Special Series: Dangers of the East Coast - Hurricanes

Weather-watchers and emergency managers in the Eastern United States keep a close watch on two places from June to November.  First, are the warm waters off our Atlantic Coast and second, and more treacherous, are the tropical waves that form off the North West Coast of Africa where some of the most powerful storms in history were born.  These are the birthing grounds of mega-engines of heat and energy, where nature’s most violent offspring are conceived.  These storms can destroy tens of thousands of lives and cause hundreds of millions of dollars in damage in just a few hours.
 

 

Hurricanes form from a mere three ingredients: warm ocean temperatures, moist air, and an inward spiraling air pattern located close to the water’s surface.  This rotation of air moves counter-clockwise, pulling bands of violent thunderstorms toward the center, known as “the eye”. 
 

The area surrounding the eye is known as “the eye-wall”. It can be 50,000 feet or more. The eye-wall pushes air up and out with awesome energy.  Some mistakenly think the eye is the dangerous part, but in truth, the eye is calmest part of a hurricane.  The eye is formed from some of the air moving inward and sinking down to form a clear circular area, free of clouds.
 

Hurricanes can hit anywhere on the East Coast, from the southern tip of Florida to the eastern shores of Maine.   Over the last hundred years, the worst hurricanes have hit Florida and the Carolinas most often.  Other states like Georgia, have been spared from the worst storms for about 100 years, but it is important to remember that storms are indiscriminate.  They can destroy any part of the coastline and bring storm surge for hundreds of miles.  What is storm surge? Check out the NOAA’s definition and great tools on storm prediction: http://www.nhc.noaa.gov/HAW2/english/storm_surge.shtml 
 

Barrier islands of the east coast are the most dangerous place to be in a hurricane.  Current evacuation routes are not really adequate for getting everyone safely off these islands and there is a danger of people becoming trapped while storm surge comes in, which can lead to mass drowning, as occurred after Hurricane Katrina.
 

It is vitally important that East Coast residents are ready to evacuate when the call comes.  In the next part of the series, we will look closer at Hurricanes and how they can affect the East Coast.  We will examine the current theories of who is most likely to be affected by the next “big one”. 
 

Until then,
Keep Safe!