Hurricanes
A hurricane is a tropical storm whose winds travel at least 74 miles (119 kilometers) per hour. The winds spin counter-clockwise, or the opposite direction than a clock's hands move, over warm tropical oceans.
Hurricanes usually form during the warm summer and early fall months. They form in the southern Atlantic Ocean, Caribbean Sea, Gulf of Mexico, and eastern Pacific Ocean. They move westward toward Central America and the United States. The longer a hurricane lasts, the more powerful and bigger it becomes. Once it reaches land, or if it travels to more northern areas where water is colder, it loses power and gradually dies.
Hurricanes get their energy from heat. This is why they do not survive once they reach colder water or land. The center of a hurricane is called the eye. The eye is calm because cold air is coming down through the top. When the cold air meets the warm air of the storm, they cancel each other out. In the eye it is as if there is no storm at all. Winds and rain are heaviest just outside the eye, where thunderstorm clouds form.
Hurricane winds are very strong. Hurricanes also bring with them heavy rains and huge ocean waves. These hurricanes can destroy buildings and tear up the earth and anything growing from it. The deadliest storm of the twentieth century was Hurricane Mitch. It hit Central America in 1998 and killed more than 11,000 people. Mitch's winds were 180 miles (290 kilometers) per hour.
Hurricanes are always given men's and women's names. The names come from one of six lists used by The World Meteorological Organization.