Why give names to hurricanes? According to what principles does this happen? What categories are assigned to such elements? What are the most devastating hurricanes in history? We will talk about all this in our article.
How are hurricanes formed?
Such natural phenomena originate in tropical zones in the middle of the ocean. A prerequisite is an increase in water temperature to 26 ° C. Humid air, which comes in contact with the sea surface, gradually rises. Upon reaching the desired height, it condensates with the release of heat. The reaction forces other air masses to rise. The process takes on a cyclical character.
Streams of hot air begin to rotate counterclockwise, which is due to the movement of the planet around its own axis. An abundance of clouds is forming. As soon as the wind speed begins to exceed 130 km / h, the hurricane takes on a clear outline, begins to move in a certain direction.
Hurricane Categories
A special scale for determining the nature of damage after natural disasters was developed by researchers Robert Simpson and Herbert Saffir in 1973. Scientists based their selection of criteria on the magnitude of storm waves and wind blowing speed. How many categories of hurricanes? There are 5 threat levels in total:
- Minimal - small trees and shrubs are exposed to destructive effects. Slight damage to coastal piers is observed, small vessels break anchors.
- Moderate - Trees and shrubs take significant damage. Some of them take root. Prefabricated structures are severely damaged. Destroyed piers and piers.
- Significant - prefabricated houses are suffering damage, large trees are falling, roofs, doors and windows are tearing down at major buildings. Severe floods are observed within the coastlines.
- Huge - shrubs, trees, billboards, prefabricated structures are blown into the air. Houses are destroyed under the foundation. Capital constructions are exposed to serious destructive influences. The height of the waters in the areas of flooding reaches three meters above sea level. Floods are capable of moving 10 kilometers inland. Significant damage from debris and waves.
- Catastrophic - all prefabricated structures, trees and shrubs are swept away by a hurricane. Most buildings receive critical damage. Serious damage is done to the lower floors. The effects of the disaster are noticeable at a distance of more than 45 kilometers inland. There is a need for mass evacuation of the population that lives on the coastal territories.
How do hurricanes give names?
The decision to name atmospheric phenomena was made during World War II. During this period, American meteorologists actively monitored the behavior of typhoons in the Pacific Ocean. Trying to prevent confusion, the researchers gave the manifestations of the elements the names of their mother-in-law and wives. At the end of the war, the United States National Meteorological Service compiled a special list of short and easy-to-remember hurricane names. Thus, the compilation of statistics for researchers has been greatly facilitated.
Specific rules for naming hurricanes appeared in the 50s of the last century. First, the phonetic alphabet was used. However, the method was inconvenient. Soon, meteorologists decided to return to the proven option, namely the use of female names. Subsequently, it became a system. They also learned about how names are given to hurricanes in the USA in other countries of the world. The principle of choosing short, catchy names began to be used to identify typhoons formed in all oceans.
In the 70s, the procedure for naming hurricanes was streamlined. So, the first major spontaneous phenomenon in the year began to designate the shortest, most melodious female name in the first letter of the alphabet. Subsequently, the names of the other letters were applied according to their sequence in the alphabet. To identify the manifestations of the elements made up a wide list, which included 84 female names. In 1979, meteorologists decided to expand the list, including male names of hurricanes.
San Calixto
One of the largest hurricanes in history, got its name from the famous Roman martyr bishop. According to documented references, a spontaneous phenomenon swept through the islands of the Caribbean back in 1780. As a result of the disaster, about 95% of all buildings were damaged. A hurricane raged for 11 whole days and claimed the lives of 27, 000 people. Crazy elements destroyed the entire British fleet that was stationed in the Caribbean.
Katrina
Perhaps Hurricane Katrina in America has become the most talked about in history. A natural disaster with a cute female name caused devastating consequences in the territories of the Gulf of Mexico. As a result of the disaster, infrastructure in the Mississippi and Louisiana states was almost completely destroyed. The hurricane claimed the lives of about 2, 000 people. The states of Florida, Alabama, Ohio, Georgia, Kentucky also suffered. As for New Orleans, its territories suffered a serious flood.
Subsequently, the disaster led to a social disaster. Hundreds of thousands of people were left without a roof over their heads. The cities that suffered the most destruction became the epicenter of mass crime. Incredible numbers reached statistics on theft of property, looting, robbery. The government managed to return life to its usual course only a year later.
Irma
Hurricane Irma is one of the most recent tropical cyclones, with extremely devastating consequences. A natural phenomenon formed in August 2017, near the islands of Cape Verde in the Atlantic Ocean. In September, a hurricane received a fifth threat category. The settlements located in the south of the Bahamas suffered catastrophic destruction. More than half of the population lost housing.
Then Hurricane Irma reached Cuba. Soon the capital of Havana was completely flooded. According to meteorologists, waves up to 7 meters high were noted here. Gusts of heavy wind reached a speed of 250 km / h.
On September 10, a natural disaster reached the coast of Florida. Local authorities had to urgently evacuate more than 6 million people. Soon, the hurricane moved to Miami, where it caused severe destruction. A few days later, the category "Irma" fell to a minimum. September 12 this year, the hurricane completely disintegrated.
Harvey
Hurricane Harvey in the United States is a spontaneous phenomenon that formed on August 17, 2017. Tropical cyclone caused flooding in southern and eastern Texas. The consequence was the death of more than 80 people. After the catastrophic devastation in Houston, cases of theft and looting significantly increased. City authorities were forced to impose a curfew. Public order became controlled by the military.
To repair the damage after Hurricane Harvey in the United States, $ 8 billion was allocated from the budget. However, according to experts, the full restoration of infrastructure in the affected settlements will require more significant financial injections, which are estimated at about 70 billion.
"Camilla"
In August 1969, one of the largest cyclones in history was formed, which was called Camilla. The hub hit the United States. The natural disaster, which was assigned the fifth category of danger, hit the state of Mississippi. An incredible amount of rainfall led to extensive flooding of the territories. Researchers have not been able to measure the maximum wind force due to the destruction of all meteorological instruments. Therefore, the real power of Hurricane Camilla remains a mystery to this day.
As a result of the disaster, more than 250 people disappeared. About 8900 residents of the states of Mississippi, Virginia, Louisiana and Alabama were injured of varying severity. Thousands of houses ended up under water, littered with trees and covered with landslides. Material damage to the state amounted to about $ 6 billion.
Mitch
Hurricane Mitch caused a real catastrophe in the late 90s. The epicenter of the disaster fell on the Atlantic basin. In Honduras, El Salvador and Nicaragua, the most numerous buildings and roads were destroyed. A large number of people died. According to official figures, the elements took the lives of 11, 000 people. A similar number of people were listed as missing. A significant part of the African territories has turned into continuous mud swamps. Cities began to suffer en masse from a shortage of drinking water. Hurricane Mitch raged for a month.
