Hurricanes are intense tropical cyclones that form over warm ocean waters and are characterized by a low-pressure center, organized deep convection, and strong cyclonic surface winds. They derive energy from latent heat released during condensation within deep convective clouds, requiring sea surface temperatures typically above ~26–27 °C, sufficient Coriolis force to initiate rotation, and weak vertical wind shear to maintain structural integrity. Hurricanes exhibit a warm-core structure, an eye and eyewall, and spiral rainbands, and are classified by maximum sustained wind speed. They are central topics in atmospheric science, climate research, and risk modeling due to their role in heat transport, extreme precipitation, storm surge, and high-wind hazards.
How do extreme weather events and disasters affect communities long term? Solomon Hsiang discusses the impacts on economic growth and health, and how research can improve emergency management and mitigation strategies.
Environment
Sep 1, 2025
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Wind alone does not account for all hurricane-related fatalities. Storm surge and rainfall do as well. Yet the current warning system—the Saffir-Simpson Hurricane Wind Scale—measures a storm's strength solely by wind ...
Earth Sciences
Aug 26, 2025
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Hurricane Katrina—which made landfall in Louisiana in August 2005—is among the worst natural disasters to ever hit the United States, devastating communities across the Gulf Coast and forcing more than 1.5 million residents ...
Environment
Aug 26, 2025
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Vietnam's central belt was lashed by Typhoon Kajiki on Monday, with at least one person killed by deluges and gales howling more than 130 kilometers per hour, as tens of thousands of residents were evacuated from the path ...
Environment
Aug 25, 2025
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When Hurricane Katrina struck in 2005, it wasn't just another storm—it was one of the deadliest hurricanes in U.S. history. Entire neighborhoods disappeared, families were scattered, and lives were split into "before" and ...
Environment
Aug 25, 2025
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Vietnam evacuated tens of thousands of residents from coastal areas on Monday ahead of the arrival of Typhoon Kajiki, which is expected to lash the country's central belt with gales of around 140 kmh.
Environment
Aug 25, 2025
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As Hurricane Erin pelted North Carolina's barrier islands with strong winds and waves this week, it destroyed many nests of threatened sea turtles, burying the eggs deep in sand or washing them out to sea.
Ecology
Aug 23, 2025
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A research team has developed a new artificial intelligence (AI) tool that can automatically identify and track tropical easterly waves (TEWs)—clusters of clouds and wind that often develop into hurricanes—and separate ...
Earth Sciences
Aug 21, 2025
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Hurricane Erin brought coastal flooding to parts of North Carolina and Virginia as it made its closest approach to the US mainland early Thursday.
Environment
Aug 21, 2025
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Forecasters say it will bypass a direct hit on the continental U.S., but the first hurricane of 2025—Erin—is a strong reminder to have an emergency plan and know what to do if severe weather strikes.
Environment
Aug 19, 2025
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