas
of the United States between the years 1900 and 2000.
NOTE:
Four storms tied for seventh place.
Source NOAA, National Hurricane Center
What were the longest-lasting hurricanes?
The
National Hurricane Center reports that Hurricane/Typhoon John,
which developed in the Pacific Ocean in 1994, was the longest-lasting
"tropical cyclone" (a generic name for hurricanes) on
record.  John
was classified at different points during its ocean meandering
as both a hurricane and a typhoon.
If
a storm forms in the "North Atlantic Ocean, the Northeast
Pacific Ocean east of the dateline, or the South Pacific Ocean
east of 160E" it is called a hurricane. If a storm forms in the "Northwest Pacific
Ocean west of the dateline" it is called a typhoon. John crossed the dateline twice during its
31-day duration.
The
following are the top five longest-lasting Atlantic Ocean hurricanes.
NOTE:
Two storms tied for fourth place.
Source,
NOAA, National Hurricane Center
Who names hurricanes and why?
The
inhabitants of the West Indies were the first to name hurricanes,
traditionally naming the storms after the saint on whose day the
storm made landfall.
During
World War II, military forecasters reportedly began using women's
names to track storms as they moved across the vast Pacific Ocean.
Some sources say a popular 1941 novel by George Stewart, “The
Storm,” influenced these wartime forecasters. The novel tells
the story of a young meteorologist who names a giant Pacific storm
"Maria."
According
to the National Hurricane Center, the practice of officially naming
hurricanes from a prepared list began in 1953, when scientists
and forecasters sought an easier way to quickly refer to a particular
storm. Naming was thought to be less cumbersome and subject to
error and confusion than using identifiers such as longitude and
latitude coordinates or the phonetic alphabet.
Today
six lists, which the World
Meteorological Organization maintains, are used on
a rotating basis. At first only traditionally female names were
used, until hurricane trackers added male names in 1979. Trackers
now alternate between male and female names.
According to the National Hurricane
Center, a storm name is officially retired when "a storm is so deadly or costly that the
future use of its name on a different storm would be inappropriate
for reasons of sensitivity. If that occurs, then at an annual
meeting by the WMO committee (called primarily to discuss many
other issues) the offending name is stricken from the list and
another name is selected to replace it."
Source
NOAA, National Hurricane Center
Which state is most often affected
by hurricanes?
According
to the National Hurricane Center, the peninsular state of Florida
has had the most direct hits from hurricanes. Between 1900 and
2000, 60 hurricanes made landfall in the "Sunshine state."
Other states heavily affe cted by hurricanes between 1900
and 2000 include Texas (37 hits), North Carolina (27 hits), Louisiana
(26 hits) and South Carolina (14 hits).
Source:
NOAA, National Hurricane Center
--
By Jason Manning, Online NewsHour
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