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If you’ve ever gone to a beach when the surf is strong, you can probably understand why storm surge is so devastating to coastal areas hit by a hurricane. Driven by the roiling sea, storm surge can raise water levels by more than 40 feet. And while the flooding is damaging, it is the violent waves and currents within it that are the most destructive. Storm surge can level nearly any structure, and even wash away entire sections of land.
Although the strong winds from a hurricane can be extremely destructive, much of the damage that comes from these storms is actually caused by the tornadoes they spawn. Even weaker hurricanes can spawn tornadoes, making it difficult to predict how a hurricane will impact an area when it hits.
Being tropical in nature, hurricanes are usually significant rain events. Typically, a hurricane will bring 6 to 12 inches of rain, with some bringing even more. Not only can they cause significant flooding, but coupled with strong winds, heavy rains can cause roofs to spring leaks.
Winds above 73 MPH are considered “hurricane force,” and hurricanes can contain winds that are several times stronger. The highest sustained wind speed ever measured was in Hurricane Patricia in 2015, at 200 MPH. But gusts can even surpass that speed. These extreme winds can tear away shingles and barrel tiles, or even rip entire roofs right off of a house. Trees or debris can be picked up and thrown against a roof with such force that even small branches and items can cause significant damage to a house or roof.
Hurricanes are devastating enough with just wind and rain, but they also add a significant amount of lightning to the mix. Lightning during a hurricane is often many times more abundant than in a heavy thunderstorm. Many homes lose power during a hurricane due to lightning striking power transformers and causing outages. With so much lightning occurring, it is also more likely to strike homes or buildings and cause damage to roofs and other structures.
Hurricanes gain strength over warm waters, and lose strength over land. While this makes them most threatening to coastal areas, it should be noted that strong storms sometimes pack enough power to carry hurricane conditions hundreds of miles inland.
All hurricanes are named. The World Meteorological Organization creates lists of storm names for both Atlantic and Pacific oceans. Names are ordered alphabetically, and assigned to weather systems as they reach tropical storm strength. This is done to ensure clear communications, as multiple storms may be active at a given time. Names are recycled on a six-year rotation, unless the named storm is so devastating that the WMO decides to retire it.
Throughout a hurricane’s brief lifespan (they can last up to 2 weeks) it will change in size and intensity. In order to characterize a storm’s current intensity – and therefore, its threat – hurricanes are assigned a category number from 1 to 5, with 5 being the most intense.
Hurricanes Category 3 and above are considered major storms
It is important to understand that while hurricanes can be large enough to cover an entire state like Florida, the most destructive portion – described by the categories above – is closest to the center of the storm, or “eye.” The size of the eye varies from storm to storm. Hurricane eyes are typically 20-40 miles across, and are relatively still and calm. However, the eyewall, which surrounds the eye, is the most dangerous part of the storm, representing its full strength.
Hurricane season in the US lasts from May to November, however hurricanes can occur at any time. Some hurricane seasons are more active than others. For example, there were 8 named storms in 2014, which is considered below average. 2020, on the other hand, produced a record 30 named storms. This exhausted the list of alphabetic names, causing the last 9 storms of that season to be named after letters of the Greek alphabet.
Florida is, by far, the most hurricane prone state. More than 100 hurricanes have impacted Florida since records have been kept, which is more than twice as many as any other state. Because of the increased threat of hurricanes, Florida has stricter building codes, and homeowners insurance policies in the state are more exacting and specific.
Because hurricanes affect a large area, there is usually a glut of insurance claims filed in the aftermath of a damaging storm. This can delay settlement and repairs for months, or even years. Do not delay! Call Roofleak.com as soon as possible after your roof is damaged by a storm.
Outside of stocking up on food and boarding up windows, there is little that can be done to prepare for a hurricane. While it is recommended that windows be boarded or shuttered, doing so will not prevent major storms from damaging your home.
Therefore it is recommended that people evacuate areas where hurricanes are forecast to strike. For coastal areas and mobile homes, evacuation orders are usually mandatory.
If you decide to remain in your home during a hurricane, you should be prepared to lose power and water. Therefore, you should stockpile enough bottled water, non-perishable food, and batteries to last your family for at least a week.
Your Roof Has A Hard Job. It Must Constantly Protect You And Your Belongings From Some Of Nature’s Most Savage And Unforgiving Forces.
