Hurricanes Helene and Milton Ravage the Southern Coast

September and October have been difficult months for Florida and other states along the Gulf and Atlantic Coasts due to repeat hurricanes. In late September 2024, Hurricane Helene approached Florida as a category 4 storm. It resulted in mass destruction of property and the deaths of more than 230 people. Helene was the largest storm on record to hit Florida’s Big Bend. Coming in just a couple weeks later, Hurricane Milton made landfall on Wednesday night on October 9. Though it had previously achieved category 5 status out over the water, it hit land as a category 3.

How Hurricanes Form

Hurricanes are immense tropical cyclones that form at sea. For a tropical storm to become a hurricane, two key factors are required: heat and wind. When the temperature of sea water increases, the warm water evaporates and rises, which creates clouds. The updrafts, or upward currents of air, are intensified by the heat released from the water. The updrafts begin to rotate and form powerful tropical cyclones that move and can develop into hurricanes.

Storm surges are another highly important factor of hurricanes. A storm surge is an abnormal rise in sea level due to a tropical storm. Storm surges can reach up to 20 feet and devastate the areas closest to the shoreline.

There are five categories of hurricanes with five being the most powerful. It is not especially common to see category 5 hurricanes reach land. Hurricane Katrina, which devastated parts of Louisiana, is possibly the most well-known Category 5 hurricane. Following is the breakdown of what classifies the strength of a hurricane:

Category 1 –

• Winds between 74 and 95 mph
• Falling debris can cause damage to buildings and homes
• Glass can typically withstand this level of hurricane

Category 2 –

• Winds between 96 and 110 mph
• Higher risk of death for people and animals
• Older mobile homes are more at risk of destruction
• Day or weeklong power outages

Category 3 –

• Winds between 111 and 129 mph
• High risk of death or injury from flying debris
• Damage expected to well-built homes and buildings
• Uprooted trees and roadways
• Loss of electricity and water for days or weeks after the storm

Category 4 –

• Winds between 130 and 156 mph
• Extreme risk for people, livestock, and pets
• Immense destruction of homes and buildings
• Down power lines and loss of access to water
• Shattered windows and glass, especially in high-rise buildings
• Potentially catastrophic damages
• The area becomes uninhabitable for weeks

Category 5 –

• Winds over 157 mph
• Flying debris poses immense risk to people and animals
• Increased risk of building collapse
• Broken glass and collapsed buildings
• Large areas of flooding
• Catastrophic to living beings and structures
• Areas left uninhabitable for many weeks or months

Takeaways:

1. Hurricanes are huge tropical storms that form over the ocean when hot water vapor rises into the atmosphere.
2. A storm surge is a highly destructive rise in sea level ahead of a hurricane, causing severe flooding.
3. Hurricanes are ranked on a scale from category 1 to category 5, with 5 being the strongest and most destructive.