25 Interesting Hurricane Facts You May Want Not Know

Hurricane Ida is upon, so here are some facts about hurricanes that you may not have known.

Within a single second, a large hurricane will release the same amount of energy as ten atomic bombs.

Nearly half of the hurricanes that hit the United States, hit Florida.
Most deaths caused by hurricanes are the result of towering walls of water covering land.
Hurricanes can also produce tornados.
A hurricane can dump 2.4 trillion gallons of rain water in a single day.
Water must be at least 150 feet and over 80° for a hurricane to form.

More than 1/3 of pet owners do not have a disaster relief plan for their cats and dogs.
Hurricanes are made up of storm clouds that rotate counter clockwise around the eye. The storm clouds create the eye wall and produce high winds and precipitation. The eye, on the other hand, can be relatively calm with light winds and no precipitation.
From 1953-1978, hurricanes were given only female names (*eye roll*).
Hurricane Katrina was the most expensive hurricane, costing $108 billion in damages.
Hurricanes do not combine when they run into each other, but they will spin around one another.
Since 1944, four planes have been lost while flying over hurricanes (new fear unlocked).

The largest hurricane ever recorded was called Typhoon Tip. It happened in 1979 and was roughly the size of half of the United States.

The difference between a tropical storm and a hurricane is wind speed. Tropical storms typically have 36 to 47 mph winds; whereas, hurricanes are around 74 mph.
The most dangerous part of a hurricane is the eye wall, which is typically made of clouds and thunderstorms.
The point when a hurricane reaches land is called a storm surge. As water levels rise, the force creates waves that can reach 20 feet high.
More people die from hurricanes than any other type of weather disaster.
One hundred fifty-eight hurricanes hit the United States in the 20th century.

The deadliest weather disaster in American history happened in 1900 when a hurricane hit Texas and killed 8000 people, but the deadliest hurricane ever recorded hit Bangladesh in 1970 and killed more than one quarter of a million people.

Despite their bad reputations, hurricanes are a necessary part of the Earth’s weather system. They carry warm air from the tropics to the poles and create temperature balance.
The average hurricane is about 2000 times wider than the largest tornado.
Hurricane Andrew in 1992 created 62 tornadoes. Hurricane Beulah in 1967 created 141.
Hurricane season is from May to November, but the busiest month is September. August comes in second.
Lists of hurricane names are repeated each year. Those that created the most death and destruction are retired, like Andrew and Katrina.
CLICK HERE to see the list of hurricane names from now until 2026. See if you’re on the list!