Five facts about hurricanes:
* Hurricanes and typhoons are the same thing. They form when the maximum sustained winds of a tropical cyclone reach 33 metres per second, or 74 mph (119 kph). The storms are called hurricanes in the North Atlantic, the Northeast Pacific east of the dateline, and the South Pacific. They are called typhoons in the Northwest Pacific west of the dateline, severe tropical cyclones in the Southwest Pacific or Southeast Indian Ocean, severe cyclonic storms in the North Indian Ocean, and tropical cyclones in the Southwest Indian Ocean.
* Wind speeds are an important factor in determining a hurricane's capacity to cause damage. But often the most destructive aspect of a storm is its storm surge, a wall of water caused by high winds and low pressure that washes ashore and which can rip buildings off their foundations. The Bathurst Bay Hurricane, also known as Tropical Cyclone Mahina, caused the highest known storm surge of 42 feet (13 metres) when it struck Bathurst Bay, Australia, in 1899. Fish and dolphins were reported to have been found on top of 49-foot-high (15-metre-high) cliffs.
* The eye of a hurricane is often dry and windless, and blue sky or twinkling stars can even be seen. The eye is surrounded by the eyewall, which is the area of highest surface winds in a tropical cyclone.
* Tropical cyclones use warm, moist air as fuel. Studies have found they need water temperatures of at least 80 degrees Fahrenheit (26.5 degrees Celsius), down to 150 feet (50 metres) below the sea surface, to form.
* The word hurricane is derived from "Hurican," the Carib god of evil.
Source: US National Hurricane Center
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