Harsh Facts
Hurricanes are the most destructive and violent natural weather events on Earth.
Hurricane Katrina flooded 80% of New Orleans, destroyed over 100,000 homes, and took the lives of nearly 2,000 people.
More than a dozen states were affected by Hurricane/Superstorm Sandy in 2012; the cost of the storm amounted to $18.75 billion in insured property losses.
On average, 90 tropical cyclones develop around the world each year. From these, on average, six hurricanes develop each year in the Atlantic, while nine hurricanes form in the Pacific.
Hurricane season in the Atlantic is from June 1st to November 30th. The Eastern Pacific season is longer, from May 15th to November 30th.
Typhoon Tip was the largest and most intense tropical cyclone ever recorded, with a diameter of 1,380 miles. To put that into perspective, here’s a picture comparing Tip to the continental United States:
Picture courtesy of: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hurricane#Classifications.2C_terminology.2C_and_naming
Recent studies speculate that climate change and global warming will cause hurricanes to become strong and more frequent in the coming years.
