1. Hurricane season is from June to November when the seas are at their warmest and most humid, which are ripe conditions for a hurricane to develop.
2. A tropical storm is classified as a hurricane once winds goes up to 74 miles per hour or higher.
3. The New England Hurricane of 1938 is reported to have the fastest forward speed for a hurricane at 70 mph. The forward speed for an average hurricane is less than 20 mph.
4. A typical hurricane can dump 6 inches to a foot of rain across a region.
5. Slow moving hurricanes produce more rainfall and can cause more damage from flooding than faster-moving, more powerful hurricanes.
6. The most violent winds and heaviest rains take place in the eye wall, the ring of clouds and thunderstorms closely surrounding the eye.
7. Hurricanes can also produce tornadoes. They are not as strong as regular tornadoes and last only a few minutes.
8. In 1967, Hurricane Beulah hit Texas and caused more than 140 twisters.
9. Hurricane Floyd, which made landfall at Cape Fear, North Carolina, was barely a category I hurricane, but it still managed to mow down 19 million trees and caused over a billion dollars in damage.
10. The worst hurricane damage is often caused by a storm surge. A storm surge is like a giant wall of water pushed onshore by hurricane winds. Most people who die in hurricanes are killed by the storm surge.
11. The 1900 Galveston hurricane was the deadliest hurricane in US history, and the second costliest hurricane in US history based on the US dollar’s 2005 value (to compare costs with those of Hurricane Katrina and others).
12. In 1944, the US Navy’s Pacific fleet was crushed by Typhoon Cobra, which sank three destroyers and damaged many ships.
13. In 1970, a hurricane in Pakistan killed more than 300,000 people.
14. In 1971, Hurricane Ginger lasted for over three weeks.
15. In 1989, Hurricane Hugo completely destroyed several forests in South Carolina. Hurricanes are no joking matter, as residents of a hurricane hot spot we know this all too well. Remember to get your free quote from Elzey Insurance today! Check in on Wednesday for more hurricane fun facts!