Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

Q: How are tropical storms and hurricanes named?
A: Tropical storms and hurricanes are named by the National Hurricane Center by using a six year rotating list of male and female names. Whenever, there is a powerful hurricane such as Hurricane Andrew (1992), which makes landfall and causes death and damages, the name is then retired from the list to avoid future confusion.

Q: What are the average number of named storms each hurricane season?
A: The average number of tropical storms each season is between 9 and 10 named storms each hurricane season. The average number of hurricanes each season is between 5 and 6 named storms each hurricane season. The average number of hurricanes each season is between 2 and 3 named storms each hurricane season.

Q: Can a tornado occur in a hurricane?
A: Yes, a tornado can occur in a hurricane because of the tremendous instability in the atmosphere caused by the friction between a landfalling hurricane, and the area its affecting, particularly in its Northeast quadrant where winds are the strongest, and the counterclockwise flow around it is prevalent. However, these tornadoes are usually minimal in strength, which is equivalent to F0 or F1 on the Fujita Scale.

Q: Are there any benefits to having a hurricane?
A: Believe it or not, yes. Hurricanes are play a very important role in preserving the heat balance that the earth maintains by transferring heat from the tropics to the poles. They also can be very helpful to areas affected by drought with their torrential rains.

Q: What was the deadliest hurricane to make landfall in the United States?
A: The deadliest hurricane to make landfall in the United States happens to be the worst natural disaster in American History. It was the Great Galveston Hurricane of 1900, which struck on September 8, 1900, and left some 6,000 to 8,000 people (maybe more) dead.

Q: What was the costliest hurricane to make landfall in the United States?
A: The costliest hurricane in United States History was also the costliest natural disaster in United States History. Hurricane Andrew caused some $30 billion dollars in damage from Florida to Louisiana in August, 1992. The Category Four Hurricane caused some $27 billion dollars in damage in Florida alone.

Q: What was the strongest hurricane to make landfall in the United States?
A: The strongest hurricane to ever make landfall in the United States was the Labor Day Hurricane of 1935, which roared through the Florida Keys. It had a central pressure of 26.35 in of Hg/892 mb of Hg when it made landfall over Key West, Florida.

Q: Who are the Hurricane Hunters?
A: They are a group of meteorolgists and air force pilots, which fly into and around hurricanes to research and investigate them so that they can make a forecast on where they will go, and how strong they will become.