MMR: Hurricanes and Intrigue

Hurricanes have always interested me. The power of the storms, the shape of them, how they look on radar, the speed of the winds. Everything about them is intriguing. I started out in Atmospheric Science as a major in college mostly because of my interest in hurricanes and tropical weather. That didn't last, and it has become more of a hobby for me. But hurricane season is still an interesting time for me. Watching how storms form, and where. How they get strong, how the slightest shift in track can make all the difference in the world. Tropical cyclones are among the most powerful phenomena in the whole world. They can be rather beautiful from afar with the symmetry and the rotation, a well defined eye...



Sadly, this is a tough interest to have, as they can also be rather destructive.



With that in mind, I'm going to drop a little hurricane knowledge on you, and list some of the more impressive hurricanes/typhoons of all time.

Strongest Cyclone of all time: Whether measured by pressure (the lower the more intense) or wind speed, Super Typhoon Tip in 1979 was the strongest, most intense hurricane of all time. At it's peak it reached a record low pressure of 870 mbar (millibars) and a record high sustained wind speed of 190 mph.



Typhoon Tip was also the largest Tropical Cyclone on record, measuring 1,380 miles across! Luckily, it did not strike land at this intensity, reducing all the way down to an 80mph typhoon by the time it hit Japan.

Most Costly Cyclone of all time: The most damaging in terms of cost hurricane to ever strike land was the hurricane pictured at the top of this post, Hurricane Katrina. Katrina's damage total to date stands at just over $90 billion. Most of this damage occurred, of course, due to the failing of the levees due to storm surge. When the levees broke, most of the city of New Orleans was left underwater for a substantial period of time. Many neighborhoods still have yet to recover even 5 years later. This is the most devistating modern hurricane to ever hit the U.S.

Deadliest Cyclone of all time: In 1970, a category 3 cyclone in the Bay of Bengal struck the border region between India and East Pakistan (now Bengladesh). The 1970 Bhola cyclone killed an estimated 500,000 people, mostly from a storm surge that innundated the many low lying areas in that region. The exact death toll is not known, but it is recognized as the deadliest cyclone of all time.

Most Intense Cyclone in the Atlantic Ocean: In the U.S., for the most part only hurricanes in the Atlantic Ocean need to be monitored, as the Eastern Pacific is too cold to sustain hurricanes as far north as California. The most intense hurricane on record in the Atlantic happened in 2005 (which also set a record for number of storms, number of intense storms, and pretty much everything else you can think of). Hurricane Wilma was the twenty-second storm, thirteenth hurricane, sixth major hurricane, and fourth Category 5 hurricane of the record-breaking 2005 season. At peak intensity, Wilma reached 882 mbars and 185 mph wind speeds.



Wilma struck land many times. It hit the Yucitan Penninsula in Mexico twice...first on the island of Cozumel (where I have been...it's very pretty. Actually, I was there when a Tropical Storm's eye passed right over us...it was less than eventful), and again shortly thereafter near Cancun. After spending a day near Cancun, it turned and headed towards Florida, making landfall in Southern Florida at 125 mph. It moved across Florida quickly and headed back out into the Atlantic where it did it's thing until it got too far north and too cold.

Most Intense Cyclone in the Eastern Pacific Ocean: The Eastern Pacific is not known for particularly violent storms, mostly because that is the colder side of the Pacific. However, in 1997, the largest hurricane in the Eastern Pacific was recorded. Hurricane Linda formed off the coast of Southern Mexico and quickly intensified. At peak intensity, Linda was measured at 902 mbars and 185 mph sustained wind speeds.



Hurricane Linda did not end up affecting land in any way (outside of beach errosion from waves), however, Linda is interesting because for a time, the projected path of Linda had it slamming into the Southern California coastline. It would have hit as a tropical storm, and probably just rained a lot. But only one tropical storm has ever hit the California coasline, and that was in 1939. Linda instead turned away from land and quickly dissipated. The remnants did bring rain to the region, but not much else.



Anyways, thought this was interesting, and since it's my blog, I can write about whatever I want! Hopefully you found it intriguing as well...and if not, I don't give a shit! I enjoyed writing it!