Hurricane Preparedness Blog

An important part of preparedness is understanding what we are up against.  To prepare for hurricanes, we should familiarize ourselves with the terminology used in describing tropical cyclones and become aware of storms’ potential effects.

Here are some common terms for various types of storms:

• A tropical depression is defined as an organized system of clouds and thunderstorms with a defined circulation and maximum sustained winds of 38 mph or less.
• A tropical storm is a more advanced storm than a tropical depression, with winds of 39 to 73 mph in an organized system of strong thunderstorms with a defined circulation.
• A hurricane is an intense tropical weather system with a well defined circulation and maximum sustained winds of 74 mph or higher. In the western Pacific, hurricanes are called “typhoons” and similar storms in the Indian Ocean are called “cyclones”.

Every hurricane season, we hear hurricanes described in terms of categories.   Despite that category of a storm is based on wind speed (according to the Saffir-Simpson Scale), winds aren’t the only damaging part of a hurricane.  In fact, winds oftentimes aren’t the most devastating or deadly force that a hurricane produces.   Hurricanes have the potential to bring storm surge, tornadoes, lightning, heavy rains, and flooding.   As we’ve seen recently with Hurricane Ike, which was only a strong category 2 at landfall, even if the hurricane is classified as a relatively low category of storm, the devastation can still be high.

More people have died from floods than any other weather related cause, and it should be noted that a low category of storm does not always translate into low potential for flooding.  Tropical Storm Fay stalled over northeastern and east central Florida in August of this year, dropping up to two feet of rain in some locations.  Fay was responsible for historic levels of flooding, yet was categorized as a mere tropical storm.

For more information regarding storms, visit OneStorm’s section, “Storms Explained,” for educational resources.  You’ll find articles on hurricane flooding, storm surge, FAQs on hurricane history, and a glossary of hurricane terms.    All types of storms have the potential to be dangerous, and learning about them is another great way to be prepared.

Source:  “Terminology.”  NWS.  August 2000.

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