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The AO is the oscillation of pressure difference between the middle and high latitudes in the Northern Hemisphere. Negative phases occur when there is relatively high pressure over the polar regions and low pressure over the mid-latitudes, with positive phases featuring the opposite characteristics. Since the 1970?s, the index has been predominately positive. Positive phases [...]

Tropical cyclones are one of Earth’s mechanisms for distributing heat from the sweltering tropical regions to the frigid poles. Once the winds inside these cyclones reach 75 miles per hour, they are classified as hurricanes. There are five categories of hurricanes, with category five hurricanes being the most severe. Warm ocean water is necessary to [...]

Coral reefs form natural barriers that protect shorelines from the wind, swells and storms of the sea. Without coral reefs, parts of Florida would be underwater. Seasons: Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter (Source: World Wildlife Fund. Windows on the Wild: Oceans of Life, An Educators Guide to Exploring Marine Biodiversity. www.worldwildlife.org.)

Not only do hurricanes transport heat and moisture from the tropics to more northern latitudes, they also stir up nutrients from cold water in deep seas. When these nutrients reach the ocean surface, they can cause phytoplankton (microscopic plant) blooms in “ocean deserts” – areas that typically have very little marine life growing in them. [...]

The maximum sustained winds of Hurricane Camille in 1969 were estimated to be around 200 mph, but because the storm destroyed all wind-recording instruments when it made landfall in Mississippi, the actual sustained winds will never be known! Camille is the second most intense hurricane to hit the U.S. on record, resulting in more than [...]

In order to intensify, hurricanes need warm sea surface temperatures. One of the reasons that the Gulf of Mexico is so prone to hurricanes is an ocean characteristic known as the Yucatan Channel Loop Current. Found in the southeastern part of the Gulf, extending from the mouth of the Mississippi River down through the Florida [...]

The Galveston Hurricane (1900) had storm tides (storm surge plus astronomical tides) of eight to 15 feet, which inundated all of Galveston Island, and parts of the Texas coast. The flooding is thought to be largely responsible for the 6,000 to 12,000 deaths attributed to the storm, and property damages of about 30 million dollars. [...]

Hurricane Katrina was the deadliest hurricane to hit the U.S. since 1928, resulted in a record 2,773,000 insurance claims, and is the costliest hurricane in U.S. history approximately double the cost of Hurricane Andrew. Seasons: Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter (Source: Hurricane Season of 2005: Impacts on US P/C Insurance Markets in 2006 and Beyond, Insurance [...]

In 2005, Hurricane Katrina created storm surge flooding 25 to 28 feet above normal tide levels along the Mississippi coast, and 10 to 20 feet above normal levels along Louisiana’s southeastern coast. Storm surge extended several miles inland in Mississippi, and breached levees in New Orleans. The storm resulted in 75 billion dollars in damages, [...]

Hurricanes contribute significantly to coastal land loss and can cause the formation of varying sized ponds of water on land. Immediately following the 2005 hurricane season, Louisiana had lost around 219 square miles of land to open water – that’s roughly the size of Chicago! By the end of 2006, only about 19 square miles [...]

More than half of hurricanes that make landfall produce at least one tornado. Tornadoes associated with hurricanes most often occur in the right-front quadrant of the hurricane, but can occur in rainbands and away from the hurricane?s center. As Hurricane Ivan (2004) moved inland, it produced heavy rains and more than 100 tornadoes. Hurricane Katrina [...]

In Florida, hurricanes can damage sea turtle and shorebird nesting areas, and beach renourishment and cleanup operations can further affect nesting activities. Seasons: Summer, Fall (Source: Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission. July 2005. “Hurricanes Effects on Fish and Wildlife Good and Bad.”)

The majority of damage in Florida from Hurricane Andrew in 1992 was due to wind. Maximum winds in Florida were not able to be measured because instruments were broken when the storm made landfall. Gusts above 160 mph were measured before instruments were damaged, and 120 mph gusts were reported in Louisiana after the storm [...]

Although trees tolerate every day weather, they are vulnerable to severe weather and natural disasters. Large-scale damage to trees has direct environmental effects. For example, scientists have concluded that an estimated 320 million trees in Mississippi and Louisiana died or were severely damaged from Hurricanes Katrina and Rita. Since healthy forests take in large amounts [...]

An average of 11 tropical storms develop each year over the Gulf of Mexico, Caribbean Sea and Atlantic Ocean. While many of those storms stay over the ocean without impacting the U.S., about five hurricanes will strike the U.S. Coastline from Texas to Maine in a given three-year period, with two being Category 3 (winds [...]

Hurricanes can produce tornadoes along the Atlantic and Gulf of Mexico coastlines. Although tornadoes are often accompanied with hail and lightning in other parts of the country, they may lack these important “clues” when they are associated with hurricanes. This means that is is important not to base judgment of tornado risk solely on the [...]

In addition to the powerful winds that accompany hurricanes, they can also produce tornadoes. Over half of the hurricanes that reach land generate at least one tornado. These often occur in the right front quadrant of the hurricane but can also occur in other places, such as embedded in rainbands far away from the center [...]

Hurricanes are categorized from 1-5 according to the Saffir-Simpson Hurrican Scale, based on wind speeds and potential damage. The weakest hurricanes are Category 1; for comparision, a Category 4 hurricane would be expected to cause 100 times more damage that a Category 1 hurricane and have wind speeds between 131 and 155 miles per hour [...]

Watches and warnings: Do you know the difference? A hurricane watch indicates a hurricane could strike within 36 hours. A hurricane warning is issued when sustained winds exceeding 74 miles per hour are expected to hit within 24 hours. Viewer Tip: Listen to NOAA Weather Radio or your local TV weathercaster for frequent updates if [...]

One of the greatest possible causes of death during a hurricane is storm surge, when ocean winds create a force that pushes water toward the shore. This causes a tide that can increase the water levels by 15 feet or more, and waves on top of this increased water level can increase flooding. Storm surge [...]